On cartography

I'm having difficulty accessing the map on google maps (the 'find out where i've been' one at the top of the page). It's publicly editable (though I think you may need to have a google account) so if anyone finds themselves with a free moment to either look up my latest twittered location (see right hand column) or just work out where I am from recent posts and add to the map, that would be really help full. I might even bring you back a pocket full of red sand!

Tweeting to Oxford

Am in Oxford now. Lizzy (my sister) is getting married in two days. She had a rehearsal of the ceremony this evening and since I'm doing a reading my presence was requested.

If you take a look at the 'where i've been map' at the top of the blog you should see a line of postings roughly following the rail line between London and Oxford. That was me this afternoon trying out ways of updating my location in preparation for the trip. I used twitter on iPhone (tweetie) and then got my brother Rob to use the 'add to my maps' function on google maps to record this onto the map.

Whats so good about this? Well, when I have iPhone reception i(which will be remarkably often. I'll be able to update my location via twitter and even when not I will probably still be able to do it with the satelite phone. What's not so good it that it is such a long winded and clunky system. After all I'm supplying location based data to twitter and you would think there'd be some kind of mash up by now that should allow me to feed this direct onto the map and record a log of when I've been where. If anyone knows a way of doing this I'd be very interested.

Here is Lizzy receiving instructions from the priest.

... and here is my reading,

"If I have not love, I gain nothing.

Earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you still more excellent ways

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have nit love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned but have not love I gain nothing

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends"

(Corinthians I)

Maps

I now have maps. This is good.

Overview of the route

Here is an overview of the route. Starting in Swakupmond in Nambia, crossing the Namib desert to the capital Windhoek. Then on across the Kalahari to Maun the gateway to the Okavango Delta. After this the route heads south to the border with South Africa. After crossing the border the route goes across the Waterberg mountains to Mokopane which sits near some of the oldest prehistoric human sites in Africa. Then on to the Northern Drakensberg mountains and down the panorama route. First passing the Blyde River Canyon, the third deepest in the world then on past the 65 metre Mac Mac falls. The last leg Passes into and out of Swaziland via mountain passes and then finally drops down in to Mozambique to cross the coastal plain to the capital Maputo and a well earned rest!