Intense pleasure

Friday, 24 December 2010 will forever be etched in my mind as the night of intense pleasure. The start of my new journey (and hubby’s, of course). In the hours running up to midnight when I’d handed over the torch as Keeper of Balance to someone else, I was getting a taste of what was coming (literally and figuratively). I knew something was about to happen but I kept my analytic side from creating expectations of what.

Hothead

Hubby can be such a hothead. He was one when he was 20 and at 50 he’s still one.

It all started quite peacefully on Christmas day when we phoned our daughter. She’s doing a gap year in the Australian outback so it’s difficult to get hold of her but she’d investigated where best to get a signal so we could chat. Despite having to hang over the edge of a balcony so that she could get reception, she sounded happy. Towards the end of the conversation she started to sound tearful. This is her first year away from us over Christmas. She’d also celebrated her 21^st birthday on the 21st December, so it was a double whammy.

Who?

Take a deep breath - here goes...

An entity by the name of Lady Andari briefly approached me last week. Imagine my surprise, as I’d never contemplated being in touch with an ET or even thought too deeply about them.

When a new entity enters my life they tend hang around in the background before introducing themselves almost as though I need time to adjust to them. It didn’t happen this time – instead bang! and here she is. Every being of light that has entered my life imparts knowledge and then leaves to make space for someone else. But...I have never been approached by an ET, so this is a first for me.

Receiving

Hubby bought a bouquet of flowers. Normally he hands them to me and I arrange them in the vase. This time he did the flower arranging himself, so when I came downstairs there they were on the mantelpiece.

My immediate reaction was a smile of pleasure. A brief thought flashed through my mind – a few years ago I would have been irritated. Why? Because of the way the flowers sat in the vase. Looking at them you’d instantly recognise that whoever had arranged flowers had no idea what they were doing. He’d literally shoved them in the vase.

Fight!

I woke up this morning ready for a fight. Any reason? None whatsoever – I just need to blow off some steam. The changes ahead have me wanting to bury my head in the sand, feel elated, soar with happiness only to crash to the ground with worry. The energy of balance is nowhere in sight – hightailed it out of here at a fast pace.

Flexing of muscles

I read a blog this morning http://lightworkers.org/blog/120962/final-rinse-and-spin-cycle

Extract: "That's how I feel right now. The part of the wash cycle where I'm being thrown around with crushing, bruising impacts back and forth seems to be over at last, I've been on rinse and spin for a while, and where the drum stops and drops me out remains to be seen."
Thank you for this. It’s very apt and so true. I think we’re all feeling this way, heading as we are for a very dramatic change. Depending on your perspective it could be good or bad.

Weaknesses and strengths

Strengths and weaknesses colour our lives daily. A strength can turn into a weakness and a weakness can turn into a strength. You could equate them with darkness and light. Duality in this world of polarities.

I am stubborn as an ass, pigheaded, muleheaded or whatever name you call it by. Without these traits I’d never be where I am these days. How often did I forge ahead despite all around standing in judgement and letting me know that they don’t approve of what I’m doing? Is that a weakness or a strength? Depends on what side of the fence you’re standing on. Those who were disapproving saw it as a weakness whereas it was a strength to me.

Romance

Wow. That was the week that was...

The energy build up over the last week pre- channels by Michelle – Universal Solstice and Law of Pleasure has been very strong, tiring and emotional.

Monday morning I was sleeping after working the night before and woke with an influx of energy into my sacral chakra an hour before the live channel. It has been with me since then – a strong current that has heightened my levels of sensitivity.

Orgasmic tantra

On to a subject close to my heart and one which the world views with a jaundiced eye. Say the word tantra and people have visions of free love, promiscuity, sex, sex and more sex. But that only covers one aspect of tantra.

Tantra - a sanskrit word meaning ‘woven together’.

Alchemy of tantra – to be in the moment with your divine spark weaving love through the tapestry of your life with reverence and respect.

Deranged

As a sleep technician I normally work an 11 hour shift at night monitoring and treating patients. Most of us only work two nights per week, as we can’t have our sleep techs developing a sleep disorder. We then work a day shift either running clinics or doing afternoon siesta studies.

Last week I’d completed my usual two nights in a row and was, for some reason, very sleep deprived. When this happens it tends to lower any barriers I may have and usually means I land up giggling at the silliest things. The stress of staying awake for long periods at night when your body wants to shut down does take its toll. Being friendly and compassionate to patients in the morning whilst discussing their overnight study and treatments after having had no sleep can be difficult, but as a medical professional this is the only mode you can be in. Most patients are desperate for an answer, so you push your tiredness to one side and get on with the job. Laughing is a stress release for me.

Anger

Yesterday I arrived at work feeling tired. I’d done a few nights in a row and was now back at work to do afternoon siestas. So already I was out of sorts. Not usually a problem for me but yesterday it turned into an off the scale day for emotions.

I’m normally pretty calm. When I walked in the door I was confronted with incompetence. It’s been a problem we’d faced at the centre for a while but had never really got to me. On most occasions I just shrug and get on with it but...hey, what can I say...I flipped.

Flexibility and patience

Hmm...flexibility and patience...something demanded of us as we grow and learn.

I wasn’t given much information over the years about what or who I am. It slowly trickled into my brain. I gather if I was given all the information in one go my brain would have imploded and my body would fall apart. That wouldn’t have been so great for me. I used to get so impatient and want to forge ahead and be all and everything - a fountain of knowledge, someone of great wisdom, the guru, the one who transformed people’s lives and healed the world. It’s taken me a while to realise it’s me that needs to be all those things to myself.

Forging the sword

I watched the last episode of BBC’s Merlin on Saturday night. I am the ultimate kid when it comes to anything to do with myths, legends and fairytales.

Merlin was wielding the sword of Avalon forged in the fire of a dragon’s breath. That really resonated with me and a seed was planted. Little things have been popping in and out of my head since then.

All of us are swords of light forged in the fire of a dragon’s breath. Life in this dimension is hard it doesn’t matter how pleasant or difficult you’ve had it. The harsh reality that we have collectively created tempers the steel from which we are made.

Angels of Balance

Who and what are the angels of balance?

When I first became aware of them I was busy doing a healing on a friend approximately 10 years ago. I glanced up to find two very large black and white angels in the room. One stood at her head and another one at her feet. Their presence was a puzzle to me. I’d never seen them before and unlike most angels they came with no tangible signature. I was also rather wary, as I’d never associated black with an angel.

Guardian angels

Guardian angels come in all shapes and sizes. The universe doesn’t expend huge amounts of energy creating one from scratch – it’ll use whatever is to hand. So don’t be surprised when something comes along that isn’t your idea of what an angel should look or act like. Judging in this way stops you from seeing the ‘real’ thing.

A story my daughter recently told me underlines this very strongly.

Children

In April we said farewell to our 20-year-old daughter who was setting off on her gap year in Australia. Like all mothers (and fathers) I was a bit apprehensive. We’d had a day of tears the day before as she’d come to the conclusion that, despite being excited about spreading her wings, she’d not see us again for a long time.

As a mother I found this difficult. This is my baby that I’d nurtured from the day she was conceived until the day she flew the coup. I’d taught her all I know about energy and how to use it and I had to trust that she would draw on the knowledge she’d gained through my actions and guidance over the years. Experience was what she needed.

Relationships

Relationships are a fact of life. Whether it’s with your dog, your cat, your parents, in-laws and out-laws, children or wife/husband. Included in this is your relationship with your house, your finances, your car and anything else you can think of.

Hubby and I have been together for 25 years. We’ve been through a lot – buying and selling properties, raising children, moving countries, losing parents and finally - loving and hating each other. There’s nothing like a relationship to really teach you how close love and hate are.

Slowly

Immersing yourself in the alternate world can be frightening and overwhelming. Do you need to throw yourself in at the deep end or can you do it slowly? That’s entirely up to you. Everyone is different and we all have standards we wish to adhere to. Dipping your big toe might be all that you need at the moment.

Optimism

I was shocked and saddened to read a document sent to me by my father about the collapse of South Africa. It pretty much says that it’s going the same way the rest of Africa has gone. Following shortly after that was despair. I feel like I’m fighting against thunder. But it’s not only in Africa that this is happening. All over the world countries are collapsing and the governments are trying to maintain the illusion.

Pain, guilt and suffering

I was asked the question – why is it so difficult to make changes? There are several levels to the question as well as the answer.

On the physical level there is the brain and the body. Within the brain it is necessary to change the synapses of a particular habit i.e. imagine we started off walking through the jungle and had to hack our way to create a path. With use that path became a large footway and over the years turned into a small road then became a highway. This is pretty much how a habit forms. Through use it becomes a highway. Changing that habit means hacking your way through the jungle to create a new pathway and it starts all over again. Sometimes it’s just easier to climb in your car and use the highway than pick up a machete and hack your way through the jungle.

Courage

You know what? It takes courage to take a different path than the one we usually take each day. We become creatures of habit and do everything on automatic without truly thinking and feeling what we are doing. So we exist. When last did we stop and actually feel – feel the happiness, joy or the pain?

Taking note and making a decision every minute of the day takes a lot of focus and energy. It’s easier for us to just let things happen. When we take a conscious decision to change how we feel about something, it changes the energy surrounding us.

Change

My life is poised and waiting for change. How do I know? A feeling. Things have changed dramatically since my illness. Nothing I can put my finger on...

Despite having slipped back into my normal routine I feel different somewhere underneath everything. I still carry a lot of crap but something has shifted deep down inside me.

Reflections

Our children reflect how we feel about ourselves and the world out there. We are their role models and because none of us are clearing our issues within ourselves everything around us becomes more and more dysfunctional.

Both my children when they were very young had recurring colds and flu causing secondary infections such as ear infections. The ears help bring balance to the body and are connected to the kidneys that store fear. Every time my children were becoming infected they were reflecting my fear back at me. At the time I did not know it but through the years of experimentation and coming to understand how the subtle bodies work it became more and more apparent that as I worked through my own issues and cleared them that my children were becoming healthier.

Illness

Groan. Life can be such a bitch at times. I’ve just had the worst five days ever. It all started on Wednesday. I’d done a night shift Tuesday night and spent most of the day on Wednesday in bed. Mostly I have difficulty staying in bed to catch up on my eight hours and land up sleeping from 8 until approximately 12 and then maybe having a nap in the afternoon. But...that day I had no energy. I stayed in bed and slept and slept and slept. Thursday I had to get up to go to work (during the day). When I woke in the morning I felt awful. Still really tired and my back was aching. I dragged myself through the day. It wasn’t too bad actually. If I was focused on something I forgot about my painful body but as soon as I sat down to rest it all came back with a vengeance.

Balance

Whilst doing the ironing I watched the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. I don’t do the ironing cause I’m a stereotypical wife. I do it because I have to iron my uniform for work and offered to do hubby’s shirts as well. For years hubby did his own shirt ironing cause being an ex-army man, like most older South African men, he irons far better than I do. I never lifted a finger to iron anything. Ever. Not even my kid’s clothes. I’m sure most mums would look at my children and feel quite sorry for them. Pffft, did I care? Not in the least and neither for that matter, did my kids. I offered on one occasion recently to iron their clothes and they both looked at me as though I was mad. Enough said.

Grotte des Demoiselles (Cave of Fairies), France

Grotte des Demoiselles - "The Grotte des Demoiselles is a large cave located in the Hérault valley of southern France, near Ganges, about 60 km (37 mi) west of Nîmes. Its entrance is located on the territory of the commune of Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois.

Holiday in South Africa

We have returned to Cape Town on holiday three times since we emigrated to the UK - Christmas 1998, Christmas 1999 and the last time in December 2005.

Boulders Beach, Cape Town, South Africa

Boulders Beach - "There are few places in the world where you can get this close to a breeding colony of penguins, swim close to them in the sea and enjoy their private sandy beach."

Avignon, France

Avignon - "Avignon (French pronunciation: ​[a.viˈɲɔ̃] is a French commune in south-eastern France in the department of Vaucluse on the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 90,194 inhabitants of the city (as of 2011), about 12,000 live in the ancient town centre enclosed by its medieval ramparts.
Between 1309 and 1377 during the Avignon Papacy, seven successive popes resided in Avignon and in 1348 Pope Clement VI bought the town from Joanna I of Naples. Papal control persisted until 1791 when, during the French Revolution, it became part of France. The town is now the capital of the Vaucluse department and one of the few French cities to have preserved its ramparts.

The historic centre, which includes the Palais des Papes, the cathedral, and the Pont d'Avignon, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The medieval monuments and the annual Festival d'Avignon have helped to make the town a major centre for tourism."

Mount Vesuvius, Italy Summer 2001

Mount Vesuvius - "is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes which form the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuvius consists of a large cone partially encircled by the steep rim of a summit caldera caused by the collapse of an earlier and originally much higher structure.

Pompeii, Italy Summer 2001

Pompeii - "The city of Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area, was mostly destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Solfatara (Naples), Italy Summer 2001

Solfatara - "Solfatara is a shallow volcanic crater at Pozzuoli, near Naples, part of the Campi Flegrei volcanic area. It is a dormant volcano, which still emits jets of steam with sulfurous fumes. 

Firenze, Italy (summer holiday 2001)

Firenze - "Florence is famous for its history: a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time,^[3] it is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages".^[4] A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, and numerous religious and republican revolutions.^[5] From 1865–71 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy."

Continuing on our epic holiday through Italy.

Capri, Italy (summer holiday 2001)

Capri - "Italian pronunciation: [ˈkaːpri]) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. The main town Capri that is located on the island shares the name. It has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic."

The next place we visited on our Italian holiday. Gorgeous views.

We took a ferry from Naples. When we arrived at the harbour, in order to get to the top we had to use the funicular.

Vatican City, Summer 2001

Vatican City - "officially Vatican City State (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano;^{[note 4]} pronounced [ˈstaːto della t͡ʃitˈta (d)del vatiˈkaːno]), a walled enclave within the city of Rome, with an area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of 842,^[1] is the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world by both area and population."

Meeting up Montepulciano, Italy (summer holiday 2001)

Montepulciano - "Montepulciano is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and comune in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a 605-metre (1,985 ft) limestone ridge, 13 kilometres (8 mi) east of Pienza, 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of Siena, 124 kilometres (77 mi) southeast of Florence, and 186 kilometres (116 mi) north of Rome by car.
Montepulciano is a major producer of food and drink. Renowned for its pork, cheese, "pici" pasta, lentils, and honey, it is known world-wide for its wine. Connoisseurs consider its Vino Nobile, which should not be confused with varietal wine merely made from the Montepulciano grape, among Italy's best."

We stopped here to meet up with my brother, his wife and our good friends (the same friends who currently live in Sydney), who also happened to be travelling around Tuscany, Italy at the same time. Of course we sampled the local wine...

Scotland

August 2003 - we'd planned to meet my parents in Spain, but unfortunately when I went to the French embassy to get our visas, I found out that our South African passports were expiring in 3 months time and therefore they would not allow us to travel.

Rome, Italy (summer holiday 2001)

Rome - "Rome's history spans more than two and a half thousand years, since its legendary founding in 753 BC. Rome is one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe. It is referred to as "The Eternal City" (Latin: Roma Aeterna), a central notion in ancient Roman culture.^[10] In the ancient world it was successively the capital city of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, and is regarded as one of the birthplaces of Western civilization. Since the 1st century AD, Rome has been considered the seat of the Papacy and in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic."

We camped outside the city and then travelled in to sightsee.

Loved this city. It was whilst we stayed here that I experienced a foray into a past life as a nun. Travelling down the roman road, I also had a flashback to a past life.

Pisa, Italy Summer 2001

Pisa - "Pisa (/ˈpiːzə/; Italian pronunciation: [ˈpiːsa]) is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower (the bell tower of the city's cathedral), the city of over 88,627 residents (around 200,000 with the metropolitan area) contains more than 20 other historic churches, several palaces and various bridges across the River Arno. Much of the city's architecture was financed from its history as one of the Italian maritime republics."

Siena, Italy summer holidays 2001

Siena - "a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site.^[2] It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008.^[3] Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year."

We arrived just before the race, so the city was getting ready for it, flags of the racers taking part fluttering everywhere. We did not stay long - walked around, had lunch, then left.

It was here in the square, a few year later, that Andrea Bocelli held a free concert. Friends of our asked us to go with them to watch, but unfortunately we weren't able to. I would love to have seen him.

Hadrian's Villa, Italy (summer holiday 2001)

Hadrian's Villa - "The Hadrian's Villa (Villa Adriana in Italian) is a large Roman archaeological complex at Tivoli, Italy."

This place is fascinating..and huge.

Assisi, Italy summer holiday 2001

Assisi - "It was the birthplace of St. Francis, who founded the Franciscan religious order in the town in 1208, and St. Clare (Chiara d'Offreducci), the founder of the Poor Sisters, which later became the Order of Poor Clares after her death. The 19th-century Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows was also born in Assisi."

The next city on our travels through Italy.

Lake Lugano, Italy Summer 2001

 

Lake Lugano - "Lake Lugano (Italian: Lago di Lugano or Ceresio, from Ceresius lacus) is a glacial lake which is situated on the border between south-east Switzerland and Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is situated between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore. It was cited for the first time by Gregory of Tours with the name Ceresio in 590 AD,^[1] a name which is said to have derived from the Latin word cerasus, meaning cherry, and refers to the abundance of cherry trees which at one time adorned the shores of the lake.^[2] The lake appears in documents in 804 under the name Laco Luanasco.^"

Verona, Italy Summer 2001

Verona - "It is one of the main tourist destinations in northern Italy, owing to its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows, and operas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans."

Continuation of camping summer holiday in Italy 2001

 

Venice, Italy summer holidays 2001

Venice - "... is a city in northeastern Italy sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is located in the marshy Venetian Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline, between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon. The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century BC."

Villa d'Este (Tivoli Gardens), Italy summer holiday 2001

Villa d'Este (Tivoli Gardens) - "The Villa d'Este is a villa in Tivoli, near Rome, Italy. Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, it is a fine example of Renaissance architecture and the Italian Renaissance garden."

Loved these gardens, especially the water features which the Romans were masters at.

Doha, Qatar

Three days in Doha, Qatar on our way back from Cape Town, South Africa in 2006.

Besides the soukh and shopping malls, we were a little bored. We did walk around but the place is not conducive to doing so and our daughter and I both felt really uncomfortable with all the staring.

Glastonbury

Glastonbury - "Glastonbury Tor rises dramatically from the flat landscape of the Somerset Levels, close to the town of Glastonbury, to a height of 158 metres (525 feet). The Tor is topped by the tower of a ruined 15th-century church (St Michael's). History, myth and legend surround the Tor. Dark Age and Saxon remains excavated here suggested that it was once a Saxon fortress, or perhaps an early Christian hermitage. Alternative conjecture has suggested that the Tor is associated with 'ley lines' and various earth energies; it is claimed to be the home of Gwyn ap Nudd, the Lord of the Underworld, and others consider it to be at the centre of a Zodiac pattern formed by surrounding field boundaries."

Guernsey, Channel Islands

Guernsey - "Guernsey (/ˈgɜ:nzi/, /ˈɡɜrnzi/ GURN-zee), officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey (French: Bailliage de Guernesey, IPA: [bajaʒ də ɡɛʁnəzɛ]), is a possession of the Crown in right of Guernsey in the English Channel, off the coast of Normandy. As a bailiwick, Guernsey embraces not only all ten parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Alderney and Sark – each with its own parliament – and the smaller islands of Herm, Jethou and Lihou. Although its defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom,^[3] the Bailiwick is not part of the United Kingdom but rather a possession of the British Crown. It lies within the Common Travel Area of the British Isles and is not a member of the European Union, but has a special relationship with it, being treated as part of the European Community for the purposes of free trade in goods. Together, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Bailiwick of Jersey form the geographical grouping known as the Channel Islands."

We holidayed here Easter 2002. This tiny island is a mixture of French and English.

Biarritz, France

Biarritz - "Biarritz (French pronunciation: ​[bjaʁits]; Basque: Biarritz [biarits̻] or Miarritze [miarits̻e]; Gascon Occitan: Biàrritz [ˈbjarits]) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées Atlantiques department in southwestern France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers."

Aquila Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Aquila Private Game Reserve

When we returned to South Africa on holiday to visit family and friends during 2005, we spent time at this reserve.

Santillana de Mar and Comillas, Spain 2005-2008

Santillana del Mar - "Santillana del Mar is a historic town situated in Cantabria, Spain. Its many historic buildings attract thousands of holidaymakers every year.

Eden Project, Cornwall

Eden Project - "The Eden Project (Cornish: Edenva) is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world. The project is located in a reclaimed Kaolinite pit, located 2 km (1.2 mi) from the town of St Blazey and 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the larger town of St Austell, Cornwall.^[2]

The complex is dominated by two huge enclosures consisting of adjoining domes that house thousands of plant species,^[3] and each enclosure emulates a natural biome. The domes consist of hundreds of hexagonal and pentagonal, inflated, plastic cells supported by steel frames. The first dome emulates a tropical environment, and the second a Mediterranean environment."

Cornwall

We spent time exploring the Southern Cornish coast in May 2008.

This county's countryside really lends itself to myths and legends, echoes of smuggling with its craggy coastline. It was here that we unexpectedly and rather randomly stumbled across the origins of the Cottle family. 

Istanbul, Turkey

We spent a week in Istanbul during April 2008.

Again, it was exciting to learn about the culture and history of this lovely city.

I found the city rather overwhelmingly busy as I have never been one for crowds, but despite this I enjoyed the visit - the length of time was just right.

Relationships

Karma plays a big role in our relationships - no matter who it is with - extended family, work colleagues, or friends. Karma is ruled by the law of cause and effect.

Underlying these relationships is our relationship with ourself, which is, by far, the most important of all.

As we ascend we are bringing ourselves into back into balance and as we do so the law of cause and effect will have less of a hold over us.

Namibia, Africa

This is where I spent the last 5 years of my schooling, i.e. teenage years.

It is here that I grew to love the outdoor life, camping (sans tent) under the starlit skies (I've not seen skies quite like it since), beautiful sunsets, wildlife spotting (we spent many a school holiday in Etosha National Park), collecting crystals that were in abundance, the magnificent landscape of this vast unpopulated country (stark at times, but stunning). Other memories - welwitschias, petrified forest, amazing sand dunes, blue blue sky, an abundance of space and wildlife.