With 50 rooms, the Chobe Game Lodge was much livelier and busier than the resort we stayed at in Kenya, Richard Branson’s Mahali Mzuri which only had 12 tents.  Less personalized but still friendly with an enjoyable atmosphere and beautiful grounds surrounded by lush green foliage, a swimming pool, and a large deck overlooking the Chobe River with Namibia on the opposite riverside. We checked into our room and were delighted to see that it was very spacious. It even had 2 bathrooms taking the concept of “his and hers” to the next level.   The best part, however, was the deck that had a plunge pool and lounge chairs where we could relax, read and take in the sites between safaris.

Upon checking in we were given a list of activities for the next 5 days that were going to keep us busy.  It was a very precise itinerary.

Most days included three safaris: a morning, afternoon, and early evening drive. Two of which were typically on land, and one on water.  Again, one of the special privileges of staying at Chobe Game Lodge is the location. Since we were located in the park we were able to get a jump start for the morning drives beating those waiting outside the gates. We could also be the last ones to leave in the evening.

And like our stay in the Maasai Mara, the Chobe Game Lodge assigns you one guide for the entire trip and pairs you and your itineraries with the people that check-in on the same day. Our guide was a female by the name of DK. In fact, this game lodge only employs female guides.  The lodge started an initiative in 2005 to give females more roles in the sought after tourism industry where most positions were held by men.   This helped give women a boost in the Botswana tourism industry, but it was also noticed by hotel management that guests felt that female drivers were more sensitive to the guest’s needs and better drivers. I know any guys reading this will find that hard to believe.  The driving part, not the sensitive part.  The Chobe Game Lodge recruits the top female guides from across Africa and now 14 women guides are known as “Chobe Angels” and do an awesome job in the process.   I whole heartedly respect what the Chobe Game Lodge is doing for women’s careers in Africa.

DK, our guide, is third from the left.

Honestly, the game drives weren’t quite as good as our previous safari drives in Kenya. For one, you can’t go off the marked roads to get a closer look at the animals. As such, all the vehicles are jockeying for a space on the narrow roads when there is a spotting. At certain points there was literally a line-up of jeeps, each taking their turn to see the animals from the best vantage spot for 1-2 minutes before moving out of line. It felt a little bit like an amusement park ride.

There wasn’t frequent big-game spotting in the Chobe National Park.  Nevertheless, over the course of 5 days, we still had a number of highlights and overall great experience. We just had to seek harder and longer for those experiences. The following bold titles describes our highlights.

Boat Game Drives

The Chobe Game Lodge is located on the Chobe River. As such they have a few safari boats that are used each day for their guests.  Botswana is known for having the largest elephant population in the world and many visit Chobe specifically for the elephants.  The Chobe River alone hosts onwards of 50,000 elephants.  There might not be a better place to observe these herds of elephant families than from a boat on the river where you watch them charge out of the bush to play and bathe.

We also got up close to crocodiles along shore. We even got to witness one catch a fish and devour it.

The other highlight was seeing large groups of hippos including baby hippos playing in and around the edge of the water.

Due to the number of days we stayed we were able to do multiple morning, afternoon, and boat drives while we were there.  This way we were able to experience all the various animals, activities and species at different parts of the day.  On our afternoon boat drive we enjoyed lunch on the water while taking in the sites of elephants and hippos on the bank of the river.

Overall the boat drives were a unique experience and certainly one of the biggest highlights of our trip in Botswana.  When I think safari I envision a jeep in the African bush not cruising on the river watching animals taking baths and drink freshwater. But you could really see the animals in a lot of happiness playing in the water, just like us humans.

Elephants on Afternoon game drive

During one of our lands safaris we were having a slow start so DK decided to drive us over to an area that was more secluded without other jeeps.  We found ourselves on a narrow dirt road surrounded by the most beautiful densely populated maze of trees. You could barely see a few hundred feet through these trees. Peter asked DK what the name of the trees were and she said, “Zambezi Teak.” It was right then that we ran into a family of elephants emerge out of the teak trees like Field of Dreams.

You could tell by the behavior of the elephants that they weren’t use to seeing jeeps.  They didn’t just ignore us like usual.   Sometimes you hear about one of the animals charging a jeep and tipping it over.  We found ourselves in a moment of what felt like touch-and-go.  DK stopped the jeep near the elephants.  For awhile we observed them until one started to approach the back of the jeep.  Suddenly the elephant lifted his trunk and his front legs in what appeared to be an attempt to come at us.  Of course I instinctually stood up and then was told to sit down.   The elephant took his trunk and sniffed around inside our jeep then turned and walked away.  All of the passengers had a high five and a nervous laugh together afterwords.  Either way you slice that moment, it was a thrill!

After this particular trip home we discovered a dead baby impala laying off to the side of the dirt road close to the gate of our resort.  The baby itself was sad to see but you could also see the mother standing by, prancing around nervously as she kept an eye on her baby, waiting for it to get up.  For the next two days the mother was still there each time we left and returned from our safaris. Each time just staring at her dead baby impala, hoping that it would miraculously stand up.  It was a heart breaker and a lesson on animal emotions, feelings, and a mother’s instinct to protect. DK explained that it would wait until a carnivore would scare off the mother impala and eat the carcass.

Our Last Evening Drive

On our last full day I think Peter and I were both pretty ready to be done with the safaris.  Sitting in a safari jeep for multiple 3 hours drives each day gets a bit tiresome. And up to this point the land safaris and been pretty mellow.  We had seen a pride of lions snoozing, but only in the distance.  We had heard there was a leopard around but no sign of him.  There had been many sightings of warthogs, water buffalos, impalas, and monkeys which were all fun to see, but you get spoiled and want to see the big game, the predators. But despite our lackluster spirits, we recognized that it was our last day and when would be the last time to safari in Botswana. We rallied.

If it helps illustrate our interest level in yet another safari on our last evening game drive, I was actually texting back and forth with my friend Shastin at the start of the safari, distracted and not expecting too much.

DK asked the group, “What do you want to see tonight?”

The group in a half cheer replied, “lions and the leopard.”  One of the guests in our jeep yelled out, “wild dogs” which are really, really rare. DK gave an affirmative node.

No exaggeration, within 5 minutes DK gleefully shouted, “Lions!” She punched the brakes and backed up and speed off in the opposite direction. Everyone was seating at the edge of their seats scanning the landscape to spot the lions, but we were all confused, we couldn’t see any lions. DK was silent. But sure enough, as we continued to drive down the road we came across a pride of lions. How these guides can spot animals the way they can while also driving is baffling.

The Chobe National Park had the Maasai Mara beat in terms of animal intensity.  Up close and personal, there was something both thrilling and scary in the Chobe. Since jeeps aren’t allowed off the trails the animals aren’t as used to vehicles. They also just look rougher around the edges and these lions had way more swagger than the Maasai Mara lions which seemed more cuddly than predatory.

DK was the first to spot the pride so our group was able to observe for awhile on our own. After a few minutes, she dutifully got on the walkie-talkie to share the location of the lions with the other guides. But it was ours for awhile.

We moved with the lions as they sauntered the land in search of a kill.  At one point we even saw an an attempted attack on a warthog (think Pumba from Lion King) where the pride surrounded the warthog and finally made a dash to only come up short.  Still thrilling and heart pumping to watch. Those lions can sprint in the attack!

We all felt pretty good and satisfied after our lion encounter and there was a definite air of adrenaline and excitement in our jeep. The lions went into the bush and we continued on the drive. No less than five minutes later DK yells, “Leopard!”   Once again before anyone other guides had spotted the leopard we were the first.  DK’s hawk eye was out in full force and we were the lucky ones.

Early on in the safari and we had already crossed off the top two animals from the jeep’s wish-list.  Everything else would be a bonus.

During our safaris we always had a little pit stop for a drink and snack break in a guarded part of the park.  On this break, we all marveled and toasted together on a successful safari. Night-time was approaching and we realized that this would be our last sun-downer in the African bush.   We were in such good moods that not even the monkeys getting into our jeep and trying to steal our snacks bothered us.

As our safari was starting to end we all wanted to pass the lion spotting site on our way home just to see if there was any new action. All we found was the majestic black maned king laying as lions do.

After our good-byes to the lions we heading back to our resort.  We were the last jeep in the park because, as I explained, the rest of the companies and cars have to leave before the park closes.

Within minutes of reaching the gate to our resort, DK slammed on the brakes and yelled, “Wild Dogs!” At first we thought she was making an ironic joke in regards to our luck being strong that day. But no, there they were. “I can’t believe it. A pack of wild dogs. Its been 5 months since the last wild dog spotting,” DK explained, almost getting choked up. “We are so lucky,” she continued. Indeed we were. The guest that wanted to see wild dogs was in doggy heaven.  We had really hit the safari jackpot on this particular evening which also happened to be our last.

These carnivorous wild dogs are an endangered species with only 5,000 in all of Africa, Botswana boasting the most.  Your best change to see a wild dog is in Botswana but even then its very rare.  This species is considered elusive and mysterious.  Showing up in areas that they haven’t been in months then suddenly disappearing again.  We truly were lucky dogs.  I was fascinated by their spotted coats and bat-like ears. These ain’t your domesticated purse dogs.

We all watched in a bit of awe until DK decided it was time to head back again.  She had run out of tricks up her sleeves.

But thankfully we still had mother nature on our side who provided one of those inspiring African sunsets. The chocolate coating of the cherry sitting on a bed of whipped cream on top of your favorite ice cream.

Making new friends

You spend a lot of time with the other people on your safaris. We hadn’t really enjoyed the company of the Scottish couple on our safaris in Maasai Mara, with their anti-American jokes at our expense, so we were absolutely delighted when we met a very down to earth, kind, full of positive energy British couple, Bronwyn and David.  We spent every safari with them laughing and talking.

On our very first safari I discovered Bronwyn and I had birthdays within days of each other. We had fun sharing birthday stories from the past week.   That evening we were the only four people left in the dining room after dinner.  We were at separate tables but near each other.  When suddenly the lights dimmed and about 20 employees came out with a huge cake for Bronwyn.  I mentioned in an earlier post about the singing production that had occurred on my birthday, but this was next level.  Peter and I had the perfect spot to watch the performance.  In some sort of choreographed song and dance these employees performed like it was their last chance on The Voice before the judges were going to make their final decision.  It was awesome! I felt like we got a special bonus live entertainment to end our day.  After the staff exited the dining room in a line of signing and dancing, Bronwyn looked over to us, face beet-red, shaking her head saying, “I’m so embarrassed.”  Peter and I laughed and thanked her for the lively end to the evening.

David was hilarious and could really make both of us laugh. He was so quick witted and the jokes he would come up with on the spot were not only clever but really comically perfect. He also liked to jokingly peer-pressure me by saying things like, “Do you really want me to drink alone,” as he took back an afternoon beer. Or, “What is one drink at lunch really going to do?”

Bronwyn was given a surprise bottle of champagne that a staff member had put in their room.  She kept saying I had to share it with her.  The last night the resort put on a special African Braai (BBQ) and celebrated the end of our time at the Chobe Game Lodge.  The dinner was lively with a positive buzz.  Guests were dressed up and everyone was in a good mood exchanging safari stories.  It was that night that Bronwyn and David opened the bottle of champagne and had it on ice next to their table.  The entire evening David kept coming over and filling my glass like a posh butler, hilariously bowing as he poured.  I would have three sips and he would come over with a big grin, “Looks like you need to top that off.” They were both so great.

It really does make a difference when you spend five days of safari with people you not just thoroughly enjoy, but people by the end you consider friends.  Bronwyn and David truly enhanced our experience in Botswana and for that we are grateful.

Botswana rounded out the end of our 3-week African adventure.  Visiting Africa opened our eyes wide to an entirely different world.  A world of unique beauty of sunsets, landscapes, people, and animals that you will never see or feel anywhere else.  The sunsets will take your breath away, they are indescribable.  The landscape will make you think you are dreaming with its vastness.  The people, their positive energy, and their smiles will touch you in your heart in a way that you will never forget.  The animals will at times break your heart but you will ultimately leave with a deeper understanding, appreciation, and love for the animal kingdom.  Africa will change you.

Thank you for joining us on such a special trip.

With all kinds of love,

After a number of months on the road you realize that the majority of your time feels like you’re either packing or repacking, boarding or de-boarding, checking in or checking out, stamping in or stamping out and asking for WiFi passwords.  All the movement, logistics, itineraries and scenery changes can be so exhausting that by the time you actually reach your destination the last thing you want to do is explore the very place you were so excited to be arriving at in the first place.

So I consider myself fortunate to have a brain that is oddly wired to love the travel days as much as the destination itself. I’ve actually planned itineraries and trips that I’ve never had the intention to take. I read FlyerTalk.com Trip Reports in my free time where people outline their travels in such excruciatingly beautiful details, the more minutiae the better. When we lived near LAX, I would watch the international planes land and day-dream about the countries the planes were arriving from.

In short, I can’t get enough of traveling in the most literal sense and the journeys they provide.

So when I was tasked with getting us from Victoria Falls in Zambia to the Chobe National Park in Botswana, I couldn’t have been more excited.

The real treat of this route was traveling to the “Four Corners” of Southern Africa a quadripoint where you can cross a splinter of the Zambezi River and be in the middle of four African countries at the same time: Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Caprivi Strip of Namibia.  I’m a visual learner so put together this map to illustrate our route and the various country’s geographies.

Fun Fact: The Caprivi Strip was negotiated during German colonial times of Namibia to give the West coast country access to the Zambezi River which flows to the East coast of Africa. The Germans gave up their interest in Zanzibar as part of the deal.

I found a company that specializes in overland transfer from Zambia/Zimbabwe to Botswana called Wild Horizons.

Our driver with Wild Horizons picked us up promptly at 8am at the Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia in a modern mini-van with cold bottles of water in the coasters. It was 55 miles of very slow, surface street driving as we headed West along the Zambezi River until we reached the crossing point of the Four Corners, Kazungula Ferry Crossing.

As we approached the Ferry Crossing of Kazungula (which is real fun word to say, try it) we passed miles and miles of semi-trucks lined up and parked alongside the road. As we got closer to the river we passed huge parking lots of more semi trucks just parked and empty. We were instantly curious.

Our driver explained that the Kazungula Ferry is one of the largest crossings in Africa and that the wait time to cross in one of the two pontoon ferries in operation is up to two weeks. Each pontoon (pictured below) can carry 1 or 2 semi trucks at a time, or 70 tons of weight, and it takes 15 minutes to cross the 1/4 mile crossing. Its a painfully slow process of transport that is in operation 24/7.

Some of these trucks are carrying cargo all the way from East African countries such as Kenya and Uganda, attempting to reach the rest of the Southern African states via the Kazungula Ferry Crossing. Its the only crossing point between Zambia and Botswana. As a result, the city of Kazungula is a bit of a madhouse with thousands of truckers waiting for their crossing turn for the two week period and having some fun while they’re at it. There are makeshift guest-houses made from sheet-metal, wood and tarps scattered around the ferry port city and we crossed a number of bars, restaurants and what looked like dark, scary brothels in the African trucker city.

There were plans to build a bridge in 2007, but our driver just shrugged his shoulders when we inquired about the progress and said, “This is Africa!”

Thankfully for us, we didn’t have to wait two weeks in Kazungula. Our driver took us to a small immigration office where we stamped out of Zambia and then showed us to the shore where a small speed boat owned by Wild Horizons was awaiting to take us across to Botswana and through the quadripoint.

After a short five minutes of traveler excitement of being unstamped into any country while staring off into Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana, we were met on the Botswana side by another Wild Horizon driver that would take us to the Chobe National Park, our destination.

Procedures at Botswana immigration were simple and we were stamped into the country in a few minutes (country count: 64). But as we walked back to the truck an immigration guard yelled out in our direction, a situation you never want to happen. Oddly though, he was pointing to what looked like a dirty puddle. We were confused. Our driver quickly intercepted the situation and told us we had to step in the puddle. With confused looks we asked for clarification.  For “foot and mouth disease prevention,” the driver explained.

After stepping into the dirty puddle with our shoes on we climbed into the van and headed 30 minutes through the city of Kasane and into the Chobe National Park where we would stay and safari for the next 5 nights.

It was a flawless transfer by Wild Horizons that was created for most to be as unmemorable and efficient as possible. For me, it was yet another highlight of an amazing trip-of-a-lifetime of Africa and I savored every moment.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said “its the journey, not the destination.” It encapsulates precisely my feelings towards travel, but I also think its a great philosophy to live by with any facet of life. Whether its raising children, working on a new project or building a relationship, the beauty can be found in the journey and less so in the outcomes. The latter merely happenstance.

The Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingstone was the first European to discover the falls on November 16th 1855.  He named the falls after his Queen – Victoria of England. The following is his account of seeing the falls:

“No one can imagine the beauty of the view from anything witnessed in England. It had never been seen before by European eyes; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.”

To get from Zanzibar to Zambia was no easy feat. We took a commuter jet from the island of Zanzibar to the Tanzanian capital of Dar es Salaam. We had a four hour layover in Dar es Salaam where we had to exit the airport and wait in the blazing curbside African heat until two hours before our departure. We finally boarded our flight from Dar es Salaam to Johannesburg, South Africa where we stayed overnight at an airport hotel.  What a fun place to have a sleep over though. It was the first time I’ve actually slept at a huge international airport. So many stores, restaurants and people bustling to and fro from every country imaginable. I felt like Tom Hanks in the movie Terminal.   Plus waking up in the morning and walking right to the check-in counters in a matter of minutes was pretty convenient. We finally boarded our final flight from Johannesburg to the city of Livingstone, Zambia.

For the visualizers, here’s a map of our journey:

JNB airport already had the holiday decor which was a nice touch.

When we landed in Zambia we opted for the dual visa which would grant us access into Zimbabwe as well (it also allows a 24 hour stop in Botswana).  This visa is called the Kaza Visa. And while its a great money-saving dual visa, the day we arrived in Zambia was the first day it was released. The airport staff had no idea what they were doing. It took over 2 hours and 6 immigration staff to process the mere 60 people on our flight through the visa process. We were at the back of the line.

At one point Peter suggested I try to leave customs and immigration to let our hotel transfer know not to leave. I had to double-take. Was Peter really suggesting I exit immigration and customs without my passport and then try to get back in without my passport? Yes, yes he was. And why not. What else was I doing? In broken English and many hand gestures I relayed to the security guard the situation and I walked right through immigration, found our driver and explained the situation and without a hitch walked right back in to Peter without a problem.  There’s a saying in Africa, “This is Africa.” Its basically a catch-all and a shoulder shrug to things not operating in the accustomed way. We had nothing else to chalk this experience up to other than “this is Africa.”

We finally boarded our mini bus transfer at the airport. Peter wasn’t thrilled about the two-hour experience to get this visa as you can see in his expression.

We checked into the Royal Livingstone Hotel, yet another recommendation from Tod that we were upholding. Upon arrival we were immediately ushered into a beautiful colonial sitting room where we were offered cold towels, drinks and handed over our passports. While they were processing our paperwork and waited for our keys we were treated to a hand massage.  Talk about service and making a good first impression!

The British colonized Zambia from 1899 – 1945 and this hotel is a throwback to those times. Its situated right on the Zambezi river which flows into Victoria Falls a mere 10 minute walk away.

I am a fan of Chelsea Handler and this was one of the hotels she chronicled in her book about an African trip in Uganda Be Kidding Me.  I couldn’t help but think about the types of shenanigans her and her crew got into while they staying here.

The grounds have an initial wow factor with the Zambezi river, Zimbabwe at the opposite side of the river, a beautiful pool, lush green lawns and a constant thunder of the crashing Victoria Falls in the distance.

Staying at the Royal Livingstone offered a variety of amusements and wonders.  It’s located within a National Park meaning that wildlife such as zebras, giraffes and monkeys roam free on the grounds.

Our room had an outdoor patio covered by a tent where you could sit, eat a meal, and have a zebra run by or a group of monkeys roll around just steps away.

Is it just me or does that monkey on the right look like Gollum from Lord of the Rings?

Another highlight was enjoying sundowners on the hotel’s deck overlooking the Zambezi River.  Below is the view of the deck. In the local dialect Victoria Falls is known as Mosi-o-tunya which translates to, “the smoke that thunders.” Such a descriptive and accurate way of describing the view. The smoke is in fact a constant stream of mist coming up from the crashing falls almost rising in cloud like formations. The thunder never stops.

All these highlights wouldn’t add up to the main event though, Victoria Falls, just a short stroll away.  To be able to hop skip and a jump on over to a natural wonder was really remarkable.

Peter and I enjoyed the falls on two separate occasions.  On the first day we stayed on the Zambia side. On the second day we crossed the border and enjoyed the falls in Zimbabwe.  In order to get into Zimbabwe you simply walk up to a small building and hand over your passport. The guy at the desk doesn’t even look up as he stamps you out of Zambia and hands you a piece of paper with your passport and points to a gate. Once you get past the gate you’re essentially in “no mans land”, not stamped into any country as if you are flying in an international plane. To get into Zimbabwe you have to cross the mighty Zambezi River which you do by walking across the Victoria Falls bridge. In the middle of the bridge there are crazy enough people to engage in bungee-jumping. In no-mans land. In Africa. Which country would the death certificate read? We watched a Russian test his fate as we crossed into Zimbabwe.

When Peter and I visited Victoria Falls it was low season. Therefore, the falls weren’t out in all their glory.  The water level was low so there were vast areas that were completely dry, void of any falls. Instead we saw rocky landscape that usually is taking a beating from pounding water falling which is a geological treat in itself (I just used the phrase geological treat. Nerd alert).  But in all seriousness, it was somewhat disappointing to see the falls without the falls, so to speak. You come all this way and you want to see the best the fall’s have to offer. We both made a pact that we’d come back, maybe someday with kids, and go in high season.

Here are pictures of the falls from the Zambia side. In high season, the entire rocky facade is falling water!

In the high season you can expect to see this.

These are pictures from the Zimbabwe side which we both preferred.

While in Zimbabwe Peter was very excited to get his hands on some Zimbabwe currency.  He has a currency collection from every country visited and this was a highlight currency for him to obtain. The Zimbabwe currency has been obsolete since 2009 due to hyper-inflation where the currency rose over 5 billion percent. Yes, billion. So as the currency inflated, the government decided not to fix the economic problems but just print larger and larger bills, the highest being a 100 billion dollar note which is now the equivalent of $0.95. There are stories of people bringing trash-bags full of money to shops to buy a loaf of bread. It was also explained that some of the lower domination bills were so valueless that it was literally cheaper to use Zim currency to wipe yourself after using the toilet than using a sheet of TP.  So locals decided to save money by using money to wipe themselves.  True Story!

The country is now accepting 8 different currencies with most shops marking prices in USD.  Although only notes are accepted and not coins, change is sometimes given in sweet treats, airtime mobile minutes, and condoms. The Zim dollar is no longer accepted but Peter had read that you can buy them as souvenirs. It only took one inquiry for him to get his hands on a 20 billion dollar note. Ever the hustlers, they charged $5 for the worthless piece of paper. But for the moment, we became unrecognized billionaires.

After our visit to the falls on the Zimbabwe side we retraced out steps back to the Zambia border with no additional visa charges since we had spent all that time at the airport getting a dual Kaza Visa.  We walked back to the Royal Livingstone where we saw a zebra with her baby.  Naturally, I tried to pose with them. This did not make the Zebra mother happy. She cocked back her hind legs and thrusted them forward in a clear attempt to take me out. With quick instinct I ran down the path to safety.  Peter followed me while shaking his head at my antics. Note to self: beware of zebras.

Next up – safaris in Botswana.

Thanks for following us on our missionary tour of “the smoke that thunders.”

Before breakfast we packed up our bags and I got ‘airplane ready’ to fly to our next destination.  Sitting on the rooftop of our hotel,  Mashariki Palace, Peter smiled at me mischievously, “So where do you think we are going?” I had no clue whatsoever.  We enjoyed our last breakfast at the hotel and took a few last pictures before we loaded up our bags to head to the airport.

After a handful of minutes of driving we passed the airport and Peter turned to me: “We aren’t going to the airport.  Our driver is taking us to a resort on the other side of the island.  Happy Birthday!”

I was so excited.  While we were in Stone Town I had started to research Zanzibar and saw all the beautiful beaches in the area and had casually wondered why our trip didn’t include a visit.

This is one image I came across while researching Zanzibar.

That’s Hannah from GettingStamped.com.  Hannah and her husband, Adam, are currently traveling the globe as well. They are great photographers and many of their travel photos pop up in Google Image searches from around the planet. I reached out to Hannah after I came across this picture and we have been in touch ever since. We actually had a near meet-up in Chiang Mai. Hoping that our paths cross again one of these days.

But I digress.

What I had in my mind when thinking about Zanzibar was the picture above so of course I was thrilled to be spending some time at the beach. But I was also confused because I was prepared to get on a plane.  Peter is ridiculously good at planning surprises.

Our destination for the next five nights was the Baraza Resort and Spa.  The resort is located on a pristine white sand beach and has a mixture of Arabic, Swahili, and Indian elements which the management hopes gives off a Sultan-era vibe.  From the service, staff, room, beach, pool and the elements of design, Peter and I were certainly feeling pretty great, perhaps a little Sultan-like.

When we got to our room I immediately began snapping picture of our Palace like room.

The plunge pool.

There were so many highlights of this birthday trip for me.  We were able to relax, enjoy the resort and capture some quality downtime over the five nights we spent at Baraza Resort.

The pool was a popular spot for Peter and I to hang out, read, work, blog, and enjoy the sun.

We also enjoyed walks on the beach and dips in the ocean.  I was really surprised how hot the water was.  Swimming in it felt more like a warm bath.

One of our favorite activities was sipping on sundowners in lounge chairs overlooking the Indian Ocean each night.  The resort is all inclusive so ordering up a second or third sunset champagne felt like our responsibility.

Each day for breakfast and lunch we were treated to an assortment of buffet style food.  Some evenings for dinner a set menu was offered, other times it was buffet – they did a great job of mixing up the variety of cuisine offerings.  My favorite was the night of the Japanese buffet bar with a variety of sushi rolls.  That evening we were also treated to live musical performance of singing, dancing, and drumming.  Peter on a daily basis took great satisfaction in the ice cream bar.

My actual birthday was a truly perfect day planned by Peter.

The very first thing I did was wake up early to a FaceTime session with my family and got to visit with these perfect faces.

My niece and nephew, as well as my parents, brothers, and in-laws.

After that I did a quick workout then enjoyed a delicious breakfast with Peter.  After that we headed out to a couple lounge chairs overlooking the ocean, secluded from the rest of the resort. We had a waiter that would serve us water, fresh coconuts and lunch directly to our beach loungers.   In the picture below of Peter and I you can see a hanging coconut on the umbrella. Coconut on the umbrella signals our waiter. Coconut off the umbrella meant privacy. It was such a relaxing afternoon.

After some relaxing we headed back to the room to get ready for our spa appointments.  The resort had left a special message for me.

The spa package included a massage, scrub and flower bath.   As if I wasn’t already relaxed from our leisure morning.  My pulse was hardly moving after the treatment.

After the spa services it was nearing sundowner time.   We had an extra bottle of Veuve Clicquot from our last night at Mahali Mzuri in Kenya so this was the time to open it.  Peter had arranged with the waiter to have the bottle put on ice shortly before sunset and selected a cabana spot for us to enjoy the bubbly as we watched the last bit of daylight,

Up next was a dinner surprise where we were whisked away by van to another location nearby, Breezes Beach Club and Spa where Peter had set up a private dinner for us on the beach.  We were escorted through the resort to a private beach hut. The waiter immediately leapt into action whipping up a special pre dinner cocktail concoction that we enjoyed on the hut’s front patio chairs.

For dinner we feasted on fresh caught lobster that was like bites of buttery heaven with each piece.

With the sundown Veuve Cliquot, the pre-drink and wine at dinner, we were seriously celebrating a bit more than usual.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

A perfect day came to a perfect end when a group of the resort staff appeared after dinner and went into song and dance to preform a birthday rendition that I had never experienced.  It was as if they were trying out for the Voice and Peter and I were Adam Levine and Shakira. They sang with so much conviction, bravado and spirit.  I was beside myself.

I especially liked the message on the dessert they delivered.

The last surprise was a birthday present. Peter got me a new camera, Nikon 5200, which I had been wishing for for awhile. He had it shipped to the US which would be waiting for me in a couple weeks when we returned for the holidays. With this once-in-a-lifetime trip, I really want quality pictures to capture these moments and share on the blog. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

This year my birthday fell on Thanksgiving. Growing up I always disliked when this would happen.  Thanksgiving always overshadowed a birthday and people were generally busy with the holiday.  In college I never got to celebrate my birthday with my friends because everyone left for the long holiday weekend.  This year however, not just because I’m no longer a kid hoping for a birthday party, I especially loved having my birthday fall on a holiday that is meant to give thanks.  To recognize everything that we have and to be grateful.  I try to live my life in a state of gratitude.  I have found gratitude to be a magical mantra that “pays dividends” so it seemed perfectly fitting that this year, the year that I’m Iiving my dream with my soulmate, was a Thanksgiving birthday.

In Thanksgiving,

For Peter, Zanzibar had been a bucket-list destination for many years. This tiny island had such a rich and beautiful history with a global cast of occupiers such as the Portuguese, Omanis and the British.  In the capital of Zanzibar, Stone Town, you can feel pieces of each of these cultures mixed together along with its African roots to create a magical place like no other. The people, the architecture, the religion, the clothing – its a mash-up of these very different cultures, interpreted in unique ways over the centuries that can only be described as Zanzibar. Its as exotic as the island’s name.

Peter’s late business partner, Tod, had embarked on a trip to South Africa and Tanzania a year before his death in 2013. He never recognized it as such, but with his late stage cancer, it was unspoken that he wanted to get back to the continent he loved one last time. Peter and Tod shared a passionate interest in historical Zanzibar and Tod set foot on the streets of Stone Town on that farewell trip. His emails back to Peter were dreamlike and he highly encouraged (almost insisting) Peter to make it to Zanzibar soon, and more specifically to stay at the Mashariki Palace in the heart of Stone Town.

So of course we checked into the Mashariki Palace where Tod had stayed.

Peter had a clear mix of excitement, nostalgia and mourning. Tod had sent many pictures to Peter from Stone Town over email and we were able to retrace some of the footsteps he took.  We tried to keep things light as we knew Tod would be shaking his head if we mourned instead of enjoyed the richness of Zanzibar, but it was hard to deny or ignore his energy presence in Stone Town.

Tod, you are still dearly missed.

The great thing about the Mashariki Palace Hotel was its historical significance as it was built by the first Sultan of Zanzibar over 200 years ago under Omani control.  It is said that it was one of eight homes that were interconnected to form the Sultan’s palace. The hotel is where the Sultan’s religious councilor lived and had been restored to an authentic Arabic feel.

We were in Oman a week prior to Zanzibar so the historical ties and storyline were mixing well with our travel itinerary. We both felt pretty smart citing Omani and Tanzanian history ties and realizing that a few months prior we had also visited the third and fourth occupying force of Zanzibar: the Portuguese and the British. No education like experience.

Each morning we would enjoy a rooftop breakfast at the hotel where we could stare out to sea and daydream about the ships, garrisons, sailors from all corners of the globe, countless wars and a thriving spice trade that all took place in the waters in front of us.

Like so many places in Africa, there was a startling contrast observed from the roof. When you looked left you could see crystal blue sea and air-conditioned building. To the right, thrown together housing with locals living in poverty.

From the left.

From the right.

And panoramic.

Our first evening we did a self guided walking tour of the city through narrow winding alleys and passageways.  It was an assault on the senses of stone-washed sights, poignant unwanted smells, and the now familiar sounds of the competing call to prayers from all the Stone Town’s minarets. It was Afro-Arab in a tropical Southern Hemisphere setting and couldn’t feel more unique. It couldn’t feel more special.

For dinner we took the recommendation of two separate travelers and enjoyed a rooftop dinner at Emerson Spice Hotel which offered us a five course set menu, panoramic sunset views, and a nice breeze in a wonderful setting.  Zanzibar can be unsafe at night so the Emerson Spice Hotel Restaurant offers accompanied walks back to your hotel after dinner. We politely declined and thankfully so as we stumbled upon a lively outdoor bar where locals were dancing to hip-hop music videos projecting onto a huge screen. There were also a number of picnic tables scattered around the outdoor venue and sheesha being served.   We had a blast.

The next morning we spent our day on a city tour with one of the best guide’s of the year.

It was a walking tour and included historical discussions and explanations of a number of landmarks by one of the smartest intellects we had come across in our travels.

House of Wonders

It was built in 1883 and was formerly the Sultan’s residence.  The most well know landmark in Stone Town situated by the sea.

Sea Front Walk

One thing that struck me was the magnificent blue of the ocean.  It was a blue that captures and locks your eyes till you feel lost in the sea of it.  This was my first time seeing the Indian Ocean in East Africa and it captivated me. Stone Town is also known for its huge tide swings which displaces and replaces over 13 feet of ocean every day.

Old Fort

Located next to the House of Wonders.  It was built in the late 17th century by the Omanis to serve as protection against outside forces. It later became a prison.  It is now used for local merchants to set up shops.

Darajani Market

Built in 1904 this market is where the locals come to buy, sell, trade, and socialize.  Upon entering we were taken by the loud screaming-match taking place in the next room. Our guide insisted we walk into the shouting storm only to find a gathering of men and women huddled around fish. The yelling was bartering and bidding in an auction style right there on the floor.

Next was the meat market section.  If you are vegetarian these pictures are not for you.  We saw all kinds of hanging meats, hides, bones and even a cow head.  The eyes of the latter being a delicacy, so we were told. The smells were pungent, the sights unpleasant and the flies were endless.  The experience made me deeply examine my current eating habits.

The market also sells fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices and even electronics.  We saw the biggest avocados known to man.

Part of the tour discussed the blended architectural designs of the building, doors and the local politics that are segmented per neighborhood block.  So much history, culture and happenings in such a small narrow space.  The burned buildings and electrical wiring were also interestingly presented.

We also learned about the significance of doors.  Doors to homes hold intricate designs and tell the story behind the home’s residents.  If there were designs of ropes that meant the household was involved in slave trade.  Flowers represent a family home.  Some doors also have spikes which are to ward of elephants. Pretty rad.

Our tour ended at the Slave Memorial.

During the Omani rule, slave trade was a major economic driver. Slaves were brought into Zanzibar and sold to Middle Eastern countries. The slaves were brought to the chambers where they were kept before they were sold. There were two separate areas where people were held for days before being sold into slavery. One area held around 50 men per day and the other held 75 women and children per day. The conditions were so terrible that many suffocated or starved prior to being sold.

In the middle of the chambers was a channel that was used as a toilet.  When the tide came in the ocean rose to a level where the chamber would be flooded up to 2 feet which lifted up the human waste before the tide would drop and “clear” out the toilet. Although on lower tide swings the channel would not be cleared therefore the human waste was left in the chamber.

Those that didn’t die were whipped and then sold into slavery.  Those that cried and screamed the least were sold for the highest price because it was thought they would work the hardest.  Such a disgusting, horrible, and dark part of history.  During the 1800′s Dr Livingstone, the Scottish explorer, proposed and fought to abolish slave trading in Zanzibar and was successful to seeing an end to this on June 6, 1873.  Today The Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ is built on top of where the slave market once was with the alter being placed in the exact spot of the whipping post.

Our guide concluded with a discussion on what he described as modern day slavery.

He shared with us a real life story about what had happened to him as well as other local men in Stone Town.

Business people and other affluent foreigners come over from areas like United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia that have booming economies and little to no working local class. These business people make promises of competitive salaries, living accommodations and the dreams of a better life if they take an overseas job in their country. With few job opportunities in Zanzibar, a lot of people accept the jobs and board the plane to the Middle East.

Once they arrive, their passports are confiscated by their employer and they are put into slave-like conditions working slave-like hours on slave-like wages. All the promises are dismissed and hell-like living is realized. Stuck without a passport, money to buy a ticket, or any assistance group in these countries for overseas workers, they are trapped. They are enslaved.

Our guide went to work in Dubai with his brother. Once he arrived his expected job as a pharmacist was exchanged for grueling construction work from 4am – 9pm every day in the desert heat. The agreed upon $1,000/month stipend evaporated faster than his passport and he was compensated $180 per month,  an unthinkable amount to live in the Middle East. In a story that deserves its own novel, our guide was able to get his passport back, borrow money for a plane ticket and snuck to the airport and escaped back to Zanzibar. Today, he spends a lot of his time educating other locals about the dangers of this modern day slavery.

Feeling a bit drained and saddened by the stories of past and current slavery we walked to the ocean front to take in the last moments of the sun before it disappeared into the Indian Ocean.

The liveliness of the day was palpable as hundreds of people took advantage of the small window of time where the sweltering heat calms and the last moments of daylight are still present. Our moods lifted as we watched young boys partaking in an early evening ritual. This ritual consisted of each boy taking turns cooling off from the humid air of the late day by diving into the ocean.  Each time a boy would try to outdo his friend with a unique technique, twist or flip.  This ritual continued for at least an hour until right before the call to prayer rang throughout the city when the boys scurried off to the mosque close by to give praise to the day.  You could hear the boys laughing and comparing jumping techniques, each wanting credit for their dives all the way to the mosque. It was so much fun to see their competitive good natured spirit and pure joy of a simple activity done in brotherhood.

Our last night in Stone Town we dined at and Indian restaurant, The Silk Route, where I indulged in what has remained one of my favorite meals from all our traveling, an over the top delicious prawn curry.  I’ve ordered Indian prawn curry since then and nothing has competed.

While we were in Stone Town we received some wonderful and exciting news from our dear friends, Andrea and Joe.  They got engaged! We were overjoyed. They opted for a short engagement and had a date set for March. Since this was late November in Zanzibar we were thrilled to not only be heading home for the holidays to see friends and family, but now we had an excuse to celebrate with our good friends. One of the hardest things about being away from home is missing the big events. In this case we weren’t going to miss this for the world…literally.

Another fun thing coming up was my birthday.  It is tradition for Peter to surprise me with a birthday location.  The first surprise was Maldives.  The second Puerto Rico.  This time I was really stumped.  I had a couple guesses, such as wine-tasting in South Africa, that seemed less and less logistically possible the further South and East we traveled in Africa.  Stay tuned for my next entry to find out where Peter took me to celebrate.

Thanks for reading about our world travels.  I’m grateful every day that Peter and I get to do this.

We didn’t know what to expect or how to prepare and looking back, we never could have. From the safari drives in the African bush, to the surprises around every corner at Mahali Mzuri and the over-the-top service where you leave feeling like you’ve developed friendships, not just staff relations, it was all so great. Even just going through the gazillion pictures and choosing which ones to share is a challenge.  I hope that I can properly capture our highlights of a most magical trip.

Peter and I found ourselves in the Wilson Airport lounge basically smiling at each other with excitement.  I think we were trying to get the Kenyan smile down.  How’s this for a happy guy? He had done all the planning so had more of an inkling of what we were about to embark on and it shows in his excitement.

After a quick coffee we boarded a small 13 passenger plane to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, the famous game park in Kenya.

We received quick safety instructions from our captain and we were off for a 45 minute short plane ride.  The plane stopped in various dirt landing strips in the Maasai Mara and our stop was the last. This made Peter very happy, a lover of planes. We had the joy of multiple take-offs and landings on true African dirt runways and really seeing a lot of the Kenyan landscape. At each stop, new passengers would join our plane having just ended their journey and I noticed that the people that we picked up were all bear hugging their guides.  I was hoping this was fortuitous and we would be engaging in the same sort of happiness when we left 5 days later.

As we approached the runway for our stop, we noticed a number of giraffes at the edge of the runway grazing on trees. As we lowered our elevation and the propeller noise was amplified at ground level, the giraffes went running into the distance. It was the best landing we had ever seen. We disembarked on the dirt runway and were greeted by one of the Mahali Mzuri guides, Jackson. He led us to a safari jeep, loaded up our suitcases and we were off. Or so we thought. He quickly pulled around the corner, under a beautiful tree where Jackson explained that he wanted to give us a celebratory welcome drink but didn’t want to do so in front of other passengers staying at different resorts.  Just another example of courteous service of the Kenyan’s. A bottle of champagne was popped.

Here is Jackson and an example of that Kenyan smile I have been mentioned a few times.  See what I mean? A smile with not just his mouth, but his eyes and heart too.  You can’t help but be happy around smiles like this.

We were off again – this time with a glass of champagne in us and a beer for the road.  Why not? We were celebrating after all.  It wasn’t long until we started seeing glimpses of wildlife.  A couple conversations we had with Jackson went something like:

“Where are we?

Jackson, with a chuckle. ”Heaven.”

“This place is unbelievable.”

Jackson with calm confidence. ”Yeah.  It’s a very special place.”

The drive from the runway to the resort took about 45 minutes as we traveled into complete exclusion. How on Earth did Richard Branson find this place, we wondered.

When we arrived to our home for the next five nights we were greeted by a cast of characters.  Kim, the young attractive British manager with a winning personality.  Frieda, the hostess with the mostess. Our esteemed chefs as well as the Masai Mara warriors that walked us to our room at night offering protection from the animals.

Here’s Kim.  Notice what she is holding.  One of the many reasons I loved this girl.  Oh and is that a ghost in the picture?

This is Frieda.

A few things about Frieda.  First, I feel that I am rivaling the Kenyan smile in this picture.  Also one of the first conversations I had with Frieda went, “Wow Frieda you have the best laugh.  I bet a lot of people tell you that.”  With another laugh and a hand on her hip she smiled even bigger and replied, “Of course AND they like my smile too.”  This was immediately followed be an eruption of laughter at her own comment. Don’t you love her?  On top of that she wore the best outfits.  One day it would be a beautiful colorful dress.  The next a bright gold shirt with a smart skirt.  I could barely contain myself around her.  I invited Frieda to visit us in California.  Fingers crossed.

After some introductions and another glass of champagne we were escorted to our room.  By room, I mean a tent and by tent I mean a tent that is actually a suite.  It is like nothing I have ever seen or known to exist.  They call it “glamping” which is a play on words meshing up ‘glamour’ and ‘camping.’  We had a large room with separate bathroom which included a tub overlooking the valley where you could watch animal life as you soaked.  A private deck where you could relax or practice yoga all while scanning the landscape for lions.  The resort only has 12 tents which just adds to the serenity and tranquility of the atmosphere.  Another bonus for us, traveling during the low season, we had the entire camp to ourselves a couple nights and shared it the other nights with just one other couple.

The private deck got a lot of daily use.  The view alone was enough to leave us captivated for lengths at a time.  And hands down the best scenery I have ever had while doing yoga. The hotel was equipped with WiFi and I would often catch Peter laughing and saying something like, “I’m writing ads while looking at elephants grazing next to impalas.” He was happy.

The majority of our time was spent going on safaris.  We would typically go on two a day.  Our morning games drives started at 6:30 AM and the evenings drives started at 4 PM.  These would last anywhere from 3-4 hours and were surprisingly pretty tiring.

Our first game drive was the day we arrived for the evening tour.  That’s when we met our eagle eyed guide, Vincent.  Vincent was our guide for our entire stay which made each safari excursion very personalized.  After a couple days Vincent knew what we had seen and what we were hoping to see so he could cater specifically to us.  By the end we felt like old friends.  How can you not when someone gives you an experience of a lifetime day after day.  Quick note on Vincent.  He had a calm confidence to him and a serious professionalism.  He didn’t have the gregarious personality of some of the other locals we met, but that was alright.  Your life is kind of in this guys hands so seriousness is appreciated. He could also speak to the animals with all sorts of noises and could triangulate sound from miles away to know exactly where the action was taking place. You could tell he was happiest in the bush amongst the animals.

Here’s Peter and I with our friend Vincent.  You can see what I mean from his expression.

We went on many memorable game drives all unique, educational, and thrilling.  The following are highlights from each.

As we started our first game drive we didn’t know what to expect, weren’t really prepped on what to expect and had zero expectations. Its mother nature you’re dealing with and we have had the privilege of game driving in South Africa so knew that some drives are great and some are dry.  However, the next thing we know was that we were pulled up next to a couple cheetahs lounging in the sun. We pulled up close. Real close.

Shortly after having our minds blown by being up close and personal with cheetahs, Vincent got a call from another guide and we were off. This time to see a pride of lions feasting on a buffalo.  We were in deep and we never looked back.  This was legit wildlife safari stuff and we were having the time of our lives.

As Peter and I were sitting, watching, trying to process what was going on, literally listening to lions ripping off buffalo skin and feasting on the meat,  Vincent offered me a glass of wine and peanuts.  It was an IMAX theater experience in real life.   We settled in, poured some out for the buffalo and toasted the lions on an entertaining evening.

Bravo Richard Branson.

The other lions in the pride that weren’t feasting provided cuter entertainment.  Particularly the cubs.

That first night we were treated to an exquisite sunset.  There is truly something special about the expansive African landscape and the sunsets.  Extra bonus to have a pride of lions be a part of our first safari sundown.

When we got back to the camp the staff were eager to to hear all about our time in the bush.  We were given a cold towel and escorted to the lounge where we were served a drink and everyone regaled in our stories.  Everyone seemed genuinely interested and excited for us.  Just another example of the stupendous service and kindness of the staff.

Our next safari was another evening drive.  Again we were on our own with Vincent.

And of course the animal kingdom.

Look at that giraffe.  How can you not feel joy when that majestic creature is looking at you like that so close?

Or a herd of elephants including babies.

Or a sleeping King.

Like the night before Vincent received a call and we were off.  This always raised excitement for us because we never knew what we were going to to see, but by the speed he was driving, we knew it was going to be good.

This time it was the elusive leopard.  This nocturnal animal is challenging to get a glimpse of during the day and typically remains hidden in trees and bushes, camouflaged by the leaves until they come out for a kill.  They are strong, quick, and utterly beautiful.  And there one was in throwing distance from our car. Peter and I were besides ourselves.

In the last picture where you can see the leopard gets up.  He walked (a leopard’s walk deserves a cooler name than just walk) towards our jeep and along side it.  Without knowing it, I reflexively jumped on my seat fearing danger. Vincent informed me that I needed to “sit down.”  It was at this point that I felt the need to have a conversation with Vincent about the animals and our safety.  Vincent assured me that “as long as you are in the jeep – safe.  Not in the jeep – not safe.”  And when the animals are close, we shouldn’t make any big sudden movements. Apparently the animals are use to to the jeeps and it is never a problem of safety as long as all body parts are inside the open aired jeep.  I took his word for it.

As if seeing the leopard wasn’t enough. A handful of minutes later the leopard darted off and came up with a kill.  The leopard moved swiftly up a tree with a baby impala where he hung his kill on a branch.  Vincent at one point shook his head in disbelief and said to us, “you are so lucky.” Its really hard to spot a leopard and to witness a leopard’s kill was even more rare.

Of course all of this was enjoyed with a sundowner (a sunset drink).  Sundowner is officially my favorite new word.

After sunset we headed back to the resort but not without a bit of drama.  Our jeep encountered a flat tire.  Recall the conversation I had with Vincent about safety.  Well now here he is jumping out of the jeep to fix our tire in the dark.  Being trapped in the bush in the dark was a little nerve-wrecking.  Impressively he did so effortlessly and with quick precision.

A couple skipped heartbeats later and we returned to our quarters. We were greeted as always with smiles, enthusiasm and eagerness to hear more about the leopard spotting.  Peter and I enjoyed a quite dinner on the resort deck.  We had the entire place to ourselves.

The next day was our first morning drive. Waking up to a wildlife sunrise is one of the better ways I have ever started my day.  The jeep was supplied with a packed breakfast, blankets, and hot water bottles to keep us warm.  The mornings were chilly and we would literally roll out of bed and load up into the jeeps.

We started the morning by observing some of the behaviors of a pride of lions.  At some point in a young male lion’s life he is chased out of the pride by the mother and or father so that he can stand on its own, find its own territory and start a family.  We were witnessing the mother aggressively roaring and chasing away its two sons from the pride. The boys didn’t want to leave and laid down in protest.  It wasn’t long before the mother used our jeep as a shield so she could sneak up behind and surprise the two sons lying down with terrifyingly scary roar. If we were those boys, we would have been in half-way to Tanzania shortly after the first roar.

Cubs unfazed.

In the distance we saw the feared one approaching, the male blacked maned king.

He was coming straight for us! Peter switched the camera to video mode….

The rest of the pride of females watched as the king of the jungle successfully scared off the young lions with a simple slowed paced walk and look.

Just then we got a call and were off to our next adventure.  The leopard from the night before was stirring.  On our way we came across this cheetah who was enjoying his breakfast.

Then it was on to the leopard. It felt so odd leaving a cheetah eating its prey for something better to look at!

Once again we were given a show by the leopard as he walked out of the bush, leapt and climbed up a tree with the quickest of movements.  The leopard then proceeded to “play” with his dead prey from the night before by boxing it till the baby impala fell out of the tree.  Just as quickly as the leopard climbed the tree he maneuvered back down collecting his prey and disappeared into the thick bush.  What a morning!

To top off our morning we enjoyed a packed breakfast right there in the bush with the animal kingdom, Vincent on lookout.

This breakfast is when we learned a bit more about Vincent, the Masai Mara people, and some of the vast differences in our two cultures.

And this amazing story….

In the Maasai culture there is a transition into manhood.  This transition is achieved by the tradition of the boy stealing the prey of a lion.  Yep, you read that right.  A group of boys will approach a lion or group of lions feasting on a prey. They will then cut off the limb of the prey and take it back to the village as a symbol of manhood. Knowing this culture, we asked Vincent if he had stole the prey of a lion when he was young. And despite his stoicism, his lips lifted into a subtle smile and he shook his head in the affirmative. Peter, filled with intrigue, asked Vincent what the trick is. “Never hesitate,” Vincent replied. “Whatever happens, do not hesitate. No matter how loud the lion is roaring or looking like they are about to pounce, do not hesitate. Make yourself look big and walk directly without hesitation.”

And I thought Alaskan men were tough.

Interestingly enough I later read in a book titled An African Love Story  that unless lions are the aggressor they are actually quite cowardly.  Hence the saying, cowardly lion.  However, it doesn’t take away from the fact that stealing from a lion is extraordinarily brave (and crazy).

We asked Vincent if he has ever been in any scary situations with the animals.

He relayed a story to us about herding cows away from the predatory animals in the Maasai Mara, his job before becoming a safari guide. One day he had seen a leopard in the distance, but continued with the cows nevertheless.   Shortly after spotting the leopard he looked down and noticed his leg was bleeding accompanied by a sharp pain.  Without noticing the leopard had come up to him and bit him around the leg.  It all happened so fast and Vincent believes his body went in a state of shock in which he blacked out the experience. After he finished his story Vincent put his leg on the dashboard and puled his pants to his knee where he revealed bite marks that wrapped around his entire leg.  Vincent is lucky he didn’t loose the bottom part of his leg in that leopard fight.

When we later spoke to the British manager, Kim, about Vincent and the leopard she told us she never knew that story.  Talk about a humble guy.  If I had ever been bit by a leopard everyone would know that about me.

The next story was a test of recognizing cultural differences.   We got into a discussion on celebrities because Richard Branson’s properties are frequented by the famous.  We asked Vincent if he had guided celebrities and he acknowledged that Demi Lovato, Christian Aguilera, and a some Middle Eastern prince and been in his jeep.  When we asked who his dream celebrity would be he told us, “Celine Dion.” We certainly weren’t expecting that answer from a 26 year old  Kenyan.  Somehow the conversation then turned to the topic of divorce and how so many celebrities seem to have broken marriages.  Vincent shook his head and said “there is something wrong with those people.” I asked him about divorce in his village.

Vincent explained that the entire village must agree to a divorce between a couple and it has to be due to something really bad.

“Like a man beating his wife?” I guessed.

“No. A man beating his wife is normal,” he replied. “Um, a man beating his wife is not normal,” I quipped back. “People getting so many divorces is not normal” was his response.

I realized at that moment that Vincent and I were both judging cultures and we were both right and wrong.   It was a strange feeling.  I felt very unimpressed with Vincent for a few moments thinking he might beat his wife and realizing at the same time he was looking down at America for being seemingly callous and aloof about the sanctity of marriage, something his culture takes very seriously.  It takes the entire community to get a divorce in Maasai Mara, meaning it basically never happens.  They take marriage as seriously as the U.S. takes assaulting women.  It was best to move on and ask him about what other kinds of music he likes in addition to the Canadian crooner.  A much lighter conversation.

That evening we set out on our evening safari and once again were not disappointed despite the new guest at the resort, a Scottish man, who amused himself by producing a number of terrible jokes about Americans.   He started with, “I’m not worried about the animals because they will go after the Americans first.” We laughed, but the America bashing wouldn’t stop. “Your Presidents have really messed up the Middle East, haven’t they.” It went on and on as if we were the decision makers of the planet and the punching bag for all anti-American jokes and commentary. Every story seemed to begin with an ignorant American he had met while managing his business. It was all together startling and offensive.   We chose to ignore and and pay attention to the animals.

We started off with a bang with a cheetah and a double rainbow.

We checked in with our pride of lions.

And ended with giraffes on the horizon of the African night sky.

That night we had dinner with the Scottish couple, Robyn and Mena, where Peter and Robyn spoke geopolitics, Sunnis and Shiites, Ottoman Empire history and much more.   I think it was at this point that Robyn discovered we weren’t dumb Americans and possibly gained a little respect for us.  Either way we did have a nice evening with them.

Vincent mixed things up the next morning as he knew we had seen most of the highlight animals so took us to the hippo pond. But just looking at the hippo pond wasn’t going to be enough for Vincent. He took the jeep to a crossing in the pond and drove right into the water putting us up close and personal with the hippos in our invisible shield (hippos account for the most human deaths in Africa).

We also saw a pride of lions staring down a buffalo though no action.

The highlight of the day, however, occurred on our drive back to the resort after our evening drive. The resort had set-up a special dinner for us in the bush. We were completely surprised! The staff had put together an outdoor restaurant with a huge bbq, a fully stocked bar, bonfire, dinner table and even a portable toilet covered by a tent that created a bathroom.   It was such a special treat.

It was fantastic.  Peter and I sat around the bonfire with Kim, Robyn, and Mena chatting about our game drive when suddenly there were a group of Masaai Mara men wearing traditional clothing gathered around the fire.  They went into a performance of song and dance.

I am a huge fan of song and dance and to see traditional Maasai culture in the bush, it couldn’t get much better. And then it did. As the dancers started to circle the bonfire in chant and dance, they grabbed me to dance with them around the bonfire. I was beyond thrilled.

I later told Peter they knew a good dancer when they see one.

We sat down in the bush for dinner with Kim and our new Scottish friends.  Unfortunately Robyn continued to air his American hate until we politely called him out on it. A little defensiveness was followed the next morning by apologies and all was well and good again. Peter and I both feel that our time away from the US only makes us more patriotic and reinforces the gratitude we have for being American.  We figuratively hugged it out with Robyn after he “deeply apologized” and  we even snapped a picture with our new friends.

That morning game drive was mellow but a beautiful way to start our day.  We also saw our first hyena and I decided they are the ugliest animal on the planet.  Vincent told us they eat their prey alive.  Most predators will pin their prey down and suffocate them until they die and then eat. Not hyenas. They literally will eat your face off as you are screaming or be half way down with consuming your body before you die.

I also decided on this drive that cheetahs are terrifying, mainly from this picture.

Our next game drive was our last evening drive before we left the next day and it was magical.  Robyn and Mena had decided to sit this one out.  For some reason when it was just Peter and I we had really, really good drives. We called it “good safari mojo.”  I think the three of us (Vincent, Peter and me) were in tune with the animal kingdom energies on our drives.  Vincent never mentioned it, but with his eyes he said something like, “you and Peter are animal spirits.” Or something like that.  Poor Robyn. All he wanted was to see a leopard and on this drive we saw him for the third time with another kill.

We also saw our first kill and what Vincent called a prey poach.

A jackal had injured an impala and was trying to finish him off just when a hyena showed up. When the jackal spotted the hyena he ran away from his prey (hyena’s have bad eyesight) hoping the hyena wouldn’t see the impala. What was even crazier is that the impala laid motionless, playing dead, despite it still being alive. The hyena knew the jackal was on to something and eventually sniffed out the impala. Right when the hyena got close to the impala it ran for its life. But the hyena easily caught the impala and disgustingly devoured him alive.  It took me a bit to reel back from watching this.  It’s a mystery to me how I use to shoot ducks with the men in my family.

If you look closely at this first picture you can see the jackal in the background watching the hyena take its kill bite.

I asked Vincent to lighten the mood if he could find us a baby giraffe because my niece wanted a picture of one.  Of course he quickly delivered.

Most night drives ended with the main event.  Where we would enjoy a sundowner and maybe some snacks.  It’s like happy hour but with live animals doing unpredictable things.  This last main event was surely the oddest thing we saw in our time spent in the bush.

We gained more insight into lion behavior and it just got weirder and weirder.

In this particular pride the King (male lion) had recently been chased out by another male lion who now runs the show. The problem is that the previous King’s wife had just birthed cubs and will not having any sexual interest in the new King while caring for the old King’s cubs.   The new king therefore was out to kill the cubs to win the affection and attention of the female.  Vincent told us it was a matter of time until the cubs were killed by the male. However, in a weird game of distracting the male, the older daughters of the female would appease the lion by having sex with him to calm him from killing the cubs.  To put it in other words, the Mom pimps out her daughters to be raped by the new King in an effort to protect her babies.  During this battle once again our jeep was used as a shield in between the lion and lioness.  It was bizarre and simultaneously very scary.  We were literally between a mother lion fighting for her babies.  Not a place I really want to be.  At one point Vincent moved the jeep so I asked him, “was that getting dangerous?” “No.  I just wanted to get a better angel.”

Peter turned the camera to video mode again (sorry its a bit shaky, but ya know….)

That night we returned to our camp a little disturbed and puzzled about the events we just witnessed. But to distract us from the weirdness of the Animal Kingdom, Kim hit a home run for us.  The resort is all inclusive and I had spotted a bottle of Veuve Clicqout in the bar area refrigerator and mentioned to Kim that it was our celebratory drink so she had it on ice when we returned from our last evening game drive. We enjoyed the bottle before dinner and then were given another bottle on ice at dinner.  Feeling good from two bottles of Veuve, we walked back with our Maasai to our room only to find a third bottle awaiting in our room on ice. What divine service! We saved the third bottle and enjoyed it on my birthday the following week.  I should have told her I also enjoyed gelato as a nightcap to see where that would have got me.

Our last drive was in the morning before we had to catch our hopper plane back to Nairobi.  It was a fairly calm morning until we came across a huge pack of hyenas feasting on a buffalo. There was also a small army of vultures ready to clean up the scraps while airing out their wings while waiting. Quite a sight.

We headed back to camp where we enjoyed our last breakfast and conversations with all our new friends.

The entire staff gathered around and waved as we drove off in our jeep and admittedly I got choked up.  I didn’t know it then but I do now  - that time out in the bush had opened our eyes to an entirely different world of people and animals that had touched us in our souls and our hearts. It was an absolutely priceless experience that we both feel so blessed to have shared together.

Our African journey continues in Zanzibar.

Asante xoxo

The flight from Muscat to Dubai was a little under an hour and then we had another 5 hours due South along the East coast of Africa to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. Peter and I were both thrilled to be starting our African adventure. We both love Africa and Peter will often comment that he feels like he lived in Africa in a different life as it feels so familiar and fills him with joy.

As soon as we landed in Nairobi, we quickly realized that Kenyan procedures are unlike anywhere else in the world. When we walked through the airport doors we were instructed to get in a single file line so that we could be health screened.  This consisted of walking by a video camera and viewing your temperature in a big monitor – the screen would turn blue if you were sick. They have these in Asia that are typically manned by a person half-asleep. In Kenya a small team was watching the screen as if it was the final seconds of a soccer match, looking for even the slightest hue of blue. 

Through the health screening and onto immigration where we obtained a visa (only payable in USD and only in bills printed later than 1996). They required finger prints of every finger, including thumbs. And a picture. Then it was onto the Yellow Fever vaccination check which I had received in Scotland a month or so before.

We finally made it through and the waiting game started for our luggage. Despite being the only aircraft to have landed and a 45 minute immigration experience, we still had to wait another 30 minutes for our bags to arrive.

As Peter waited to retrieve our luggage I used the facilities.  The only sign in the bathroom was the following.

As the locals like to say, “This is Africa!”

Clearly ebola was on the forefront of our arrival; however, at the time of our visit the country was ebola free and will hopefully remain that way. Being in Kenya was safe.  The distance to West Africa is approximately the same as California to New York.  Additionally the country is taking many precautions, like the health screening and not allowing passengers traveling from and through Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea to enter the country.  However entering the county and observing the warnings did make the disease a little bit more real considering the huge numbers of deaths that were happening at the other side of the continent at the moment.

That night we checked into the Kempinski Hotel in Nairobi.  The service and the staff was on another level of friendliness.  The Kenyan’s seem to smile with not just their mouths, but also their eyes, and their hearts.  In our experience they have such an upbeat and positive demeanor about them.  Its feels utterly impossible not to feel happy when engaged in a conversation with a person who is smiling at you from deep within.

That night we stayed in and ordered room service, tired from the long day of travel.  The staff had caught wind we were on our honeymoon so when they delivered our food they gave us a bottle of wine on the house and a lovely bouquet of red and white roses.  Top notch service.

The next morning I woke up sick for the first time on our trip.  By sick I mean I just had a bad cold that I had finally caught from Peter.  A bit achy and feverish, which was an odd time for me to decide to get sick with all the ebola precautions.  We had big plans in the morning though.  We were off to visit The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage, so I shook it off.

The elephant orphanage was founded in 1977 by Kenyan born Dame Daphne Sheldrick.  The camp bears the name of her late husband who sadly suddenly died in 1976.  His death was the inspiration to start the camp.  Together before his death the two of them worked tirelessly for animal rights and conservation in Tsavo National park.  They rehabilitated and returned numerous species of animals back into the wild.  Dame Sheldrick is also an author who wrote her autobiography entitled, Love, Life and Elephants: An Africa Love Story.  I have since read the book.  If you are at all interested in animal wildlife particularly elephants this book is incredible.  Elephants are the most like humans in terms of intelligence and emotion.  They seem to remember everything and they truly feel.  You can literally make friends with an elephant and that elephant would do just about anything to protect you.  The author also discusses elephant’s ability to communicate telepathically.  Fascinating stuff but also tragic as the book discusses the horrors that elephants experience by the hands of poachers.

There are a few reasons that baby elephants become orphaned, but the main reason is their mothers being poached for ivory.  Elephants cannot live without their mothers until age 3.  Therefore, the orphanage takes these babies in where they are fed human baby formula.  In some cases the handlers, also known as mahouts, will feed the babies if the elephant is too weak to feed themselves.  The mahouts even sleep side-by-trunk with their elephants.  That’s why you see only men.  The woman stay home with their family.  When the elephants turn 3 they are taken to Tsavo National Park to mingle with wild elephants and eventually get their bearings back to return to the wild on their own.  It’s quite beautiful what they are doing at this orphanage and really touching. We were happy to pay the relatively high cost of admission in efforts to support their ongoing efforts.

Peter and I stood around a roped off area waiting for the baby elephants to make an appearance.  From afar we saw them approaching in the cutest manner.  A little trot to the area where all the guests were waiting with their eyes on the prize –  bottle fed milk.  Seriously heart melting.

All in the crowd were entertained.  Well except for one little boy who was mesmerized by his iPad.  Oh the youth of tomorrow.

Crazy enough I felt so much better after our visit to the orphanage.  Cure for the common cold…baby elephants.  Who knew?

Another reason I loved being in Kenya was the impeccable service.  From the above pictures you can see it was a mud bath which basically ruined the shoes we were both wearing.  When we arrived back at the hotel I started to try and rub off the mud while I was outside.  I was approached by a hotel employee who explained that the hotel would attend to our shoes.  The next day my shoes showed up looking like I had just left the Nike store with a new purchase.  Free of charge.

That night we grabbed dinner at the hotel Italian hotel restaurant, Lucca, where we had one of the best (and first) meals while we were in Africa.  Over dinner we discussed the upcoming weeks that would consist of getting up close and personal with the wildlife in the African bush.  We were both bursting with excitement.

The next morning as we were checking out we noticed that security had beefed up and a red carpet had been rolled out through the lobby.  We inquired and were told that three African presidents were coming to the hotel for a meeting at 10 AM.  We missed them by just 2 hours.

Next stop, Masai Mara.  Thanks for joining us on our African adventure.  It was a good one that I’m excited to share.

Peter woke up and read the news that morning only to learn that there had been a bombing in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, the area that connects Africa to Asia.   The militant group, ISIS, attacked and killed 33 Egyptian soldiers, the deadliest in decades for Egypt, and left the central and northern regions of the Sinai Peninsula in a state of emergency. The Egyptian President also declared three days of national mourning.  Sadly, in this day of Western-centric news coverage, the incident only made the back pages of international media outlets. But in a twisted way, it was ok for us as it escaped the eyesight of family and friends that may have been concerned for our well-being. We were at the time roughly 170 miles from where the attack occurred; nevertheless, we never felt unsafe during our time in Egypt. But this incident found its way back into our lives later (we’ll get to that later in the post).

Mohammed, our tour manager, picked us up and off we were to the airport for yet another long and adventurous day. After a non-eventful hour flight South down the Nile to Luxor, we were greeted by our female tour guide, Hagar.  This was her first day back to work after going on maternity leave.  Jess and Hagar quickly bonded over motherhood.  This was Hagar’s first baby so Jess was full of great advice considering she was about to have her third.

We checked into our new hotel, Sonesta St George, where we had view of the Nile River from our balcony.  Then we were off.

We started our tour with a bang at the Valley of The Kings where 62 known pharaoh tombs are located.

So why did the Kings move their tombs to Luxor opposed to building more Pyramids in Giza?

During the reign of the New Kingdom (1539-1075 bc) Kings had witnessed the looting of the Pyramids and were fearful of losing their own treasures. So a new burial site was chosen, more modest in form from the surface, in the outskirts of Luxor. Tombs were created inside the rock of the hills which at the time were sealed and hidden. And while many of the tombs have been discovered, to this day, Egyptologists believe that there are still many more to be found.

I was initially struck by the enormous size of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings.  Some of the tombs we visited had high ceilings and were bigger than a lot of homes.  The walls of the tombs were adorned with intricate hieroglyphics telling the story of afterlife.  It was believed that the drawing on the walls would come alive after the tomb was sealed to help the king in his quest for eternity.  The king would be faced with trials and tests before the “weighing of the heart” to see if he could cross over to the afterlife. If the king had been noble and good the heart would outweigh the bad and all his treasures would be taken with him to his eternal resting place.

After hearing all this I wondered why there hasn’t been an animated movie made about hieroglyphics coming alive and helping a young king on his quest in the afterlife.  Wait, I know someone at Pixar.  I need to reach out to my sister and law.  Wouldn’t this storyline make for a great film?

Unfortunately, albeit understandably, there were no photos allowed in the tombs.  We visited three tombs.  Each one unique and a visual treat.  For me this part of the tour was very surreal.  Standing in ancients tombs where a king was mummified and surrounded by all his wealth and stories on the walls with grandiose expectations was a treat.  All of this happening thousands of years ago.  Here is a picture of the scenery outside the tombs.

During out tour Jess and I were approached by a group of women for a picture.  This time I had Peter snap a picture of the group.

The women were very kind and inquisitive.  One of them asked me my age.  When I told her she looked surprised then said,

“Oh wow. Your appearance is so young. You are very beautiful.”

Later when I relayed this story to my Mom she said, “It must be because you look so different from them.”  Nothing like your mom to keep you grounded.  Love you Mom.

Next stop was Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut the first known female monarch ruling from 1503-1482 BC.  She is considered by some to be one of the most successful Pharaohs and the first great woman in history.  This temple marks the first example of a turning point in ancient Egyptian architecture.  One distinction is that the temple is made from limestone instead of sandstone.  The temple provided many photo opportunities.

Afterwords we went to a workers shop where the products were made from genuine Egyptian alabaster amongst other raw earth materials.  Most of the souvenirs in Egypt are actually made in China from cheap materials and plastics, but this was one of the government verified shops where souvenirs can be purchased with a lot more confidence.  And since Jess offered to take some souvenirs home for us, we purchased some great small pieces made from the local geology for our future home. The owner of the shop, however, had a gimmicky introduction by his front door that included his workers doing a song routine as they showed their work in action.  I was volunteered to take a hand at one of their tools.

Possibly Peter’s least favorite thing to do is shop so here he is attempting to entertain himself.

Before returning to the hotel we visited Colossi of Memnon which is two 3400 year old enormous statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.  It was under his reign that Egypt reached it’s political and culture high point. Now it sits by the side of a road, in the middle of nowhere, next to a parking lot.

After another long adventurous day we headed back to our hotel for a brief rest then a sunset felucca ride on the Nile River.

This is a felucca – a small boat propelled by oars or sails.

We enjoyed tea, getting to know our comedian tour guide Ruby  (picture below is not Ruby but the felucca driver), and watching the sunset over the Nile.

Always one to help out, Peter rowed our felucca for a bit.

Impressively when the sail had to be tied down one of the men on our boat climbed to the top of it (look closely in the picture below).  Not a job for the weary of heights.

We enjoyed a truly beautiful sunset.

Our last big event of the day was a horse drawn carriage ride through the city.  We weren’t totally sold on it as it sounded really, really touristy, but in the end what else were we going to do? This got us out in the city from a fun and efficient viewpoint.

Ruby went with us and had the carriage go through the souks (markets).  Jess was in the front of the carriage so she had to duck as we rode through stalls and dodged people.  I couldn’t believe we fit through the narrow passageways and overhead makeshift roofs. It was super fun and had already surpassed expectations shortly into the tour. I couldn’t count how many times the shop vendors said “thanks for coming to Egypt” even though we weren’t customers. You could tell they truly hope for the tourism to pick up again.

We made a pit stop for “Egyptian beer” or sugar cane juice.  With the heat, we all really enjoyed the stop.  Such a refreshing and delicious drink.

After a quick drink we were back on our way through the souks again.

And then something very memorable happened.

As we were continuing our tour Ruby announced that the markets were blocked off and we needed to turn around. Just then we saw a large group of women all in black burkas (conservative Muslim attire) pacing in an oblong like circle wailing as a ritual to mourn the death of someone in the community. Ruby soon found out that the ‘someone’ was in fact a soldier from the neighborhood that was killed in the Sinai Peninsula that morning and that the news had just gotten back to the family. There is mandatory military service in Egypt for young men that makes this type of circumstance all to real and palpable for all families.

It was a very powerful moment that was all together touching, moving and sad. It made us think about the disassociation between numbers and actual lives that we read about in the newspapers. We read earlier of the 33 dead, but seeing the real impact of one soldier on a community made the number come alive in a humanizing way.   We all took a moment of silence to process what we had just seen while also shaking our heads at all the senseless loss of lives in the world.

Ruby with his humor and affable personality was able to bring us back together with solid comedic timing.  We decided to make a stop for hookah and fruit drinks then a little shopping in the souks.

Before we headed into the souks (markets) Ruby gave us a game plan for negotiating.  If the price was too high he would turn his back so we knew to negotiate more.   Jess and I would barter with the owner. Ruby would turn his back.  We would come back with a lower price.  This would go a few rounds until we agreed on a price and Ruby would stand motionless.  We didn’t know if Ruby was actually on our side or in cahoots with the stall owner, but it didn’t matter as it was still fun, entertaining, and inexpensive. At one point I played the honeymoon card as it came up in conversation. The owner said, “Now you tell what you want to pay.”  Apparently if you are on your honeymoon they have to give you the price you want.  Not wanting to take advantage I gave the price he had been asking for.

On our way back to the hotel Ruby told us once again that he heard many locals saying in Arabic, “thank God we have visitors” directed at us.  We felt so welcome and thanked for being in Egypt by the locals.

The next morning we got up early for yet another busy and full day.

We visited the Karnak Temple which is the largest ancient religious site ever made. It covers approximately 200 acres. The construction started in 1400 BC and took 1000 years to build.  It is a city of temples and was the main place of worship, considered “most select of places.” The Karnak Temple was definitely a highlight with it’s massive obelisks, statues, and temples.  It was the first time I have ever walked through an ancient city and it was a thrill.  There were so much to see and learn in Egypt that it was difficult to keep it all straight. All our brains were spinning with the information overload.

Since Jess and I are both yoga lovers we took the opportunity to pose at the entrance with a row of sphinxes while simultaneously doing a sphinx pose.  Technically Jess is in upward dog due to the baby in her belly.

We ended up with a ton of pictures.  Here are some favorites.

Next stop was the Luxor Temple which in ancient times was connected to the Karnak Temple by two miles of what is known as Avenue of Sphinx.  These rows of sphinx weren’t discovered until recently in 2010.  Below are the sphinx in front of the Luxor Temple.  There were 1350 sphinx in total.  It is believed that Cleopatra walked this avenue.

This Temple was founded around 1392 BC and is mainly the works of Amenhotep III, who reigned from 1390 to 1352 BC. and Ramesses II whose statue is seen at the entrance of the temple.

Just like all ancient Egyptian works the structures are just massive and impressive.

During the Christian Era in Egypt 33 AD-4th century parts of the temple were converted into a church which you can still see remnants of of the Christian religion on the walls even though the temple was eventually converted to a mosque and painted over.

The colors above is an example of restoring what the Temple use to look like in ancient times.  It was explained to me that a chemical is used to bring back colors to the temple walls and in five years the entire temple will be lit up.  I would love to come back and see that.  I would imagine that it will only enhance the already beautiful visuals.  Below you can see a wall being worked on.

We did one last stop at the Mummification Museum and it wasn’t worth the money.  Overpriced and just not much to see.  I only mention it because if you are reading this and planning a trip to Luxor I don’t recommend going.  If you look at Trip Advisor you will see that many people share this sentiment.

After this marathon tour of Luxor we headed back to the airport to catch our flight to Cairo for our last evening together with Jess before Peter and I headed to Istanbul.

Our last night we stayed at Fairmont Hotel Heliopolis which was another nice hotel.  We had our last dinner together sitting outside by the pool processing and discussing our trip together.  Again, as I look back on that dinner I don’t think we realized just how incredible our trip was.  That’s the beauty of the mind and travel. The experiences take time to digest and when they do they blossom and unveil themselves in such incredible ways that develop you as a person, educates you as a citizen of the planet and etches indescribable memories, cultures and visuals into your brain that can never be taken away. We knew at the time that we had just partook in something beautiful and the hindsight of the trip only multiplies those sentiments.

In the morning we met up with Mohammed one last time who made sure we were all set at the ticket counter.

It was another early morning.  While Peter was off finding coffee Jess and I sat near the gate waiting for boarding.  While I was sitting zoned out and pretty tired I heard Jess say, “Jaime come here.  Quick.”  I walked over to her and just then she turned me around and put her arm around me, “Look at that sunrise.”  We both stood there for a few moments taking it in.  Sunrises alone are always exquisite but this time standing there with my dear friend after our adventure together, this sunrise was exceptionally special.

We flew from Cairo to Istanbul where we said our good-byes to Jess.  This is how we felt about that.

One last note about Jess.  She did all of this travel from Hawaii to Croatia to Egypt and back to Hawaii while being five months pregnant.  It was a lot for anyone, pregnant or not.  We had early mornings followed by long days, road trips and a handful of airplane trips.  She was always upbeat and positive.  Never seemed tired and never complained. She was an inquisitive traveler in all the right ways. It was thoroughly impressive for both Peter and I.  Jess was a perfect travel companion and we hope to believe she felt the chemistry too. We are grateful that she joined us on this part of our journey.

Next up, Turkey! This was a destination that turned out to be a surprise favorite.

Thanks as always for reading and commenting.  I appreciate it.  Much love.

“What are your plans for October?”
“Barcelona and Croatia,” I replied.
“Croatia sounds interesting.” 

And just like that it was set and we started to plan a two week trip together in Croatia.  While trying to coordinate flights Peter mentioned that we would need to part ways in Zagreb as Jessica’s return flight to the US was out of Split and the flights to our next destination, Cairo, left from Zagreb.  Her reply:

“I’m SO jealous you’re going to Cairo!! If I had known that was on your itinerary I might have joined you for that. Egypt has always been my dream :).”

Peter, not one to let anyone pass up their dream travel plans, wrote this:

“Just a crazy idea, but we could do 1 week in Croatia and then 1 week in Egypt. It would be fine with us. We’d miss some of Slovenia (Ljubljana and Lake Bled) and just drive straight from Plitvice Lakes to Zagreb for a flight to Cairo. Totally doable. If that’s something you are interested in, let us know and we’ll plot out a timeline to make it work. I’ve actually heard you don’t need that much time in Egypt and that the pyramids and Sphinxs are a day-trip from Cairo so a week would be more than enough. We could play with the timing.”

A couple emails back and forth regarding safety of Egypt and Jess was on board and we all bought our tickets from Zagreb to Cairo. This all happened within 24 hours of Peter’s email to Jessica inviting her to Egypt. And just like, the girl that dreamed of visiting the pyramids in the 7th grade had a ticket in hand.

Seven weeks after these emails, on October 23, we found ourselves at the Zagreb airport on our way to Cairo.

At the Zagreb airport Peter noticed a man sitting by himself with a familiar face. He eventually pinpointed him as the lead actor in the movie we had watched at the Zagreb Film Festival the previous night who had introduced the film in person at the festival. He then convinced Jess it was him too. I wasn’t convinced. And after a few minutes of them badgering and insisting that it was him, to prove my point, I walked over to the man and asked him. Sure enough, he gave me the strangest look and replied that he was not an actor.  Not to be outdone Peter replied, “that’s exactly the answer an actor would give to avoid attention.”

Boarding commenced and we were off to Egypt on Turkish Airlines.  We had a layover in Istanbul where Jess and I walked around, chatted, shopped, and bought some incredibly good Cadbury chocolate.  Two words mint-crisp.  I haven’t seen mint-crisp Cadbury chocolate in the US, but if you ever do, buy it. Don’t think, just buy it.

We landed in Cairo late in the evening.  Peter had hired Memphis Tours to take us around Egypt for our entire duration. Getting around Egypt on your own could be quite daunting and potentially unsafe.  After learning what our points of interest and time-frame were, Memphis Tours took care of everything from the pick-up at the airport to our departure days later.  Every minute, check-in and transition was thought through, organized and executed well. This was especially nice for Peter who for once could leave the organizing, thinking and logistics to someone else and truly enjoy Egypt despite still having to work in whatever free-time he could grab.

The Memphis Tours customer service began the moment we touched down in Cairo.  We deplaned and were greeted at the gate by Mohammed, our tour manager.  He walked us to the visa desk and took care of getting all our visas.  He raced us through immigration and customs, grabbed our luggage and escorted us to our car.  Within 20 minutes or so of landing we were getting stamped into Egypt. We felt like celebrities and he made our welcome into Egypt incredibly easy.

Mohammed drove us straight to our hotel, The Mena House.  The hotel is world famous due to a peace treaty being signed here between Egypt and Israel in 1979, but also because of the views of the Pyramids.  You can sit on your balcony while gazing out to the horizon to see the last existing member of the seven wonders of the world.  It was such a magical moment walking to our hotel room that evening while looking up to the night sky to see the golden pyramids casting a shadow from the moon overhead.  I think we were all in a bit of awe yet excitedly went to bed early for our exploration of Cairo and the pyramids the next day.

The next morning arrived quickly and started with a delightful buffet breakfast.  The choices were many, the service exceptionally friendly, and the architecture and decor of the room itself was over the top.  From the gold accents, to large floral bouquets, to massive chandeliers, the hotel carried a sense of ancient Egypt while also providing doses of luxury.  I already felt like my sense of sight was on overdrive and we hadn’t even been to the Pyramids yet.

Our tour-manager introduced us to our driver and tour-guide for the day, Kamel.  He was one of our favorite guides we have had on all of our travels.  He never stopped smiling.  He was professional, knowledgable, had a great attitude, and he never stopped taking pictures of us. He was a very devout Muslim with a scholars open and pragmatic mind and a great person to spend the day with.

From the hotel we took the very short drive to the pyramids.  Many travelers are scared to visit Egypt right now due to the lingering fears of violence after the 2011 revolution that ended the three-decade presidency of Mubarak and the expansion of ISIS activity into the Northern parts of Egypt. For better or for worse, because of this, we practically had the pyramids to ourselves. Speaking to our tour-guide he really painted a clear picture of what visiting the Pyramids was like pre-revolution. Pushing, shoving, hordes of people in big tour buses and groups creating mass chaos.  We were pleased to be there with virtually no crowds.

Honestly, I can’t really describe what it feels like to stare up at such an iconic structure that was constructed 2.5 centuries before Jesus Christ making it over 4,500 years old.  The Great Pyramid of Giza (pyramid of Khufu) is the most massive structure on planet earth.  What’s even more wild is learning that the pyramid was built with such precision that current technology cannot replicate it, leaving scientists and archeologists baffled. The Great Pyramid is the only remaining 7th wonder of the ancient world still standing and while newer lists have come out to market existing places, this is the only original you can actually visit.   So there we were looking at it, climbing on it, riding camels to it.  Truly mind blowing.

Kamel told Jess and I that we were Queens for the day and gave us Egyptian names.  I think this shot captures that sentiment. The diagonal line of the pyramid in this shot also captures the engineering perfection.

Here are some photos of our first look at the Pyramid.  Including our first group show when we arrived.  You can see in the background how thin the crowds were.

The pyramid next to Khufu, is the pyramid of Khafre, his son.  He had the daunting task of following up the greatest pyramid of all time.  He failed to make it bigger but used the land to make it appear taller by building it on higher ground.  An optical illusion makes Khafre’s pyramid appear to be bigger even though it is about 10 feet shorter.  Boys will be boys.  Who has the bigger pyramid?  This pyramid lacks the precision of the Great Pyramid as it was built a lot faster so it it has a sharper angle and the four corners aren’t perfectly aligned.   Obviously still impressive.

After visiting the two pyramids we headed to an area with a panoramic view of all three pyramids.  The 3rd being the Pyramid of Menkaure.

Next we had Kamel organize some camels for us to ride to a lookout point for some photo opps.  Our camels had some great names: 007, Bob Marley, and Casanova.

Jessica was given the camel for pregnant women.  I’m assuming that her camel was the most docile so I wasn’t sure what that meant for Peter and I.

Between Jess and I we had so many great pictures.  Here are some of the highlights.

Jess’s camel actually had the most personality.  Camels do this odd sounding gurgle combined with something that sounds almost like a shriek with their tongue sticking out.  It’s strange but also entertaining.  Here is Jess attempting to imitate her camel.

Jess’s camel in action.

On a different note, don’t camels have the best expressions?

Once we were finished up with our camels we tipped our guides.  Way too much I might add.  As Jess and Peter were discussing it they later realized they calculated the conversion wrong and our guides each got about a $20 tip for a $10 ride.  Could have been worse.  If you had just been staring at ancient pyramids atop camels you might not be thinking as clearly either.

Kamal then took us over to the Sphinx which was now later in the day so the crowds started to increase a bit, mostly with local school children.  This is when we all realized that Jess and I would be popular with the Egyptians.  It was while gazing at the Sphinx that we found the locals gazing at us and asking to take pictures with them.   They loved Jessica’s red hair.  We would catch people sneakily walking behind her and then touching her hair to see if it was real.  We took a couple pictures, but were advised by Kamal that it was probably best not to take pictures because then everyone would ask.  I guess this is what the Kardashians feel like every day.

We really did appreciate the welcomeness of the locals.  Everywhere we went locals would say, “thank you for visiting” or “welcome to Egypt.”  There were countless times that a woman would approach me and ask me where I was from and then welcome me the country. With tourist numbers so drastically hit by the revolution the appreciation was palpable.

Another funny and consistent joke we heard would be delivered from Egyptian men congratulating Peter on having two wives. We lost track of how many times we heard, “You lucky man. Two wives.”  Add in the fact that Jess was pregnant and you could see where our dynamic could be a bit confusing.

Our Cairo tour continued with many sites and stops along the way.

We visited the Hanging Church which was the only church we visited because it is Coptic Christian, not Muslim.  In this picture you can see the locals smiling at us.

For a break in the day we feasted on a traditional Egyptian lunch on the Nile River.

After lunch we visited the Egyptian Museum.  On our way there we had to pass through Cairo University where there had just been a bombing two days prior.  11 were injured and none were killed.  As we were driving to the museum we passed Cairo University.  I questioned Kamal about the bombing and he responded with a  smile and a hearty laugh. When I asked him why he didn’t seem nervous he said, “It’s Friday.  School is closed.”  And that was that.

We arrived to the museum which is on the edge of Tahrir Square which Peter was very excited about given its political significance. There was heavy duty military tanks idly armed with soldiers ready to manage any uprising, protest or issues in Tahrir Square.

Upon entering the museum, we went through an X-ray, metal detector and had to check-in our phones and cameras.  Inside we were able to see artifacts collected from ancient tombs, including lavish jewels, carriages and masks from King Tut’s tomb.  After a little discussion of whether to pay extra to see actual mummies, we decided to go for it.  How many opportunities will you have to see real mummies?

Our next destination was Cairo’s Old Bazaar, Khan El Khalili. This area is a maze of shops, restaurants, public gathering areas and overall liveliness.  Peter skipped the shopping and stayed back with Kamal to partake in some political and religious discussions over hookah.  Jess and I enjoyed walking around taking in all the various shops and of course haggling with the owners to get the best price.

As the sun started to set Kamal hurried us back to the car.  We had one last adventure to conclude this big day and that was the evening light show back at the pyramids.  It was nice to have Jess with us because she was laid back but also wanted to make the most of our experiences and see as much as possible. The light show was set-up with 1,000+ chairs but sadly just about 30 were occupied. Our tour-manager later told us that seats needed to be booked in advance before the revolution – now they can’t even fill a few dozen seats a night.  The light show was a bit cheesy, but in reality, the real joy was sitting in the cooling Cairo air, gazing out to the pyramids in the night sky and wanting to pinch yourself to make sure it was all real.  The Pyramids and Sphinx are highlighted in the dark sky while dramatic haunting music is played. They project a superimposed image of the Sphinx on to the actual Sphinx which hilariously narrates with an animated mouth the ancient history of the Pharaohs and building of the Pyramids.

Mohammed, our tour-manager, picked us up from the show and took us for a quick bite at Felfela before the end of a very long, amazing, and adventurous day came to a close.  We sat eating falafel, hummus, and other tasty Egyptian cuisine while discussing our incredibly packed and perfect day.  Looking back, I don’t think any of us had processed what we had just seen.

We sent Mohammed on his way and let him know we liked the idea of walking back to the hotel.  As we approached the wing of the hotel where our adjoining rooms were located we noticed a large crowd of people on the grounds.  When we got a closer look we realized it was a wedding.  A large wedding.  Turns out it was about 500 people.  To cap our already magical day we were able to witness an Egyptian wedding from afar.  It looked like a FUN party.  Lot’s of dancing, food, people, and a live singer.

Finally we got back to our room.  In my mind I thought nothing would make the day any better.  That was until my husband walked out of the bathroom looking like this.

I laughed so hard that I cried.

Early in the morning we were off to our next adventure in Luxor to check out some ancient tombs.

Thanks so much for keeping up with our travels.  We are so grateful to be doing this.

If you go to Morocco, every single one of of these senses will be aggressively overstimulated.

This overstimulation began immediately after we touched down in Marrakech on an early morning flight from Milan.  The custom line was a bit of a mob scene if the mob wore turbans and birkas.  What struck me right away were the lines. And what I mean by that is the line seemed to be there simply for consideration.  As I stood in place taking in the herd of people trying to get into the country, I felt a body pressed against my side. This was a bit alarming.  Then the body, or “old-man-with-no-personal-space-sense,” sneakily moved in front of me when I allowed for some courtesy space between me and the next person in line. Then he cut underneath one of the ropes which zig-zagged back-and-forth until he reached immigration.  He continued this game until he got to the front.  I began to notice that ”old-man-with-no-personal-space-sense” wasn’t the only perpetrator.  Numerous people were playing this game.

At one point an airport personnel opened a rope and ushered some people to an empty line while explaining something in Arabic.  Naturally, Peter and I made ourselves part of this group.  The odd thing was that this line actually ended up cutting in front of a bunch of people, saving us at least 45 minutes of painful waiting time.  This of course made this bunch of people unhappy.  Unhappy might be an understatement. Livid, probably. Particularly a very fiery, spicy, and loud woman.  What transpired was thrilling and a little scary.  I’m going to call her “Pink Neon” because she was wearing very bright, vibrant pink pants.

So “Pink Neon” started yelling.  I have no idea what, because it was in French.  I think.  She was going on and on – pointing directly at our group of cutters, specifically Peter and I.  The yelling wouldn’t stop.   Then suddenly, she busts through all the people to the front of the line and is standing right next to a customs box, facing the crowd, still yelling and pointing – now at the officer.  Peter and I were drilling holes in the ground with our laser beam focus on the floor in front of us trying to carry confused-tourist looks on our faces. Then, our savior, an unrelated woman who was also in line beelines through the crowd and gets in “Pink Neon’s” face and started shouting at her.  The Real Housewives of Morocco were in a full fledged screaming match to see who could be louder.  It was amazing.  No way you would see anything like this in the U.S. and if you did the two screamers would be face down and handcuffed, or at the very least escorted away and questioned.  Unbelievable.  When “Pink Neon” saw this other woman meant business, she finally retreated back to her spot in line.

Welcome to Morocco!

Peter and I stayed for a few days in Marrakech’s Medina at Riad Kniza.  The Medina of Marrakech is the historical walled city.  Located inside the Medina are Riad’s (hotels), souks (merchant shops), narrow maze like passageways, and restaurants.

Our car dropped us off outside the Medina’s wall at the closest gate to our Riad.  Everything is located down an alley-way then another alley-way. Then another.  A staff member from our Riad met us outside the walled city at the taxi-drop off, grabbed our bags and started escorting us to our destination.

The first thing I noticed outside the car was a cage on the back of a truck.  Inside the cage were chickens – some dead, some alive but all together.  As we walked through the small passageways, scooters beeped and nearly brushed us as they drove past.  The smell was punching me.  I looked up and saw a shop with dead skinned animals hanging with small pools of blood settled in a discrete corner. Dirt everywhere and still desert air punctuated the smells. What did we get ourselves into?

We finally charged down a small alley, knocked on a large door, and suddenly entered a world of utter peace and beauty.  We were greeted by Kamal, the manager of Riad Kniza.  He had a calming demeanor and terrific smile.  The contrast of heart-pumping sensory overload to tranquility was one in which I won’t forget any time soon.

Originally most of these Riads were owned by rich merchants in Marrakech. Now, all sorts of people own them, including hotels who have converted them for tourists to stay inside the Medina. Architecturally, Riad’s are purposely built inward.  So from the outside, all you see is bland concrete walls with no idea what’s inside.   In Morocco wealth is not expressed ostentatiously, but modestly, which means all the beauty is on the inside (great concept), which goes for the Riad’s as well. These buildings are built straight up and typically have a courtyard in the middle with a small fountain or pool to allow for good air flow and serenity.     Again, the extremes of being outside the Riad which was gritty and loud and then walking into clean, calm serenity was incredible

It was going from this.  Look at my expression in the second picture.  I don’t know what is going on.

To this.

We started our trip by doing a walking tour with an employee from the Riad, Hamza .  As we started out Hamza tells me, not Peter, to walk carefully and to the right and that he is worried about me.  I am already fairly unnerved by the smells, scooters, donkeys, and narrow passage ways, so his concern on top of all this didn’t help.  Within the first 15 minutes of the tour, a donkey cart almost ran me over and a group of older Moroccan men yelled at me.

What happened.

Peter was taking a picture of me when a donkey cart was coming through an arch way and just didn’t stop.  It was a close call. Then I tried to take a picture of a group of Moroccan men sitting on the street.  When they saw me take out my camera and point it in their direction they made their unapproval of me doing this really, really apparent.  My guide looking at me with fear said, “You must erase it.” I didn’t take the picture in the first place which I told Hamza.  He then relayed this to the angry men and brushed them off.  Problem diffused? Not quite.

Immediately following the picture debate Hamza guided us through a door where cow-hides were being stored. Peter had been in the business of exporting cow-hides from Africa so was very keen on looking at the hides and went deep inside for a better look.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw another man starting to close the large shed door behind us which would have made the area we were standing in very dark and trapped.  At this point I am completely unnerved from the donkey cart, the yelling men, and the intensity of Morocco in general.  I darted for the door and let myself out.  Peter followed me and asked if I was alright.  I replied, “No.”

The first picture shows the image caught right before the donkey-cart almost hit me. The next picture shows the cow-hide shed. Behind the donkey is about six men sitting who were unhappy by the non-picture I took. The door on the right is the shed door.  Can you see why it would have been scary to have that door closed on us?  Also the uneasiness in my face in the first picture?

We continued our walk where we visited Ali Ben Youssef Madras, a historical building that used to be a school that boasts really beautiful architecture.

The Mosque and minaret.  However, non muslims aren’t allowed inside the Mosque.  Hamza communicated to me that inside the Mosque women aren’t allowed to walk in front of men because the men would be too distracted by the female form that they would not be able to concentrate. I guess that’s one interpretation.

Of course the souks, the local markets where merchants sell spices, clothes, shoes, crafts, food, etc.

The stand out for me though was the men in the blazing heat that were tucked away in these narrow passageways working.  Sitting, concentrating, working with metal, steel and animal hides.  Working for hours and hours in these conditions to support their families.  A way of life so far different.

In the middle of the Medina is Jemaa el-Fnaa, the area where you can see anything from snake charmers to child boxing matches (disturbing) to soda bottle fishing to live musicians.  Peter and I still laugh thinking about a man that seemed to be about 7 feet tall and was all around just a huge person,  dressed in bright pink wearing a fez.  He was rolling his head around in large circles with the tassel of his hat flying. His eyes wild, approaching us, dancing ridiculously while playing the finger cymbals.  It was like looking at a car crash.  You didn’t want to look, but it was hard not to.  Whenever we speak of him we refer to him as “Dancing Flamingo.”

These pictures are of Jemaa el-Fnaa, the center of it all.  The first picture shows the snakes and their charmers. Where’s Waldo (Peter) in the last one.

As unnerved as I initially felt, this did go away.  Quickly. On our second day of walking around the medina Peter and I both realized that we were both at ease and that it was the culture shock of going from Florence, or I suppose going from most places, to Morocco that was at first unsettling.  Then you get use to it, or as much as you can get use to it. The chaos starts to make more sense as you understand its beat.  Morocco never felt unsafe.  However, the one thing that I did notice was a sense of desperation in the air.  For example depending on what restaurant you grab a table at in the Medina, you can experience children the homeless and dismembered aggresively begging you for money.  To the point of touching you, pulling your shirt, getting in your face.  I also had a woman who was trying to sell me on getting a henna tattoo grab my hand as I was walking.  I kept moving forward as she held my hand back without letting go.  Suddenly I felt a prick on my wrist and I realized she was putting her henna pin on me.  I had to yank my hand from her tight grasp.  Even though it is safe to walk around the Medina there was that underlying tone of desperation that was apparent.

To counteract the overstimulation of the Medina we took advantage of the hammams, similar to a Turkish bath.  A hamman is a weekly tradition done by locals.  You enter a hot room, lay flat on your stomach where you are doused by bucket or hose with water, cleansed with black soap, then vigorously scrubbed with a loofah glove.  You can literally see all the dead skin being scrubbed off of you.  A clay mask is then applied to the body and remains on the skin while you have your hair washed.  Your body is doused again with buckets of water then you are ready for your massage.  You are left feeling utterly relaxed and with really smooth and soft skin. Its a funny feeling being super relaxed from a hammam and then walking right out into the chaos and bustling Medina. Oh, the contrasts.  Also, the hammams are not for the modest as you only wear a tiny pair of disposable underwear provided by the spa while the attendant scrubs and washes you.

After a few days in Marrakech we were off to our next adventure in the Sahara Desert to an area known as Erg Chebbi.  We hired a driver, Youseff, to take us the 240 miles to our destination.  Our tour was a 3 day 2 night excursion including Moroccan landmarks along the  way.

We visited the famous fortified city (or ksar meaning castle in Arabic), Ait Benhaddou built in 757.  This Ksar use to serve as a trading point on the caravan route from the Sahara Desert to Marrakech.  Merchants traveling from the desert would exchange their camels for horses to make the rest of the trek to Marrakech over the Atlas Mountains.  There are 8 families still currently living in the Ksar.  This area now serves as a backdrop for Hollywood movies, including The Jewel of the Nile, Gladiator, Babel, Kingdom of Heaven, more recently  King of Thrones, amongst many others.

We also visited Atlas Studios in Ouarzazate located at Kasbah Taourirt.  This area is where the actual movie sets are built. The picture below shows one of the sets for Ridley Scott’s epic Kingdom of Heaven.  We learned that because there aren’t any luxury hotels nearby A-list celebrities are helicoptered in every day for filming from Marrakech.  Movie stars, such divas.

Then through Dades Gorges to see the mountain ridge Monkey Fingers.

Dades Valley.  How about those narrow roads?

Along the way we had many stops to take in all the beauty of the Moroccan landscape.

Our first overnight was a hotel in Dades Gorges where we had the entire hotel, which was more like a bed and breakfast, to ourselves.  The only person at the hotel who seemed to be working checked us in, made us dinner, and breakfast the next morning.  We had a small quaint room with a great balcony overlooking some spectacular scenery where we enjoyed our meals. The Gorge itself has many oases, green areas, amidst the desert for yet another stark contrast experienced in Morocco.  It is quite beautiful.  Peter said it was his favorite spot along our tour.

Early the next morning Youssef picked us up and we were off to Erg Chebbi to play with camels or actually dromedaries.  Dromedaries are a camel with just one hump.  It was another long day of driving till we arrived at our destination, but so worth it.

When we arrived at the dunes we were greeted by the tour owner, Hassan.  The three of us sat together drinking mint tea discussing the course of the rest of the day.  Hassan relayed to us that we would be taking the camels to a nomadic Berber camp which would be about an hour trek during sunset.  In the morning we would awake before sunrise and enjoy the peace and calm of the morning while treking back via camel.  It all sounded wonderful.  As we talked some more he told us about a ritual where people come out to the desert during the hottest time of the year, which happened to be when we were there, and get buried up to their neck in sand.  This is a remedy for arthritis.  He then said, with no emotion, “sometimes people stay in too long and then they die.” Peter and I glanced at each other with a double-take look.  Did he just say they die so matter of fact?  He did.  If people come out to the desert and try this and have a heart condition they can die.

After some mint tea and disturbing conversations, we put our suitcases away in a room, grabbed our necessities, and met our camels.  Because I was the lead camel trekker and my camel had a golden mane and seemed a bit high all the time, I named him “Hollywood.” Peter named his “Snickers” because it constantly looked like he was chewing on a snickers bar.

I can’t quite describe this experience.  Traveling by camel across the breathtaking beauty of the sand dunes with clear blue skies above is one the the most peaceful, but thrilling things I have ever done.  Peter and I were lucky enough to be on our own tour because we did book during the low season.  We were able to enjoy this experience, just the two of us.  The silence at times was almost deafening.  We were happy that the tour was strenuous enough to take us far out to really feel the isolation. As far as the eye could see there was only sand dunes.  If you are curious about our turbans.  The bright sun on the sea of sand makes for an intense heat on your head.  Protection is necessary.  Also if the wind picks up and you have all that sand coming at your face you can use the bottom portion of the turban to cover yourself.

When we arrived at camp we we still had a bit of sunlight left so Peter took advantage of the snow board available for use to do some sand boarding and also do a sand dune photo session.

As evening set in Peter and I strolled into our camp where we met a few of the nomadic Berber villagers.  We were shown the grounds which took a full 7 seconds and we were taken to our tent.  We got situated then sat for tea and dinner prepared by the villagers.

We were served a local cuisine of Berber culture called Tajine.  Tajine is cooked in earthenware which is a type of pottery and typically cooked over charcoal and can be ordered as a meat, fish, or a vegetable dish.  There is a ton of flavor given with spices, nuts, and dried fruit.  Dates are used frequently.  Tajine dishes use the same concept as a crock pot.  I found this to be a delightful and healthy meal.  The following are various Tajine dishes I ordered throughout our stay in Morocco.

After our meal our nomadic friends joined us for a night of music and singing.  They brought out their instruments and Peter and I were treated to our own private concert.  After a few songs they insisted that Peter and I play with them and we were given bongo drumming lessons.

After our concert we took a walk just outside the camp up a hill so we could lay on our backs and stare up at the starry sky.  Peter and I talked about the perfect and beautiful day we had just had as we watched shooting stars and a brilliant Milky Way without any other light to interfere with a perfect night sky.  With a heart full of happiness and gratitude we walked back to camp and climbed into our tent for a brief night of sleep.

We woke up the next morning to take the excursion back with Hollywood and Snickers to catch the sunrise.  It was the most peaceful morning with no other movements then us and our camel rides.  The only unfortunate occurrence was that the tagine from the previous night had gotten to Peter and he wasn’t doing so good.  I think this pictures does a good job of capturing his feelings of having food poisoning at 6 am while riding a camel. At one point he said, “I wonder how many people can say they vomited off the side of a camel in the Sahara?” Notice how it does look like Snickers is in fact chewing a Snickers.

The last thing you want to do when suffering from food poisoning is to jump on a camel at sunrise for a one hour walk to civilization. The second to last thing you want to do is be told you have an eleven hour drive ahead of you to your next destination. Through winding roads. In a van with terrible suspension. But that’s what Youssef said and off we went to the Atlas Mountains with a lot of “can you stop here real quick” being demanded to Youssef.

I sat up from with Youseff for some of the trip and learned a little about the Berber culture while Peter moaned in the back.

Youssef was married about a year ago and told me the story of meeting his wife.  Youseff’s sister was friends with his wife and suggested they meet.  He went to her house where she lived with her family.  They all sat together meeting and talking.  Later that day after he left he called her Dad and said he liked his daughter and a courtship began.  He dropped off a cell phone to her later that week since unaccompanied dates don’t exist and he wanted to get to know her.  Within four months they were married.  The wedding took place over three days.  One party thrown by the bride’s father and the other two nights by Youseff and his family.  When someone gets married you invite the entire village so cows and chickens are slaughtered to feed everyone.  He said the cost was around $10,000 which is a small fortune in most Berber communities.  He said that his entire family helped him and he did the same when his brothers got married.  After the wedding his wife moved into his house with his family.  Talk about really needing to get along with your in laws.  I asked him about the divorce rate and he told me that essentially it doesn’t exist.  If there is a problem in a marriage the family and friends will support the couple and do whatever they need to help the couple through their issues.  I told him about the divorce rate in the US and he thought that it was really sad and had a hard time understanding why it would be so high.

We also discussed the bombing that took place in Morocco in 2007 and how some people think that it could have been the government that was responsible as a way of controlling and scaring the population. There was a lot of uprising in the Muslim world at that time and some, he say, felt it was a preemptive or suggestive act to send a message. He did say Morocco is safe but “you never know what could happen.” I asked him what he meant by that and he suggested that, “Muslims could be negatively influenced by Muslim extremists.” I suppose this is the case everywhere in the world, people getting influenced by the wrong people. It happens in religion, politics and even business.

Our long road trip from the Sahara to the Atlas Mountains was one of anticipation. We were heading to Richard Branson’s hotel, Kasbah Tamadot. Peter’s friends Noah and Kim had visited this property a few years back for a wedding and convinced Peter he needed to experience this hotel while in Morocco.

A little history of the opening of this hotel.  Richard Branson was taking a hot air balloon ride through Morocco when the balloon took on complications and he and his crew emergency landed in the Sahara where Algerian soldiers picked them up and they were taken to a warlord.  It wasn’t until days later that the Algerian President got word and they were rescued.  But it was Branson’s parents that fell in love with the area where the hotel is located and asked him to turn it into the worlds most beautiful hotel.  He paid the owner $1.5 million in 1998 and has indeed turned it into an incredible oasis of luxury, tranquility, and beauty.  This for example was the view from our balcony.

We spent a couple of days and night lounging by the pool, drinking wine on our balcony, eating room service for breakfast, enjoying the spa, and loving life.  We didn’t want to leave.

The day we checked out we did receive some exceptionally exciting news that elated us so much that it cured our sadness to check out of this world of perfection.  We Skyped with Lisa and Devin, Peter’s sister and husband (my awesome in laws) and we found out that Lisa is pregnant.  We were thrilled! Peter couldn’t wipe a smile off his face for days and the good news seemed to cure his food poisoning. We are so excited to see both of them and Lisa’s baby bump in December.  This is the first grandchild for the Fotheringham’s, so this was big news.  Oh and we just found out, it’s a boy!  The smiles in the picture below says it all.

For our last couple of nights in Morocco we stayed at an AirBnB back in Marrakech where we went back to the madness of the Medina and were overstimulated once again.  We enjoyed our remaining days walking around, taking in the sights and smells, and eating good tagine.  I thought I had escaped without food poisoning but I bought a bag full of nuts our last day from the middle area of the Medina, which we had been warned not to eat from, but I figured nuts would be alright.  Well, in Italy the next day I realized I was wrong in my assumption. Despite our best efforts, we were 2-for-2 in food poisoned Fotheringham’s in Morocco. Look at that guys smile.  It’s like he knows…

So off to Rome where a couple days later we were meeting my Mom and my Aunt Becky for an Italian adventure of a lifetime.  We left Morocco with one last memory.  The airport security essentially handling all our body parts as their search protocol.  Got felt up as we said good bye.

Thanks Morocco for an adventure of a lifetime like no other.

Love to all my followers.