Oh, what to do for the holiday. As we do not want to go home or anywhere too far because we are saving for that particular trip for the July holidays. We decided to traverse the city on bicycles. From the lower southern edge of Hangzhou all the way north to Lingping mountain. We planned it for the three-day holiday. Each day carefully calculated as to the distance and the sights to be seen. Where to stop for a rest, where to stop for lunch. Carefully planned a detailed route which included over which bridge we are going to traverse the river. Some of the bridges are not very bicycle…

South Africa has had numerous diamond and gold rushes. Diamonds and gold are the things that can make a man’s blood boil and make him lose all sense of sensibility. But how many people can say that there was a lime rush or an iron rush, or even a coal rush? Coal was once known as black gold. Well, in South Africa mining is big business. We have all kinds of mining: diamonds, gold, coal, lime and iron ore. However, diamond mining has been the biggest mining project. Mining will be in South Africa for many generations to come. I have always just wondered how much has South Africa gained…

Working underground is not without its hazards. To follow the rules is one of the easiest ways of staying safe. Just take time out to read the warning signs. Check the lights on the slopes. The slope is the road joining one level to the next. Only one direction traffic is allowed at a time and so to facilitate this, there is a light with a pull-string switch. Whoever is going into the tunnel, switches on the light and switches it off again when they are through. Before you enter, check for the light. If it is off, put it on. If it is on, wait. Wait until it goes…