Map of the Caribbean

For those who are unsure of the layout of the island's around here, we thought we would display this map for you. So far we have been to Barbados, St. Lucia and currently we are in Antigua. We are off to Grenada next, then Jamaica before heading back to Barbados for the final. Remember to click on the map to see a full screen version.

24 hours in Antigua

So here we are in Antigua which is technically our fourth Caribbean country, as we had a short stop in Dominica on our way here.
Not that we even got out of the plane… but we did land on the ground safely and take off again safely too! Small mercies.
Was kind of funny, even for me, when we were leaving St Lucia airport and told to board at Gate One, where the tiniest little 10 seater plane was sitting.
Our real plane had yet to arrive so for several horrible minutes Simon thought he was going to have to cope with me on this mosquito-sized airplane for an hour. He couldn’t look me in the eye as we stood there waiting to board – the horror that must have been going through his mind…..
Anyway our real plane did land and was much bigger than a mosquito which made us all very happy indeed!!!
I have just had a massive rant in my Herald blog about the frustrations of trying to work here. This entire tournament is a shambles, the organisation is absolutely useless. I am writing this in the media centre at the brand new Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground and behind me the workmen are actually drilling holes for new cables at the desks!!!
Hmm, seeing the first game is almost 50 overs through, and there are about 50 journalists here, you’d think having the internet access and power cables in the actual media centre before now might have been helpful.
The complications just go on and on and if something works for even a short time it’s a flipping miracle.
I had not intended to work much while I was here, just enough to keep the credit card wolves at bay. But if I don’t turn up I get penalised by losing the $350 bond I paid to get a media pass, so I’m pretty much at work every day from now on. Just like Simon the real worker!
Except he has to concentrate on every single ball that is bowled and I can just watch the tv in the press centre, or read my book, and just get the info I need at the end.
It just means the tan I worked so hard on in Barbados and St Lucia will be fading rather quickly.
We hired a car for our time in Antigua (for work rather than the other cars we hired just for ourselves), because the taxi situation is an incredible rip off. Actually everything here is an incredible rip off.
For the three Reuters photographers that are here, using taxis to get to games and practices every day would collectively cost anything from $200 a day. The car costs $1800 for two weeks, so its much cheaper.
Our hotel is an incredible rip off. It’s a sprawling complex built on a marina and is actually hundreds of villas, so you get a “house” with a lounge and kitchen and that’s fantastic.
But the complex is so big you need a shuttle to get to the main office in order to get a taxi to the cricket (taxi ride is 30 minutes drive or $80). The rip is that they charge you to use their shuttle.
An option is to hire a little golf cart to get around the complex, but that costs $50 a day!
So they stick you a million miles from anywhere and make sure you cannot move to anywhere else unless you pay. Grrrrrr.
As payback for being such meanies we got a good laugh yesterday when a staff girl was trying to drive a golf cart and totally lost control and went straight into a huge bush. HA HA.
Anyway…. its been overcast and raining since we got her 24 hours ago. And we’re sharing our villa with a chain smoking young Indian guy who can’t grasp the non-smoking in the house rule. Which is annoying because there is plenty of room outside.
Hoping for a better Antiguan experience soon!!!!!

Farewell from St. Lucia (click on pix to see full screen version)

So as to explain the caption of the last blog... Yes, sailing. Simon apparently is an expert in this. So I happily got on the catamaran with him as we cruised out into the harbour. Well after a few minutes, and a severe gust of wind that made the little boat (see picture in last blog) take off into the harbour, on an angle that almost had us in the water, he admitted his vast experience was one experience, 27 years ago. Hmmm.
Scary stuff.
But he got the hang of it, as did I once I was FINALLY allowed a turn to control the boat. (Apart from that one time I had to avoid a ramp AND a boat, and narrowly did both…. Just!)
We laughed our way back to the beach to relax and got roped into taking part in the “activities” they have at the Windjammer “Hi De Hi” resort, specifically the egg throwing contest on the beach.
After throwing an egg back and forth a few times from varying distances, ours finally smashed all over me when I forgot the soft hands rule of catching a flying egg. We got fourth – definitely not my ideal position in any contest but Simon was just happy not to wear the egg.
That was two days ago when Simon had three hours off in the afternoon – today he had the WHOLE DAY off, which is the first for two weeks. Hurrah! !
We hired a car and toured around the main city in St Lucia, Castries (most of photos above were taken there today). Which actually means we got lost in the parts of town no tourist should probably go. Ever.
No-one chased us this time, unlike in Soufries two weeks ago, so we survived and made it back to town to take a few photos of the normal town life situation of this island.
There certainly are some mansions around the marina and shore areas that put any million dollar NZ houses to shame, but the majority on this island are decrepit shack type homes.
Tonight we went out for dinner as a farewell to St Lucia. Yummy seafood, hefty prices.
It’s a beautiful part of the world but the people’s laid back lifestyle is just SOOOOOOO frustrating, its hard not to get angry every 5 minutes. A “pot of tea’ is half a cup. That would drive my sister Vivienne quite mental!!!! Milk is not something easily found here, and all other dairy products are imported from NZ. Looking in the supermarket its interesting to see a bottle Jacobs Creek wine from Australia was only $8 NZ dollars, cheaper than we get it at home. Rum is very very cheap, $7 NZ for a hip flask.
Anyway, must load this up then pack our gear ready for a 5.30 start in the morning as we head off to Antigua!!!!!
CAPTIONS: Click on the actual picture to see bigger version.
1. Our pool, where I spent a lot of time while Simon worked.
2. A local beer ad. Yeah Right.
3. A typical street bar.
4. Fix Up - a steet bar that sells juice and smoothies.
5. Ice creams from a street cart man. He had a loud bell but not like Mr Whippy.
6. Jerk Off...... where you get late night snacks of Jerk Chicken/Pork/Moa.
7. Peoples Pub, just as it says. In central Castries.
8. Interesting street hangout.
9. Typical street of Castries CBD
10. Another Castries street.

Images only today...

Caption details, top to bottom;
(click on the photos to get a full size version. This can be done with all the images on our blog)

Two photos stitched together (above) to show the whole complex that we are staying at in St. Lucia.

Monique in the sea with the bar and restaurant behind.

The small catamaran we took out for a sail, more on this later....

Some local entertainment, limbo dancing with fire!

And a bottle of the local brew, Piton Beer

Adventures in St Lucia

As I start to write this, Simon is experiencing all over again what he was just describing in that last blog – the eight hours on the boundary, the frustrations with the stupid communications systems, etc etc as we watch the NZ Kenya game.
So far so good – the 6s are coming thick and fast at the moment. There are nowhere near as many spectators today compared to the English game. The beige Brigade is growing though and of course that weirdo Sonny Shaw is busy waving his flags at the cameras while wearing his stuffed kiwi around his waist. Not sure how much airtime the TV people are giving him – obviously at home they rope off sections of the ground to stop him getting behind the wicket and in camera view. Not so here though. What a freak show.
Anyway, apart form work we have been taking in the nightlife a little bit, although not in a pedalo at 4am.
We, along with NZPA journo Chris Barclay (see photo above), went to the big local event here for a look on Saturday night – the Jump Up. However it was a sorry sad little party with the number of alcohol stands far outnumbering the people. Perhaps the Friday night session was better, as it is the traditional night for the Jump Up.
We ate what we were told was chicken, bought from a roadside stand. I took pictures of the bone though because I’ve never seen chicken legs so big. More like a small moa.
We also ate Jerk Chicken later on, much later on, from another roadside caravan called The Jerk Pit. Jerk is the spicy concoction they cook chicken, pork and moa in here.
There is limited lamb or beef which is all imported from the US so its very expensive. Seafood is plentiful but also expensive, but that’s more about this being a tourist location.
We also went into the touristy part of the city, Rodney Bay, where prices skyrocket. We went to a karaoke place (surprise!) where we were treated to an amazing song called “Legalise It”. The lyrics went sort of like ‘legalise it, police are doing it, lawyers are doing it, even judges are doing it… legalise it” all sung by a scary dreadlocked woman who was crouching on the ground.
Good to see the real local life in action instead of whinging Brits in their resorts all the time.
Yesterday we went to the Flintoff apology press confernce which was a great experience. However I was really disappointed with the British TV media’s patsy questions like “this must be a very difficult time for you having to apologise…” blah blah. We were only allowed in the press conference for broadcasters, and the print media were after us, so I hope they were a bit harder on Freddie Flintoff. Silly boy.
It’s been raining today, AND its overcast, AND its windy! Not what I’m used to, I must say.
So many birthdays in March aren’t there! Hope everyone who has celebrated so far had a good one (especially the Coffee Smiths!!!Oh my goodness, we miss you so much!!!) and for those still to come (Francesca Mold, political editor One News) hope you have a fabulous day. We’re toasting you all – repeatedly!!! ☺

The Work Situation

Thought I would mention the work situation here, considering that's what we are here for..! The training sessions are tedious, the same things happen each time and unless there is a particular news angle that day then it is a challenge to get something different. We are slowly starting to be allowed to get closer to the training, at first we had to stay on the boundary while the nets were in the middle of the field. Now, as long as we are sensible, we can go pretty much where we want. The change of island always brings a new training ground and the potential for new photos. The worst day of training was when I did two training sessions in one day, NZ and England, six hours of it.... Prefer to do 8 hours of a match.
Technology is fairly up to date, the hotel here in St. Lucia has wireless broadband in the main reception but not in the room. A major pain as this place is made up of villas and apartments on the side of a hill and it's a five minute walk down to the reception. Can't complain as it is free and if you are nice to the staff you will get a free rum punch too! But after three of them the walk up the hill again is near impossible.... There has been major issue's with the internet connections at all the grounds in the Caribbean. Phones and internet not working even though they were booked and paid for months ago. The other day the turnstiles at the gate broke down which meant the internet stopped as well. Anyway, there is broadband on the boundary which works (most of the time) so we can shoot and send during the game. The days are long and hot, I feel the heat quite a bit, and by the end of the day I am tired, hungry and just want a swim. But we normally get back from a match about 7.30 so a swim isn't always possible. There has been no shortage of news, with Bob Woolmers death, Pakistan out and Flintoff up to his old tricks.
Anyway, all is going well, hard to fully relax sometimes as work is never far away, even if all I do is a training session in the morning, by the time we get back and edit and send, it is close to 3pm.
But then again we could be somewhere cold.....

St. Lucia Photos

Any complaints re the photography please talk to Monique....
1. Why tourism is so popular here (!!)
2. Banana boat beach service
3. Typical St Lucian street
4. Wall to wall Poms
5. Our hotel complex, hillside villas

Your slack correspondent writes.....

I know I haven't been productive for a while when I have trouble remembering my password to get into the blog!! Ooops. Sorry.
We have been settling into life in St Lucia. Its hot but I don't think its as hot as Barbados, the sand is not as white and the water is not as warm. But hey, its 30 degrees here and it was 4 degrees in Christchurch yesterday so, whatever!!!
Simon has got himself a nasty ear infection so he's miserable - but mostly about the $200 housecall it cost to get the doctor and some drugs for it. What a rip.
But the drugs are funny, and match the pigeon English/French they speak here. The antibiotics are called "Curem" which I hope they do!!!!
We're at training right now, one day out from the game. I actually spent all of Tuesday by the pool, which was nice. I read a whole book and didn't really think about cricket at all.
But speaking of cricket, I'll be making my debut as the Reuters TV cricket correspondent after tomorrows game. My TV news debut as well I suppose that means. How frightening. It will end up somewhere on the internet so I'll find a link and post it here it its any good. If I'm rubbish, you won't be hearing about it.
We are based near the town Gros Islet which has a sister township of Rodney Bay. Its sort of like Tairua and Pauanui, in that there is a little channel of water you can cross to get from one to the other, or drive around. Rodney Bay is where all the fancy resorts and tourist-targeting restuarants are, Gros Islet is a narrow-street township of tiny wooden houses and dodgy looking bars. I will post some pictures later.
Gros Islet is wher it all happens n a Friday night. They shut off the streets for "Jump-Up Friday" which means dancing, eating and drinking in the street. Apparently during the cricket the Jump Ups happen almost every night so we're going to so along on Saturday for a look.
Rodney Bay (it even sounds posher!) is sooooo British. A walk down the beach is like a walk in Blackpool. But hotter. Hundreds of Poms lined up on beach chairs side by side with not more than 10cms between them.
No vendors or hawkers are allowed on the beach so one entreprenutial chap has a boat that he floats up near the water line selling everything from fresh fruit to british flags. He makes a killing as all the fat Brits waddle down to get their goodies.
Anyway, should do some work. Hope everyone is well there, despite the arrival of winter!!!!

Hello from St Lucia

As I write this we are both sitting with our laptops on our knees on the balcony of our room, working away quitely.
The only noise is the tap-tapping on the keys, the pidgeons cooing and the occasional growling from Simon at the cheeky little blackbirds that are so tame, they come and sit at our feet, or fly into our room behind us.
We arrived in St Lucia yesterday which was Saturday our time. Our first real example of Caribbean flight service – as we queued up (the check in counter is outside the building!!!) they told us our flight was full, then changed their minds and said it wasn’t.
We checked in and wondered if we would ever see our bags again. The boarding passes didn’t have any indication of a gate number so we wandered through to the bar where I sampled a delicious rum or two. I know it was only 9am but the planes were tiny, and I’d just seen a pilot at the check in counter who was busy telling the hostess how tired he was from his big night out! Eeeek.
Anyway we decided to walk to the furtherest away gate to see if it was our and it was, but there was no plane and yet and no indication when one might arrive. Eventually planes did arrive and they were duely filled up but it just seemed as though the officials would shout out a destination and people would leap up and rush through the doors to the planes.
When it came our turn we were near the front of the line to leave the building but wondered why everyone was rushing past us. We soon learned that the tiny tiny plane seating was first-come first-served basis and everyone wanted a window seat. (God knows why!!!)
A child vomitted on the flight and it was a little bumpy coming into St Lucia but otherwise the 30 minute trip was OK, even for me.
We are near the main city, Castries. First impressions of our place here were amazing… two free drinks as we checked in, a personal ‘ambassador’ to help with any queries during the stay…. But then after three hours and our room still wasn’t ready, we were grumpy about having to sit around waiting. Some more grumpy others, I must say, but tantrums mean nothing here!
Finally we got to our room and relaxed. Its beautiful, but has a Mediterrean theme which is stupid. I wake up thinking I’m in a Greek villa.
Today we hired a car and drive to the other end of St Lucia to see the famous Piton mountains. Two cone shaped volcanoes that stick up out of the sea right on the end of the island. Very beautiful! We drove and drove and drove and evenutally ended up at a resort in between the two Pitons, which has a nice beach and a very captive market. There is nothing for miles around and the road is so windy and scary, it is difficult to imagine all the Americans and Brits venturing out on it anyway. We had lunch and nearly choked on the prices but it is very secluded and cateres for some with better currencies than ours!!! Very impressive landscape however so worth it for the experience.
The trip there was so amazing, such windy roads like going over the Kaimai Ranges or over to Akaroa endlessly. But steeper roads, sheerer cliffs. We travelled through villages called Anse la Raye, Canaries and Soufriere.
My favourite part was going through the banana plantations were we bought a bunch of bananas straight off the tree from a roadside seller. The bananas hang on the trees covered in bright blue plastic wrapping to keep the hummingbirds etc off. $10 East Caribbean currency for a bunch.
In the middle of all this – and the plantation went for miles and miles on the only straight part of the road – were a whole heap of critters playing street cricket. Simon stopped to take a cool picture of them and made a few little friends (harmless cos they weren’t taxi drivers this time!!)
Long journey but well worth it so too the little villages and the landscape.
Tomorrow we’ll head north into Gros Islet which is a fast growing town.

PICTURES: (as requested by Mrs F Courtney) Simon on our balcony, the bananas in the trees, the Pitons with a street seller man, and the Gros Piton as seen from the beach between the two.

Live from the match

I don't know what's going on here but things aren't looking tooo flash for the Black Caps today. I'm sitting in the media box which is a stand about the size of the grandstand at the Ashburton Racecourse - just for media.
Its roofed but otherwise open air and is right on the boundary. There are a few more reporters in here today but its by no means full. Every level has about 10 desks and most have phone with direct numbers on them. I can't call out but if anyone is out there reading this at 9.15 on your Saturday morning you could call me for the next two hours!!! (001 246 417 1696).
Anyway, it wil be very interesting to see how the media set up works at the other games if this ground, the 3Ws Oval, is purely for warm up matches.
Simon is way down the other end of the paddock - photographers get to choose one position that they have to stay in for the duration. He's been in the sun all day which is only good when you're at the beach!!!!!
Its very very hot here today. I love the heat but this is quite taxing. I thought I had acclimatised but this is probably the hottest day so far. Apparently its 29 degrees but it feels a lot hotter here.
Pity it will be dark and the pool will probably be shut by the time we get back. Hopefully the shower will be working by then at least - it wasn't going this morning at all so no wonder I'm feeling extra hot and sweaty. Ewww.
We're off to St Lucia early tomorrow morning in a short flight on a teeny weeny plane. Sigh. However, 16 days at the Windjammer Resort. Looks lovely on the website!!! We have a couple of days without cricket as the players are all going to Jamaica tomorrow for the Opening Ceremony. Don't look on tv for us there, we'll be at the beach.

R & R

We had a pretty relaxing day today, in fact did not even leave the hotel until 5. The beach it backs onto is quite safe and every morning the hotel workers set up little clusters of deck chairs and big shady umbrellas. We had a bit of a big night out last night with the Reuters and Associated Press crews, so we slept in a bit and missed the best deck chairs but we set up camp on the beach for most of the day.
The water is so clear you can see your toes even when the water is up to my shoulders (which Simon says is only up to everyone elses waist anyway...) and its bath temperature. So lovely. We did hours of body surfing and later got some boogie boards so did that too.
I had two spectacular wipe outs which apparently looked very funny. I think that depends where you saw it from - having my face mashed into the sand wasn't so funny at all. And the big waves play havoc with the bikini too, which is when the clear water isn't so helpful.
Was cool to see a bunch of local teenagers at the beach, probably about 20 of them all runing around chasing a frisbee and a ball, just having good clean fun. No playstation or tv for their after school relaxation!
We also had a dip in the pool, just to cool off. The pool is about 5 degrees cooler than the sea even though its tepid!!!! See - I do wear my Radio Noo Ziland hat everywhere!!!
Last night's excursion into town was good but a very expensive exercise. Food is just not cheap at all. We went to a reggae lounge that was terrible and a more English bar that had a band playing music i've never heard, and a bunch of Kiwis drinking.
Didn't know any of them or anyone they knew, which I thought was a little unusual....
Game day tomorrow so will be a long day. But, weirdly, I'm looking forward to the cricket!!!
Oh I had thought I'd enable the comments thing but it turns out this particular layout of blog doesn't allow comments after all. So too bad, sorry. :-)

Game Day

Terrible that we lost. Oh well. There'll be another game soon enough.
It was only a warm up with not very many media and not much of a crowd but it certainly was a good example of how frantic and frustrating things will become as this World Cup progresses. The security is incredible - Simon couldn't believe it when the gate security guards asked him to put on some of the sunblock he was carrying to make sure it wasn't some chemical bomb he was smuggling in.
The local are a bit peeved about the tight security and its been a talkback issue here today because some police were not allowed into the stadium without being searched. I think that says more about the police than the officious cricket organisers though.
We finished work about 12 hours after we started and hitched a ride home with a British journo who has hired this funny little car that has no doors. You certainly get to take in all the sights and sounds of Barbados when you're hurtling through the streets in one of those.
Anyway today was a bit cruisier, went to the Hilton to watch the cricketers swimming pool session then out to the Windward cricket club for more training. Its about 40 mins drive away which is fine if your taxi driver know where to go.
Today we met the one and only West Indian who knows nothing about cricket or where cricket clubs are - he took us completely the wrong way before we made him ring some people to ask for directions to the cricket club!!! Even then he had to stop at a roadside shop and ask, then flag down someone on a motorbike to ask MORE directions which he really loathed doing.
I can't imagine why he didn't have a map!!!!! (maybe its a man thing????)

Drinking with the locals

I thought it was time I had a go at this "blogging" thing, can't let Mon have all the say! Anyway, we have managed to make friends with a local taxi driver, called Al, and he has become our unofficial tour guide. As with everyone here, he can be a little "late" in arriving when we book him, yesterday's 10mins turned into 45mins! So, at the end of the cricket yesterday I planned ahead and gave him 40mins notice and he was on time! He had a mate with him, Mike, and on the way back to the hotel they asked how much a beer cost at the hotel, Al nearly drove off the road when I said $6 (approx $5 NZ). Not that bad we thought when you can sit in the pool and order a beer! With this they offered to buy me a beer at one of the local bars, basically very dodgy run down buildings in residential area's of Bridgetown where a beer is only $2. Even Heineken is only $3, slightly smaller bottles that in NZ. (It is brewed in nearby St. Lucia) With a little trepidation I said "sure, why not?". The bar has a cage around it with a gap big enough to pass 3 or 4 beers through it and a few tables but mainly stools to sit on, a couple of TV's playing different stations and piles of old boxes and rubbish fill up the corners. As you can imagine not many tourists frequent these places (actually none!) and I looked completely out of place. But my friendly hosts made feel welcome and filled me in on the local ways. Which include, for them anyway, having about 3 or 5 rums (about the size of a beer bottle) during the course of the day! I think this might explain why Al was 45 mins late picking me up earlier in the day....So, a couple of beers each later I suggest we should go as I have work to do but actually just didn't want a drunk taxi driver taking me home! Then the trip home was an even bigger eye opener, through every dodgy street he could find I think. Which included the "red light district" of Bridgetown where Al informed me "a little time" with a woman would cost me $60! Bizarre when you consider a steak in a restaurant can cost over $70.......Well, we made it back safely, the beers were cold, and the education fascinating.
We will be calling Al again......

See? Its true.

Life in the slow lane

I can't believe how patient I have become. But you have to to get anywhere here. Everything from traffic to the internet is slow slow slow. Just took me three hours to file two pieces of audio to RNZ. So frustrating. But hey, I'm done now and going to the beach.
Due to popular demand I have enabled the comments thingy so you can all tell us off about the dolphin. And whoever called Greenpeace, thanks very much.

A hard day's work

That's what we did today. Truely!
It was a mission to get to the training, about 30 minutes by cab into rural sugar cane land to see arrogant cricketers chuck a ball around. You'd think they were inundated with media and fans they way one of them acted but in fact it was two media (just us!!) and seven local boys watching. There's a word for the unnecessary behaviour of one of our cricketers but this is a family blog. I should report it but I've been reading the stick Chris Barclay has been getting and its a bit early in proceedings to be blacklisted here...
Most interesting thing was the security man with the machine gun and full armour on. Scary stuff. I took a picture of Simon taking a picture but it may not be that clear here. I'm apparently not that handy with a lens.
Luckily we got to cool off in the pool later at the bar, which is one and the same. You swim up to to order and swim around with your beer. Mmmm. Local brew called Banks, (not "Blacks" and one should be careful with ones words when ordering)!!!!
Out for dinner, what a rort. $US40 for a steak, which is about $NZ60. Mind you i haven't seen any cows around which might explain that.
Hoping to conquer the age old jet lag prob tonight. Have been up since 3am today, walk on the beach at dawn was pretty spectacular though!!! A 6am the sea was as warm as a bath.
That's the Caribbean Sea. In the Caribbean. Which is where we are busy "working".
Its a tough world....

Pix from London

Should have put these in before the arriving in Barbados posting but just getting the hang of this blog thing. So it's Simon on the Eye, Me on Millenium Bridge, Simon frolicking like a little lamb in Hyde Park.....

Welcome to Barbados Mon (and Simon)

Right, here we are in Barbados. Good flights, weather hot.
Drive from the airport reminded me of parts of Tonga or Vanuatu, skinny dusty roads. Lots of people around but it all has a very relaxed vibe.... mon.
Had a quick dip in the hotel pool. A bit nippy but just what was needed to recover from flight. Also managed to find a bottle of the local brew. Just to see. Oh and tried the fish of the day sandwich for dinner - it was dolphin! It had the taste and consistency of flounder but in a slightly thicker fillet. Quite delicious but kids, don't try this at home. And don't report us to Greenpeace either. Its just a "when in Rome" kinda thing.
Early night then actual WORK tomorrow at the Cricket training. How will we cope????

Gatwick Airport

Howdy all
We're sitting at Gatwick Airport waiting for our flight to Barbados. Have been up since 4am and feeling jetlagged withouth even leaving the ground.
Had a cool touristy day yesterday. Went on the London Eye which is SOOOO much bigger than it looks. Of course the stupid thing stopped as we were about 3/4 of the way up for ages, and I freaked out and nearly got a slapping but managed to regain my composure eventually and have a good look at the view. Amazing especially as we had such a good day with blue skies and sunshine. Biggest ferris wheel we'll ever go on. In fact I won't bother with one ever again, it would just be a flimsy disappointment.
After that little adventure we went to the Tate Modern and saw the slide exhibition. Not sure why its art but it is and I slid down so now I am art too!!!
Walked miles and miles again yesterday but nothing helps with the stupid jetlag. Have taken a strong sleeping pill to get through this 8 hour flight. Still an hour or so till be board so it'll probably kick in as I sit here zzzzzzzzzzz.
Simon and two of the other photographers are sitting upstairs in the posh part of the plane so it'll be a lonely flight for me again but then again after yesterdays little episode on the Eye, Simon doesn't seem to upset. Funny that.
Was nice to be back in London but had forgotten their smoking everywhere policy. I know we're all used to it at home now and its natural to have clean air inside buildings - here its so gross. Even as I sit here in the airport there is a cloud of smoke everywhere. Gets in your clothes, gross gross gross.
Anyway, must dash. Ciao from London!!

London

Hi all, landed safely in London early Wednesday am NZ time and have been suffering mega jetlag ever since!!! I am happy to report the jetlag does extend to those in business class too however, so its not all bad.
Can't believe how snotty the Air NZ flight cows were. I was only allowed up to the business class for "two brief minutes" to ask Simon to come downstairs to cattle class and sit with me. I'll be writing to complain. Maybe.
Managed to have a busy day yesterday (wednesday London time) walking all over the city and seeing some of the sights - Harrods, Hyde Park blah blah blah. (Actually it was mostly shoe shops in Simon's case.) Also went to the Kylie Mingoue exhibition which was really good - lots of her old clothing and photos from over the years. Including that hooded white thing she wore in the video to Can't get You out of My Head which is sooo tiny - that entire girl is about the size of my left leg.
Simon went out on the town last night for a traditional English pint and curry but I couldn't cope with the jetlag and stayed in to watch amazing tv programme about a man who only eats cheddar cheese. Weirdo.
Today is good though - Simon's suffering at a meeting at Reuters and I'm shopping on Oxford street!! Yay!!
Sun is shining and its clear blue skies but cold, as you would expect for winter. Daffodils all out in the park which is nice. No squirrels yet.
Have just been reading the news, can't believe the jury verdict in the Rickards case. Oh well.
Must go shop now, then off to the Tate Modern to see the slide exhibition and will try to get on the London Eye for a spin. Barbados tomorow leaving London about 10am so 11pm Friday NZ time.
Will report in from there. This blog thing is so self indulgent! :-)