Hello. Welcome to 2013. I will now tell you what I’ve been telling anyone who will listen to me – I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be a good one.
I’ve already learned something and we are barely 11 days in to the New Year. And what’s more, it was revealed to me, right here, on myWanderlust. In the Experiences section, to be precise. In JayR’s post on visiting Victoria Falls, to be even more precise.
You see, I have always been under the impression that Toto were singing ‘I guess it rains down in Africa’ in their 1983 hit song called Africa. Thanks to JayR’s post I now know that the lyrics are ‘I bless the rains down in Africa.’
I Googled just to make sure, of course. I was convinced I was right and had planned to start this blog alerting JayR to the fact that she was so patently wrong. Turns out, she wasn’t.
Apparently, Toto keyboardist, David Paich, was moved to write the song after watching a late night documentary on African droughts and famines. Why he was blessing rain rather than praying for it was never explained.
I’d always thought the lyrics were a reluctant response to his mother’s insistence that he pack an umbrella on an upcoming tour to Africa. Or at least some decent waterproofs.
But I digress.
Happy New Year, by the way.
I’m pleased to report that myWanderlust is absolutely buzzing again after a quiet couple of weeks leading up to Christmas. A quick look around Just Back From explains why. You’ve all been off wandering the far corners of the globe.
Laurarisch has been taking in the Northern Lights in Alaska. Treacleminer has been all over the shop in South America and Easter Island. Ebony as been in Nagaland, Jill Frazier saw in the New Year in Tallinn and louiseheal has been California dreaming. All have great advice and tips. And they are only the tip of the returning myWanderlust iceberg. Go and check the rest out now.
As you can imagine, Experiences is chock-a-block with tales of adventure and derring-do as well. Cycleeast has a terrific tale from Amdo in Tibet. Bilbo Baggins rocks out in Africa. And Liz Cleere goes wine tasting in Cochin. Don’t forget to check out all the fabulous entries in our Most Memorable New Year travel writing competition while you’re over there.
Things get a little awkward over on the Forum as KeithRuffles asks myWanderlusters to reveal their most embarrassing travel habits. There’s nothing too sordid at the moment so please feel free to contribute. In a seemingly related post, Roovilla is looking for unusual sleeps in Northern Europe. Grundog is looking for tips on getting to the Orkneys. And Simon wants to know if you’re coming to the myWanderlust catch-up at Destinations in London.
Over at Photography, myWanderlusters are showing off pics from their latest trips. Treacleminer has a couple of sets on the Bolivian Altiplano and one on Chile. ClaireThomas 1484 presents a colourful, yet sobering, collection of images from Ghana. Kevin Hayden has posted some great pictures of Burmese street kids. And chandaala spoils us with sets from Diani Beach, Kutazama, and Santorini.
Sadly, there don’t seem to be any pictures from Switzerland, so I can’t segue into a story about a mate of mine who thought Steve Miller’s song about Space Cowboys was really about Swiss Cowboys.
Which is a shame really, because, you’ve got to admit, a Swiss cowboy called Maurice conjures quite the picture.
Speak to you next week.
