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The Stellenbosch Winelands of the Western Cape...

The Scene & Situation...

It’s January 1, 2006, New Year’s Day here in Luanda on the West African coast and after having seen the blue light of early dawn before going to bed I am glad to say another year has slipped into the past. Last night was my first New Year’s Eve spent in Angola and what I thought would be a boring night turned into a marathon drinking session with a Welshman, a Malay, a Coon Ass from Thibodaux, a hand full of Angolans and about forty Scotsmen.

We ventured out into the night’s humidity around 9pm with an open minds and thirsty palates; ready for anything and everything Luanda had to offer. After all, the culture here is Portuguese and they know how to enjoy life, but our initial search for a venue turned up more dry holes than D’s drilling projects offshore. The Welshman reported things were dead up at the Marine barracks in Miramar so I suggested we meet up at the “Blue Bar” in the old quarter just to get things started. But that was a dead end, all the lights were out and the doors were boarded up. We then headed up to the “Jungle Bar” on Largo do Kinaxixi, but the story was much the same there.

The Scots…

Fireworks over the Fortaleza de Sao Miguel

At this point we started to worry that the night would be a sober one. But then the Coon Ass remembered hearing about a small gathering of Scots down on the Ilha so that’s where we headed. I guess when all else fails you can always count on the Scots to be throwing back booze somewhere in the patch.

We arrived at “8 mile” and quickly got caught up on consumption. As the clock struck midnight the fireworks began to light up the steamy night sky over the Fortaleza de Sao Miguel and Peter belted out a brilliant rendition of Auld Lang Syne on the bagpipes…quite fitting for the Scots, eh, they love that Burns fellow…. So with the smell of gun powder fresh in the air and the thunder of fireworks over head, we all gladly said goodbye to 2005 which will probably go down as one of the most tragic years this world has seen in recent history….

The Southern Hemisphere…

Inside the Antonov-24 to Malabo...

I have been absent from this website for nearly nine months now. 2005 was a very busy year for me and didn’t leave me much time to document my travels around this Earth. Moreover, my vagabond lifestyle of constant travel slowed considerably in July when I moved across the Atlantic Ocean from one steamy armpit (New Orleans, Louisiana) in the Northern Hemisphere to another in the Southern Hemisphere (Luanda, Angola). Naturally, all of this is job related and by my choice as to experience as much of this world as I can before Father Time pulls my dance card. And I really have a lot to be thankful for as I dodged a lot of misfortune in 2005. I had been on two airplanes/airlines that went on to suffer major crashes in 05 and I moved from New Orleans about two months before the levees broke filling the city with rancid water.

The Summary…

The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans...

So what’s in store for 2006 travelwise??? I know I will make the obligatory trip to the United States, but I look forward to exploring the vastness of the South African continent. After all, that’s one of the reasons I moved here. At the moment Namibia is topping the travel wish list and I am sure I will get back to Cape Town as well.

All this travel will documented on the webpages of Virtualtourist.com (in time), but my objective for writing about my little excursions on this website is totally self-centered. They are my experiences and opinions that I am documenting to describe my life's travels in this world. However, if other travelers find my destinations, activities and pictures interesting or my comments even helpful, then that is all the better.

So now that I have pulled myself outta bed on this New Year’s Day, a feat that gets more and more difficult each year, I say, let the games begin!!!

Intro Updated Jan 1, 2006
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Comments (31)

SLLiew Jan 14, 2011 at 3:49 PM Report Abuse

Wishing You Happy Birthday! Cheers from Penang, SL :)
a2lopes Jan 15, 2009 at 2:38 AM Report Abuse

Parabéns / Happy birthday Mark and many happy returns of the day. Greetings from Lisbon which is waiting for your visit next May for the Euromeeting. It will be fun with vteers from all over
KeithFitzgerald Oct 20, 2008 at 6:45 AM Report Abuse

Mark, thanks for the Angola insights. I'm heading there in a week or so from Pennsylvania after a short reprieve from 4.5 years working contracts in Kuwait. Looking forward to my time in Luanda and a change or scenery. Regards, Keith
deahh Jul 21, 2008 at 4:36 AM Report Abuse

Hi Mark, not sure if we've met, my name is Deah and I'm here in Luanda too! Always looking for a fun group to go out with, so email me when you get a chance!
GracesTrips Jan 15, 2008 at 2:46 PM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday, Mark! Hope you have a great day!
Etoile2B Jan 15, 2008 at 10:41 AM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday from sunny California!
sayedaburas Jan 14, 2008 at 6:45 PM Report Abuse

♫•:*¨`*:•Happy birthday to you♫♫Happy b-day to you♫HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MARK♫♫Happy b-day to yoou•:*¨`*:•♫ I wish you not only a happy year, but also happier maany returns (~_~)
kopwint Jan 15, 2007 at 6:44 AM Report Abuse

happy and free in your bd but i think about your motto hoe big is chip is?and how to move the buffalow? :O
lina112 Jan 15, 2007 at 6:29 AM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday Mark, have a wonderful day. Lina
irishgalmtl Jan 14, 2007 at 8:55 PM Report Abuse

Greetings from Montreal, wishing you many blessings on your special day and always, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! CHEERS! Donna :)