The Glass of Wine, The Campfire and The Awfully Big Adventure

[notwavingjustironing]

We've all blethered on pleasantly on Seashells' lovely previous thread and, with the school holidays approaching, lots of us are about to start our summer adventures( not all of which are in tents....!) This thread is for us all to check back in and generally keep in touch. So we've packed up our Icey-Teks and our Tarps and our Death Socks, gently doused the burning embers of our planning campfire and rinsed out the wine glasses.

We're ready for our Awfully Big Adventure.

Come and talk about yours here (even if you're staying put!)

Oh Scary, how awful re new chair! Damn. Hope the smell goes away. I wonder if bicarbonate of soda or something similar would help?

I have both, yes, will look, thanks. I LOVE a good travel book/site. Can spend days imagining.

Re Cuba - yes, that's the thing. As soon as the tour groups hit a country it loses some of what made it unique in the first place. At least sometimes it benefits locals, which can only be good.

That is my main reason for wanting to do Laos as soon as possible too.

Syria is another place I'd love to visit, but obviously now is not a good time.

Cross posted with all the marvellous world travel talk. Stupid slooow phone! The travel book will be looked at in detail on return home.

Scary, I won't be held responsible if you decide to remortgage your home and run off to volcanoes, just so you know.

But MY WORD, have a look at fotopedia SeaShells mentioned too. I've just checked it on the website now, not yet with Ipad, but some of those photos are just amazing.

This guy must have got close to being a contender for the Darwin Awards, I'm sure.

Oh, and how's this for a campsite? That must be so cool, those Land Rovers with tents. It's the offroad version of a campervan really, would like both! Oh, and obviously the winning ticket to enable either in the first place.

I saw a cane toad today [slightly relevant to recent chair/toad interface posts]

What's a cane toad? I'm worried about my complete lack of toad knowledge... Hmm, Wikipedia my no 1 stop tonight.

Wish I never knew my paths could cross with <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=listsoplenty.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/cane-toad.jpg&imgrefurl=listsoplenty.com/blog/%3Fattachment_id%3D13448&h=600&w=800&sz=84&tbnid=1KsGA3ErO9CZUM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcane%2Btoad%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=cane+toad&docid=wsTI8cpsboOv2M&sa=X&ei=hi0zTomvJ8WyhAfY5ejwCg&ved=0CDkQ9QEwAw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this.

It's like the dinosaur of frogs!

Are they all that gigantic?? Well, except for the babies. I'm not visiting you. Ever ever ever. You should take one of those with you to Germany - you'd scare the tics and half of Germany off!

Blimey, have lost track with this thread a bit tonight. Wishing all of you camping this weekend fun and good weather. Then you must wish us good weather from the 9th to the 13th in Cornwall! YD we are dh is making a decision this weekend about the gas bottle meter so I'll let you know........

:( yuck Scaryt. I never knew they stank! And that toad is huge

Yy Laos on my list, and most of the middle east before it gets blown apart in the name iof religion. I'll never make it but I love reading about these places :)

Sal do you know Durban at all? May have a chance to have a discounted family trip there next year...

Yes, know Durban well. Or used to anyway, we often went there for holidays when I was small. It went through a bad stage where it was a no-go place (not dangerous, just dirty beaches and centre), but I think I can remember hearing it's nice again last couple of years. Let me ask relatives living nearby, I'll come back to you on that in the next couple of days if that's ok. Will it be Durban itself? Kwa-Zulu Natal (the province) is beautiful, so if staying I'd rent a car and explore the surrounding areas too. You really do need a car for SA anyway. (Apologies if you've been before and you know this already.)

I suspect it would be city based then off out to the countryside as dh has a conference he may be attending and we were toying with the idea of me tagging along with the kids. However-sounds like it may be better to do a s a proper holiday sometime, and spend a fraction of the airfare on a new tent and camping in France! (don't fancy being on my own with a 3 and 1 yo in SA but may be I'm chicken ?!!)

Hello all! My you have been chatty - read some last night before I realised it was proabbly being antisocial and I should probably go and talk to my family! Then rest this am.

Travel chat is making me super jealous! However although I've done a fair bit of travelling pre kids (Mexico, South Africa, East coast of Australia the longest travelling about trips and also spend a couple of months in Tobago doing a lot of diving) I have done none really since apart from NZ and that was just to see my sister and drink lots of wine in various lovely locations near where she lives rather than travelling about. I am more of the 'hats off to you for managing that I would find it totally stressful although cafes and restaurants are fine brigade'! More of a city girl really and although winging it and going where the mood takes me was great when I was younger not so much now I guess. I guess though thats part of why I like camping- its just a total contrast to my normal every day existance that its really really refreshing.

Also not a hope of more expensive holidays for the forseeable - dh and I mortgaged ourselves up to the hilt 2 years ago to buy a totally amazing house that we wouldn't have had a hope of affording pre recession. It felt like our chance to get a potentially forever house and so we took it. Dh not a natural camper though so probably looking forward to this up coming trip less than me but I am determined to show him! Probably the first holidays we'll go on once we have some money again is skiing - both dh and I love it and would really love to be able to teach the boys.

But maybe more 'proper' travel when boys a bit older. Chile top of my wish list. For those talking about Cuba I spent a couple of weeks there with an ex who was there for a whole summer once. It was mostly beaches and Havana but we didn't stay in tourist resorts but did the stay in a room in someones house thing that used to be very widespread there (may still be I don't know). We had a lovely time. I'd also love to go to Canada.

Thanks slubber for the pub recommendation. I've checked out their website and it looks great so we'll def be checking it out!

Northender thanks for the camping gas info. I started a thread on it and think I have managed to work out that it is at least half full so will probably avoid the gadget!

Sorry but I can't remember what the rest of you have been talking about and you have probably stopped reading my mammoth post by now anyway! Hope to check in from time to time until we go camping on Wed...

Oh and should just say that after all my smugness about not having too much stuff our car was RAMMED so that we couldn't bring boys bikes which I was sad about. I think there is scope for making it smaller though - we need squashable storage for clothes / towels etc rather than plastic boxes as I am sure we would fit more in if we had that - any recommendations will be gratefully appreciated!

Have a good trip Yellow

All this travelling talk is making me all the more desperate to get going. 1 week to go...

Sal I saw it in a ZOO. It was behind glass! Saying that when I lived in Queensland for a year (name drops travelled to destination ) they are a pest problem over there. Not native they were introduced by sugar cane farmers hoping they would solve the sugar cane beetle problem (iirc). Turns out the beetles live much further up the canes so all the toads did was wipe out the native and totally harmless fauna living on the floor. HUGE HUGE problems with them now.

You will often find pubs doing cane toad racing, where you have to pick the fuckers up and put them on the starting line. I pride myself at being pretty brave but that was a step too far.

They produce a toxin on their backs and if you lick it it acts like a hallucinogen. Yes people do that too . Nowt as queer as folk.

Here endeth the Cane Toad Post, and my knowledge about them.

Dear god that cane toad is enormous and people lick them?
Ok ours wasn't a patch on that and i was still a wuss. Didn't get anything like that when I lived in Rome (travel name drop).

Rome must have been very cool to live in!

I'm sure there are better ways of getting your kicks than licking that toad. Which nominee for the Darwin awards discovered that?! When I'm bored I don't look for the nearest amphibian and think "I wonder what that tastes like" especially one so fugly

My travel name drop most exotic location this year is Newport- I'm allowed to reminisce

Dh has gone shopping with ds and dd is still napping-I never watch Saturday am tv and I've discovered I'm not missing much! I've phoned my family a d now back on mn grrrr

SeaShells, just asked a couple of friends / contacts. This best answer:
"we are from Durban and went back in april/may for a visit. Durban itself isn't wonderful, but Umhlanga, ballito and salt rock are all within driving distance of the new airport and are lovely. There is lots to see and do, incl the beach, which of course is stunning as it's the warm Indian ocean. Let me know if you want any more info."

It seems that the general consensus is that Durban is ok, if nothing else. However, 30 minutes outside and you've got amazing areas. Ballito and Umhlanga Rocks are nicest - it's just north of Durban.

Umhlanga official tourism
(random search, so no recommendation) of Umhlanga based travel agency. Give you an idea of the kind of day trips you could do from there: Day tours from Umhlanga
Ballito accom
Ballito attractions
General info on KwaZula Natal north coast

In summary, if you could get it a lot cheaper, I'd go for it, definitely. As long as you use common sense (well, for Africa), it's safe. We've been burgled twice in London, never in SA, for example. Don't drive woman alone at night if you can avoid it, always keep car doors etc locked (no-one has ever tried opening my door, but it's so ingrained I do it anyway), don't flash your cash, cameras etc. Same really as for any country where poverty common. Not that it's an excuse, obviously, but a reality unfortunately in SA's case.

As far as whether doable alone without dh, well, I wouldn't, but it's because I'm a complete whimp. More about practicalities of 2 under 5 really. If you could have a week or so after dh's conference, I'd go for it if I were you. Most beautiful sandy beaches, fantastic weather, nature reserves, culture. Flight cost would be the deciding factor for me. Shout if you need more info.

Talking of foreign places to live... Because I've lived in London for most of my adult working life, it doesn't feel so "foreign" anymore. I'd LOVE to live in South East Asia for a couple of years, but no-one really wants me there. They don't know what they're missing

Isn't this just the most amazing weather?! Trust those of you camping are having a fab time! Almost tempted to pitch bell in garden tomorrow!

Bon Soir from Provence!

Sorry that was a test the wifi is a bit patchy. Tonight team lost is mostly drinking chilled local Rose having learnt their lesson buying vile local spirits. I am so jealous and amazed by all your travel stories. I spent all of my life being sensible and paying a mortgage like a mindless drone so I have no tales of exciting trips, went to Russia once mind on a school trip, that was pretty amazing.

The only places I had camped before this trip had been within 20 miles of my front door so I can't believe my ragamuffin crew and I have logged 1,400 miles now. Anyway. I can recommend this campsite, if I could only remember it's name!

Which Newport are you going too? ( was that seashells, sorry hard to keep up on an iPhone). We've lived in one and now live near another, not a very original name really.

Happy camping this weekend everyone, don't go licking any cane toads

Hellooo Lost! Never mind our previous travels, you're now in Provence! Am very very very [jealous]! Sounds most wonderful! When you're back, please list all the best sites for us. Highly unlikely that we'd be able to do something like your trip just yet, but a girl can dream. I love pretending I'm about to go on holiday anyway, working out routes, reading up, looking at a million and one photos. You never know.

I didn't win last night's Euromillions, so can't pack up work just yet. If When I do, I'm going to combine all your European galavanting. Sounds too lovely not to.

Hello all !

Am back with no camping tales to tell, given that I spent the week on holiday with s roof , but am going to Bala lake in ten days so feel the need to get back in the saddle with regard to le camping. Have frisked the thread lightly and jealously but will give it a proper go tomorrow

Hope you've all enjoyed today, with or without yer tent ......

Evening MisSal, how old are your dc's? We've got three boys, 11, 9 and 4, I wouldn't have done this last year for sure, although I have just had ds3 on my knee 'but I haven't got anything FUN to do' having just spent about 2 hours in the pool...

It's not been too expensive either, the main expense is food but I'd still be having to feed 5 if us three times a day at home. We saved for the villa for the last two years which was worth it, so apart from that and the new tent (179) it's been a very cheap holiday really, just petrol.

Oh boy, I was given some bunting as a piss take by my friends and DH has just draped it over our tarp, I hope the other campers realise it's ironic