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We travelled by small plane again to reach the Ngorongoro Crater.  The drive from the rim down into the crater is beautiful: the vegetation and the geography change as you go down – not many animals visible although I’m sure they were there. When we reached the floor of the crater we were amazed at the number of animals out in the open.  The area is basically a closed ecosystem and most of the animals live their entire lives there. They seem to have reached some sort of equilibrium and appear to live together peacefully (I’m sure that plenty of hunting goes on – we just didn’t see any that day).

   Baboons – on the road and at rest

Wildebeests and the rim of the crater

  Hippos and storks

More hippos

  Zebra scratching an itch

  Lion watching the parade of jeeps

Tip:  The weather changes quickly so take all opportunities to stop and enjoy the various viewpoints on the way in or out of the crater.

so…

We had a leisurely drive from the airstrip to the lodge – saw beautiful scenery and plenty of animals en route.

Wildebeests/Gnus and Zebras

   Pumba “in person”

African Vultures

When we arrived at Bushtops we were amazed at the beauty and luxury of our next temporary home.

Our “butler” arrived each evening to zip us in safely and then arrived in the morning, with a tray of coffee, to unzip us again. Can anyone say pampered?

Tip: taking pictures is great but put down the camera sometimes and just immerse yourself in what is going on around you.

so…

We left St. Petersburg and headed for Lithuania. It is unique because its history is much more German than Lithuanian. However there is a unique park that highlights Lithuanian folklore and fairytales that is located in a suburb of Klaipeda. It is a place for locals to celebrate Summer Solstice and All Saints Eve: Hill of Witches (Raguna Kalnus).

the park is on a peninsula

Getting to the peninsula by ferry – note the large bus getting on – we were in a similar one.

The park is filled with magical carvings:

    Fun!!!

Tip: Wear sturdy shoes, bring insect repellent, get a printed guide from the tourist information booth to tell you about each carving.

so…

We traveled by camp vehicle to the airstrip, then by small plane to the border of Kenya and Tanzania where we were met by a van. There were 6 (2 couples who were on the plane with us) of us being taken to the border crossing to go through immigration. We had purchased our Tanzanian visas in advance but the other 2 couples had not. As we neared the offices the driver asked if we had our visas and when the others replied no, he asked if they had $100 US dollars each….one of the couples did not. Although there was an ATM there was no way it was going to give dollars so we loaned them the cash. They promised to send a check as soon as they got back to Colorado and we hoped they would. So you ask: why would you lend $200 to 2 complete strangers? We decided it was worth the risk if it allowed us to get through immigration and meet our next flight as scheduled.

We walked from one building in Kenya to another building in Tanzania and all well smoothly. Our van took us to the next airstrip. There was actually a little place to sit in the shade and wait for the plane as we ate our boxed lunches.

This flight was easier than the first…can you see the trend here? We were the first to get off; these planes are like commuter trains and people get on and off at each stop.

 I’m the copilot!

When we got off there was no one to meet us…hmmm. Not good. We asked a number of the drivers who were waiting for other flights if they had heard of the lodge where we were going…no one had…hmmm. We asked if they had heard of the tour company that was supposed to pick us up…no one had…hmmm. The pilot called his office to ask if we were at the correct place…we were. Now we were getting worried. We called our travel professional in New Jersey and after a few phone calls back and forth we found out that there was a miscommunication and we were in the wrong place!!!!! We were about 8-10 hours by car from where we should have been (keep in mind that there are only dirt/rock roads that the locals laughingly describe as “African massage”. Hippo Creek Safaris to the rescue: they made arrangements for us to stay at a different lodge and rearranged our schedule for the next few days. We were picked up about an hour later by a camp vehicle with a grill that flipped down into a table that was used to serve wine/liquor/soda/snacks. Off to a rough start but things got better and better.

And we were off on our first game drive in The Serengeti.

Tip: always travel with extra cash, preferable new bills…you never know when you’ll need extra money. PS: there was a check waiting in our mail when we got home.

so…

We flew from New York to Nairobi with a change of planes in between. Our night in Nairobi was in a beautiful hotel with a lovely restaurant.

The next morning we headed to the local airport for the first of many short flights. I’m not a great flyer and was very nervous about the 12 seat, single engine planes we were about to take. The first flight involved a few tears but soon became an interesting, almost pleasurable experience.

The flight to the Masai Mara was short and interesting – we were less than 7000 feet above the earth and could see the animals below.

Landing was another new experience: there is a gravel landing strip with no fencing or security. The animals wander freely from one side to the other…this is their home, not mine.

Our first lodge, The Saruni Mara, was beautiful. Each “tented cabin” is an individual cottage with canvas walls that can be unzipped during the day and rezipped at dusk, especially when there are baboons nearby. They have a reputation for being inquisitive and destructive if they get inside. There was a troop that lived near our tent and watching them go from left to right in the morning and then right to left at dusk was like watching baboon commuters during rush hour. There was a resident Eland who wandered the camp munching on the shrubs as he went.

We walked out of our tent one morning and found ourselves nose to nose with him…good thing he’s comfortable with humans.

We stayed in one of the conservancy areas owned by the Masai instead of staying in the national park – this meant that our guides could take us out both during the day and after sunset and they could drive almost anywhere they chose rather than on the roads as required in the park. When in a park you can’t drive to where the animals are – you have to hope they choose to be near the roads. Our guide had the most amazing ability to spot animals and then drive directly to where they were patiently waiting to pose for us as seen below:

  Cheetah Elephants Giraffes Cape Buffalo Lioness/Cubs

Three wonderful days in the Mara and then on to the Serengeti.

Tip: 1:  Stay in a conservancy instead of a national park and take a camera with a good zoom and quick action so you don’t miss any photo opportunities.

so…

 

We have wanted to go to Africa for a long time. We went to Morocco a few years ago but northern Africa is not what most of us think of when we think Africa. The big debate was southern or eastern Africa. The deciding factor for us was going to see the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda. We looked at different planned trips by different companies and finally realized that in order to do what we wanted we would have to go on our own.

Going on our own did not mean winging it! We worked with a company that came highly recommended by friends: Hippo Creek Safaris. We were able to give them a budget and a list of requirements and they worked with us to customize our trip.

Although we like to learn about the local people and customs where we travel, this trip, for me, was all about the animals. We wanted to see “the big five” (elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, lion, leopard) in addition to seeing hippos, giraffes, hyenas, warthogs, wildebeests.

Here we go!!!!!!

Tip: do your research, work with a knowledgable travel agency, give a detailed list of what you want to see, be flexible.

so…

Up early and ready for another day – really nice people in our tour group which makes for a more enjoyable experience.

We had to stop at a tourist souvenir shop so Jeff and the others could try on Russian hats.

 

 Nesting Dolls

Catherine’s Palace, home of the Amber Room, is amazing. The vastness of the building and the grounds is the first thing that strikes you and then the opulence comes next.

We were serenaded as we waited to enter.

First View

 

 

   The opulence!!!

The Amber Room

 The Gardens

Lunch: Borscht, blintzes, black bread and vodka…what else would you expect???

Next stop: Peterhof, home of Peter The Great. Again, we were struck by the size and opulence. There were numerous fountains that depend on gravity as the water flows from higher to lower elevations to get the magnificent vertical sprays.

 

In addition to the formal gardens and fountains there were smaller gardens with whimsical fountains called follies. They appear to be places to sit and rest and then without warning water springs up and surprises the unsuspecting visitor.

We visited the St. Petersburg subway – again, impressed with the size, decoration, and cleanliness…not like the NYC subways that I’m used to.

Outside entrance

Inside rotunda

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good thing we had a guide…all signs are in Russian with no translations.

Last stop: a beautiful store that sold everything from chocolates, to pastries, to vodka.

  Sampling vodkas

Now that I’ve sampled St. Petersburg I would love to see Moscow.

Tip: always bring a rain jacket when in St. Petersburg…and watch out for the folly fountains!

so…

One of the reasons we chose this trip was spending 2 days in St. Petersburg.  We decided to book a private tour: a separate visa is needed each time you get off the ship, you can’t walk around in between tours and wait for the next to start, the ship’s tours required participants to return to the ship in between tours (wasted time, in my opinion). The company we chose, Best Guides Group, provides all visas, transportation, admissions, and the guide.  We got off to a rocky start when we couldn’t find our guide and found out that the ship had docked at the port closest to the city but the guide company thought we were docking at the pier about an hour outside of the city. If we had been the only two waiting it would have been very uncomfortable, but there were 8 other people…misery loves company. We waited about 45 minutes until she arrived but she was worth the wait. She spoke English well and was knowledgeable and passionate about her city.

First stop: The Hermitage: grand, majestic, opulent, awe-inspiring. It would take at least a week to do this museum justice but we did our best in the limited time we had.

Next stop: The Cathedral of Spilt Blood, a beautiful example of classic “onion dome architecture” so common in St. Petersburg.

Although it was June it was gray and rainy and cool. Not the best weather for sightseeing but the city is so colorful it almost makes up for the weather.

We stopped in to a local market shop and saw a confusing array of merchandise ranging from fresh chicken to beer and soda refilling machines.

We had dinner with our group, local Russian cuisine (reminded me of eating at my Grandparents’ house as a child) and then on to a folk show. Not sure what we expected as these things can sometimes be like a local talent show but we were pleasantly surprised. The performers were talented, varied and enthusiastic. They even served vodka shots during intermission! Welcome to Russia!!!

We weren’t done yet – it was the longest day of the year and there was almost no darkness. Our guide gave out paper and had each of us fold a paper boat.   We went to the banks of the Neva River and put our boats into the river and watched them float away.

Actually, most of them sank quickly, but we had fun anyway.

Back to the ship around 11pm – sleep quickly because tomorrow is another full day.

Tip: take a backpack with extra layers and gloves and a rain jacket – it may be summer but it’s a Russian summer.

so….

 

We don’t like to spend a lot of time at sea since we don’t usually participate in the onboard activities. Our days at sea were spent lying in the sun and reading and listening to music. It wasn’t really warm enough to use the lovely pool but lying in the lounge chairs was very comfortable…and the cappuccino was pretty good too.

There were lots of specialty rooms in which to spend time. We even participated in Friday night Shabbat services in the library.

The food was excellent in the buffet and we had a hard time pulling ourselves away from the many choices to go to the specialty restaurants. Unlike many other cruise ships, this trip included a limited number of reserved visits to the Italian and Steakhouse restaurants. Both were excellent with great service, interesting menus, and good wine. We even got a table-side presentation of a variety of olive oils and balsamic vinegars: who knew there were so many to choose from?

Tip: Make your dinner reservations in advance to get the times you prefer. Offer to share a table in order to get the time you want and to meet other people.

so….

We boarded our ship, The Nautica, which sails under the Oceania flag. It is a lovely, smaller ship that caters to an adult crowd: mostly over 40 and almost no kids. We splurged on this trip and took a stateroom with a balcony…very nice indeed.

The ports of call were not all places that I wanted to go but there were enough of interest to make it worthwhile.  I had my knee replaced 5 months prior and this was my first big trip post new knee and figured we would test it out slowly. Hence a cruise without strenuous hiking.

First stop, Zeeland, Netherlands. Not a great start – we went on a ship excursion to see part of the dike and delta system that keeps the Netherlands from going under water…interesting but not worth writing about.

Amsterdam next. We landed at 7:30 am and departed at 3:30 pm: not much time to see what I expected to be a wonderful city. We purchased our tickets to The Anne Frank House on line and reserved the first entrance of the morning. We found the house experience fascinating. Most of us know the story of the young girl who hid there during World War II, but being there and seeing a more personal side of her made her story so much more compelling.

We left there in a sober mood and walked a bit along the beautiful canals.

   Bikes & Boats

 Houseboats

Gotta go back some day and stay in one!

 For my knitting friends

We decided that with very limited time we would do the Hop On – Hop Off Boat (yes, like the buses). Great way to see a city with so much water. We stopped off to see a diamond display since Amsterdam is known for its diamond market. Big mistake: it was very little display and mostly high pressured sales.

   two funny guys

3:30 pm came much too soon – back to the beautiful ship and on to the next port.

Tip: buy tickets to the Anne Frank House on line, in advance – you will avoid the long lines and the potential wait until they open general admission at 3pm

so…