The Adventures of Rodrigus the Frog

Stroke Survivor's Walk of 2400km ends

2011-02-26T16:01:00.000+02:00

Six months ago I met George Scola.

He was about to start a 2437 km walk from Beit Bridge, in the far north of South Africa, to Cape Point, in the far south.

Why? To raise awareness of the Stroke Survivors Foundation.

Two years before this George was released from hospital in a wheelchair, after suffering a stroke. And with perseverance, support and a huge desire to help other stroke survivors, George not only started the Stroke Survivors foundation with Charlene Murray but also decided to show what is possible for survivors of strokes, and so started this walk.

I joined him and Ray Chaplin (Adventurer, campaigner and educator), his support vehicle driver, and we headed off and started our walk.

We went through diamond mining areas, where I checked out every tock possible go ensure I didn't miss any sparkling ones. I got to the border and saw Zimbabwe, illegal immigrants being arrested, monkeys, warthog, blesbok & possibly a leopard too!

It was hot out there, but the guys treated me well, keeping me hydrated and I enjoyed the aircon! My mate Cliff also joined us for a bit. After George’s first 100kms we had a great party in a place called Alldays, and I spent some time in the bush along the Limpopo River & Botswanan border

We got into the newspaper when George was interviewed by The Citizen!

And then my life changed! In September I met my soul mate - Gerda Antoinette Koekemoer - at a braai! I'm in love! :) Sy's Afrikaans... so ek moet a bietkjie oefen! Sy boer langs die Limpopo Rivier [that is, she speaks Afrikaans, which I’ve got much better at, and she was farming next to the Limpopo River].

Gerda joined us, and we chilled a bit at Kwa Maritane where had to hop lightly, as there were 14 [yes, 14!!!] elephants cruising by

We then caught up with the matchstick girl, Telana Simpson, in Johannesburg, as we attended FEAT and enjoyed hearing the adventure talks, especially Ray's!

At that event I was asked to go to Rocking the Gardens to support the World Wide Fund for Nature- which I did, and I wanted to see Telana dressed up as a Panda. It was so funny!

I got to catch up with the Ubuntu Girl, Sonja Kruse, and shortly after that though, we were "kidnapped" by the guys again, and joined them for another week, walking through more of the beautiful country side of South Africa.

Sonja and I then hitch-hiked back to Johannesburg to attend Africa's first SWARM party where we set a record for Africa!

Gerda and I then joined Telana on a trip to Cape Town to surprise George and walk with him and celebrate his reaching Cape Town. We walked on the N1 highway, through the harbour and Victoria Waterfront, and passed the Greenpoint Stadium!

We also got to attend Africa's first MP3 Experiment organised by improveverywhere while we were in Cape Town.

Today though is a day of celebration as George has finished his "Bring it on" Walk of 2400 km's! He has reached the Cape Point, and will be celebrating at a Banquet tonight!

The Stroke Survivors Foundation is playing a vital part in helping survivors with their recovery, adjusting to life and staying informed, motivated and positive. They are creating a national network that provides the much needed post-discharge rehabilitation and support for stroke survivors, their families and caregivers.

If you would like to support George, then get in touch!

Gerda and I salute you George! Well done on finishing your epic 6 month long walk of 2437 kms! Reebit! Reebit!

1400km in 15 days on a 70 year old bicycle

2010-03-28T19:24:00.000+02:00

Can you imaging cycling 1400 kms in 15 days on a highway on a 70 year old style of bicycle which has no gears and the only way to break is to peddle backwards?

Ray Chaplin can. And not only did he imagine it, he and Cliff are doing this right now!

I went with Telana early this morning to meet Cliff and Ray in Newtown Johannesburg, and wish them well as they set off to cycle the 1400kms.

They're not just doing this for fun and adventure, although I do think they'll have a good dose of that. Ray and Cliff are cycling from Johannesburg to Cape Town on a replica of the 1930's bicycle called the Johnny Loco Corona, in order to raise awareness of cyclist safety on the roads. They want to showing that cars and busses and motorbikes and trucks and bicycles can all share the road (kind of like they already do in Mumbai, India, with the cows too, just more safely!). And they are paying tribute to those who have lost their lives doing what they love so much: putting time in the saddle and experiencing the open road on a bicycle.

Cliff's got the important job of being the mascot for this National Cyclist Safety & Memorial Ride, and he's also going to be helping Ray remain sane by keeping him company and cheering him on.

Telana and I cheered them on as they left, joined by some fellow cyclists, and escorted onto the highway by Ruari Plint and his team on motor bikes, led by Shaun from the Sign-Up Cyclists Safety Initiative.

Have a great trip guys, and keep raising that Cycling Safely awareness, one kilometre at a time!

Roadtrip along the Cape Coast

2010-01-31T22:58:00.000+02:00

Rod joined Catherine and her friends on a roadtrip from Johannesburg down to Knysna after Christmas 2008, and along the coast to Cape Town.

They visited the Owl House in Niew Bethesta, and the Desolation Valley in Graaf Rieniet. In Ootshorn they sat on a ostrich egg and then they attempted to hug the huge trees in the Knysna forest. After feasting on Knysna Oysters, they spent time on Sedgefield beach.

In the Tsitsikamma Forest they went foffie sliding, and even saw the southern most tip of Africa at the Cape Agulhas. A visit or two to some Wine farms, and fishing in Cape Town added to the fun and relaxation of the trip.

“As you can see Rod had quite a holiday and enjoyed seeing some old friends who now live in the Cape... I quite enjoyed having him, almost as a replacement for my dog, Micky” says Catherine!

Namaqualand Flowers

2009-09-06T13:36:00.000+02:00

It happens once a year. And only if there's been enough rain during the winter. If the conditions are right, and you time your trip well, you get the chance to see the dry, dusty semi-desert transformed into spectacular colour and scent.

There was enough rain this year. And we timed our road trip up the west coast of Africa just right, and got to see plenty of this:

Visiting the Namaqualand in South Africa during it's famous miracle time of springtime flowers is something to have on and then tick off your list of places to visit.

We stayed at the Agama Tented camp, near Garies, and can only speak highly of the place- the food so scrumptious, especially the lamb and the "roast cakes" made by hand on the fire; the tents were luxurious; and our hosts- Karien, Linda and Victor- were helpful and friendly beyond our expectations.

On our day to Skilpad Nature Reserve to find the fields of orange, we had quite an adventure, including a flat tyre, running out of petrol and an expedition to Springbok.

We enjoyed watching the rugby at the farmhouse of our hosts, and then a drive around their farm, seeing even more yellow and purply-pink flowers and a spectacular sunset!

Some of us made the effort to watch the sunrise too, and enjoyed a bit of mild bouldering to get high enough to see the sun say good morning to the valley

The variety of flowers was incredible, and the fields as far as the eye can see of colour will be wonderful images that will stay with us all!

Sailing Adventure!

2009-08-11T12:48:00.000+02:00

We set sail for Bassas Da india at 2am... navigating the channel between Vilanculos harbour and Bazaruta Island in the dark. Two days of sailing due east, we arrived at the uninhabited Basss da India, and all we could see was sea. At low tide, a few rocks are visible showing that the 10 km in diameter atoll is indeed there in the middle of the ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar.

We got to explore the underwater world of Bassas when we scub dived, and enjoyed the sun and blue sky and sea while some of the guys fished.

The locals in Vilanculos affectionately refer to Bassas da India as "Jurassic Park" because it is known for amazingly large fish, and many sharks. The fisherman enjoyed the "fights" with the large kingsfish and barracuda, and it appears that Rod is not much of a fisher-frog - he tried fishing a few times, but never caught anything.

For more photos, click here!

Bazaruto in Mozambique

2009-03-28T16:51:00.004+02:00

We flew on a pelican to an indigo bay,

With Rod the frog as our stowaway.

We swam in the sun, saw turtles and fish,

And ate like royalty enjoying crayfish!

I hid in Telana's bag so she had to take me with! It was well worth being so sneeky! I had my first flight in a small plane, and my first duneboarding!

More photos on my facebook profile and on flickr.

Spring picnic

2009-03-28T16:43:00.002+02:00

What a fun day! We had a picnic at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens to celebrate spring in September 2008! I listened to jazz, ate strawberries, had a ride on a tortoise, played hide and seek, climbed up the mountain cliff, and kissed some girls!

I even had my first dance!

More photos on my facebook profile.

Waterberg Wilderness

2009-03-28T12:41:00.003+02:00

My first taste of the South African bushveld and a bit of 4x4'ing was a weekend at the Waterberg Wilderness in April 2008. We saw giraffe, eland, kudu, wildebeest, lots of bugs and bush!

I even chatted to a wild frog!

You can see more photos on my facebook profile

Traffic in Mumbai

2009-03-27T21:56:00.002+02:00

The rides in the autorickshaws were such fun! Quite cramped though, and the drivers were extra zippy!. it made for hair-raising trips trying to find our way around Mumbai.

The most unusual bit of driving we experienced was trying to get off the highway- a busy 3 lane highway which had no offramps. Where there was a street that intersected with the highway, cars just edged their way across lanes of traffic until that traffic stopped to let them through and off the highway. Then a few seconds later, the stopped traffic would edge their way across the lanes turning off the highway… all with no traffic lights or any road signs- just hooters and guts!

Mumbai Madness

2009-03-27T20:04:00.005+02:00

Rod experienced the hecticness of Mumbai. It's a hecticness that only Mumbai has. And unless you've tried to cross over a street like this one (in below clip) where the cars and autorickshaws and busses and taxis and bicycles and cows don't stop for you - you won't know what I mean by Mumbai's hecticness. And this street wasn't even a busy one!

Rod joined me to celebrate my dear friend Satneet's wedding. Satneet had been studying abroad for a few years, and returned to her home town Mumbai to marry her sweatheart, and even she said to me that she now understood what I meant by Mumbai's hecticness.

Well we did cross this street in a fashion like the old computer game leap frog (much to Rod's amusement). We crossed this road to get to some huge film studio's, where we were in a bollywood movie. The movie was called "Money hai toh honey hai" directed by Ganesh Acharya, and what a lot of fun! We even learnt some of the dancing moves by watching them rehearse so often!

After our film debut we had a train trip back to the Colaba area and then walked around the streets of Mumbai till way passed midnight. You see a very different side of the city at that time, with rats the size of cats running passed vendors sleeping on the floor.

We also watched cricket being played in Oval Maidan, admired the Fountain in the botanical gardens at Horniman Circle, and waved at Haji Ali's Mosque as we zooted past in a bumblebee taxi!

The highlight was the four days of ceremonies that we were invited to for the wedding, and getting my hands henna'd.

The low was Rod almost being eaten by Rufus.

And if you don't believe me that Mumbai had a madness of it's own, watch the movie "The Slumdog Millionaire" or go visit this marvelous, but mad, city!

Namaste,
Telana

Discovering Durban

2008-03-23T13:09:00.004+02:00

Did you know that South Africa's under 12 Girl Chess Champion lives in Durban?

And did you know that Rodrigus met her?

On Christmas Day 2007, he was roller balding with Telana on the beachfront of Durban- one of the best places in South Africa to roller blade, according to Telana- and they bumped into the only other roller blader that day: Tasnim Amra. She travels all over the world competing in chess tournaments and aims to bring the title of World Champion back to South Africa, and has now taken up roller blading too! Tasnim is expected to play at the world youth championship in Vietnam in October 2008- so her rollerblades have been given a rest for a while. On Christmas day though, Telana tried to give her a few pointers, which just made Rod laugh as Telana is fast on her blades, but has no clue how to stop! So his advice to Tasnim was to find someone else to teach her!

Rod did grin with glee (even more than Telana did) when they roller bladed next to one of the few rickshaws left in Durban.

Hundreds of them once worked the city in the 1930’s, but only about 20 remain taking tourists for short thrills along the beach. Some sugar tycoon brought the rickshaw to KwaZulu Natal in the late 1800’s to transport his wife around, and now it’s part of the Zulu culture with colourful costumes and impressive headdresses!

The next day Rod experienced a lunch with a difference: watching sharks swim by as he munched away!

Everyone enjoyed a scrumptious lunch at the Cargo Hold restaurant in uShaka Marine World. This restaurant is most unusual, as it is literally inside a ship wreck, and has a tank with sharks and fish right in the middle of it!

Rodrigus also has was his first introduction to some Zulu culture as he watched the Zulu warriors doing their Indlama style of dance, lifting one leg in the air and brining it down together with their hands. He also got to see some Zulu women singing and dancing!

The last highlight of this quick trip to Durban, was tea and scones at a cosy restaurant over looking the Valley of a Thousand Hills in Zululand! Here Rod found a frog made out of beads!

So although it was a quick trip to Durban, Rodrigus still smiles as he reminisces about sharks and rollerblading and meeting Tasnim!

Mozambique Moments- a trip to treasure!

2008-01-03T06:46:00.000+02:00

What a brilliant time we all- Andy, Ed, Telana, Melissa and Rod- had in Bilene, Mozambique in November of 2007!

All we can do is rave about the Mahelane Lodge- it's superb location on the lagoon with a 10 minute stroll to the fabulous beach! And the team that looked after us- smiles and stupendous service!

We enjoyed our boat trips- even the part of slogging and pushing the boat over the closed mouth so the boys could launch into the sea! You see, once in ages, the beach sand builds up and the mouth closes. We were so disappointed that we didn't get to see the 300 men they were organising who dig the mouth open, with all their wives cooking for them on the beach- it's a hard labour job that takes over 12 hours!

Rodrigus found a passion for the beach, which included lazing under a palm tree, surfing and sipping coconut milk!

He also made a few new friends- Ed and also Crusty the Crab!

Can't wait for our next holiday back there! Especially if Andy and Ed organise, because they were voted as the "Best Organisers of a Beach Holiday Ever!"

PS- Check out all the photos here!

Easter in Clarens

2007-04-15T06:01:00.000+02:00

Yip- Good Friday came about and we packed the cars and went off to Clarens! We passed lots of mielie signs along the way, and stopped for a pit stop in the tiny dorp of Reitz- even got to check out the local talent there as they drove passed in a bakkie pumping some cool tunes!

Lunch in Clarens lead us to finding the place which offers the supposed "best lemon meringue pie"- which we had to go and investigate more about, as it became the talk of the weekend- Rod never let us forget that we had to go try it before we left! In the cafe we found this sign that Rod just loved!

We only got to sample the pie on our last day, and Rod believes it is great pie!

There was a big market in the square the Saturday, and we even got a massage in at Graceland!

There were lots of beautiful views, feasts, an Easter egg hunt on the Sunday and more than plenty chocolate eggs for all! Walks in the mountains were refreshing and exciting, with Telana daring the cliffs!

Rod loved the views from here:

And another time from here in the Golden Gate reserve:

And even from the top of the rock that the reserve got its name from, which thanks to Rohin's adventurous spirit Rod and Telana got to climb up here:

Best part of the trip to Clarens, after the fresh mountain air, was the company that Rod the Frog kept! Here we are, friends and Frog!

Rod has dinner in the finest restaurant in China!

2007-01-11T04:35:00.000+02:00

Kenneth took Rodrigues with him on his trip to China last year November, and here is what he had to say about it:

"Travelling to Shanghai was really special as it was my country of birth, the trip was yet another eye opener to what was happening in the country. The city has changed along with China's booming economy.

So it was only fitting that Rod the frog was taken to the finest restaurants on the 54th floor of the grand Hyatt hotel (88 floors in total). The city draws tourist from far and wide with all the multinationals lining up to do business here.

The city is a contrast between old run down housing alongside new high rises.
Rod the frog travelled to PuDong, the new hub of business in Shanghai, and ended his trip in Hong Kong. Quite a trip for Rod the frog, across Asia." - Kenneth Sun

Thanks Kenneth- Rod loved the Hyatt!
T

Rodrigus the Frog Travels to Chile

2007-01-02T03:51:00.000+02:00

Rodrigus has been on the move again, what an adventurous frog!

I took Rodrigus with me to South America last October 2006 on a business trip. He was in good company as I always take my young sons fluffy stuffed dog, "white fang" with me. Fairly often I am away on long business trips. Away from home, my sons (Jordan and Chad) toy dog holds a soft spot in my heart, making that all to important connection back home.

Well Rodrigus' adventure started at Johannesburg International and ended back at O.R. Tambo. Shows you what a few weeks away from home can do, with you not being able to keep track of changes. Anyway, Rodrigus took a 10 hour flight with me to Sao Palo where we spent an evening in transit. The following morning we were up early to catch a flight to Santiago Chile. We crossed the Andes always an impressive sight with white capped mountains pointing up to the sky like sharp icicles trying to impale the wings of the plane. I quickly reassured Rodrigus and myself that it is safer flying in a plane than driving down Hans strider drive. Arriving safely in Santiago we readied our selves for the next leg of our trip. A further flight north of two hours got us to our end destination of Antofagasta Chile.

After two days of travel the Radisson Antofagasta is a welcome sight and this was Rodrigus and my home for the next two and a half weeks. I have spent many weeks here, as this is the heart of the worlds copper mining industry. A small dusty but driven city all built on the lust for Copper.

The following morning we would be making our final journey to one of the biggest mines in the world. The mine is two hours drive from Antofagasta into the most inhospitable desert in the world. The Atacama is so dry it receives less than a few millimeters of rain every seven years with some places not having rain in 400 years. Very little grows or survives here without water from deep below or from strong run off water from the snow capped Andes mountain range in the interior.

We better get our Spanish flowing again, I prepared Rodrigus, "I don't habla the Espanol as well as I should", fortunately due to Rodrigus Spanish roots he could help me out. He explain to me the PEE has nothing to do with toilets or what the locals call el banjos'. How was I to know it had to do with working safely on the mine using the correct personal protective equipment (PPE)?

After two weeks of meetings and planning Rodrigus and I were back on our long trip home. Rodrigus says, "adios hasta que nos vemos otra vez" or "good bye, until we see each other again".

Clint

Rod’s been cruising…

2006-12-29T09:31:00.000+02:00

Across the sea! All the way from Durban to the Portuguese Island off Mozambique.

Remember Andy and Tracey who took Rod to the Durban July horse races? Well, they also organised a poker cruise, and Alix, Rod and I went along for the experience and to help out a bit.

We were amazed at the amount of trucks we passed between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, and in this video clip there were plenty of trucks before I started filming and plenty after my memory ran out ending my little movie (and I got more memory from Father Christmas, so that won’t happen again- hopefully!)

It was quite an experience on the cruise ship called The Melody. No sooner had we got our sea-legs (even Rod the amphibian had to find his sea legs), then we anchored and spent the day by the Portuguese Island. Then later the next day we started cruising again back to Durban, and had to find our sea-legs again (you feel like you've had one too many Pina Coladas as you stumble around)! Then it takes a few days to get your land-legs back once we were back on African soil!

It was very windy on the top deck, most of the time, and otherwise we spent a lot of time helping Andy and Tracey and dealing cards to the poker players. The beach was so hot on the Portuguese Island, that we enjoyed the swim and saw some huge starfish! And then spent time under the shade cloth that the Cruise staff resurrected for us island adventurers, eating watermelon!

The best part was the trip on the inflatable boat from the cruise ship to the island and back! We got lekka wet : )

Till the next adventure!

Telana

Rod made another friend in the UK- Paul

2006-11-13T10:26:00.000+02:00

Another lovely spot in Berwick is the Doolally coffee shop. What a name for a coffee shop hey? They have the most colourful sugar sachets I've seen in the world, AND they make the best wheat-free chocolate cake I have tasted. Mandy reckons too that their carrot cake is to die for!

Then after all the excitement and family nostalgia in Berwick, we headed off and touched Scottish soil, and then headed south again to the Lake District.

On our way we got lost- I mean lost and couldn't find the exit for quite a while, in the maze at Taquiar House. Once we had laughed our way out of that maze, we found our accommodation for the night in Ambleside.

Early in the morning we took a stroll along the lake and met Paul, sitting quietly on a rock looking over the lake, watching a few ducks paddling between the yachts.

He didn't have too much to say to me, but he and Rodrigus seemed to get on well and swapped email addresses. Perhaps if you go to Ambleside too you might find him, contemplating life as he sits on his rock, and you can say "Hi!" for us! Actually if you do find him- you've got to send us a photo! Ok?

From Ambleside we went to see relatives in Warwick, and explored the Warwick castle while we were there! Geez, it was windy up on top of the wall!

Then we had our last few days in London, catching up with friends, friends, friends, and more friends. Like the Williamson-Nobles- here's Lyn with her dogs:

It was so good to see people who have been such parts of our lives at certain chapters, and to reminisce of those happy times! And catch up on what has been happening in their lives since our paths crossed so many years ago. We look forward to the next time our lives can touch yours gain for a brief, wonderful moment! And Rod enjoyed meeting you all too!

And that was our whirlwind trip to the UK.

Rod was back for just a few days when he got a call from Clint to go with him to South America! Can't wait to see those photo's and hear about his adventures there!

Till then!
Telana

The Town Hall Keeper worth meeting

2006-11-12T22:42:00.000+02:00

The highlight of the trip was to witness the ceremony of Charlton receiving his Freemanship of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Berwick was one of the most fought after towns between England and Scotland because of it's strategic positioning, and it changed hands between England and Scotland more than 13 times. It's well known for its defensive wall around the town centre, which we walked along, and also for being the home of the original Berwick Cockle- a white and red stripped sweet with a distinct cockle-like shape.

We stayed just near the shop where the two brothers who created the Berick Cockle still live today- but they don't make the sweets any more, and rumour has it that they are in their 80's and the magical recipe is going to die with them...

Berwick is also known for its bridges, and its salmon!

But getting back to the ceremony- some time in the 17th century some dude from my family spent 7 years serving an apprenticeship to become a Freeman of Berwick. This meant that he had a few rights to land around the town, and had to look after the town and it's administration.

The Freemanship was then passed down through the generations to the first son of the Freeman and my brother was next in line to claim and receive his Freemanship. Which he did, with all the formalities that British custom can muster! He's now the youngest (as in newest) freeman to the Guild of Freeman for Berwick. A bit of my family history for you!

Best part of the ceremony though was meeting the Town Hall Keeper- aka T.H.K. – Michael. What a friendly and fascinating guy! And sorry ladies- he's taken already and has a lovely wife and family! (Rumour has it he has a single brother though!)

Michael took us on a tour of the Town Hall and its fascinating prison that was on top of the town hall and market. So the prisoners had some of the best views of Berwick!

If you ever get the chance to go visit Berwick- and you should, it's a lovely little town to explore- Rod and I highly recommend you go and knock on the Town Hall door, and ask for Michael, the T.H.K.

And then you must tell him Rodrigus the frog and the Simpson Family (Charlton Simpson the Freeman nogal!) sent you and you want to see the prison! I promise it will be worth it! Even if just to meet Michael!

You might even get him to join you for a glass of champagne in the local pub after work, as he did with us. Though he'll only have one glass as he has to cycle home- and home is up hill all the way!

MANchester to Dunstanburgh Castle

2006-11-12T22:36:00.000+02:00

In Manchester, Rod liked this sign (click on the image if you can't read it):

We also went to the china town in Manchester, wondered around the streets and main shopping areas, and visited the town centre.

From Manchester we drove up to Berwick-Upon-Tweed, and on the way had a stop in York to see the York Cathedral, then in Durham to see the Durham Cathedral.

This is where Rod found he has some ancestors engraved on the ceiling of the cloisters, here is Rod having a closer look:

We also stopped off at the Dunstanburgh Castle right on the coast, and enjoyed the walk to the castle from the little village nearby, after so much travelling in the car.

Rod hits London again!

2006-10-25T22:45:00.000+02:00

I called up Rodrigus at Retha's place where he was staying, and he jumped at the chance to go explore more of the UK. He'd been for a fleeting visit to London with Linda, and was keen to go explore some more.

At the airport on our way to London, we bumped into Bryan, and he and Rod reminisced for a moment about the movies and the tour of Soweto they did together.

Then a few hours later, we landed in London, and were met at the airport by my brother Charlton who's living in Manchester at the moment with his wife Mandy. I haven't been to London for 7 years, since when I lived there, so we just had to go straight into the heart of London to re-experience all the places I have such fond memories of. First was a bee-line to Piccadilly Circus, where the fountain stank as I remember it did on most occasions, especially when the wind blows a certain way!

Then we were off to Trafalgar square to sit on the lions, and then to check out Big Ben- (these photo’s to come!), passed the Queen's guards, to Covenant Garden to watch a busker juggling knives.

On our way to Covenant Gardens, we passed the "Simpson's-in-the-Stand" and had a look inside, seeing as though we share a name with this famous collection of grand dining halls and private venues. I think that the next time I am in London, I'll have to try out their speciality of roast Scottish beef on the bone!

After the four or so hours of walking, we headed on about 5 different trains to get to explore Manchester!

...To be continued...

Telana and Rod

Hoff vs Chuck- Day at the Redbull Boxcart Races

2006-08-27T21:07:00.000+02:00

So who’s more popular? Chuck or the Hoff? Well it’s got to be the Hoff, and he even proved it was today at the Redbull Box-cart races.

see all the pics here

Telana took me along with her to Moyo’s at the Zoo Lake for a birthday breakfast to celebrate her birthday (which is tomorrow, actually). It was such an enjoyable experience- my first birthday celebration since getting out that dusty box! Thanks Telana for the opportunity to celebrate with you and all that’s happened to me since we met!

So it was a lazy morning sitting under the trees, waiting for our food and coffee’s – you see, this Moyo’s has a superb setting, great for a sllllloooowwww Sunday morning. It’s no good going there if you are in a rush, because the service is just not that speedy.

So after a loooong breakfast, we ambled to the other side of the lake where all the action was happening at this year’s Redbull Boxcart races, along Jan Smuts avenue! We joined the crowds sitting on the lawn to watch a race on the big screen, and then found a great spot right by the action! We watched the 2 toilet boxcarts do their entertainment little jig at the start, and zoom past us. We then found an even better spot right where the boxcarts have to cross lanes, and race down to the finish! I was really hoping for a crash or two, but we only got to see the b.e.e. cart and the roman catapult loose it and topple over after both catching speed wobbles! So no other exciting collisions…

Now you know I’m a fan of Ferrari’s so it was great that the Ferrari team let me check out their little Ferrari boxcart, and that they came second overall too! Awesome replica guys!

The Hoff in his jetski and speedo did splendidly, and what a laugh! Their little entertainment jig comparing Hoff with Chuck and then turning Kit into a jetski, plus their dash over the finish line in good time got them mostly 10’s by the judges! Well done guys, enjoy your R46 000 prize!

Telana’s really into buzzzz’s and vibes and things wacky- and is even thinking of getting a team together to create some boxcart to take part in a race in the near future- and she’ll probably do it, if she can get a team to join her! So does anyone want to take part Let me know, and I’ll put you in touch with Telana and let’s see if we can win next year! That’s an idea with funtential if I ever heard one!

Well, I’ll be signing off now. Not sure of what my next experience will be about or what adventure I’ll get to have… anyone got plans that I can hop on for the ride?

Till then,
Rodrigus

Movies and Soweto in one weekend

2006-08-20T19:53:00.000+02:00

Rod went the movies recently! He’s a fan of Johnny Depp, like me, and when he heard we were going to see Captain Jack Sparrow in his latest adventures, he just had to come along!

And it worked out well, ‘cos then Alix took Rod with her and Bryan and the gang to go explore Soweto the next day. They had a great time, took a taxi to Soweto, went to the museums, the Hector Peterson Memorial,

and visited a Shabeen! Rod got to see Mandela’s house, and was amazed at how small it was! The shabeen was the highlight though- drinking and playing pool with the locals!

Rod’s happy, he’s got to see how part of South Africa lives, and learnt some of Soweto’s history- from the uprisings to the achievements!

Maybe some of his new friends from the tour will add some stories about their taxi to Soweto day!

Join Rodrigus' mailing list

2006-08-05T19:43:00.000+02:00

Rodrigus has a mailing list. Well, actually, I'm managing a goggle mailing list for Rodrigus so you can hear about his travels, if you're into that kind of thing and don’t have enough emails in your inbox.

So if you'd like to join, here's the box:

Subscribe to Rodrigus the Frog

Cheers,
T

Contact us

2006-08-05T18:33:00.000+02:00

Yip- Contact Rodrigus or me by any of these means:

email:
onematchstick@gmail.com

call or sms:
+27 83 730 2979

skype:
telanas

icq:
102-882-611

snail mail:
PO Box 70082, Bryanston, 2021, South Africa, Africa, Earth

find me on linkedin or on plaxo

You can try shout, or send flares into the night sky, but I can't gaurantee I'll hear you or see your flares ;)

Hope to hear from you soon!
Telana

Introducing Rodrigus the Frog

2006-08-05T16:05:00.000+02:00

Hi, I’m Telana and I met Rodrigus when he became part of my trades from one matchstick up to offices (for that whole story, see one matchstick).

Rodrigus had been sitting next to Megan’s computer for ages, and that was after being stuck in storage in a box for many years! He’s originally from Canada, but has spent most of his life in South Africa. He now lives with Retha in Johannesburg, and is travelling all over the world meeting people, seeing places, and experiencing experiences.

That's Retha, Rod and me.

Here are some of his adventures so far:

Ferrari Day at Kyalami Race track

The Durban July – South Africa’s biggest horse race

London for Robert and Kirk’s Wedding

You see, Rodrigus has big dreams! Dreams of seeing the world! And this is where YOU come in. Can you help Rodrigus make up for lost time sitting by computers and in boxes? Can you help him see the world and meet people and experience the wonders of life?

Retha, who Rodrigus currently lives with, is happy for you to pop by and pick Rodrigus up for trips, and what the heck, I’ll even help get Rod to you if that means he’ll get to go leaping somewhere in the world.

We’d all like to see where he gets to and meet the people he travels with, so that’s what this blog is all about. It’s a space to croak about Rodrigus’ adventures.

So would you like to help Rodrigus fulfil his dream of travelling all over the world? If so, send me a note on onematchstick@gmail.com or give me a call on +27 83 730 2979.

Happy Travelling Rodrigus!
T