Africa, Countries

South Africa Get Me Into There

The Celebrities were happy enough to scream South Africa Get Me Into There… so why not us?

Well, our friends at Cassidy Travel in Ireland have been thinking about us and, of course, they never stop.

Easy Ryder: Shaun Ryder

So they’ve hoved in on SA and safaris as somewhere you’d be glad to set up camp.

Now where Gillian McKeith, Shaun Ryder, Carol Vorderman, Janice Dickinson et al have gone they have followed us.

And all the trials and tribulations and tricky treats are as nought compared to our travails in the Eastern Cape.

Safari travails

This land: South Africa

When we put ourselves in the hands of Alan of Alan Tours out of Gqberha, or Port Elizabeth, as we then knew it.

Into Baviaanskloof Reserve with its monkeys, baboons, antelopes and springboks.

And were diverted though through Alan’s local knowledge we got back at 1am.

But lived by our wits in the South Africa back woods eating South African/Scots biscuits and playing party games.

Cape crusaders

Monkeying around: Eastern Cape

Cassidy’s, of course, have everything covered on their eight-night Cape Town & Safari Package for travel on October 2.

Including flights with Qatar Airways, private transfers and accommodation.

You’ll have five nights B&B in Cape Town at the Pepper Club Luxury Hotel and Spa.

Me and Nelson: And Siseko

Where you’ll naturally want to check out Table Mountain National Park.

And Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was robbed of 25 years of his life.

Safari so good

Spring into life: Springboks

And then three nights safari on Aquila Game Reserve in a Premier Lodge Room on a full room basis.

Prices from €2149pp based on two people sharing.

Something to think on when you’re watching Z-list celebs and shouting South Africa Get Me Into There.

 

Africa, America, Countries, Culture, Europe, Oceania, UK

Route 66 in an electric car

It’s the world’s favourite road trip… but get your kicks on Route 66 in an electric car.

In the style of this site, of course, I’m working backwards!

I’ve forgotten something

At the end of Route 66, Santa Monica Pier, Southern California, on a scorching summer day.

Or a motorbike

Rev up: For Route 66

Your motorbike, the cooler choice, will have to pull up before the pedestrianised pier, and landmark.

We were first introduced to Route 66 from the classic song where we were encouraged to get our kicks.

As an introduction we are told it’s 2000 miles from Chicago to LA.

Smalltown America

There are bridges too

And in time-honoured American songs fashion a list of smalltown US follows and states.

We get Saint Looey, Joplin Missouri, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico, Flagstaff Arizona, Winona, Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino…

You get the picture.

And yes, I still have to get those stickers for my luggage.

Although I have a clunking keyring to fool people into thinking I‘ve done the hipsters’ highway.

Why am I flagging up Route 66 today? Well, why not?

But it also tops a survey commissioned by Continental Tyres for the new Extreme-E.

The Great Road Trips

Drive your ass off: On Route 66

Route 66 holds off Pacific Coast Highway and the Great Ocean Road in Australia for the top spot.

Wild Atlantic Way

While a cursory glance of the top ten also highlights Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way and South Africa’s Garden Way.

Now like all of those with adventure in out blood I have relished getting out on the road though perhaps not the iconic ones.

Snow in Mississippi

Rocket man: In Mississippi

And so I drove/was driven through the flatlands of the Blues Trail in Mississippi on my Deep South odyssey.

Where I fell asleep through the repetition and woke up with the fields covered white.

And, no, I wasn’t dreaming. Mississippians call cotton Snow.

Driven around the bend

Magical mystery tour: In Baviaanskloof

Or our own circuitous route around Monaghan’s townlands trying to find the Patrick Kavanagh Centre.

And being driven aimlessly around a South African park in the Eastern Cape late at night.

And that’s why the Lord gave zebras white stripes

Continental Tyres runs down the top 10 UK road trips and Scotland takes the plaudits with its North Coast 500.

While it’s good to see the Coastal Circuit in Northern Ireland getting a namecheck too.

The vital spark

Now electric cars are to be commended but I’m not sure how popular they would be with the Route 66 set.

I mean how many charging points would you need over that 2,000 mile expanse.

Never mind keeping up the cool quotient.

But the highway’s going nowhere and you’ll get longer to enjoy it.

So Get your kicks on Route 66 in an electric car.