North and East of the Cape

I think It is amazing how many of these natural formations exist around the globe and I am really impressed to know that we have some in our own country (South Africa).

Travelling north from the Fairest Cape I came across this interesting formation in the Karoo. It may be that I have a vivid imagination but please comment on what you see here.

The photo below was taken in the Drakensberg, Natal, SA. Please feel free to let me know your impressions (not on the photography, I know it’s not pro but do you see what Isee

The journey of a newbie blogger.

I started, after much procrastination and scepticism, to do some real research into Internet marketing, and online work. After trawling though numerous sites on the Internet and subscribing to some “newsletters”, I came across Rob Benwell’s Blogging For Profit , and his Free Money Making Blog which he makes available to all. The free money making blog gave me the inspiration to try and get into the Internet marketing scene. I have recently had to leave my work due to health reasons, and therefore decided that a home business would suit me fine, however not having the finances to buy my own domain, and rent hosting, I have had to opt for whatever free packages I could lay my hands on, on short notice. For my first Blog, I chose WordPress.com, which I found to be very user friendly, and I had a blog up and running in no time (Mharvolous.wordpress.com). I then discovered Google Sites and decided to give that a go, since I have been toying with the idea of my own website on and off over the years. I found Sites very easy to use and set up InterBizSite/Passive Income. I went on to experiment with another blog Interbizsite.wordpress.com. At the end of a long weekend of setting up blogs, websites, and various affiliate registrations, I discovered that the free services of both WordPress.com and Google Sites does not support java or css editting, which is all good and fine, however as I intended to use Adsense, among others, I needed a java supporting free site, at least until I can generate some income. A Google search showed a number of free site options and after some investigation I signed up on Byethost (passive-inc.co.cc and passiveinc.byethost7.com) and Profusehost. Byethost offers ad-free hosting and I am finding them easy to work with. Profusehost is a bit more technical, and requires some banner ads on your pages ( a small price to pay), however their service, on the add package, seems to be more comprehensive and is almost exactly the same as their paid hosting options, lacking addon domains, which can however be requested (still waiting for info on this).

There are a number of software packages available on these services, such as WordPress, for blogs, and Mambo for cms. I tried some of the website software, but found it a bit technical for me, for fast deployment. I will be looking into those when I have more time.

Well that’s about where I am now, apart from tweaks and roses. hope this is of some use or interest to the newbies out there.

Vineyards and Desert

Hi all, and seasons greetings.
Thought I would drop a line after a great Christmas lunch. If you like contrasts then take a look at this pic taken in the Western Cape. In the foreground are lovely green vineyards, and in the background is dry fynbos land. The Cape, and South Africa as a whole, are full of contrasts, from landscapes to ethnic and class diversity. So if you need a break from the daily grind, the humdrum existence of daily life, then you could do worse than to visit this wonderful country.

I hope to do a post soon on another lovely part of SA, which is the Drakensberg in the Natal midlands. I did a  short photo tour there some years ago, and although my photography leaves something to be desired, I will be sharing some of the landscape images which I hope you will find inspiring. (actually I hope I’ll find them inspiring too, because I am not so quick with the words to write and I hope to be able to post some more of the Western Cape also.

Well, all the best for the new year people.

P.S. If you are interested in visiting please read my last post on the Fairest Cape, or visit the Cape hotels and Map page, thanks.

More on the Fairest Cape

 

 

I have decided to take a break from my efforts at e-marketing to write another post on the Fairest Cape.

For those of you who enjoy hiking, and any form of water sport, then the Western Cape is for you. The summer training ground for professional windsurfers and kite boarders, and the host of numerous international events, Cape Town and the Western Cape, offer a wide variety of activities and entertainment for young and old alike. If one travels east through the beautiful garden Route, there are plenty of lovely hiking trails, not to mention the annual Whale festival in Hermanus around September.

A short drive off the Garden route takes you to ostrich country and the Kango caves, always worth a visit.

The Waterfront in Cape Town has one of the best aquariums in the world, a newly developed yacht marina, with high class residential developments, and a great festive season program.

If you enjoy crayfish(lobster) then the best place is along the West Coast up to Lamberts bay, where the annual lobster festival will be held from 23-25 April 2009.

Of course the biggest upcoming highlight is the 2010 Soccer World Cup, which begins around June(2010:-).

For your convenience here is a list of all major hotels in Cape town, or visit Agodo.com for all booking requirements.

Ambassador Hotel Bellville The Lodge Best Western Cape Suites Hotel Cape Diamond Hotel Cape Heritage Hotel Cape Town Hollow Hotel Capetonian Hotel Capetown Lodge City Lodge Grand West City Lodge Pinelands City Lodge Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Commodore Hotel

Courtyard Hotel Extreme Hotel Fountains Hotel Garden Court De Waal Hotel Garden Court Eastern Boulevard Hotel Holiday Inn G.C. Eastern Blvd Hotel Hollow On The Square Hotel Lady Hamilton Hotel Lagoon Beach Hotel Le Vendome Hotel Mount Nelson Hotel NH The Lord Charles Hotel

Park Inn Hotel Portswood Hotel Protea Breakwater Lodge Protea Hotel Cape Castle Protea Hotel Tyger Valley Protea Hotel Victoria Junction Protea North Wharf Hotel Protea Pier Place Hotel Protea President Hotel Protea Sea Point Hotel Radisson Waterfront Hotel Ritz Hotel

Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel Southern Sun Cullinan Hotel Southern Sun Newlands Hotel Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel St Georges Hotel Table Bay Hotel Townhouse Hotel Tulbagh Hotel Vineyard Hotel

Western Cape Map

 

Western Cape Map: The Western Cape is steeped in a rich history and is a cultural melting pot with its diverse and vibrant character being derived from Khoisan and other tribes from the North, Indonesian, French, Dutch, British and German settlers
A regional overview map of the Western Cape indicating the major cities and towns, game and nature reserves and national roads of the Western Cape. For in depth information about the Western Cape, please visit Western Cape Venues

 

Be Motivated Today – Review

 

Many people are feeling the pressures of living in today’s economic and social climate. With prices soaring, as they are, many people are finding themselves in dire straits with no apparent relief in sight.

There are many opportunities, on the internet, to make money, however trawling through all these websites, to try and filter the real deals from the scams, can be a real nightmare and one can become rather downhearted after a time. There are a few genuine sites that offer real value in their content. Real value being, not only about making money, but offering added value such as upliftment and motivational content as well.

A lot of people are drawn to the internet money making sites out of a dire need, and many just want to make a fast buck. The problem with this is that a large number of these systems that promise overnight riches have systems with may work, but can perhaps leave one feeling a little drained because the money making can actually take some time. In my opinion, the best is to accept that it is going to take some time and a lot of effort to make any substantial income out of these systems, and one needs to stay motivated during this initial period.

 

After looking into a number of these systems, and debating as to whether to commit to any one system, I came across an advert for Be Motivated Today, a web site with real value content. They send daily motivational/ inspirational e-mails, offer a totally free trail period of nine days, and loads of free content, both during the free membership, and in the members area.

This site is open to all, however the affiliate system is, at the moment, only available to those in Southern Africa or those who have access to South African Banking Facilities. This looks to be a promising venture for those who are in for the long haul.

 

 

 

For anyone eager to make some extra money, the Internet is probably the richest source of business opportunities, and blogging is one such great chance to generate income with low costs and little effort. How is that possible? At the beginning blogging started as the modern online diary, but it evolved towards new forms that presently provide both personal expression and money making advantages. Let’s take a look at two main ways to turn a blog into a home-business. The starting point for any online commercial action is the creation of a highly interesting web page.

 

Anyone running some form of business that could benefit from online promotion may choose blogging as a great form of advertising. A blog targets a special audience segment: those people interested in the products and services you offer. A blogger should therefore create a highly specific web page with content that is relevant for his or her field of activity. There may be references to the promoted products, or just links to them. Most business owners who take advantage of the profit blogging brings, choose to include various options on the pages.

 

First and foremost, you have to make web search possible directly from your blog; hence, you’ll need to use one of the Google programs that enables such facilities. Then, any blog visitor should have a minimum degree of independence once he or she has accessed your site, meaning that they should be allowed to perform actions: download pictures, documents and files, post comments or simply subscribe for regular updates. In order to make blogging profitable, try to keep a close watch over the traffic the blog receives, and constantly monitor how well it appears in search engine rankings.

 

Last but not least, blogging is also profitable for those who don’t have a business to promote: you may actually make money by allowing ads and banners related to your domain appear on the site. By the intermediary of the Google advertising programs, Adwords and Adsense, you will be paid for each click a visitor makes on a specific ad, or every time somebody performs a certain action on the blog. You’ll just have to follow the Google Adwords or Adsense instructions and apply them to the blog pages; the best way to generate revenue under such circumstances is to make sure your blog appears on the first result page of the search engines.

 

South Africa Where else would you want to be?
From IOL Travel,December 12 2008

“Summer is here, Summer is NOW” – where else would you want to be?” is the catch phrase of the Western Cape’s Summer Season Welcome Campaign, currently being rolled out by Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the official tourism destination marketing organisation for Cape Town and the Western Cape, throughout the province.

The idea behind the campaign, which runs from December 2008 to February 2009, is to give the province’s summer visitors a warm welcome and to encourage them to see, hear, feel and experience as much of the Western Cape’s six tourism regions as possible.

The campaign’s print, radio and online components centre around a list of “101 things to do in Cape Town and the Western Cape” – some firmly mainstream, others a little left of centre.

Cape Town Routes Unlimited’s chief executive Calvyn Gilfellan says: “This year’s Summer Season Welcome Campaign is underpinned by our domestic tourism strategy. It highlights the tourism wealth of the Western Cape and encourages people from all over to experience the best the world has to offer in a 101 accessible and mostly affordable ways.

“With everyone having to tighten their belts, it’s wise from a marketing perspective to have a fresh unpacking of the domestic tourism offering for visitors.”

Six outdoor billboards at Cape Town International Airport and the flighting of destination images on screens in airport shuttles will confirm that visitors have made the right decision to spend their summer holiday in Cape Town and the Western Cape.

Welcome packs will be handed out to tourists at the Storms River and Beaufort West Gateway Visitor Information Centres. Branded sunscreen, lip balm, (temporary) tattoos and peak caps, and the 101 list will be handed out – everything visitors need to have the time of their lives.

The Cape Town & Western Cape Facebook group competition went live just before the weekend, on Thursday, 4 December 2008, and encourages visitors to grab their cameras, hit the road and experience as many of the exciting things to do on the 101 list as possible.

They stand the chance to win attractive prizes as reward for uploading the most funky holiday stories. There are also exciting Cape Town and Western Cape holiday packages available on http://www.tourismcapetown.co.za.

In the domestic market, the Summer Season Welcome campaign is targeting young and upcoming travellers, as well as independent couples and families. In the international market the focus is on foreign travellers exploring the destination or those who have holiday residences in the province and spend their summer here.

On December 18, 2008 Cape Town Routes Unlimited partners with world famous photographer Gerald Hoberman for the launch of his latest titles (hot off the press), and an exhibition of his iconic work at the V&A Waterfront Gateway Visitor Information Centre, running to February 2009.

For more information on the Cape Town and Western Cape tourism experience, http://www.tourismcapetown.co.za.

Just thought I would add some colour to my blog today.:)

Fireworks

This is about my place.
My place where I live, my place in life, my place.
I live in Cape Town, South Africa.
Most beautiful place I have lived, and there’s been a few.
This is a good time to come here for a holiday, if you like Windsurfing, Kiteboarding, and general windyness stuff.

Best spots for windy water sports are Blouberg,  along the Atlantic seaboard, and Langabaan up along the westcoast.

Another popular pastime hereabouts is hiking. There are loads of fantastic hiking trails all over the peninsula, and the entire Western Cape.

This is my first BLOG so please feel free to post coments/pointers etc. Thanks