Today we transfer to the boat in the late afternoon. Our original plans were to head for the Market Hall for some last-minute window shopping, but we sleep in and find ourselves not in a mood to rush around. So after breakfast we pack up, check out, and make arrangements for our transfer. It's now about noon and we have a few hours to kill before pick-up. I elect to strike out solo for the Parliament, arguably the city's signature building, which we have already seen from a bus and from a boat, but not close up. I head north to Eiffel Ter, which boasts a beautiful unknown church on one side and a huge modern glass-and-steel train station on the other. Then I jog south briefly to connect with a street that heads west towards ... read more

We awake much refreshed by a good night's sleep. Our first task is to order tickets for the hop-on, hop-off bus and arrange for a tour of Parliament, the must-see building of Budapest. We are disappointed to find that the tours of Parliament are already sold out for today, and that Parliament itself is closed for a special event the next two days. That means we will not be able to see the inside of Parliament. But we do purchase our hop-on hop-off bus tickets for 48 hours. Next is an excellent buffet breakfast at the hotel. We are learning to appreciate Hungarian bread in particular, always hearty and toothsome. The local cheese is also excellent. We walk once again to the Oktogon and take first the blue line, the yellow line and then the red ... read more

Last day in South Africa. We have pretty much the whole day free, as our plane departs in the evening. The prospect of nothing on the itinerary for the day is liberating. For the first time in over two weeks, we are able to simply relax and enjoy the beautiful weather and surroundings. Oh, and repack everything, because our suitcases are in total disarray. We have breakfast included but not lunch or supper, so we strategically wait until 10:30 so we can get well stocked for the homeward journey. It is a simple but nice spread, basically American-style. We stroll the grounds of the Seasons resort, getting the lay of the place. There are a number of couples with young families staying here. The resort has lots of options for kids, including a couple of water ... read more

Today is our last day at Humala, but we are going on a field trip to Kruger Park rather than on safari. Wake-up call at 4 am! No time for coffee today. We bundle ourselves into the land rovers for the 45-minute trip to the gate. It is really dark and cold. At the Songimvelo gate, we are met by our old friend Bakkies, and we transfer to his van. It is a 3-hour drive to Kruger, which lies in the east. Bakkies stops halfway for a pit stop and buys us all a cappuccino from the gas station convenience store. He then produces box lunches for us to eat in the car, consisting of a wrap, chips, a banana and an apple. Food by this time is greatly appreciated. The land around us consists of ... read more

We are up at 5:30 am for our first morning game drive. Coffee and rusks (similar to a biscotti) at 6 and in the land rovers shortly thereafter, just as the sun is starting to illuminate the backs of the surrounding hills. A word about the vehicles used on safari. They are modified land rovers, diesel-powered with separate gears for the front and back wheels. Obviously, they boast massive suspensions and extensive structural reinforcements. Besides the front seat, there are three rows of seats arranged in a staircase arrangement. Each row can accommodate three people. There's also a fold-out seat on the front left hood, where a tracker can sit precariously and survey the surroundings. An essential feature: everything is copiously padded. These babies can climb up a steep cliff, ford a stream, take a licking ... read more