spookie

...was in 2004. I was 18 and it was my first trip overseas sans parent.

I’m going again for 2 days in early September, after my exam results but before I go up to University. Despite this being a post-break-up trip,I’ll be somewhat well behaved, and I’ll be staying at the Flying Pig again!

I’m not entirely sure why I want to go here. Maybe it started when I was about 10 and read about Boulder’s Beach and the penguins there. Africa is one of those places that just seems a million miles away from my own sphere, and I have always been into exploration.
Last night, while out for dinner with friends, a friend whose family moved here from Umtata about 10yrs ago suggested that we should try and get a group of us out there next year. It would just be phenomenal if it could happen.

Poezenboot (literally “cat boat”) is a rather special boat located on the canal in Amsterdam. It’s somewhere for the city’s stray cats to go and get fed, and people can come in and play with the kitties for a small donation (namely a couple of tins of cat food!). They also organise neutering for street cats to prevent the number of stay kittens being born.
Last time I was in Amsterdam (2004) we tried to find it but we ran out of time. Next time I shall make it the first thing I do!