Africa & the Middle East

Today we began or latest adventure. Since it is 2 months long and has some real adventure in it we are starting slow by flying to Paris for several days. Our flight left GSP at 3:25pm and had the bumpiest flight I can ever remember. We were in the front 2 seats and talked to our steward the whole trip which made it bearable almost! We had an hour in Atlanta before boarding Air France first class to Paris. We had terrific service and the food was wonderful. I watched a movie during dinner and then readied myself for bed. I slept well but Hugh had a restless night. We had breakfast before landing.

We cleared passport control and decided to take a taxi to the hotel. There was a transportation strike and a lot of the trains were not running and a taxi was cheaper than UBER! We arrived at our hotel, The Relais de St Honore. It was a small boutique hotel in the best location. We were a block from the Louvre, the Tuileries Gardens, and 3 blocks from the Place de Concorde. We stored our luggage and got directions to the Montparnasse train station. The concierge even looked up the schedule for us. We headed to the metro stop and discovered the metro was not running. We got UBER to the Gare and found that the only rain to Chartres was 5 hours later and there were no trains back to Paris until the next day. We gave up and decided to play Parisian tourist.

We walked from the station to the Eiffel Tower stopping for a delicious French onion soup for lunch. After the tower we headed to the Seine for a leisurely walk. We saw the Grand Palace, the river boats, and then my favorite museum, the Musee d’Orsay. Then it was time to head back to the hotel to check in and take a little rest. After our rest we showered and headed out again. We visited the Place Vendome and then stopped for steak and frites. We decided to walk to the tourism office where our tour for Normandy leaves at 7 am. We checked it out and then strolled some more before stopping to purchase some yogurt for our morning breakfast.

This morning we awoke at 6 and did a fast turnaround. We were out the door at 6:30 and made it just in time for our tour to Normandy. There were only 6 of us so we had a van with plenty of room. The drive was 2 hours and we talked and rested. Our first stop was at Point du Hoc. This was the landing site of the paratroopers in preparation for the D-Day landing. We saw the German bunkers, dormitories, and also the bomb craters from the heavy shelling. It was raining for weeks before and the ground was flooded or very soggy which was the cause of a lot of casualties. When they landed if they fell, they could not get back up easily because of the large amount of supplies they were carrying. Some even drowned in the flooded fields even though there was only about 18 inches of water. From there we went to Omaha Beach and saw the memorials and walked on the beach. Our next stop was the American Cemetery. It was beautifully-maintained and reminded us of the one in the Philippines. We walked through the cemetery and then made a stop at the visitors’ center which had a lovely museum. We spent the rest of our time enjoying the exhibits.

From here we made our way to Bayeux, an ancient town on the Aure River, the home of the British Cemetery. It’s medieval center contains cobbled streets, half-timbered houses, and the towering Norman-Gothic Cathedrale Notre Dame. We visited the cathedral first and it was truly magnificent. Afterwards we just roamed the streets and paths and had a walking lunch which made us feel very French. Then it was back on the van for the drive to Paris. We rested on the way and arrived back around 7. We stopped for dinner on our way to the hotel and happily settled into our room around 10. It was a wonderful day.

Today the real adventure begins as we fly to Algiers, Algeria. Before leaving for the airport we took a long walk on the Champs Elysse and then had a lovely Croque Monsieur for breakfast We went back to the hotel and I was pleasantly surprised that they would store my boots until we return in February. Our driver arrived at noon and it was off to the airport. The drive was easy as it is Sunday and the traffic very light. We checked in for our flight and had a while to sit and read. The flight was uneventful, but I was unhappy that they made me check my bag but not Hugh. Mine is the same size and lighter! On arrival in Algiers we had to produce our letter of invitation and our visas before we were allowed entrance. The gentleman at passport control was pleasant but thorough. My bag came and we exited to happily find our driver with our name posted waiting for us. We stopped at a black-market exchange to get some Dinar. When we arrived at our hotel, Sofitel Hamma Garden, we were surprised at how high end it was. We checked in and had dinner at one of the restaurants in the hotel. The service is great and we were tired. Because it was dark when we arrived, we were unsure about going out to explore. After dinner we did our pictures and typing for our time in Paris and then read until we fell asleep.

We slept in a bit this morning and had breakfast in the hotel. Our guide was waiting for us when we finished. We were happily surprised that it was a she and a lovely, strong young woman who spoke great English. Her name was NEHAD and we had a driver also. She says that she has a license to drive but prefers not to as the traffic is crazy... she is right, it is! Our first stop was the beautiful cathedral, Basilique Notre Dame d’Afrique. The building is beautiful and the view from the hilltop was stunning. This stunning cathedral was built in 1872 in the Byzantine style and contains 46 stained windows that have been restored twice: after a bombing in WWII and after the earthquake in 2003. Our next stop was the old and new port of Algiers with its fishing fleet and large fish market. From there we walked to the 17th century Ottoman Ketchaoua Mosque. From there we entered the Casbah area and visited the Palais of Rais-Bastion 23. This typical Moorish palace was built around a courtyard with a fountain. It was adorned with marble pillars and countless hand-painted tiles from all over the world. There were secret rooms and even alcoves for servants to listen to the guests and report back to their employer. The top floor was for personal living including the 4 wives. Our next stop was Dar Hassan Azziza, another palace. This now houses a collection of illuminated manuscripts and contemporary calligraphy by artist across North Africa and the Middle East. We continued to climb the many steps of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Casbah and admired the buildings and doors that were massive, and hand built. The Algiers Casbah is perched on a hill overlooking the city and is a labyrinth of alleyways where you can spend a day checking out the mosques, houses, artisans, and architecture which dates back as far as the Ottomans. We had lunch in an Algerian restaurant that served fish. They were small, spicy, and fried. The other dishes were fries, eggplant with spices and egg, a pepper dish, and fish meatballs. It was all served with bread that you used as your fork and spoon. It was a great meal and we even had Algerian soda which is 7 years older than Coca Cola.

We then met our driver and drove to the Martyrs Memorial high on a hill. It is easily seen all over the city. This memorial commemorates Algerian independence and was opened in 1982 on the 20th anniversary of Algeria’s independence. It is fashioned of 3 standing palm leaves which shelter an eternal flame. The museum underneath is the high point to me. The complete history of the country is depicted, and it is worth the visit. From here we went to the cable car and road down the hill to the Hamma Gardens. This was a serene and cool spot for a long walk with lovely trees and ponds. The zoo is also located here. This was just steps from our hotel, so we walked back. We said our goodbyes and Hugh and I went up to the room for a rest before dinner. Neither of us were us to navigating the underground to the main part of the city so we settled for an Algerian restaurant in the hotel and had a delicious tagine of chicken and dried fruits. It was fabulous and after dinner we stopped in the bar for a glass of wine and some time catching up on our pictures and story. What a fabulous day. I feel I have a new friend in Algiers... thank you NEHAD!

This morning started hours earlier than I would have liked. Up at 5:15 and off to the airport at 6. Our driver, Wassim, was a great guy who spoke 6 languages fluently and owned the travel company. We arrived at the airport and he walked us through the ticketing line and then it was over an hour clearing all the passport control and baggage x-ray machines that we encountered. I have never spent this much time for just a domestic flight. We then could not find our gate because our ticket did not have a gate on it and there was nothing in English or French anywhere. We finally found someone to ask and got in line. We had to take or bags to a bus and then drive almost around the airport to our plane which was a prop-jet. Oh Joy!!!! We boarded, and Hugh had to check his bag as it would not fit in the overhead which was strange since they are both 20-inch bags. The flight was smooth and in an hour we landed in Constantine. Our local guide, Lamia was waiting for us. The baggage was delayed and even though we landed at 9 it was after 10 before we got on the road.

Today we headed straight to Djemila and the awesome Roman ruins there. It is about a 2-hour drive there and the terrain changed dramatically from flat to rolling hills to mountainous. When we arrived, my expectations were not great and when I first saw the mosaics in the museum, I was amazed. The floors of the ancient homes are now on the walls of the museum and the color and detail is exceptional. Then we walked to the oldest part of the city and I was astounded! It was easy to see why UNESCO called it "one of the world’s most beautiful Roman ruins". The ancient Roman city of Cuicul, now renamed Djemilia was not a huge city, but probably housed 20,000 people. The former military garrison boasts a senate, a baptistery, a theater, basilica, forums, arches, and many of the city walls are still standing. The theater is in excellent condition and can seat about 3,000 people. There were the baths and large homes, and the temples to explore and we spent a lot of time just being amazed. There was so much to see and photos to be taken that we forgot about the cold we were complaining about upon arrival. Bacchus house was over 6800 sq. meters and as we walked around it we could see how the mosaics in the museum fit into this home. We slowly made our way out and headed back to Constantine. We slept off and on as our driver and guide carried on a lively conversation. We stopped for a late lunch of traditional food and then our driver took us to the hotel. The hotel is interesting and we have a prayer rug for us in our room. We are tired and decide to stay in for the evening. I took a hot bath and so did Hugh. There were pictures to edit, stories to write, and books to read. Tomorrow is another adventure and we want to be at our best!

Today we started out at 9 AM after a good night’s rest and a light breakfast. The day is cold and cloudy with almost a fog in the air. We picked up our guide, Lamia, outside the city and she tells us that there’s a possibility of snow tomorrow. As we travel south, we see lots of construction both road and buildings. The electric poles have nesting boxes with lots of stork nests. We have seen large lakes, mountains, and big cities. The further south we go the weather changes and it is less cloudy with periods of sun. The roads are good with streetlights in areas that you wouldn’t expect. There is winter wheat growing everywhere. Each of the towns we pass have had beautiful mosaic gates and several fountains. Nearing Timgad, we start seeing Roman ruins along the roadside. We are at 3700 feet altitude. We started our tour in the city. This is a Roman city built for retired military. It gave them a home but also a presence in the area to help maintain control. The houses were 20m x 20m and there are a lot of them. The city is 18 hectares squared, and is built in a square. There are 14 baths with the 3-room design that the Romans favored... a hot room, a mild room, and a cold room. There are two main roads, one North and South, one East and West, and 4 gates. We saw the meat market and the vegetable and fruit market. They both were very well preserved with some of the small stalls totally intact. We saw the large theater, seating for 3500, and met an Algerian fellow who lives in Texas and is married to a Mexican who grew up in North Carolina. They were so cute, and we had a great time talking to them. From there we went to the temple. The temple is dedicated to Jupiter and Minerva and the columns are 118 meters high. It’s a much larger temple then we saw yesterday. It is approximately the same size as the Pantheon in Rome. We made pictures at Trajan’s Arch and then made our way to the gymnasium. There were more baths, a playing field, and 2 swimming pools. We said goodbye to the city and went to the museum to enjoy the magnificent mosaics that have been recovered from this UNESCO site. This was a beautiful museum but did not have heat!

From the historic site we made our way to a local restaurant for lunch. Lamia ordered for us and we had 2 delicious soups that we shared and a tajine dish with chicken, chickpeas and something like a large couscous. There was also the large basket of delicious bread. We left filled and happy. The trip back to Constantine was spent sharing pictures of children, homes, grandchildren, and other fun things. We even got to see pictures of Lamia veil free! She is quite lovely!!! We made some pictures of sheep by the roadside and other things and before we knew it we saw our hotel. We said goodbye to Lamia who is leaving us and our driver Haroun will meet us with a new guide at 9 am. It is almost 6 pm and we settled into our room and spent the evening typing, editing pictures, and watching movies. Wonderful day.

Today we woke up to a cold and rainy day. We had a quiet breakfast in the hotel. Haroun met us in the lobby. It was a good thing he did as we were having a lot of trouble checking out. The hotel did not recognize our Expedia voucher which had gotten lost somewhere after check-in. This is something we will have to take up with Expedia when we get home. We RE-paid the bill and headed out to meet our new guide Ridad. Constantine is a beautiful city built onto rocks, connected by eight bridges, and currently named for the Roman emperor. It was established by the Phoenicians and has been important in Carthagenian, Roman, Nubian, Berber, Ottoman, and French times as well. Our first stop of the day was the Grand Mosque, Emir Abdelkader Mosque. This enormous mosque was built in 1994 in the Islamic style and has the ability to accommodate 15,000 worshippers. There is an Islamic University associated with it. We drove to the mosque and I had to put on a hijab and veil to enter. They were provided and once I was fully covered, we made our way into the mosque. It is elaborate and beautiful on the outside and that continues on the inside also. It is cavernous but decorated in mosaic columns and elaborate chandeliers. We were able to see inside the women’s section also. We then made our photos and returned the hijab and headed to the museum. The Cirta Museum was built between 1920 and 1930 to house all the Roman artifacts discovered in and around the city. There were artifacts from the 2nd century BC and the original bronze casting of the Winged Victor which is duplicated on the War Memorial. From the museum we drove to the Palace of Ahmed Bei the last Ottoman ruler of Constantine from 1826-1848. The most impressive part of the palace is the size and number of gardens. There is a garden with a tree planted by Napoleon the third. The palace has 3 floors and 47,000 hand-painted tiles. It is in need of restorative work because of the open design but is colorful and not to be missed. We ran into Lamia here and she presented us with homemade jam. So sweet!

Our next stop was the Suspended Bridge which is Constantine’s iconic monument! It is 164 m long and is 175 meters above the Rhummel River below. It links the Casbah to the slopes. We walked across and then made our way to the Pedestrian Bridge. Again, the view was magnificent, and we walked across to where Haroun picked us up on the other side. We then made our way through crowded streets overrun by cars to the Monument of Victory, a memorial for those who fought in WWI (forced conscription for the French). The view here was phenomenal, and we saw the larger winged victory statue. We made our way to lunch and Ridad ordered for us. It was chicken and veggie dish called Trida Chwat Poulet. It was delicious and the bread they served was very different from Algiers. It was tasty and more like a pita. From the restaurant we drove to the Bridge of the Falls. Hugh enjoyed seeing this from afar and thought he could kayak it but up close it was so much larger and higher. The views were wonderful, and we knew this was our last stop before heading to the airport. We walked and enjoyed the views of some of the other bridges and then headed across the city to the airport. We arrived and said our goodbyes to Haroun and Ridad. We had to wait a while to check in and the airport is small with nothing to see or do so we read. We checked in and then made our way through security and sat in the departure lounge until the bus arrived late to take us to the plane. Again, it was a prop jet but it was warm this time and we passed the hour reading. When we landed Wassim was waiting for us and he whisked us quickly to our hotel, The Hyatt Regency airport. The hotel was beautiful and after checking in we headed to the bar for a glass of wine and to check on family and friends. It was late when we said goodnight. What a great day!

This was a morning to sleep in, take a long shower and catch up on journaling. Our flight is in the afternoon so we took it very slow. At the airport we had to clear passport control and have our bags x-rayed numerous times, but we still had time to relax before we boarded our first Qatar Air flight. We are on a 787 but still had to carry our luggage down stairs and take a bus to the plane parked on the tarmac. They board back to front after 1 class and this makes so much sense. We were in row 14 so we boarded last and had lots of luggage space and choice of seats. This is a 787 and the cabins are curtained off, so it is quieter, and the seats recline so nicely even in economy. We were stuck on the runway for almost an hour before we were allowed to take off. The flight was 5 ½ hours and I watched 3 movies, ate excellent food, and had time to watch the video on Doha. We landed and had to be bused to the terminal. The passport control line looked very long but moved quickly. After our pictures were made, our fingerprints taken, we moved out of the airport into the taxi line. We had to go to an ATM to get local currency but this was easy and soon we were on our taxi way to the Millennium Hotel. We checked in and by the time we were ready for bed it was 2 am. It was a short night as we had to be up at 7:30!

Morning came too early and we staggered to the shower at 7:30 am after about 5 hours sleep. We had a lovely breakfast in the hotel and met our guide, Javid, at 9am. We headed out of the city and there was not a lot of traffic. Soon we left the skyline of the city behind and were travelling through the new city with all the oil and gas companies, the money area of the city. We stopped for a special tea before we made our way to the sand dunes. We stopped to allow Javid to deflate the Land Cruisers tires. While this was accomplished, we rode camels and held falcons. This was Hugh’s first camel experience and he was surprised at how much they jerked when they stood. From here we took off across the dunes. No open-air vehicles here as the wind is so strong you would be blinded by the sand. The Toyota handled this well. We rode up and straight down the dunes, sand-boarded, and even got to dip our toes in the Persian Gulf with Saudi Arabia just across a narrow bay and easily seen. This was such a fun morning and we stopped on our way out to have the tires inflated before heading back into the city. On our drive we saw several of the stadiums being built for the 2022 World Cup. The one that is finished holds 40,000 people and the largest one that is nearing completion holds 85,000. Fubol is huge here!!

Our first stop in the city was the National Museum of Qatar. The inspiration behind the flower-like building was the desert rose. It is a very modern museum and held a lot of information and photo opportunities. This area is known for pearls and there were some gorgeous ones on display. After the museum we went to the Dhow boat harbor and a lovely view of the Doha skyline. We then traveled to the Katara and went into the Blue Mosque which is made from tiles acquired in Turkey. We saw the girl with a pearl statue and then headed to the Pearl Island which is an artificial island with more high rises, hotels and shops than you can imagine. We stopped at the developers to look at the model. It looks a lot like Venice in some areas but has more colorful buildings, very large hotels, and private single-family homes. In this area we saw more Bentleys, Aston Martins, and Rolls Royces than in any other area we have visited. The sad part of this development is that it is only 25% occupied. Our final stop was Souk Waqif. We saw the bird market, the falcon market, and the falcon hospital before we went to the Royal Stables and saw the guard’s horses and camels. It was getting late and time for our adventure to end. We said goodbye to Javid and stopped into a market to get some snacks. We were starved. We walked back to the hotel munching on Oreo ice cream sandwiches. At the hotel we napped, bathed, had room service for dinner and fell into bed exhausted after journaling! Up tomorrow at 5 for an 8 am flight to Kuwait.

This morning we again awoke before the chickens and started our journey. We got a taxi to the airport and quickly cleared security and passport control. We had time for coffee and muffins before we were ready to board our flight. Again with the stairs and the luggage and the bus. This is an extremely modern airport but no jetways. This flight was short and soon we landed in Kuwait. We tried to clear passport control but were told that we had to get a VISA, even though the national website says Americans do not need one. It was free and only took a little time and it was clear sailing through security. Our taxi driver spoke no English or French and we were taken to the wrong hotel, but the concierge there gave him instructions and soon we arrived at the right place. We were tired and took a rest before getting a taxi to the Grand Mosque to start our walking tour of Kuwait City sites. This is the largest mosque and the official one for Kuwait. Its area spans 480,000 sq. feet and accommodates 10,000 men and 950 women. From here we walked across to the Seif Palace which dates back to 1880. The most prominent feature is the watch tower with blue tiles and a gold-plated roof. As we walked, we passed the Dickson House which is a good example of 19th century architecture.

Our next stop was one I was not looking forward to because of the smell but the City Fish Market was in a beautiful building and the fish so fresh it smelled like the sea. It was a bustling place as fresh fish is a staple in the local diet. The fish were prepared to cook when sold. The prawns were huge, and the crabs were also quite large. This was across the street from the Souk Sharq, which is a favorite shopping arcade filled with shops and restaurants. We walked through on our way to the bridge which allowed us to continue our walk on Gulf Road. This road follows the Persian Gulf and seems to be a favorite walking place for families and a gathering place for young people. It has wide sidewalks of brick and even a boardwalk in some areas. This street holds a lot of the must-see sites of the city. We were taking lots of pictures when all of sudden 2 policemen came rushing across the street. Hugh was making pictures of the skyline and did not realize there was a police station in the foreground. They made him erase the pictures and zoom in on the skyline for his next photos. They were very friendly, and we were not threatened in any way. Our next site was the Aqua Park, which is an amusement park with water rides and cafes. It is 50 degrees F so of course it was closed but the next site was close by... The Kuwait Towers. These opened in 1977 and stand as a monument to modern Kuwait. There is an observation deck restaurant that we went to but did not eat. It was a little out of our budget as the least expensive entrée was over $50 US. Two of the towers are water tanks and the third one supplies power to the others. We next walked to the sea bridge, but it was not illuminated and a little frightening to walk on at night. We did get some great pictures of the towers from here. We then started our way back to the Souk where we thought taxis would be in abundance. We stopped for dinner and had a little trouble finding a taxi to take us to the hotel. Finally, we found one but Hugh had to use his GPS to help the driver with directions and his car felt and sounded like it was on its last leg. We made it back safely and did some wash before falling into bed. We walked over 8 miles and our tootsies were tired.

This was a slow morning for us as we did not have to leave for the airport until 1:30. We woke up late and had a great breakfast before settling in to journal and edit pictures. When the pictures were finished, we decided to take a walk to the Harley Davidson Store which we had seen on our trip to the hotel. It was only a couple of blocks and we were surprised what a new and modern store it was. We took our time looking around and Hugh purchased a Harley shirt with a camel and Kuwait on the back. We then walked back to the hotel and before long our driver appeared and we were off to the airport. When we arrived, we were treated to a great performance by the Kuwait Air Force as they were practicing for an air show. We headed in and were checked in and waiting for security in no time at all. When we cleared passport control we exited into an area with a lot of shops and restaurants. We were surprised how many of the shopkeepers asked us where we were from and said "we love the USA" to us as we passed. We found our gate and had time for some frozen custard from the Shake Shack. We then boarded our plane and in 90 minutes arrived in Bahrain. We had our VISAs and breezed through passport control. We found a taxi and soon we arrived at the Intercontinental Hotel. We checked in and left our bags in the room and went out to walk through the Souk. It was dark and crowded so we decided to walk over to the Moda Mall and really get some steps in. The mall was filled with every high-end designer shop you can think of and jewelry stores selling items that are way out of my budget. It proved to be a good place to walk but not a good place for the pocketbook! We took our time and walked back to the hotel and found the bar which was tucked away. We ordered an appetizer and a beer for Hugh and a glass of wine for me. We sat and talked for a long time before we headed to our room. We settled in for a good sleep.

This morning we awoke to find that the National Championship game between Clemson and LSU was in the 4th quarter. We kept up with the score as we prepared for the day. LSU won the game as we headed to breakfast. We texted with the children who were still awake, and both were happy as they were rooting for LSU (did I say Hugh was pulling for Clemson?). Breakfast was a buffet filled with all things good for breakfast. We took our time and then realized we needed to hurry to meet our guide (from Russia) for the city tour. We drove immediately to the Grand Mosque. We could see the minarets from a good distance. Al Fatih or Great Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world and has beautiful Kulic calligraphy. I changed into an abaya and put on my scarf before entering. This is a more progressive mosque and the men and women worship together in long rows not touching one another. We had a lovely guide who taught us the basic principles of Islamic worship. She was very knowledgeable and not judgmental at all. The mosque was lovely with beautiful handblown globes on the lights. After the mosque we made our way to a street in the souk known for sweets and had Bahrain halwa. Halwa is a dense sweet confection originating in the middle East. In this shop it was served in vats and each person got a spoon for each of the 4 vats. You got one spoonful of each flavor. They were all good! From the shop we made our way around the city seeing all the wonderful tall buildings with their fascinating shapes including the Harbor Towers and the World Trade Center. Our next stop was Qal’at al-Bahrain, an artificial mound or tell, created by many successive layers of human occupation. The strata of the 300 x 600m tell testify to continuous human presence from about 2300 BC to 16th century AD. Only about 25% of the area has been excavated because at this time there is no way to get to the oldest strata without destroying the new layers. We also visited the "Portuguese fort" here that dates back to the 6th century AD. The area where this is located has been enlarged by reclaiming land from the sea but in the process, they have destroyed the reefs and coral and fish habitats. From this area we made our way to the Bab al-Bahrain or gateway which marks the entrance to the souk or marketplace. We said good-bye to our guide here and I want to say we were a little disappointed in what we had seen.

We decided to take the walking tour we had on our phones and we were able to see much more. Walking we went to the Matam Ajam Al Kabeer Mosque which is very colorful with elaborate tile work on the outside. It was built in 1881. Leaving the souk, we headed out to see the Pearl Diver statue and, in the process, we saw the Sail Monument which celebrates the history of the pearl divers. We never found the Pearl Diver Statue but found out that it is now at the museum which was closed on Tuesday. We then made our way to the Beit Al-Qur’an Mosque, or House of the Holy Koran. Our next stop was the La Fontaine Center of contemporary Art. This is located in an old pearl merchant’s home, which is representative of the 19th century Islamic architecture. We enjoyed the open area and fountain before having a delicious light lunch at the restaurant there. We then made our way back to the hotel and decided to sit by the pool on the Persian beds and read. We lasted for maybe 30 minutes before the wind picked up and it was too chilly to sit outside. We sat in the hotel back lobby and read and rested until time to grab a light dinner and head to the airport. We got a taxi to the airport and easily checked in and made our way to our gate. Another airport where you have to carry your bags down stairs and upstairs into the plane. Our flight was fine but very noisy as the Ethiopians returning home clapped and sang and talked continuously despite the hour. Our flight was 4.5 hours and it arrived at 3:36 am. We cleared passport control easily and the airport was very small and in bad condition. We were not allowed to stay in the airport so we made our way to the exit and there was no one around... especially missing was any light or our driver that we had arranged and paid for. We continued to the parking area where the sign said to meet people and there was no one. It was dark and a bit intimidating. A nice man who drove a taxi came up and called the number on the voucher and the number was disconnected. We asked him to drive us and he said he would for $20 USD, and we were so relieved as there was no single person left in the whole dark airport parking lot at this point. He delivered us safe and sound to the Hilton and by the time we made it to our room it was 5 am. Hugh washed our clothes as we do every night and plugged in our electronics. We quickly dressed for bed and without setting a clock we crawled under the covers.

This afternoon we awoke about 1:30 pm and took our time having coffee and tea while we slowly cleared our heads. Yesterday wore us out but today is a new day. We showered and did laundry before heading down to go on a walking tour. We checked with the concierge and he told us NOT to go out on our own... not safe. We decided to explore the grounds but found a tour company in the hotel that would take us on a driving tour of the city. Our guide, Chappy, was a beautiful young woman, and her English was excellent. We had a driver and a whole minivan to ourselves. Our hotel is a landmark in Addis Ababa and makes it easy to get to the other parts of the city. Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and the African Union and is often called the "African Capital" due to its historical, diplomatic, historical, and political significance for the continent. Located in the foothills of the Entoto Mountains and standing 7,726 feet (2,355 meters) above sea level, it is the third highest capital in the world.

On our tour around the city we saw the Menelik II statue, which is a memorial to the founder of the modern city, Emperor Menelik, and his defeat of the Italian army. Our next memorial was the Lion of Judah statue which represents the ancient monarchy and the leaders killed by the Italian Fascists. This statue travelled to Rome when it was taken by the Italian army but was brought back at the time of independence. We saw the National Palace or the Jubilee Palace of Haile Selassie. We drove to Tewodros Square and saw the cannon made of bronze. It is a memorial to Emperor Tewodros. We saw the university, several orthodox churches, and travelled down Churchill Avenue which is the main shopping street of the city. It’s median is decorated with beautiful potted plants that the new President had planted. He actually comes at night to water them. He is well liked and just won the Nobel Peace Prize for his negotiation of a peace treaty with Eretria. This is a sprawling city that you can describe with the word "too"; too many people, too many cars, trucks, and buses, too much cargo on each truck, and too many people on each bus. There is poverty, prosperity, and everything in between in this city but the people remain friendly, helpful, and filled with happiness. At the end of our tour we were so glad we had not stayed in the hotel. This was something not to be missed. We cleaned up and had a lovely African dinner in one of the hotel restaurants. Then it was off to bed for us. We were very tired but did not sleep well.

This morning we were up and excited about our tour. We had until 8:30 so we went to breakfast before meeting our guide Alex in the lobby. There were two other tourists, Sharon, a gentleman from Israel, and Kelly, from California. We bonded quickly and had a great time talking as we made our way out of the congested city. There are paved roads but in poor repair and we continuously dodge potholes that take up half of the street, while also dodging people, cars, taxis, buses, and donkeys and carts. It takes a while before we are out in the countryside. We went over 10,000ft mountains just to get out of the city area! There are fields of wheat and also a grain which we did not know called teff. It is new on the market and gaining popularity all over the world as it is gluten-free. Our new friends had heard of it already. We stopped to look at the fields and the grain which is very small. We saw farmers threshing wheat the old-fashioned way with oxen like in the Bible and also winnowing wheat with pitchforks just like in ancient times. In the countryside the donkey is the main means of transportation, the main beast of burden, and the farmers most prized possession. We saw cows, sheep, goats, and donkeys being tended by small children who took their responsibilities seriously. The land is rolling hills and golden this time of year. Our first stop was at a farm to see how they mixed mud, dung, and straw to make fuel for heating and cooking. Kelly had pens and small pads for the children who multiplied as soon as she started handing them out. She used her whole bag at this one stop.

Our next stop was the Debre Libanos Monostery founded in the 13th century by Saint Tekle Haymanot. It is said that he meditated in a cave for 29 years before building this monastery which was destroyed by the Italian army, and 800 monks killed, but later rebuilt. We visited the church and Kelly and I donned the white scarves that the women wear. Alex gave us a great history of the building and each of the stained-glass windows as well as the artwork. We then climbed to the cave church high above. The climb was steep and rugged and took us a while as the altitude made it more difficult. We were at about 9500 feet when we reached the cave. We went it to the cave which was dug by hand and on the first strike water came out of the rock. This water is still collected today as a type of holy water. From here we made our way into the mountains and stopped for the view of the African Rift valley with two tributaries of the Nile at the bottom. We then made our way to lunch at a restaurant with a fabulous view. It was very local and the food was served in large bowls. It was delicious and we enjoyed watching the baboons play as we ate. From the restaurant we made a long hike to the Portuguese bridge. We wound our way along the cliff edge through cacti with an astounding view at every turn. When we made it to the bridge it was another arduous climb on rocks, but I was blessed to have the local guide to help me. The bridge is said to be ancient but in reality, it was built in the 1890’s in the Portuguese style. In the rainy season there is an impressive waterfall here but not today! This is considered by Ethiopians and some others to be the source of the Nile River. We made the climb back up and went to meet our driver. He had some trouble on the gravel and steep incline so we all got out and he was able to gun it an make the climb out as we hiked behind. The drive back to the city was very long and we were all tired. It was quiet until we made our last stop at Entoto Hill for an impressive view. Unfortunately, it was hazy and our view was not so great. The traffic was horrid and the drive slow. It was after 7 pm when we said goodbye to Alex, Kelly, and Sharon. We decided on bar food for dinner with a beer or glass of wine. Then it was off to bathe and bed!

This morning we thought we had set the alarm but must not have because we awoke at 9 am. No worries, it is a slow morning for us. We had room service breakfast and worked on journaling and pictures before showering and packing for our flight this afternoon to Dubai. We rearranged our clothes and backpacks as we have left cold weather behind us finally we hope. We checked out of the hotel and got a taxi to the airport around 1:30pm. This was our first Emirates flight and we are interested in comparing it to Qatar Air which was fabulous. The fact that the flight left 1.5 hours late did not start on a good note. The boarding process was ok but they did not board back to front and it was much more congested. The seats were comfortable and there were great entertainment centers at each seat. The food was good and the flight seemed shorter than 4.5 hours. The exit from the plane was just like in Ethiopia, everyone got up and lined up before the plane stopped taxiing and no one had any concept of waiting for anyone in front of them. MASS CHAOS! We breezed through immigration and were soon in a taxi heading to our hotel... then the fun started. Our driver assured us he knew where we were going, then he called the hotel for directions. Then we drove around for a while before he stopped and asked for directions. The next clue that he had no idea where we were going was when he asked for directions again and we arrived at an office building. He asked the guard there and we found we were on the backside of that building. We were so happy to see our lovely hotel, Jabeel House. The check-in was easy and by midnight we were in bed.

This morning we had to be up early, and we were tired when we awoke. We showered and had breakfast before meeting our tour group at 7:45. Everyone was on time and we were on our way at 8 after meeting Ramy, our tour manager for the next 5 days. We were assigned the front seats and there will be seat rotation... typical of Gate1! Our first stop was the Dubai Museum! The museum is located in the oldest stronghold in Dubai, the Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1787. The galleries are well presented and we got to see the progression of Dubai up until today. From the fort we made our way to the souk area. We had time in the textile souk before we boarded an abra to cross the creek; this is a boat that has been used for hundreds of years as a water taxi and is still used daily. On the other side of the creek we went to the spice market and the gold and silver souk. We had more time than we needed to look around and we took a walk along the water.

We boarded our bus again at noon and our next stop was the old town called Al Fahidi. We had lunch in the cultural center which is housed in a pearl merchants’ home. The room we were in was the central courtyard and it was lovely. We had a young woman come and tell us about the culture of the area and how it has changed and is continuing to change. This program was called "open doors; open minds"! We were allowed to ask anything, and she answered frankly! She started by explaining the course of a typical meal, starting with a small cup of coffee and dates followed by the main course, ending with tea! She spoke for 1.3 hours while we ate and it was so informational. We then had a 20-minute drive back to the hotel. We did some laundry and then rested until time to shower for our welcome orientation and dinner. We ate with a lovely couple and then took a walk around the block before heading up to prepare for tomorrow.

I love tours but 6:30 am still comes early. After breakfast we boarded our bus for a tour of new Dubai. Our first stop was at the entrance of Palm Island Jumeriah. This is an artificial offshore island in the shape of a Palm Tree inside a crescent which is a breakwater. The island has 17 fronds and each of the areas is exclusive, the trunk is condos, the fronds private homes, and the crescent hotels. It was opened for sale in 2006 and sold out in 3 days. The homes that sold for under a million now sale for over 8 million. We made a stop at the beach, and then took the tunnel to the crescent where we stopped at the Atlantis. We then took the monorail to the entrance which gave us a great overview. Our next stop was a photo stop for the Burj Al Arab, or the sail hotel which is the symbol of Dubai. It is the largest hotel and is definitely 5 stars; you cannot even drive on the property unless you can show a hotel confirmation. From the beach near the hotel we drove to the Dubai Mall. This is the world’s largest mall housing 1300 stores on 4 floors, an underwater zoo, an aquarium, an ice rink, and many other sites including the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. It soars 2717 feet and we took the elevator to the top where we had a truly panoramic view of Dubai. The line was long and slow even though we had timed tickets, but the view was worth it! We just made the elevator descent in time to grab some yogurt and get to the Fountain Show, the world’s largest choreographed fountain show. It was set to opera and phenomenal. After the show we decided to see the waterfall and the ice rink in the mall before we stopped for coffee in a cute café! One thing we observed, families in other parts of the world still spank their children when they misbehave and they are much easier to be around than in America.

We made the decision not to go to the hotel and we got a taxi to the Miracle Garden. This was a day of "world’s largests" as the gardens are branded as the worlds largest natural flower display, with over 50 million flowers. This season it is done in a Disney theme, but this will change in the fall. We spent the afternoon just strolling the paths and admiring God’s beauty. This was a great way to spend the afternoon, but we will pay for it tonight when we have to edit the pictures. We made way too many but there was beauty every way you turned. We got a taxi back to the hotel and had time to journal and rest before showering for dinner. Tonight we are having a late dinner on a dhow boat near the harbor. We arrived and found our tables and soon we were under way. It was a warm night and no wind so sitting on top was very pleasant. The food was served buffet style and they called us table by table. The food was fine but I am tiring of buffets. We saw the twisted tower and all the lovely skyline of Dubai lit up. It was late when the trip ended and thankfully it was a quick trip to the hotel. Off to bed for us after a long day.

This was another morning of early breakfast and on the bus by 8. It was a 45-minute drive to Sharjah, another emirate in the UAE. Our first stop was for photos at the square where we could see the Koran statue, the mosque, the library, and a lovely government building. From there we drove to the Sharjah Heritage Museum. This was a small museum, but it was filled with dioramas, artifacts, and textiles. We enjoyed walking through and then we crossed over the square and walked through the Souk of Antiquities. This was a bit of a misnomer as they had more souvenir shops than they had antique shops. From here we drove to the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Culture. This museum is in a huge building that initially was an indoor souk. It opened in 2008 and houses more than 5000 artifacts from the Islamic world. Ramy gave us a detailed overview and we appreciated him pointing out the coverings from the mosque in Mecca... we will never be able to see this in person and the embroidery is fantastic. We then had time to wander at our own pace. It was a very interesting place and we felt we learned a lot. Our next stop was the Central Market. We visited the fish market and the grocery before taking time to walk outside and admire the view on the water.

Our next adventure was in the Central Souk and the best part of this was the caramel popcorn we had. I don’t shop at home and nothing here was appealing, too much gold for me!! Then it was back to Dubai and our hotel. We had a quick turn-around as our next adventure began in less than an hour. We were picked up in 4x4 Land Cruisers. We rode with one other couple and arrived at the tire deflation station in about 45 minutes. Then it was off to the dunes. We were supposed to go in caravan fashion but there were guests in the other cars that were having trouble, sick and or nervous. They stopped to shift them into a car that would go slower but the rest of us went dune busting big time. We were flying over the dunes and having a great time when it was time for a photo stop. We climbed the dunes and enjoyed the view while the others caught up. Then it was off to the Bedouin camp. When we arrived Ramy treated us to roasted corn, and we also had the usual greeting of coffee and a sweet; this time it was Arabic doughnuts drizzled in date honey. We then went for a camel ride and had our appetizers. Becky and I went for our henna tattoos. We had a buffet again and then we were entertained by a man who twirled with fire batons, fire chains, and then he drank lighter fluid and breathed fire. We had a dervish to entertain us next, and then came the belly dancer. By the end everyone was tired and ready for the ride back to the hotel. We were in bed by 9:45 and fast asleep.

Up and off by 8 again! This is getting to be our routine. Today we have 1.5-hour drive to Abu Dhabi. The traffic is not bad on our side of the highway and we seem to make great time. We watched a video on the building projects in Dubai as we travelled. Our first stop was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. When we first saw it, the huge size was overwhelming but that overwhelming feeling was just beginning. We parked in a parking lot that would hold 200 buses, enter through a glass dome where we descended two stories down an escalator into a shopping area where we could get Costa coffee, Starbucks Coffee, Cinnabon, or shop for traditional clothing. The ladies went to the toilet to don our scarves to cover our heads and make sure our arms were covered to the wrist. We then went through security, walked almost a mile and then rode an escalator up to the mosque entrance. You have no freedom here as there are guards monitoring your every move and keeping you on the marked path. The photo stops are clearly marked with a sample picture. We made our way to all the public areas where we saw the world’s longest hand-knotted carpet and the world’s largest chandelier. The beauty is amazing and the carvings, paintings, and in-lay work is incredible. We exited onto the grounds which are just as beautiful. They have projectors that change the color of the mosque at night according to the position of the moon. Our next stop was the Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Exhibition. Here we saw all things Sheikh including historical pictures, his cars, is awards, and some history of the country. Interesting!!

We then headed to the Marina Mall for a lunch break. Lunch was frozen yogurt with fruit for us while we walked. The mall was typical, but the setting was lovely, with views across the harbor to the skyline and the Sultan’s Palace. There was a huge Ferris wheel in front. The time here was a little long and we were glad when we left for our photo stop across the harbor and the went on to the Louvre Museum Abu Dhabi. The museum was amazing, and the 1.5 hours was not enough time... next time less mall and more museum! From the museum we crossed over to another island and went to the Ferrari World which was interesting but not very much time here. From there we could see the formula one racecourse. Then it was back to Dubai and goodbye to Ramy. We rested a bit and then walked to a cute restaurant and had dinner. After dinner we went to the room and packed and then went to the lobby bar and took our computers. We almost got caught up on our journaling and enjoyed some great wine. Then it was on to bed and tomorrow we fly to Uganda.

This morning we woke up early and were at breakfast at 6:15. We got a cab to the airport and cleared immigration easily. Our flight was on time, but we had a scare. Dubai is a silent airport and we were not sitting at our gate and when I went to look at the board it said final call. We rushed to the bus and made it to the last one. We got on the plane and then sat for almost an hour on the tarmac while they cleared plastic off. We had a good flight once we were in the air. We landed at Entebbe and cleared immigration easily. We walked out of the airport and there were tents set up for meeters and greeters and for hotel shuttles. We saw our hotel listed and found our shuttle. It was a long trip to Kampala and to our hotel. It is a nice hotel, but our room is a little outdated. We unpacked and rested a bit before we went for a walk and enjoyed a dinner and wine under the stars. We met a lovely couple who worked at the hotel who wanted to talk and share social media contacts. Off to a warm tub and then to bed. We have to up and out by 6 am.

Today we had to be up early and ready to meet our guide in the lobby at 6 am. We could not have breakfast at the hotel because they did not serve until 6:30 so we took breakfast cookies with us to eat on the trip. Chris was right on time and we settled in for what our information said was a 5 hour tour. We felt a little like Gilligan from TV when Chris told us that the drive to the park was 4 hours and we would not be back to the hotel for about 15 hours! We settled into our seats in the van and off we went. The drive out of Kampala was easy as it was so early. We did not start hitting traffic until we hit the first smaller town where people were just setting up their stands and putting out their merchandise. These small towns have speed humps unlike any we have ever seen. They are 3 small one in a row and they really rattle a car. Unfortunately, we came to many small towns on our trip. We made our first stop when we reached the equator. We were able to straddle the equator for a picture with a foot in each hemisphere. We continued our drive 2 more hours and at the 4-hour mark we turned into a very rutted dirt road. We drove 45 minutes and saw some zebras and some long-horned cattle. We also saw some pheasant and crested cranes. We finally arrived at the entrance to Mburo National Park, the smallest national park in Uganda. After checking in with the rangers we drove into the park. It may be small, but we saw impalas, with their cute ears and rears (all striped), Jackson Hartebeest, warthogs, water buffalo, giraffes, and many more zebras, who were always in the road. The drive was wonderful, and Chris stopped whenever we wanted to make photos.

Several hours into the drive we arrived at the Mburo Lake. We saw the Vervet monkeys playing on the shore and some very large hippos swimming in the lake. At one we were served a delicious lunch at the small restaurant there and at 2 we had a 2-hour boat tour. Our boat tour was a lot of fun as we had a group of German tourists and a young engaged couple from London on the boat with us. We shared travel stories as we watched the different groups of hippos we encountered, saw many African Fish Eagles, and many other beautiful birds including the Bee Eater and the Giant Kingfisher. There was papyrus growing on the banks of the lake and at one area we encountered 2 water buffalo drinking and grazing. We all loved the trip and were amazed when we arrived back at the dock to find 2 hippos up in the grass grazing. After a quick rest stop, we headed out of the park and started the long trek back. It was a long and difficult trip and when we arrived in Kampala it got much worse. Traffic had been bad all the way but here it was so bad that if I had been driving, I would have stopped and cried (I told Chris this at the end). People were everywhere selling things, two lane roads had cars 5 abreast with the hawkers in the middle and at the traffic circles people, cars, trucks, and motorcycles jockey for even an inch of space. I was so happy when we reached our hotel. It was 8:45pm and it had been a long day. Hugh was searched at the gate but other than that our day was wonderful. We said our goodbyes and went to the restaurant to have some wine and dinner. We bathed and fell into to bed, no pictures or journaling for us.

This morning was another early one. We had time for breakfast but had to meet our guide, Samuel, at 7. We settled in for what promised to be an 8-hour drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. We made good time to the equator and after a quick photo we continued on. We stopped for lunch at a nice restaurant with great food in the town of Mbarara. As we drove Samuel pointed out the border crossing to Rwanda and to the Democratic Republic of Congo. From there we rested or read or listened to our iPod until we started climbing up into the mountains. The scenery changed rapidly and the people we saw were poor but working hard to cultivate the steep land they had. We saw tea, corn, beans, and some other crops we were not sure of. We continued to climb until we were at over 8500 feet. We turned onto a dirt road and wound around the mountain until we came to Rushaga Gorilla Haven’s Lodge. We were greeted warmly and quickly checked in. We made our dinner choices and 2 lovely ladies helped us with our bags. We had to walk down a rock stair a good distance to get to our room. We settled and did some computer work and suddenly it was dinner time. We quickly prepared for dinner and hiked our way up the path. We had hot tea while waiting on Samuel to join us. Dinner was delicious and there was another young man who had done the gorilla trek today and he showed us his pictures. We are so excited. After dinner we went back to our room only to be told that they were moving us because our solar power was not working. We packed up and moved even further down the hill to a new room. Once we settled in, we gathered everything we need for tomorrow and cleaned before getting into bed. We did not do a lot today, but we were both tired.

Today is the big day and the sun is shining as we gather our gear and join Sam for breakfast. We ate well and packed the car. We headed down the mountain a bit before turning into the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, 124 sq. miles that are only accessible on foot. This World heritage site is home to 14 mountain gorilla groups and that is what we were there to see. Samuel took our passports to sign us in and we headed up for the orientation lecture. The park is inhabited by 300 individual mountain gorillas which is over half of all the mountain gorillas in the world. Our ranger told us that we would be accompanied by a guide, two rangers with guns, and porters if we would like. We decided immediately to get 2 porters one to help with the very full backpack and the other to help with the very old bodies! We joined our group, Kahaunge (the name given to the family of gorillas we would look for), and our guide David and awaited the arrival of the other 6 people in our group. We were expecting to be grouped with people of like age and ability and were very surprised when we were joined by 6 young people the oldest at maybe 40. Our porters, Didas and Ephram, introduced themselves and we were off up the mountain. The climb was rather steep but we were on an animal path which made it easier. When we reached the top David announced that the trackers were on the heels of the gorillas in our family but had not seen them yet. We were to wait where we were until they had made contact. We waited a while getting acquainted and the group was very solicitous to the old folks. At last David announced that they had seen the gorillas including a large silverback, a mom, and at least one baby. He said the group had divided and part went up and part went down and we were going down because we were closer to that area. Sounded like a great idea, down is good so I thought. We went straight into the jungle and there was no path to follow so you had to maintain contact with the person in front, remember the name of this park is IMPENETRABLE. The rangers hacked their way through the dense brush as we scampered to keep up and hung on to anything we could to keep from slipping and breaking something. The hiking poles helped a lot, but my new best friend became Didas who was constantly holding my hand and showing me the safest place to step. He helped me over trees that blocked the path and even helped me jump a stream that came out of nowhere. The heat, humidity, and altitude made it hard to breathe and there were these small flies that were a constant problem. This was hard! All of a sudden, the ranger held up his hand and made us stop. He hacked some brush and we had our first sighting of the male silverback. He was magnificent! He was eating when we arrived but soon decided to move to another location and we followed right behind. Along the path we took we found the mother and one very entertaining baby of about 2 years. He did somersaults, grabbed at our legs, and pretended to sleep. We enjoyed the show but the large male did not want to share the area so he moved on and again we followed. This continued until our hour was up. You can only stay in contact with a group for one hour and then you must leave them alone. We headed back to join our porters who had held our poles and waited for us. Our trackers said goodbye to us and went to help another group who had not yet found their family of gorillas. We then started the trek up and this is where age began to show its ugly self. We were huffing and puffing trying to keep up but Didas and Ephram kept us on the path and pushed when necessary and pulled at other times and even though I struggled a bit we made it back to the top. Each time I would say "I’m OK", Didas would reply, "you are not OK, you are wonderful". This spurred me on and made me smile. At the top we ate our packed lunches and then made our way down the mountain. Our legs felt like jello when we arrived back at camp, but we had big smiles on our faces. Samuel was waiting for us and was excited that we had such a great encounter. Our whole group celebrated and whooped and hollered as our certificates, given to those who actually encounter the gorillas, were handed out.

We said our goodbyes and joined Samuel for our drive to Lake Bunyonyi where we were spending the night. This is a much shorter drive than last night’s accommodations but still took over an hour on tortuous dirt mountain roads. When we arrived, we were met by Robert, who manages The Lake Bunyonyi Eco Lodge where we are staying. We boarded a small boat to take us to the island. The views are magnificent and peaceful. As we neared the dock, we saw impala grazing on the hillside. Robert told us that there are impala, zebras, many different birds, and 3 donkeys on the property. We check in and were shown to our cabin overlooking the lake. It was lovely and we wanted to explore so we showered and put on less stinky clothes and headed out. The property was beautiful and the views great. We enjoyed an encounter with the donkeys and watched a frisky monkey playing nearby. We enjoyed a glass of wine on the terrace before joining Samuel for dinner. The food was amazing, but we were so tired we did not linger. We went straight to bed and of course that means we have not yet seen our pictures!

This morning we did not have to get up unreasonably early but still were at breakfast at 7:30. We arrived before Samuel and enjoyed some tea before they served us our eggs. We trekked down to the boat and made the silent trip across the lake. It was sad saying goodbye to this lovely tranquil place. Back in the van again and off on the bumpy road to the highway. My body has felt like a James Bond martini, very shaken not stirred over the last several days. Samuel had some issues with the van overheating, and we had to stop and add water several times. We finally made it back to the equator and we stopped for a late lunch. We had cheeseburger and chips... not sure what makes the chips so good here but we love them. Then we continued our drive to Entebbe and the airport. We had to stop on the toll road for over-heating again and we were blessed that there was a lady doing wash in her yard and she gave us a can of water. Hugh gave her some dollars and she almost kissed him. We need to be at the airport at 6 and we arrived at 5:59pm. We said our goodbyes to Samuel and made our way to Kenya Air to check in. The process was easy and soon we finished with immigration and made our way to the waiting area. No gate was assigned so it was just wait. When our flight was called, we made our way down 2 flights of stairs and onto the bus. Not sure why they assign zones for check-in as we all get on the same bus. We were blessed that Hugh’s bag fit in the overhead even though this was a small plane. We settled in for the flight to Nairobi and before we knew it we were landing. We found our flight posted for Lilongwe but again no gate. Once the gate was posted we waited and waited and waited. Finally, Hugh went to seek help and was told that our flight was delayed and would not leave until 12:45 am. Once on the plane I settled in to sleep... lucky me had 2 seats...and slept the whole flight as did Hugh. We arrived in Lilongwe at 2:30 am and had to get our VISA. We were 2nd in line but by the time we went to all three of the stations it took a long time. We spoke with a gentleman from Australia and he offered us a ride into down. He had a driver waiting. Once out of the airport it was a long drive into the city. He dropped us off at our hotel, Woodlands Resort, and we had to get the guard to give us our key. Fortunately, he walked us to our cabin as it was a long way down a gravel road. We were so tired, we just brushed teeth and fell into bed. We had a city tour at 9 that morning and we were dreading it.

We awoke after just a short sleep, showered, and were ready for the day. We had no hot water and the toilet did not flush well so we reported this as we went to breakfast. We had just finished our breakfast when the receptionist came to say our guide was waiting. We met Ray Brown and Happy our driver outside and started our tour. The first stop was close by, The Lilongwe Wildlife Center. This is a rehabilitation center for injured or sick wild animals and birds. Our guide took us through the reserve and introduced us to the monkeys, baboon, eagles, etc. that they are working with at this point in time. The goal is to release them back in the wild. It was very well done and the veterinarians are from the USA and Britain, both women, who are doing wild animal post grad degrees. From the center we drove past the new parliament building and on to the mausoleum of Mr. Banda who is considered the father of the country by some. We had a local guide and he sang the praises of the man but when we asked Ray he said he was controversial.

Our next stop was the WW1 Memorial and again we heard the praises of Banda but also great info on the men who had died in the war. Our next stop was the futbol stadium and it was huge, seating 40,000. Ray said they have a good team even though they have never made it to the World Cup. We were starting to drag so we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant. We were introduced to Nsima, a boiled ground corn soft bread that is used as the fork or spoon to eat the rest of the meal. It was hot and I had beans, pumpkin leaves cooked like creamed spinach, and chicken. Hugh had the same meal with fish. We enjoyed this but were ready to go to the hotel for a nap when we finished. We arrived back at the hotel and when we retrieved our key we were told they had moved us to another cabin. Our luggage was waiting, and everything worked here. We fell into our bed and slept until dinner time. Once we could keep our eyes open, we showered and went for a long walk before dinner. The food at this resort is supposed to be amazing so we settled in for a great meal. It lived up to expectations and we enjoyed some wine with our meal. After dinner we went to the room and packed and readied ourselves for the next day. We are leaving at 3 am for the drive to Mzuzu. The late nights and early mornings are getting just a bit old.!!!

We awoke in the dark and made our way to reception, turned in the key to the guard, and met Ray and Happy. We settled in the back seat and off we went to Mzuzu. There was no traffic and it was cool. The Rav 4 needed oil so we stopped for that and Hugh bought some snacks. We finally arrived in Mzuzu at 8:20 am and our first stop was to the hotel. We are staying at the Grand Palace, and it is new and lovely. We went to our room and dropped our bags before heading off the see a coffee grower. We thought this was some big farm but it was a small farm which is the norm in this area. We met the farmer, Justin, and he showed us around. He is quite the entrepreneur and has macadamia, pine, mango, banana, orange, and apple trees. He said that the co-op takes too much of the money for coffee to be the only crop. This farm was located on top of a mountain and all the trees were planted down the hillside. He has quite the operation and is so proud of all he has accomplished. It was a great way to spend the morning just talking with him.

From there we headed down the mountain and went to the Coffee factory. The gentleman we were to see was tied up so we went for lunch first. When we left the restaurant, it started to rain. At the coffee factory our guide was the manager and he knew his coffee. He took us through the process from arrival from the co-op, to the sorting of the beans, done by hand by 200 women, to the roasting, grinding, and packaging. We were even able to see the quality control and how it ensures continuity of a great product. It was raining hard when we left the factory so we headed to the hotel. This was perfect for Hugh and I as we were very tired. We rested, then worked on our journaling and pictures before and after dinner. We ate in the hotel restaurant and it was very tasty. We planned to sleep in tomorrow as we don’t leave until 10.

This morning we awoke late and had big smiles on our faces... we were not sleep deprived or tired. We showered and went to breakfast after our bags were packed. The hotel had a lovely breakfast and we were ready to roll when Ray and Happy appeared. Today we are driving to Lake Malawi, nicknamed the calendar lake because it is 365 miles long and 52 miles wide. The drive to the Makuzi beach Resort on Lake Malawi was only 2 hours and after we negotiated the rather long dirt road into the resort, we were pleased to find a paradise type resort.

We met Lara who owns the place, Blessed the bartender/everything guy, and Susanna who will be taking care of our room and doing our laundry. We were shown to our chalet, #8, and we were soon busy washing our undies and shoes, they don’t do those as everything is washed by hand and air dried. We had just changed into shorts when Blessed brought the menu for us to order our lunch and dinner. We are the only guests, so we have run of the place. We dropped off our laundry and took a walk before we went to lunch. We had soup and spring rolls and it was amazing. Everything fresh and made on premises.

After lunch we walked around the property before donning our bathing suits and wading in the lake, listening to iPods or napping in the sun. When we could be lazy no longer, we grabbed our computers and headed to the beach chairs and did some journaling and picture sorting. At 6 we went in to get ready for dinner. They have a table set on the verandah with white table cloth and candles for our dinner. So cool!!! The bartender is Philemon and the white wine was cool and crisp. The dinner was amazing as was the setting! We sat on the beach watching sheet lightening in the distance! It was a lovely evening and we went to bed happy with our fan going and the mosquito netting down. We can hear the waves, so peaceful. The next 2 days followed the first with lots of sun, lots of relaxing, wonderful food, great host, we had fun evening talking with Brett, Lara’s husband, and good sleep. We even took the kayak out several times, watched some movies, and reorganized our suitcases. This was a wonderful break in the middle of a most fantastic trip!

Last night we had a terrific storm with lots of lightning and thunder. It seems to have cleared and today looks lovely. We dressed and finished packing before we headed to breakfast. After we ate, we walked on the beach and Hugh went to see a most amazing camper setup. We wandered back to the room in time to brush our teeth and head out to meet our guide. We said goodbye to everyone, settled our bill, and were ready to leave when Ray and Happy drove up. We thought the drive would be shorter today, but it still took us 5 hours to get back to Lilongwe...it seemed we were moving quickly but only averaged about 38 miles an hour... lots of small villages, people, and animals on the road. We saw people selling fish, large catfish, live chickens, fruits and veggies, and even butchered meat by the roadside. When we arrived back at Woodlands, they welcomed us like old friends. We said goodbye to Ray and Happy and went to our chalet. We were going for a walk, but it started raining so we looked at pictures and watched movies until time for dinner. We ate in the hotel restaurant and the food was just as good as before. After dinner we went back to the chalet and finished out movies before going to sleep.

Last night we had a terrific storm with lots of lightning and thunder. It seems to have cleared and today looks lovely. We dressed and finished packing before we headed to breakfast. After we ate, we walked on the beach and Hugh went to see a most amazing camper setup. We wandered back to the room in time to brush our teeth and head out to meet our guide. We said goodbye to everyone, settled our bill, and were ready to leave when Ray and Happy drove up. We thought the drive would be shorter today, but it still took us 5 hours to get back to Lilongwe... it seemed we were moving quickly but only averaged about 38 miles an hour... lots of small villages, people, and animals on the road. We saw people selling fish, large catfish, live chickens, fruits and veggies, and even butchered meat by the roadside. When we arrived back at Woodlands, they welcomed us like old friends. We said goodbye to Ray and Happy and went to our chalet. We were going for a walk, but it started raining so we looked at pictures and watched movies until time for dinner. We ate in the hotel restaurant and the food was just as good as before. After dinner we went back to the chalet and finished out movies before going to sleep.

We had a delicious breakfast at the hotel and got our things from the room. We were waiting in the lobby when our driver arrived to take us to Tremisana Lodge. We were in a van with 6 other people and it was a bit cramped. The drive lasted 7.5 hours with a few stops for bathroom and lunch. We arrived just in time for the afternoon game drive. Pretty met us with the room assignments and we dropped our bags before we boarded the Landcruiser for the 2-hour game drive. The only animals we saw were one elephant, some impalas, and some hornbills. We were not very enthusiastic when we stopped for the sunset, but the view was lovely.

From our sunset we drove to the bush braai at the Marula Tree Boma! We were greeted by Pretty and she explained about the Marula tree and the liqueur that bears its name. We got to try the liqueur and it was a lot like Baileys. We then were served a delicious dinner and we had fun getting to know our traveling companions. On our way back to the lodge we saw a leopard just walking down the road we were travelling...talk about convenient. This made our drive! Back at the chalet we readied ourselves for our long drive in Kruger at 7 am. Cameras were charged and clothes readied before we went to bed.

This morning we were excited for our first adventure to Kruger. When we have been here before we were always at private game reserves. We loaded the land cruiser and headed off. There were 4 of us to start but we picked up a family of 3 on our way. It was an hour drive to Orpen Gate, and we were anxious to see some animals. We stopped at the gate to register and we had time to buy water and snacks. As we drove into the park, we saw zebras, wildebeest, and impala. Before long we saw a huge male elephant and then we saw some giraffe. Victor our guide said we had not seen elephants up close yet and he would show us and show us he did. We saw more elephant than we have ever seen, and they were up close and personal. We saw a lot of giraffe, water buck, aka, as the toilet seat antelope because of the white markings on their rears that look like a toilet seat. We were constantly on the lookout for the lions but no one we saw or stopped to ask had seen any. We took a longer than usual drive scouting for the cats and we were rewarded, we saw 2 male lions reclining under a tree. They were not as close as we would have liked but we did get to see them raise their heads and give us a full view. We ended up for lunch at a small café that victor says they rarely use. Because they do not usually drive that far. We were happy he did.

After lunch we went back to check on our lions but they were asleep. We continued our drive out of the park and saw so many elephants, giraffes, and impalas that we tired of making photos. It was a long day and we arrived back at the lodge at 7:30pm. The power was out but we turned on headlamps and showered before heading to a candlelight dinner. Everyone was in good spirits and we had lively conversation with our excellent food! The power came back on as we sat enjoying our wine. It was later than we expected when we headed to bed. We arranged our clothes and packed for the next day before going to bed. We would later learn that all over South Africa the power would be turned off for a couple hours a day in a process known as "load sharing" as a way to ration power.

Up at "5 dark 30" for a game drive. We met our group for coffee before boarding our 4x4. We did not initially see many animals and I was afraid they did not get up as early as we did. We saw a beautiful giraffe walking down the road. He was very large and darker than the ones from yesterday. We saw impala and zebra but the real find this morning was a white rhino. He was very large and we watched him for a while. His horn had been removed to keep him safe from poachers. This is a project designed to help increase the population of rhinos which is very low. Our drive was shortened because we had to drive back to Johannesburg.

We had breakfast and got our bags out by 7:30 and the van was loaded and off to Blyde Rive Canyon. We are taking the scenic route to Joburg today. Everyone in the van has earphone on and it is a quiet drive. The scenery is lovely and soon we are seeing the magnificent canyon, the third largest in the world. About 11 we stopped at the 3 Rondavels, three round mountain tops very similar to the traditional African home called a rondavel. The viewpoint is spectacular, and you look over the canyon to the rondavels on the other side along the northern edge of the Drakensberg mountains. After our stop here we drove on toward Joburg and stopped for lunch about halfway. We were supposed to meet another driver and change vans but he was running late. After a delicious lunch we drove on about another hour before meeting the driver and changing vans for our drive on to Joburg. We arrived a bit before 5 and checked into the Southern Suns Hotel close to the airport. We cleaned up and went to dinner at the hotel and then went up to bed. It was a very long day!

This morning we slept in and showered and headed to breakfast. Our flight to Durban was at 11:15 and it was easy to get the shuttle to the airport. We were sitting at our gate when I looked and the gate and the terminal had changed. We made a mad dash for the correct gate and arrived just in time to board. The flight was easy and this was a new airline for us, MANGO! We arrived in Durban and quickly cleared the airport and got a taxi to our hotel which is downtown on the Indian Ocean beach. We checked in and did some very much needed laundry.

We decided to go for a long walk. It was so easy to get lots of miles in as the city has a lovely beachfront walk. We made it to the end and then went back to some shops we saw on our way down. We were hot and sweaty when we made our way back to the Protea Hotel but we were pleased we had 6 miles behind us. We showered and reorganized our luggage and then headed to happy hour. We sat outside and Hugh talked to Bill. We took our second glass of wine to dinner and enjoyed both. This is another night when we need to get to bed early as we have an early 6 a.m. pick-up tomorrow.

Up at 5 am again and ready for a big day. It is raining and rather foggy but we head out to Lesotho via the Sani Pass. Our drive from Durban is 3 hours and then we changed into a large 4x4 that seated 9 people comfortably. We started our drive on some paved area of the pass and we were admiring the scenery when things changed dramatically. The pavement ended and the slick mud started and even our 4x4 was sliding and turning as we made the hairpin turns and steep grades. It was misty and it made it seem scarier than it was I think as I look back. Our driver Martin took it all in stride and did not break a sweat as we all gasped and ooohed. Hugh was seated by a lovely British couple and they had an ongoing conversation. I was seated next to a French couple and they chose not to speak any English. We made it to the area that says 4x4’s only and continued up the mountain. We arrived at the passport check station and we all stood around glad to be on solid ground. Back in the car we continued in a caravan with other companies that do the tour. By law only 4x4’s can make the trip and it is advised to have a skilled driver and we did. We cleared the Lesotho passport check and reached the top of the pass. We saw men in traditional blankets and the visited a village where we had a wonderful local tell us about the houses, made of dirt and dung with thatched roofs. We enjoyed a traditional bread cook in a kettle with coals on top and on the bottom. It was delicious. We were able to shop for some crafts made in the village before we drove past the chief’s house with its bright yellow door.

Our next stop was for lunch at a bar that is the highest in Africa. The food was great and there were some great views when the sun came out. The trip down was just as exciting and rough but the sun gave us new views to enjoy! Our guide met us for the journey back to Durban. We stopped for sandwiches on the way, and when we finally made it to Durban, we said our goodbyes and took a long walk. We were so tired of sitting. After our walk we had a glass of wine and talked to Bill before heading up for a bath and bed.

Today we slept later and then took a long walk before stopping for breakfast. We dawdled so long that we had to make a dash back to the hotel and shower for our flight to Nelspruit. The driver picked up at 11 and the drive to the airport was easy. We checked in and found our gate. It was an easy flight to Joburg where we had to change planes. Our flight was late landing so we had to hustle and find our new gate. We had no time to sit as they were boarding the plane. Again, the flight was short, but the service was superb. They served a snack and a drink, cleaned up everything and did it with a smile... and our flight was only 45 minutes. When we landed the airport was lovely and the sun was shining. We found a taxi and were soon at our hotel, The Protea. We checked emails, talked to family and friends, and made the decision to walk to a Thai restaurant 1.4 Km away. We headed out and soon realized that the 1.4 miles was all up hill. It was hot and then it started to rain. We finally made it only to find that the restaurant had closed even though it said it was open on line. We walked back and ate near the hotel. We even grabbed candy for dessert while we journal and edit pictures.

This morning we awoke early and were sitting in the lobby at 6:50 waiting for our driver for our Swaziland tour. The staff at the hotel brought us coffee and fruit for breakfast because we were leaving before they started serving. We ate, drank our coffee, and waited. At 7:30 we called the tour company but no one answered. At 8:30 the tour director called back and said they were picking us up at 9 as planned. We told him it was planned for 7 and had been confirmed the day before. At 9 a driver from a transport company arrived. Once we were settled in he told us he had gotten a call at 8:30 from the tour company saying they needed his services immediately. Jackson was his name and he is the owner of the company and a truly nice guy. His Mercedes sedan is a step up in touring and very comfortable. The scenery was lovely with beautiful mountain vistas. He was congenial and we had a lovely conversation all the way to the border crossing. The time went by fast and the border crossing was quick. Once in Swaziland we made our way to the Cultural Village of Mantenga. We were told that the next dance performance would be at 3. I was 12:30 so went to have a great lunch of fish and roasted veggies. After lunch we went to the downtown area and shopped for soft sided luggage for the next portion of our trip. We let Jackson dicker with the people, and we purchased 2 bags for just a little money. We then made our way to the cultural village and took the village tour. Our guide was excellent, and we learned about the lifestyle of the Swazi people 100 years ago. They had 2 wives and each wife had 3 houses, a sleeping house, a kitchen, and a bar where they brewed beer. The 2 wives interacted with one another, but their areas were separate.

After our tour we went to the show where they sang and danced their traditional way. Their voices were beautiful, and we enjoyed it very much. It was time to start our journey back to SA and on to Hazyview. Jackson said he had only been hired to take us to Nelspruit and he tried very hard to get the tour company to honor the deal they had made with us but to no avail. They said they had not given us a price for the additional portion of the trip and had no one to take us. We had a letter of agreement with no mention of an added fee and they had been paid exactly what they advertised. We ended up hiring Jackson to take us to Hazyview and our lodge, the Hazyview Buffalo Game Lodge. We changed to an SUV for the trip. It poured rain the whole way and the road to the lodge was a bit treacherous. Once we arrived the accommodations, we great and Pieter our host was very nice. I emptied my suitcase into my new bag and gave the old bag to Jackson for his son to take to university. We said our goodbyes and settled in for a short sleep as our driver arrives at 5 am for our game drive.

Up at 4:30 am for a 5 am game drive. It is a rainy cool morning and we were dressed in raincoats and rain pants. Our drivers name was Pete and we were the only ones on the drive. It was a short trip to the Phabeni gate. We paid our entrance fees and off we went on our 11-hour tour. We started our game viewing with cape buffalo, elephants, and then giraffe. The surprise of the morning came when Pete spotted what he thought was one male lion. We were the only ones there and as we watched it became 4 male lions who stretched, and yawned, and finally walked away. It was quite a show and it wasn’t even 8 am. At this point we went for a coffee break and a bathroom stop. I had time to go to the gift shop and bought a baseball cap. This works perfectly with my rain jacket hood and also keeps my hair from getting in my face.

We continued our drive and during the day we saw 5 more lions, hyenas with babies, warthogs, kudos, and more impala than you can count. We stopped for lunch and invited Pete to join us. He was hesitant but finally acquiesced and we had a great lunch. The day ended at 4:30 and we were exhausted. When we arrived back at the lodge Peter told us the power was to be off from 5:30 til 7:30. He suggested that we go to the grocery and then to dinner during this outage. So instead of napping we showered and went out. We had a lovely dinner at Pioneer Steakhouse with Peter as our guest. The power was back on when we arrived so we took the pictures off the cameras before we crashed for the evening.

This morning we were up and at breakfast at 7:15. Pretty cooked for us and it was great. Around 8:15 we headed out with Peter for a day of adventure. We drove about an hour to a rehabilitation reserve for animals called Moholoholo Animal Rehabilitation Center. This facility is the home to many of South Africa’s abandoned, injured, or poisoned wildlife. Whenever possible these animals are released back into the wild but sometimes because of the nature of the injury this is not possible. Because of this there are a number of permanent residents here that are used in the teaching programs and also as ambassadors of their species. We saw male and female lions, cheetahs, a black leopard, and our favorite a honey badger named Stoffel. There were also hyena and regular leopards that are ready to go to a private game reserve. We had a great time watching the animals and hearing their stories.

From here we drove to Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre. We arrived in time for the 1 pm tour. Our guide Justin loaded us into our 4x4 safari vehicle and off we went. He is a fount of information on the center and all the animals there. Our first stop was to see 2 male lions that had been born there. Their mother was on contraceptives that failed but because of the medication they were born with a palsy which prevents them from being released. Our next stop was at the vulture restaurant where the 2 guides threw out over 20 pounds of rotten meat. The smell was horrid, but the show was amazing. The marabou storks and the vultures fought and tugged until every morsel was gone. We then went to the cheetah project where they breed and release the cheetahs back into the wild. We got to interact up close with 5 females that are in the breeding portion of the park. From there we drove into the rhino part and we had 3 rhino who came right up to the car. We then drove to the juvenile section where there are 3 baby rhino that have a house each and a guard. We ended at the king leopard. We said goodbye to Justin and headed back to Hazyview. We had time to rest and meet Peter for dinner at 7. We ate outside at the pub and had wonderful food. We were tired when we returned and we had no water to shower so we went to bed.

Up this morning again well before the sun. Our game drive pickup is 4:45 and our driver was our friend Pete. We had just finished a quick brekkie when he arrived...always prompt! We had 5 other people with us today and we soon found out that they were not prompt. They were still in bed when we arrived to pick them up and it was an hour before they showed up with all their bags and already complaining that they had not had breakfast. We went straight to Kruger Phbani gate and soon we were seeing our first big 5, the cape buffalo. It was a great day for lions also. We made a stop for coffee, 20 minutes we were told, and over an hour later our group showed up...even their tour leader said he could not control them.

Our drive was amazing and at the end of the day we had seen 12 lions, one fabulous leopard, many giraffe and elephants and the usual impala, kudus, gnus, and warthogs. It was a perfect day with no rain, cool temps, and time for a river walk at lunch. When we arrived back at the Hazyview Buffalo Game Lodge we had water, yeah, but we decided to have a rest before we showered. We had a good sleep and then showered, fixed our dinner in the kitchen, discussed our day with Peter, and even got a few pictures edited before crashed and burned!

This morning we slept until 8 and showered and fixed our own breakfast. We had time to edit some pictures before Peter thought it was time to head to the airport. The trip went quite fast and we had some time to kill at the airport. We checked in and shopped or I should say looked in all the cute shops they had before it was time for our flight. The flight was 40 minutes and they served wine and snacks before landing. Once we were on the ground we found our Gate1 tour manager Jason and he ushered us to our shuttle. We checked into the Southern Sun and decided to get an Uber to the East Rand Mall. The mall was close and very large. I got a pedicure and Hugh got his hair cut. We decided to have dinner at an Italian restaurant we found and enjoyed it very much. We had a small issue with Uber when the taxi drivers would not let him pick us up at the main entrance. He moved to a side entrance and we had to hustle there as the mall closed at 7 pm and it was already after 7 and they were turning out the lights and locking the doors. Back at the hotel we edited pictures and organized for our trip to Zambia in the morning.

This morning we had breakfast at 7 and then our tour meeting at 7:45. There are 8 of us in this discovery group and a very enthusiastic tour manager. It is a varied group, but everyone seems to be a seasoned traveler. We are ready for a managed tour after the hectic pace we have been keeping. We left off to the airport and our flight to Livingstone, Zambia at 8:30. Jason had all of us check our bags and we had plenty of time to explore the airport before we took off. The flight was about 1.5 hours and we had great service. We landed at Livingstone and were surprised to find such a nice airport. We met our driver Ackim and soon the bags were loaded, and we headed off to our hotel, The David Livingston Lodge. We were met with music and a welcome drink and the check-in went quickly. Our room was lovely with a view of the Zambezi River. We rested and then prepared for our sunset cruise on the Zambezi.

We had a lecture on David Livingston at 3 and then it was off to the boat. The boat left from our dock and we had unlimited drinks and appetizers. We saw hippos and crocs but most of all just enjoyed the cruise. Back at the hotel we had dinner even though no one was hungry. Food is an issue for 2 people as we have someone who does not do dairy and one is a vegetarian. After dinner Hugh and I went for a walk and then it was off to the room to edit some pictures.

This morning we had an early breakfast and boarded the bus for Victoria Falls on the Zambia side at 8. Our guide was Ackim and we arrived at the falls and he gave us raincoats and off we went. He gave us a great history of the falls and David Livingstone. His was a much more concise talk than the one yesterday. We walked to all the viewpoints on the falls and had lots of opportunity to make pictures. We were wet but very happy when we made our way back to the bus. From here we drove to the border crossing into Zimbabwe. We cleared the passport patrol and then we met our guide Bigboy on the other side. He also gave us raingear and a history of the falls before we did a 2.5 mile walk along the falls. We were thoroughly drenched by the end but we had a lovely experience and great memories of the falls. We cleared passport control again and Ackim took us back to the hotel. We had some free time and Hugh and I rested before showering and dressing for our train trip and dinner.

We left for the train at 4:15 and we found the car we were assigned. It was lovely and Hugh decided to stay in the open end of the observation car for a while to get pictures. The boarding process took a while but when we got underway the trip was very pleasant. We stopped at Victoria Falls on the bridge and we could get off the train and make pictures. We were able to go in the engine and blow the whistle or shovel coal into the old steam engine. Once we were back on board, we went to the dining cars and had a lovely dinner. After dinner we travelled back to the Bushtrack Station and then onto our bus and back to the hotel. It was a busy day and we were tired.

This morning after breakfast we had to have our bags out. Today we venture to Chobe National Park in Botswana. Ackim is our driver on the first leg of the trip. We drove to the Zambezi River where we saw a very large number of transfer trucks with loads of copper waiting to get cleared to cross the river. We got our clearance and unloaded our bags onto a small power boat and after we said our goodbyes to Ackim we got on the boat and started the short distance across the inlet. We can see the bridge that will eventually connect the two areas, but it is having some issues because of politics. This is the corner where 4 countries come together, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. We get to our next van and a new driver and continue our trip to the border crossing. We each cleared immigration and then had to walk across the sanitizer mat before we could get on our van and continue. The drive is not too long and we arrived at the Chobe Bush Lodge, Kasane in time for lunch. We checked in and went to see our lovely rooms before we joined Jason in the buffet restaurant. After lunch we unpacked and rested a bit before our game cruise at 4.

This was not the booze and food cruise of earlier times but a true game cruise. We were the only ones on our boat with a bartender and our captain. Jason served as our guide and we saw such wonderful wildlife. We saw hippos and crocodiles and so many of my favorites, the elephants. They were in the water next to our boat and playing and swimming across the river. We saw them rolling in the dirt when they got out of the river to protect from sun and insects. This is the largest concentration of elephants in the world. These are most amazing animals, and everyone ended up on the top deck with cameras clicking. We saw a lot of giraffes and I got some great shots. This was an amazing time and everyone was excited about all we had seen and talked about it all through dinner at the hotel. The food has been terrific everywhere and this did not disappoint. It was off to bed after dinner as we have an early game drive. Our room was ready for us and we were so excited that the A/C had cooled it so well.

This morning we had a 5 am wake up call. We dressed quickly and headed to the lobby and boarded our safari vehicle. We then started our trek to the park which was short, but we saw elephant on the way along the road side. The lodges are fenced in but the animals roam about. We saw mongoose, marabou storks, hippos, giraffes, and baboons with a cute thumb-sucking baby. The big find was a male and female lion. We watched them for a while and to our surprise they got very personal as we looked on. It was funny and amazing, and we talked about it for a while. We made a bush stop for tea and coffee and then resumed our 3-hour drive. We saw lots and lots of elephant, buffalo, and kudos. We then drove back to the lodge and had breakfast. I went for a massage while Hugh rested and uploaded pictures. We then spent some time journaling.

We had a late lunch and started our afternoon drive at 3. Our big find was a leopard shortly after we began the drive. While we were making pictures, Samson called other drivers but by the time they turned around and came back the leopard had disappeared into the brush. We heard later that we were the only ones who saw him; they drove right past him when they entered but Jason spotted him as we drove by. We spent most of our time down by the water looking at elephants, cape buffalo, storks, and antelopes. We stopped for wine and snacks as the sunset before heading back to the lodge. We had time to shower before having dinner as a group in the buffet restaurant. Everyone was tired so we broke up early but Hugh and I stayed to look at our pictures before we walked back to our room.

We awoke for our last game drive in Chobe. We saw a Jackal playing with an impala, a giraffe, a family of mongoose, and some elephants in the distance. Our drive was a short one and we headed back for breakfast before going to the airport for our flights to the delta area. Our first flight was 1 hour and was on a 12 seater plane. The next flight was on 2 planes, the group was divided. Hugh and I went with 2 others in a piper cub and I sat in the so-pilots seat. Our pilot was Petra and he did a great job. The others went in a slightly bigger plane. We landed on a dirt strip a short distance from Moremi Crossings, our home for the next few days. They picked us up in safari vehicles and we were soon settled into our tents. We have a great bathroom with an outdoor shower. We have a lovely porch that overlooks the water and we can see hippos, impala, and a variety of birds as we settled in. We had lunch immediately following our arrival and then it was on to our first game drive here.

Our driver was Stanley and our spotter was Action. We are driving because they are in the middle of a 2 year draught and the river is too low for us to take out the dugout canoes. This is a more open area than in Chobe. The first thing we saw were Lechwe aquatic bucks. We have never seen these before and they have shorter front legs than back legs and run with their heads looking down, very distinctive. We saw kudo, a lilac breasted roller, and we also saw the first zebra and wildebeest we have seen in Botswana. We also saw tsessebe which are large antelope with sloping backs and short ringed horns. These were new to us also and they were throughout the open area. As the sun set we had wine and snacks. On the way back we found a hippo that had been killed a few days before, most likely by hyenas. They could tell this by the way the legs had been bitten. We had a short time to clean up a bit before we had a 3 course dinner. We are the only group at the lodge and they are treating us royally. The food has been so delicious and plentiful. We all trooped off to shower and hit the bed. These 5 am wake-up calls and 2 long game drives in the hot sun really take it out of you. The tent cooled off very well with the fan and after a cool shower and some reading we fell asleep.

Today we were up at 5:30 am and had breakfast at 6. We did a long drive today with lunch out in the delta. We left on our land-cruiser with Stanley driving and Action spotting. We had not gone far when Stanley took off like a race car driver. He shushed us and turned a corner of a termite mound and out ran a leopard. We were able to follow it as it ran for a bit and get some great shots. The next quest for the day was to see a rhino. As we made our way along, we saw a cape buffalo herd, and they starred us down. They eventually took off running in a cloud of dust. The larger animals kept the babies protected. We saw zebra that did not run away and looked us in the face. We saw a giraffe, lechwe, wildebeest, and a large group of elephants, but no rhino. We even saw a jackal and a group of hyenas that were following a lechwe. Then Stanley spotted a large male rhino on the move. We followed him and then Stanley spotted a mother rhino and her baby much further away. Again, he took off and caught up with her. The 2 of them started running and Stanley was going about 40 km /hr to keep up with them. It was amazing and we got the best shots of rhino we have ever been able to get. We then went to a large pond filled with hippos. We got out of the vehicle and stood on the bank to make our pictures which captured some great hippo yawns. As we were driving to our bush lunch Stanley spotted a female lion lying up on a termite mound near a tree. We drove over to watch her for a bit and of course make pictures. While we were there Stanley spotted a large male lion heading her way. We watched as he approached and climbed up beside her. He changed positions several times but finally lay down. We were called to lunch and had to leave them sooner than we would have liked. We arrived to our lunch picnic and it was lovely. They had the table setup with lovely linens and the food was hot and delicious. We had kudo meatloaf which was delicious, and excellent veggies. We even had a great dessert.

After lunch we went back to check on the lions but those 2 were gone. We then found two more. They were smaller but did not move away so we got great pictures. We saw a Pel’s Fishing Owl and then we drove to the river close to our lodge. We watched some hippos playing. We drove across the river and headed back to rest before our evening drive. At 3 we headed out on our 3 hour evening drive. Jason had Stanley stopped the vehicle to show us some very large antelope antlers. Hugh and I spotted a female lion walking toward us and we followed her for a bit before we left her in peace. She was darker eyed than the others we had seen and looked to be older. This afternoon we saw the Southern Ground Hawkbill, a beautiful giraffe, and some kudo before we stopped for sunset and had our wine and snacks. We then had a short bushwalk and got to see how it feels to be out of the vehicle with the animals. After our walk we headed back to the lodge in time to shower before dinner. Again our dinner was excellent and we enjoyed some time just talking about the day. Then it was off to our tents to pack because tomorrow we fly to Cape Town.

We again had an early wakeup call but today we had some breakfast before we drove out for our last game drive safari. Our drive was shortened as we have to go to the airport at 11:30. Our first sighting was an elephant tusk and Jason picked it up to show us how large it was. We then saw a group of hyenas with a kill. We followed them but never could see exactly what they had. We saw wildebeest, jackal, kudos, and one very large male lion walking across the open area right toward our vehicle. We got some great shots. We then saw some Spur-winged geese, Egyptian geese, and said our goodbyes to the hippos. We stopped for coffee and a leg stretch before we headed back to the lodge. We also got to say our goodbyes to an elephant which was on our lodge property.

We had a delicious brunch before showering and putting our bags out. We left at 11:30 for our bush planes but this time there were other people flying and it took 3 planes. We flew with the same group in the small plane and the others followed. We check in and had a little down time before we boarded our flight to Cape Town. It was an Air Link flight and we had great service. We landed in Cape Town 2.5 hours later and cleared passport control easily. Luggage arrived and off we went to the city to check in at the Pepper Club Hotel. The hotel is lovely but not in an area we are familiar with. Our room is bright and large with microwave, coffee machine, and a tea kettle. We unpacked and then took showers before getting the hotel shuttle to the Victoria and Albert Wharf. We walked around the area enjoying all the activity and then decided on a lovely dinner at Sevruga, where we dined on black marlin. It was a fabulous evening and we even shopped at bit for Hugh a lightweight jacket. By 8:30 we were dragging and decided to take the shuttle back to the hotel. It was after 9 when we got to the room and we showered and then read before falling into a relaxed stupor. We are loving the A/C.

This morning we got to rest a bit more and the clock did not alarm until 6:45. We dressed and had breakfast and were in the lobby ready for our adventure to begin by 7:45. Today we drove to Table Mountain and took the cable car up. It is a lovely view all the way up as the car rotates 360 degrees. At the top Jason gave us an orientation talk and sent us off to explore. We had over an hour so we decided to make the longest hike around the top. The day was sunny and clear, and the views were phenomenal. Back at the cable car we headed down for our city tour. We saw the parliament building, the building where Mandela made his speech, and Desmond Tutu’s church. We also saw the train station and the Victoria and Albert Wharf area.

Our next stop was the Bo-Kaap, an area formerly known as the Malay Quarter. It is a multi-cultural area known for its brightly colored buildings and cobbled streets. It is on Signal Hill and overlooks the city center. We were met by our guide Cheri and taken to the museum where she explained the history of the area. From there we went to the spice market and Cheri told us how the spices are used for cooking and for medical ailments instead of over the counter meds. From the market we headed to the home of our local host. We went straight to the kitchen and she gave us a cooking lesson on chicken curry, roti, and a bean curry. We then got to eat our creations and the food paired with homemade chutney and tomato and onion salad was fantastic. We had homemade donuts for dessert and left way over-filled. From this area we went to the waterfront and had a guided tour of a diamond museum and then some time to shop in the lovely store. I found a ring I loved but decided to take some time before I made my decision. When to tour ended, we stayed at the waterfront and walked, and window shopped until Hugh was dragging. We headed back on the shuttle and had a rest before showering and walking to get some frozen yogurt for dinner. I couldn’t finish mine as I was still full of lunch. We spent the rest of the evening journaling and reading. We intended to go to the hotel bar for wine but opted for a tub bath and relaxation. We actually stayed up quite late but got completely caught up.

This was a lie-in morning as Jason would say. We did not have to be on the van until 9 am. We took our gear to breakfast and then met our group just in time to load the bus. The drive to the wine country was lovely but the weather looked a little threatening. It rained a bit on the trip but when we arrived in Franschoek it was lovely. We had time to walk around and look at the cute shops before our 11 am tram ride to the wineries. We were on the yellow line and the train was open air so we could enjoy all the views.

We stopped first at Rickety Bridge Winery for our tasting. We had 5 different wines and no one was excited about them. We then boarded the van back to the little town and had some time to browse the market. Hugh and I purchased some art and enjoyed the music before we headed to our lunch venue. We had reservations at Mont Rochelle, a resort owned by Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Air fame, and it was lovely and the food and service was excellent. We enjoyed the wine and the views before we headed back to Cape Town. We arrived back in the city at 4 and we rested some before we decided to walk the area around the hotel and get some yogurt for dinner. The late lunch did us in and we were not the least bit hungry. We edited some pictures and then read until bedtime.

Today we had to be on the bus at 8 and we were all prompt as usual. The drive to the Cape peninsula was lovely but the wind was a bit disconcerting as we drove along Chapmans Peak. It caused the van to rock and when we stopped to make pictures it almost blew us off the mountain. We enjoyed the views as we made our way into Simon Town. Once we exited the van, we made the seaside walk to Boulders Penguin Colony where we had time to enjoy the escapades of the African penguins as they played on the sand, sunned, or frolicked in the waves. From Simon Town we made our way to the Cape of Good Hope and fought the gale force winds to get our pictures by the sign. Along the way we saw Red Haartebeest, Elands, and Ostrich. We then drove to the tram and went to the top of the mountain. We climbed to the lighthouse, but the wind was so fierce that we could not enjoy the view from there. We took the tram down and walked around and shopped in the gift shop before heading back to Cape Town.

We took a nap at the hotel, showered, dressed, called an UBER, and then discovered our photo shoot was on Monday. We went back to the hotel and edited pictures before our farewell dinner. The dinner was in the hotel and everyone was sad to say goodbye. We were a congenial group that worked like a well-oiled machine, arriving on time and being amenable to all the things on the agenda. Eight is an excellent group size. We finally said goodbye and goodnight and headed to our room.

Today we had no schedule and we slept in and had a late breakfast. We spent time editing pictures until we had to exit our room at 11 am. We sat in the lobby after we stored our bags and finished our project. We took the noon shuttle to the waterfront and shopped a bit before eating some frozen yogurt and then walking back to the hotel. At 3:30 they gave us a refresh room which turned out to be a suite and we showered and dressed for our photo shoot. We took Uber to the Sea Point area and met Estee our photographer. She was young and fun, and we stayed with her almost 1.5 hours. No matter how the pictures come out, who can make two 70-year old’s look great after 2 months of travelling, we had a great time. This also allowed us to see another area of Cape Town. After we finished the shoot, we walked down to the waterfront area and had a great dinner as the sun set. At 8:30 we took the shuttle back to the hotel and recovered our bags, changed into travelling clothes, and at 9:30 headed to the airport. Check in was easy for Sky Priority and after clearing passports Hugh Got his VAT taken care of and exchanged the last of the Rands. We spent the next 90 minutes in the lounge and at 11:45 headed to our gate.

We walked right on the plane and were soon settled into our first-class seats. We took off on time and they began the service right away. I had the express menu and made it through several bites before being ready for sleep. I washed my face and made my bed and slept the entire flight until breakfast. Hugh was behind me and I am not sure what he did but he got a good night’s rest.
We arrived in Paris and got a taxi to the hotel. Our room was not ready, so we checked our bags and grabbed our raincoats before heading out on a walking tour. Our first stop was the Louvre which is right at our hotel. We then headed toward the river Seine to see the booksellers on the bank. They have had stalls here since the 16th century. We then crossed the Pont Neuf or New Bridge which has been around since the late Middle ages. The views of old Paris are fabulous from here. We continued our walk along the Seine until we reached Notre-Dame Cathedral. This beautiful cathedral is under construction from the fire last April but is still iconic. We headed toward Saint Chappell but stopped for wonderful and very hot (great for this cold day) onion soup. After our meal we headed to Sainte-Chappell. This was a beautiful Gothic Holy Chapel that is over 800 years old. It was built by King Louis IX to house his religious relics brought from his crusades to the Holy Land. Our next stop was La Conciergerie which is a 14th century palace turned into the French Parliament and was important site in the French revolution. The clouds were getting darker, but we bravely continued on. City Hall was our next stop and it is known as Hotel de Ville. It is the largest city hall building in Europe. It is decorated on the outside with 108 statues of famous Parisians like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Pigalle. As we were walking to the Place des Vosges the rain finally came. Up went our hoods and we walked faster until we were under cover of the building. This is the oldest planned square in the city and was built by King Henri IV. This park is closed in by building and you have to know where to find it. It is lovely even in the rain and at one corner is the home of Victor Hugo. The rain let up as fast as it came, and we headed to Place de Bastille. The square and the war monument is all that is left of the infamous fortress turned prison.

We made our pictures and got an Uber back to the hotel. It was amazing how far we had walked. Back at the hotel our bags were in our room, including my boots left from January. We showered and dressed for our 6:15 trip to the Moulin Rouge. We walked to the tourist bureau and met our driver and the other couple that was going. When we arrived, we went in and were seated right at the stage. While our 3-course dinner was served we had 2 singers who provided a dinner show and then the real show started. This was an almost 2-hour extravaganza with so many facets it is hard to describe. Singers, dancers, acrobats, and more with the most beautiful costumes. The show ended late, but our driver was waiting for us. We arrived back at the hotel and quickly stopped at the market for yogurt for tomorrow morning. It was off to bed for us as we have another early departure.

Today we were up at 6 and off to the City-Wide office for our tour to Mont St. Michel. It was pouring rain and very windy as we stood outside to board our bus. The check-in process where the vouchers are checked and headsets given out etc. is very slow and means the people waiting are wet and cold. This should have been done in the office and not on the bus. The coach was 2 story and very comfortable and the guides spoke great English. We settled into our seats and were amazed that the bus was almost full. We drove for 2 hours and then had a 30 minute rest stop. It was surprising but everyone was back and in their seats on time. The next part of the trip was 2 more hours but went fast as we slept for the most part. After driving through the Normandy countryside and even through the city of Caens we arrived at our destination.

We arrived at Mont St. Michel and disembarked. The gale force winds and 30 degree F temperature we were not ready for. It almost blew us away. The only redeeming weather factor was that there wasn’t any rain and the sun was shining. We decided to take the shuttle to the island and walk back. We were happy to get inside the town and have the narrow streets protect us from the wind. We climbed to the ramparts for a fabulous view and then continued the trek up more and more steps until we reached the abbey. The first foundations of the Abbey were laid in the year 708. This date was chosen as that when Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, built the first sanctuary dedicated to the Archangel Michael on Mont-Tombe, now Mont-Saint-Michel. According to the legend, the archangel appeared to Aubert three times in a dream, asking him to establish a sanctuary in his name. As tradition has it, on the third attempt, the archangel went as far as poking his finger into Aubert's skull to get him to perform his wishes. There is a statue showing this. UNESCO has classed the Mont Saint-Michel as a world heritage in 1979. This was such a wonderful place to visit with sweeping views and an ever-changing history. We made our way through the abbey and then walked in the village that grew up in the middle ages. We decided to walk back over the causeway and fight the winds just so we could get the view of the abbey perched on the mount. Back across we stopped for a quick bite to eat before time to board the bus. The trip back encountered some rain and although we stopped for a short break halfway through we arrived back in Paris around 9 pm, a little earlier than we expected. We went back to our room and finished our packing and had time for a soak in the tub. We slept well but had to be up early.

Today we said goodbye to Paris and also it was the end of a fabulous two-month adventure. We made our way to Charles De Gaulle and checked in. We cleared passport control and soon we were at the gate. We had coffee and rolls at Starbucks before boarding our flight. We were in comfort-plus and had bulk-head seats so there was plenty of room. For the next 10.5 hours we read, watched movies, edited pictures, and were very antsy and bored. The service was great and we never lacked for something to eat or drink. We were so happy when we landed in Atlanta at last. We cleared passport control and got our bags rechecked and hustled to our next gate. It felt great to walk and we were sad when we boarded the next flight. It was a short 36 minutes and we were at GSP. Our bags arrived also, and we called Uber for our ride home. It was very sad when we drove on our street and saw all the tornado damage, but it was nice to get to our home and settle in. I was able to get 2 loads of laundry done, everything unpacked, and a long soak in the tub before collapsing into my bed! What a wonderful trip!!/susan