also visit  my personal website   |   Books (Dutch)   |   Expedition Kilimanjaro   |   Somebody Had To Do It  

Reports

During my travels, I received free accommodation for a night in exchange for writing a daily travel diary. This diary documented how I reached my next destination, the hosts who welcomed me, the food I was offered, and other experiences along the way. Below, you will find the archives of these extensive reports. Please note that English is not my native language, and most entries were written quickly, often around midnight. Enjoy!
« Previous reportAll reportsNext report »
Saturday, 20 October 2001
--> Somerset West (SA)

Carla woke me up after I could sleep in on this Saturday morning. She had agreed with my request for an extra stay-for-a-day as I desperately needed to work on some reports, columns and backstage things of this website. And a once a week extra day won't harm at all either.

After a breakfast with eggs, bacon, tomatoes and toast and the parents sitting outside in the sun, we got ready to drive up to Carla Husselmann’s office in Durbanville.

The drive up there was very still. There weren’t that many cars on the road and the weather seemed absolutely brilliant. Too bad that we both choose to work inside a building with the air-condition on. I did my writing, as Carla was thankful to me again to be able to work on her stuff and the content-providers’ office.

We spent about 6 hours there, and I got pretty good up to schedule and wrote the report about my first day at Shumi’s future guesthouse. During a few ‘breaks’ Carla found out about what I was writing and said that it was all very political. But she found my “strong opinions, open-mindedness and dedication inspiring”, as you later that office-day wrote on my messageboard. Thanks, Car!

To entertain ourselves after our day of 'hard work’, Carla took me to the theatre (together with her younger sister Suzie) where we went to see ‘Moulin Rouge’.

I didn’t really knew much about this movie, only that it starred Nicole Kidman in it and that it is directed by the Australian Baz Luhrman who is the fling master himself, but to me nothing in this movie could get me really involved. Eventhough the story can be told within 10 minutes. It’s just too strange to see a setting in 1900 and see (and hear) Kidman sing Madonna’s Like A Virgin and The Show Must Go On from Queen. It was so un-1900, but extremely Luhrman.

(Luhrman is also responsible for directing Romeo + Julliet and became worldwide known because of his "Everybody's Free to wear sunscreen"-speech. Listen here to the mix of it that hit the charts as well, one of my favourite creations made because of its content)

My women-company (well, there were mostly women) enjoyed it very much. Conclusion: Ramon saw a women-movie... (here you can see the trailer of the movie)

Back home again, we all were pretty tired. The parents already slept and I settled myself to do some writing behind their computer.

Suddenly Suzie toppled into the computer room, totally out of breath. “What’s the matter?” I asked and she couldn’t really speak out something I could understand, but she pointed out that there was something in the bathroom that kept her in disturbed.

I went in the bathroom for a look and noticed this hand-big hairy spider sitting relaxed on the window curtain. “Wow, nice thingy,” I said, but I had to be careful with Suzie as here eyes were about to hit the floor.

I am not really afraid for spiders, but I am just not used to them. You won’t see me play the hero when it comes to creatures I don’t know anything about. So we decided to get Carla to the party.

And she was the heroine that just took a broom from the kitchen and punched it on the spider so it would crumble together and fall on the floor. Together with some insect-spray and the pounding of the broom on the spiders body, not much of this interesting hairy spider was left.

Suzie said she wouldn’t be able to sleep anymore, but when I continued at the computer, I didn’t hear anymore breathless screaming anymore. It was alright, I guess.

I couldn’t make it that late this night, we had to get up early in the morning tomorrow as Carla is going to take me to a paradise place in the nearby mountains. Better get the sleep before it gets me.

Good night Somerset West!

Ramon.


Where am I at this moment?
Click here to see the map.

« Previous reportAll reportsNext report »