West Indies 'tour' 2007

Veni Vidi Vici... Well, almost

2007-04-27T22:43:00.000+01:00

After a fortnight of pina coladas, rum and very little coke, local beers, some of the best beach cricket and tanning you ever want to see, a couple of days on a catamaran and a schooner, a few charter flights on a 20 seater twin prop plane.... oh, and the Cricket World Cup, it had to come to an end.

I'm not going to steal everyone else's thunder with this post; a trip like this can only be done justice with a post from everyone involved. I've barely even touched on the highlights, and haven't even mentioned swimming with turtles and snorkeling on the reef just off the island where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed.

The semi-final day aside... the less mentioned about the day spent in hell the better, the entire trip was unbelievable. I've never seen such clear sea water in my life, such beautiful sunsets, so much rum... in fact, its probably apt that one of the most common sayings of the tour was, "...hey, lets get so bombed we can't see!!". But thankfully, my vision throughout most of daylight hours was great.

Anyway, I'm going to stop rambling on now, hopefully I'll be able to extract some pics from my camera's memory card so I can let some of the snaps do the talking. In the meantime, thanks to everyone for such and awesome trip, words do not do it justice. Hope all the kids have a great time in NYC, and the two who remained in Barbados for an extra night live it up large with Andy and Mark. Lara and Muzz, hope you had a good day in the Smoke and a safe flight back to the Republic. To the rest of the Londoners... roti's and rum at the Farm for the final tomorrow!! Go the 'Lankans!!

Cottons of London

2007-04-10T20:07:00.000+01:00

Lee aka lava (??) located this legend restaurant and rumshack in 'norf' London (Chalk Farm) and it seemed only sensible for the London crew to hit the rum and get a taste of the Caribbean food we are about to live off for 2 weeks. Well, it seemed sensbile for the 4 of us to try it out, not so much for the 2 'close' friends from Southfields......

Leanne, Dodge, Sar and I climbed into some of the 200 rums available, as well as the fare. Items such as 'Coq-A-Rum' dissappeared seemingly as fast as they arrived, and it this restaurant is a guide on the flavours and quantities we are about to enjoy, then we certainly arent going to go hungry. Or thirsty for that matter!!

Check out the photos here.

The website is well worth a look as well.

So excited I can't sleep...

2007-04-06T23:22:00.000+01:00

Bryan and I have just watched the Pirates of the Caribbean to get ourselves even more excited than we already are...and now I just can't sleep!!

So started googling more activities to do in the carribean and here's one I thought you guys might be interested in :)

Barbados Rum Shop Safari Tours
http://www.islandsafari.bb/barbados/island-adventure-tours/rum-shop-safari/

"A Real Local Experience"
Barbados is synonymous around the world with great tasting rum! As it should be - since rum was invented here! This tour is a celebration of this and the rum shop culture which is so integral to life here!
Our rum shop safari tour will take you on a day of adventure and discovery with stops at selected rum shops for a drink or “touch one” as bajans would say, as we sit around and discuss the latest gossip. This is a real local experience!
Must be 18 yrs or older to participate.
RumShops:
Martins Bay, Sandunes, Nigel Benn, John Moore
Includes:
Rum!! & Mix, Traditional Bajan Cutter and few other suprises along the way.
Duration:
9:30/10:00am – 3:00pm
Days:
Saturdays
Price:
Adults: US $42.50

Aye Maties
Captain Jack Sally ;-)

What we're allowed to take into the stadiums

2007-04-03T22:50:00.000+01:00

Lots of talk recently about what you can, and what you can't take into the stadiums. Here is a summary.

The kit has landed

2007-03-31T11:35:00.000+02:00

Bwymie has sent picked up the kit, and forwarded the photos. Click here to see the kit, as professionally modelled by 'Sally' at Bryan's personal modelling studio in Durban......... Photography by.... well, Bryan I assume!

HOw to make mates and influence people

2007-03-30T10:19:00.000+02:00

By Ian Chappell (coach of India).

Following India's disastrous World Cup and humiliating early exit, Ian Chappell has decided that the best way to endear himself to the Indian public in teh aftermath is too recommend that Sachin Tendulkar retires from cricket. Now, India is an extremely religious country with approx. 1 billion inhabitants, and I bet that Sachin is not far behind the 'big guy' in the popularity stakes. Good thinking Ian, way to go. Stupid Aussie.

If Tendulkar had found an honest mirror three years ago and asked the question; "Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the best batsman of all?" It would've answered; "Brian Charles Lara." If he asked that same mirror right now; "Mirror, mirror on the wall should I retire?" The answer would be; "Yes."

Ruls is ruls - part 2

2007-03-26T15:18:00.000+02:00

Further to my post below about the RULS, Cricinfo has provided a summary here.

They're having a laugh

2007-03-26T14:22:00.001+02:00

Kevin Patterson is world's best one-day batsman

Kensignton Oval - Bring It On

2007-03-26T14:12:00.000+02:00

Ok, so tournaments like this generally provide one or two shocks. Safe to say this one has trumped all aother in that area. Without even mentioning Woolmergate, we get to witness the cricketing talents of Ireland and Bangladesh in the Super 8's rather than the more fancied Pakistanis and Indians.

No matter. And true to form, I'm sure we'll all be part of the Blarney Army against the Sheep Shaggers come Friday, April 13th! Without further ado, here are the fixtures we'll be a part of.

April 13: Australia v Ireland
April 15: Bangladesh v Ireland
April 17: South Africa v England
April 19: West Indies v Bangladesh

I have no doubt that the showdown with the Poms will be epic, both on and off the field. I can't wait.

17 days.... and counting!

Predictions

2007-03-21T00:43:00.000+02:00

So, further to the previous post, these are the games I predict we will be watching:

Apr 13 - Aus vs Windies
Apr 15 - Bang vs Windies
Apr 17 - SA vs Eng
Apr 19 - Ire vs Bang

Semi: Aus vs Windies

The Eng will be HUGE with all the poms in the ground, and a major banana skin for SA.

3 Windies games - YEAAH MAAAN.

Hit me back with your predictions!

Ruls is ruls

2007-03-21T00:39:00.000+02:00

Rog found an interesting bit of information today relating to schedule of games in the Super 8's. Some of you may have known this, but I certainly didn't (courtesy of Cricinfo):

Please Note: The fixtures for the Super 8 league relate to A1 being the first seed in group A, A2 the second, B1 the first in group B etc, as the expected qualifiers from each group. It does not refer to the actual league placings from round one.If these two teams do qualify they will be seeded in position 1 or 2 as specified regardless of whether they finish first or second in their group. For example, if West Indies win Group D and Pakistan come second, for the purposes of the Super Eights, West Indies will still be D2 and Pakistan will still be D1.If these two teams do not qualify from their group they will be replaced in their indicative position by the team that qualifies instead of them. For example, if Ireland qualify instead of Pakistan, Ireland will become D1

Bizarre, and hence why the spreadsheet wouldn't change the venues of certain fixtures in teh Super 8's round, regardless of whether SA beat Aus or not!

Its a tie!!

2007-03-16T10:33:00.000+02:00

All the recent banter about fines meetings started me thinking (yup, 4 weeks of preparation for a fines is bad/good news for everyone) about my favourite fines' moments. There are plenty, some more hazy than others, and some which I can't remember entirely such as standing in a paddling pool at the end of my last game for the mighty one-and-one-halves in my......... I'll leave it there for the sake of the kids!!

Anyway, it is quite apt (not the standing in a paddling pool, the favourite moments) because one of my favourite parts of any fines meeting is pitting members of the congregation against one another in some form of a race, dare, or other general activity. Any contest between members obviously requires an independant adjudicator, the time-keeper, who on completion of the competition declares a winner - without bais. Invariably competitions are won by the slightest of margins, as uncompetitive contests are as boring for the participants as for the audience. And VERY often, the independant, objective adjudicator might declare that the contestants were inseparable, hence A TIE!!! The fines chair then has various options at his/her disposal on the manner in which to settle the contest, as no real contect can end a tie. Its like kissing your sister they say.

Clearly no one told the Zimbabweans this, as ysterday they somehow managed to contrive a genuine tie in a cricket match against the Irish at the World Cup. See here for the match report.

There will be no kissing of sisters in any of my fines meetings, and as such all ties will need to be settled with a clear and obvious winner, how ever long it takes.........

London Strategy Session

2007-03-13T13:54:00.000+02:00

The London crew met recently in order to trial a variety of rums and mixers for the team. Actually, I think the agenda was to agree how we could be useful in helping to organise things for the trip, but we were quickly sidetracked by enormous portions of roast meat and rum!

Research results: Malibu and pineapple comes highly recommended, as does the more traditional Captains and coke. For the more adventurous, spiced rum and orange (?!) which had the added effect of sideways looks from the barman!

Its not looking good!!

2007-03-10T12:21:00.000+02:00

SA smashed by Pakistan.

Sky Sports launch CWC site

2007-03-02T18:21:00.000+02:00

Another site to follow the World Cup progress on. Skysports have launched their own CWC specific site. It's probably going to ONLY focus on England, but never-the-less may be worth checking out from time to time.

Last-minute change to Proteas squad

2007-03-01T08:50:00.000+02:00

Cricket fans across SA rejoiced today at the news that there had been a last-minute change to the Proteas' World Cup squad.

A rampant dipslay of form by Ross Williams in a recent match at CCJ, Auckland Park, where he put together a sparkling and elegant 55*, and then captured 3 wickets, combined with his athleticism in the field, has enabled Williams to force his way into the squad.

His inclusion is at the expense of the bits-and-pieces player Robert Patterson, or Robman Peterson, or whatever his name was, the C-Grade club cricketer who bowls slow in his attempts to masquerade as a spinner.

SA Convener of Selectors, Haroon Lorgat, is delighted at Williams' late inclusion, and in fact has been quoted as saying to Williams that "you are the “wildcard selection” that we will be pinning our hopes on".

Can you believe everything you read?

2007-03-01T08:46:00.000+02:00

Shoaib and Asif out of the World Cup
Cricinfo staff
March 1, 2007
Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif have been ruled out of the World Cup due to their injuries, the PCB made official today. They will be replaced by Yasir Arafat and Mohammad Sami. "Akhtar and Asif are both out due to injury and we have decided to replace them with Yasir Arafat and Mohammad Sami," Wasim Bari, the chief selector, was quoted as saying by AFP.
"Their injuries will take another two weeks to heal so after consultation with Inzamam-ul-Haq we have taken the final decision.The Pakistan team is capable enough to deal with this critical situation."

2 questions spring to mind:
1. Is it a coincidence that the 2 bowlers cuffed for drugs are the very same 2 who now suddenly both have injuries, and the very same 2 who would not take a pre-World Cup drugs test? Hmmm
2. What is the old Palestinian President, Yasir Arafat, doing in the Paki squad??

SA take top spot as Aussies get whipping.

2007-02-18T19:26:00.000+02:00

So, its official, following the Kiwis demolition of the Aussies, twice, South Africa have become the top one-day side in the world.

For the cricket critics

2007-02-14T09:44:00.000+02:00

Both Pakistan and Australia have announced their world cup squads:

Pakistan:
Rahul Dravid (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthick, Mahendra Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Shanta Sreesanth and Munaf Patel

Read more about the Pakistan team selection here.

Australia:
Ricky Ponting (c), Adam Gilchrist (vc), Nathan Bracken, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Symonds, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson

Read more about the Australian team selection here.

South Africa will be announcing their final squad tomorrow night, following the last one day match between SA and Pakistan at Wanderers tonight. Click here to read more about the selection possibilities.

It's getting closer!

2007-02-14T09:30:00.000+02:00

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY, team mates! In 8 weeks today we will be setting off on our "tor"! Can't wait!
Ross is trying his best to teach me as much cricket trivia as possible - every morning while we get ready for work I hear stats about players and matches (Lee, that is why it sounds like I know what I am talking about!), and this evening we are off to a romantic valentines date at Wanderers to watch the last ODI between SA and Pakistan!

Some cricket trivia for those who didn't know - if SA win the match tonight, we will take over Australia's position as the number 1 ranked one day side (Australia has been number 1 since the introduction of the current ranking system in 2002), which will be awesome going into the World Cup.

Looking forward to seeing you all in the sun with rum soon! :)

T Minus 60

2007-02-11T22:24:00.000+02:00

I'm not sure it's possible to actually be this excited about a trip? There are a host of reasons. It may be the cricket world cup. It may also be the fact that it's in the Caribbean. Combine these factors, throw in 16 cricket mad, die-hard Durbanites, known to have enjoyed the odd jug of Castle in the one and only "Castle Corner" at Kingsmead, and I'd say your recipe for the trip of a lifetime is almost complete. Add some tropical weather to the mix, with some seafood on the braai (barbeque for those of you who live in the northern hemisphere), and top it all off with some of Barbados's finest rum, and you'll understand about a 10th of my excitement!

I think anyone I've shared a drink with, or even had a chat to in passing over the last six months (since I found out I was going on this trip), has heard about the Tor. Some on numerous occasions. Each and every time, I'm met with the same variety of responses... "you lucky b*stard", "this will be the trip of your life", "are there any spots available?!".

So, with the Aussies getting beaten by the Poms (no wonder it snowed in London this week), SA and Pakistan not really revealing too much except that the can both be as dire as each other on a bad day, India and Sri Lanka taking it down to the wire today, 6 of the expected top 8 sides going in to the CWC seemingly have little to choose between them. Add to that homeground advantage for the ever unpredictable calypso king's, and throw in the under-rated sheep-shagger one day outfit, and the likely top 8 games should prove to be of the highest quality.

Let's hope that, through a rum induced haze, we actually get to see some of it!

South Africa reveal World Cup cricket hand

2007-02-01T08:43:00.000+02:00

The South African cricket selectors have revealed their likely World Cup hand when they announced a 15-man squad for a five-match, one-day international series against Pakistan starting at Centurion Sunday.

The One-day international squad is as follows: Graeme Smith (captain), Jacques Kallis (vice-captain), Loots Bosman, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Robin Peterson, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Roger Telemachus.

Thirteen of the players, including five black cricketers, were generally regarded as automatic choices. The remaining two places went to Loots Bosman and Roger Telemachus who could both be regarded as marginal choices:

Bosman, who has played in seven one-day internationals with modest success, was picked as an extra batsman ahead of the experienced Boeta Dippenaar, who was man of the series when South Africa won a one-day series against the West Indies in the Caribbean two seasons ago, form player Morne van Wyk and fellow black players Alviro Petersen and JP Duminy. Read more about this reported selection flaw here. (Ross, any comments?)
Telemachus, 33, is renowned as a tough competitor. He has played in 37 one-day internationals and gained the extra bowler's position ahead of in-form fellow black player Alfonso Thomas and white bowlers Dale Steyn and Johan van der Wath.

Click here to read more about the controversial selection of the SA squad.

Visas

2007-01-22T11:41:00.000+02:00

Even if you are not staying in the US, but are in transit in a US airport on the way to the Windies, it appears as though you will need a US visa.
In SA, you need to make an appointment to apply for your visa (call the Visa information Centre on (011) 275 6300). To make this appointment you need:

a PIN number which you an either buy from any Pick 'n Pay Supermarket or by credit card over the phone (R86)
your passport number

You need to take the following to your appointment:

passport
1 colour photo (5cm x 5cm)
deposit slip for R740 which you have deposited in cash at any FNB branch
application form DS156 (to be filled out online at http://evisaforms.state.gov/ and printed out)
guys only - application form DS157 (to be filled out online at http://travel.state.gov and printed out)
letter from your employer stating how long you have been employed and how long you will be away for
3 months bank statements AND 3 months payslips
if you own a house, title deeds or bond statements
details of hotel where you are staying (if staying in US)/itinerary
R60 cash for DHL to deliver your visa

I have a detailed document setting out all of this info, which I will email to everyone, and they also tell you what you need when you phone the Visa Information Centre.

The debut of Murray and Lara

2007-01-21T15:29:00.000+02:00

Friday night saw the debut of Murray and Lara via a dinner with TtW and Cheese at a Greek restaurant.
Much fun and many, many shooters were had, and the evening also involved a great deal of good old-fashioned plate breaking (not only on the floor).
Check out the pics here.

Tour Admin

2007-01-21T15:15:00.000+02:00

Hey all,

I have sent out an email re the payment required for the Tour.
Please have a look and make payment as soon as possible.

Also, they have confirmed the room allocations as follows:
Double beds:
1. Willow and Cheese
2. TtB and TtF
3. Laz and David Kerr
4. Bwymie and Sal
5. Dodge and Lee
6. Murray and Lara

Twin rooms:
7. Woody and Robin
8. Dawn

I trust this meets with everybody's approval?

TtW

East... West - Left.... Right, who knew

2007-01-19T02:24:00.000+02:00

Ok, so it was a long day... if you look "east" over the "atlantic" from the UK, you've done as badly as I have. But if you do look east, and keep looking... past Indo, past California, and you eventually hit the Caribbean, you'll know what I mean about the weather.

But at the end of the day, go west... I hear life is peacful there!

Laz - Online

2007-01-18T20:23:00.000+02:00

My first attempt at a blog... so far so good. Incidentally, the title of this post is going to hopefully be the url for my own website when I eventually get around to setting one up. So copyright (C) or patent pending or whatever, dibs on the name. Thanks.

Well, I write this from my third floor penthouse in the square mile of London, most commonly referred to as 'The City'. No, it's unfortunately not my own swanky apartment, it is my floor at work, where I sit and listen to bulletins about how almost all public transport home has been cancelled because it seems trains, overland and underground cannot run in a little wind.

Ok, so that may not be entirely true, the wind is definitely gale force. Nothing a 20-ton train can't handle, its all the junk blowing onto the tracks that must be causing these disruptions.... although don't quote me on that.

So, with this terrific weather in mind, I decide to look east over the Atlantic. Low and behold, lows and highs of 22 and 28 degrees in Barbados, with gentle see breezes rolling in to cool thirsty beach cricketers. I think they may serve rum there too.

Till next time....

can't wait

2007-01-16T11:10:00.000+02:00

Hi all
This is now the 3rd time I am trying to do this, patience will be required by all I am 45 after all. Can't wait to meet you all on the 12th in Barbados, I may require help getting to the hotel from the airport I have no sense of direction and could quite easy get lost (will any of you be on international roaming) perhaps you could forward me your cell no just in case.
A short profile:
I am a cricket fanatic, a home exective, a mother of 5 kids (ranging in ages from 26 - 12, a keen walker and an avid reader and embrioderer. I shall try and post a pic later when I have worked out how to.
84 days left till we depart and the party begins.
Dawn

Profile - Toby the Beast

2007-01-11T00:55:00.000+02:00

Known by his parents and close family members as Guy Laister, Toby the Beast (TtB) is a Durbanite by birth but is currently encouraging climate change to bring warmer weather to the United Kingdom. A hard hitting, yet technically gifted, middle ordered batsman in his time, TtB chaired and captained the worlds greatest cricket team ever to grace the world's fields, the one-and-one-halves. Whilst not blogging and gardening, TtB dedicates a small proportion of his waking hours managing flood risk. 2007 brings a new chapter in TtB's life as the big three 'O' looms large on the horizon. As far as the tor is concerned, he is most looking forward to drinking a life threatening amount of rum in the West Indies. And his claim to fame: He is the real James Bond - 007.

SA names hopefuls for Cricket World Cup

2007-01-10T13:44:00.000+02:00

The 30-man provisional South African world cup squad was announced in the newspaper today, with the only surprises being Titans left-arm spinner Paul Harris, who has not played a one-day game for his franchise this season and Cape Cobras all-rounder Vernon Philander.

The selected provisional squad is as follows:
Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Justin Kemp, Garnett Kruger, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Roger Telemachus, Alfonso Thomas, Thandi Tshabalala, Johan van der Wath, Ross Williams, Morne van Wyk.

Captain Graeme Smith said the team was pretty confident of doing well at the World Cup. “We’re ranked number two in the world and we’ve closed the gap between us and Australia. We’re pretty confident of our ability to do well, but we are realistic.” He said South Africa would not be affected by the disappointments of the last two World Cups in 1999 and 2003, but would be motivated by them.

Click here to read the full article.

BEAUTIFUL!

2007-01-04T20:29:00.000+02:00

Love your work ladies, fully fledged bloggers in a matter of minutes! With Dawn joining the game, the ladies are threatening to take control of the site, come on lads, time to pull some finger! Either way, keep the posts flowing.

More info on Friendship Rose Schooner

2007-01-04T15:14:00.000+02:00

In addition to my article earlier , I just thought I would give you my thoughts on these sailing cruises in Bequia...

Different options:

1. Slow sailing option is the Friendship Rose Schooner - as you may have seen they have 3 different trips, one to St. Vincent, one to Mistique and last one to the Tobago Cays. My thoughts are if we're going to spead our time cruising on the yacht we should go to the Tobago Cays, which is made of uninhabited islands and awesome snorkeling and the experience is mainly to enjoy the day sailing...i've booked on Sunday 22nd April for the Tobago Cays trip so let me know if you're keen and i'll book you a spot!!

2. Fast speedboat/ferry option - my thoughts would be to use this method to get to the islands where we can see and experience more things on the island such as St. Vincent and Mistique.

3. Catamaran option - not sure if this is fast or slow option but its also worth a look it...as mentioned in my article below that this might be a good option with a group our size!!

Ok, so use it...don't use it these are just my thoughts and once again if you're keen let me know :)

Team Windies photo gallery

2007-01-04T14:24:00.000+02:00

So that you know what you are in for in terms of travelling companions, we are putting together a photo gallery of the Windies team members.

I made a good start on boxing day (when everyone was at their best!) - click here to see the team photos so far. For those who still need to add their "portraits", you can either send them to me and I will add them in, or contact Guy for login details and instructions for the flickr site (I am also new to this, so best to consult with the expert!).

CONGRATULATIONS!

2007-01-04T09:07:00.000+02:00

Congratulations to Guy and Sarah on their engagement on 23 December! We were very excited to hear the news and wish you two all the best! Good luck with all the wedding planning :)

Sail Away....

2007-01-04T08:46:00.000+02:00

Greetings fellow Windies Tor members...

It is with great excitement that I introduce to you what we're "really" heading to the caribbean for....sipping rum punches whilest sailing to unhabited islands, snorkeling in crystal clear waters and sipping more rum punch and and....

for those who have not done any searching about sailing trips in Bequia here's some info i've got to wet those taste buds. I have been in contact with the friendship rose saliing schooner, who have indicated that there are spaces availible for the time we are in bequia so let me know who is keen and i'll book you spots!!

Here goes...

More info on various trips you can do on this yacht...

(if you can't see this...please let me know and i'll e-mail all the info)

For information on other land and sea activities visit: www.SailRelaxExplore.com

The fast method with Fantasea Tours www.fantaseatours.com i.e. fast speedboat, takes about 18, rum punch etc. Lots of snorkelling in the Tobago Cays (fantastic coral reef in Southern Grenadines) and lunch (extra but not expensive) afterwards at Salt Whistle Bay on Mayreau. Although based in St Vincent, they will pick you up from Port Elizabeth and will take about 1.5 hours to get down to the Cays. Cost about US $ 80 per person at the last count. Need to be flexible on times so you can choose a day when there is a nice smooth passage (calm).

Or with Sail Relax and Explore... Catamaran Cruises, this could work well with our group size, they could tailor a private cruise from Bequia to one of the small surrounding islands, to Mustique, or St Vincent!! This would normally have a minimum number of passengers requirement. Website said about $60US...

Other websites of interest are:

www.caribbeanfunours.com
www.barbados.org

Ok so that's all my info for now....should give you enough reading and get you VERY VERY VERY excited!!! Cause I sure am :)

And this is my 1st blog...so i is also very excited for that :)

So much of excitement everywhere...

Warm up to the Windies

2007-01-03T08:22:00.000+02:00

The traditional boxing day test in Durban turned out to be a bit of a warm up session for the Windies, with 9 of the team members in attendance. Replace the draft with rum, put on some suntan cream, add a few more team members and off we go!!! To have a look at some photos of the boxing day festivities, click here

Baggage restrictions

2007-01-03T00:14:00.000+02:00

Whilst online, thought I'd add about baggage restrictions (courtesy of TtW):

I have heard back from the Charter Company and they say to allow a maximum of 20kilos per person. You have a very small margin to go over but it is not advised. The plane normally seats 18 but your party is 16.

They will accept very small sensible hand luggage items, this is because there is not overhead storage and the space under the seats is limited.

So I guess the message to all is to pack light!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2007-01-03T00:04:00.000+02:00

I almost forgot! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year West Indies Tor members!!! The year of 2007 has finally arrived and by the vibe I got back home, everyone is well up for the tour!! I like. Can't wait. Move away the freezing cold, driving sleet and bring on the sun and sand.

Photo's up!

2007-01-02T23:48:00.000+02:00

Its been too long since I posted! Apologies, but 2006 ended with quite a bang, and quite frankly, I had some other stuff to do...... :)

I have uploaded two photo's from the Boxing day test. Click here to check them out!

I have opened a Flickr account for all to use, so if you have photo's of the 'tor' party, or cricket stuff, then let me know and I will forward the login details. Hopefully, we can get plenty photo's up. Also, if anyone is keen to blog on the website, then let me know and I'll send you login details for this site as well. The more the merrier!! Sally, I thinking specifically of that article you scanned.....

Hello!

2006-08-27T13:18:00.000+01:00

Ok, we are up and Blogging.
Well done Tobes!
And thanks for the Agenda, Bwymie.
You will have seen my email re us all putting a photo on the website, as well as contact details etc.
I think it would be great if we could build up a bit of a gallery of all of us.
Thoughts?
TtW

Tour Itinerary

2006-08-25T10:21:00.000+01:00

Well done Tobes
I thought I would put the Itinerary on to start!

12th April: Arrive in Barbados and transfer to Rainbow Beach Hotel. Touring Party to meet in the closest bar on arrival! Rainbow Beach is located on the southern side of the island, at a point where the active waters of the Atlantic Ocean meet the aqua blue calm waters of the Caribbean Sea. This merger creates an inviting site for snorkelling, diving, boogie-boarding and of course, swimming. Rainbow Beach is located a short walk away from the lively, bustling side of the entertainment area of the St. Lawrence Gap district but far enough away to be a peaceful relaxing environment.
13th April: Cricket Match A1 v D1 (Possible sides involved Aus, SA, Pakistan, Windies)
14th April: Day at Leisure
15th April: Cricket Match B2 v D1 (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Windies)
16th April: Day at Leisure
17th April: Cricket Match A2 v C2 (Aus, SA, New Zealand, England)
18th April: Leisure
19th April: Cricket Match D2 v B2 (Pakistan, Windies, India, Sri Lanka)
20th April: Depart Barbados and fly to Bequia on our own chartered plane. On arrival we transfer to Kingsville Apartments. We're located in Lower Bay, Bequia just a stone's throw from the magnificent Lower Bay beach and about two miles from Bequia's main town, Port Elizabeth. http://www.kingsvilleapartments.net/
21st April: Day at Leisure. (Ferry boat trips can be arranged to the various islands close to Bequia
22nd April: Day at Leisure
23rd April: Day at Leisure
24th April: Check out of Kingsville apartments and board our chartered plane to St Lucia. On arrival we transfer to Julliettes Lodge. Juliette's Lodge is an ideally located hideaway, is situated near Vieux Fort and close to Hewanorra International Airport to the South of St. Lucia. One of the best choices for enjoying a quiet and relaxing holiday! This property boasts magnificent views of the beach and the deep blue ocean with a superb panoramic view of the Maria Islands.
25th April: Semi Final (1 v 4)
26th April: Depart St Lucia and fly back to Barbados for our flights home.

WELCOME!

2006-08-25T09:58:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the online home of the West Indies Tor for the Cricket World Cup in 2007!

There is much to tell regarding introductions of the 'TOR' party and the preparations made so far, but for the moment, I is Guy Laister, aka (for the purposes of this tour and blog anyway.....) Toby the Beast, of http://www.chateautoby.com fame, and I will be ably assisted by various members of the tour team, including most prominantly I suspect, the original instigators of the tour Bryan 'Bwymie' Adam and Ross 'Toby the Willow' Williams, as well as the proposer of this site, Sarah 'Toby the Cheese' Williams.

Enjoy!