After having spent time in the fabled Serengeti, we left - albeit reluctantly - we explore our next destination in Tanzania and drove along the cloud laden rim of the Ngorogoro crater. We had heard about and read about this legendary place all of our lives. To finally see the crater in person was pretty overwhelming. We had read so many books about animals of the Serengeti, and accounts by wildlife preservationists. Now we are here…
After having spend time in and around Athens (link) we are headed for a few of the Greek Isles. With so many islands to choose from, which ones do you pick to visit? We had carefully researched and selected three of the nearly 2,000 Greek Islands. Our choices were based on geography: they had to be near Athens because of our limited time.
Walking. Perhaps there is no better way to see your surroundings and get to know the locals than when you walk. When we planned our trip to Cambodia, we wanted to see Angkor Wat, Siem Riep, and we wanted to hike.
We came across a website for Cambodia Cycling & Trekking. That appealed to us. The company replied promptly and was very willing to tweak and answer questions. They offered a 15 day trek that included accommodations and luggage transport. The detailed itinerary included things like “Day 3: Siem Reap to Kratie. Breakfast at the hotel, visit Kompong Kdei Bridge, transfer to Santuk Mountain, climb to hilltop pagoda, transfer to Kratie.” What we didn’t realize until we were actually there, is that the ‘transfers’ that day amounted to driving 400 KM. Each day listed the walking distance, ranging from 3 to 17 KM but also included driving to many different regions of the country.
Much of The Netherlands is flat as a table top. And so it is a popular destination for cyclists. Riding a bike in Holland is as common as eating rice in China. But we often choose the country as a hiking destination. Hiking on flat terrain is nice, too, and the system of trails and accommodations across The Netherlands is second to, almost, none. This time, we’re tackling the Drenthe Pad.
Spain offers many wonderful hiking trails. But Kees found it sometimes difficult that he did not speak Spanish, especially when hiking in more remote regions. Along the Camino the Santiago you can get by with English, but elsewhere our Spanish was limited to “una serveza por favour!” So we found a school that teaches Spanish at all levels., in groups or to individuals. The city of Salamanca was recommended because of the pure Spanish spoken in this area. And we were happy to have a good reason to spend some time in this glorious city.
Mfuwe is a small town in northern Zambia. For us it is the jump-off point to visit Luanga National Park, perhaps one of the most gorgeous and impressive of Africa’s national wildlife preserves. We flew here from Lusaka, the capital city in southern Zambia. The airport isn’t much more than a quonset hut with a tiny gift shop attached. We are booked in for a three night safari stay at Lion Camp, located inside the boundaries of South Luanga National Park. But, really, we have no idea what to expect…
Some types of dwellings are specific to only a small region on earth. When we were researching places to visit in Italy, I came across a photo on the internet that blew me away: unusually shaped houses with grey stone, domed roofs. They looked impressive and I studied the websites. It looked like Smurf ville!
There might not be a better herald of Spring than tulips. Once tulips raise their pointy green hats from the still frozen ground, we know there is hope.
Tulips originally came from Turkey and Persia in the late 1500’s to the Netherlands. When we were in Turkey we visited the palace of the very Sultan who gifted the first tulips ever to arrive in the Netherlands. What started with one bulb is now a major export industry. And the most famous garden to see Dutch tulips in all their glory is called The Keukenhof (the kitchen garden).
We were hiking in an oasis near Palm Springs. Having driven here through endless dry, sandy desert, I marvelled out loud about the presence of water in the desert. “Well,” said the volunteer park ranger, “that’s because of the cracks in the earth here. Water comes up from underground and is collected in the canyons along these cracks. You are standing on top of the San Andreas Fault here.” And she pointed to my feet.
When I was invited to work with students in an international school in Bucharest, Romania we jumped at the chance to visit a ‘new-to-us’ country. I didn’t know much about Romania and we didn’t have nearly enough time to explore the sights and the history of the country. But what we did see was fascinating. Did you know that the fountain pen was invented in Romania? And it was a book, of course, that made the country famous.
After hiking nearly 100 KM on the Via Francigena, and when my toes turned to Fall colours, I stayed in Siena while Kees continued hiking. I had planned a nice little writing retreat in this history city.
As with so much in our lives, this trip, and our interest in it, started with a book. Pompeii by Robert Harris is a fantastic read that has you walking and living in ancient Pompeii, among rich families who have water front homes, who take hot baths, discuss politics and stroll along shops. In the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, it has you hearing the rumblings of the earth with no prior knowledge of such a thing as volcanic eruptions. I found the book riveting since it made me feel as if I was there. And now now we were going there!
Airplanes always feel like time machines to me. As soon you walk off the plane you feel the humidity or the heat, or cold of a new place in a different season. We knew we were in a different place when we disembarked in Bangkok - hot and humid. The international school had arranged for us to stay in a service apartment with much needed air condition.
