From Victoria Falls, it was an easy 2-3 hour drive to Chobe Game Preserve in Botswana. We stayed at Chobe Game Lodge, which boasted all female guides and is the only lodge inside the game park. Botswana prides itself on restricting the hours the park is open and the number of visitors allowed in the…
Zimbabwe – Thundering Water, Collapsing Economy
After a fun-filled day at Dubai’s Atlantis Water Park, we took an overnight flight from Dubai to Zimbabwe via Qatar and Johannesburg. Our flight took us 6,000 miles south and we went from frolicking in the water park one afternoon to cruising alongside hippos and crocodiles on the Zambezi River the next. With only 3…
Dubai – Giant Buildings, Endless Shopping and Monsoon Rains
After recharging our batteries, we found ourselves on our way to a brief two day stopover in Dubai. It was one of those “since we are going to be in the area, we should stop in” kind of trips. There are limited options to get from India to Africa where we were rejoining the ship…
The Maldives
The Maldives – Paradise and a “Vacation from Traveling” After leaving the chaos of India, spending some time in the idyllic island setting of The Maldives was very appealing. While we do enjoy relaxing, the idea of the beach vacation to “veg” on the sand usually runs fairly counter to our travel instincts. In…
Tea, Forts and Houseboats – India Three Ways
India is a delight to the senses, with its colorful patterned scenery, jovial people, and brilliant saris; its flavorful food and constant sounds — be it soothing sounds of the jungle or the incessant honking as cars jostle for space along the narrow roads. We were last in India in 2009 when we visited the large…
Myanmar – Emerging from the Shadows?
Three years ago we visited Myanmar at the height of their hot season with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees. It was so hot we couldn’t even get in the swimming pool to cool off! The heat sapped our energy and we felt we missed out on some experiences in Myanmar because it was simply too hot to…
Good Morning, Vietnam!
Before leaving the Hong Kong harbor, the captain announced that a huge storm was moving into the South China Sea and our ship had to delay sailing for 24 hours, resulting in our arrival into Vietnam 1 day later than planned. The delay caused our previously scheduled hiking and caving adventure trip to be cancelled and…
Shanghai, Xi’an and Hong Kong!
Shanghai After only two brief days on the ship, we landed in Shanghai, China. China brings out ambivalence in us – not the common usage of ambivalence suggesting disinterest – but the dictionary definition of holding two conflicting opinions about something. We struggle with the restrictions on freedom and creativity imposed by the communist government,…
Japan – A Tale of Two Trips
JAPAN – A TALE OF TWO TRIPS Christy Skiing in Niseko, Japan has been on my sister Kerri’s bucket list for years. When I told her I was going to be in Japan in January, she immediately agreed to fly over and join me for an adventure. Niseko is on Japan’s northern island, Hokkaido, just south…
Semester At Sea Spring 2016 is Underway! Life at Sea!
On January 5, 2016, we traveled to Ensenada, MX and boarded our home base for the next 105 days, the World Odyssey. This is Christy’s 4th time on Semester at Sea (SAS) and our family’s 3rd voyage together. Christy first sailed as a student in 1990 and subsequently we have gone as a family, including…