AXA Car Insurance Advert - Pink Baby Mobile

I was very excited to see one of my mobiles on TV!!! Back in May, I made a very special pink African animal felt baby mobile to be featured in the new AXA TV advert.

Here are some images:

It is so lovely to see it in use and on TV! Until recently, I'd only made my African mobiles in more traditional colours, so an orange giraffe, yellow lion and grey elephant, but I guess if my elephants can be all different colours then there is no reason why the other animals can't be too!

All of my mobiles can be custom made to order, and can be found here: www.fairlyamy.co.uk

Banda Island, Lake Victoria, Uganda

I'm currently re-watching Long Way Down (whilst knitting) and it takes me back to my trip from Cairo to Jo'burg back in 2009/10 which was one of the best adventures of my life.

One gorgeous place we went to was Banda Island, in Lake Victoria which we heard about whilst drinking with some locals at the NRE (Nile River Explorers) in Jinja. We were basically given a phone number to text, told to wait a few days (as to get signal on the island you have to stand on some rocks leaning out over the lake) and we would be sent directions as to how to get there.

Which we did. At this point we weren't sure if Banda Island was just a bit of a backpacker urban myth, so we were excited to get a response with directions.

We had to get a bus to Kasenyi, which is a short matatu ride from Kampala, and then ask for the boat to Banda. So far so good. We were also asked to buy sliced white bread on the way as the owner had been craving it and noone had visited in a while.

When we got to Kasenyi, and found the boat, we were told that we had to be carried onto the boat. At this point we thought 'haha, this is just a ploy to get more money from the mzungus' so we stalled for a while, until we saw locals paying the 20p equivalent to also be carried onto the boat and realised that they hadn't been having us on!

So we piled into the fishing boat in the picture above, and by the time we were set off, we were loaded with about 30 people, luggage, and a handful of goats and chickens, that the water was only about 4 inches below the top of the boat. 

Which was fine until the weather turned. The wind picked up, the rain poured down and the waves were pouring over the side of the boat. Then it got dark. Bearing in mind that we'd paid to be carried into the boat so that we didn't go in the water and catch Bilharzia, we were now drenched!! Although that was the least of our worries as we were genuinely convinced at this point that we were going to die. We'd been told the journey would take 2/3 hours so after 4, with no idea where we were, the engine intermittently cutting out, and, the storm worsening, we really thought this was the end!

After about 5 hours, we stopped again, and this time addressed by the captain and told to get out. In pitch dark sea this is terrifying. Then we saw a small boat had pulled along side us, probably about the size of a Canadian canoe. In it was a Ugandan lady, wearing a life jacket, bailing water out of the bottom of the boat, and praying loudly. 

In this situation, it's not really clear where is the better place to be, but we did as we were told and got into this canoe. Luckily, about 45 mins later WE SAW LAND!!!! 

With a very worried looking Dom who had been expecting us hours before! Luckily we had a great welcome, and were plied with home made banana liquor which was deadly, and plenty of food. 

It turned out we were the only people who had been to Banda Island for a while and it was great! We spent the days lazing, drinking banana liquor, feasting, and chatting to Dom, hearing tales of his life growing up in East Africa. 

Our accommodation was right on the beach and beautifully comfortable and the island had the fanciest long drop I'd ever seen!!!

So watching Long Way Down made me think of my visit here, and I was very saddened to learn that Dom has since passed away. We had such a great time on Banda, and learnt so much about the Island and life in East Africa. However, I am pleased that the legend of Banda Island is still continuing and people are still going to visit. 

Despite the near death experience on the way there, it was still one of my favourite places in Africa and I would definitely recommend anyone in the area to go and visit!

Pirate Fun in Cape Town

Back in December, when it was freezing and horrible here, I spent a few days in Cape Town which although was much warmer and sunnier, it was also very windy!

The theme was pirates, and so I made a selection of Pirate themed props to take with us:

Hot Christmas?

I've just got back from a week in Cape Town and did not feel Christmassy at all. Once. The whole time I was there, which was strange as I've been feeling Christmassy since mid October! There were Christmas decorations everywhere, so it wasn't that, it was purely because Christmas should be cold, and so to me it felt like July or August so ages away from Christmas.

This was the Christmas tree at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. Beautiful, and very traditional, but it's not right that the people standing next to it are in sundresses and shorts and T-shirts!!

I've only spent one Christmas away from home, and that was when I was in Namibia in 2009. We went to the beach, we drank cider, and Father Christmas skydived into the bar on the beach, It was weird. It didn't feel the slightest bit like Christmas, more that we were just acting out Christmas. 

Christmas in Swakopmund

So although I was sad when I got back yesterday, and it was drizzly and horrible, I am now very much back in the wrapped up warm mulled wine Christmas spirit! Yay!

Cake & Other Good Breakfasts

This morning I woke up and had an urge to bake fairy cakes for breakfast. So I did. There is nothing better than freshly bakes cakes out of the oven, and when they've got blackberries, red currants, strawberries and black currants in them then that seems healthy enough to make them suitable breakfast food.

The fact that I added pink butter cream icing and jelly beans may have detracted slightly from this way of thinking, but they were delicious and as I said, anything straight out of the oven can't be ignored!

As I was baking them, alone in the kitchen as it was early on a Sunday morning, I was thinking about breakfasts and who decided what we should eat for them. It's all the norm to eat toast or fruit or cereal but why. Who said we should only eat those things?

(Early morning pizza in Mwanza, Tanzania after catching the overnight ferry across Lake Victoria)

I'm a big fan of eating cold leftovers for breakfast and some dishes taste so much better when cold the next day, as if all the flavours have had a chance to soak in to eachother properly. When travelling as well, I always seem to find that Pizza finds its way onto my plate for breakfast and why not? Sometimes all you crave at the point of waking up is pizza, and if you happen to find a pizza restaurant open and serving pizza at that time in the morning then why not?

(Another early morning pizza in Lusaka, Zambia after being on a train for 56 hours....)

Especially when we were travelling through Africa and would often only have one or two meals a day, we weren't going to waste a meal on only eating a banana and toast, especially when bread was always so disappointing. I wish more places served pizza for breakfast here....maybe it will catch on one day.

Tribal & Other Prints

I fell in love with a tribal print skirt at Boden recently, but sadly, although it was gorgeous, it just didn't suit me. It was a bit grown up officey for me and as much as I loved it, I just knew I wouldn't wear it.

I was a bit sad about it so had a bit of a look around for another tribal print skirt and instead found this dress from asos which I love. I'm sure you're not really supposed to wear it with a fur wrap (vintage) and this amazing hat (Debenhams), but why not (although I didn't actually end up going out like this, don't worry). 

I also now have my eye on this beautiful dress from Zara. It's got a bit of an Aztec-y feel, but then with all the beading, kind of an African essence too. It reminds me of all the beautiful African batik fabrics you can buy, and as I have a fair few in my collection, I might have to get sewing. 

Africa

I've been watching the Africa series, catching bits every so often as they seem to be repeated a lot and I am in love with it! I'm also a little bit in love with David Attenborough, I could listen to him talking about absolutely anything, I just find his voice so soothing.

Anyway, inspired by this programme, and the success of my elephant mobiles, I decided to branch out and add in some other African animals into a mobile. I also used some African batik fabrics which I bought in Tanzania and Zambia which I think compliment the animals colours beautifully and also add to the African theme of the mobile. Here are some pictures...

Some Winter sun

I was lucky enough to fly off to South Africa in January for some winter sunshine. Sadly not for a holiday though, this was a purely work visit. Still, it was 41 degrees one day so it was a very lovely escape from the grey winter dreariness in England.

We stayed in a gorgeous house in Kommetjie just outside Cape Town which was overlooking the beach, and shot on the beach outside the house, and on Scarborough beach, and on Nordhoek common.

We've just been editing the behind the scenes video in work and it has made me wish so much that I could be back there right now in the baking sunshine!! Even if it is nice and sunny outside, it is definitely not warm enough to be in a bikini and there's no sea or pool to dip into!

And I was thinking that it has been like summer here recent'y with some beautiful sunny days, and even a picnic in Green Park....but at the moment it's forecast to snow on Wednesday!!! In Richmond!!! Ridiculous!!!

Do they know it's Christmas time at all - well yes probably.

I was at my work Christmas party last night and at the end of the night, all of the usual Christmas cheese came on. I was very quite drunk, but got a little bit into the lyrics of Band Aid.

I was obviously at the point of drunkeness when I got a little too into the lyrics and started to think well actually they're a bit ridiculous. So I refused to sing along.

Now I realise all song lyrics are a bit ridiculous, but one one of my pet hates is people to referring to Africa as a whole. I have a friend who always says 'Oh when I went to Africa' and I always say 'You went to Uganda!'. He'd never say, oh I went to Europe, when he was off to France, so why should it be the same for Africa.

So it annoys me when the lyrics say things like 'There won't be snow in Africa at Christmas' as Africa is so massive, that it's entirely different in every country. And actually, there will in some countries. I've been to Morocco just after Christmas and there was plenty of snow in the mountains - we even went skiing.

(Skiing in Morocco)

Similarly the 'Do they know it's Christmas time at all?' Well yes. About 40% of the Africa population is Christian and so Christmas is one of the most important events in the Christian calendar. Even if they don't celebrate it in the same was as us, with a tree and presents, Christmas is still a time of family and giving and most Christians will try to go to church and celebrate on Christmas day.

(Christmas in Namibia - 2009)

Similarly, the bit about 'where nothing ever grows' only really applies to a very small percentage of Africa areas, and even Ethiopia, which is was written about, is very fertile in the west of the country.

(Blue Nile Falls in Ethiopia)

(Eating wild peas on a walk in the Highlands in Northwest Ethiopia)

So there we go, rant over, but this is one Christmas song I won't be listening to if I can help it this Christmas.

Train Travel & Other Exciting Adventures ~ No.2

To continue on with my train adventures from my post before, on my Gap Year trip last year, I spent a lot of time travelling my train. The website http://www.seat61.com/ is incredibly helpful, as was my trusty Lonely Planet.

I always feel that train travel is safer than going by road, and also you can get up and wander around, and have a proper bed to sleep in. Even though it sometimes took longer to go by train, I always prefer it to road travel as I hate sitting still in a confined space for that long.

So we started off in Egypt with an overnight train from Cairo to Aswan, and then one back from Luxor to Cairo. The one on the way down had pretty comfy seats, and was full of backpackers, but on the way back up we were in a small compartment with 3 very upright seats and I appeared to be the only women on the train so we always had a crowd hanging around outside. Not a good nights sleep!

The next train we caught was in Tanzania. We were in Kampala, Uganda and wanted to get to Moshi, to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Everyone we spoke to suggested getting a 24 hour bus, which went back through Kenya, but #1. I didn't want to spend 24 hours on a bus, and #2. I didn't want to pay another $25 for a Kenyan visa when we'd just come from there.

So instead, I decided that we should sail across Lake Victoria, to Mwanza, then catch the train from Mwanza to Dodoma, and then the bus from there to Moshi. We went to the port in Kampala to try and see about getting a boat across to Mwanza, but were told that since the ferries had sunk in 2007, there was no passenger ferry, and the only way to get across was to hang around and wait for a cargo ship. Seeing as there was a couple who had been waiting for 4 days already, I decided to go for Plan B, which was to get a bus to just across the border, in Tanzania, and then catch a more reliable passenger ferry from there.

I had met some missionaries when rafting down the Nile in Uganda who said we couldn't possibly go to Mwanza, as it was a dirty town, full of drugs, sex and prostitutes. We then stayed with this English man on Banda Island in Lake Victoria, who said we simply must go to Mwanza, as it was full of drugs, sex and prostitutes.....

The bus to take us to the ferry port ran once a day, at 11am, and took 7 hours. Seeing as the ferry left at 9pm, I thought 3 hours was a very reasonable leeway. But I forgot, we were on African time. So at 4pm, after about 4 hours of me shouting at the bus driver, telling him we had ferry tickets and would be really angry if we missed it...the bus finally left. I'm sure the bus driver was trying his hardest to get us there on time, or maybe he just normally drove at the speed, but funnily enough, we didn't make it, and crossed the border into Tanzania at 8.30pm.

By this point, I think the bus driver felt pretty bad, and so arranged for a taxi, paid for by the bus company, to take us, and a Tanzanian guy and try and race to the ferry port before the boat left. Sadly, we didn't make it, but luckily the Tanzanian guy knew that the boat left Bukoba at 9pm, and then docked not far down the coast in Kemondo bay port, to load up with cargo, mainly bananas it seemed. We negotiated with the taxi driver to pay him a little bit extra, and then raced to the cargo port where thankfully the ferry was waiting.

Unfortunately, by this point, all of the cabins and first class seats had sold out, and so we had to travel in 2nd Class seating, where as everyone else had been on the boat for a couple of hours, and so was asleep, there were no seats left, so I spent the night in the luggage rack, watching rats and cockroaches run across the pipes worryingly close to my head.

The MV Bukoba, a previous ferry, sank in 1996, killing about 800 people, which showed the level of overcrowding, as the capacity was 430. As we were right in the belly of the boat it was so creaking and loud, and when I got woken up in the middle of the night, by the boat juddering to a halt, and went up on deck to go to the toilet and saw a little old lady standing on the railings wearing a white frilly nightie. Obviously I wasn't on the Titanic, but it was a proper deja vu moment, and I was absolutely convinced that the boat was going to sink, just probably not by hitting an iceberg!

We docked at 6am, and spent the day in the Swimming Pool at a local hotel, waiting until the 6pm train and the entire day passed without seeing any sex, or prostitutes, or being offered drugs. Maybe we went to the wrong Mwanza?

(note the shape of the pool?)

The train came spot on time, and we paid about TSH 5200 (£25)  for a 2 berth very comfy compartment, made up with freshly starched Linen. The only downside was the toilet, which was a worrying large hole in the ground that I was worried I might fall through and it was a little distracting watching the tracks whizz past whilst trying to squat!!

Although we left spot on time, we still managed to arrive late into Dodoma, which although this is technically the capital of Tanzania, it is tiny and only has a few paved roads. The next morning we got on a bus which we thought would take us to Moshi in about 5 hours...except the road was closed as it had turned into a swamp thanks to all the recent rain, and so we took a detour almost via Dar Es Salaam which took 10 hours instead!! But at least we made it to Moshi!!

Train Travel & Other Exciting Adventures

I love trains. I don't know why or where this love came from but I just love travelling by train. I'm not a train spotter or anything like that, I just would always prefer to travel by train where possible and would choose a train journey over a bus or car journey anyday.

When I was travelling, one of my identities was that I was the youngest ever female train driver for British Rail. This was a really good alias, until I spoke to an Aussie train geek who then asked me loads of technical questions to which I had absolutely no answer.

I rarely got the train when I was younger as my dad loves driving so much, and then squashing myself into the tiny 2 carriage Cardiff - Portsmouth Harbour train to get to and from uni was a nightmare...but train travel overseas, has been an entirely different and much more enjoyable experience.

I suppose actually, my first overseas train experience didn't start well. I was supposed to be catching the overnight train from Nairobi to Mombasa in Kenya, as the roads are far too dangerous to travel on at night. After waiting in the train station in Nairobi for about 4 hours, we were told that there was a blockage on the line, and so we needed to get a bus to where the train was waiting, and we could get on it there. So at 11pm, which is definitely-not-a-safe-time-to-be-on-the-road-o'clock, we sent off on a 4 hour very crowded bus journey along a bumpy road to get to where the train was.

Except it wasn't. We arrived into pitch blackness in seemingly the middle of the African Bush, and were dumped in a small station office next to the train track. With no water or food and no information, people were getting very angry! Luckily, the train turned up about about 5am, and we managed to stumble along the track and find our very comfortable carriage, which we shared with 2 other girls. It turned out that the train had actually managed to make it into the station in Nairobi, after we had left, so then had sat around for a bit, and then come on its way to find us. Then, about an hour into its journey to meet us, the driver got a call from someone saying a group of school kids who had missed the train initially had arrived at the station and would he go back and get them. So he did.....which is why we ended up getting on our train in the middle of nowhere at about 5am...only 10 hours later than our original 7pm departure time.

I wonder what would happen if a train was 10 hours late in the UK?

In Thailand, my summer after the first year of uni, we spent one night in Bangkok, and it was so hot, that at 5am we headed off the the train station to get out of the city and go somewhere cooler! We ended up getting on a train to Pattaya with the intention of then getting the train straight to Ko Samet. As soon as we pulled out of Bangkok, we then had the panic that all of the train station signs were written entirely in Thai script, so we had absolutely no idea when we were getting off or how we would know when to get off! Luckily a man saw our panic and when we got to a stop we'd say 'Pattaya?' and he'd say 'No!' and then eventually 'Yes!' and so we made it!!