Giraffes, Golf and Geography

What happened to 2006?

The year in brief

That is what it was – brief.
Weekdays sprinted into weekends. Spring rushed into summer. Suddenly it was autumn, even though the leaves stubbornly refused to turn colour. And now another Christmas is approaching fast. Mind you, the year was not without variety. I spent more time in airport lounges than I’ve ever done. I played more golf than usual and I became fully settled into my new working environment. I was fit and healthy most of the time and there were only a very few occasions when I perhaps drank more than was wise. I revisited some old friends, though not as many as I should have. Inevitably I watched television more than was good for me and single-handedly kept the Macdonald Brothers in the X Factor longer than their talent deserved. I certainly spent more time on the internet than I meant to, especially after discovering YouTube (I love the Helsinki Complaints Choir). And so life trundles on and generally I am content with my lot.

Journeys
We were frequent travellers on EasyJet to Malaga as we enjoyed a number of long weekends in the apartment in the Calle Pena. I love Malaga more each time I visit, both the city itself and the hills and lakes inland. I am rather less taken with the neighbouring coastal resorts and if 99% of the Brits go to Torry and Benny and leave Malaga to us and the Spaniards – es muy bien.
The first big trip of the year was in Spring with a visit to South Africa – the route covered a game reserve, Cape Town, the winelands and Knysna. The tour started in Madikwe Game reserve where we were privileged to see wonderfully elegant Giraffes, noisy elephants, sleek lions and a whole range of other wildlife in their native environment. One interesting moment came as I took a shower in our private outdoor shower. Well I thought it was private until one morning I heard a rustling in the long grass and out popped a crocodile only about 20 feet away from me and my shower gel. I finished off with an indoor bath that day.
Then a potential problem became a wonderful moment after we were informed that our names were not on the passenger list for the flight back from Madikwe to Johannesburg and the flight was full. The airline accepted responsibility and wondered if we would mind if they sent a helicopter for us. So there we were just the two of us (plus pilot of course) in a tiny helicopter flying very low over the African bush, which was fantastic.

A few weeks later we were off again to Boston and Cape Cod where I spent a wonderful birthday in a restaurant overlooking the bay at Provincetown, getting a surprise party, and Happy Birthday being sung by a very interesting group of fellow diners.
In September we headed firstly for New York and then down to Costa Rica. Brilliant trip, amazing country – fantastic beaches, volcanic mountains, colourful wildlife. Two highlights stand out – sitting late at night in hot springs watching nocturnal fire-spitting from the top of nearby Arenal volcano in what was a natural light show; and at Tortuguero on the beach at midnight watching turtles emerge from the sea, dig a hole, lay their eggs, cover them up and head back to the sea. And then there was my scary canopy tour.

Back in the UK, at Easter we visited Andrew’s uncle and aunt in Perthshire and were pleased to see some old friends in Edinburgh on the way back. In July my parents and I met with my sister in Totnes for my father’s 90th birthday celebrations. It was a very hot and sunny week and I really enjoyed revisiting old haunts that I’d previously visited on caravan holidays 45 years ago. My father visited the house of his birth in Plymouth and we had lunch in the Finnygook Inn in Craftole where, in 1964, while my parents had a beer inside after their round of golf at the adjacent course, I had to sit outside drinking lemonade, children not being allowed in pubs in those days. Also it was good to see a number friends near Exeter during this week.

Amro Holidays
The foreign trips were all research trips for new destinations for the travel company. It’s been a good year for the business, with many clients now having travelled with us on a number of occasions and most saying very nice things about their holiday and our service. We now have 2 employees, which has allowed Andrew to continue to do the consultancy work in the world of civil engineering which he enjoys. I try to help out when I can on the wording of newsletters and on the finance side. We have built up very good relationships with suppliers, airlines, hotel owners and inbound operators which allows us to tailor holidays to individual clients and which is reaping rewards in terms of repeat bookings.

Recreation
There have been the usual visits to the theatre or to restaurants with friends, and the occasional party. I have still managed to play tennis occasionally and more golf this year. And the standard of my golf has improved recently – I’m even putting quite well. My home course, now strangely renamed The Shire London, is still undergoing huge rebuilding, having been redesigned by Severiano Ballesteros, and reopens in the spring. It looks as though it might be really superb, if fiendishly difficult, and I am looking forward to being able to play the new holes.


Family and friends.
I am aware, as always, that some friends and family members have not had a good year be it though ill health, accident, stress or whatever. I hope those who read this do not mind me rabbiting on about holidays in exotic places or the trivia of daily life.
My parents, despite some ailments, continue to thrive playing golf and bridge. As well as their trip to Devon, they joined my sister and I in November for a week in Malaga. Unfortunately the weather was not good, but I think they had an enjoyable week. A couple of weeks ago I phoned home to be told that my Dad, at age 90, couldn’t come to the phone as, after playing golf in the morning, he was now up a ladder trimming the hedge! Andrew’s father has fared rather less well, but we do our best to improve his quality of life.

Work
I still work three days a week at the Association for Geographic Information and am really enjoying it. After the misery of the last few years, it is great to be able to have an impact and I am enjoying learning about the world of geography. When I was at Aberdeen University, I knew quite a few geography students and it is strange that I have now joined that world. I wonder if I’ll bump into any of them?
As well as helping Andrew with Amro Holidays, my two spare days allow me to play some golf and particularly allow the weekends in Spain to be longer than they otherwise would be, which is great.

And finally
I look forward to 2007, thankful for continuing health and hopeful of a year of progress and perhaps some more visits to both potential destinations abroad and to old friends at home.
Andrew and I wish all friends and relatives a very Happy New Year.