Root canal for Dummies

A recent dental checkup uncovered a bit of an issue with a tooth, and the recommended intervention was a standard root canal. The dentist, who shall remain anonymous for fear of further torture, was from Denmark, and had the bedside manner of a constipated hyena. While greeting her, I had an injection forced down my throat, and while my tongue started to lose feeling, I wondered if I had made a serious error of judgement. My mouth was not given too long to lose sensation, and the procedure began slightly too soon for my liking.

Initially I felt that I would get through no problem, but as we approached the nerve removal stage, I began to worry. The equipment used is like a small hook, and the action is one of repeated forced scraping, in the hole that had just been drilled into my tooth/head. The scraping continued for 30 minutes, and came to an end with a pain of immense proportion. During the procedure I was gripping onto the chair, sweating, trying desperately to imagine myself in another place and time. At one stage the song 'stuck on you' , by Lionel Richie came on the radio, and reminded me of our recent honeymoon in the seychelles, but this lasted only a few seconds, and I was suddenly jerked back into reality.

Many of you may have had root canal before, and each has most likely had a very different experience. I can honestly say that I have never felt as much pain before, and hopefully will never again.

Easter in Iceland

A walk to the station, a tube ride to Heathrow, and a 3 hour flight in a north westerly direction, and Jackie and I were in Iceland. More specifically in Keflavik, which is a 30 minute bus ride from the capital, Reyjkavik. Amazingly the bus driver asked us which hotel we were staying at, and a short while later he dropped us off at the door of Hotel Bjork.

I had planned 4 day trips over the internet, all with local companies. Our first was the golden circle tour, which is fairly well known, and takes in all the most famous sights of south west Iceland. After visiting a volcanic crater, and a couple of waterfalls, we found ourselves at Gulfoss, the second biggest, and most famous of Icelands many glacial falls. The wind was biting but Jacks and I observed the falls from above and below. Apparantly the falls are twice the size in summer (because the heat melts more of the glacier), but to us they were really impressive. Next stop was the geysers. Basically a geyser is a deep vertical tunnel in the earth, full of boiling water. Water boils at 100C close to the surface, but further down, it boils at closer to 130C because of the increased pressure. Some of the deeper water enters the tunnel higher up, and this becomes super-heated, which creates a pocket of steam. This forces the column of water above, up and out of the tunnel, in a short sharp burst. The most frequent geyser, called Stokkur, erupts every 5 - 10 minutes, shooting a jet of water about 25 meters into the sky. The main geyser, called 'geyser' (the origin of the word), erupts every few hours, and the jet can reach over 30 meters.

Our last stop for the day was Thingvellir national park, which is a world heritage site, and the location of the Parliament of Iceland for the last 1000 years. It is also the meeting point of the American and Euro-asian tectonic plates, which are seperating at 2cm a year. The area in between (no man's land) is sinking, and it something worth seeing. The weather had closed in by the time we got to the Park, but that didn't stop us. We stomped our way through snow and ice to have a look at the beginning of the american plate, and had lots of fun with the snow along the way.

The second day was a mixed bag of more adventurous activities. The first being a 2 hour horse ride, which turned out to be the highlight of the whole weekend. We checked in at the riding centre, and were shown where to kit up. The suits could be worn to the moon, full weather overalls that transformed me into the michelin man. Add to that the compulsory helmet, and you had a pair of very chic icelandic horse riders. Our horses were handpicked according to our level of competence. Mine was for beginners, and Jacks had a more intermediate variety. The horses are really small but unbelievably strong. My feet were inches from the floor, but that failed to deter my horse from the task at hand. The ride was truly spectacular, through moss and snow covered lava fields, surrounded by blue sky and white mountains. The Icelandic horse is the only in the world capable of 5 gaits, which basically means it has a 5 speed gear box. It's unique gait pattern is called the Tolt (with an umlaut on the o), and is fantastic when done properly. The rider remains completely motionless in the saddle, while the horse glides along. Jackies horse named Fraya, was white, and she was a real lady. She only wanted to ride at the front, and I think that Fraya and my horse had a few issues. After the ride we got back to the centre, and grabbed a quick bite to eat.

The afternoon was to be spent whale watching on a large ship. The weather was pretty chilly, so once again we adourned the complementary space suits, and made our way up onto the deck. After only half an hour we had already spotted 2 humpbacks, a mother and her calf. We followed them around for about an hour, and really got a good look at them. The sea was pretty rough, and up on the deck there was the occasional woft of diesel, which is not Jackies favoruite odour. I noticed that she was quiet for a bit, and then that her complexion turned a bit snowy, and the next thing I knew she was feeding the fish off the back of the boat. This lasted only 3 minutes, and afterwards Jacks felt 100%.

The next morning I woke up, and realised that I had a sensitive rear end. The horse riding had not only given me the usual muscle soreness, but also a small area of chaffing. This proved hugely entertaining to Jackie, and became something of immense irritational value, with sitting being pretty much impossible.

Sunday promised to be another exciting day (sore bum and all), with us exploring some of the iceland countryside in a super jeep. The jeep was massive, 7.3 litres of muscle, and huge spiked tyres. The trip once again took in a few amazing waterfalls, and we also stopped at a geothermal power station. Essentially what they do is drill into the earths crust (which is much thinner in Iceland), and use the steam to generate both heat and power. Unbelievable power of the steam coming out of the earth, sounding like a jet engine, and pumping steam off on a long trail into the distance. The destination of the trip was Thorsmork, which is known as Iceland's hidden valley. It is surrounded by 3 glaciers, and can only be reached in seriously powerful 4X4's. We had no problem there, and powered our way through glacial rivers and over lava rock. We stopped close to a glacier (called Ejyafellaljokull - try say that fast 10 times in row), and walked up alongside a frozen lake to the tongue of the glacier. Almost too much to take in, and definately something you can't capture in a photo.

Each evening we would head off into town looking for somewhere to eat. I did a bit of research, so knew where the tourist traps where, but because it was the easter weekend, most restaurants were closed. We did however find some absolute gems, and every meal was fantastic. I have NEVER tasted lamb like that in my life, so tender and juicy, melting in your mouth with a flavour so rich, coated in a wholegrain mustard and herb crust. Jackie was also thrilled with plenty of fresh fish on the menu's. Beers were 600 Krona (£5, R55). That is all I will say about that. On the whole I was very impressed with the way the Icelanders use their local produce (just as they do with all the resources in their country), to turn out some fantastically flavoursome and original dishes. The rest of the world could learn a thing or 2, and maybe they would if the country was not so geographically isolated.

Our last day trip took us to the Blue Lagoon, a famous tourist spot, and something that cannot be missed. The nearby power station uses steam to generate both heat and electricity, and after this the steam condenses and forms a hot, salt rich water, that flows into a lagoon. The lagoon glows with a blueish colour, and the water is hot bath temperature. Jacks and I changed into our cozzies, and relaxed in the water for about an hour and a half. The water is apparantly really good for ones skin, and we even packed some white mud onto our faces, which seemed to be the done thing.

Iceland is a country worth visiting, and Jacks and I decided that we would try and head back in summer, for some excellent hiking, and a midnight sun.

A Honeymoon in Paradise

Jacks was thrilled when she found out that our honeymoon destination was the Seychelles. We have been before, and thoroughly enjoyed the perfect white beaches and clear blue water. I decided it would be a good break for us, because we wouldn't feel that we had to explore and do too much. We could just sit back and relax.

The hotel called Paradise Sun is nestled into the vegetation at the end of Anse Volbert (beach), on Praslin, which is the second biggest of the 120 Islands that make up the Seychelles. Our room was literally 10 steps from the beach, and had everything we needed, including air conditioning, which was a lifesaver. The room was bigger than our flat in Putney, which is not saying much, but for us it was really comfortable.

The food was an experience in itself, with theme evenings every night, and an amazing choice of local and international fare. The restaurant and bar is built out over the beach, and you almost feel like you are sitting on the sand, with the water flowing up to your feet. One night Jacks and I were given a table out under a palm tree, and besides the occasional inquisitive spider, we had the perfect romantic evening.

Special mention must be made of the local beers, which included Seybrew and Eku, both world class lagers. I found it amazing that most locals enjoy Guiness instead, which for me doesn't fit well with the hot and humid climate. There is nothing like an ice cold lager at the end of a long day in the sun.

After the wedding weekend in SA, Mr and Mrs Schouten were exhausted. The first day was spent lazing around, with lots of sleep, and a bit of eating in between. We were really worried about our senstive British skins, so we ensured we were adequately protected with lots of suncream.

Along with some rest and relaxation, we actually ended up doing the usual, and managed to fit in quite a few activities. The highlight was without a doubt the snorkelling. 1km out to sea, directly in front of the hotel, is an Island called St Pierre, which is pictured in many Seychelles brochures (the one pictured above with the boat). It has an amazing appearance with its massive granite rock formations, leaning palms, and is surrounded by crystal clear waters. We were lucky enough to snorkel on 2 occasions at St Pierre, and were astounded at what we saw. Besides every fish possible, including Nemo, we saw white tip reef sharks, hawksbill turtles, rays and eels. On another day we took a trip with 10 Italians to two islands. The first called Sisters, had awesome snorkelling, and a really impressive swimming beach. After a fish braai on the beach we went to the second, called Coco Island, which is a protected marine reserve (like many of the Seychelles Islands). By this stage, the italians, who had over-indulged themselves at lunch, flopped onto the sand, and it was just the scouties in the sea. Known as one of the best snorkelling spots in the world, Coco Island is like diving in an aquarium. Amazing fish life, calm water, and 30m visibility. Jackie and I could have spent a whole day there.

On our last visit to the Seychelles we had failed to explore any of the bird sanctuary islands, so this time we were very keen. We arranged a half day tour of Cousin, which is about an hour by boat from Praslin. The islands only human inhabitants are those who are protecting and maintaining it, and taking people on tours. It is teaming with all sorts of birds, including the white tailed tropical, noddie, seychelles warbler, fregate bird, fairy tern, and many more. Because the island has fresh water it is a mosquito breeding pot, and they seemed to love both Jacks and I, even though we were covered in Tabard. The amazing thing about the island is that the birds lay their eggs on the branches of trees (no real nests), and when the chicks hatch they just stay sitting on the branch until they can fly. The result is an island full of these chicks, just parking off on branches, not too worried about visitors. There are also many giant tortoises on the island, the most famous being George, who is 120 years old and thoroughly enjoys a good scratch under his head.

The main attraction of Praslin is the Vallee de Mai, a tropical forest of amazing vegetation. The Coco de Mer, the plant that boasts the largest leaf and the largest fruit, dominates the landscape. The area is rumoured to have been the original Garden of Eden, and it is truly a sight to behold.

We spent a full day on La Digue. It is the 3rd most populated island, and it has only very recently had the introduction of vehicles other than the traditional oxcart. We did the touristy thing and hired bikes, and cycled off ahead of the pack. We made our way to Grande Source de Argent, one of the most photographed beaches in the world. We hopped off our bikes and walked down the beach, away from the tourists, and found a perfectly secluded spot, between 2 large granite boulders. After some time relaxing on the beach, we hopped back onto our bikes and cycled off to the other side of the island, which has an amazing swimming beach. I had done some research and found that there was an even better beach slightly further north. So off we went, trekking through a dense jungle, that seemed to be neverending. After a good while we were no closer to any beach, and we decided to head back. Not sure about the other beach, maybe it's just a fable.

We made friends with a couple from Finland who were honeymooning after their wedding, which was on the same day as us. Brilliant couple, and lots of fun. Imagine how hot it was for them, coming from the Finnish winter. We joined them for dinner on their last 3 nights, and found that we had so much in common. Amazing when you think that we grew up on opposite ends of the planet.

The highlight for me, of our time in the Seychelles, was getting to grips with the fact that Jackie was now my wife. We've lived together for quite some time, so from that side there's not much difference. There is a definate change however, and it feels as if the bond between us has now been cemented, and I can honestly say that I have never felt as close to Jackie. We spent every moment of our 2 weeks away together, and it was the perfect beginning to our life as a married couple.