We crossed the border today into Zimbabwe and arrived at our last CC Africa destination…Matetsi Private Game Reserve. Upon arrival we switched to our open 4WD and into the bush one last time to arrive at the Matetsi Water Lodge. Wow! This place was spectacular! Each lodge was located in the woods with enough privacy and situated along the great Zambezi River…with our own sun deck and pool, beautiful king sized bed that led out to the deck and a window that looked more like an area which would lead out to the open, outside and inside showers, bathtub, room service…I [View Full Entry]

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We left Savuti around 6AM to make the drive to Serondela…also in Chobe National Park. Along the way we stopped by Morgan’s home village. And in the little village lives less than 10 people! Right now his six year old daughter is staying with his mother. When we arrived I expected her, Game (pronounced Ha-May), to run over and say hi to her father…unfortunately she didn’t even really speak…it was sort of awkward and I’m sure it’s cuz she doesn’t get to see her father that often…she lives with her mother most of the time in Maun. And while life in [View Full Entry]

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Today Morgan, I am now calling him Captain, woke us up to take us into the bush. We had a 7 hour journey to Savuti in Chobe National Park. He told us the first part of the journey we would be riding along the River Khwai…about 10 minutes in I asked where the river was…Captain says to the right and I look. All I see is green vegetation…well then that would be the river. Not much water, if any at all. Along the way, Sam and John pass us in their vehicle to make it to Savuti Campsite to set up [View Full Entry]

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After our mokoro ride we took another light aircraft to Moremi Game Reserve. This ride was about 35 minutes and again, wasn’t sad when it was over. This area of the Okavango is a national park so there is a curfew at 7PM. We got to camp around 1230 and met Sam, our cook for the rest of the trip and John, our helper, had lunch, siesta and afternoon tea before heading out for our evening drive. More of the same animals and really cool looking birds and no cats. For dinner Sam cooked a wonderful meal…he sat down with us [View Full Entry]

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On Wednesday morning I woke up famished and began to charge all of my batteries…two batteries for each camera, my laptop, my berry, etc… Bruno drove me to the airport around noon only for me to arrive and realize I left my entire envelope of vouchers etc in the room!! A speedy drive back, which was only 5 or 10 minutes…Maun is a pretty small town. I met the rest of the group on the safari with me, and by group I mean one couple…older and from Sweden and really nice….Lena and Gert. I guess somewhere along their travels they had [View Full Entry]

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So 30 hours of traveling and I have arrived in Maun, Botswana. I left my GH in Bangkok at 11:30AM and arrived at the Maun Lodge the next day at 12:30PM with a 5 hour time change (7 hour flight from Bangkok to Doha, Qatar with a 2 and a half hour layover and an 8 hour flight from Doha to Johannesburg, South Africa with a 5 hour layover and an hour and a half flight onto Maun). So now I am only 7 hours ahead of NYC. Anyway, it’s a damn good thing time of traveling doesn’t bother me. I [View Full Entry]

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Thank you and goodbye Lao Airlines….I can breathe again. I just took my last flight with them and I am happy to say I survived all three! I arrived in Bangkok and at my guesthouse by 11AM on Saturday and I was shortly off to take care of the many many errands I had to run. First up, laundry! Then it was to go to this place I cant remember the name of but far enough away that I was able to nap in the taxi there to get a second external hard drive since my laptop’s GBs are almost all [View Full Entry]

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Laos time is similar to what one friend once coined as “Jewish Standard Time”…it means whatever the time stated it doesn’t hold. So when we are told the boat departs at 11AM and it doesn’t leave til noon that is expected - we were waiting for the backpackers to cross the border and make their way to the boats. The slow boat ride from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang takes two days with a stop in Pak Beng. The first day is about 6 hours and the second is 7. It was quite pleasant during the day but once the sun [View Full Entry]

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I flew to Huay Xai (way sigh, I finally figured out how to pronounce the damn place) Thursday morning. I was a bit frustrated that they tell you to be there 2 hours beforehand, which would be 620AM for my flight and the damn check-in place doesn’t open until 730AM! I could have slept another hour and gotten breakfast in town…but such is life in Laos I am learning. I do manage to get some eats at the airport restaurant…its not really a restaurant but there was a kitchen and they had food so I went to get some scrambled eggs…which [View Full Entry]

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Tuesday was a travel day to Pakse. Cute little town. On the way up I met a South African couple that will be returning from their travels while I am in Cape Town. So that was exciting! I will be in touch with them when I arrive. I purchased my tickets to Vientiane and Huay Xai. I hope they all fly and do it safely! The sign in the Lao Airlines office shows a bar chart where it spikes in 2000/2001 and then massively dips until 2005….i’m a little worried…although it will be fine..yes it will be fine. As an aside, [View Full Entry]

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