Ali Abroad

We've been on some wonderful safari game drives during this trip. We've had great weather and have been lucky enough to see leopards, lions, giraffes, heaps of antelope etc etc in the wild ... and of course, hundreds of elephants! But a highlight was going on game WALKS in Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. That's right ... we set off into the African bush on foot. It felt a little strange knowing there were carnivores about, as well as pretty big wild animals like elephants nearby. I began to think we were crazy when I found out that our guide didn't have a rifle ... all he was 'armed' with was a pocket detonator that would make a sound like a rifle shot!?! Our instructions at the beginning of the first walk were to walk in ... read more

Wow, is all I can say for this blog. My first game drive on the second day of my African tour today ... I started out hoping we'd be fortunate enough to see elephants. In fact, we saw about 150, maybe more! It was absolutely incredible ... first we saw about ten right on the road in front of our safari vehicle. And then at the main waterhole we saw a herd of about 40 elephants come down to drink and bathe. After that, we just kept seeing more and more. Added to that, we also saw about five types of antelope, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, buffalos and baboons. Way more wild animals than I ever dreamed I'd see in the space of 3 and a half hours! If every day of the tour is like this, ... read more

This blog is coming to you from a bus between Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende in central western Mexico. That’s right ... the bus has free wi-fi! Amazing ... not sure how they do it, like mobile 3G internet access I guess. I almost want to get on Skype and have a conversation with someone in Australia, just for the novelty value! The bus is super deluxe .. only 3 seats across and with leg rests not just foot rests (a full padded section that folds down from the seat in front). There are only two other passengers. It’s a weekday afternoon, but I suspect it’s more because there are cheaper 2nd class buses which most Mexicans would take. The bus ticket cost about $10 for a 1 ½ hour journey, but that included a ... read more

a picture tells a thousand words... scroll right to the bottom of the page to view photos... read more

On an overnight bus now ... about half way through my two week Intrepid tour. So far, it’s been a lot of fun. We’ve visited some beautiful colonial cities (Puebla and Oaxaca (wa-ha-ca)), with many of the buildings in the historical centres restored. Some really stunning churches and cathedrals....the Spanish sure knew how to build massive places of worship, usually intricately decorated with gold, paintings, sculptures ... usually all three! In general, Mexico is more beautiful than I expected ... in Europe, these cities would be full of tourists. Luckily here, we don’t have to share them with too many others! Of course there are also historical sites to visit from the pre-Hispanic times... but the two largest we are visiting are still to come (Palenque and Chitsen Itza). My Spanish is getting a little bit ... read more