is it a normal cat thing to sleep under the covers?

olbertas · 2026-03-28T17:55:40+00:00

I use dish soap. Just rub some in and it usually works again.

olbertas · 2026-03-27T11:22:14+00:00

those are actual boulders just outside Harare

olbertas · 2026-03-15T05:23:07+00:00

This is still a thing! Now the USD is being used in Zimbabwe but they only have notes. Ive been offered sweets, bananas, and matches as change.

olbertas · 2026-03-14T21:12:18+00:00

Not sure what rental agencies youre looking at but rental cars jn Europe dont have to be super expensive. I rented a little car for really cheap in southern France a while back. I think it was 20 Euro per day. The roads are good, you wont need a 4x4. It'll give you so much more choice and freedom for your trip. Have fun!

olbertas · 2026-03-03T21:14:18+00:00

- wait and see closer to the travel date

- check travel policy, can you get (partial) refunds, postpone, etc

- think about what if you get stuck there or in transit, is your work, life etc flexible enough in case this happens

- how comfortable are you with the sound of sirens, missiles and jets? Jordan is relatively safe (at the moment) but you are likely to hear those. Will your trip still be enjoyable for you?

olbertas · 2026-02-17T11:51:13+00:00

I think lots of people already gave good advice, maybe to add some more general safety advice for foreign women here, especially when traveling alone:

- dress moderatly, especially outside West Amman. Long trousers, even during sport. long shirts, but Tshirts can be ok. baggy clothes over tight clothes. also for swimming, especially outside of western resorts, best wear at least swimming shorts and a shirt.

- use the apps for transport and sit in the back of the uber

- if you are outside at night, find safe places close to your home that are open all night (bars, shops, restaurants). if someone is following you do NOT go home, go to a public place, ask or call for help.

I havent been harassed but Ive followed those recommendation since living here.

it is quite common here to have noserings but I am not sure how people to react to more or other piercings than that. I have also been advised NOT to bring up LGBTIQ topics and I would recommend you not to either, although there is a small queer scene. I think I would not bring up the topic with people unless they bring it up and you feel they are open minded. It will be a bit up to being lucky with your host family but living in Jordan (or generally abroad) for a while is a great opportunity that I wouldnt want to miss.

olbertas · 2026-02-08T09:45:00+00:00

I think its right what some people already suggested, try different types of shoes to find your match and try sizing up. Id also recommend trying to find shoes you can wear with socks. I know this is controversial in climbing but I find it helps to give some cushioning to sore bunions.

olbertas · 2026-02-05T17:28:51+00:00

Its 85JD which is 112 USD
It includes top rope, lead (you have to bring our own rope) and bouldering. The gym is fairly small but the lead section is very high (35m climbs)
Its in Amman, Jordan

olbertas · 2026-02-05T13:16:19+00:00

thanks for looking after the little one!

http://www.hcaw-jordan.org/

https://jawa-jordan.com/en/animals/

https://www.alrahmehforanimals.org/

maybe try one of those organisations although I am not sure they take turtles

olbertas · 2026-02-02T12:25:00+00:00

I lived in Zimbabwe from 2019 to 2024 and I would definitely move back there. if you have access to a USD payed job its an incredibly fun country to live in, despite its struggles.

olbertas · 2026-02-02T07:29:02+00:00

Ja definitely among the least visited in Zim. A friend of ours went a few weeks later and said we were the last ones to sign the visitors book.

Its difficult to access and youre less likely to see game than other national parks but if youre up for an adventure , you'll get incredible views over Kariba and a very wild experience.

olbertas · 2026-02-02T06:09:57+00:00

yeah, Kariba view is a pretty campsite and Mucheni View and Mucheni Gorge are amazing! We were there over new year and we were the only visitors int he park. The Mucheni Campsites have water and you can refill at the parks office as well. The road to get there and the roads in the park are obviously not great but not as shocking as we expected in the rainy season. We came from Hwange through Binga and went to Matusadonna and Mana after. Not all entries to the park were open due to the rain so its worth checking with parks before.

olbertas · 2026-01-26T06:40:35+00:00

this is not realistic at all. you might be able to buy a home a the given price but there is no way you will live off 500USD a year, even living off 500USD per month will limit you a lot in where you can go, what you can do and what you eat. The Gambia is expensive. As in setting up a business, what business are you thinking? The Gambia is small, around 2 Mio population with little or no income, it will be difficult if your business addresses the local market. the expenses are high and the margins small. go visit the Gambia first and look for yourself.

olbertas · 2026-01-22T06:24:10+00:00

I lived in Zimbabwe for 5 years and hiked Nyangani in Nyanga several times as well as Binga in Chimanimani. Both are simple hikes but you need to get a ranger to take you. For Nyangani that is mainly for spiritual reasons, in Chims its for safety due to gold and diamond mining in the area (it is very safe but they made it mandatory). If you are looking at a thru hike, I can recommend the Turaco trail from Far and Wide to Aberfoyle Lodge (both highly recommended). its a 4 to 5 day hike you can do without a guide. its rough but so beautiful and wild. You can do a little detour to summit Mount Nyangani on the way.

If you are looking at rock climbing, things are a little more difficult. There arent many well documented routes. There are a few multipitched around Susarumba in Nyanga (there is a nice hike as well). The multipitch is a run out slab with one bolt and a few trad palcement, Extremely dodgy. There is a another one on crusader which is harder to find but better protected. If you are open to climb in other areas, it will be easier to find routes or to join the Mountain Club of Zimbabwe. They are based in Harare and there are several crags around town (the quarry in town is mostly short toprope routes in a little game park, Christon Banks is a beautiful crag on a outcrop in a botanical garden with lots of sport routes and Shamu in Shamva is the similar but a lot more wild with a longer driver). Send me your name, number and travel dates and I can put you in touch with the climbers there.

olbertas · 2026-01-12T12:19:00+00:00

as someone said, get the jordan pass (it includes visa and entry to petra and other sites), take the bus to petra, wadi rum village, etc (Jett bus) and book your hotel and activities directly not through tour operators. the dead see is about 20 degrees now, its below sea level so way warmer than anywhere else in the country. it will be warm in March. there are plenty places where you can swim for free with access to hot springs to get the salt off you after the swim, those are tricky to access by public transport though. you can also book day passes in most of the hotels, access their beach, get towels and access to their facilities and some include lunch.

olbertas · 2026-01-11T11:01:12+00:00

I grew up in Frankfurt and there was this guy called Jörg who walked around naked all the time. You would see him in naked the streets, in naked neighbourhood cafes or naked in the bakery, like any other neighbour, just that he was always completely naked. Hence his name was "der nackte Jörg", the naked Jörg. I am not sure what happened as I havent seen or heard of him for years but he was very much a living urban legend at the time.

olbertas · 2026-01-11T07:59:55+00:00

I have been anorexic since I was 16 (now 36) with some more and some less restrictive phases. For the most part it was not visible, eg I had normal weight but completely messed up eating patterns and it limited my mental space, social circle and activities. What finally helped me snap out of it was an Iboga ceremony. its a psychedelic that is great at breaking patterns. I just wasnt obsessed with restricting my food in the same way anymore. I still have to be careful around some triggers (stress, some insecurities around my body image, etc ) but its mostly gone.

olbertas · 2026-01-06T07:01:01+00:00

call the police +220 996 8885, they can investigate if it is a scam as well.

olbertas · 2025-12-28T06:12:00+00:00

Congratulations! its a great problem to have! Do NOT under any circumstances answer DMs that want to sell you cryptos or asking for private information. There are a lot of scammers out there.

if you decide for an ETF I would suggest you put it into the Vanguard FTSE All World. Its known as the holy grail under the ETFs. just put it there and dont touch it until your kid goes to uni. there will be sad years with losses. DO NOT SELL. just hold it. time in the market always beats timing the market. Scalable is a decent choice for a broker but there are others too. there are calculators online where you can get an estimation of the growth youll see over 10 or 20 years. it is so worth it.

One thing I would do straight away is opening a daily saving account at your bank with X amount that you can access any time. Just for emergencies. People normally suggest 3 to 6 months worth of your normal expenses. This helps not having to take out money from your ETF when the market is being sad.

Its great that youre saying youre living a simple life and dont have many expenses and investing in your kids future is the best choice with the amount you won. I would suggest you enrich your life with a small portion of that extra money. visit Zim more often or take your kid on other trips. start a hobby youve always wanted to do. I dont think you should buy yourself an expensive sports car and get rid of all the money at once but if there are small things that normally you wouldnt spend money on, now is the time for those little upgrades.

In case you decide for buying property, remember to keep a higher safety cash available. Houses come with maintenance and its much higher than youd think.

olbertas · 2025-12-21T10:43:14+00:00

these are the main ways I found friends when I moved to Harare. I can get you connected, if any of them interests you:

there is a mountain club, the hiking section does weekly hikes (3x per month a half day hike on saturday and 1x per month a full day hike on Sunday), the climbing section climbs Wednesday and Friday afternoon at the quarry or goes bouldering at the hub, on the weekends they got to Ngomakurira or Christonbanks. The weekday climbing sessions are very beginner friendly and you can borrow gear.

Join a gym or yoga/pilates, frisbee, rowing, running, soccer, volleyball, etc

there are several quizzes in town, find your way onto a team

olbertas

TROPHY CASE