Space Goddess

Okay, I have no excuse for not blogging since we returned from our safari! Well, actually, I have several excuses but none are valid (except for the one about waiting for the stars to be aligned with the orbit of Jupiter—that, my friends, is a very valid reason!).

I will try to upload a movie I made of our safari to Botswana and Zambia. It was our 5th safari in 9 years and we loved every minute of it! Thank you, thank you, thank you to our friends at Wilderness Safaris! We had an amazing adventure! To whet your appetite: we saw a buffalo tree a lioness, a hyena stalk one of Legadema’s cubs (Legadema, a leopard,  is the star of a National Geographic film that chronicled her life), and two starry-eyed humans celebrate their 10th anniversary with a private candlelight dinner a deux at Vumbura Plains (that would be yours truly and Michael, of course!)

Next post I’ll update you on White Knight 2, the mother ship for Spaceship 2. She’ll be unveiled in 2 weeks to the press and I’ll see her a month from today. That reminds me, have you reserved a seat on Virgin Galactic, yet? What are you waiting for? Trust me, the stars have definitely aligned with Jupiter!

No matter what day you think it is, while reading this post, pretend today is June 8th! Unlike Toto, we didn’t hate our version of Oz! We loved our safari and the friends we made along the journey. Like Toto, we came back on June 8th to Kansas! I believe a well-balanced life of a traveler consists of planning glorious journeys, taking the journey, happily returning home, and, best of all, savoring the memories!

As soon as we get our photos together, I’ll post a link to the Picasa website to share with you!

Now, it’s Sunday,June 8th, in the late morning and in Mauritius it’s 9 hours ahead. My body is here in KC, but my body clock tells me I’m still many thousand miles East of here. Jet lag and all, it’s great to be home!

NOTE: For those of you who faithfully followed my directions in my original “pre-Safari” post back in May, bravo! I must admit that I am now totally confused because I am writing this and envisioning myself being back from our journey AND I haven’t yet left! Since I didn’t take my laptop with me, I pre-entered my posts as if we were communicating from Africa. Confused yet? I’m dizzy! I think I need a vacation!

Wednesday       June 04 2008 

Today you will be met by a Wilderness Safaris representative, who will transfer you to OR Tambo International Airport for your scheduled flight SA190 departing at 9:35am to Mauritius.

7:35am	Suggested check in time for flight SA190
9:35am	Estimated time of departure from OR Tambo International Airport

            

              

  The Oberoi Mauritius

The idyllic island of Mauritius with its unspoilt beaches and azure waters offers a unique experience of European, African and Asian cultures. The Oberoi captures the spirit of the island in a resort that combines its abundant natural beauty with refined luxury. The resort is located in 20 acres of beautiful sub-tropical gardens with a 600 meter oceanfront. Villas with private swimming pools and luxury pavilions offer panoramic views of the ocean. Every room features a romantic four-poster bed. Wooden slatted ceilings and wall-to-wall restful neutral tones contribute to a feeling of relaxed grandeur. Each bathroom has a separate shower stall and a sunken bath in palest marble overlooking an open-air walled garden.

The air-conditioned thatched Luxury Pavilion includes a spacious bedroom and sitting area with a choice of either a king-size bed or twin beds. Each Pavilion has a spacious terrace for private dining and overlooks the gardens and the Indian Ocean.

Tuesday       May 27 2008 

Today you will be assisted to your light aircraft transfer from Mombo Camp to Kings Pool Camp.

       

Accommodation has been reserved for you for 2 nights.  Accommodation Kings Pool Camp Room : 1 x Twin Tent Dates : Check in  :   May 27 2008   Check out:   May 29 2008 Included : All meals, daily activities, laundry and drinks (excluding premium import brands)

Kings Pool Camp is located in a private reserve in the Linyanti / Savuti Channel area in the northern part of Botswana, on the western boundary of Chobe National Park. The source of the Savuti Channel is within this private reserve. The camp overlooks the oxbow-shaped Kings Pool Lagoon and the Linyanti River to the north. The area has a large wildlife resource with a wide variety of species, but it is most noted for its very large Elephant populations, which during our winter months can reach enormous densities.  There are good populations of Impala, Lechwe, Kudu, Zebra, Giraffe, Sable, Waterbuck,

Buffalo and the smaller plains antelope. The major predators such as Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Wild Dog and Hyena are regularly sighted.   The reed and papyrus swamps are ideal for numerous and diverse species of birds and are a magnet for wildlife in the dry winter months. Accommodation is in nine luxurious twin bedded tented rooms under cool thatch overlooking the Hippo filled lagoon in front of the camp. Each of the bedrooms has its own large bedroom area, lounge, private plunge pool and sala. Each en-suite bathroom has a double shower, double hand basin vanity area and a separate flush toilet. There is also an outdoor shower for those who prefer to be closer to

Africa. The main lounge, pub, curio shop and dining area are under thatch and there is a swimming pool built into the deck. The main area is linked to the bedrooms by a raised walkway. Activities include game drives in open 4×4 Land Rovers, night drives and guided walks.  Website: www.wilderness-safaris.com 

Sunday       May 25 2008 

Today you will be assisted to your light aircraft transfer from Vumbura Plains to Mombo Camp.

Mombo Camp

Mombo Camp is situated on Mombo Island, adjoining the northern tip of Chief’s Island, and is within the Moremi Game Reserve in northern Botswana. The camp offers abundant wonderful wildlife viewing, arguably, year round the best wildlife viewing in

Botswana. The highlight here is the concentrations of plains animals and all the predators – including the big cats! Lion sightings are particularly good. Mombo is built under the shade of some large shady trees and overlooks a wonderful floodplain that teems with wildlife. The camp has 9 comfortably furnished, luxurious tents, raised off the ground. The guest’s rooms and the walkways that connect the rooms to the living area are up to 2m off the ground, allowing animals to wander freely through and under the camp – but at the same time allowing for guest safety. The canvas rooms are spacious and well appointed and have en-suite facilities under canvas and an additional outdoor shower for those who enjoy a shower under the stars. The dining room, pub and living area overlook the open plain in front of the camp and there is a plunge pool. Activities at Mombo include morning and afternoon game drives in open 4×4 vehicles. The wildlife viewing in the area is excellent and guests can see lion, leopard, large herds of buffalo, cheetah, wild dog, elephant, rhino, hyaena, giraffe, wildebeest and zebra. Access into this area is only by aircraft. Website: www.mombo.co.za

Thursday       May 22 2008 

Today you will be met by a Wilderness Safaris representative, who will transfer you to OR Tambo International Airport for your scheduled flight BP212 departing at 10:10am to Maun.

11:50am

On arrival at Maun off flight BP212 you will be assisted to your light aircraft transfer to Vumbura Plains.

        

Accommodation Vumbura Plains Room : 1 x Twin Tent Dates : Check in  :   May 22 2008   Check out:   May 25 2008 Included : All meals, daily activities, laundry and drinks (excluding premium import brands)

Vumbura Plains (pronounced Vumbera) Camp is a luxury tented camp situated to the north of Mombo, in a private concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the extreme north of the Okavango Delta.  The Vumbura Reserve offers both land and water activities in a park that has a wonderful variety of habitats and a great diversity of wildlife. The reserve offers an enormous traversing area of close on 130,000 acres. The main activity at Vumbura Plains is game viewing in diverse and scenic countryside. Open 4×4 Land Rovers and walks enable game viewing in the savannah and woodland areas. The Vumbura area is possibly the only area in the

Okavango where one can see Red Lechwe (an animal that inhabits the fringes of the waterways) and a Sable antelope (an animal that enjoys the dry countryside) on the same game drive.  Add in Lion, Leopard, Elephant, cheetah and Buffalo along with all the plains animals and one has an excellent all round wildlife experience in a remote and private part of the

Okavango. Birding too is great with large varieties and quantities. Walks, mokoros and boating give Vumbura Plains’ guests the opportunity to enjoy

Africa from a different perspective.  Vumbura Plains comprises of 2 x 14 bedded camps linked by raised boardwalks and each has its own dining, lounge and bar area although all 28 beds or parts thereof can be utilised for larger parties. All 14 of the luxury tented rooms are raised off the ground on wooden platforms with walkways connecting them to the main living areas. Each tented room has a large, very comfortable bedroom, a lounge, a “sala” and en-suite facilities with a shower, bath, a flush toilet and an outdoor shower under the stars. Each room also has its own plunge pool. The main dining, lounge and pub area are also raised off the ground and are tucked beneath a canopy of cool, shady, indigenous trees with a wonderful vista across the floodplains. Access into this area is only by aircraft and then by vehicle to camp.               www.vumbura.com

Before I begin, I remind you that today is Monday, May 19th—no matter what day it really is! If you’re not following my logic, I invite you to re-read the last post.

May 19, 2008 

Using frequent flyer points sometimes requires a person to fly from here to there in less than perfect timing, flight connections, etc. Our flight to South Africa is an example of the perils of using mileage points. Although it is not an unusual flight plan, it has a very long layover.

Leader Limo (the absolute best in KC!) picked us up this morning and whisked us to Kansas City International Airport (we will never be in contention for “World’s Busiest”–thank God!) where we boarded our flight to Cincinnati. Did you know that Cincinnati is the home of Graeter’s Ice Cream? Ice cream afficionados know these things, of course! Oprah knows this, too, and has given her seal of approval to Graeter’s!

Because we have several hours to enjoy the Cincinnati Airport (which can be easily enjoyed in less than one hour), we contemplated renting a car to go to the nearest Graeter’s store. We planned to pig out on their divine creations and lug our sated, bloated bodies back to the airport while toting some extra pints of this mother’s milk packed in dry ice! Go ahead and scoff! You haven’t tried Graeter’s, have you?

Bowing to the gods of moderation and judgement, we decided we’d just sit at the airport, do Sudoku puzzles, eat the delicious food always available at airports worldwide, peruse the exciting shops (all together now—Wilson Leather, PGA shop, the book store, Brookstone, the Duty-Free shop, the local souvenir shop, et al), inspect the restrooms, do Sudoku, get bored, wish I had brought my laptop, look at my watch, re-inspect the bathrooms, tape my watch to my forehead so it dangles before my eyes, eliminating the repetitive wrist strain of checking the time every minute, and finally board the flight to Paris.

Tune in tomorrow for my exciting entries in the saga of the Traveling Kings!

Last month you and I kept up-to-date frequently as we journeyed throughout India. While you may have been entertained (and I certainly hope you were), this method of journaling helped me chronicle all the amazing experiences we had. I’ve discovered I have Sometimer’s Disease—Sometimes I remember and sometimes I don’t. Electronic journaling becomes my version of “data storage!”  

On Monday, May 19th, we are off on another adventure—this time to our “home away from home,” Africa! We will be on safari in Botswana and Zambia, arrangements made by our wonderful friends at Wilderness Safaris, followed by 3 relaxing nights in Mauritius as guests of the Oberoi Mauritius. Book-end this journey with stays in Johannesburg and you have our essential itinerary.

Because there is no Internet connection in the bush, I’ve decided not to take my laptop with me. Okay, I heard you cheer—watch it!

Knowing that you may really want to follow our journey, I am posting our itinerary in advance. All you need to do to make it current is to draw stick figures of Michael and me on your computer screen each day as you read about where we’ll be. You might want to add little leopards, elephants, hippos, and lions, too.

Here’s what I suggest: I am going to post the itinerary today and will divide the posts by destinations in order of visit. Your job is to read each post ON THE DAY(S) we are at those safari camps/hotels. Because we will be staying in one place for a few days at a time, you’ll have the opportunity to re-read each post and, if lucky, memorize it so you can use it as your “mantra of the day” or perhaps share it as a juicy tidbit at the next cocktail party you attend!

So, are we ready to begin? Let’s head off to the next post!

You’ve done the crossword puzzle; Sudoku is not your thing; you’ve anesthetized yourself on Bejeweled; now what?

Play freerice.com!

Warning label: Play at your own risk. Side effects include: improving the health of those who are malnurished; increasing your vocabulary; doing something for others while playing a game; inner satisfaction of being able to contribute to life.

                                                           

Apply for a Passport or review the one you have.  Now wasn’t that a great, simple resolution? No food to weigh, clutter to organize, or daily aerobic exercize!

You may recall the fiasco that ensued when people suddenly realized they needed to have a passport to travel to destinations that previously only required a certified birth certificate, etc. Our Senators and Representatives even had appointed staff members whose sole function was to assist you in expediting your passport application through the issuance process. Next, Congress delayed the implementation date of the new law requiring valid US Passports for travel in the Western Hemisphere by auto or ship. Anyone traveling by air has needed a passport for quite some time.

Now Congress and the Department of Homeland Security are at it again. The latter wants the law implemented some time this summer while the former slipped some verbiage into an omnibus spending bill requesting the law not go into effect until June, 2009. Now, add in the reaction of the countries/islands you are planning to visit and you get total confusion. Many small Caribbean countries are unaware of the proposed delays and are currently requiring travelers to carry a valid US Passport. In short, you can get several different “opinions” on whether you’ll need a passport for your travel and the catch is that this is not a multiple choice test.

I can assure you from experience that within the US and in countries abroad I’ve received different answers to what seemed to be simple questions. For example, when flying internationally, how many carryon bags can a person bring? Oh, and what constitutes a carryon bag? Since the suspected bomb assembly scare occurred in London, the Brits have banned travelers from carrying more than one “carryon” (Is a purse a carryon? It depends on the agent checking you through security, the agent checking your boarding pass, etc). Now we are allowed to carry 2 bags in Great Britain. The problem is that sometimes these changes in law don’t filter to the “Powers that be” at airports who actually can keep you from boarding a plane.

I’ve heard people explain that they aren’t planning to leave the US in the foreseeable future. If I could accurately foresee the future, I’d pick next Saturday’s Powerball numbers and retire! Why wait until you’re ready for a vacation outside the US, then find that you need a passport and because of the beaurocratic nightmare of the passport process, you won’t be able to secure one?

Other things to consider for those of you smugly gloating because you already have a passport: When does your passport expire? Most countries require you to carry a passport that is valid for AT LEAST six months after your travel dates. How many blank pages do you have in your passport? Many countries require Visas and that you present a certain number of BLANK Visa pages in your passport.

So, do yourself a favor—get a Passport or renew your Passport today!