I think we mentioned before that we prefer not to travel the Interstate Highways, and instead try to find nice scenic routes along secondary roads. By traveling this way, it takes us longer to get to our destination, but we have some interesting experiences. Traveling this way also means that the Liberty Hot Spot we purchased from Roam Mobility in order to have WIFI anywhere along the way without exorbitant roaming charges, was not as helpful as expected. On main routes, we could connect to the internet while driving down the road. On side roads, not so much. The jury is out on its usefulness given our preferred travel routes. They don’t seem to have an agreement with AT&T, which has had cell service just about everywhere so far. Leaving Madras, Oregon we carried on through ... read more

Well, here we go again, off on another adventure. This will be a camping road trip, starting in Pitt Meadows and heading south through Washington, Oregon, California and points in the southwest USA as yet unnamed. Wherever the good weather, good hiking, good rocks and good photography take us. Visiting family along the way. It took a while getting organized this time, mostly because the vehicle we thought we rented was not what we expected. It was a brand new truck camper, but the camper didn't have one cupboard. Not one for storing clothes, not one for storing non-refrigerated food, and not one for storing anything. Plus no bathroom sink. It was totally stripped down inside to nothing but space. We (well mostly me - Kayla) decided we could not live like that for 7 weeks. ... read more

Great travel scenery today. We flew in a 12-seat Cessna plane for the 3 hour trip from Swakopmund to Epupa Falls on the border with Angola. No toilet on this flight so water intake at breakfast is kept to a minimum. The route followed inland from the Skeleton Coast through the region called Damaraland. This is a mountain landscape with dry valleys between and very few tracks of vehicles for 100’s of kilometres. The occasional circle of acacia thorn branches seen below from 2000 metre height in the plane is evidence of cattle herders’ kraals. The mountains are relics of ancient craton collisions worn down to rounded sandy peaks. When it does rain here the evidence stays in the sandy soil stream beds where drought tolerant shrubs line the route of the occasional water. But no ... read more

Ever since we flew through in the searing heat of midday back in October 2010, it has been Kayla's dream to return to photograph the famous dunes of the Namib-Nakluft National Park, and she was not disappointed. After a cross country drive from Keetmanshoop that took most of the day, Antonio stepped on the gas and persuaded the park guards that we should be admitted to the park for a late afternoon photo shoot of the dunes. When there was no more light left and our ISO was pushed as high as it could go, we checked into the Sossus Dune Lodge, which is just inside the park. This was a strategic move - we wouldn't have to wait until the gates opened at 6 am for our sunrise shoot the next day. Sure enough, we ... read more

Up at a leisurely time this morning and a nice breakfast at Elegant House in Windhoek. Laston picked us up for the transfer to Na'ankuse where we discovered one of our photo tour group had already checked in and was on a feeding tour of the animals. This is an amazing place run by Marlice and Rudy van Vurren, but mostly it's Marlice who has a special relationship with the animals. They have many staff and lots of willing volunteers to lend helping hands for this huge menagerie that includes a pack of African wild dogs, lions, leopards, cheetahs, baboons, caracals and a huge assortment of farm animals. For anyone traveling to Namibia, we highly recommend a visit to this magical place. It came to the media attention when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie visited and ... read more