I have been to Africa a number of times and always gravitate towards the sub-Saharan eastern part of the continent. One of the greatest thrills on the planet is to be on a big game safari in Africa. The wildlife is prolific at times from parts of Kenya down through South Africa but especially in the Serengeti - with herds of wildebeest, plenty of giraffe, elephants and other rarer sightings. But until now, a visit to see gorillas in the wild … [Read more...]
A Dream of Mine, To Take a Gorilla Safari in Uganda
My bucket list of countries high on my list to still visit is dwindling in number - this shorlist focuses on either memorable experiences or unique natural outdoor natural attractions. Long on my list has been a visit to parts of eastern Africa to see the gorillas in the wild. My interest was rekindled after talking to a good friend of mine who is on a mission to see every country in the world. He recently returned from parts of eastern Africa … [Read more...]
Hanging out on the Nile
Spent the afternoon swimming and sailing languidly on the Nile River along its western bank just up river from Luxor. Fellucas (wooden boats with one large sail and no boom) dot the shoreline on both sides of the river in Felluca. As a result competition is stiff for tourist dollars and like anything else we've tried to buy you can really bargain down the price. We ended up at 30 Egyptian pounds for a several hour sailboat ride after the price … [Read more...]
Hot Air Balloon Ride over the Sahara & the Nile
Started the day bright and early with a hot air balloon ride above the never ending sands of the Sahara and the bright greeness of the water rich Nile River valley. Temps were already in the upper 20's at 530am. It was going to be yet another hot day. Arriving to the "balloon field" we spotted about 25 balloons in various stages of setup and groups of people milling about. With 32 people in our basket we were supported by the largest commercial … [Read more...]
Hanging out in Cairo
At the moment I'm sitting in sleeper train on our long transiberian journey - not much to do here so we are chugging the vodka. Actually this is the overnighter from Cairo to Luxor. This is doing it in real style - a private suite for 2 people, AC controls per suite and the calming rocking motion that you can only get on a train will quickly put us to sleep - oh and the 32 hours it took to get here from Cali will certainly help. With not much … [Read more...]