Okay, for those of you that have visions of me basking in the sun, with a cerveza in one hand and sangria in the other, while you shiver amid the snow flakes, let me disabuse you of that notion. This morning started on the nippy side—39 degrees, according to Weatherbug.
I hit the street early, looking for an ATM. The good news–people on the street understood my Spanish. The bad news? They thought I could actually speak the language, so they went into “rapid” mode for giving directions, but quite fortunately accompanied it with LOTS of pointing.
Those green spots on the map in the last post? They are indeed lovely squares.
Check out what the locals are wearing. See, I wasn’t kidding about the temperature.
On the taxi ride from the airport, I got the night view of the bustling city of Queretaro, as we roared along the six lane highway. From what little I could see, it appears to be quite large and modern.
Our hotel is in el centro, the historic district. No cars are allowed on the street in front of the hotel, so the taxi driver very kindly walked me the half block to my destination.
That yellow building is where I’ll be hanging my hat for the next 17 days.
My room is on the second floor, 31 steps up. There is no elevator, so I was grateful that I had taken Pam’s advice and packed light. And I’m happy to have this built in opportunity for exercise.
My room is small, but very clean, and the bed is extra firm, which is my preference. The best part–the wi-fi seems to be working really well from my room.
Okay, so after looking at those photos, wouldn’t you think that my room is windowless? Well, that’s what I thought too, till I stepped into the shower this morning, and found one hiding in there. Not only do I have a window, but it was open all last night!
However, between the blankie on my bed, and el Diablo, I managed to stay quite warm.
Off to explore the old town!
Tomorrow, if the snow gods allow, I will be winging my way toward my fourth Global Volunteers experience, in Queretaro, Mexico. Although I’ll be sticking to North America, and will have no jet lag to contend with, I’m still giving myself a couple of days to acclimate to my new surroundings. And what wonderful surroundings they will be!
I will freely admit to having extremely limited knowledge of our southern neighbor’s geography. I signed on without having any idea where Queretaro is, or anything else about the area, for that matter. But that is all changing. In the past two days, I’ve been cruising the internet, like a college student at exam time, trying to learn everything I can about the place I’ll call home for the next 17 days. And I’m more than happy to share this new-found knowledge with you–oh, my loved ones.
In the past, my experiences with Mexico were confined to the coasts: Cabo San Lucas and Playa del Carmen. This time, I’ll be in the interior of the country, so no need for bathing suit or flip-flops. Here’s a visual, for those of you, like me, who need to see where you are going, with Texas providing a point of reference.
Queretaro is right smack dab under that red dot. The city and the state share the same name–although the city is officially called Santiago de Queretaro. I didn’t even know that Mexico was broken into states–I just thought of that land mass as “Mexico”. But there are 31 of them, and Queretaro is one of the smallest, as you have probably figured out by its obliteration under the dot. It’s about two and a half hours from Mexico City, to give you an idea of distances and scale.
As with other things in life, don’t be fooled by size. Queretaro may be small in territory, but it has a lot going for it. It is chock full of beautiful 17th and 18th century buildings, enough to be named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. Many were former churches, convents and missions, (not surprising given the Franciscans founded the city in 1531, looonnnng before those Pilgrims and Puritans set foot up north). There’s scads of history in them thar hills, but I’m saving all that for future posts and possibly a quiz or two.
Here’s a sneak peek at my new world. I’ll be staying at the Hotel Hidalgo, which unlike the Casa de la Marquesa, probably didn’t give Google any advertising dollars. Still, what did we do before Google maps?!
The green patch in the bottom right corner is the street market, which I will undoubtedly visit. I also checked out Jardin Zenea, and that looks to be quite lovely. I’m thinking I’ll have plenty of photo ops on my days off.
In the upper left hand corner is where I’ll be working: the Technological University of Queretaro (UTEQ), giving the students opportunities to practice English. (I am reluctant to describe what I do as “teaching” English, given my lack of teaching experience…but hey, I sure know how to talk and to listen!)
This will be quite a change of pace for me. For my other three projects, I worked with either preschool or elementary school children. This time, I’ll working with adolescents and will be following a varied schedule. To accommodate early and late classes, some days we’ll go from 7AM to 2 PM and others from 3 PM to 9 PM. Because the volunteers are in such demand, and the need is so great, we will not see the same class twice, something else that will be quite different for me.
I’m lucky enough to have an Ecuadorian sister-in-law, who humors me by letting me practice my Spanish on her. Any time yo hablo espanol, it is guaranteed to get a laugh out of mi hermana preferida. I’m sure it is because of her amazement and admiration of my fluency. We’ll see how it goes with the students. I’m betting I’ll be able to pick up a phrase or two from them to completely dazzle and amaze the folks back home.
I’m not sure about the internet capabilities in the hotel, or MY capabilities given the work schedule, but I plan on posting whenever I am able.
There is something about a list with a number alongside that is SO compelling–100 top colleges, 25 top attractions, 15 fool proof ways to excite a man. They just shout “READ ME”, don’t they? So, I figured why not?
Drum roll, please.
The Ten Top Reasons for biking with VBT, not necessarily in order of importance–just in the order that my somewhat addled brain extracts them.
1. Fantastic guides!
I’ve taken three VBT trips; each one has had delightful local guides, who do everything in their power to make sure we have an amazing experience. They are entertaining, knowledgeable and SKILLED!
Flat tire? No problem…one of them will fix it for you. Andi DID demonstrate how to change a tire so that we would know what to do back home. I was quite happy that should the need arise, all I had to do was wait until whichever one was “sweeping” (riding at the back of the group to make sure we were all okay) to catch up and rescue me. But thanks anyway, Andi. I hope I never have to put my new knowledge to the test
Here’s Andi, ready for ANY emergency!
I’m posting this photo of Hana, seriously studying for her law exam (no, not during our trip…she emailed it to us later) because it shows her dog, Candy, helping her concentrate. Candy is a Maltese, just like Lilly, my sister Sue’s dog.
2. Wonderful New Friends On every trip, we have managed to meet interesting, fun people. Some, like Victoria from our Slovenia trip, continue the friendship even after the biking trip is a distant memory.
We hope that will be true for this trip also. Mike would have really enjoyed talking with Peter because they have so much in common: an interest in meteorites, ancient coins, research, writing, photography. Mike is not a biker–but maybe there will be other opportunities for them to meet in the future.
The Midwestern Ladies have already appeared in previous posts, but I have to mention them again. They were beyond fantastic biking companions! We made them “honorary biker chicks” a title that is definitely not easy to come by.
The Connecticut Contingent: Peter and Joan in the lead, followed by Julia and Tom
3. Van stops, exactly when you need them How great is it not to have to worry about getting your belongings from town to town? It also helps to know that riding the van is always an option if you get too tired, or too wet.
Beth is enthusiastically making her way to the van. Those curls were really bobbing up and down!
4. Breath-taking scenery It is true that the scenery in this area is amazing regardless of how you travel across it, but there is something special about being able to stop whenever you want, to savor the beauty and to take a photo or two.
I found this old tree fascinating. Probably it was alive when Napoleon was running wild, conquering surrounding countries!This shot was taken from the center of the dam that we rode across on our way to Austria. The dam isn’t all that visually compelling, so I’ll spare you.
5. Alternate Modes of Transportation Much as I enjoy biking, it is nice to give your hindquarters a little break. On this trip, we traveled by train and by boat. The ride down the Danube offered a different view of the little town of Passau, where the waters of the Inn, the Ilz and the Danube converge, each one a different color.
A view of Passau from the river. You can NEVER have too many churches–or to many clock towers!
6. Exploration Options We always had sufficient free time to explore the little towns and villages; to pursue whatever interests we might have, whether it be using the zip line at a playground, listening to a concert in the local church, shopping, trying out the local delicacies, or doing all of the above.
Sorry sisters and cousins…I didn’t buy any of these. It was too early in the trip. They would have either melted, or been eaten before I got home. (Probably eaten)
7. Mind Expansion!
You always absorb interesting facts about the countries you visit, and you might even REMEMBER some of what you learned!
Unfortunately, my camera didn’t have a wide enough angle to capture the three different colors of the water coming from the three different rivers that converge at Passau. That image only resides in the space between my ears. Instead, I offer this description.
The waters really WERE different colors!
8. Dining in Unusual Places
We probably wouldn’t have found this restaurant in a cellar in Cesky Krumlov. (Or was it a cave?). Getting there was part of the experience. The taller members of the group had to stay scrunched over as we descended the winding, steep steps. There wasn’t a lot of headroom! But the dinner was SO worth it!
Katie, the youngest biker, with Karla from the Midwest and Kim, Katie’s mother
9. Pre and Post Trip Extensions The trips always start and end in great locations, so if you have the time (and many of us did), you can opt for the pre and/or post trips. I’ve already posted about Prague, and if I get the energy, will also share Vienna highlights—but here is one photo from each place.
Prague, viewed from the top of the Charles Bridge Tower. (141 steps to the top, and through a little narrow door). I just can’t resist a tower!
Sally (Biker Chick who had other travel plans this year) had perfect timing. She emailed us the night before our last day in Vienna, suggesting that we visit the Hundertwasser Museum. It is always wise to take Sally’s (and Marilyn’s) recommendations.
Not only did we spend a morning in the museum, but we also found Hundertwasser’s village.
Vienna — This will give you an idea of what Hundertwasser’s art is like.
I particularly enjoyed Hundertwasser’s philosophical statements. Two of my favorites:
“If we do not honor our past, we lose our future. If we destroy our roots, we cannot grow”.
“A dead person is entitled to reincarnation in the form of, for example, a tree that grows on top of him and through him. The result would be a sacred forest of living dead. A garden of the happy dead.”
He asked to be buried without a coffin, to encourage decomposition.
10. Renewing Old Friendships I know, I already talked about NEW friendships–but being with the other Biker Chicks deserves its very own reason number. Wouldn’t you agree?
For this trip, what was especially special was spending time with the “other” Karen, a college friend that I hadn’t seen in more than 4 decades!
Our Biking Group: The Connecticut Contingent, the Coloradians, the midwest Ladies, the Biker Chicks, and the “Katie” family, plus our super duper guides
We are all home now, doing laundry, readjusting to time zones, and having to cook our own meals.
Maybe there will be a quiz over the coming days? You never know…
Vermont Bike Trips does an amazing job hiring personable, charming and helpful guides, organizing interesting routes, and making sure that there are options for all skill levels.
I’ve been asked how far someone rides on a typical day, and the short answer is as far as you want. For me, the total mileage was 120 miles over 6 days or an average of 20 miles per day. But some days were longer, others were shorter. For example, the first day is always short, because you are getting used to the bike and warming up. That first day,we all rode less than 10 miles. My longest ride was 29 miles, through Sumava, the Czech Republic’s largest national park.
It was uphill a fair part of the morning, because we were crossing the continental divide.
Beth and Denise put the pedal to the metal and powered up the hill.Following Karen through the forest
Fortunately what goes UP must come down, so our ride after lunch was quite delightful. I felt like I was sitting on a motor scooter, zipping through the woods. No pedaling required for a couple of miles–I just held on and coasted. But then we had a few anxious moments when the path we were following was roped off. Did we make a wrong turn? Were we going to have to retrace our wheels (they definitely weren’t steps), except going UPHILL for those “motor scooter” miles? As we pondered our dilemma, it soon became clear. We heard the thunder of hooves, and realized that the ropes functioned as a type of traffic light. By the time I got my camera out, I was only able to capture this last guy.
The bike path is also the path for an earlier mode of transportation.If I had been quicker retrieving my camera, you would have seen these guys in action. They were quite beautiful, galloping from one field to the other.
We enjoyed two days in Passau, Germany, a gorgeous little town on the Danube. During. Walk through town, I noticed the playground had a little zip line. You’d walk up a slight incline, hop onto a rope with a little seat type contraption, get a little momentum going and zip across to the others side, where you would smash into a big tire that would then fling you back at least halfway. Maybe the kids could get further…MY best distance was halfway. Sorry, no photos. I waited till it was dark, when the kids had all gone home. I DO have photos of our ride along the River Inn, to the little town of Scharding. This was the morning that stopped raining just as we headed out. From the look of my legs, you can probably surmise that the trail was just a tiny bit muddy.
The bridge between Germany and Austria. I have a foot in each country.
This statue symbolizes the warm, loving feelings Germany and Austria have for each other.
The kissing statue. As you can see, I am very much in favor of loving kindness between nations.
It was a BEAUTIFUL ride, not too hot, not too cold, with the mist rising from the river making it very scenic.
I hope you really like this photo. While taking it, I managed to knock my bike off the path, into the mud. Good thing I had dismounted!
One last photo of Passau before I call it quits for the night. I don’t want to run out of my Internet allotment!
Cesky Krumlov is a lovely medieval town perched on the top of a high hill, filled with restaurants, shops, and a castle with a story, which I now know.
The castle was built around 1250 by the Rosenbergs, who lived there for about 600 years till the Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolph II took a fancy to it. I’m sure there were lots of battles and other really important historical events connected with the castle, but the story that I liked the most was about the Rosenberg son who married for love, against the wishes of his father. That marriage was annulled, so that son could make a more appropriate match, one that came with a large dowry. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a delay in the payment of the dowry, so son (whose name escapes me, but I’ll bet you don’t care either) sent his blushing bride home. It took about 10 years, numerous bake sales and car washes for the family to come up with the requisite sum. By the time the two love birds got together, Mrs. Rosenburg was getting on in years. She consulted a priest or some other magical power fellow, so when she gave birth at age 42, it was declared a miracle, resulting in canonization of the miracle worker. (No, not the husband, the magical fellow). Personally, I think if anyone should have been canonized, it should have been Mrs. Rosenburg, for putting up with that nonsense. I had a good look at The Lord of the manor, and let me tell you, he was no prize. If I had been sent home, I would have stayed there and used the dowry money to travel. But maybe that’s just me.
The view from the castle is spectacular, well worth the climb up the hill.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t take photos IN the castle, so I’ll have to describe the coat of arms of one of the later families, who moved in when the Hapsburgs tired of it. Picture a severed head, sporting a fu Manchu mustache dangling at an angle, with a black bird pecking at his eyes. That’s because the Schwartzenbergs defeated the Turks and the grateful emperor rewarded them with that stunning visual.
After much wandering, discussions, and menu viewing, the biker chicks decided to dine at our hotel. We had drinks and appetizers on the terrace, then moved inside for dinner once it got cold.
Karen, Beth and Susan
Diane and Karen
On our last day in Cesky Krumlov, we took a train part way through the forest, then biked across what was once the iron curtain, so of course we took advantage of the photo op.
My friends and sisters would be shocked. I’m on my SECOND beer! No, not my second beer today–my second beer in three days–but still. Plus, I’m drinking alone, although in my mind, I am with YOU, my blogging buddies. That counts, right?
What’s next? Smoking cigarettes?
Drinking beer again?
Our group is meeting our guide in an hour for a tour of the Cesky Krumlov castle, so I decided this is the perfect time to hang in an outdoor cafe. It’s relatively near our meeting spot and equipped with wifi. Who could ask for anything more?
Unlike the good ol USA, in the Czech Republic, cafés don’t rush you and the servers don’t circle around,trying to get you to spend more money. I’m the only one here who is not speaking Czech, so I suspect I had the good fortune to stumble into a place that only the locals patronize. Sometimes having a lousy sense of direction turns out to be a good thing.
But I am indeed on a bike trip, and ride we did this morning. Here’s proof. The two Karens and Susan are doing their Czech imitation, while I am flashing my “American smile”. That actually is a term here in the Czech Republic. Hana, our guide, explains that the Czech don’t smile much, so to them, we Americans appear always to be grinning broadly. And why not? When THEY see us, we are on vacation, enjoying their beautiful country.
The Czech countryside is lovely, with lots of rolling hills, farmland and woods. One of those rolling hills today was a KILLER. I made it halfway and walked the rest of the way to the top, as did many in our group. But at least we tried.
This cow was just BEGGING to have her photo taken.
We had a wonderful lunch at a home in the little town of Plav.
Tom, one of the four men in our group (out of twenty participants) took a little spin on the tractor, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to back it into the “garage”. A wise decision on his part.
About half of us decided to get back to Cesky Krumlov via 4 wheels instead of 2, so we’d have time to explore (or blog and drink beer).
I don’t know anything yet about the castle that dominates the skyline, other than that a bear lives in what I imagine was once the moat.
Bet you thought I was kidding about the bear.
Tomorrow morning, we will take a train to Passau, Germany and will spend the rest of the day riding there. At some point there WILL be a quiz and the usual historical stuff, but for now, I’m just experiencing the culture of the country, where Pilsner was invented, and Budweiser got its start.
Yep, it’s time for the biker chicks to saddle up. Thankfully, though, we have 3 days in Prague first, to recover from jet lag and to convince ourselves that after weeks of non-activity, seeing parts of Europe by bike is a GOOD idea.
These biker chicks decided to sit this trip out, but they will be with us in spirit. Marilyn wants us to drink the local beer, so we will hoist our glasses in a toast to all three of you…probably more than once…or twice…
Marilyn, Sally and Victoria, we will MISS you! Who is going to make sure I don’t lose my glasses???
BUT, we have added two new members. Denise and Karen are taking their first trip with VBT, joining us oh, so very cool bikers.
Karen P., Denise, Diane, Karen H and Beth. Jet lagged, but undaunted.
And we DEFINITELY will be cool, possibly even cold, and probably a bit damp, because the weather forecast for the next 10 days is rain, rain and more rain. Known as “pula” in Botswana, a rainy day is a joyous occasion. The Botswanians (if that is the correct term) like rain so much, the word “pula” means rain AND money AND is an all purpose greeting. So, if rain drops keep fallin on my head, as they did a couple of times this afternoon, I’ll just tell myself I’m still in Africa and rain is cause for celebration. (We’ll see how THAT works out!)
Yes, we were tired today, after flying all last night, but we managed to march ourselves thither and yon this afternoon, ducking into churches and a restaurant to avoid intermittent sprinkles.
Enough of my babbling. Time for more photos of this lovely city.
I kept looking UP. The tops of buildings are magnificent!I was also looking DOWN, at the wonderful sidewalks. That looks to me like the Star of David and a cross, peacefully sharing space on the sidewalk.
The statues are rather fascinating.
I’m guessing that the guy with the turban and curved sword hails from the Ottoman Empire. But why is he the only one with midriff bulge? Why does that stag have a gold cross growing out of his head? And what’s with the handcuffs, and the guy on the right with his hand on the other guy’s knee?
Oh SO many questions, and this isn’t even a quiz! ( Mainly because I don’t know the answers and I’m punchy because I can’t sleep, though I NEED to, except my body has NO bloody idea what time zone it is in. )
How about THIS one?
The details in the statues are intriguing.
I’m SOOOO glad I’m not biking tomorrow! Although, if the truth be told, ( which, on this blog, happens occasionally) these are not supposed to be very taxing bike rides. Here’s the map showing the ground we will cover.
Notice the red squiggly lines? THAT’S the biking part. Not so bad, eh.
One last photo and a good night to all. Aren’t you glad I kept looking up?
Well, you surprised me. I never thought you’d figure out this first one, but Sue, Lindy and Sandy know poop when they see it.
1. The can attached to the bumper of the jeep contained elephant dung. It is set on fire and acts as a VERY effective mosquito repellant. So glad we didn’t have to rub it on our skin!
Is there no end to the number of uses for elephant dung? With so much of it around, you might as well find a way to use it! I was continually impressed by the inventiveness and creativity of Africans.
2. This is the sink in the ladies’ room at Phalaborwa Airport. The water bubbles up from holes in the sink’s surface. All you have to do is turn that brown knob on the right to get the water going. WE probably never would have figured that out, except a local lady happened to be washing her hands while we were there.
And what a cute airport Phalaborwa is! A South Africa copper mining town, it appears to generate enough revenue so the government can afford to make the airport quite lovely and comfortable, with great animal sculptures.
Note that not ALL airports were like Phalaborwa.
Maureen and Jeanne at the “airport” on our way to the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
What you see in the photo above is what you get– a landing strip and a little shed with ax, fire extinguisher and stretcher. Oh yeah, and a few huge termite mounds. Did you notice the big one on the right?
The airport for Lufupa, the Zambian camp, was a bit larger–it had TWO structures.
The bathroom is the smaller structure on the far right.
3. The connections among these objects? The mopane worm feeds on those leaves, which are from (no surprise) the mopane tree. The worms are a delicacy, so much so that they are featured on the coins of Botswana.
Hey, before you get all judgmental on me, remember, we eat lobsters and crabs–and don’t even get me started on that rubbery stuff we call calamari!
But don’t think that we were just eating worms and warthogs. Check out this feast…I mean snack.
Our 3:30 PM “snack” before the afternoon game drive. Can we make it till our “sundowner” break at 6:00? What about dinner at 7:30?
4. The Nobel Peace Prize winners were Chief Luthulu, Archbishop Tutu, De Klerk, and Nelson Mandela.
At Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
The long flights, plus time spent hanging in airports, gave me ample opportunity to read all 600+ pages of Nelson Mandela’s Autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom”.
What an incredible man-to be imprisoned for 27 years and still be able to forgive his captors because he knew that was the only way for his country to heal and to move forward. He makes our red/blue, right/left, Democratic/Republican disagreements look so very petty and silly.
Travel is such a broadening experience. Seeing how far South Africa has come since apartheid and comparing it to Zimbabwe under Mugabe further underscores Mandela’s greatness and the power of forgiveness. We could learn so much from Mandela.
Tutu in front of a photo of Mandela, at St. George’s Cathedral. Cape Town.
5. Cecil Rhodes managed to accomplish so much during a rather short life time.
Although he died before his 49th birthday, Rhodes amassed quite a fortune from his success mining diamonds. Some noteworthy accomplishments: He bequeathed the land that became the Kirstenbosch Gardens to South Africa, he got the bridge over Victoria Falls built, he established a trust that funds Rhodes Scholars, oh yeah, and he did manage to get a country named after himself (Or was that TWO countries? What is now Zambia was Northern Rhodesia, and Zimbabwe was known as Rhodesia.)
Time to take a break from Africa and move to another continent. Hope you’ll come along!
Our bodies may have been back in the USA for a week and a half now, but my mind is still basking in the afterglow of Africa.
Full disclosure–although the trip was amazing, magnificent, exciting, it was definitely not for the faint of heart, or the stiff of joints.
We didn’t get much exercise, because we spent most of our days riding around in jeeps, but climbing into that last row required some agility. The steps up were pretty high!
Connie and Jeanne
The roads provided what our guides called “the African Massage”. Ruts and holes in the road? No problem. Just grab a bunch of rocks, throw them into the holes and you are good to go!
For those that saw the movie Urban Cowboy, oh so many years ago, imagine riding the mechanical bull at Gilly’s and you’ll have a good idea of what traveling in the jeep was like.
Bridges? Who needs them? There were MANY reasons I was glad we were not traveling during the rainy season, and here’s one of them. Bet the water is a whole lot deeper during the rainy season.
We had some experiences that, depending on your point of view, could be called mishaps or adventures. We decided to go with adventures.
At Karongwe, our first camp, we had been chasing a leopard off road, through fields of acacia trees and thorn bushes when our guide got a radio message telling him “nagalas are in the area”. At least that’s what it sounded like to me. Immediately we were in hot pursuit of this mysterious animal. Although I questioned him, Setepi wouldn’t tell me a nagala was his language’s word for lion, because he was afraid the lions might leave before we got there, and we’d be disappointed. No worries. There were SEVEN nagalas, feasting on a kill.
How close were we? THIS close.But why is the jeep at such an odd angle?
Our wild leopard chase resulted in a slow leak that turned into a flat, right by the lions. If we had gotten out of the jeep, the lions might have attacked, so there we sat while Setepi and Sondi changed the tire. Another jeep pulled between them and the lions, blocking the lions’ view of the activity, just in case they decided to look up from their kill.
One of the group wondered what might happen if you got more than one flat tire while out in the bush. We soon found out, because our leopard chase resulted in not one, not two, but THREE punctures. Fortunately we had a resourceful guide, who used radio and good ol’ foot-power to borrow spares from other jeeps.
Running to another jeep to make the exchange.
Our second camp was in Chobe National Park, Botswana. Once again, we were lucky enough to encounter lions. Because this is a national park, we weren’t able to go off road, so couldn’t get quite as close as we did in Karongwe, which was a South African private reserve. Still, we were able to get some good shots. But just because we didn’t go tearing off road didn’t mean that we were adventure-free.
Why are we milling about, outside our jeep, with lions close by?We are getting ready to try to push our stuck jeep. No action photos–I stopped photographing to help push.
Although we were mired down, the bigger problem was that the shift was stuck, so we had to wait for help to arrive from camp, over an hour away.
It was a beautiful day, we had sufficient water, the company was great, so it was not tough to take.
We left our stuck and disabled jeep for the mechanic to fix, while we rode back in his jeep.
Onward to the Okavango Delta. Here we watched the King of the Bush, and he was regal indeed.
I suspected that he was posing for us. In fact, when he turned to show his good side, I was CERTAIN he was posing. He also has a playful side, which he demonstrated.
Of course, before we got to him, we had to experience the “curse of the lions. Yep, another jeep adventure.
If you didn’t like rocky roads, then the Okavango was your kind of place. Take a look.Well, at least it wasn’t mud! But we did manage to get stuck.
Mike tried to problem solve, but ultimately a tow from another jeep was needed to get us out of the sand.My grandmother was right: “things come in threes”, and in Africa, they did. No more lion curse, no more adventure/mishaps with our vehicles after this third incident.
And now, in Grammy’s honor, I figure we should have a THIRD, and final Africa quiz. You ready?
1. Do you know what this is? Extra points if you know what it is used for.
2. What about this?
3. What are these objects, and why are they grouped together?
4. Four South Africans received the Nobel Peace Prize. Who were they?
5. A famous South African founded De Beers diamonds, had a country named after him, left a ton of money for charitable endeavors when he died at an early age. Who was he?
What an amazing trip! I couldn’t possibly include ALL of the adventures in one post, so here are some of the highlights, which, coincidentally happen to be the answers to Africa Quiz #3.
1. Bungee jump? No way! Even after Jeanne and I were offered two for the price of one, we declined. Did the vendor want to show that insanity knows no age limit?
2. Zip line across the gorge…you bet! And it was GRAND! Fortunately, my friend Jeanne was up for it as well. And no, that is NOT a tattoo on my arm. It is a special code– so if the rope broke, the divers would know who was who. (Only kidding–it was our weight, in kilograms, and other secret stuff). You are probably going to want more than just a photo of us leaning against a sign, aren’t you? Well, Jeanne went first, so she was able to take these photos of my transit.
Did I enjoy the experience? See for yourself.
3. Yes, we did play netball, a type of basketball, with six very pregnant young women. The staff at the health center encourages them to exercise, so after their checkup they go to the school playground for a fun game of hoops. And yes, I WAS tossing the ball to a member of the other team. She’s PREGNANT, for crying out loud! I didn’t want her to have to run TOO far.
4. All 8 of the women in our group were taught the many uses of the chitenge by lovely Doris. Here we are, rockin’ our new look. 5. Friends and family will be shocked, because I am known as a picky eater, but I DID consume a mopane worm. Despite the look on my face after that first bite, I actually DID finish it. Jeanne was equally enthusiastic. 6. On the other hand, I did NOT finish the beer. One mouthful was more than enough– enough to convince me that it tasted exactly like dirty gym socks. Not that I have ever tasted dirty gym socks before, but if I had, that is exactly how I imagined they would have tasted. 7. Since I am sharing the contents of my overactive imagination with you, I might as well admit that wallowing in the mud with the hippos was indeed an imaginary activity. The only mud wallowing was done by this fine fellow. What’s he doing? Why, he’s asking the others if two tones makes his butt look smaller. I think their body language indicates their answer. 8. Mike and I loved the helicopter ride over Victoria Falls. The views were spectacular! 9. Yes, I did trade my tevas, and fortunately had flip flops in my backpack so I didn’t have to walk back to the hotel barefoot. Same for the tee shirt. Us former girl scouts are ALWAYS prepared. No photos of the transaction exist, fortunately.
10. Although I climbed more than one tree, I never made it to the TOP of a baobab (sorry Sammy). This one was growing through the lobby of the Moremi Wilderness Camp. I made it as high as the ceiling allowed. 11. We had a fantastic dinner at Savoy Cabbage. Mike gave me a taste of his warthog, and I sampled the “other” Mike’s kudu, but stuck with rack of lamb for my entree. Neither of us had our cameras with us, so sorry–no visuals exist.
12. I never missed a chance to sing and dance with the camp staff. They were incredibly talented. We were willing and enthusiastic. That blue arm on the left belongs to me. 13. The kids were sweet, beautiful and curious. When one asked about snow, I ran back to the bus to fetch my ipad. 14. I did not grind millet, but Connie and Marisa (mother and daughter) did. 15. We all had our Ringo Starr moments in the Boma, an outdoor meeting place, where we would gather around the fire the last evening at each camp for a great dinner and entertainment. Check out my very own rock star! Remember I said I did 10 of the 15 activities? Well, I was in such a hurry to upload the post before I ran out of time and MBs that I miscounted. I actually did 11 out of 15. The only ones I DIDN’T do were: bungee jump, wallow in the mud with the hippos, climb to the top of the baobab and swing down, and grind millet.
Our Africa trip is over, we are back home, but if I get inspired, I might be able to come up with one last Africa quiz. Thanks to those who played! I loved seeing the answers and the logic behind the choices.
M
Destination NOW 