Arriving back at Vic’s was wonderful. He does a very good impression of being pleased to see us – well I know it is genuine where Phil and Gabi are concerned, but having me back there chattering all the time, must be a strain on someone used to a quiet life!
He had laid in enough food to feed a battalion, so we ate like royalty yet again. Terry came over as well, so we got really stuck into a mountain of steak cooked to perfection by Vic on the Braai. It had been a long and rather tiring day – particularly for Gabi, travelling as she did in the back of the truck. The heat of the day had been pretty intense, and whilst Phil had arranged the canvas in such as way as to let in some flow of air, it must have been most uncomfortable for her.
As I was saying…. Now I was back in Gaborone, and Vic had told me the previous visit about a fence that I really should see. You may recall the one made out of Cable Drum sides that I included a photo of earlier in this saga, and this one is even better in some ways. It surrounds a second hand car spares place, and is quite ingenious.
He had laid in enough food to feed a battalion, so we ate like royalty yet again. Terry came over as well, so we got really stuck into a mountain of steak cooked to perfection by Vic on the Braai. It had been a long and rather tiring day – particularly for Gabi, travelling as she did in the back of the truck. The heat of the day had been pretty intense, and whilst Phil had arranged the canvas in such as way as to let in some flow of air, it must have been most uncomfortable for her.
As I was saying…. Now I was back in Gaborone, and Vic had told me the previous visit about a fence that I really should see. You may recall the one made out of Cable Drum sides that I included a photo of earlier in this saga, and this one is even better in some ways. It surrounds a second hand car spares place, and is quite ingenious.
It is constructed using old Car bonnets - but no doubt, if you needed one of them, for the right price the boss would take it out of his fence. Gives a whole new slant on the word 'Stockade'.
I had received an email from a friend in the north of Scotland telling me about an orphanage that had been opened recently and would I visit it and take some photos. She had no idea where I was staying, or where the place I was to look for was situated. As it happened, it was some 400Km north of Gaborone, but I would do my best to find it – well what is 400 Km when you live 6,500 miles away?
I was again very fortunate – nay I was fantastically lucky! – because Terry once again came to my rescue with the offer of a car to drive. What a blessing that was. I had been to a Garden Centre with Vic and had been absolutely enchanted by it, so now I had to find it again on my own. Normally, in Europe and the UK, I have no problem whatsoever orientating myself. All that skill desserts me in Africa. I think I said once before, that when you grow up in the Northern hemisphere you KNOW that the sun rises in the east, goes to the south at midday, and sets in the west. Easy peasy! Just look where the shadow is and you know where you are. WRONG in Africa! The sun in the North at midday is confusing to say the least. Add to this the fact that I had so far not seen any single map of Gaborone, so didn’t even know the direction from the City centre where Vic lives and you have a recipe for instantly getting lost. Well, sorry folks, I didn’t get lost. I DID visit all sorts of places unexpectedly, and certainly not on any tourist trail. I just call it the scenic route!
The garden Centre was wonderful, and these are some of the photos I took there, From the fully grown trees, to the gravels and stones used on gardens, everything was so different to a UK garden centre. Except of course, for the roses.
The gravels were something out of this world – as one who has worked with semi-precious stones I found it fascinating to see them in their natural state, ready to just cover a garden!
This red gravel is Diamond gravel
Blue Jaspers
and Tiger's eye (strange that it comes from Africa, where the Tigers don't live!)
Seeing so many roses in bloom in February also was unknown for me
The ever present Zebra Butterflies and I did manage to get a close up of this one
Of course, as I have told you before, they never let their wings stop fluttering, so it was difficult to photograph, but you can at least see it more clearly than others I have taken.
This double Bougainvillea was stunning.
And the perfume from this stephanotis was just overpoweringly beautiful
I had arranged to go to Vic’s office to access my email one day, and yes, he had taken me there a couple of days before. Could I find it? Well, suffice it to say that instead of the 10 or 12Km it is to his office, I actually did about 35. Here is Sir at his desk, and you can see from the look on his face that he is rather amused that I had taken so long to find his office!
My dear friend Vic
I had also arranged to meet up with Phil and Gabi at a shopping centre for lunch. ‘Oh, yes, I know where Riverwalk is.’ had been my proud boast! Well, I had been there a couple of times with Terry last October. Mmmm. I had not taken the notice I thought I had taken of the route, had I? When you pass the same spot for the 4th time, you get a little concerned. I had to stop and phone Gabi a couple of times, but at the 5th attempt I did arrive. Too late for lunch, but in time to enjoy a long cold drink.
I spent a very happy half hour in the computer shop there – bought a set of speakers for my MP3 player for a mere £35 instead of the £70+ they would have cost here. How I was wishing I had unlimited shipping facilities. The chocolate fountain would certainly have been in my luggage if I could have carried it. Not for my own use, you understand, but so I could raise money with it for my charities. For those of you who have not seen a chocolate fountain it is a machine which melts chocolate then it flows over 3 different sized bowls and you just dip fruit or marshmallows into the melted chocolate to eat them chocolate coated! Mmm, wicked or what!!! (This was in February 2006, before they came to the UK other than commercial ones and a few very specialist shops may have had them).
The week I was back in Gaborone was wonderful, and I spent a whole day with the National President of the Mother’s Union visiting their orphanage in Gaborone. I shall tell you all about that next time…..
I had also arranged to meet up with Phil and Gabi at a shopping centre for lunch. ‘Oh, yes, I know where Riverwalk is.’ had been my proud boast! Well, I had been there a couple of times with Terry last October. Mmmm. I had not taken the notice I thought I had taken of the route, had I? When you pass the same spot for the 4th time, you get a little concerned. I had to stop and phone Gabi a couple of times, but at the 5th attempt I did arrive. Too late for lunch, but in time to enjoy a long cold drink.
I spent a very happy half hour in the computer shop there – bought a set of speakers for my MP3 player for a mere £35 instead of the £70+ they would have cost here. How I was wishing I had unlimited shipping facilities. The chocolate fountain would certainly have been in my luggage if I could have carried it. Not for my own use, you understand, but so I could raise money with it for my charities. For those of you who have not seen a chocolate fountain it is a machine which melts chocolate then it flows over 3 different sized bowls and you just dip fruit or marshmallows into the melted chocolate to eat them chocolate coated! Mmm, wicked or what!!! (This was in February 2006, before they came to the UK other than commercial ones and a few very specialist shops may have had them).
The week I was back in Gaborone was wonderful, and I spent a whole day with the National President of the Mother’s Union visiting their orphanage in Gaborone. I shall tell you all about that next time…..
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