Villages, Gorillas, Elephants, The Delta and the Unknown

I arrived at Kigali airport to see a nice but rather basic terminal, made my way though immigration only to find that the visa approval piece of paper, which I had paid for on line, and that I carefully printed meant absolutely nothing and ended up having to pay another USD30 for a real visa. Oh the joys of travelling! Out through baggage collection and no one is worried what you might be carrying unless it is single use plastic bags. They are banned here and so a number of people were stopped for a search and subsequent confiscation. I knew about it so was prepared.  Once through the exit I am suddenly outside and there ahead of me was a man who was as dark as the night (it was 2 am and the lights were dim) and the biggest smile holding a sheet with my name on it. Mr Gaston was taking me the 5k to Hotel Lemigo, my home fir the next few nights. He walks me to his vehicle. A superb Land Cruiser; raised, winch, snorkel the works. Dobbo would be so pee’d off to know  I’m riding r...

Bags packed, check in complete and I am ready and waiting for my long awaited return to African soil. My favourite continent awaits and my yearning for adventure along with it.  My stay in Athens was short but I managed a catch up with my cousins and an afternoon checking out my old haunts and reminiscing. The RWC semi-final wasn’t what we had hoped for but my heart survived the drama and life carried on.   With great sadness I said goodbye to my sister-in-law and then my brother. She is very ill and I will not see her again. My brother has a mountsin to climb but he has the strength and skill to do it. Nevertheless it was a hard choice to make, stay or go and saying goodbye to him as he dropped me at Athens airport was difficult to say the least.  Airports are airports are airports and nothing ever seems to improve the absolute chaos at most of them. Athens was no different with queues here and queues there with this queue and that queue ending up in the same place. But ...

And so began the adventure. Packed and ready to go the ‘Neighbour of the Year’ Wendy Lowe deposited me, bags in tow, at Mom’s. Lunch at Rita’s done we said our goodbyes, instructions forthcoming I set off. My niece dropped me at the airport, we had a great natter and then nek minnit I was away, safely on my way to Sydney where I had a five hour break. Armed with entertainment for the journey as I seldom watch on board stuff but something made me check it the entertainment anyway. As if they knew!   Here I was heading back to my favourite continent where the wildlife, the people and the vistas kept tugging at my sleeve telling me it is time to go back. And here I was checking out the on board entertainment and out of the screen pop the words “Serengeti”; a BBC Series.  How could I not watch? Even though I am not doing much in the way of big wildlife this trip, where the main animal attraction is gorillas, I still had to watch. So here I am watching the most amazing series in fl...

Yet another blog of my travels where I hope to take you on a journey, not to see what I saw, but to feel what I felt, to smell the aromas, taste the flavours, understand a bit of the history, learn about the culture and transport you to that place right where I stood.  That place in a foreign land.   Don't expect the usual tourist stops, that's not why I travel.  I can see things in photos. I travel so I can feel, immerse, taste and understand the place I am in.  To do the things that the locals do.   When I tell people where I am going I am inevitably confronted by the question of "Why?" My answer is always "Because I can", quite simple.  I love to travel and I love to experience different cultures and experiences.  They say that once you have been to Africa you can't get it out of your head and for me that is quite true.  A bit like an earworm, over and over in my mind it goes. Constantly looking for something different and ...