Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

To those folks I don't see regularly but think of often - I miss you and wish you all a wonderful and joyful Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year! May all your wishes come true in the coming year! Here's to 2008, cheers everyone!

Tara

East African Odyssey. . .

I am back from my East African adventure none the worse for wear, I think. A little dirtier perhaps and definitely exhausted. . . What ever possessed me to go on a two week camping trip through the wilds of Africa? What was I thinking and why didn't anybody say anything?

I have to say that the entire experience was unlike anything I had expected. While Kenya and Tanzania are two countries known for their safari industry they are still quite undeveloped. To say the roads in Kenya are bad is a gross understatement. It took us twelve hours of serious driving on roads that were better traveled off road than on to go a little over 500 km.

The first week we were in Kenya. There were only three of us on this safari. Surprisingly the company decided to continue the trip with only the three of us. We were spoiled that first week with good and plentiful food, our tents erected and broken down for us and our clothes washed if needed. We saw the big five in the first two days of our trip with a greater variety of animals than anywhere else we went.

We started the trip in Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya about 350 km north of Nairobi (on mostly dirt roads). Here we saw animals only found in this area like Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and the oryx. But the most impressive thing we saw while in Samburu was the cheetah. We didn't realize until later how lucky we were to see two cheetah. It wouldn't be until near the end of our safari in Tanzania that we would see another one and that one was too far away to get a picture. Without a doubt seeing a cheetah was my favorite part of the entire trip. Especially the one that crossed the road directly in front of our safari vehicle (it's the one in the picture above)!

The parks we visited in Kenya were smaller and more intimate. Like Lake Nakuru, Kenya was by far superior to Lake Manyara in Tanzania for the flamingo viewing. We were able to get almost close enough to touch them in Nakuru but couldn't even approach the waters edge in Lake Manyara. I have to say that I preferred the Masai Mara to the Serengeti. Although we missed the million animal migration we still saw large herds of wildebeests and zebra in the Masai Mara but very few in the Serengeti. The Serengeti seemed too large to get good animal viewings in only 2 days of game drives (the distances needed for traveling to where the animals were are vast). Also, In Tanzania we picked up more people and our three person safari was suddenly increased to 13. The weather was against us in Tanzania as we got soaked in our tents one night during a downpour in Lake Manyara and pursued by avaricious mosquitoes.

It was hot, dusty and dirty but we had good times around the camp fire at night and great game drives. Finding a bathroom at times was difficult and the driving was atrocious. . . My least favorite part was the lack of shower facilities (cold or hot) and the poisonous spiders of Kenya (could have done without them). And sleeping on the ground for two weeks, not for me again. . . The next trip will be a luxury tent or lodge safari!!



It was an experience that I will remember forever. I would love to go back and see southern Africa next. . . Who knows, it could happen. . .



Here are some more pictures from my trip. . . It was hard to pick the best but these are some of the ones I liked most. . .

I have a home in Africa. . .

Well, not really. Not a permanent one anyway. Just a temporary abode for now. I landed in Nairobi today and have already seen giraffes. On the way to my hotel from the airport I looked over and spied some giraffes grazing. I was in the country for less than an hour and had already seen my first animals. . . Wow!!!

Now, I'm just getting settled in for the night then will do some exploring of the city tomorrow. My tour leaves on Monday and we head into the Kenyan safari lands - our first stop is Samburu National Reserve. They have rare Grevy's zebra there and I think tree climbing lions. . . I will let you know more about that later.

So, stay tuned for more of Tara's African Safari Adventure. . .

Less than a week to go!

Well, I'm all kitted out. I think. . . Started taking anti-malarial medication yesterday and it's really starting to sink in that I'm going to Africa! I bought some killer binocs and a new camera and will hopefully have lots of fabulous pictures to post when I return. . .

The only thing left is to pack my backpack. I have to start being ruthless because its full already and I haven't even put the clothes in yet!

Happy trails!

Look Out Africa, Here I Come. . .

Tickets are in hand, tour is booked, accommodation confirmed. . . Ready or not I am going on safari to Tanzania & Kenya in November. One more purchase before I go - a really good video camera and I will be all set.

I'll keep everyone posted and hopefully will have killer photos when I return. . . All that's left to do is pack & re-pack, un-pack & re-pack. . . I'm limited to what I can take with me and I've never been a very light packer so wish me luck!

My Big, Fat, Greek Adventure. . .

Kalispera! Good Evening! I have returned from Greece safe and sound. What a lovely country! The food is fabulous and the people are wonderful! Their air conditioning, however, leaves a lot to be desired. To say it was hot in Athens was an understatement. These days in a effort to be more 'green', I think, some hotels are designed so that when you are not in the room the electricity is off. Your card key is supposed to be inserted into a special slot on the wall and only when you do this will the power come on. As a result the room takes half the evening to cool down. I don't know what's supposed to happen to any food you have in the refrigerator. I spent my time in Greece hot and sweaty, but then, I was in Greece, so who cares? Next time I'm in Greece I'll make sure it's in the spring or fall.
This is the view from my hotel room! What a sight! I have to say the hotel lived up to it's name - the Acropolis View Hotel. The location was excellent. Close to ancient Athens and the metro. I had a simple 5 minute walk to the metro followed by a 45 minute ride to the airport and I was all set. . .

And the view from the roof at night was spectacular. Most buildings had lounging areas or restaurants on their roofs. I had dinner at a Japanese place one night (yes, I was a bit tired of Greek salads by then) with an up close and personnel view of the Acropolis all lit up. It was a 10 minute walk up a very steep hill to the Acropolis. And boy was it hot up there! And crowded! I was there for my tour at 8:00 am sharp when it opened. By 8:30 am the place was over run by hordes of people. The dreaded tour bus groups had come! Between the tour groups and the heat by 10:00 am I was ready to get off the hill. I spent the rest of the day exploring ancient Athens. I visited Roman and Greek ruins. The ancient agora is very well preserved. This was the center of the city in ancient times. The market and civic buildings were there as well as temples and monuments. It sits at the base of the Acropolis hill on the north side. So I happily tromped around marble boulders and rubble that were once magnificent temples. I was in heaven!
I took a day tour to Delphi, the home of the ancient Oracle and the Sanctuary of Apollo. To ancient Greece this was the center of the earth, the 'navel'. Most of what I saw of the Greek countryside was agricultural and the trip to Delphi was a wander through what must be the heartland of Greece. There were miles and miles of olive tree groves, pistachio groves, tobacco fields(Greece is one of the largest consumers of tobacco in the world) and who knows what else. The Sanctuary of Apollo perches on the slopes of Mt. Parnassus about 800 m above sea level. In fact, you can see the Gulf of Corinth from the Sanctuary. The roads are winding and narrow and barely fit two big buses passing in opposite directions. At times the buses inch by each other until one or the other gets clear. You are literally on the edge of your seat just waiting to hear the screech of metal as the buses pass each other. . . Some how it never happens, though. The first picture above is the Sanctuary of Apollo looking down the valley to the ruins of the gymnasium in the distance. And the picture on the right is the actual ancient Oracle of Delphi. The physical center of the ancient world . . .

I was in Athens for 4 days then on to Crete for a week. . . Again, I stayed in a great location. I had a marvelous view of the Aegean Sea from my balcony. There was a constant breeze from the water so it relieved some of the heat. I spent a day each exploring the ancient Minoan palaces of Knossos and Phaestos. Both must have been magnificent in their day. . .I met a friend at Knossos who seemed not to be bothered by me sitting in the shade trying to cool off. . .

The Palace of Knossos was home to an advanced and cultured Minoan civilization that was suddenly and violently wiped out by a volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami that originated on the island of Santorini, known in Greece as Thira. Half of the island was blown away by a volcanic eruption 200 times more powerful than the eruption of Krakatoa, which is thought to be the most powerful in recent memory. I went on a day trip to Santorini and amazingly didn't get sick on the boat trip. Of course, that was after taking 2 Dramamine pills and wearing a scopalamine patch (also had nausea pills with me in case the prophylaxis didn't work). But, hey, I didn't get sick. And those of you who know me well, know for sure that I can't usually tolerate being on a boat, right Shari? The boat was a super fast catamaran passenger only boat so the ride was relatively calm.
To say Santorini is beautiful is doing it an injustice.The view from the rim is breathtaking. The small islands you can see in the distance are the tops of extinct volcanoes. And the water that you see was the island before it blew up. The volcano erupted and the water rushed in to fill the crater that was left. The island is C-shaped as a result with dramatic cliff side houses that are literally built into the rock. The eruption caused widespread devastation throughout the islands. There is a 30 meter thick layer of ash that fell and this is the pale creamy colored rock that the houses perch on.
The island was resettled and the people chose to build into the cliffs. You can take a cable car to the top or ride a donkey if you like. I chose to take a bus on what was a hair raising, hair-pin turning journey! Santorini was definitely a highlight of my tour. If I ever go back to Greece and go island hopping I will spend some time on Santorini.What amazed me so much were the colors. The aqua color of the water was so vivid and the white on the houses blinded the eye. And you could wander for hours among the small hillside streets window shopping. It's an island ripe for tourism and the cruise ships descend with regularity.
I flew back to Athens from Crete and spent a couple days leisurely touring the city with one entire day reserved for the National Archaeological Museum. This is the place that houses many of the ancient wonders found in Greece. It's a wonderful introduction into Greek history. There were Mycenaean, Minoan and Roman treasures. I don't have enough space and wouldn't want to bore you with all the pictures I took while in the museum. I wouldn't have missed it. I also went to the Olympic Stadium just to say I was there. It's been remodeled but for the most part it is the original structure.

So, long story short, I had a great time! It was a trip I've dreamed about and it was everything I'd hoped it would be. I've been back for two weeks now and yesterday I booked my next adventure. . .

Bare with me, the screen is in Greek. . .

I am trying to update my blog but the screeen is in Greek so it's a bit difficult. I am sitting in my hotel in Heraklion, Crete or Kriti as they pronounce it in Greek or if you want to get technical the proper Greek translation is: ΚΡΗΤΗ. Hope that comes through on the page. . . Not sure about the Greek characters. I'll try it anyway and if it's gibberish, you all understand. I spent the day at the ancient Minoan ruins of the Palace at Knossos. It's amazing to think this existed in the second millenium before Christ. It trully was a magnificent palace. I am going to visit another ancient palace ruins tomorrow: the Palace at Phaestos. It's a bit farther away than Knossos which is a 15 minute bus ride from town.

My hotel is on the waterfront in Heraklion. I can see the sparkling, aqua water of the Aegean sea from my balcony. If I could read the screen I would download some pictures but I can't figure out how to get the hyperlinks in English. . .

Oh, well. I am having a wonderful time. You all know I love history and there's plenty of that here. All too soon it will be over. I plan to enjoy it while I'm here. I have booked a one day cruise to Santorini for next week. . . That should be fun. I saw the island from the air as we flew in to Heraklion. What an island. . .

Signing off, I think,
Ταρα (no, it's not a typo, that's my name in Greek)

Next. . .

Well, I've planned my next trip. Greece here I come. . . Yep, in August I'm going to Greece. A few days in Athens then I will travel to Crete where I will spend the majority of my trip. I am planning on a day trip to the island of Santorini. But for the most part I want a relaxing two weeks in a place where I can veg at the beach, soak up some culture visiting ancient ruins, or where some nice person will bring me a cool, frosty marguerita if I want one, preferably on the beach. . . Tickets are booked, reservations are made and I am ready to go. . . Just have to learn a few words in Greek - "hello - yasas", "thank you - efharisto", "spread the lotion a little to the left - ?". I'll let ya know the last one later if I'm lucky. . .

My trip is over but the memories will remain forever. . . Thanks, guys, for the memories. . .

Well, my trip to Eastern Europe is over and I can "honestly" say it was fabulous, right boss-man?. . . I made new friends, had wonderful experiences, got lots of new bruises and aches and pains. . . Tasted absinthe and felt naughty doing it (it's illegal back home), sampled local beers and wines, and the food was incredible. Spent the night on a train with the girls in one compartment and the boys in the other. . . What an experience that was!

We partied our way from Bucharest, Romania to Debrecen, Hungary! And ran like mad for train connections but we made it despite ourselves! We spent an amazing day in the Maramures area of Romania that I personally think was the highlight. Romania, for me, was the reason I took this trip. It was everything and more that I'd hoped for and the best part of the trip. The weather was incredible, the sky so blue it hurt your eyes, the colors so vivid. The flowers were in bloom and the air was fresh and clean. We did spend a terrifying day on a minibus with a driver from hell. . . Though he did get us back in one piece. I can't say much for the driving in Romania except. . . AHHHHHHH! I had several near death experiences!!! Unfortunately, we did witness the aftermath of a bicyclist vs. a reckless driver. . .sadly the outcome was dismal.

Another highlight of Romania was Cluj Napoca. We had a great night out tasting local beers and partying til 2 am (for the girls) or 5 am (for the boys)! Steve-o was ever bird-watching, though we tried to fix him up with the cute receptionist in Cluj, alas, we only spent one night there, never enough time! Well, always on to the next bird! And I don't think Steve was too impressed with the comfort of the beds, were you Steve-o?

And Brasov, what can I say about this lovely little town, except that they have noisy carpenters, right Anne? The surrounding countryside is beautiful. . . Though, why does everything have to be at the top of a v-e-r-y l-o-n-g staircase? It is, after all, the birthplace of the Count Dracula legend. We overdosed on castles that were glorious, accompanied by spectacular weather! We celebrated birthdays on the trip for Anne and Susan with a surprise after dinner, thanks to our fearless leader and some conniving on my part!

Then on to Bucharest, the capital of Romania, the seat of Parliament with wide, tree-covered boulevards that rival the Champs-Elysee! We spent hours wondering around the city in search of food. Anne, Steve and I finally discovered the Lipscani area that the Lonely Planet had recommended. Well, I won't rely on the Lonely Planet any more! Let's just say the concept of customer service has not reached Romania yet. Nothing like waiting 10 minutes for a menu only to have the waitress never come back. . . Or surly, frowning waitresses. . . Oh well, the beers were great! I can safely say that about most of the places we visited.

We revisited Hungary to see what the local vineyards had to offer in Eger. And I must say it was superb! We spent an evening in the Valley of the Beautiful Women tasting the local wines and dining to live gypsy music! Another birthday celebration dinner for naughty Susan who secretly paid. . .Eger is known for it's red wines and I think will require a return trip sometime in the future. . .

From the warm days and cool nights of Eger to the still snow-covered trails of the High Tatras! They are magnificent! The High Tatras are to Slovakia what the Alps are to Western Europe. I hiked to the highest elevation I've ever been before. At the top was a beautiful mountain lake with a magnificent view and a cold beer. . . What more could a hiker ask for? We spent three nights in Poprad as our base. Day trips to the surrounding areas revealed a fabulous medieval walled city called Levoca and the spectacular castle at Spissky Podhradie called Spissky Hrad. Anne and I took the long way up, up and up. . . We circumnavigated the entire castle only to run down again at warp speed to try and catch the bus back to Poprad. It was our one day of striking out on our own and all in all it was a lovely day.

From Slovakia we sped through Brno our first stop in the Czech Republic (I, personally, would like to return and explore more of Brno). Here we tasted absinthe and visited mummified Capuchin monks then sped on to the jewels of the Czech Republic, Cesky Krumlov and Prague.

After an exhausting train, then bus (in the rain - our only real rain the entire trip), then train, then bus trip we finally arrived in Cesky Krumlov. And all they say about this place being the hidden crown jewel of the Czech Republic is true!!! I could have spent days getting lost in the cobbled alleys and exploring the little shops or lazing around the river. I tasted Becherovka, a cumin liqueur, and fell in love with it! The Czechs drink it as a kind of digestive aid. It's lovely after a gorgeous meal. I definitely will return to Cesky Krumlov!!!

As we moved farther north the weather became warmer and more humid thus we had the bus trip from HELL from Cesky Krumlov to Prague!!!! Four hours of heat, humidity and horrible driving combined to make my own personal hell!! But all was forgiven when we arrived in Prague. . . This city is fabulous! I only wish I had booked more time there. . .but I will be back!

So, thanks guys, for making this a memorable trip for me. Thanks Jona for being a great leader and 'to be honest' a funny guy, Steve-o for your ever present bird-watching and beer tasting, Anne for the great companionship and giggling fests, Susan and Irene for spontaneous parties on the trains and nightcaps, Marie and Hugh for the wine and whiskey, Norman for the hat and somehow managing to spot it across the square in whatever city we happened to be in and Lindsay, what stories you have to tell. . . I hope you are all safe and well and continue traveling. . . Happy trails. . .

Here are a few more pictures from our trip. . .

Enjoying dinners together!
Happy Birthday Anne and Susan!!
Peles Castle, Romania and the High Tatras, Slovakia
Relaxing on the train. . .


Anne and me. . .