A breather for now.

Well I have to take a break as I have to book my Christmas trip, the bus tickets anyway, that rest is already booked except for the hotel but we don't have to pay for that until we arrive.

Talk again soon.

Trace

There you go people the Pyramids. Trust me they are Huge, and like the rest of the tourist stops, full of hawkers. These ones are just better at screwing you out of money then the rest.

Do you know how many pyramids there are? If you guessed 3 you would be wrong. There are 9, the three you know about, 3 small ones to the side and 3 that were built for the kings mother, sisters and daughters.







Yes that is me the wee speck, and I'm only about 4 layers up!!! That is below the doorway you can see in the first picture. A bit scary really the size of them.

And to think it took 20 years to build the pyramids and that is working only in the flood season which was 4 months a year. This was because they used the flood waters to transport the stone blocks more then 300kms!! It is quite a feat really.







Geez Mark it's not ALL about you.

Wow I think those are the only clouds we saw the entire time we were in Egypt!













And that is me and Ange...though I'm sure you guessed that.

















I don't know about you guys but I was really surprised at how close the city is to the Pyramids, I don't know why but I thought they were away from the city.

But the city goes right up to the foot of the hill the Pyramids sit on. Crazy and very awe inspiring.

My Time in Egypt

Well guys are it is the long awaited pictures of Egypt, so hold on to your seats it is going to be a bumpy ride!!

Trace

My time in Egypt

Here is the view from our veranda in the first hotel we stayed in, this is the Cataract in Cairo.

We arrived 18th October and stayed here until the 21st and again we were back on the 28th till early (3:30am) on the 30th.















Not what you imagine when you think of Egypt but exactly what you would think of for a 5 star hotel. Though I will admit the tap on the bath did fall off the wall which was a bit unnerving considering I was in the shower at the time!!













Well this is the view from the roof of the reception building not too bad if I do say so myself, and I do. By the way if you hadn't guessed those are the pyramids in the background

And yes Dad this is where we called you from.









Ah it's a hard life, nothing to do but hang out at the pool for 3 or 4 days!

We had to put up with a lot of stress while we were in Cairo.







This is the pool area this was taken just after brekkie, and what a brekkie it was.

I will never look at a danish pastry the same EVER again, and same goes for pita bread it seems pita is the main food for the Egyptians and danishes for the tourists. Though it may just be that anything else doesn't last anywhere as long.

Yes, yes, yes I'm getting there.

Hey

Just to let you know that yes I am getting there and I WILL be putting my pictures on from Egypt...tomorrow. Sorry I can't do it today I actually have a life for a change lol. I'm meeting Claire and we are going to go SHOPPING hip,hip.

Will get to this tonight or tomorrow.

Love and hugs as always

Trace

Hey Guys

Hi All

Sorry I have not gotten my pictures online yet, I plan to do that this weekend. Thought I would let you know I made it home in one piece and I didn't marry any of the three guys that asked me to marry them.

Will get back to you soon

Love and hugs
Trace

Oh My Gosh, two MONTHS without ME how did you survive?

Well oh my gosh I so didn't realise that I had not written for the last 2 months but then again I don't think that many people are looking at my site. Oh well shame on them and they miss out.

I thought I would give you an update on what I'm doing at the moment.

Tomorrow night Ange and I are going to London as we are flying to EGYPT yes you heard right I said EGYPT!!! How cool is that! We will be leaving on the 18th Oct and getting back 30th Oct so that is about 12 days. We will be in Cairo until the 20th and we then join a tour group that will go down the Nile river and then back up again. There will be camel rides at the pyramids, donkey rides to Abu Simbel (a temple - Google it lol), dinner at a Nubian village, and many other exciting adventures.

So brace yourselves as when I get back you will once again be bombarded with so many pictures you will hate me!!

Other then that nothing else is that exciting for me. I go to the gym at 5:30 in the morning (only 4x a week, only I say), I take the bus to work (45mins thank you very much), I work, work, work, and then I take the bus home (1hr 15mins), I have dinner (though dinner over here is lunch) and go to bed. I mean how much more exciting can you get!! :)

And speaking of dinner, and in this case I mean lunch, one thing I can never get used to is bread cakes. Come on guess what a bread cake is, go on I dare you...that's right it is a bread BUN. What the???? Well there are many other things I can tell you about this country, like the fact that all policemen/women wear bullet proof vests and I mean ALL time they are on the streets, but I don't want to bore you and anyway you will probably learn it at some point or other.

So here is where I will sign off, love to you all from the other side of the world and for those that are not on the other side of the world, who are you and how did you find me!!

Trace

Oh and here is York

Well guys this is the last post I will put on for today as I will be going to bed here are the last ones




What a find didn't even know this was there though it looks like it has gone out of business












Part of the York wall...do you know it is still legal to shoot a Scot within the walls of York with a bow and arrow.

The law has never been rescinded.

Oh and in Chester it is still OK to shoot a Welshman with a bow and arrow if they are out after midnight as it was a case of what are they doing out at that time...they must be looting.

Again the law was never rescinded. Stupid Brits











Wow look at this clock. We came around the corner and there it was. Well I think it is neat












It was a good day in York, we went to a traditional English Tea house and had breakfast (poached eggs and bacon on a toasted English muffin) and the day was ended with all you can eat Chinese with a pralines and cream ice-cream thrown in for lunch. :)

Yes there is MORE

Welcome to Hadrian's Wall built be the Roman Emperor Hadrian to keep the Scots out of Roman territory. It ran from coast to coast at the shortest distance in England
















Yes that is the wall stretching into the distance it is 150 miles long and it defended Rome's northern most frontier











That is what the Scots had to run up to get to the Roman fort that is behind me. Poor buggers













OH MY GOD IS THAT SUN LIGHT?????????


We are still in Brittan right?

















Look out Russell Crow there is a new Gladiator in town!!

The Lake District again

Weeeelllllllllllllllllllll what CAN I say ... I think the sign says it all.
















Ohhhh a castle lets have a look... WHAT THEY SHUT EARLY...bloody British










Wow this will be great I mean Arthur Round Table














WHAT THE HELL THIS IS IT ... I FEEL RIPPED OFF!!!!!!











Well that is neat a typical Brit hotel

The Lake District aka New Zealand look-a-like

Hi guys I know I have had a heap of writing on my page lately but guess what I finally have gone some where and now I have pictures so brace yourselves





This is a road I thought I would show you it is the typical width and just imagine it with cars parked on either side and there you have England traffic!!!! INSANE I say







Where does this look like to you?

If your from Whangarei it looks just like Glenbervie even the stone fences though to give the British credit theirs are about 300+ years old.

You know the saying... they don't build them like they used too







Well there is lake Windermere it is quite pretty especially in this British summer we are having.

In other words RAIN RAIN AND MORE RAIN with about 2 weeks of sun

BRITAIN YOU SUCK!!!!! (weather)









WOW pretty in an overgrown wild kind of way.










I don't know why but I actually find these quite pretty. You expect them to make a noise...but nothing, it is surreal really.

Just another Update

Hi guys

just writing to let you know that work and everything is going great, I'm starting to answer real calls from people and I must sat that some of the accents are a bit mystifying lol. And I must there have been one or two really sexy sounding voices as well!!!

Well I'm in recovery mode today, I had a bit of a drinking session last night and so have not done much. I was going to go to Ripon today but I couldn't face getting out of bed too early this morning even though I was awake at 8am.

Ange has gone to Ireland for 8 days so I went with her to the bus station last night and I must say it is great having the bed all to myself!!! Poor Ange bought a camera on special and was REALLY pissed off because when she got it home there were flecks of something (I don't know what) in the inner lens, and it was too late for her to take it back as the shop had shut!! So that is what I had to do today, take back her camera. Oh well they replaced it but didn't give me a freebie to make it up to Ange.

I didn't get the new Harry Potter book that came out here last week so I will be on the look out as I don't want some one to let the ending slip to me and then ruin it.

I'm going to sign off here so LOVE and HUGS to all you guys

Trace

Just another Update

Hi guys

Just letting you know how my first few days of work have gone. So far I am really enjoying it and for those that don't know anything about it, where have you been?

I started on Monday @ Atkins Asset Management which is part of a greater global company. We are working in the Help desk section which is where if our clients have any problems e.g. lights not working or water leaks, they give us a ring and we log a job and then that is sent to a contractor and they go out and fix it.

I have been in training this week and next week I will be put on a team and start listening to call and get specialist training.

Well that is pretty much what I wanted to say, hopefully this weekend I will have some more photos to load on as Ange and I are looking to go to Whitby this weekend and I will have some pictures and they should be quite good as Whitby looks REALLY English to me so log on later.

Love and Hugs
Trace

Update

Just letting everyone know what is happening in my life. Well I finally got a new job and I start on Monday the 9th so looking forward to that but a little nervous.

It is as a Help Desk Operator, so I talk calls from people that have trouble with their work place and then log the problem and assign a priority rating to it and then send out a repair man if needed.


Well I have gone completely blank!!!

Oh well will update you again later

Love Trace

Ok on to other things.

Well I thought I would full you all in on what is happening in my life here in Leeds.

In 6 weeks Ange and I are moving into a house all on our own, we can't wait. We will be free of all the problems associated with having to share both a room and a bed!!!

And on the job front I have had two phone calls today (phone interviews) one leading to a face to face interview on Monday (call center job) and one that I will hear back from soon (petrol station). Though I'm not too keen about the petrol station job but beggars can't be choosers.

I think I'm all typed out as I had to load all my York pictures!!!

You will definitely hear from me soon and I will be posting heaps of pictures of our new house.

Love and hugs to you all and WERE ARE MY EMAILS!!! I have made the effort to keep you updated but you guys have fallen off the side of the earth!!!

Love again

Trace

Sick of York yet???

Here are a couple of more pictures of the floods. Just remember this was 2weekends ago. There is supposed to be a road down there and then the river and then another road. See the road sign mostly submerged on the right hand side of the road at the bottom.












Yes those are kayaks!!!










I have not included pictures of Jorvik as the pictures didn't come out that well. Jorvik is the original settlement of York. It was a busy Viking town that traded all over the world. Jorvik was uncovered underneath the city of York only in the last 50 years (I think that is about right), there are moving models of actual people that lived in that time. They used skulls uncovered to model all the figures in the exibit, and full skeletons showing damage from war and the natural wear and tear that was common in those times. It was great, well I thought so...oh well fine I see that you have lost intrest.

YET MORE pictures of York

Oh I don't know if you guys have heard of the flooding we have been having over here but here is a picture of a park in York...and no that water is not supposed to be there a river is but not a lake!!!










Oh and I couldn't not have this picture...hhhhmm chocolate.

If you are wondering that is Anton and his Mum in front of the store, friends of Ange's.










Notice the leggings on Ange, that is the fashion over here, leggings under every thing (well almost). Ha ha I have yet to succumb to that fashion!!!

Even MORE pictures of York

Well is this English enough for you luv? This is from the top of the York Minster, yes I have it correct the York Minster not the Westminster to different counties!! Though in saying that we walked to the top of Saint Paul's Cathedral (84.5m 530 steps) and to the top of the York Minster (a measly 400 steps) and I will tell you I was way more buggered by the time I got to the top then I was for St Paul's!!! How ironic is that??? Well the York Minster is the largest Gothic church in England and built between the 12th and 15th centuries (just for you guys out there that want the history).




Oh and here is a view from the top...take my advice, if you are claustrophobic or have a fuller figure DO NOT I repeat DO NOT attempt to climb either the York Minster or St Paul's. The monks/priests must have been on a starvation diet cause there is not really much room going up those steps!!!








Oh and here is Clifford's Tower, you are lucky I was going to say here is a neat tower in York (as I had forgotten the name of the blasted thing!!!) but then I thought that wasn't very professional, and we all know I epitomise professionalism. OK OK I hear the hysterical laughter from here!!!











SEE SEE I told you Ange was trying to do me in!!! And you guys didn't believe me!!

York Minster in the back ground, cause I know there will be those out there that don't care that my sister is trying to KILL me and they just want to know what we are standing in front of. And we are on the original wall that runs around the original city of York!! Where is the burning pitch!!!










BEWARE THE EVIL ICE-CREAM MAN, I have it on very good authority (Ange of course) that he sells over priced nasty ice-cream. Angela had to make it up to herself of course by buying another ice-cream later on that day...and I of course snuck away while she was buying her second not so nice ice-cream of the day and score myself the best of the lot hehehehehehe.

Honest she had already ordered so I just went off on my own (about 10 steps away) and scored myself YUMMY praline and cream ice-cream. God it was good...to bad Ange hehehehehehehe hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe and he!!!

FINALLY the long awaited pictures of York

Hey this is a guy that got caught in some acid rain - look what it did to his skin!!! Just kidding you see a lot of these people around though I will admit they are usually painted silver.


















When we got to York we were just in time to see the 21 gun salute to the Queen on her offical birthday. I almost jumped out of my skin at the first shot lol.









Here you go Mary-Anne a picture just for you!! I was surprised to see these in the shop as there is no way you would see them in good old NZ - Gollywogs (I hope I spelt that right)















And this is the Shambles. You can see the 15th century houses are so close together that you can reach accross the road and shake hands, though it is also close enough to have a food fight, gosh what fun that would be!! Mawhahaha (evil laugh for those not in the know hehe). I must admit the houses leave a lot to be desired as the floors are not even...um...even, pun not intended. Though I surpose for houses 400+ years old what do you expect!!!

Pictures of York

Well guys I haven't had a chance to put my pics of York yet, I had my first day of work today.


Well what a performance!!!


The first bus I was supposed to catch didn't even turn up and so I walked to catch another bus and that one was 10mins late!!! I soon found out why it was late, the driver must be the slowest bus driver imaginable!!!


And so I missed the first job I was supposed to go to as they couldn't wait for me which was fair enough. They didn't have any work available for me at that time so went home to pick up my wallet and passport (I didn't want to carry them on me as there was no safe place to put them). I got onto the internet and ended up talking to Dad while looking for work on a web site and low and behold I got a call from my agency wanting me to come in to work.


So I had to rush to get a bus back into town, I missed the 20 past bus and had to wait 20mins for the next one. You guessed it that bus never turned up either, by this time I was ready to rip my hair out by the roots!!! It ended up that I met up with my workmates on the way to where we were going (my agency drives us to and from our jobs, we just all meet at the office) and we got there eventually.
So today hasn't been the best day I have had while over here but that is OK I look forward to bigger and better things


As always love and hugs to you guys back in NZ and I am thinking of you and missing you.


Trace

My Trip to York

I have been a bit slack lately with not keeping you up to date.

Well last weekend we went to York which was quite cool. I will load up some pictures and put my little blurbs in (my 2pence worth - sorry a wee bit of British humour lol).

Yet MORE Pictures of London

Have a guess who that is peeping out from behind Angela and I. It is Paddington Bear!












Aren't I just gorgeous!! LOL










Cleopatra's Needle. Given to London by Egypt, is about 3000 years old, it was one of a pair, the other was given to New York City













Ange and me at the Tower of London, and how many towers are there at the Tower of London?


20
The White Tower, original Norman castle (1)
Inner Curtain Wall (13)
Outer Curtain Wall (6)







At Trafalgar Square, in front of Nelson's Column. Bad choice of clothes for that day...it was HOT and I was dressed all in black.

My Time in Grand Old London Town

If you go to England you have to have you pic taken at the Tower of London. Only the family of the yeomen are allowed to get married in the Tower of London, yes the church on grounds is still fully functional. Imagine being able to say "I got married at the Tower of London" cool huh? Or is it just me that thinks that is cool?








Piccadilly Circus, and it is a circus. About 8 roads intersect here and it is a real circus with the traffic piled up!!















I couldn't not have my wee friend, isn't he just the cutest little pest you have ever seen?











Thought I would throw this one in just for fun. It is a actual map of the London Underground. The one in the tube has all straight lines, it is not like that really. IT'S A CONSPIRACY!!!













Westminster Abby in all her stinky glory (hehe). And I'm serious, it smells really musty, it must be all the dead people (I see dead people) that are entombed there. And there are lots of them, 1000+ years worth. Including every monarch since William the Conqueror (1066AD) except for two.