Resolutions 2013: Visit a walk through Aquarium

Obviously we were the tourist types for our day trip around London a few weeks ago, seeing the London Eye and playing spot the landmark.. We spent half our day in London oogling the amazing fishies at London’s Sealife Aquarium. I hadn’t been there since my Primary School days so it was like seeing everything with fresh eyes. I was a bit disappointed with the Ocean tunnel, I always remembered it being longer (I was smaller back then so maybe that was it!).

The animals were mesmerising, I was transfixed by the huge jellyfish tanks. They were so beautiful and elegant slowly slinking around in their tanks with their colourful bodies changing against the lights (I have some really trippy jelly fish videos too!). We also went in this hurricane simulator tunnel for a bit, it was strange having everyone watch us get our faces blown off but it was fun, really cold and SO WINDY! again, I took another video of that moment which is fun to watch as my hair is literally all over the place.

As timing goes I think we chose it perfectly to visit the Sharks, we got up there just in time to see them feed which was really interesting, totally not something you see in the likes of big shark documentaries as these gentle giants didn’t seem too bothered by the dinner that was on offer, carefully circling the dead fish before having a chomp off it. Hearing everyone egging on the Sand Tiger Shark as he went for the bait was funny, lots of kiddies shouting oooh’s and ahhh’s.

I was so blown away by the sharks, seeing them in such a huge cluster was one of the best sights in the entire Aquarium. The Shark tank is really big which covered a few floors with higher windows to look in through and even had a cage like viewing area to get a sense of how it would feel to be inside a cage staring out at these giants. There was 16 different type of Shark there and I think it was clear that every bodies favourite was the Sand Tiger Sharks, with teeth so large they can’t close their mouths so they swam around with big toothy grins making them seem just a little bit sinister!

Some of my favourite moments from the Aquarium were seeing the awesome jellyfish, the Shark walk and Ocean tunnel were brilliant, the graceful manta rays and the giant turtles were amazing and clearly the king of the tanks. I finally got to touch a live jellyfish which is something I was dying to do back when I was in Africa (yay!). The Piranha swarming in their clusters, seeing poison dart frogs in real life and realising just how tiny they really are..The aquarium was a delight both for us and my inner shutterbug, so many different colours and shapes, smells and sounds and beautiful mind blowing animals. If you live or will be near London at any stage I would definitely go if you haven’t already.

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Resolutions 2013: Visit the UK again

At the end of last month Shane and I took a little break and went to London to see the sights, my family and friends over there. It was Shane and I’s first holiday away together so we were quite excited (see excited faces below!) You might have seen a few peeks from my new London Journal I made before for the trip over to document everything. Well that’s still in process but the holiday is long gone! I’m only getting around to blogging about it now because my life is really busy all the time. Because our work schedules we went for a long weekend, leaving Thursday night and coming home Monday night.

Super excited faces and an interesting flight over to London made this photo one of our favourites from the collection, how ever silly we both look! Below, my dad and Shane toasting in my old home town high street. Piglet my dad’s fluffy little cat (who’s almost older than myself!)

We managed to squeeze a hell of a lot in such a short space and managed to spent lots of time with some of my most favourite people in the world. We visited my dad who then Shane met for the first time and went for lunch and dinner with my lovely aunts, uncles and cousins during our weekend visit. I finally got to meet some little cousins of mine who I had never met as the last time I was in England they weren’t even born! So meeting them was so wonderful, my little cousins Hendry and Albie (the cutie-pie pictured directly below) are such a pair of cuties. Possibly even the cutest kiddies I’ve ever come across and Hendry’s so smart and funny!

Look at Hendrys cheeky little face! He was so sweet. 

As well as Shane meeting my family he also finally meet my best friend Montana! Which was really awesome as I have wanted them both to meet for the last three years! I tell you there was a serious amount of quality time happening with my bestie, we met up every chance we could as she’s leaving the country for a year (or two’s) worth of globe-trotting in a few months. We’re already planning a return so I can get some more BFF time in with her before she flies away on the journey of a lifetime! It was a really good weekend and we both had lots of fun, so looking forward to returning though as five days really isn’t long enough when it comes to family and friends!

Below, more sillyness from yours truly. We had a few minutes spare before going to lunch with Montana so naturally we spent it in the most mature of ways like adults would. Roundy mirrors are fun and make you look ten times sillier than normal. London and everyone I love over there, I miss you! XO

London: Journalling

The title kind of gives away the little secret I was keeping from the internet world but hey who cares, you know now! Next Thursday myself and Shane are taking a little holiday away together to go spend some time in London with some close friends and dear family and essentially get to be a London tourist again as it’s Shane’s first real time in London (it’s been years since he was last there and 2yrs since I last returned to the motherland..) not to mention it’s our first proper holiday away together, which will be exciting! I can’t wait to return and see my lovely family and friends again. London will be lots of fun as it always is. We’re hoping to visit the Natural History and Seaworld again as I heard their Shark walk has expanded and it’s getting lots of good reviews.. Eek! Apart from that the rest is left unplanned, the main goal is to have a good time together and make it a really great long weekend with everyone we spend time with.

So in keeping with my Travel journals I started on my last trip to South Africa I made another Scrapbook to document our time away together. I used lots of recycled materials again for this one and have kept it down to the rustic look with the cardboard and union flag really scratchy and faded. With my last travel journal I basically made it colourful but left the majority of it blank to fill for when I was there, painting some pages or leaving little doodles on each page. It’s what I’ve done for my London travel journal. The first page when you open is my favourite so far (obviously as everything else is either blank or has paint splats!) I really hope to fill this up with all sorts of things, beermats, ticket stubbs, mementos and anything else that will stick in even in the short amount of time we’re over. I’m still yet to show my SA journal so no doubt the finished version of my London journal will be something to see in the far future.

I should really get started on scanning my other scrapbooks so I can show them all in one spot rather than just little snippets here and there.. Another thing to add to the list! XO

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