Always start with a map!! Getting things together and trying to consolidate my packing lists. My challenge is to get everything that I will need for my last 3 weeks into luggage weighing 33 lbs - including personal items and camera equipment!!

10 days to go!

The day is finally here, after months of planning!

I’m in Lexington at the airport, loaded down with camera equipment and my personal item, which needs 3 hands to carry :) \240I will fly to Atlanta, where I have a 6.5 hr layover. I have rented one of the Minute Suites so that I can chill out before my flight and get a bit of work done, make sure all my devices are charged before I board for Cape Town at 8:50 tonight. I did a terrible job with last minute packing - I wish I had another day so that I could go through everything again and remove things that aren’t essential…. Oh, well.

So excited for my trip! It seems a little surreal that I’m actually on my way now!! I hope Nyala, Keef & Ziggy don’t forget me!!!

Atlanta—

Minute Suites vs Delta Suites.

Minute Suites - great idea, but needs some work. Or at least the one in terminal F. Rooms small but fine. No trash can. No bathrooms - you have to go back out to regular restrooms - and you can’t lock the door when you have to leave. Big minus. Attendant wasn’t friendly - acted really bored. And she talked loudly on the phone (personal calls) \240most of the time I was there. No sleep obviously. Also temperature was hard & slow to adjust. I would rate that one a 2.5

Night game drive

Arrived at our 2nd lodge in Etosha.

Out of bed at 6 AM, breakfast and off on our first game drive.

Lions!! We watched a pride of lions for a long while. They crossed the road in front of us and settled in to nap in a shady spot across the road Four females and two males - one of the males had been entangled in a snare; Lance reported it later, hopefully someone can sedate him and remove it.

Himba tribe visit

Afternoon drive with Loud and a couple from Italy. Giraffes, kudu and Soringbok.

Dinner (Oryx stroganoff) and bed.

Steps 12,050. 5 miles

Left Palmwag around 10. Drove to Twlfelfontain.(Doubting Fointain) Saw Namibian elephants crossing the road - their feet are huge!!Elephants here are physiologically and behaviourally adapted to life in the desert – they have longer legs to travel greater distances, a lighter mass, and are extremely sensitive when feeding on the scarce vegetation (as opposed to their savannah cousins that are very destructive when feeding, thinking nothing of knocking over a tree or gouging baobab bark).

Stopped and climbed some rocks to get pics.

Stopped to do the Damera cultural tour, which was fun & interesting. Bought a little goatskin mobile if the Big 5 animals.

Got to Twlfelfontain Countryodge about 2:00. It’s beautiful- the rooms are tucked into the red rocks to help preserve the view. You walk around & betwen the large rocks to get to reception. There are some original engravings on some of the stones.

We had lunch at the lodge (salad, pasta salad, fish, lamb, veggies and a cake with sweet cream), then headed for the Rock Art (petroglyphs). some of which dates back 10 000 years.

We scrambled up some rocks to get to them and it was hot, but worth the trip!! My pics aren’t great - the sun was in my eyes & I was shooting blindly!

Back to the lodge, took some pictures, looked at the rock art here, then went up to the bar for our “sundowner” (Wolftrao Spritzer) to watch the sunset.

Dinner was sliced Oryx , thinly sliced salmon for appetizers then sliced Kudu, roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, squash and a few bites of a couple of desserts. Very good.

Back to the room, shower & bed. Early day tomorrow.

Steps 10,006 \240 4.16 miles

Drove along the Skeleton Coast - the road turned into a salt road - much less corrugated than we had been traveling on before. \240We saw the first contrast of desert & ocean - the mist from the ocean looked like low-lying clouds.

Stopped to examine an old oil rig - we saw tracks where a hyena had drug something to its’ lair.

We stopped to eat our sandwiches from breakfast - climbed on some small dunes and walked to the ocean

Stopped at Cape Cross - THOUSANDS of seals!!! We were actually chased by 2 of them - apparently we got too close to the babies! \240We saw a shipwreck in the distance.

Then stopped to see the flamingos before arriving at The Oyster Box for the night. Beautiful sunrise there - lots of flamingos and pelicans flying over. \240We had a good dinner at The Raft on the pier (oysters, grilled sole & baked potato)

“Like angel tears upon my tongue “ - Lance Young, first beer of the day

Stopped to change money & grab some groceries before leaving Walvis Bay. GPS kept taking us the wrong way!

Beautiful changing scenery today! There were different kinds and colors of rock formations next to each other- \240it looked like 2 completely different landscapes just looking from one side of the road to the other. We drove through canyons where there was evidence that seismic activity had occurred.

We stopped at Solitare for Apple crumble at McGregor’s bakery. Interesting little rest stop with lots of old cars and eclectic items.

Our hotel - Namib Desert Lodge is near petrified dunes. We had a great view of red stone mountains and there were oryx almost at our doors. Nice dinner at the lodge - lentil soup, salad, oryx pie, springbok goulash & basmati rice, ratatouille and glazed ginger carrots.

Back in my room, I sat on my patio and watched 3 oryx 30 feet from my door.

16,301 steps \2406.79 miles

“You will never see the same sand dune twice” \240- Laura Fox \240(from “You will never stand in the same river twice”)

I tossed & turned most of the night last night, when I did drift off I woke from nightmares of big black scorpions. Thanks, Jim! Haha!

We drove to Sossusvlei, stopping to climb a little on one of the dune - it was VERY windy and dusty. I lost my lens cap so we backtracked to look for it. I later found it under the floor mat - WTF?

Really bumpy ride getting to Deadvlei - my butt came off the seat several times like I was riding a bucking bronco! It was a little hike getting to Deadvlei - definitely didn’t stay cold even though it was windy :)

The dead trees are mopane trees (butterfly trees or turpentine trees).

The \240Sossusvlei Lodge was nice, but had a lot more guests so service wasn’t as good. Dinner was so-so - we had to eat outside and it was still windy & chilly. The best part of dinner was a broccoli dish - cooked broccoli with a mild vinaigrette and sliced fresh strawberries, served cold. \240Also had calamari, pasta salad, lentil soup and from the grill - oryx, kudu and eland.

Sandwich Harbor

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John A. Shedd

After breakfast, I wandered around, exploring various shops. I bought a few souvenirs and got fitted for a dress made with cheetah print material, which I will pick up tomorrow morning. Upon returning, I changed into warm clothes in preparation for our whale watching trip with Simon’s Town Boat Company.

Initially, we had reservations about going because the fog had rolled in and visibility was poor. However, it started to clear on the other side, so we decided to proceed. The water looked stunning with the interplay of fog, shadows, and the sun's sparkles as it began to clear.

During the trip, we spotted a Bryde’s Whale and a few Humpback Whales. One of the crew members took a picture of a Humpback's tail and submitted it to the database at happywhales.com. Interestingly, it was an undocumented whale, which was quite exciting! We saw the Humpbacks around False Bay.

We also witnessed a couple of Great Petrels eating what might have been a dead seal—an uncommon sighting, I believe.

The weather was cold! I wore a long-sleeved wool shirt, another wool zip-up hoodie, and the “lumberjack” shirt we bought this morning. Laura layered up as well. Despite the cold, we had a lot of fun.

For dinner, we enjoyed a delicious meal at Bertha’s—Kingklip and prawns with peri-peri sauce and salad, followed by Malva pudding for dessert.

Back in the room, I tried to go to bed early but couldn’t sleep, so I’m up again,

13,510 steps, 5.56 miles, 23 flights steps

Early morning penguins

Walk back to hotel

Shopped

Walked scenic route - LOTS of steps

Kalk Bay

Sushi & beer

Beer at local brewery - Just Nyisance IPA

Dinner at Lighthouse Cafe. Good!! Gemsbok carpaccio, yellowtail tuna & veggies, Malva pudding with custard

Breakfast at hotel.

Lunch at Lighthouse Cafe again - fettuccine & chicken in creamy basil sauce. Again - excellent!

My flight tomorrow to Rwanda was cancelled and rebooked for Tuesday, so Johan is redoing accommodations for Kigal and Nyungwe. I am able to keep my room here for one more night.

Took some pants to Tari for alterations and had them make me another pillowcase cover. They are so nice - it really touched me yesterday when she told me that with our purchases, she wouldn’t have to worry so much about tuition for a life coaching class she has signed up for. She wants to help other women who are overcoming obstacles like she did (her husband died by suicide)

I went back the the pearl shop and bought some necklaces. I asked about the poem in her shop - Laura wondered if it was written for her since she couldn’t trace the poet’s name. It, was, indeed. She had cancer (11 years in remission) and after conversation with a man she didn’t know, he sent her the poem. Her husband also translated it to Afrikans. Beautiful story.

Laura left about 4 PM - it will seem strange not having here here!! We had a great time - she’s very easy to travel with and we have so many things in common.

I am sitting on the balcony, looking at pictures and getting ready to eat the brownie from Lighthouse Cafe last night - mindful of my surroundings in case the baboons spot it!!!

Steps: 12,482. Miles: 6.13 \240Flights climbed: 41

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. \240Climb that goddamn mountain.” - Jack Kerouac

I woke at the crack of dawn to embark on a gorilla trekking adventure in Volcanoes National Park, located along the northwestern border of Rwanda, in the majestic Virunga Mountains.

Upon arrival, we were placed in our groups and briefed on what to expect.

I hoped for an easy group, but was put instead \240in an intermediate group assigned to encounter the \240Kwitonda family, the proud home of two formidable Silverbacks and a large gorilla clan. Fellow adventurers included a delightful couple from Johannesburg (Khudu and Kgomotso), a vivacious couple from Mexico and 2 spirited sisters from England.

Our journey kicked off with a rugged drive along a bumpy, winding road, passing by energetic children waving enthusiastically and locals tending to their crops along the roadside. The morning greeted us with a gentle misty rain that soon dispersed by the time we reached our trailhead.

Navigating the challenging terrain at high altitude proved to be a strenuous test of endurance. Grateful for the support, I leaned on my porter for guidance. Drenched and breathless, I trudged on with his assistance, braving the thick, jungle-like rainforest enveloped in dense foliage housing stinging nettles. Their hair-like needles pierced the skin, leaving behind a searing sting—an unexpected reminder of the untamed wilderness.

As we ventured forward, clambering over fallen logs and uneven ground, we paused intermittently to catch our breath amid the lush greenery. Suddenly, after an hour of trekking, a hushed whisper broke the silence—a signal that the majestic gorillas were within our reach.

Leaving behind our belongings with the trusty porters, we inched closer to the awe-inspiring creatures. Grasping my hand, the guide led the way through a narrow path carved by trackers wielding machetes. A whimsical shift occurred as I became affectionately dubbed "the Queen" amidst laughter and camaraderie.

Our first enchanting sight was a tender moment between a mother gorilla and her playful infant nestled in a lofty tree. Soon, we found ourselves mere feet away from the regal Silverbacks, their powerful presence commanding reverence. The scene unfolded like a masterpiece of nature, etching an indelible memory in our souls.

To be in the presence of these magnificent creatures, so strikingly similar to humans in appearance and behavior, was nothing short of profound. Witnessing their familial bonds, playful interactions, and expressions of affection stirred emotions I had never experienced before. Locking eyes with a gorilla sent shivers down my spine and quickened my heart—a truly ineffable moment.

We were granted a precious hour with these gentle giants, observing a total of 18 gorillas in their natural habitat. Time flew by in a blur of awe and wonder, and soon, it was time to bid farewell and retrace our steps back to the waiting driver. Reflecting on this breathtaking encounter, I left with a heart full of gratitude and plans to reunite with newfound friends in Johannesburg—a fitting end to a bucket list adventure that surpassed all expectations.

Packed & repacked. No sleep, no breakfast!

Transfer to Nairobi Wilson for flight to Meru. Tiny airport, tiny plane (9 people plus pilot & co-pilot)Flying around 11,000 feet, just above some clouds - I was a little nervous about getting motion sickness after watching people popping pills at the airport, but it was fine. \240I found myself thinking about Dad and his plane and how he must have loved flying. I loved flying with him.

Flew into Meru - met at airport by our guide. Saw some wildlife on our way to Elsa’s Kopje.

The resort is beautiful - the little “huts” are built to hug the hill so that it looks very natural. I love my hut!!

Threw my bra away when I left South Africa

Thurs- hot sun, beach, from clouds, Sleeping Beauty, pool

Friday 1 jackpot

Driving to Pemba airport. Most homes are mud brick - a lot u finished. Many have beautifully carved wooden doors..

If you have no expectations then you are constantly amazed

Words I never though I’d say

“Baboons broke into my room again”

“Oh, look, I have a little family of house Geckos!”