 
The Best of Keeping On Keeping On

By Michael E. Farquhar

Published by Michael E. Farquhar at Smashwords

Copyright 2019 Michael E. Farquhar

THE BEST OF KEEPING ON KEEPING ON

CYPRUS, JORDAN, AFRICAN SAFARI---KENYA-TANZANIA, ANTARCTICA

A RETIREE'S TRAVELS ABROAD 2006-2018

A PERSONAL TRAVELOGUE OF PEOPLE, PLACES

AND PICTURES

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY

MICHAEL E. FARQUHAR

PREFACE

In 2004 I compiled a book entitled "I Remember It Well", comprised of letters home, travel essays and extracts from my diaries covering a twenty month period, following the completion of my university studies, from 1965-1967, during which time I hitchhiked, youth-hosteled and worked my way throughout most of Western Europe. I concluded that document by noting that over the intervening years I continued to travel abroad and indicated that I was planning a five week trip to Australia in November, 2004. I did take that trip, preceded the year before by a trip to Morocco and Egypt.

During these trips I began to write periodic travelogues which I e-mailed home to members of my family and a few friends, reflecting my impressions of the people and the sites that I experienced in the various places that I visited. By 2006 I had fallen into the pleasant practise of usually taking one major trip abroad every year and I began seriously and regularly to write travelogues of my day-to-day activities and impressions of the diverse locales that I had visited. In addition, during the past decade, I also traveled extensively in the United States of America taking shorter mini trips..

I have retained copies of those travelogues, covering my travels abroad during the period 2006-2018, and have incorporated into them numerous photographs which I took with my point and shoot camera during those trips. This series of books, "Keeping On Keeping On", demonstrates that, if you are comfortably retired and in good health, there is nothing to stop you from keeping on keeping on traveling until you can no longer keep on traveling, which is something I hope to continue to do for quite some time.

I have often been asked what stands out in terms of the most memorable places I have visited. Over the years it has become increasingly clear to me that what scenes are most etched in my travel memories are the natural beauty and unspoilt wildlife in so many parts of the world. To pick favourites is difficult but I have chosen Cyprus, Jordan, an African Safari in Kenya and Tanzania and Antarctica. These four travelogues I have compiled in this book of the best of Keeping On Keeping On, my series of 30 mini e-book travelogues all f can be readily downloaded at no charge at this web site.

I would like to extend a particular note of thanks to my brother Robin and sister-in-law Fran, one of both of whom accompanied me on all four of these wonderful journeys.

Michael (Mike) E. Farquhar

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

September, 2019

COVER DESIGN BY: IVAN KAO DESIGN Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

INTRODUCTION

This book is a compilation of what I view as the best of a series of thirty mini books recounting my travel adventures over the period 2006-2018. They describe, with photographs, my personal travels to all seven continents and include such diverse places as Antarctica, South America, New Zealand, China, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, European River Cruises, an African Safari in Kenya and Tanzania and mini trips in various parts of the United States. The series covers the following individual trips.

1-ECUADOR AND PERU

2-CHILI, ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL

3-HAWAII AND NEW ZEALAND I

4-HAWAII AND NEW ZEALAND II

5-CYPRUS

6-JORDAN

7-ISRAEL

8 -CHINA I

9-CHINA II

10-CHINA III

11-VIETNAM I

12-VIETNAM II

13-CAMBODIA

14-TURKEY I

15-TURKEY II

16-EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISE---BUCHAREST TO BUDAPEST

17-MEXICO

18-EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISE---PRAGUE TO BUDAPEST TO AMSTERDAM I

19-EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISE---PRAGUE TO BUDAPEST TO AMSTERDAM II

20-EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISE---PRAGUE TO BUDAPEST TO AMSTERDAM III

21-AFRICAN SAFARI---KENYA-TANZANIA I

22-AFRICAN SAFARI---KENYA-TANZANIA II

23-AFRICAN SAFARI---KENYA-TANZANIA III

24-SAIGON, HUE, PHU QUOC ISLAND, VIETNAM---DUBAI, ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES---LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM---PARIS, FRANCE I

25-SAIGON, HUE, PHU QUOC ISLAND, VIETNAM---DUBAI, ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES---LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM---PARIS, FRANCE II

26-URUGUAY---PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE---ANTARCTICA I

27-URUGUAY---PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE---ANTARCTICA II

28-URUGUAY---PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE---ANTARCTICA III

29-THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 2007-2017 MINI TRIPS

30-HUE, DANANG, VIETNAM; PANDAW RIVER CRUISE---HALONG BAY; RED, SONG AND BLACK RIVERS, NORTH VIETNAM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael E. Farquhar was born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He attended Victoria College (now the University of Victoria) and subsequently the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C. where he received his B.A. and M.A. degrees. In the fall of 1965 he set out on a twenty-month travel adventure in Europe, returning to Canada in the spring of 1967. In June 1967 he moved to Ottawa, Ontario where he began his thirty-year career in the Public Service of Canada. He retired from the Public Service as a Senior Executive with Transport Canada in August 1997. Mike continues to live in Ottawa.

In 2004 he compiled a "book" entitled "I Remember It Well", comprised of letters home, travel essays and extracts from his diaries covering a twenty month period from 1965-1967 during which he travelled and worked his way throughout most of Western Europe.

Since his retirement, Mike has continued to travel all over the world, often as a part of small escorted tours. Over the years he has set foot in all ten Canadian Provinces, some thirty-eight American States and, at last count, over seventy different countries on all seven continents. He recently completed a ten day expedition to Antarctica.

CHAPTER ONE---CYPRUS

Larnaca, Cyprus—October 7, 2009

I left Ottawa on Sunday about 2:30 p.m. and arrived in Larnaca, Cyprus via Washington and Vienna about the same time on Monday and so did my suitcase which I hadn't seen since Ottawa. There is an eight hour time difference but nonetheless it was a lot of travel with little sleep. The food on Austrian Airlines was superb in business class.

Once I reached my seaside hotel I was beat and it was hot outside, about 30 degrees. The hotel had three huge swimming pools and a sandy beach on the Mediterranean Sea so I had a nice swim in the pool and a dunk in the very warm sea. I enjoyed a quiet dinner with a very cold delicious Cyprian beer and headed for bed. On Tuesday morning just as planned I got together for breakfast with brother Robin and sister in law Fran who had arrived as scheduled in the middle of the night. After Robin had a morning swim we headed to the capital of Nicosia, about half a million people, which was about 50 kilometres north. We had a very animated taxi driver who gave us a flavour of the Greek perspective on this divided island. She was a terrific driver and very informative. We checked into a small modest hotel on a quiet street but within walking distance of the old city.

Robin and Fran Studying a Map---Nicosia, Cyprus

After a few false starts...my brother and I are notoriously bad at following map directions...we made our way along the walls of the old city into the centre and rewarded our success with a cold beer at an outdoor café.

We then continued to walk and walk everywhere which we found really enjoyable. The Greek part of the city is quite prosperous and seems to be flourishing. We found our way along the main street, which is a walking mall, and eventually arrived at the Green Line which divides the Turkish north from the Greek south. It is a low key crossing where one has to show a passport. We saw three United Nations' peacekeepers casually pass by...quite a contrast to Berlin in 1966 with machine guns, guards with revolvers and barbed wire. Here what separated those coming and going north and south was a row of potted plants. The north was much less prosperous but the cold beer just as good. Also we found some interesting 15th century architecture, including a huge cathedral which began construction in the 1200s but a few centuries later when the Turks moved in it was stripped of all its ornateness and has remained a large mosque ever since, including two tall minarets which were subsequently added.

We then returned to the Greek side and dusk was starting to fall so we headed out on foot to find a famous restaurant. After asking directions innumerable times we eventually found the place quite some time later. It had a garbage dumpster in front of it and looked forlorn and was closed. How come all the people who knew the restaurant didn't know it was closed? We then turned around for the long walk back in search of choice number two. Same routine and same result...closed for renovations. En route we passed a few more touristy restaurants in the old city and one owner offered us a drink if we would eat there but we passed it by. However, when our next choice didn't pan out we returned to the other place and I smiled and said we had returned for our free drink. He was very obliging and we had our free drinks and the specialty, meza, which is like tapas, a selection of assorted Greek Cypriot specialities. It was quite delicious. As we had had enough walking we decided to take a taxi back to our hotel.

Today we easily found our way to the city centre, had a morning cold beer and did some more exploring on foot. We took a taxi out to a small crafts' place where they did weaving and embroidery etc. and then we taxied back for more meandering. We ended up once again on the Turkish side and had a very nice late lunch. We visited another crafts' centre and then walked back to the city centre. Over the course of the day I tried my bank card several times but none of the banks like it...thank goodness my brother is here to keep me funded! We then taxied back to the hotel and we will probably grab a light meal somewhere nearby. In the morning we are off to Kyrenia on the north coast in Turkish Cypriot territory and are very much looking forward to it along with a nice swim.

Lemosos, Cyprus---October 10, 2009

On Wednesday evening we found a small hole in the wall tavern about five minutes from our hotel and had some chips, a Greek salad and our favourite Cypriot beer. We settled in for the night and about an hour later apparently Fran realized she had left her purse at the tavern so she and Robin dashed back just as the place was closing and fortunately retrieved the errant purse.

Robin, Fran and Mike at Dinner---Nicosia, Cyprus

The next morning we got a taxi and drove the short distance to the green line separating north and south Nicosia where we were dropped off. We then had to walk about fifty metres with suitcases in tow to the Turkish side where we found a taxi to take us to the north coast port town of Kyrenia. It was a really nice 2002 Mercedes with a nice Turkish Muslim driver, Mustapha, who quickly drove us the 35 minutes to Kyrenia and what a gem of a place it turned out to be. On the way we saw the Turkish part of Nicosia which turned out to be quite prosperous and not too different from the south. When we got to Kyrenia Mustapha agreed to tour us about the next day and then take us on to our next destination in the centre of the island and back into the Greek past. We wanted to pay him the fare for driving us from Nicosia to Kyrenia but he just shrugged and said pay me tomorrow when we tour about. Total trust as we could easily have just disappeared to another hotel and not paid him at all. We had a similar positive trust experience at a restaurant that night and we soon learned that a man's word really meant something here.

Robin and Fran Hauling their Suitcase across the Green Line---Nicosia, Cyprus

In Kyrenia we stayed at the Dome Hotel, the most famous and perhaps oldest hotel in the city but beautifully refurbished. Fran had found the hotel online and it was great with small balconies overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and a massive swimming pool. Once we got settled in after some reservation mix ups, Robin and I went for a swim in the Mediterranean. Robin set off on one of his long distance swims and disappeared for a while...I thought he had swum halfway to the Turkish mainland and back! The water was wonderful.

Somewhere along the way we had our afternoon Keo beer and then around dusk we headed out to explore the beautiful port with its massive 12th century Kyrenian castle on one side and a large breakwater in the middle, all cosseting a horseshoe-shaped harbour lined with dozens of seafood restaurants. We chose the Set Fish restaurant which came highly recommended and it turned out to be very nice. Sitting one floor above the harbour road outside in the warm breezes, we seemed to make two bottles of wine disappear very quickly.

The next morning Robin and I had another swim and then we headed out with Mustapha to explore the hillside village of Bellapais. It was a steep vertical road paved in cobblestones leading to a small abbey and a little outdoor café where we had a cold beer and Mustapha played backgammon with some locals.

Robin and Fran in Front of the Kyrenian Castle---Kyrenia, Cyprus

Fresh Fish Selection for Dinner---Kyrenia, Cyprus

Prior to the beer we climbed the steep streets up to the home of the author Lawrence Durrell who lived there in the early 1950s where he observed the scene as political turmoil started to unfold. He wrote the definitive book on Cyprus of that time..."Bitter Lemons"...and it was nice to see all the scenes that he had so vividly described, including the Tree of Idleness which dominated the town square.

Mike at the Tree of Idleness---Bellapais, Cyprus

From here we drove straight up the very steep winding roads to St. Hilarion Castle, dating back to the 12th century but with some civilization thee in the 7th and 8th centuries. These castle ruins blend in amazingly with the natural rock formations and offer a magnificent view of the entire town of Kyrenia and surrounding areas below. We climbed part way up to the castle but after about 300 or more steps I quit and rejoined robin and Fran a few dozen steps below.

From the castle we drove for about 1 ½ hours to the Troodos Mountains (hills actually) in the centre of Greek Cyprus with their very lush green woods and cooler temperatures. At the very top of these hills in winter there actually is skiing at about 2000 metres. We arrived at the village of Kakopetria, population of 1200, and a most picturesque Greek hillside village where we stayed at The Mill, a Swiss-like luxurious

bed and breakfast with great views from its perch above the village. We could our room balconies and have our late afternoon cocktail gazing at the wonderful hillside scenery

St. Hilarion Castle near Bellapais, Cyprus

in front of us dotted with houses. The little hotel had a well-known restaurant specializing in grilled trout and it certainly didn't disappoint.

This morning, after relaxing on our balconies in the hot sun, we got a taxi to drive us all the way down to the south-west coast of Cyrus to Lemoses where we found the first real crowd of English-speakers in a more Cancun-like environment. We had a slight hiccup with our reservations but got that sorted out and then under Robin's leadership we caught a local bus down to the old city where we wandered around and sat in at an outdoor café enjoying the scene. We have just had a light supper at a local sports bar and are putting the finishing touches on another wonderful day. Tomorrow we are heading back to Larnaca on the south-east coast where we started out last Tuesday. From there we will head to Jordan. So far our general impression has been the Turkish Cypriots are a bit more laid back, relaxed and easy-going than the Greek Cypriots but whatever the case both sides of the green line are rich in culture, history and natural beauty along with the delightful people.

Robin and Fran in Kakopetria

Fresh Preserves---Kakopetria, Cyprus

Dinner in Larnaca

Mike Drinking a Toast to Cyprus---Larnaca, Cyprus

CHAPTER TWO---JORDAN

Amman, Jordan---October 13, 2009

We left Lemesos (Limasol), Cyprus and were driven the 75 kilometres back to Larnaca along one of the several very efficient four lane highways and were delighted to return to our same hotel where they greeted us warmly and presented us with a nice souvenir gift.

We had some more wonderful swims and I stayed on the beach while Robin scouted a few tavernas and bars across from the hotel for a good authentic place for dinner. He made a new friend of the owner of one of the places and had a beer and was shown with pride the outdoor large clay cooking oven. After a rum and coke on the balcony overlooking the Mediterranean Sea we headed across the street to Robin's chosen restaurant which turned out to be exactly what the three of us wanted with delicious authentic Greek Cypriot food, including moussaka, which I really enjoyed. We downed a couple of pitchers of cold white wine and finally were ready to pay the bill when the owner came over to offer us each a free glass of wine which we couldn't refuse. We stumbled back across the road to our hotel well fed and watered.

All three of us are rather stumblebums, not the least of which is me, and, as we traversed the narrow stairways in towns, cities and in the hills and villages and castles and ruins as well as walking on the cobblestone streets and the irregular pavement, we have developed a system whereby we say out loud to each other as we walk along—watch the step...step, step...watch the step...step, step. The locals just look at us and probably think crazy tourists but the system is working pretty well so far. Thus far on our trip we have not come across any other North Americans...quite a few Europeans, including eastern Europeans but not Americans or Canadians, apart from those at the hotel in Lemoses, Cyprus.

Yesterday we thought about going to Famagusta on the far south-east of Cyprus, back on the Turkish side but in the end we decided not to and instead spent a relaxing day on or near the beach, reading, sunning and swimming. We had an early bite to eat at the hotel's outdoor café...cold beer or a coke, fries and toasted sandwiches which all hit the spot. We then got a taxi out to the airport to catch our one hour flight to Amman, Jordan, where we arrived about 8:45 p.m.

Amman, Jordan---October 13, 2009

Our flight to Amman was in a nice new Embraer jet with only a handful of passengers on board. The Amman airport was very quiet and we got through passport control and customs very quickly and smoothly. We were supposed to have had a driver meet us but we couldn't find him or he wasn't there so we got a taxi to our hotel. We had a very nice young driver...who was one of only about 1.5 percent of the Jordanian population who is Christian as it turns out. He took us to our modern hotel and we arranged for him to give us a tour of the city the following morning.

In the morning our taxi driver arrived on schedule and he took us for a good tour of the city for the next 3 1/2 hours. This is a city of three million people clearly in the midst of a dramatic transformation. There is construction everywhere with modern classy hotels, condos, apartments, offices and other facilities going up almost wherever you look. We saw the construction site of a new American University which was massive, covering several city blocks with dozens of university buildings. There are three distinct parts to the city...the ultra-modern and its associated wealthy residential district, the middle level where hotels such as ours are located but somewhat isolated from shops and the more traditional and poorer parts where the market is located and the neighbouring areas where primarily the Palestinian refugees live...Jordan is comprised primarily of Palestinians. I don't think I have seen a

City with such a contrast among its different sections n terms of traditional, historic and modern.

We saw some wonderful Roman ruins, an amphitheatre, small museums and a castle all being lovingly restored by archaeologists. We stopped at our driver's Baptist church where he kindly invited us in for a cup of coffee. The people in Jordan are extremely warm and friendly and very polite and honest. The city was clean, noisy and crowded with cars. We wandered through the traditional and very colourful market taking in the varied smells, noises and people. On returning to the hotel we then went for a long walk and eventually picked out an authentic Jordanian-type restaurant where we planned to have dinner that night. The weather was hot and sunny and really quite pleasant.

Amman, Jordan

Amman, Jordan

Jordanian Pastries---Amman, Jordan

Robin and Fran at Roman Ruins near Amman, Jordan

Jordan Museum of Popular Traditions near Amman, Jordan

Amphitheater, Roman Ruins Near Amman, Jordan

Village near Jerash, Jordan

Amman, Jordan---October 14, 2009

That first night we stumbled along the irregular paving and braved the many street crossings to reach our Jordanian restaurant/buffet, where we enjoyed roast chicken on rice and a delicious soup. Crossing streets in Amman is really taking your life in your hands...shades of Cairo. In many instances you have to cross streets with traffic all coming together at you at the same time in a roundabout from as many as five directions and having to cope with it all at the same time. The only successful approach is to attach oneself to a local and then follow him or her across the street almost shadowing the person or holding on to their shoulder. You have to just step out, look confident and keep moving.

The following day our taxi driver/guide, Ramez, picked us up at the hotel for another fascinating day of exploration. We drove about an hour and a half north of Amman on excellent roads through rolling brown hills dotted with olive trees and light beige coloured buildings to reach the city of Jerash which has one of the most wonderful ancient ruins any of us had ever seen. These Roman ruins dated back to as early as 139 AD and a visit at that time by Emperor Hadrian. The ruins are vast, varied and quite stunning. Set both on flat and hilly lands, there is a perfect circular plaza...shades of St. Peter's Square in Rome, a wonderful amphitheatre, many beautiful Corinthian columns and lengthy well preserved roads in which one could clearly see the ruts from the chariots that passed down them. They apparently also had a highly sophisticated water and sewage system. We wandered the ruins under the blazing sun for almost two hours.

From there we drove another forty minutes or so north to within a few kilometres of the Syrian border. First we visited a small archaeological dig in the town of Rihab where for the past ten years a few workers have been slowly uncovering the ruins of a Christian church on top of which are beautiful mosaics that are slowly coming back to life under the heavy sands of time. We actually saw the before and after which the archaeologists uncovered for us. The church itself is underground in caves which are slowly being explored. It is a Christian church site and the believers had to worship underground. It is also believed by some to be the first known Christian church in the world. None of the site is open to the public and is little known (although there is some information to be found by googling Rihab, Jordan). We were privileged to see it because our guide was a Christian and was from that general area and was connected with the tiny Christian community and thus was able to get the people to unlock the gates to the site and show us around. It was simply one of those serendipitous occasions in life that luck puts you in contact with the right people at the right time.

We then drove on a further 15 kilometres to Mafraq the home city of our driver. He was extremely friendly and welcoming. He took us around to his father's barber shop so he good say hello to him and I went in and shook hands with him...a very nice man who spoke some English. All of the family were Christians in a Muslim city but they seemed to own many shops in the city. We then drove to Ramez's family home and he invited us in for half an hour to have a soft drink and we met his younger brother and a friend of his who was from the city but visiting from Saudi Arabia where he worked. We had hoped to meet Ramez's mother, who he said was blonde and beautiful, but she was out at the time. It was all really quite extraordinary but typical of Jordanians' reputation for being incredibly warm and hospitable

We then returned to Amman in mid-afternoon to savour the day's activities. We reviewed the remainder of our plans while in Jordan with Ramez and he had arranged for our transportation the following day to Petra and a day later on to Wadi Rhum in the desert and on to Aqaba in the south of Jordan on the Gulf of Aqaba which leads into the Red Sea. The next two days...my last two traveling with my brother and sister in law...promised to be really exciting.

Tel Aviv, Israel---October 17, 2009

The last two days in Jordan were tiring but exhilarating. Our driver Ramez picked us up early Thursday morning and we traveled the Desert Highway south towards Petra with a detour to Kerak, an old crusaders' castle where the miscreants were tossed over the side to the ground far below. We then took a longer winding route along the King's Highway through an incredibly barren, beige, rocky and sandy landscape for about 45 minutes to eventually hook up again with the Desert Highway. The topography from here south can only be described as what one envisages the moon's surface to be like, although in winter they do get snow and the entire landscape is transformed.

.

Mike at Ramez' Family Home with His Brother (right) and Friend (Left) ---Mafraq, Jordan

Robin Surveying Vast Desert off the King's Highway, Jordan

Robin, Fran, Ramez and Archeologists near Site of Arguably the First Christian Church---Rihab, Jordan

Young School Boys---Rihab, Jordan

Through these barren rugged hills we eventually came to Petra and the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We had a great hotel location abutting the site of the ruins. After dropping us off, and before heading back to Amman, Ramez kindly was able to get us tickets for "Petra at Night". After a light dinner...soup is great but the meat courses tend to be rather dry...we joined about 500 other visitors and slowly entered the Petra site after dark and walked about four or five abreast down the cobblestone ancient second century roadway. We walked for at least two kilometres gradually descending in the dark with the roadway only marked by hundreds of candles in paper bag shades on either side of the roadway. We all were asked to maintain silence which was only shattered by one dog with a persistent bark!

On either side of us huge monolithic rock structures rose up to the stars creating an eerie ethereal feeling. On we walked until at last we reached the treasury building which is the iconic symbol of Petra. There we all sat down on rugs staring at the building carved out of the stone and lit by hundreds of candles on the ground. We were treated to a couple of folk songs and some beautiful haunting flute solos along with some words of optimism, spirituality and doing the best for one's inner self. When the brief entertainment was finished we were each passed a small cup of teaming sweet tea to replenish us for the very long uphill walk under the dark sky back to the entrance and our hotel, mercifully only a few hundred yards from the entrance.

The next day we made the wise decision, given the oppressive heat deep in the ruins, to get up at 6:30 in the morning and we were amongst the very first to enter the site in daylight...a great decision. We spent over three hours slowly walking about 3-4 kilometres down the long winding roadway of the site. We didn't see nearly all of the site as it is recommended that a couple of days at least should be set aside for viewing Petra but we certainly saw enough to get a good feel for this special place. As we walked on, Bedouin men, women and children would slowly emerge onto the site from the distant hills in all directions. These were the guides and trinket salespeople. Many young boys brought their donkeys or horses and the older ones had camels all of which one could rent to transport you to the far ends of this ancient place. If one were to make a second visit the hiring of some four legged beast to at least transport you one way is a definite must. One can even rent a two person plus driver mini-chariot drawn by a horse which careens down the rutted cobblestones at breakneck speed ...quite a site.

Petra is an amazing wonder which incredibly combines both man and nature in a magnificent harmony of shapes. Buildings are carved right into the multi-coloured rocks and the long winding road has smooth, large cobblestones well-worn over the almost twenty centuries, together with a very sophisticated water/irrigation system built into the rocks. It is really a spiritual experience in many ways but the climb back up is a long slow exhausting 3-4 kilometres and we did it around 9:30 or so in the morning and bumped into numerous groups of tourists descending into the site...we felt incredibly smug as we knew that if we felt the heat and fatigue at this time these newcomers would be completely drained by the time they returned under the midday sun.

The Treasury Building---Petra, Jordan

Petra, Jordan

Robin and Two Bedouin Boys---Petra, Jordan

Young Souvenir Sellers---Petra, Jordan

Bedouins--Petra, Jordan

Petra, Jordan

We then relaxed for an hour or so before having to give up our hotel rooms. We had a bite to eat and bought some local handicrafts and by 3:00 p.m. our new driver, who would take us to Wadi Rhum and our desert experience and on to Aqaba, arrived as promised. Mohammed was a delightful father of ten who was charming and like all the other Jordanians we had met absolutely a class act. We had arranged with Ramez in Amman for someone to take us further south and reluctantly had paid in advance (normally a no-no for any traveler) and we were not in any way let down. Mohammed took us further south along the King's Highway where we reached the peak of the mountains and could see through the sand and haze extraordinary vistas which neither camera nor words can fully describe.

We reached Wadi (river) Rhum about 4:30 p.m. and after freshening up at a local campsite where visitors can stay overnight in nice tents with excellent bathroom facilities and stare at the stars, we were met by our Jeep (Suzuki) driver (a young local Bedouin). While we were waiting, our Amman guide, Ramez, called Mohammed from Amman on his cell phone (yes cell phones are everywhere, even in the desert), just to make sure that we were all right and that Mohammed was treating us well...a wonderful courtesy to be sure.

Fran, Robin and Mike in the Desert near Wadi Rhum, Jordan

Robin Holding up the Universe near Wadi Rhum, Jordan

Our young Bedouin driver then drove us (we sat in the back bed of his vehicle outside) for an hour or so all over the empty desert, which is extraordinarily beautiful, mysterious and silent. There are about seven different colours of sand, (we saw most of them) which were set off by incredibly craggy rocky hills that just leapt out of the sand. We were alone with just the three of us and our driver with nothing but desert and rock surrounding us for 360 degrees...a wonderful experience.

We then joined up seemingly in the middle of nowhere (they must have a GPS in their vehicles or more likely know the desert like the back of their hands) with another vehicle driven by our driver's older brother and there they made a little fire in the desert from some dry greenish brush and we had a cup of hot sweet tea and watched the sun set at 6:00 p.m....an unforgettable and magical experience!

Mohammed then drove us the last 50 kilometres to the port city of Aqaba where we spent our last night together before I headed off the next morning for Israel and my brother and sister-in-law stayed on one more day before returning to Amman.. It is quite extraordinary that one could so readily drive from the city of Aqaba (a duty free port city) to Israel and the Port of Eilat in about five minutes and, in about nineteen minutes, to Saudi Arabia.

Our Bedouin Desert Jeep Driver near Wadi Rhum, Jordan

We settled into our hotel in the late evening and found a nice place in the hotel on an outdoor patio where we had shawarmas, fish, beer and coca cola between the three of us. We then tumbled into bed totally exhausted.

Our week in Jordan has been nothing but positive...the people, the scenery, the experiences! I have visited dozens of countries and arguably the Jordanians are the most generous, warm, polite, trustworthy, respectful, caring people I have met. They have a wonderful sense of humour, revere the late King Hussein and his son, Abdullah, the current king, and from our limited exposure seem to be open and friendly to Israel and, indeed, to be open to all religions be they Muslim, Christian or Jewish. Our week In Jordan was a truly memorable and satisfying experience.

Robin Walking Off into the Vast Desert near Wadi Rhum, Jordan

Dutch Boy Playing in the Desert Sands at Sunset near Wadi Rhum, Jordan

Desert Sunset near Wadi Rhum, Jordan

Desert Sunset near Wadi Rhum, Jordan
CHAPTER THREE---AFRICAN SAFARI---KENYA-TANZANIA

Nairobi, Kenya---September 28, 2013

After just two days in Kenya I am incredibly impressed with the intelligence, warmth, dignity and kindness of all the Kenyans I have met working in the hotel or driving me everywhere. I just read their very excellent Saturday newspaper which is still full of stories and pictures of the terrorist attack. There is great pride in the response of everyday Kenyans and their determination to be firm and strong.

For my first morning in Nairobi I went to the Baby Elephant Orphanage for the 11:00 a.m. feeding...great fun. First, a half dozen babies of just a few days old came romping out of the grassy fields and into a circle to feed on their very large milk bottles. Then in groups of 6 to 12, older babies came and then the three year olds came charging in. In all we must have had about 17 young elephants in the feeding area at one time and well over 30 different elephants in total...all within touching range. It takes up to ten years before an orphaned elephant is ready to return to the wild.

Baby Elephant Feeding, Nairobi, Kenya

Equally interesting to me was when at different times two groups of school children came in to see the feeding...beautiful little children in immaculately clean crisp uniforms. One little fellow about 3 or 4 years old was a little timid and had backed away from the ring and into my legs. I put my hand on his shoulder and calmed him down and he hung on for a few minutes before going back for a closer look. What a nice morning.

Mike and School Boy at Baby Elephant Orphanage, Nairobi, Kenya

On our way out a lady in full military regalia, including an AK47 or some such weapon, stopped our car and hopped in...fortunately she was only hitching a ride to the exit gate. Just after we left the orphanage we were pulled over by some slightly unsavoury characters, ordered to stop the car and one of them reached in and took out the radio which just snaps into a connection on the dashboard. It turned out they were policing music/radio license stickers, something that had been instituted quite recently. The owners of my driver's car either didn't have a license or had not put it on display. My driver got on his cell phone with headquarters trying to arrange the payment of 3500 Kenyan shillings or about $40.

There we were in the countryside on the side of the road with a few other cars that had been pulled over trying to arrange the payment and then the cell phone battery started to die. That's when I broke my silence and asked the driver to ask the guy if they would accept cash. Eureka! My driver had 2000 Kenyan shillings and I had 1500 Kenyan shillings. After some more back and forth and officialdom they took the money, gave us a sticker and returned the radio. Some forty minutes after it had all begun we were on our way back to the hotel where I was repaid my 1500 Kenyan shillings.

After the interesting morning I took a break and relaxed by the pool in the afternoon and treated myself to a scotch before dinner.

The next morning I had a 5:30 a.m. wake up call for a 6:30 a.m. pick up to take me to the Nairobi National Park, a vast natural wild grassy region just outside the city where I was driven around for over three hours in a mini-safari with my excellent driver and guide Isaac. This is a natural habitat for most of the wild species found in Kenya and I got to see giraffes, water buffalo, rhinos, zebras, gazelles and many others including the head of a lion lying in the tall grass in the distance. The safari roads are every bit as rugged and almost impassable as all the guidebooks say they are. I thought the countryside of grasses and shallow valleys and watering holes was really beautiful. I now have a pretty good sense of what our safari adventure will be like.

Two Sides of a Zebra, Nairobi National Park, Nairobi, Kenya

I got back to the hotel in the late morning and my very delightful concierge/travel advisor quickly arranged a walking tour of the city with the driver that picked me up at the airport. I spent well over two hours in the warm sunshine starting shortly after noon walking everywhere in downtown Nairobi. I saw all the government buildings, the banks, hotels, regular shopping streets, craft markets and fish and poultry markets, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I picked up some souvenirs for which I bargained heroically but no doubt I still paid several times more than I probably should have.

I returned to the hotel mid-afternoon and rewarded myself with a cold beer in the lobby bar and now will relax for the rest of the day, looking forward to noon tomorrow when Robin and Fran and friends arrive in Nairobi to join me.

Peeling Shrimp in the Nairobi Market, Nairobi, Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya---September 29, 2013

As scheduled Robin and Fran and Robin's colleague, Tony and wife Mary Ann arrived shortly after noon on Sunday from Rwanda (unfortunately their pre-arranged airport to hotel transfer did not arrive creating a bad taste in their mouths just at the start of the tour, although subsequently we have received profuse apologies from all concerned) and a few hours later our friend, Lindsay, arrived from London, England, immediately after which we retired to the hotel bar for a get-acquainted/renew acquaintances glass of wine. I was very glad to have some company in the hotel which up to that point had been very empty.

Robin and Fran at the Bomas Cultural Centre, Nairobi, Kenya

Bomas Cultural Centre, Nairobi, Kenya

The next day we all met up at the Bomas cultural centre which proved to be very interesting with its re-creation of ancient tribal villages showing the huts where the husband and first and second wives lived...they could have at least five wives. We then were treated to live music and dance performances which were most enjoyable. The only unfortunate aspect of the afternoon was that the audience comprised only about a dozen people in a venue that could seat almost 1000 people. During the performance two of the smiling attractive young ladies hauled Robin and me onto the stage to dance with them. We did our best but received no offers to join their troop. When they sing the harmonies that they create are absolutely breathtaking.

That evening four of us went out to dinner at the famous Carnivore restaurant where they carve a variety of open fire-roasted meats, including ostrich and crocodile, on a long chrome spit, with a large sharp knife right at your table...similar to the experience in Argentina. They have a small flag at your table which you take down as a sign of surrender when you are satiated. It was a nice experience but one will have had one's fill of meat for some time to come. In the worst traffic congestion I have ever experienced it took us 1 ½ hours to drive there and only ten minutes to drive back just a couple of hours or so later.

The next day we were picked up at our hotel by our safari tour group and driven to our hotel ...a luxurious Nairobi resort... from where we start the safari and where we had a late lunch and relaxed by the huge pool.

African Safari---October 2, 2013---Day One (Nairobi-Amboseli)

Our safari began with a 240 km. drive from Nairobi to our lodge in the Amboseli National Park on a very good paved highway but the last 35 km. were on a rutty dusty gravel road with picturesque scenery aplenty. This is the Masai tribal territory, with the Masai noted for being nomadic herders and warriors as well as for their tall height and regal bearing. Throughout the drive we would see young boys aged about eight to fourteen out tending their goat or cattle herds. They dress in their traditional tribal clothes, which are very colourful but in some cases little more than rags and sandals or shoes full of holes, and they seem to carry on a very traditional lifestyle and some still live in small villages in very basic thatched roofed circular huts.

The closer we got to the National Park the more wildlife we could see on the horizon. However, just inside the National Park, about ten km. or so from the lodge, our 4x4 Toyota game tracker safari vehicle had a flat tire. Our driver/guide Mike used considerable ingenuity and after about thirty-five minutes he managed to change the tire successfully. In the meantime, we all got out of the vehicle on the dusty road with the flat golden savannah plains on either side of the road and elephants, gazelle and zebras grazing in the distance. One is never to leave the vehicle when on safari but we had no choice...an exhilarating experience and fortunately no curious wildlife approached us.

We reached our beautiful lodge where we were greeted by several frisky blue monkeys and then we had a quick cool swim in the pool to refresh ourselves before heading out for a two hour game drive in the National Park. What an enriching experience it proved to be...even our guide was excited at the number and variety of wildlife we saw in the magnificent natural surroundings.

Elephant in Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Duelling Elephants and Baby, Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Elephant at Sunset in Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Lion Family in Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Zebra in Traditional Side By Side Stance in Amboseli National Park, Kenya

We saw numerous huge male elephants with shiny white tusks about three feet long, some baby elephants and females and in total we encountered probably more than thirty elephants. We saw surprisingly close up a pride of beautiful lions...two males, two females and a cub...just being their usual lazy selves sleeping on the barren ground near a couple of massive elephants. We saw hundreds of zebras, various kinds of gazelles, ostriches, wildebeests and warthogs, most extremely close up.

Just before heading back to the lodge the last puff of cloud over the snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro lifted and we were able to catch a glimpse of the top of Africa's highest mountain. The scene was quite magical as the sun was slowly setting bathing the hills in the distance with a soft mauve colour and in the foreground the last rays of sun were shining on the vast golden plains.

The Savannah in Amboseli National Park, Kenya

African Safari---October 3, 2013---Day Two (Amboseli-Namanga-Arusha-Ngorongoro)

We headed out very early on a washboard rutted dry dusty road for nearly two hours, passing through several towns and villages, all of which were really bustling. Compared to our standards they were quite ramshackle buildings and poor but the people seemed happy, smiling, very friendly, well dressed, clean and very busy getting on with life. On the way we made a rest stop at one of the many very interesting craft shops. I bought a wood carving and had a great time negotiating with the boss man...we both were smiling and laughing in the end and I gave him a ball point pen that he requested and also a maple leaf flag pin which I give out frequently along the way. Along the way we passed one Masai family village where the husband lived with many of his fifty-seven wives.

We eventually reached the Kenya-Tanzania border and entered no-man's land where we changed vehicles and drivers/guides. We said goodbye to Mike for a few days and were warmly welcome by Raymond our Tanzanian driver/guide. He proved to be another warm friendly guide with a huge smile, so to be so typical of this region.

We headed out on a very long drive to the bustling city of Arusha where we stopped for lunch in a wonderful old colonial era hotel. Arusha is the exact mid-point between Cape Town, South Africa and Cairo, Egypt. This proved to be a very long tiring drive but fortunately most of it was on a good paved highway, which was still under construction in parts. This was a real blessing as the unpaved roads and the roads on the game drives can be quite brutal. After several hours we did a long slow climb, accompanied on occasion by playful baboons, up to a vast plateau. The scenery was quite magnificent with golden plains surrounded by gently rolling hills but with little wildlife to be seen in this area.

On the Road from Amboseli to Arusha, Tanzania

On the Road from Amboseli to Arusha, Tanzania

Little Boy Comparing Cycles on the Road from Amboseli to Arusha, Tanzania

Colourfully Dressed Lady on the Road from Amboseli to Arusha, Tanzania

Our destination was the Ngorongoro Farmhouse, described as "a small and exclusive lodge facing the Oldeani Volcano, only 5 km. from the Ngorongoro Lolduare gate, built to offer guests an original experience reminiscent of the atmosphere of the old days". In this respect it certainly did not fail. It is characterized by magnificent floral gardens, a flourishing coffee plantation, wonderful vistas, and a charm that quickly takes you back to the colonial era. We were greeted by a very large stork strutting on the perfectly manicured green lawn.

The rooms are in cabins spread out over a lengthy walkway of about 400 metres or more, along which you walk to get to your room and at night it is lit by pathway lights as you walk in total silence and darkness, with your flashlight, save for the chirping sounds of the jungle. The rooms are large...I somehow ended up with a gargantuan suite...with a beautiful view, a patio, a huge bed with mosquito netting embracing it and numerous strange sounds all about me of creatures I couldn't identify. One really has the sense of being in deepest darkest Africa yet with all the luxuries one could ever wish for. Each day brings its own set of new experiences, which are a feast to the imagination.

Masai Tribesmen---Arusha, Tanzania

Welcoming Stork at Ngorongoro Farmhouse---Ngorongoro, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Farmhouse---Ngorongoro, Tanzania

Our Safari Tour Group in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

African Safari---October 4, 2013---Day Three (Ngorongoro)

We headed out to the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. The crater is about 20 km. wide, 2000 feet deep and covers about 300 square km. The rim of the crater is at an altitude of about 7500 feet so it is a long slow bumpy, dusty climb up to the rim and then down to the crater floor. We drove up in a very heavy fog but as we slowly descended to the floor of the crater the fog lifted and it turned out to be a beautiful morning. The crater comprises vast plains of grass, a long narrow salt lake, a forest area and natural spring watering holes.

Ngorongoro Crater Floor, Ngorongoro National Park, Tanzania

Throughout the day the colours all around us changed from a vast array of green tones, to yellowish golden beige colours and then to tan, brown and mauve shades on the crater walls surrounding the immense crater floor. The entire crater is the habitat for a huge variety of wild animals of which we saw many. While we were parked at one of the stopping areas a cheeky young baboon jumped in the front window of the vehicle beside us, where a lady was dozing in the front seat, and scampered out with a bag of potato chips!

Lion in Ngorongoro National Park, Tanzania

Zebras in Ngorongoro National Park, Tanzania

Wildebeest in Ngorongoro National Park, Tanzania

Thompson Gazelle in Ngorongoro National Park, Tanzania

Male Ostrich in Ngorongoro National Park, Tanzania

Family of Baboons in Ngorongoro National Park, Tanzania

African Safari---October 4, 2013---Day Three (Ngorongoro)

The animals seem to live in harmony although we did see in the distance two male lions eating a recent kill, likely a zebra or buffalo. Overhead various scavenger birds were circling while on the ground several hyenas were quickly racing towards the kill waiting to finish off whatever pickings the lions were going to leave. We saw three rhinoceros but only in the distance...there are seventeen rhinos in the massive crater plain today up from just four a few years ago. We also saw hippos, ostriches, a mongoose, many zebras, several more lions, a few elephants, hundreds of flamingos and wildebeests, numerous warthogs and two varieties of gazelles and a couple of jackals. It was another long, tiring but very exhilarating day.

Lone Masai Herdsmen on the Road in the Ngorongoro National Park, Tanzania

African Safari---October 5, 2013---Day Four (Ngorongoro-Serengeti)

This day was our longest and most tiring driving day as we set out at 7:30 a.m. and didn't reach our destination until about 5:45 p.m. The first part of the drive was the long climb back up to the rim of the crater, again in the dense fog, and then along the rim of the crater and finally descending on the other side heading towards the Serengeti. The first part of the drive was on winding dusty rutty roads followed by several hours on very straight, extremely dusty, rutted rocky gravel roads, which one gets used to but nonetheless they are quite wearing. Another part of the drive was off track along narrow bumpy dirt roads which were a little easier to take than the rutty gravel roads.

Two things that one quickly learns on safari are that you need a good cushion for your seat and you need a very strong and disciplined bladder. Restrooms of any description are very few and far between...one often may have to travel up to four hours or more without a restroom stop. If, however, one simply cannot make it to the next restroom one tells the driver that one wants to "check the tire, which means that behind the rear tires on the 4x4 tracker vehicle becomes the emergency restroom and it is a quick pit stop because the wild animals will pick up your scent in no time and you don't want to be caught with your pants down should that occur.

The Road Traveled Through the Ngorongoro National Park, Tanzania

The famous Serengeti is a vast National Park in Tanzania covering 5700 sq. mi. or 14,763 sq. km. and is the site of the massive migration each year of over three million wildebeests and hundreds of thousands of gazelles and zebras. We were incredibly fortunate to witness the tail end of the wildebeests' migration where we saw probably thousands of animals on both sides of the road in pairs or several abreast slowly walking like a disciplined troop of soldiers off to battle or returning to their barracks. It was truly an amazing site.

Robin and Mike with the Serengeti National Park in the Background, Tanzania

The Great Wildebeest Migration, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The Great Wildebeest Migration, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

African Safari---October 5, 2013---Day Four (Ngorongoro-Serengeti)

As we descended to the Serengeti it looked like a vast desert plain of nothing but sand but on reaching the bottom of the surrounding hills the plain became a sea of dry coloured grasses. We drove straight across the barren land absolutely in the middle of nowhere and seeing very little wildlife and only rarely the occasional vehicle. However, during the late morning we checked out a few areas with just a handful of trees and in some cases a small watering hole and on three occasions we found a small grouping of lions cooling off asleep under the trees...in many cases less than twenty feet away from our vehicle. One never tires of discovering the lions and in this regard we have been very fortunate.

In the afternoon we went off track onto the softer red dirt tracks and into greener vegetation where the wildlife was plentiful and varied. One has to resist the temptation, upon spotting some wildlife, of saying with a yawn that it's just another zebra...or giraffe...or elephant...or gazelle! With our fabulous driver/guide, Raymond, we had two sightings from a distance of the beautiful leopard lying stretched out on a tree branch. These animals are difficult to spot as they blend in perfectly with the tree branch and were over one hundred feet away. We have now seen the famous Big Five animals...the Rhinoceros, the Buffalo, the Elephant, the Lion and the Leopard. We also saw several good sightings of hippopotamus.

Family of Lions in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

An Exhausted Lion in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Giraffe in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

After a further two hour drive in the Serengeti and a climb up an almost impossible road, across a dry rocky riverbed we reached our accommodation, the Mbalageti Camp, described as "luxury tented chalets on the slopes of the rising Mwamweni hill" with magnificent views overlooking the Serengeti. We settled in with a shower, a welcome beverage and dinner, once again very excited by the day's activities yet relieved that the toughest day of the safari was behind us.

African Safari---October 6, 2013---Day Five (Serengeti)

We awoke in our chalets to the breaking dawn and the never ending chirping of birds and the rustling of something in the surrounding grasses. I also woke up with a touch of the Tanzanian two-step and, with the likelihood on no restrooms for the entire game drive of several hours. I decided that it would be prudent to miss the morning game drive. We had decided the previous night that we would limit ourselves to a half day game drive in any case. The others went out and had a wonderful morning, including spotting the first crocodiles and more lions, including cubs, very close up.

I took it easy in my room and had an early visit from a baboon that came by my chalet to check me out. The camp is owned by Tanzanians and was built with all natural materials some seven years ago in the style, material and feel of the old colonial days and this theme has succeeded marvellously well. The inside ceiling is made of canvas while the outside is of thick straw and in some cases sheet metal over that. The entire half of the room is comprised of screened windows with plenty of fresh air...very comfortable.

My Chalet at the Mbalageti Camp in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The chalet is managed by a South African lady with help from a young Malawian born South African man. The chalets are spread out over a large grassy hilly plateau with walking to the restaurant or the welcome centre or other chalets a major outing. In the daytime you can manage on your own...probably a couple of hundred yards from my chalet to the restaurant along a dirt pathway...but at night time it is very dark and you must have a Masai tribesman escort you everywhere outside...it is dark and there can be wildlife around and it is not so easy to find your way to your own chalet. Day or night one is not to engage in any kind of social interaction with the baboons!

Generators provide the power source but there is no electricity from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 11:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Flashlights are provided, the beds and bathrooms are luxurious, there is plenty of hot water and a table fan is provided. There is also a swimming pool which overlooks the Serengeti. I can see how one could adapt to this environment for a limited period of time, although it is very isolated with the nearest shop being about a four hour drive away over a rutted gravel road. Also of interest is that there is plenty of evidence of volcanic activity with volcanic rocks scattered everywhere, harking back to the origins of this part of the world...the genuine African experience I would say.

African Safari---October 7, 2013---Day Six (Serengeti to Masai Mara)

We headed back into Kenya but not before we had the opportunity the night before to experience a magnificent, iconic African sunset overlooking the Serengeti. Unfortunately, it was one of the few times I didn't have my camera with me. On day six of our safari we started out with a short game drive and saw numerous hippos and a very large crocodile with mouth wide open. There also appeared to be a recently deceased hippo just in the water at the shoreline of the watering hole. Gathered around it in a semi-circle in the water were about ten hippos apparently in mourning.

Hippopotami and Crocodile in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Our plan was to fly from Tanzania into Kenya's Masai Mara National Park, which is about 1100 sq. km. Our journey involved two planes and three short flights from Grumeti to Tarine at the Kenya/Tanzania border, where we were met at the airport driven to the border crossing and went through Tanzanian passport control, drove a hundred yards or so and then went through Kenyan passport control. We then drove for a short while to reach our next airport strip in Migori and flew to Mara Kichwa-Tembo in the Masai Mara. Our flights were on twelve seater Cessna aircraft with landings were on gravel, grass and hard dirt...the flights and landings were very smooth and we got an excellent view of both the Serengeti and the Masai Mara...East Africa's two great national parks.

Robin and the Pilot of the Plane that flew us from Tanzania to Kenya, Tanzania

Kenya-Tanzania Border Crossing---Sirari, Tanzania

Aerial View En Route to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

At our final landing strip we were met by Mike, our guide from our first days in Kenya, so it was nice being met by a familiar face. He then took us on a late afternoon game drive shortly after we had checked into our lodge for the night. This was another awesome drive as we saw cheetahs for the first time...three of them with rather bloody faces devouring a very recent kill. We also saw several more lions including one enjoying his night's very fresh raw kill.

Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Our accommodation is the Kensington Mara West which sits on a high bluff overlooking the vast plains of the Masai Mara Game Reserve. This is where much of the Out of Africa original movie was filmed. Our rooms are chalets spread out over the property with unbelievable views with splendid sunrises. The chalets are large with two huge beds, some chairs, a large bathroom and an outdoor balcony. The electricity, as in the previous tent camp, is available only at certain hours. You cannot leave your chalet before 6:30 a.m. and after about 9:30 p.m. After 7:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. you get a Masai tribesman to escort you to your chalet or to the restaurant. It gets very dark and during the night the elephants, zebras and at certain times of the year lions prowl on the property near the chalet, hence the need to heed the above outdoor access restrictions.

I also have had visits in the afternoon in the grasses around my chalet from a large herd of cattle and a goat which came for a visit. The rooms themselves are bright and you can lie on your bed and see the Masai Mara in front of you as far as the eye can see. It is quite cool in the morning and about 5:30 a.m. one of the Masai tribesmen lights a wood fir in an outdoor firebox with chimney. This heats the water so by the time you get up you can have a very hot shower. The same thing is done in the evening should you want a nighttime shower. I enjoy just sitting on the balcony as I am doing right now and just staring out at the vast misty beige, brown, green, gold plains as far as the eye can see with the soft breeze blowing through the trees and the occasional cow bell ringing in the distance.

Kensington Mara West, Masai Mara Game Reserve My Room at the Kensington Mara West, Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

African Safari---October 8, 2013---Day Seven (Masai Mara)

This was a full nine hour day of driving in the Masai Mara. We left at 7:30 a.m. with a box lunch and didn't return until 4:30 p.m. exhausted but once again overwhelmed by the wildlife we saw. We again saw three cheetahs sleeping peacefully under a shade tree about fifteen feet from our tracker vehicle. Similarly, we had several more lion sightings and are amazed at how many lions we have seen. We saw one lion male with full mane lying around the trunk of a shade tree dozing. He apparently was very old and likely wouldn't last too many more days. We also saw a giraffe just off the side of the road that was limping with a very swollen leg. In the distance several female lions were lurking in the high grass watching the giraffe and just waiting for the right time to take it down as it would be totally helpless against the lion. By the way the female lions do all the hunting but the male lion gets to eat the kill first!

Lion Eating its Fresh Kill---Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Cheetahs---Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Very Old Male Lion---Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Lilac Breasted Roller---Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Four hours into the morning drive we came upon a beautiful watering hole filled with hippos and a large alligator and, discreetly hidden behind some tall green brush, were some very rudimentary restrooms. This proved to be one of the great sightings of the morning and both a great surprise and a real relief in more ways than one. We drove for another two hours before finding a large acacia tree in a safe area under which we ate our box lunch...all very exotic.

We then drove to a marker in the ground which designates the border between Kenya and Tanzania and where the Serengeti and the Masai Mara National Parks adjoin each other. It is also the corridor through which the Annual Great Migration passes. Our guide/driver is able to pass back and forth across the unguarded border within the National Parks with a special daily or perhaps multi-day pass but we have to show our passports upon entry to these National Parks before he can get the pass.

Magnificent Lion---Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Fran and Lindsay Being Warned---Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Picnic Lunch in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Hyena in Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Our Group and a Giraffe Watch as our Flat Tire is Changed in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Gazelles Grazing in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Giraffe in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Impalas in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

African Safari---October 8, 2013---Day Seven (Masai Mara)

As we continued meandering through the Masai Mara we simply marvelled at the skill of our guide and, indeed, other guides who had an uncanny ability to find wildlife in the middle of nowhere. We saw large numbers of hippos, elephants, giraffes, hyenas and wildebeests and once again numerous lions. We have seen several varieties of gazelles in bountiful numbers, all of them being graceful and some quite beautiful. Further, the number of different species of birds is amazing with many of them being very large such as storks, vultures, cranes, and many of them being very colourful or having very striking coloured markings.

At one point we crossed the Mara River, over and back, and at the very rocky shoreline of the river and the base of the bridge there must have been over one hundred storks standing around holding vigil over several of the carcasses of the more than 300,000 wildebeests that do not survive the Annual Great Migration. The stench emanating from the dead carcasses was without a doubt the worst smell I have ever encountered in my entire life. What's more there were a handful of bridge employees stationed at the bridge who had to put up with the odoriferous onslaught all day long.

During the last hour or so of our lengthy outing we had another flat tire...a different vehicle but the same right rear tire. Fortunately our guide Mike had immediate help as another guide/driver from the same tour company came along just a minute or so later and assisted in changing the tire...what are the odds of two flat tires on the same safari adventure? While the tire was being changed we piled out of our tracker vehicle and posed for pictures with a large giraffe just in the background grass about fifty feet or so away. All part of the safari adventure one would have to say.

Yellow Billed Stork in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

African Buffalo in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Hippopotamus in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

African Safari---October 9, 2013---Day Eight (Masai Mara)

This was a lighter day as we only went out early in the morning for about half a day of exploring the Mara. We saw a large number of different types of birds and other wildlife but we experienced perhaps the highlight of our game tracking shortly before noon. Cuddled up under a small bush near a stream were a young lioness and a male lion with full beautiful mane. For the first fifteen minutes or more we only caught glimpses of them as they were hidden in the shadows of the bush. Eventually the other three tracker vehicles who were observing the same spot left but our guide Mike, who is incredibly patient not to mention very knowledgeable, just waited and waited as we watched the two lions snuggled together.

Magnificent Male Lion in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

The wait really paid off as the two lions at different times stood up and wandered around a little with the female going off into another bit of shrubbery. The male lion just stood up and posed for us with no fear of us or nervousness whatsoever. Mike kept on manoeuvring the vehicle closer and closer so we could get better views and eventually we were probably only ten feet or less from this magnificent creature and what pictures we were able to take!

Female Partner to the Magnificent Male Lion in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Male Lion in the Masai Mara Game Reserve Kenya

There is an extraordinary feeling of excitement, privilege and awe every time one comes into close contact with the lions and it is a unique feeling that one simply does not quite experience with any other of the extraordinary wildlife we have encountered. It came at the end of our final game drive and what is so astonishing is that after each game drive, starting with the very first one a week ago, we all said how can that day's outing be topped? Yet every day's outing was surpassed by some extraordinary sighting the very next day.

Male Lion in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Male Lion in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Grey Crowned Crane in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Gazelle in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

On our way back to our lodge we stopped in at an authentic Masai village of about three hundred persons. Although they charge to see the village it is a very real village and well worth visiting. We were greeted by a young Masai tribesman, Wilson, who gave us an excellent overview of the Masai tribe, including its culture, which is world renowned as comprising extraordinary nomadic herdsmen, hunters and warriors (they escort us to our individual chalets after dark at the lodge). The men then did a traditional jump dance and invited us to join them...an amusing scene to the Masai for certain...followed by a visit to one of the huts where they live. It is mud-walled with a straw roof and a wood burning fire...the most basic, primitive accommodation imaginable and little changed in centuries. The women then sang for us and then displayed their handicrafts.

Masai society seems to be modelled on that of the lions and the cheetahs whereby the men provide the security but otherwise just lie under the shade of a tree all day long while the women do all the work. It is really quite fascinating. Most of the children only go to school for about four years of early kindergarten and very few continue on to more schooling. They live long lives and the men are tall and very slim, the women somewhat stouter and they seem to live on a diet on milk and beef blood and occasionally plant life and they rely on their medicine man whenever they are sick. This way of life has survived for centuries and the Masai continue pursuing their traditions with a big smile on their faces.

Masai Men in the Masai Boma Village near the Entrance to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Masai Women in the Masai Boma Village near the Entrance to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

We bargained for a few items as the Masai men love to bargain and negotiate...no doubt we paid twice as much as necessary but it was fun. I gave all the men a Canadian maple leaf flag pin which they proudly placed on their colourful traditional clothing. A wonderful visit was enjoyed by us and then we returned for a quiet few hours in our chalet before the heavy rains started...the first since arriving in Africa. A fitting ending to a great day or so we thought.

We had our usual dinner and then our Masai escort came to take us to our chalets. However, owing to the heavy rain late in the afternoon, a family of elephants came up the steep wooded hillside while we were having dinner. They currently are in the woods just below our chalets and may be less than a couple of hundred feet away...they may even come up to our front yards during the night if they think they can find something nice to eat. All of this is not unusual apparently and it is exciting, although we are glad for the escort, who carries a small wooden bow and a quiver of short very lethal looking arrows, and glad to be tucked into our cozy chalets for the night. I believe our Masai escort patrols around our chalets throughout the night...I hope so.

Robin, Mike and the Masai Men Dancing in the Masai Boma Village, Kenya

Masai Boma Village near the Entrance to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Mike at the Men at the Masai Boma Village near the Entrance to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Masai Boma Village Handicrafts near the Entrance to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

African Safari---October 10, 2013---Day Nine (Masai Mara to Nairobi)

This final day of our safari began at the crack of dawn when Lindsay looked out from her balcony and less than two hundred feet immediately below was a herd of seventeen elephants in a single file slowly and silently walking down the cow trail from our escarpment to the grassy plains below. These were the same elephants that our Masai escorts were protecting us from when we were taken to our chalets the evening before. Shortly afterwards, the animals had disappeared below to the flat grazing lands for the day and, if it rained again, they likely would climb back up the escarpment and settle in close by the chalets for the evening. This was our last morning on safari and we awoke to another wonderful colourful sunrise.

Mid-morning we set out to the nearby rough dirt landing strip for our short trip to Nairobi. We saw our plane arrive...a Dash 8...but on landing it blew a tire. Fortunately the plane carried not only a crew of three but a mechanic. There are no buildings at these little landing strips so if you blow a tire you may be out of luck for a while until a mechanic can be found...likely after a rather long wait. The plane was jacked up, the tire replaced and some thought they saw them replace a second flat tire.

Our Airplane's Flat Tire En Route from the Masai Mara Game Reserve to Nairobi, Kenya

We then took off without incident and landed ten minutes later at another landing strip where several passengers disembarked and a similar number boarded...there likely was some classy resort nearby. The plane took off again for the thirty-five minute flight to Nairobi's small city airport where we landed on a paved runway. Upon disembarking we looked back at the plane and wonder of wonders it had another flat tire. What are the odds that in just over one week our two different tracker vehicles would have two flat tires and on about five separate flights our three different planes would have three flat tires!

We soon reached our deluxe Nairobi hotel where our safari had begun and retrieved our stored luggage, had lunch and some soaked in a welcoming bath. Late in the afternoon we took a taxi over to the Norfolk Hotel, which is a renovated colonial era hotel from the 1930s with a beautiful inner courtyard garden and a certain snobbish but not unappealing atmosphere. We then returned to our own hotel for a safari-ending supper outside by the pool...a fitting end to our African safari adventure.

Sunrise Over the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

CHAPTER FOUR---ANTARCTICA

Punta Arenas, Chile---February 11, 2016

After spending a week touring around Uruguay, which proved to be very interesting, I headed out to begin my circuitous route towards Punta Arenas, Chile and then onwards to Antarctica. Following a pre-arranged hotel transfer I took the one hour high speed ferry from Colonia, Uruguay to Buenos Aires, Argentina where I was met at the ferry and transferred to the airport for my flight to Santiago, Chile thus completing my mini tour around Uruguay which I have concluded is an attractive, progressive and prosperous country. Most of the drive to the airport was at 135 km per hour (78 mph)!

My flight to Santiago was with Air Canada which was en route from Buenos Aires to Toronto via Santiago. Another dry sandwich was served as I was in economy class! When flying towards Santiago the plane passed at eye level (about 22,000+ feet) the highest snow covered mountain peak in the Chilean Andes...very beautiful and alike to flying over the Canadian Rockies. Immigration and Customs were very quick and in no time at all, around 9:00 p.m. I had checked into the Holiday Inn which was about a one minute walk from the airport terminal exit. This was more than a "Superior" hotel!! I had made the reservation online myself and got a bright quiet room with a fabulous overhead waterfall shower.

This morning I enjoyed a nice buffet breakfast including scrambled eggs. I also heard from brother Robin, who is joining me in Punta Arenas tomorrow night for the start of our Antarctic trip. I was relieved to know that he had safely made the somewhat complicated transfer to the secondary airport in Buenos Aires...they have at least two airports...and he was awaiting his flight to Santiago where he will have an overnight stay at the airport Holiday Inn after enduring a couple of days of little sleep and food and too many airplanes and airports. He is now comfortably ensconced there for the night. The worst of our flights and numerous tricky connections are pretty much behind us now.

I have now arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile, a city of 128,000, apart from Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in South America, overlooking the Strait of Magellan, directly opposite in the distance the island of Tierra Del Fuego and not that far from Cape Horn. One side of Tierra Del Fuego is Chilean and the other side is Argentinian with the nearest Argentinian town being Ushuaia of the television series "Survivor" fame. The city of Punta Arenas was established in the early 1800s and was a major world shipping centre until the Panama Canal was built one hundred years ago. The road from the airport to the city is a four lane divided highway. The temperature is about fifty degrees F. The terrain is quite flat with brown summer grass and lots of smallish trees.

The hotel, overlooking the harbour, is deluxe with an adjoining casino (haven't gone there...yet). Tomorrow I change rooms when Robin arrives. I'm having a very late night (9:30 p.m.) light dinner off the lobby. I ordered a scotch and water...it appears like I ordered a triple. Then I ordered from what I thought was the soup menu but it turned out to be a pisco sour cocktail...what the heck! Thank goodness I got the omelette and toast right. I should sleep tonight I hope. The omelette is really good.

Upon arrival at the airport I chatted with a couple from San Diego, close to my age, who are also on the tour and they were just coming from a hiking trip on Easter Island. Talk about "keeping on keeping on". The weather forecast for the next week is supposed to be excellent. It's starting to get exciting, especially knowing I will share this awesome experience with brother Robin. I have no idea if we'll have internet service on board ship so you may or may not here from me over the next eight days.

The next morning I wandered along the waterfront in the city of Punta Arenas, Chile, which can easily be accomplished in an hour or so. It apparently is always windy here frequently getting wind velocities well exceeding 100 km (60 miles) per hour.

A couple of cruise ships, including the Queen Mary 2 which I first saw in New York City several years ago at the end of its maiden voyage, came into port in the morning so the pleasant town square, lined with leafy trees and outdoor carts and kiosks selling all sorts of the usual souvenirs and woollen scarves and head coverings, was getting crowded with the disgorged passengers checking out the latest little port on their itinerary.

It's actually a pleasant walk along the waterfront, not dissimilar to that in Victoria, B.C. Canada, with a wide sidewalk, bicycle paths and numerous places to sit down. The weather was partly sunny with a refreshing breeze blowing and 11 C or 52 F.

Queen Mary 2---Punta Arenas, Chile Murals---Punta Arenas, Chile

My brother Robin arrived in Punta Arenas earlier than expected so he was in time for our ninety minute briefing followed by a group dinner at 8:00 p.m. During this time we also picked up our boots and our very high class warm and heavy Antarctic winter jackets which we get to keep.

Street Musicians---Punta Arenas, Chile

On Board M/V Sea Adventurer, Antarctica---February 14,, 2016

Owing to uncertain weather on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands at Frei Station, where we were to land, our morning departure time was moved up two hours to 6:00 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on two separate four engine jet planes. It seemed like a group version of the Amazing Race with the first group flying out a half hour before the second.

Our Plane to King George Island---South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica

As a consequence, we had to be up no later than 3:30 a.m. as part of group two, leaving our luggage in the lobby at 4:00 a.m. and departing the hotel a half hour later. Two hours later on our descent to King George Island many small icebergs came into view before we landed on a very rough, rugged gravel runway. We passengers, about 115 of us, then set out on a two kilometre (1 1/4 mile) hike on a rugged roadway down to the shoreline where we boarded our zodiacs for the 10 minute choppy trip out to our home for the week...the MV Sea Adventurer.

The land around looked volcanic in nature but there was very little snow and the pathway was damp. The temperature w as just around freezing but with a bit of a chilly wind. Once out on the water one could feel the bite of the cold but nothing that Canadians and Ottawans hadn't experienced every winter.

And at last we boarded our ship, were welcomed on board by dozens of the crew and Expedition members, had a cold juice and put our feet up on our beds with a little time to finally relax and contemplate just where we were.

The first eighteen hours of our voyage covered about sixty miles of open water on the Bransfield Strait which was quite choppy with a big ocean swell. Robin, who has an iron constitution, handled it without any problems. I, on the other hand, with my delicate digestive system, most ashamedly did not manage too well. I got through the lifeboat drill and a few other presentations but intermingled these with the dry heaves. Not pleasant and it may keep me away for good measure from dinner (fortunately it didn't) but we were assured that by early morning, when we reached the Antarctic Peninsula and our first zodiac landing on the Antarctic continent, the swell would disappear. Happily for my ego, I was not the only one suffering from the effects of the ocean swell. Hopefully tomorrow we will settle into an enjoyable rhythm of zodiac cruising and landings.

Frei Station Runway, Arriving and Departing Expedition Passengers---King George Island, Antarctica

On Board M / V Sea Adventurer, Antarctica---February 15, 2016

After the choppy swelly crossing of the sixty mile Bransfied Strait, the following day turned out to be what was described as the most perfect weather day one could possibly hope for in Antarctica. We were in lovely calm waters, including Wilhemena Bay, Charlotte Bay and those around Enterprise Island. We were virtually surrounded by Antarctic landscapes of snow and ice hills with incredibly artistic sculpted facades on the cliffs dropping down dramatically to the calm waters below.

In the morning we set foot on the land, not ice packs, of Antarctica and for Robin and me this marked the fact that we both had walked on all seven continents. We experienced all the best scenery and wildlife depicted in documentaries about Antarctica. We hiked up the snow and ice packed hills for a better view of the water and landscapes below and in the distance. It was a strenuous workout for an hour or two and by the end of it many were doffing a layer or two of clothing and sweating profusely.

Expedition Tour Cruise Route, Antarctic Peninsula---Antarctica

Robin and Mike Set Foot on the Antarctic Continent

The Beauty of Antarctica

It is an extraordinary site looking down below at the scene with our ship anchored in the calm water. We saw seals on the rocks and the majesty of the white snowbanks on all sides, striped with centuries of layered accumulated snow and ice. Also, because of the extraordinary light...grey clouds with the light of the sun brightening the sky...there was created that most beautiful of sites, blue ice in and under the crevices of the sheer snow and ice cliffs and especially the icebergs.

By the time we returned to the mother ship I was exhausted and was glad to get off my feet for half an hour or so before lunch and our afternoon zodiac excursion in and around Enterprise Island. This proved to be a delightfully exhilarating, albeit cold, two hours of speeding great distances in our zodiac and then closing in on specific sites such as old shipwrecks, rusted old chains from the whaling days, possibly over a century ago, attached into the rock face, and chasing humpback whales. We saw wonderful snow and ice formations, three varieties of seals...Antarctic Fur Seal, Weddell Seal and Crab Eater Seal. We saw the Chin Strap, Adelie and Gentoo Penguins and on four separate occasions the massive Humpback Whale.

These creatures are over 14 metres (50 feet) in length and weigh a massive 30,000 kilograms. We also were fortunate twice to see the whale's magnificent and uniquely shaped fluke (tail) rise completely out of the water and then slowly disappear beneath the surface. The sound coming from the whale's blow hole can become quite mesmerising. The Blue Whale, which is the largest mammal ever on earth and four times the size of the Humpback Whale, usually is seen off the California Coast and we did not see it or any other varieties of whale. . We also saw a couple of modern day private yachts resting at anchor in the isolated waters off the Antarctic Peninsula

Massive Snow Ledge in Antarctica

Beautiful Snow Ledge Reflection---Antarctica

Robin Cooling Down After Climb up Snow Ridge; M/V Sea Adventurer in the Background---Antarctica

Private Yacht Moored to Ancient Shipwreck---Antarctica

The Beauty of Antarctica

Massive Ice Ledge Threatening to Calve---Antarctica

M/V Sea Adventurer at Anchor---Antarctica

One of the most fascinating aspects in some respects about this outing was that it was identical to one of our afternoon outings when we were on safari in Kenya and Tanzania. The principal difference was that the water had replaced the desert and the snow and ice cliffs and hills had replaced the sand dunes. In both instances we were searching out wildlife and magnificent scenery. On several of the snow white facades of the cliffs we saw what appeared to be splashes of paint...pink, green, yellow and brown...which turned out to be algae. We also saw the most beautiful chunks of glacial ice having the clarity of the finest diamond.

We were pretty cold by the time we returned to the mother ship for a welcome drink and tasty dinner. Our ship was built in the old Yugoslavia forty years ago and has had many modern technological updates in the interim. Our captain is from Croatia and his second in command is Russian. The rest of the crew is comprised of many nationalities. The very enthusiastic Expedition crew includes a great mix of primarily Australians, British, American and Canadians. The total crew numbers 84, total guests are about 115 and include mostly American, Canadian, Australian, British, Japanese and Chinese adventurers. The ship is 101 metres (332 feet) in length and 16 metres (53 feet) wide.

Our next outing the following morning will take us to the largest colony of Gentoo Penguins...probably in the thousands...on the Antarctic Peninsula. That will be something to look forward to.

On Board M / V Sea Adventurer, Antarctica---February 16, 2016

We are starting to get into a daily routine now with an early buffet breakfast followed by a morning zodiac excursion and usually a shore landing and hiking about for an hour or two. The departure time is entirely dependent on weather, especially the wind and ice conditions. We then return to the mother ship for a buffet lunch...Robin and I usually just have soup and bread...where it appears many on board can pack away enormous quantities of food without seemingly becoming obese.

After lunch and a short break we head out on another zodiac excursion for about two hours but this time we don't necessarily make a landing somewhere. Upon our return to the ship we relax for an hour or two. Then we gather in the lounge or watch on closed circuit TV in our rooms the Expedition crew give an excellent summary presentation of what we saw and did during the day.

The Expedition Leader then outlines the plan for the following day which could change significantly from hour to hour depending on weather conditions. For instance this particular evening, we didn't know whether we would cross the Antarctic Circle, as planned, or whether we would be turned back on account of ice bergs or sea ice blocking the channel.

Dinner is a very nice sit down affair usually preceded by a cocktail. Cookies and hot beverages are available all the time. In the evening there may be a presentation on some subject but the time seems to go by quickly and bedtime comes before 10:00 p.m. Two days ago they announced that because of weather changes wake up time would be 6:00 a.m. the following morning and morning excursion departure time would be at 8:00 a.m.

M/V Sea Adventurer Lounge---Antarctica M/V Sea Adventurer Bar---Antarctica

M/V Sea Adventurer; Robin in the Dining Room M/V Sea Adventurer; Our Cabin---Antarctica

M/V Sea Adventurer; Robin Trying on His Life Jacket; M/V Sea Adventurer; Our Cabin---Antarctica

Our planned morning excursion was changed again in the morning so we landed on Colville Island which has the largest colony of Gentoo Penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula...in the thousands. We wandered the beach while the penguins did their thing, including making a noise that sounded like a braying horse. The infamous penguin poop smell was not nearly as bad as we had anticipated fortunately. In all cases the penguins and other wildlife have the right of way, not us, and they seemingly have no fear of us in any way.

Colony of Gentoo Penguins---Colville Island, Antarctica

In approaching land the zodiac meandered its way through a phalanx of icebergs and chunks of pack ice...all extraordinarily beautiful. The zodiacs are extremely hardy vessels, holding about a dozen of us, and if they hit a chunk of ice they just bounce off it. We then returned to the ship for lunch.

Ice Formations Surrounding Colville Island--Antarctica

We cruised for about four hours down the Newmayer Channel until we reached Jougla Point, also known as Port Lockroy, which surely must be the last remaining old fashioned outpost of the great British Empire. There, sitting on a tiny chunk of rugged rock, are three well worn buildings and a union jack flag.

This British presence has been there since 1943 when it was a military "base". It is now known as the British Antarctic Survey Base A, Goudier Island, which is beside but not joined with Goudier Point. It was unmanned in the 1960s only to be re- manned in the 1990s. Four young people live there for the four summer months in the most minimalist environment...only the rarest and unusually unique individual could possibly take up this kind of employment opportunity yet hundreds apply for the positions.

As far as we could determine their work description seems to be to keep the area clean of penguin poop and to operate the gift store and museum. The big attraction is to buy stamps and send a post card through the Royal Mail from Antarctica. Every summer (about November to February) they sell 70,000 stamps. They also monitor the breeding patterns of the Gentoo Penguins: <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Lockroy>.

British Antarctic Survey Base A, Port Lockroy---Goudier Island, Antarctica

Port Lockroy---Goudier Island, Antarctica

We made one landing in choppy waters at the museum site which was quite interesting depicting life at the base in the 1940s...very primitive as they still are...and another at the land point where, typical of me, I almost tripped over a giant Antarctic Fur Seal lying on the pathway and blending in too well with the sand and rocks. We then returned to the mother ship to head south for the rest of the afternoon and evening to attempt to navigate the beautiful but treacherous and narrow Lemaire Channel, some eleven kilometres long and 1600 metres wide. It's nicknamed the "Kodak Gap" as it is considered one of the most beautiful sites in all of Antarctica.

We approached it around the dinner hour and by the time we had sailed through it more than four hours later it was nightfall. It was spectacular with jagged rugged snow covered rocky cliffs on both sides falling to pure white snow ledges and then vertically into the waters below. What made it so unique and dramatic were the myriad of icebergs of all sizes and shapes that were floating randomly across the channel and for much of its length. The icebergs can fall of the ledges at any time, this is called calving, and can create a mini tsunami depending on the size of the iceberg.

The LeMaire Channel Southbound---Antarctica

The LeMaire Channel Southbound---Antarctica The LeMaire Channel Southbound---Antarctica

The ship had to manoeuvre through this dangerous obstacle course at a speed of at most three knots. The Expedition Leader together with the Ship's Captain constantly

monitored wind conditions, satellite photos and reports from other ships (we haven't seen any other tour boats so far) as the Lemaire Channel could quite quickly become unnavigable because of iceberg accumulation. Several times in the past twenty-four hours we have changed course to increase our chances of reaching the Antarctic Circle.

As we went to bed last night our chances for achieving our goal looked cautiously optimistic. The same tour had to turn back just a week ago.

The Ship's Captain (Centre) and the Expedition Leader (Right) Approaching the Antarctic Circle---Antarctica

Overnight, once clear of the Lemaire Channel our speed increased as did the wave and swell action but by this morning we were sailing smoothly in a wide strait of water highlighted by an unending stream of passing icebergs ranging from a modest size to magnificent behemoths whose shapes would make any architect or graphic designer proud.

Most days we enjoy a talk or two by members of the expedition team, most of whom have very specialised professional expertise in a particular field...icebergs, penguins, seals, etc. It is all quite fascinating.

Robin finally got his opportunity earlier in the day to visit the ship's Captain in his wheelhouse and reported that, indeed, we will cross the Antarctic Circle before the end of the day...a rare enough occurrence!

We just got word over the loudspeaker from the Expedition Leader that we will cross the Antarctic Circle in just one hour from now at 5:40 p.m.!!!

6:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 16, 2016---WE SAILED ACROSS THE ANTARCTIC CIRCLE ON THE M/V SEA ADVENTURER IN HURRICANE FORCE ONE WINDS...65 MILES PER HOUR.

On Board M/V Sea Adventurer, Antarctica---February 17, 2016

Approximately 6:00 p.m. last night our ship let out a few long blasts of its horn signalling that we had crossed the Antarctic Circle. There was great merriment as we all gathered on deck to watch Neptune and a cast of sea characters, members of the Expedition team, emerge from the "watery depths" on to our deck to check us all out very closely. Then upon being satisfied that we were not a threat Neptune extended warm greetings to us all and welcomed us to the Southern Ocean, symbolised by the painting of a red mark on our noses. We then toasted the occasion with a hot rum punch and had a group photo taken of the approximately 115 passengers.

Robin and Mike At The Moment of Crossing the Antarctic Circle---Antarctica

Neptune and Friends Welcome Us to the Southern Ocean---Antarctica

Celebrating Crossing the Antarctic Circle Mike and Robin Toast Crossing the Antarctic Circle

Ship's Crew, Expedition Leaders and Passengers at the Moment of Crossing the Antarctic Circle (Quark Photo)

Our tour company operates three ships and each of them only makes two trips to the Circle during the four month season. So far as we could determine only two of the six trips so far this season have reached the Circle including our own. There may be one or two other companies that cross the Circle but it certainly does not happen often.

We were all quite surprised to learn that at the time we crossed the Circle we were experiencing hurricane force one winds of 65 miles per hour. In the aft of the ship it was not very noticeable but if one went to the ship's bow one could feel the full force of the wind which was strong enough to move one about. The ship, however, is remarkably stable and not much impacted by the strong wind, provided there are no icebergs getting blown into the ship...always a constant danger when navigating these waters.

We celebrated with a delicious dinner...duck a l'orange for me and chicken chow mein for Robin, washed down with gin and tonic for me and a very dark Chilean beer for Robin.

The Wildlife of Antarctica

The Wildlife of Antarctica

The Wildlife of Antarctica (Whale Picture is a Quark Photo)

On Board M/V Sea Adventurer, Antarctica---February 17, 2016

When I first booked my trip I was aware that I could join online for free the Shackleton Club (the great British Antarctic explorer of a century ago), which I did. On first boarding the ship I received about a $100 worth of free internet service. Then yesterday afternoon I was delivered a VIP card which entitled me to a $50 on board credit...very nice although it will only pay for an additional couple of day's internet usage for the two of us. In any event, we have done all right so far just because I joined the Shackleton Club!

Overnight we steamed at full throttle through open choppy swelly waters to reach Circumcision Bay on Petermann Island, just a stone's throw from mainland Antarctica. The day was absolutely beautiful, with sunshine, great patches of blue sky, little wind and a temperature of 5 degrees C (41 degrees F)...it's still summertime here!

We made a zodiac landing on the island from where we could view the most magnificent winter scenes imaginable...absolutely breathtaking! The sheltered bay, where the very successful French Antarctic explorer, Charcot, grounded his ship a century ago, the "Pourquoi Pas", and survived only to be lost forever a few years later off Iceland while exploring the Arctic, is noteworthy for two reasons. Firstly, you can still see very faintly scratched into a rock just above the water line the ship's initials PP. Secondly, there is a small hut with a faded flag on it which was built by the Argentinians in the 1940s to stake their claim to part of the Antarctic.

Petermann Island and the M/V Sea Adventurer---Antarctica

On Petermann Island there is a large colony of Gentoo Penguins, some Adelie Penguins and several Cormorants, which have the identical protective colouring as do the penguins. There were many fluffy grey young penguins, perhaps less than two months old, that were getting close to setting out on their own. It was really pleasant walking about the snow covered little island (I used ski poles for balance so the sensation was similar to that of cross country skiing).

We also did a short zodiac tour around part of the island and observed a group of large Antarctic fur seals lolling on an iceberg. The whole scene was postcard picture perfect with our ship at anchor in the calm bay surrounded by rocky jagged snow covered hills.

Petermann Island---Antarctica Mike On Petermann Island---Antarctica

Late in the afternoon Robin did the Polar Plunge off the sea level deck of the ship with around twenty other brave souls. My official excuse for not doing the plunge was to perform my duties as Robin's official photographer. Robin was one of only a few who dove into the water as opposed to jumping in. He also was the only one to have a shot of vodka before the plunge as well as after the plunge! All in all an impressive feat.

Robin Taking the Polar Plunge (Two Pictures On the Right are Quark Photos)

This evening we had a delicious barbecue and mulled wine outside on the aft deck as we slowly floated northward on the Lemaire Channel. It's a narrow waterway filled with icebergs and sea ice and high jagged rocky peaks covered in snow that fall vertically down to a massive snowy ledge which in turn goes down to the water's edge. It is from these huge frozen ledges that massive chunks fall off into the water and become the icebergs that we see constantly floating along the water. In the past two hours in and around the Lemaire Channel we saw two other smaller tour ships.

The Lemaire Channel Northbound---Antarctica

The LeMaire Channel Northbound---Antarctica

The Lemaire Channel Northbound; Barbeque on Deck---Antarctica

The Lemaire Channel Northbound---Antarctica

The Lemaire Channel Northbound---Antarctica

On Board M/V Sea Adventurer, Antarctica---February 19, 2016

We travelled overnight after the wonderful on-deck barbeque and in the morning reached the placid waters of Cierva Cove. There is an Argentinian research station in this area, named after the inventor of the auto gyro engine for rotating wing aircraft.

After breakfast our zodiacs (six and sometimes as many as ten) were launched for a cruise around the area. Most days we take two zodiac cruises, sometimes making a landing but not always. We are divided into five groups plus one group for those who choose to go kayaking.

In preparation for each outing we put on our heavy socks, then our waterproof nylon shell pants over our regular lined trousers, then our heavy Expedition provided winter jackets, then our life vests, then our Expedition provided tall rubber boots, then our tuques, and sunglasses if needed, one or two pairs of gloves, soak our boots in a solution so we don't contaminate the Antarctic ground if we do a landing ashore, and off we go for a couple of hours. This particular morning the temperature was just above freezing and we were surrounded almost on all sides by snowy, icy hills and glaciers. The waters were covered in icebergs, sea ice and crystal clear glacier or brash ice. The scene was a spectacular winter fairyland!

Some Passengers in Kayaks in the Sea Ice---Antarctica In the Zodiacs in the Sea Ice---Antarctica

We set out in the zodiacs and came across Leopard Seals and Crab Catcher Seals stretched out on individual icebergs, occasionally raising their heads to take a disinterested look at us. We also saw more of the ever present penguins. We must have travelled at least a mile from the mother ship and close to land where the ice had become more closely packed on the water's surface.

Heading back to the ship the zodiac had to work really hard to navigate its way through the thick sea ice. We were on the water for close to two hours and during this period of time the ice had become more densely packed. It is not difficult to appreciate just how quickly a ship of any size could become stuck and stranded in the ice. At times the zodiac had to roar into reverse before going full throttle ahead just to keep moving through the pack ice to the ship. In a matter of a few short weeks or less this entire cove of water will be completely frozen over and all the wildlife will have left the area and headed out to sea.

Our Zodiac Driver, Yuki, Captures a Chunk of Glacial Ice---Antarctica

M/V Sea Adventurer, Kayaks and Zodiacs in the Sea Ice---Antarctica

In the afternoon we launched the zodiacs beside a rocky barren place called Spert Island, which was formed of jagged rocky volcanic peaks and vertical cliffs that plummeted straight down to the sea below. It was a misleadingly large island full of little inlets that seemed to stretch on forever. We spent about 2 1/2 hours in the zodiac circumnavigating around its entire circumference in very choppy roiling waters.

We saw a multitude of huge icebergs of every size and shape imaginable, making the most dramatic sculpture garden. We also saw numerous magnificent blue icebergs which apparently are the result of air bubbles being compressed out of the iceberg and the iceberg refracting the prime colours of red and green...an exquisite shade of light blue.

We saw numerous seals languidly stretched out on their own iceberg and several species of water bird, almost all black and white in colour for effective camouflage when in the water. Many of the passageways through openings in the rock face of the island were blocked by icebergs which got blown into the confined space and often wedged against each other or grounded. Our zodiac drivers are very adept drivers yet cautious about which passageways they attempt to navigate in order to be sure that if we enter a confined space our exit won't suddenly become blocked. They love to zip about in the zodiacs which are very manoeuvrable and sturdy and a lot of fun as long as it's not too rough and the outing is no more than about two hours.

The afternoon outing actually was quite exhausting with a brisk wind whipping up four foot waves. Towards the end of the outing we were chilled to the bone, sore and tired from holding on tight as well as being bounced about in the zodiac. Once again, however, the beauty of the surroundings defied description.

Spert Island---Antarctica Fellow Zodiac Passenger Near Spert Island---Antarctica

Spert Island---Antarctica Cruising in the Zodiac Near Spert Island---Antarctica

Navigating the Rough Waters Around Spert Island in a Zodiac---Antarctica

At the end of the day a few members of the Expedition team played Balderdash with the passengers, focusing on meanings of some of the more technical terminology used during the trip. All of the members of the team are extremely well qualified in their areas of specialisation such as penguins, seals, whales, geological rock formations, icebergs, weather, etc. As well they are excellent and highly amusing communicators and presenters. Their enthusiasm and good nature are very contagious. The ship's hotel crew are also first rate as are the food and drink staff.

Overnight we made the return journey on the rough sloppy Bransfield Strait where the ocean swell is the most noticeable. By this morning we had reached Deception Island where we slowly sailed through Neptune's Bellows and into the calderon of a still active volcano...one of the few such calderons in the world into which you can actually sail.

We anchored in the calm waters of Whaler's Bay, with its rugged volcanic rocky peaks encircling it, and made a zodiac landing and wandered along the entire length of the beach for a couple of hours. This was one of the first whaling centres in this part of the world, established in the early 1900's only to be shut down in the 1930s when the bottom fell out of the whaling industry. It was then used as a British military base (Base B) during the 1940s until about the late 1960s.

The remains of crumbling buildings and large old rusting whale oil tanks still could be seen scattered along the beach together with a still standing airport hangar and the faded remains of a small airport runway. A variety of playful seals has now made their home along the beach and did not seem overly disturbed by us visitors from afar.

We returned to the ship for lunch followed by a presentation on disembarkation which occurs tomorrow morning.

Abandoned Buildings on Deception Island in Whalers' Bay---Antarctica

On Board M/V Sea Adventurer, Antarctica---February 21, 2016

Our last scheduled afternoon on board ship, a planned zodiac excursion and landing, had to be cancelled because the strong winds made it too dangerous to load and unload the zodiacs. In lieu of the landing we were offered a "Marys and Maps" activity which included free Bloody Marys while Expedition members assisted passengers in mapping out the route we followed on their individual maps.

In looking closely at our route on the map it became much clearer to us that almost as soon as the Captain had blown the ship's horn to signal that we had crossed the Antarctic Circle, he turned the ship around to high tail it out of there to head north along the Antarctic Peninsula. To proceed any further south, including circling Adelaide Island, would have risked encountering increasingly severe ice conditions as well as putting us far behind schedule.

We relaxed in the lounge with our fellow passengers until the Captain's farewell cocktail gathering prior to dinner. Expressions of thanks and appreciation from crew and Expedition team members pleasingly wrapped up the afternoon as we moved on to a delightful dinner.

Both our principal restaurant/bar staff were from the Philippines and couldn't have been nicer. In particular our bar server, Joselito, most days had our beverages waiting for us at our table when we arrived...we had very quickly gravitated to the same table every meal...and he always referred to us as Sir Robert and Sir Michael. One can very quickly grow accustomed to such pampering.

The Expedition team really was outstanding in every possible respect...knowledge, presentational skills, experience, personality, patience, professionalism and camaraderie

After dinner we all moved to the lounge where the chef had set up a decadent chocolate dessert buffet with an array of chocolate delicacies. The evening concluded with one member of the Expedition crew, Mike, a retired Canadian Coast Guard member from Victoria, B.C., Canada, presenting an outstanding slide show, with music, of images of our voyage. It comprised pictures taken by the Expedition team members and passengers all put together during the day in a remarkably professional and entertaining manner. It was a fitting conclusion to our final full day on board ship.

Or not...! The last announcement of the evening gave us the news that the heavy fog surrounding us would probably follow us back to Frei Base on King George Island where the landing strip was located and where we were headed overnight. As a consequence, the chances of our planes arriving in the morning to fly us back to Punta Arenas were not looking very good.

Upon awakening in the morning the fog conditions looked bleak. About a three hour advanced warning of sufficiently clear weather for landing at and taking off from King

George Island is necessary for ship passengers in Punta Arenas to be transferred out to the airport, boarded and subsequently landed on King George Island. Added to this period was the time necessary for us to disembark from our ship, complete the 1 1/4 mile walk from the zodiac landing to the airport, check in for the flight, board the plane and, finally, take off.

We had all day to get to Punta Arenas but after that everyone's ongoing travel arrangements would go to "hell in a hand basket". The most recent indication was that it was doubtful that we would get out of here later the same day . To bide the time this morning one of the Expedition team members gave an enthusiastic lecture on climate change.

While awaiting further updates, what will remain most with me from this Antarctic adventure will be the sheer unspoilt beauty and the untold dangers posed by the forces of nature in this remote region of the world. The effects of climate change are real and it seems to be a consensus that they can first be observed in the Antarctic.

In summary, I would describe this trip to the Antarctic Peninsula as a combination of a visit to the Galapagos Islands and an African safari all taking place during a Canadian winter. We remained stranded on board ship overnight along with one other smaller ship which had been waiting a day longer than we had.

Returning to the M/V Sea Adventurer After Our Last Zodiac Excursion---Antarctica

It is now the morning of February 21, 2016 and we remain both at sea and in a fog not knowing when we will be able to fly out. The most optimistic timing is late this afternoon and that would only get us back to Punta Arenas. Our ongoing schedules are no longer valid and until we can fly out of King George Island any rebookings, very difficult to do from here, made prematurely would bear the risk of having to be redone a second time We are comfortable, the food remains excellent and the booze and Internet remain expensive.

Punta Arenas, Chile---February 23, 2016

The day before yesterday we continued to be on standby during the day but the fog showed little sign of lifting anytime soon. One airplane took off from Punta Arenas that morning with a load of passengers to be exchanged with those waiting for the past three days on board the other smaller tour ship. It approached King George Island only to find that while the area surrounding the island had good visibility the runway itself did not have sufficient visibility to attempt a landing and the plane had to turn around and make the two hour trip back to Punta Arenas.

That plane had to come to and go from King George Island successfully first before it and another plane could come and get us.

A subsequent update reported that the plane that returned to Punta Arenas made a second attempt in the afternoon and landed successfully, exchanged its coming and going passengers with the other tour ship and had taken off for Punta Arenas. It was to return here with a second plane later in the evening to pick us up. However, after an airline/weather powwow, a decision was made that fog conditions would not improve enough to permit a landing later in the evening. Therefore, we would spend another night on board ship which, under the circumstances, was really quite comfortable.

Reports for the next morning, Monday, were more optimistic than they had been for the past few days so we were hopeful that we could fly out by noon. This would work very well for merging with our revised onward bookings. For the moment a drink was in order.

Our revised departure morning dawned with a denser fog than in the two previous days. We were on standby to board the zodiacs and head for shore at a moment's notice. More frustrating for others, however, was the fact that the passengers waiting to fly to King George Island were all on standby at the airport in Punta Arenas, whereas we at least could comfortably relax in our cabins on board ship. A three hour advance all clear notice was required before planes could be put in the air in Punta Arenas and begin the complex process.

We had lunch around noon and the weather had improved somewhat, such that shortly thereafter they announced that one plane was in the air from Punta Arenas and the second one was about to take off, with arrival in about two hours. In the meantime, the fog was starting to sock in again so anything could happen. We remained on standby to board the zodiacs within the hour to take us to shore.

Half an hour later they announced that both planes had to turn back to Punta Arenas so we had to remain on board another night and again reschedule our flights. A new update indicated that those who were trying to fly to King George Island and do the cruise we completed had now had their entire cruise cancelled. What a sad miserable outcome for them. We were so fortunate that our cruise went off without a hitch, including crossing the Antarctic Circle!

The Beautiful Ice and Sculpted Icebergs of Antarctica

The Beautiful Ice And Sculpted Icebergs of Antarctica

The Beautiful Ice and Sculpted Icebergs of Antarctica

We now awaited a weather update two hours hence for the next day. Following that report we would then have to restart the process of cancelling flight bookings and making new ones. We probably would be wise to build in at least two days of leeway...Christmas in Antarctica might not be so bad!!!

Late yesterday afternoon, after being anchored in the harbour in extremely calm waters and heavy fog, suddenly, as we were enjoying a pre-dinner lecture and drink, the weather changed dramatically! It turned cold and started to snow. Then the wind picked up with incredible ferocity such that the Captain had to reposition the ship somewhat and try and find better shelter. The wind speed reached 100 knots per hour...over 100 miles per hour! The ship was rocking and rolling but fortunately not nearly as bothersome as our first night out on the Bransfield Strait with the large ocean swells. Several hours later the storm just as suddenly abated and the temperature returned to a few degrees above freezing.

Ironically, this was probably good news as it could finally blow the stagnant foggy air away. In our evening update we learned that there was a narrow weather opening for landing and flying out mid- morning today, Tuesday, February 23, 2016, so our fingers were crossed. Telephone communications are so broken up from the Antarctic Peninsula that it is almost impossible to readjust travel arrangements from here. Using the Expedition team's email address I sent out an urgent message to my very reliable friend Geoff to ask him to try and rearrange some bookings for Robin and me as telephone connections would be far better from Canada than from here.

Today, Tuesday morning, dawned and an email from Geoff indicated that he was working on the case, although it appeared that with flights heavily booked it might take a couple of days to get us out of Punta Arenas, let alone onwards home to Ottawa. Time will tell and thank you Geoff, your efforts were much appreciated.

At 8:00 a.m. today we received word that there continued to be a small weather opening around 11:00 a.m. and shortly thereafter the disembarkation drill went into fast, furious and full action. An hour later word came that at 9:00 a.m. plane number one had taken off from Punta Arenas for the two hour flight to King George Island and, subsequently, word came that plane number two was in the air by 9:10 a.m.

The morning weather was a little brighter with a slightly higher ceiling of visibility than for the three previous days, with 25 mile per hour winds. By 9:30 a.m. all our luggage was sent ashore by zodiac. By 9:50 a.m. passengers for plane number one were dressed in their heavy weather gear, rubber boots and life jackets and were boarding the zodiacs for the one mile trip to shore. Fifteen minutes after that passengers for plane number two were boarding the zodiacs. Once ashore the next 25 minutes were spent walking uphill along a 1 1/4+ mile mucky, rugged, wet "roadway" from the shore, to the runway, to near the tarmac...a tiring but necessary walk.

At 11:00 a.m. plane number one appeared on the horizon as the overcast skies started to close in again. All one could think of exclaiming was "da plane, da plane"! It landed safely on the runway, which could best be described as similar to the unpaved gravel road to my cottage during the spring thaw or after a heavy rain. Then, about 11:20 a.m. or so, and a little later than anticipated, our plane, plane number two, at last and with much relief on our part appeared on the horizon.

Around 11:30 a.m. plane number one was in the air on its way back to Punta Arenas. Finally, at 11:45 a.m., plane number two took off with us on board!

As we lifted off, down below our one hour weather window was rapidly closing but thanks to all the expert weather and air traffic control consultations, the pilots perfectly timed their trip to pick us up and made it in and out of King George Island while the weather window was open.

M/V Sea Adventurer---Antarctica

Once back in Punta Arenas we began again the challenging task of finding flights home to Ottawa. With the invaluable help of friend Geoff and excellent phone connections from our hotel room, Robin and I successfully rebooked our return flights for a few days hence...Robin flying via Santiago, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Montreal and bus to Ottawa and me via Santiago, Panama, Toronto to Ottawa. This marks the culmination of an awesome adventure, with a few challenging bumps along the way, that with good teamwork Robin and I were able to smooth out together and enjoy our amazing once in a lifetime adventure! Keeping On Keeping On is the only option!

