Of Course!

I do not know why I expected that I would have telephone and internet and wireless reconnected just because I called ahead and ordered it. My phone and internet connection were as dead as my car was. Good thing that I really didn't think that it would be that easy!

My errands took longer than they should have today because I had no car or mobile phone. But I eventually got through the list. Tomorrow I am headed back to the office. This evening I am going to try to get through a couple loads of laundry before I topple over. I am so knackered because of my jetlag!

Wherever you are today, I hope you've had a great day!

Don Bergquist – November 27, 2007 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA

Travel Day

That wasn't so bad!

On the way to the airport, I asked the driver of the car service that we use if he would mind assisting me with my bags. It was the one real worry that I had. I knew that I had to get them in and that if they were too heavy, I'd pay the overage and expense it. (I was still stressed, but dealing with it!) Kevin (the driver) went above and beyond the call of duty on that one!

By dint of following the directions given to me by the airline, I got almost everything wrong. On the preparation of Saga to fly, I was told to: pack the kennel with a blanked that had her and/or my smell on it so that she would feel comfortable, fill the kennel cups with water and freeze them, and attach food to the top of the kennel so that she could be fed in Detroit. The problem is that they will not allow the kennel to have a blanket in it because they are afraid that she could be tangled-up in it and strangle herself. She cannot have food during the flight because they are afraid that she will choke on it. And the water thing? Not allowed to carry liquids on. Hmmm… but I can check them and she will be in the cargo hold as checked baggage. I (wisely) didn't press the issue. I packed the blanket, tossed the food and dumped the ice out of the bowls.

I was also mislead by the BBC (and by Northwest) when I believed what I had been told. No! As of this morning you can still only carry ONE carry on. Not "one plus a briefcase" as I was told by Northwest and by the reports on BBC. Luckily, the check-in agent was kind enough to take my camera bag, and put a do-not-load tag and fragile stickers on it. I was handed it back as I boarded the plane.

The flight is now about half over. I've watched a couple movies, and am listening to podcasts as I write this. I've decided that I will find a porter to assist me in Detroit with getting Saga and my luggage through to the re-check desk and there will definitely be a porter in Denver. I've got my bottle of wine, my entertainment and am not even going to give what I have got still coming up ahead of me another thought.

Wherever you are today, I hope you've got time to relax!

Don Bergquist – 26 November 2007 – Northwest Airlines Flight 31, Somewhere Over The North Atlantic

Relax!

I cannot believe how stressed I am getting over this! Yesterday, after returning from the bank, I unpacked and repacked all my cases, trying to get them even, if not under the legal limit for carrying. I know that tomorrow is going to be a bear! I've got four cases and Saga in her kennel with my carryon and my briefcase to get to Denver.

There is no reason to stress about it! I've had training on reducing stress! I'm going to "live in a day-tight compartment" as Dale Carnegie puts it. I'll worry about tomorrow tomorrow. I think I will catch the train and head into town this afternoon and do one last day of bumming around London.

Wherever you are today, I hope that you're having a relaxing weekend.

Don Bergquist – 25 November 2007 – Hampton Court, Surrey, UK

Late Night/Early Morning

It's about noon and I am sitting at a table in the King's Arms with my PC waiting for the time to come for me to check-into my flight. Last night was a blast! I had a chance to spend one last night in the pub with friends and had a few rounds with the great people that I will miss when I head home on Monday.

One, a little girl that I have known over here since my early visits to the pub, gave me a stuffed leopard since it was the only one of the big five that I hadn't seen in South Africa. That was so sweet of her! I was really touched.

I closed the pub down with my friends it was nearly two before I got back upstairs this morning. At nine, I was at the bank to close my account and get that finished. This afternoon, a friend is coming by to take Saga and me to the vet. I've got to get a health certificate for Saga so she can fly on Monday. That done tomorrow will be a day of rest.

Wherever you are today, I hope that you're having a great day and getting lots done!

Don Bergquist – 24 November 2007 – Hampton Court, Surrey, UK

Going Away

This afternoon I bought a round of drinks for my friends at the office. About twenty of my colleagues showed-up to toast with me on my departure. This afternoon, I'm back at the hotel getting my re-packing started and resting-up for the party tonight.

I've invited a bunch of my friends from the UK to join me for drinks tonight. Being this is my last bash with friends and I know that it is going to be emotional. I am so going to miss my friends. I guess I'll have to enjoy it while I can.

Wherever you are, I hope that you'll enjoy the company of the people who are important to you!

Don Bergquist – 23 November 2007 – Hampton Court, Surrey, UK

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving In The United Kingdom

Back home it is the holiday and I guess my family will be gathering at various places for their turkey dinner. My turkey and stuffing came in the form of a Christmas Wrap from Sainsbury's. Turkey with sausage, savory stuffing and cranberry sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla. (It was every bit as unappetizing as it sounds.

I long for a turkey stuffed with Mom's sausage stuffing, real cranberry sauce (the kind the still has the ridges from the camera still imprinted on it as it sits in the serving plate), and pumpkin pie. The closest that I can come up with today is that I am going to have a bowl of pumpkin soup.

I've got a couple more errands to run today and then all I will have left to do before getting on my way back to the states is to close my bank account and get Saga to the vet. Both are scheduled activities for Saturday.

Wherever you are today, I hope you're with your family and friends for Thanksgiving.

Don Bergquist – 22 November 2007 – Hampton Court, Surrey, UK

Anniversary

Three years ago today, I published my first blog entry. I'd never had a blog, never knew anyone that blogged, it was all a new thing to me. As I wrote in that first entry, it was a way for me to keep in touch with my family whilst I was traveling.

At the time, I'd been traveling for my company about fifteen years and had never had a need to communicate that wasn't more practicable via post cards, letters, email or phone, but this was different. Today is also the anniversary of my first trip to the United Kingdom. It was the first time that I had traveled to a country that was not on my own continent.

This broadening of my horizons meant that I would be taking more pictures than usual and that the cost of phoning home would be prohibitively expensive. That is why the blog started. I was trying to find a fast, easy, inexpensive way to write home. That is far from where it has ended. I have lots of people out there reading my blog and writing to me to tell me that they are enjoying it. I am thankful for each and every one of them and appreciate all the email I get. Thank you and keep it coming, guys!

That first trip, three years ago, was meant to be a six-week design trip that was meant to be one of three that I would take before my project assignment finished. Those of you reading my blog regularly know that it is far from where it ended. That assignment generated another and then another and as such, I have now been (for all intents and purposes) living in Thames Ditton for the past two years.

It has been a great time! I've met a lot of really cool people and have made a lot of really great friends. My recent holiday to South Africa is one of the side benefits of this whole chain of events that started three years ago.

To everybody who has become (or continued to be) a part of my life over the past three years, I cannot tell you how much you mean to me! When I return home to Denver, early next week, the blog will continue as a way to communicate to those of you I leave behind in what I think of as a second home, the United Kingdom.

Wherever you are today, I hope you take time to appreciate the wonderful people in your life.

Don Bergquist – 21 November 2007 – Hampton Court, Surrey, UK

Happy Birthday to my cousin, Grainne

Back In The United Kingdom

We arrived to rain and cold in London. The temperatures were cold enough to make me glad that I had my jacket and long sleeves on when we got off the plane. Brrr!

Once we had all been dropped off and I had checked into the hotel for my last few days in the UK, I headed into the office to catch-up on my emails and see what had happened in my absence.

Back at the hotel this evening, I started uploading my pictures to Shutterfly. Hopefully, I'll have them all uploaded by the end of the week so I can start uploading my blog entries. Until that time, I'll keep my blog on this document and update the blog as soon as I have pictures and links to go with my stories.

I'm so thoroughly knackered… once I have finished the set that is uploading; I'm headed upstairs to bed. It was a great trip and I cannot wait until the next time I visit South Africa! I am sure that I will some day head back. If only because there are so many game parks that I have yet to visit.

Wherever you are today, I hope you have something that you're looking forward to!

Don Bergquist – 20 November 2007 – Hampton Court, Surrey, UK

Departure

Travel is an interesting animal. I look forward to it, but hate it when it arrives. I love the idea of going places, seeing things, doing things, it is just the actual travel to the places where I am going and seeing and doing that I dislike.

As I have written before in the blog, travel is largely a process of waiting for things. You wait for the taxi, and then wait in queue to check-in. You slouch about in the departure area to have your flight called, wait for the luggage at the carousel and then wait some more for rental cars, taxis, hotels, etc.

Travel is also odd because it does not seem to matter how much stuff I leave with, even if I do no shopping, use up consumables, discard any damaged items, lose an item or two and give-away the items that I brought with me to give as gifts, there always seems to be more in my bags when I pack to return than there was when I left. My bags when I came down here weighed about 25 kilograms. Having given away a few things, drank the five bottles of wine that I had in my checked bags, discarded a cheap pair of sandals I had acquired specifically for this trip, given away some of the clothing that I can no longer wear and delivered a gift I carried down here, my bags now weigh about 28 kilograms.

I have bought a couple souvenirs (small carved animals for my curio cabinet back home) but those are all in my camera bag and so add no weight to my checked bag. It's odd…

Oh well. It is a mystery for another time. Right now, I am sitting on the patio of my friends' flat in Ballito enjoying one final quiet morning, staring out to sea. I can see the breakers just above the screen of my laptop. Now, this is an office with a view! This morning we've got to return the keys to the flat we let for the past few weeks and we're going to try checking-in for our flight to get good seats. That done, we just have to find a way to entertain ourselves until about one when we leave for the airport. (Preferably, this will be one that does not involve shopping; I have too much stuff already!)

Wherever you are today, I hope that your morning is passing in a pleasant way!

Don Bergquist – 19 November 2007 – Ballito, South Africa

Penultimate Morning

On a beautiful Sunday morning, I went down to Chaka's Rock and put my feet into the India Ocean for what may be the last time of this trip. The morning is just as bright and beautiful as yesterday was bleak and oppressive.

Your humble reporter had walked down to the beach to swim in the surf for one last time. Unfortunately, the surf was far too powerful for that. I could feel the undertow undermining the sand from my feet as I stood there. What is the old saying? "Discretion is the better part of valor."

I wet my feet and shins, then walked back to the flat, and showered. We have been invited to a traditional South African braai this afternoon. A couple that Lucy and Phil have known or a while have invited us over. It should be a good afternoon.

Lucy and Phil head back to London this evening. The rest of us are headed back in the afternoon tomorrow. I had best get ready for the afternoon's festivities. So for now, have a good day!

Wherever you find yourself today, I hope you're having a great day!

Don Bergquist – 18 November 2007 – Ballito, South Africa

Morning Solitude

What a brilliant start to the day! Even though I was up 'til about one, I found it impossible to sleep past six this morning. I lay in bed listening to the rainstorm for an hour or so and then decided that it was time to do something. Anything!

Not counting the travel day, Monday, we have only two days left. This vacation is rapidly coming to a close. I know hat we have been invited to a barbecue (or to be more exact: a braai) tomorrow. I have no idea what is planned for today.

At a break in the rain, about eight, I headed down to the rocky point near the bottom of the complex and sat watching the tide change. I stared-off into space occasionally registering the fact that there was a world behind me. This morning, the universe was just the waves and me. An occasional bird would enter my universe, spend a few minutes and then fly off to the real world.

Around half-ten my universe got positively crowded! A school of dolphin swam into my field of vision. They could not have been fifty-yards off the coast, headed south, romping and playing in the wake. At a guess I'd say that there were about fifteen or twenty of them. They were half-way to Chaka's Rock before I remembered that I had a camera with me.

When the rain returned with a vengeance about fifteen minutes later, I picked myself up and headed back to the flat. All-in-all, it was a very peaceful and serene way to spend a morning.

Wherever you are today, I hope that your day has time in it for peace and quiet!

Don Bergquist – 17 November 2007 – Ballito, South Africa

Friday In The Rain

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it was another lovely day with friends. The skies were a bit overcast so when I went for my morning swim, it was realty nothing more than a quick dip. It was too cold in the pool to spend much more time than that in it.

This afternoon, we hired a cab and went to a lovely Italian restaurant down the coast from here. We where there to meet-up with some of my friends from London's friends from around here. It was really good meal and good to meet new people.

A "Small World" moment happened, while chatting with one of the South Africans at the table. We were talking about Florida, where I grew-up, and it turned-out that he was familiar with it. He had spent some time in Clewiston near Lake Okeechobee.

The rain started to fall while we were making our way down to the restaurant. It fell on-and-off all afternoon and into the evening. This evening, after lunch, we went to the pub. What a way to spend a day!

Wherever you are today, I hope that you're having an excellent day!

Don Bergquist – 16 November 2007 – Ballito, South Africa