RAF Brize Norton

We are checked in and awaiting to board our RAF flight from RAF Brize Norton to Ascension Island. I had hoped that we would be flying on a Hercules but alas the plane is a regular passenger plane. The plane is en route to the Falkland Islands. Our flight will take us 9hrs flying time south to Ascension but those on the plane going to Falklands have a 17hr flight.

Orchid Hunting

Our trips to Africa traditionally start by visiting Zoe's family in England and this trip is no exception. The big event was a large family gathering with copious amounts of food and wine to celebrate Mum and Dad's 55th wedding anniversary and Auntie Joan's 90th birthday.

Nieces Emma and Claire presenting birthday cake to Auntie Joan

Today we visited the chalk downs in the Chilterns on a very successful orchid hunting 'expetition'. Eight species of orchids were found including the spectacular bee orchid.

The intrepid adventurers, Chris, Dad, Zoe and Mum, on an orchid hunting 'expetition' to the Chilterns, England

Bee Orchid Ophrys apifer                                     

Bee on Common Spotted Orchid - Dactylorhiza fuchsii

Pyramid Orchid - Anacamptis pyramidalis

St. Helena Bound

St. Helena is a tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, 1950km off the coast of Angola. Until now, the only way to reach the island is by the once a month Royal Mail Ship, RMS St. Helena, that runs between Cape Town, South Africa and Ascension Island, another remote Atlantic island. That is all about to change as an airport is due to open on St. Helena so we are going to take the last boat to St. Helena!



RMS St. Helena at Jamestown, St. Helena



Our tickets to board RMS St. Helena arrived in a mail sack

Our route is flying from Ottawa to London, UK where we will spend some time with Zoe's family. We then catch an RAF plane from Brize Norton to Ascension Island. The RAF plane, by the way, is en route to the Falkland Islands. We catch the RMS, as it is affectionately known, at Ascension Island for the 2 day boat trip to St. Helena. We will spend a few days on St. Helena before re-boarding the RMS for a 5 day boat ride to Cape Town. We are hiking and sight-seeing in South Africa for a week before flying back to Ottawa via Dubai!!



Ascension Island and St. Helena in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean