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Hello Everyone! I really hope all of you are healthy and staying sane in these troubling times. Here in the Emerald Isle, things are just starting to get eerie. St Patty’s day, today, has all pubs closed. A national holiday here but no place to celebrate.

While we still have some freedom, I took a nice bike ride today along the river.

Churches are pretty much everywhere here and this little one is so pretty on the other side of the river. The Cormorants seem to enjoy the location too.

The trees here are just starting to leaf out which gives them a nice fuzzy look off in the distance.

I am sad that so much of spring will be missed. I had plans for hikes and bird watching along the coast and cliffs. At least these guys decided to put on a show today at the river’s edge.

And, the daffodils are out and were so pretty to see along the river today.

Penguin was also excited to get out today. Joe had to stay at home since the elderly are supposed to self isolate. Rocky jumped in and kept us all company.

What are you doing for the next few weeks or months? What are your lockdown plans?

I am happy that at least I have a balcony so I can pretend to be outside. If I decide to start singing, and the neighbors don’t kill me, I will post a video.

Stay safe and healthy my friends. And, try to stay away from the financial news. We don’t want anyone having a Coronanary.

One thing about flying around the African continent is that there are very few direct flights. To get from Maun (the city in Botswana closest to the Okavango Delta) to Kigali, you first have to fly to Johannesburg. Not in the right direction. You arrive in Jo’berg at about 6pm and your connecting flight leaves at 3am. I decided these lovely connection times were chosen to ensure full occupancy rates at the in-airport hotel. It all worked out and on the flight to Kigali I met a very interesting woman from Australia who now lives in Johannesburg. Turned out we were also staying at the same hotel.

Rwanda has worked very hard to change impressions from the past. The country is extremely clean. Plastic bags were outlawed in 2008 and there is no trash anywhere. One day a month, the whole country participates in a community work day (Umuganda day) when the citizens clean the streets and do other public works. The president of the country wants Rwanda to be the Singapore of Africa. While this may take a while, it it certainly the cleanest and best organized of the African countries I visited.

What most people travel to Rwanda to see is gorillas. Gorillas and the super cute golden monkeys.

The problem with photographing primates in the jungle is twofold. First of all, they like to hang out in the bush making it difficult to focus on them (vs a leaf or something else). Second, their cute little (or large for gorillas) faces are very dark and the camera can’t focus very well. Consequently, you end up with a LOT of blurry monkeys. The upside to this is how excited you get when one or two of the pictures actually turns out.

Getting to the monkeys and the gorillas involves a walk through a farming area and then trecking in the jungle until you find them. This is true jungle trecking, no paths, through bush and stinging nettles. The farming area was stunning as it led to the mountains.

Golden Monkeys are amazing with cute, and somehow elegant, faces.

It’s their backs and stomaches that have the golden color.

Rwanda now cherishes their gorillas. The permit price to go see them is very high but worth it if the money really does go toward conservation. Every year, in September, the locals celebrate the previous year’s gorilla births in a naming ceremony. The gorillas themselves don’t participate, but it is a lovely custom. This is where the naming ceremony takes place and this September they will be naming 28 (i think) baby gorillas!

As I said earlier, getting pictures of these wonderful animals was tough. I am happy that a few came out. Here’s a tip, if you ever decide to go gorilla trecking: keep your ISO set to auto and adjust your exposure comensation if you camera has that feature. I’ll be ready if I ever go back.

After the gorillas and golden monkeys, I think the thing that most impressed all of us was how insustrious and determined the Rwandan people are. Outside of the capital, roads are poor and transportation options limited. The people still manage to get their goods to market and farm the land.

While the stay in Rwanda was short, it was a wonderful experience. If you are thinking of visiting the gorillas and monkeys, you definitely should. You should also not wait too long. The treck is diffcult and I don’t know if I would have enjoyed it so much in another 10 or 15 years.

Next stop is Uganda…

Okay, so there are really 5, but Leopards are very elusive. Despite good guides and trackers, that particular feline did not grace us with its presence. I remain hopeful, however, as I have a few more countries to go…

The Big 5 are Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Buffalo and Rhinos. The list was originally drawn up by big game hunters to refer to the 5 most difficult, and dangerous, animals to hunt on foot.

After visiting Cape Town, we journeyed east to Kruger National Park and a private reserve called Karangwe. Both were incredible. Kruger is the more famous of the South African parks and is stunning. Seeing so many different birds was an amazing experience. Karangwe is where we got to see a lot of animals, including some cats. Rather than try to remember in which park we saw what exact animals, I am just going to post by group.

The Birds

Reptiles

Only a few here.

Cheetahs!

These were spotted in Karangwe. We were able to get very close, about 4 meters or so, and we were out of the jeep.

Warning, some of the images may be disturbing.

Hippos

Okay, so there not the cutest, but in the water they are pretty cool. Also, more people are killed by hippos in Africa than by any other animal.

Giraffes

There is something about these creatures that just captivates me. Perhaps is the goofy face or how they are able to contort themselves in seemingly impossible ways.

Elephants

These are the true king of the jungle. Without them, no one else could survive. They control the brush but eating and knocking over trees. They also create habitat for other species.

Lions

We came upon the lions at the end of the day. It was a group of all males (not sure if it’s called a pride when they are all one gender), one adult and three juveniles. It got darker as we stayed with them, so the quality of the images is not as good as I would have liked. But, they were wonderful to watch.

Antelope

There are 72 different antelope in Africa. 21 of them can be found in Kruger. We did not see that many.

Miscellaneous

Other animals for whom I only have a few postable pics or or, as I know now, I have better pics from later in the trip.

At the end of our time in the game reserves of South Africa, we were blessed with this stunning view. (No, CA, there are no fires down there).

Next stop, Victoria Falls!

South Georgia looks like someone took the European Alps and plopped the in the Southern Ocean and then added all the wildlife of the Galapagos. It is truly a once in a lifetime experience.

It took us about two days to get to South Georgia from the Falklands/Malvinas. Again, we were blessed by sunny skies and calm seas.

Along the route, we were lucky to witness a couple of Orcas feeding. We were also lucky we didn’t have to see whatever the meal was.

Arriving in South Georgia is unforgetable. Mountains and sea with vistas unlike anywhere else on earth.

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Grytviken is the largest populated place (not really a town) in South Georgia. It used to be a whaling station in the 19th and early 20th centruries. Today is functions as a research station. There are about 12 people there year round and another 12 or so live there in the summer.

Grytviken is also the final resting place of Sir Ernest Shackelton, famed explorer and saviour of his men. We visited the grave and gave a toast to “the boss”, as he is known. If you don’t know the story, google it. There’s also a pretty good movie about him.

Around the islands are different mamals and yes, MORE PENGUINS!

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One of the birds I just loved was the Tern. They were all over South Georgia and always made me smile.

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South Georgia is also the home of the worlds largest King Penguin colony. 500K Penguins all in one place! The pictures can neither show the vastness of the colony nor can they share the smell.

In addition to the majestic King Penguins, South Georgia also has a number of the super cute Macaroni Penguins. If you think they look like Rockhoppers, you are right, but there are differences (or at least I was told there were).

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And, it was in South Georgia that we were able to see the Chinstrap Penguin. It’s easy to see how he got his name.

After four days in South Georgia, we sailed onward to the Antarctic Continent. Stay tuned!

After a few days in Ho Chi Minh City, I joined up with a river cruise and tour for the Mekong River, Cambodia and Northern Vietnam.

Quickly after leaving Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong becomes more rural and traditional.  Life becomes quieter as you float from town to town.  Most of the other traffic is small fishing vessels.

Before crossing in to Cambodia, we paid a visit to a small town to get a feel for life, present and past, along the river.

The oxcart is still used in this town.  Yes, the tourists are big users, but we did see locals riding in them as well.  I would not recommend this as a form of transportation.  After a short 20 minute ride, I was more than ready to get off.  I could not help but think what it must have been like for the pioneers heading across the plains in not dissimilar “vehicles”.

In this same village, we visited a local home.  Again, no complaining about your kitchen ever again.  This lady has to use corn cobs as fuel for the stove.

In this same town, we also saw cicadas.  Not flying around, but crawling up the tree.  I have only ever seen them during swarms in the USA when you are running from them.  They are actually quite beautiful creatures.

After the oxcart village experience, we crossed in to Cambodia.

Buddhism seems to permeate almost all facets of life in this country.  We were even treated to a blessing by two monks.  We were told after the blessing we were 20 years younger.  It didn’t feel like that after 20 minutes sitting on the floor with no mat but the kinks got worked out of all our knees and backs and off we went… our new, youthful selves.

The architecture in Cambodia is stunning.  There are temples and monestaries everywhere and even the palaces and governement buildings are inspired by Buddhism.

Now, in my previous brief post, I mentioned that technical difficulties had prevented me from posting.  The first problem was the internet along the river and in the more rural areas.  The bigger problem is that my camera broke on day 3 of this part of the trip.  My new friends Ted and Doreen from Vancouver shared thier SD card with me.  I have a ton of pictures on my phone as well, but transfering this is proving a bit more difficult.  This is mostly due to the fact that I have run out of hard drive space on my laptop.

A new camera has been procured and is meeting me in Dubai.

Hopefully, internet connectivity will stay reasonably good for the next few weeks and I can get caught up.  Thanks for sticking with me.

Next post is about Ankgor Wat.  Google it now if you haven’t heard of it.

Much love to all!

 

All is well. Technical issues have made it difficult to post. Stay tuned. Thanks.

My final days in China were spent on the Yangtze and then in Shanghai.

A quick cruise along the Yangtze begins in Chongquin, a city of 30+million inhabitants. While the city does not have much in the way of tourist sites, departing from the city at night takes you under a lovely lighted bridge.

The first part of the cruise is a little depressing.  The river is polluted and there are large factories right along the banks.

Our first stop was a small town which was newly built after the government opened the dam and flooded the areas close to the old river banks.  There is an interesting museum and underwater viewing area in the town, but the best site was the VEGETADLE MARKET.

Inside there were plenty of vegetadles, and some other interesting things…(sorry Lynn – look away)

While our group was interested in the market, the locals were interested in us.  Our guide told us that they don’t see tourists very often.  Seems the whole town wanted to see us on to the bus.  We felt a bit like space aliens returning to the ship.

We continued down river toward the Three Gorges Area, an area of impressive natural beauty.

The best part of the Three Gorges area visit for me was the trip on the little boats.  The oarsmen paddle with the guests on the boats along one of the tributaries of the Yangtze.

We also had lunch in a small village and got to see the inside of a typical home.  Don’t ever say you hate your kitchen again.

At the end of our river cruise we took a quick flight to Shanghai.

Shanghai was once known as the Pearl of the Orient.  Well, now it’s a diamond!  What a great city!  Glitz and glam with a sedate side too.

I don’t know if Shanghai is the world capital of sky scrapers, but it’s got to be close!  The tall one is the second tallest in the world.

It’ not all cement and glass.  There is some green space, too.  Yu Gardens is a lovely oasis in the middle of town.

Despite the green, the skyscrapers beckon.  I had to go up to the top.  Before I could, I had to get to the other side of the river.

There are no bridges in the center of town, so to cross the river you have to go through a tunnel.  Pedestrians have their own tunnel, which is actually a little funicular rail and a psychedelic tunnel, for a short strange trip.

You exit the tunnel in a space-age land of tall shiny buildings.  Shanghai Tower, the second tallest building in the world, is not really finished yet.  The only things open are the observation tower on the top and the shopping mall on the bottom.   I think the cost of the visit is helping to fund the completion of the middle floors!

The view from the top is pretty impressive.

Even with all of these wonderful vistas, it is at night when Shanghai really shines…literally shines.  It’s like Vegas on steroids, but with a bit more class.

China has been an amazing experience.  I have only just scratched the surface of the county, however.  I can say that I have had an introduction to the country, but there is so much more to China than the places I have been.  Maybe some day…

I have a stop in Hong Kong and then it’s on to Vietnam.

I promise no pictures of snow-capped mountains here.

Dunedin (pronounced done-eedin) is a medium-sized city in the south-east of the south island.  It is known for its world class university and the bird life that lives nearby.

The Royal Albatross is the largest of the albatross with a wingspan of 3 meters.  It breeds on the hills above the sea just outside Dunedin.  We got to see two.  These are juveniles.  They were pretty far away.

The Red Billed Gull is a super cute bird that seems to be everywhere; however, they are becoming more endangered than the albatross.  I love the red eyeliner and polka dot tail.

Shags are sea birds that don’t have oil in their feathers.  There is a big colony of them just below where the albatross nest.

The Masked Lapwing is actually from Australia but is now quite at home in NZ.

You may remember photos of a similar bird from the Galapagos.  This is Oyster Catcher.

The Pukeko is all over this beautiful country, often seen on the side of the road.  Sometimes in it.

The Paradise Duck has been one of my favorite birds here.  I have only seen it on the South Island.  The female has the white head.  The male is much more impressive in flight.  They are always seen in pairs.

Stilts are always fun to see.  I am pretty sure they got thier name because of their legs.

All of these are wonderful, but it is PENGUINS that are the area’s most famous birds.

The PENGUIN PLACE is a private sanctuary run by the family that owns the land the penguins have decided to call home.  They have worked to restore the area near the beach to bush land that will shelter them.  Two penguin species live here.  This is the beach where the penguins come ashore.

The Little Blue Penguin, Korora in Maori, is the smallest of all penguins.  They only reach 30cm in height.  Generally, they live in underground burrows, but the good people of the Penguin Place have built shelters for them.

The Yellow Eyed Penguin is one of the rarest in the world, and one of the most threatened.  They are also very shy and do not live in colonies.  Again, we saw them from far, far away.

Our penguin was very happy at the end of the visit.

Our next stop is Japan.  This will be my first time to Asia and first place on this trip where I do not speak the language.  Things will start getting very interesting.  Stay tuned.

 

 

Queenstown is a beautiful little city in the mountains in South Central New Zealand.  It is also where most people stay when visiting the sounds:  Doubtful and Milford.

Like getting to other cities, I drove to Queenstown in the rain.  Not pouring, but steady.  The drive from Franz Josef to Queenstown requires getting over a mountain range.  There a lots of little walks and hikes you can stop for along the drive.  Lovely views and waterfalls are all around.

My first night in Queenstown the snow level dropped almost to street level.  This made the city look beautiful and me excited for the trip to Doubtful Sound.

I took an overnight trip to Doubtful Sound with an amazing company called Real Journeys.  I would recommend them to anyone traveling in Southern New Zealand.

Before we got to the boat for the trip on the Sound, we were treated to a fabulous view of Doubtful Sound from the hills above.

We boarded a nice boat and checked in to our cabins.  To save money, we stayed in the dorms down below.  Penguin was ecstatic since we were right at water level.

The boat trip was amazing.  Not just the scenery, but the boat, the crew and everything.

After an afternoon seeing beautiful sights from the big boat, many of us got into kayaks for an unforgetable up-close experience with Doubtful Sound.

Penguin was most unhappy that he couldn’t go kayaking (they didn’t have a life vest to fit him).  So he got up to mischief on the big boat.

On day two of the mini-cruise, we were treated to a beautiful sunrise.

And later, we saw Penguins!!!!  The Fjordland Crested Penguin.  It only lives in this part of New Zealand.  So very exciting!!!!

When we got off the boat we met a Kea.  The Kea is the only alpine parrot in the world.  They are social, inquisitive, and according to some Kiwis, a bit cheeky.

After my two days in Doubtful Sound, I spent one day on a trip to Milford Sound.  Milford is the more famous of the two sounds and is spectacular, but it’s not better.  Both are wonderful.

I traveled to Milford Sound by small plane and returned by helicopter.  The visit to the sound itself was on a boat.

I loved traveling on the small plane.  It was quiet and stunning.  I got to sit in the co-pilot seat!

The plane at the airfield

After the plane, we got on a boat and toured the Sound.

The helicopter ride back from the cruise was incredible.  We stopped again at the top of a mountain for photos in the snow.

helicopter over the mountain

(click on the above to see a really cool video)

My trip to the Sounds has been brief but amazing.  Queenstown is a beautiful city and demands more time than I have been able to give it.

My next stop is Dunedin – on the east coast of NZ.  One reason for my stop here is more penguins.  Cross your fingers that I get to see more of these wonderful creatures.

Love to all y’all!

 

 

 

I have stopped driving for a few days and am enjoying the scenery in Franz Joseph Glacier.   Getting here took a couple of days traveling through some very pretty coastal and mountain scenery.

I left Nelson about noon, after spending the morning walking around the town.  Nelson does not have that much to offer in terms of tourism, but the surrounding areas are beautiful.

After driving for an hour or so, we stopped to stretch our legs (flippers) and take in a view.

The road to the West Coast goes through an amazing river gorge.

After the gorge, you hit the coast.  The weather was starting to deteriorate.  I drove along a beautiful section before stopping for the night.

When I woke up the next morning, there was a storm approaching.  However, you could just make out the mountains in the distance under the cloud.

The drive on to Franz Joseph was pretty much all in the rain.  Halfway through the drive, I stopped in this town that had a Kiwi center.  Kiwi’s are nocturnal, so it’s tough to see them in the wild.  They are also MUCH bigger than I thought.  They’re the size of a cat (about the size and shape of Reba, for those of you that knew my cat)!

Photos are not permitted in the kiwi area.  They are very sensitive to light.  So, I have a picture here I got online.

Evolution has not worked well for Kiwi.  No wings means it can’t get away, and its instinct when threats approach is to “shelter in place”.  It also has a very strong scent that dogs find irresistible.  Dogs and cats are kiwi’s biggest predators.

The kind folks in the Kiwi center adopted a lamb whose mother had rejected it.  Ed now greets visitors, but will soon go to a farm to work as a lawnmower.

I am sure the drive to Franz Joseph Glacier is stunning.  However, it was pouring rain so I didn’t get to see much.

The next morning, however, the sun came out and the scenery did not disappoint.

Since the weather was cooperating, I decided to head out to Lake Matheson, New Zealand’s most photographed lake.  Once I got there, it started to rain.  However, it didn’t last long and we got to see a gorgeous double rainbow.

Lake Matheson is a  Kettle Lake.  It was formed as the glacier retreated and left calved ice pieces that melted and formed the lake.  The hike around the lake is on a well maintained path.  It’s about 4.5km around the lake, most of it through rain forest.

One you arrive at Lake Matheson you are rewarded with a spectacular view, and if you’re lucky (I was), a reflective lake.

After the hike around the lake, I headed back in to town.  It was rush hour on the only highway, but I didn’t mind.

I have a couple more days here and keep my fingers crossed for good weather.

 

I continue moving south.  The drive to Wellington went through a valley with more beautiful mountains.

I stayed a night in Wellington.  Having been there before, I just stayed one night and then caught the Ferry the next morning.  The morning sky at the ferry terminal was amazing.

This was my first time ever driving into a ferry. It reminded me of the Millenium Falcon.

Once onboard, Penguin and I enjoyed a Flat White (that’s a coffee).

The ferry crosses the Cook Straight and then goes through one of the sounds into the town of Picton.  Picton is on the left about 2/3 way down the photo.

The scenery is impressive.

Penguin was very happy to be on open water again and had a good time goofing off on deck.

From Picton, is it a gorgeous 140km drive to Nelson.  The road goes through vineyards and then up and over mountains to the bay of Tasman.

When I saw the vineyards with sheep, I just had to stop. (Jo, these are for you!)

The valley on the way to Nelson is just stunning.

One of the GREAT things that happened today  was that I was able to change the drop off city for the rental car.  I am now going to fly back to Auckland and leave the car here in the south.  This will give me more time and less driving.  Three cheers for the good folks at Apex Car Rentals who allowed me to do this for NO ADDITIONAL FEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I will now make it to Dunedin which makes me, and Penguin VERY HAPPY!

Next big stop is Franz Josef Glacier.

 

 

After my time up in the Far North, I started to head south…in the rain!

My first stop was the town of Taupo.  It sits on a lake of the same name and has beautiful mountains in the background.  I got to see them on my second day when the skies finally cleared…briefly.

After Taupo I headed to Hawkes Bay.  The drive was through some beautiful countryside that really did look like Middle Earth.

Hawkes Bay is New Zealand’s produce bowl.  Seems just about everything grows here…including grapes.   The countryside is stunning with shades of green that seem impossible.  And, it wouldn’t be New Zealand without sheep.

There are a number of good wineries here.  After going up to the tallest peak (Te Mata) to take in the view, I visited a couple of wineries.  Craggy Range is particularly good, so if you see any in a store near you, pick it up.

 

Tomorrow, I head farther south to Wellington where I will spend the night and catch the early morning ferry across Cook Straight to Picton.  From there I will drive on to Nelson to spend the night.

I will still be driving after Nelson with a final destination of Franz Josef Glacier where I will stay for a couple of days.  So, don’t worry or think you have been unsubscribed to the blog if you don’t see a post for a while.

I leave you, for now, with cows at the vineyard.

 

 

The Valle de Aconcagua is a wine region in Chile that sits at the foot of the Andes.  The main city in the region is Los Andes.  I wish I could tell you the city was a wonderful tourist destination and that the wineries were all wonderful and welcoming.  Unfortunately, I cannot.  What I can tell you is that the views of the Andes mountains are amazing.

 

I tried to visit some wineries; however, they were closed, despite all published information indicating otherwise.  But, I did get to see some beautiful vineyards and lovely old buildings.

I also tried to head up into the mountains, but the weather would not cooperate.  As I got to the switchbacks that take you the last 20 or so kilometers to the snow field, a cloud started descending on the mountain.  I turned around and as I got down to the bottom of the mountain I saw that they had closed the road going up.  Whew!  I would not have been happy stuck up there.  But, the drive was interesting.  Note below how the Chilean department of transportation deals with what I am sure are constant rock slides on mountain roads.

Some people reading this are leaving comments, and I love it!  Please keep them coming.  It gives me a connection back home.  If you read this in your email, I believe there is a way to commend directly from the email.  If you come to the site to check for new posts, you can leave comments directly on the page.

Also, remember you can see other photos by following my Instagram page:  Lemsfo

Have a great day!

 

Valparaiso is a port city about 100 km from Santiago.  Geographically, it sits right next to Vina del Mar but is many miles away in culture and style.

Valparaiso is known for the colored houses that sit, at times precariously, on the slopes of steep hills.  Streets are impossibly narrow and twist and turn up the hills.  Imagine San Francisco with 80% of the streets like Lombard and Ashbury Terrace.

It is also known for its public art – or murals.  They are on many of the buildings and are wonderful to look at.

 

I spent one day walking around the city – up, down and around.  Luckily, on the really steep parts they have “elevators” or funiculars.  They cost about 12 cents each way and are fun, if you don’t get vertigo.

I first visited Valparaiso in 1987 when traveling around the continent.  I remembered not caring for it much then, but I wanted to give it a second chance.  I still didn’t care for it much.  I am glad I visited; however, the city is very dirty.  When they decided to clean up Santiago and expelled all the litterbugs, this is where they were sent.  It it really sad.  The city has so much potential but the people just don’t seem to care.

I also went to the Casablanca valley, just outside Valparaiso.  It is one of the newer wine regions in Chile and is known for cold climate wines.  The climate is very similar to the southern part of Sonoma Valley with warm days and cool nights.

Wine tourism has certainly not reached the level of California (or even Argentina) yet.  They charge way to much for the tastings and the people pouring, for the most part, don’t have any real knowledge of the wines.  One place was great but the other two, not so good.

The town of Casablanca itself has a lot of potential to be super cute.  There is a nice plaza and has good walkability.  I see it as being a real destination in a few years.

After a day of wineries, I decided to check out the southern coast.  I drove down to Algarrobo, a lovely seaside town about 30 minutes from Valparaiso.  This town is  beautiful, with s lovely beach and they are installing a new boardwalk.  There are a number of retired expats in Algarrobo.

Driving around has been a hoot.  Most of the time, once on the highways, things are pretty well marked.  Getting to the highways is always fun.  At least the geography helps.  The Pacific Ocean is to the west, REALLY BIG mountains are to the east.  From there, you can figure most things out.

Next post will be from a town farther inland.  Stay tuned.