2007 is almost done and I'm actually looking forward to a new year with all that it may bring.
I rediscovered my love for writing in 2007 and finished writing How To Become A (Real) Serial Dater. The book is now with a literary agent - I kid you not - but you can still go to the blog and read some extracts from the book. I also found some places I could make money blogging - and the latest to my writing ventures is TRAVELSTART. I have also started a new book - I'm not going to spill the beans on this one just yet as I've only written 3 pages!
Yesterday I finally received the good news that my house is now in my name - I only waited 6 months (after moving in)! My cat celebrated this by catching a bird and slaughtering the poor thing on my beautiful tiles - sigh.
The best part of 2007, I finally know what I want most. The second best part? In 8.5 months I will be in Europe for a 25 day break!
Happy 2008 and ... Merry Xmas!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Smorty - connecting advertisers with bloggers
Advertisers:
You need exposure for your website, product or service? Visit www.smorty.com and sign up as an advertiser.
How does it work?
Smorty will be the link between you and bloggers.
You sign up with Smorty and set up your campaign. Signing up i absolutely free.
The bloggers will write about your product, service or website.
We review it.
You review it.
Visit the Smorty.com FAQ page for more information.
Bloggers:
Do you want to make extra spending money online? Then all you have to do is sign up to www.smorty.com and open a paypal account.
Participating in with the Smorty model is absolutely free to sign up. Your blog needs to be at least 3 months old with a minimum of 2 new posts a week - and be indexed by google and yahoo.
How much can a blogger earn by getting paid for blogging?
Payment can be from $5 and upwards per project - so the more you post the more you could earn!
Bloggers: blog for money
You need exposure for your website, product or service? Visit www.smorty.com and sign up as an advertiser.
How does it work?
Smorty will be the link between you and bloggers.
You sign up with Smorty and set up your campaign. Signing up i absolutely free.
The bloggers will write about your product, service or website.
We review it.
You review it.
Visit the Smorty.com FAQ page for more information.
Bloggers:
Do you want to make extra spending money online? Then all you have to do is sign up to www.smorty.com and open a paypal account.
Participating in with the Smorty model is absolutely free to sign up. Your blog needs to be at least 3 months old with a minimum of 2 new posts a week - and be indexed by google and yahoo.
How much can a blogger earn by getting paid for blogging?
Payment can be from $5 and upwards per project - so the more you post the more you could earn!
Bloggers: blog for money
Everyone loves Paris - www.cheaperthanhotels.com
Whetever you're going to the City of Love or to London, finding accommodation has never been this easy - visit www.cheaperthanhotels.com to find accommodation worldwide.
www.cheaperthanhotels.com offers an easy to use website that allows you to search through thousands of accommodation establishments. Cheap hotels and specials are available. Popular holiday destinations and top visited countries are shown to help you decide on your holiday of a lifetime.
If you are planning to have a romantic getaway in Paris, you will need to include a trip to the Eiffel Tower to view Paris' ligts at night. For more info an what to do, click here. If you are just planning to tour Paris and take in sights you might want to check out this article on lesser known Paris sights.
Paris is one of the renowned fashion capitals of the world - and one of the best places to shop. To find out more about the best places to shop, click here.
Paris attractions: Louvre, Eiffel tower, Notre Dame, Les Invalides, Champs-Elysées. For more info go to
www.francethisway.com
For more information on attractions in France:
Haute Couture, wineries, museums. For more info see France hotels.
www.cheaperthanhotels.com offers an easy to use website that allows you to search through thousands of accommodation establishments. Cheap hotels and specials are available. Popular holiday destinations and top visited countries are shown to help you decide on your holiday of a lifetime.
If you are planning to have a romantic getaway in Paris, you will need to include a trip to the Eiffel Tower to view Paris' ligts at night. For more info an what to do, click here. If you are just planning to tour Paris and take in sights you might want to check out this article on lesser known Paris sights.
Paris is one of the renowned fashion capitals of the world - and one of the best places to shop. To find out more about the best places to shop, click here.
Paris attractions: Louvre, Eiffel tower, Notre Dame, Les Invalides, Champs-Elysées. For more info go to
www.francethisway.com
For more information on attractions in France:
Haute Couture, wineries, museums. For more info see France hotels.
Life Insurance - what you need to know
Whetever you need life insurance (including universal, term, employer group policies, whole life policies) Advantage Term Life sells all.
Premiums:
You can lower your premiums by only buying the cover you need. This you will need to calculate as it will affect your family's future after you're gone.
Your state of health also has an impact on your premiums - therefore you have to take care of yourself.
Go here to learn how to Save Money on Insurance Premiums.
Getting the right cover for you:
Shop around between reputable insurance companies and compare their offers or visit Advantage Term Life.
Take the most important step towards your solid financial future, visit Cash Back Life Insurance to learn more.
Premiums:
You can lower your premiums by only buying the cover you need. This you will need to calculate as it will affect your family's future after you're gone.
Your state of health also has an impact on your premiums - therefore you have to take care of yourself.
Go here to learn how to Save Money on Insurance Premiums.
Getting the right cover for you:
Shop around between reputable insurance companies and compare their offers or visit Advantage Term Life.
Take the most important step towards your solid financial future, visit Cash Back Life Insurance to learn more.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Hotel Reservations.com and finding accommodation
I've been planning my trip to Europe and because I'm planning to not tag along on a tour group I needed to find accommodations in places that I've never been.
I searched the internet for accommodation directories and found Hotel Reservations.com. It was so easy to find places and compare prices! Obviously I shopped around on other sites too, but Hotel Reservations.com almost always came up cheaper.
The Hotel Reservations.com site is so easy to use and quite fast when doing a search for places in a city.
If you need to travel anywhere in the world - try finding your accommodation with Hotel Reservations.com
I searched the internet for accommodation directories and found Hotel Reservations.com. It was so easy to find places and compare prices! Obviously I shopped around on other sites too, but Hotel Reservations.com almost always came up cheaper.
The Hotel Reservations.com site is so easy to use and quite fast when doing a search for places in a city.
If you need to travel anywhere in the world - try finding your accommodation with Hotel Reservations.com
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Elephant Coast
This is one of South Africa's most beautiful and unspoilt areas. This narrow strip of land is home to an incredible 21 different ecosystems. Explore dense evergreen forests of towering fig trees stand in a lush undergrowth of ferns and wild orchids hanging from the trees. Admire palm savannahs with thousands of wild date and lala palms that dot the white sand of the undulating landscape. Experience the swamp forests with large raffias and tangled masses of greenery that are home to a myriad of exquisite birds, and behind them mountainous sand dunes appear to shift with the sighing of gentle winds.
Read this article here >
Read this article here >
A day in Clarens
Clarens is surrounded by the Rooiberg and Maluti mountain ranges and very close to the Golden Gate National Park. This is a quaint and cozy town. Clarens is named after the Swiss village of the same name.
Around Clarens people like to think that two memorable events occurred in 1912. The first was the establishment of Clarens - the second was the launching of the unsinkable Titanic. Tragically, the Titanic did sink and as the news flashed around the stunned world, people in Clarens could talk of nothing else. An unknown resident looked toward the nek and saw the prominent jutting rock and said, It looks like the Titanic, and that's what the rock formation has been called ever since. The Titanic stands like a sentry to welcome all who visit the village and invites them to come and experience the warm-hearted hospitality of the inhabitants.
Read more about Clarens here >
Around Clarens people like to think that two memorable events occurred in 1912. The first was the establishment of Clarens - the second was the launching of the unsinkable Titanic. Tragically, the Titanic did sink and as the news flashed around the stunned world, people in Clarens could talk of nothing else. An unknown resident looked toward the nek and saw the prominent jutting rock and said, It looks like the Titanic, and that's what the rock formation has been called ever since. The Titanic stands like a sentry to welcome all who visit the village and invites them to come and experience the warm-hearted hospitality of the inhabitants.
Read more about Clarens here >
Where to take your family on vacation in South Africa
Adventure
If you are a family with older children there are a number of adventure activities to do. In Jeffrey's Bay you could go surfing, white water rafting in Parys or even shark cage diving in Cape Town. Sun City has an adventure centre with clay pigeon shooting, quad biking and archery.
* White water rafting
South Africa is home to some awesome torrential rivers promising thrilling white water rafting adventures. Under professional guidance, even if you are a novice or an expert you can experience hours of enjoyable and challenging adventures.
Probably the most well known river in South Africa, the Orange River, runs through the mountainous desert area known as the Richtersveld. While for the most part, the river is still and scenic it is also known for its fun rapids. There is a one-day rafting trip above Augrabies which features some exciting but not too radical rapids.
Read the rest of the article here >
If you are a family with older children there are a number of adventure activities to do. In Jeffrey's Bay you could go surfing, white water rafting in Parys or even shark cage diving in Cape Town. Sun City has an adventure centre with clay pigeon shooting, quad biking and archery.
* White water rafting
South Africa is home to some awesome torrential rivers promising thrilling white water rafting adventures. Under professional guidance, even if you are a novice or an expert you can experience hours of enjoyable and challenging adventures.
Probably the most well known river in South Africa, the Orange River, runs through the mountainous desert area known as the Richtersveld. While for the most part, the river is still and scenic it is also known for its fun rapids. There is a one-day rafting trip above Augrabies which features some exciting but not too radical rapids.
Read the rest of the article here >
Family friendly places to visit in South Africa
Spier Village - Cape Winelands
The Village at Spier is located in the scenic Cape Winelands in the greater Stellebosch region the Western Cape
Spier provides a protected fenced off environment for children to roam freely and they also have a picnic area around a dam. Spier village also has a children's clubhouse, Cheetah Outreach programme and a raptor rehabilitation centre, Eagle encounters.
Read more here >
The Village at Spier is located in the scenic Cape Winelands in the greater Stellebosch region the Western Cape
Spier provides a protected fenced off environment for children to roam freely and they also have a picnic area around a dam. Spier village also has a children's clubhouse, Cheetah Outreach programme and a raptor rehabilitation centre, Eagle encounters.
Read more here >
Not so well known activities in the Eastern Cape
Stay in a Cave
Van Terrebert Cave
When visiting Baviaanskloof in the Cacadu region of the Eastern Cape you can spend a night in a cave. The Van Terrebert Cave have electric lights, power points, running water, hot showers, flush toilets, a gas stove and even a refrigerator.
The cave is a natural rock overhang that has been enclosed to form a double storey cave house that sleeps up to 12 people. Like all caves, it maintains an even temperature, being neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter. This is an ideal year round experience. The cave faces east and this result in spectacular views of the sunrise and romantic moons. At night the clear Karoo sky offers brilliant opportunities to star gazers. The cave is self catering and you need to bring your own bedding. They do provide meals on request and firewood and braai packs can be purchased at the farm. The cave is situated close to the well known and popular Makkedaat Cave and all activities are shared by these two venues.
Makkedaat Cave
This is a natural cave that has been enclosed with timber and rock and fitted to sleep 10 people. Facilities available include running water, hot shower (that is heated by a traditional donkey system and built into the mountain rock), flush toilet (with a stunning view), small kitchen fitted with gas stove and sink. For light at night there is paraffin lamps and candles. The mouth of the cave faces east resulting in spectacular views of the sunrise and romantic moons. At night the clear Karoo sky offers excellent opportunities to star gazers
read more here
Van Terrebert Cave
When visiting Baviaanskloof in the Cacadu region of the Eastern Cape you can spend a night in a cave. The Van Terrebert Cave have electric lights, power points, running water, hot showers, flush toilets, a gas stove and even a refrigerator.
The cave is a natural rock overhang that has been enclosed to form a double storey cave house that sleeps up to 12 people. Like all caves, it maintains an even temperature, being neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter. This is an ideal year round experience. The cave faces east and this result in spectacular views of the sunrise and romantic moons. At night the clear Karoo sky offers brilliant opportunities to star gazers. The cave is self catering and you need to bring your own bedding. They do provide meals on request and firewood and braai packs can be purchased at the farm. The cave is situated close to the well known and popular Makkedaat Cave and all activities are shared by these two venues.
Makkedaat Cave
This is a natural cave that has been enclosed with timber and rock and fitted to sleep 10 people. Facilities available include running water, hot shower (that is heated by a traditional donkey system and built into the mountain rock), flush toilet (with a stunning view), small kitchen fitted with gas stove and sink. For light at night there is paraffin lamps and candles. The mouth of the cave faces east resulting in spectacular views of the sunrise and romantic moons. At night the clear Karoo sky offers excellent opportunities to star gazers
read more here
South African Cuisine
• Runaways – cooked chicken legs with feet.
• Mopani worms – these worms are cooked or dried.
• Marog – looks and tastes like spinach.
• Potjiekos – made over an open fire with vegetables and meat. This dish takes from 45 minutes to two hours to make.
• Cow tongue and “afval” – this is not for the faint stomached!
Read more here >
• Mopani worms – these worms are cooked or dried.
• Marog – looks and tastes like spinach.
• Potjiekos – made over an open fire with vegetables and meat. This dish takes from 45 minutes to two hours to make.
• Cow tongue and “afval” – this is not for the faint stomached!
Read more here >
South Africa - Country Information
South Africa has about 7 200km of national roads (or highways) and over 50 000km of provincial roads. Be aware that hi-jacking is a common crime in South Africa and you should therefore always keep doors locked and never stop for anyone.
Read more country information about South Africa.
Read more country information about South Africa.
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