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Planning in advance vs. spontaneity

31/12/2015

Those who have been following my blog know that several months ago this trip got divided up into two segments for planning purposes - fully organized in 2015, and completely open in 2016. I'm not sure if this was ever meant as an experiment, but that's the way it seems to have turned out.

Tomorrow marks the end of segment one. When we leave this lovely house at noon Saturday, all travel and accommodation until February 16 remains open. No rooms reserved. No flights booked. No real agenda. Hell, we're not even sure which countries or cities we will visit over the next six weeks. But I can already tell you that if this has been an experiment, I think I've already concluded which approach to travel planning I prefer.

The Brandons left this morning, but we still have this big house for 2 more nights. It was rainy most of today, so we all decided to hang around the house, relax and do whatever we want. The kids spent most of the day watching their favourite shows online, and Molly has discovered how to play solitaire with real cards. This gave Ursula and me a chance to discuss and plan our next move, and the next few weeks in Vietnam and beyond.

Can you imagine? Six weeks in southeast Asia to go wherever and do whatever we please. We aren't flush, but we have an adequate budget. There are cities and beaches and hundreds of historic sites from which to choose. Should be lots of fun for a guy like me, right?

After deciding we'd spend another week or so in Hoi An, we cruised the Internet for a few hours looking at house rental sites (airBnB and VRBO) and hotel rental sites (Hotels.ca and Hotwire.com). I also checked out train and rail schedules, to help plan our next stop. When it stopped raining this afternoon, Ursula and I jumped on our bikes and headed downtown to check out a few hotels and see what kind of prices we could get in person.

What we discovered is that many options are unavailable altogether, and others have checker-boarded calendars that don't have the time period we want. As such, we're left with options that are less than ideal, or we'll have to pay full price for a nicer place. In short, we've seen first-hand that the early bird does get the worm, and most of the good places and deals are long gone.

But don't worry. At the end of the day, we'll be okay. We've already found a couple of places that will do. Unfortunately, none of them excite us. Ironically, my annoyance today has been tempered by the satisfaction of knowing that my strategy to book the first four months was the right one. I can't imagine how many hours Ursula and I would have spent discussing options, then second guessing every decision we made. At some point tonight or tomorrow, we'll pull the trigger and make some plans. I'll keep you posted, but I think this experiment is complete. Planning beats spontaneity. Period.

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Update from Vietnam

29/12/2015

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Connor and Ted wait patiently while Lorry takes another picture.

George looks back for the slow pokes.

I wonder if water buffalo like to kick people who come too close...

The cattle seem more interested in grass than the passing tourists.

They sure do pack the motorbikes on these river ferries.

The Brandons wait patiently for the Devolins.

Greetings and season's greetings from lovely Hoi An on the central coast of Vietnam. The Devolins and Brandons are enjoying our holiday together.

Hoi An is a charming little city. In the late 18th and 19th centuries it was the major port in Vietnam, when traders from around the world frequented this place. As such, the architecture and people's open-mindedness towards foreigners were shaped by the Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Dutch and other traders who regularly came and went for many decades. However, in the early 20th century, ships became too large for this tight harbour, and the port of Danang (30 km north) took over major trade. As such, activity in Hoi An slowed, and the city was never "modernized". This probably seemed like a shame at the time.

In fact, it is often said that Hoi An fell asleep 100 years ago. In a happy coincidence, this also meant the city was bypassed by the French in the 40's and 50's, and Americans in the 60's and 70's, when Danang became the northernmost air and sea base for occupying forces. (FYI - Danang is home to 'China Beach' - made famous in movies like Apocalypse Now, the Deer Hunter and Forrest Gump).

It was about 20 years ago when Hoi An began to awake, not as a commercial port, but as a tourist destination. The small scale (similar to Quebec City), intact architecture (no bombing) and nearby beaches made it "the place to go" in Vietnam for backpackers and other adventurous travelers looking for a piece of the old Vietnam. Today the city retains most of it's charm and fishing fleet, but tourism is clearly the dominant element in the local economy.

Since we've arrived, each morning we've taken the bicycles provided and ridden a loop through local neighbourhoods, and out into nearby rice paddies. In a very weird way, it reminds us a bit of Holland, where you can ride on bike paths between the fields, far from the cars and trucks on the main roads. The biggest difference is that here, the major obstacle encountered are the water buffalo and cattle that share the dykes with the bikes. No huge tractors here!

So, for 7 days, we've ridden our bikes, laid on the beach, drank too much cheap beer, eaten too much delicious Vietnamese and other foods, and enjoyed leisurely mornings and evening sitting around, surfing the net together. We'll be sad to see the Brandons leave Thursday morning, but on Saturday, the Devolins will head north to Hanoi. We hadn't planned on going there because it can be cool and wet in January, but I see a warm spell is going to hit next week (24 and sunny), so we've adjusted our plans to visit this popular destination. The adventure continues...

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Merry Christmas from Vietnam!

25/12/2015

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The Devolins and the Brandons have already celebrated Christmas morning. In a strange way, we're all a little less homesick knowing we're not missing a White Christmas in Canada.

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Good bye South Africa (with regrets), but hello to wonderful Vietnam

23/12/2015

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After 4 months on the road, yesterday we finally made it to Asia. We loved South Africa, and all want to return one day soon. Having said that, my recollection of Vietnam from two years ago is that it is a very special place too. Added to the charms of Vietnam is the fact we will be spending more than a week with our good friends - Connor, Lorry and Ted Brandon.

After a long journey from Cape Town to Johannesburg to Abu Dhabi to Ho Chi Minh to Danang, we connected with the Brandons this morning at the Danang airport, and arrived at our rental home in Hoi An (30 km away) shortly after noon. For the next 8 days we're going to take it easy, hang out, walk around this historic town, swim, drink cheap beer, eat delicious food, and enjoy each other's company.

Over the next couple of days, we will all miss family and friends at Christmas celebrations. I'm not sure we'll get our regular turkey and mashed potatoes, but if our two awesome meals today are any indication, we don't do without some tasty treats. A few tears may be shed, but we will survive and always remember our Christmas in Southeast Asia. (We spent Christmas with the Brandons in Florida a couple of years ago, so this isn't entirely new.)

Merry Christmas to all of you. Spend time with loved ones over the holidays. The best presents we can give each other is to spend time together. Remember, "these are the good old days".

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South Africa, last day done, off to Vietnam tomorrow

20/12/2015

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In a recent FaceBook post I suggested I hadn't posted much for a few days because I figured people would be getting sick of me boasting how awesome South Africa has been. The problem is, it's true, and I'm running out of superlatives to describe our time here.

We started with an amazing experience in Kruger National Park. I think everyone dreams of seeing big animals in Africa. We all watched Wild Kingdom as kids, and dreamed about riding across the African savannah in an open Land Rover chasing lions and elephants and zebras. While we were in a closed Nissan Xterra and mostly on paved roads, we did get to see dozens of big animals up close. The Sanbonani Resort was also lovely. The kids especially loved the huge pool, and we enjoyed our first few days listening to the raucous birds in the African bush.

Jeffrey's Bay was also a wonderful experience. The luxury house we lucked into was a real treat, and we enjoyed the low key vibe of this surfer's paradise. George and Molly had two days of surf lessons, and both got up of their boards in the first hour. We also found a great Mexican restaurant.

The Teniqua Treetop resort was unique. It was a once-in-a-lifetime sensation to sleep up in the African forest. I also had a great run to remember across the high plateau, surrounded by mountains. We barbecued steaks and drank good wine. Nothing to complain about.

Next up was Mossel Bay, another tourist town on the Indian Ocean coast. Again, we lucked into an incredible two bedroom apartment with a wraparound deck overlooking the ocean. We found an outdoor bbq place on the water, and ate red meat like Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. I also found a great trail along the clifftops overlooking the ocean. The South African version of "safety" is a little different than Canada - a couple of times if I'd tripped, I might have ended up in the ocean.

Then, on the outskirts of Cape Town, we spent 2 nights in Gordon's Bay. We walked the beach and got to spend time with some big cats at the Cheetah Encounter. The food was good, and we met some cool people at the guesthouse where we stayed.

Finally, on Friday we rounded the Cape of Good Hope and arrived in Cape Town. More by good luck than good planning, we had saved the best till last. Yesterday we took the hop on, hop off bus to tour the city. Today we went up the cable car to Table Mountain, then George and I caught the new Star Wars flick (in 4DX), and ended the day by taking the ferry over to Robben's Island to visit the old political prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years.

I suspect that Ursula and the kids will post some more photos in the next day or so. With apologies to friends and family in Holland, Belgium and Switzerland, I have to say South Africa has knocked them all off to become our favourite place on this trip. I cannot say enough nice things about this place. Earlier today, Ursula and I were discussing where we'd like to visit if we come back here next winter. When I booked a 17 day visit to South Africa last winter, I never imagined how inadequate that would be. All four of us will leave here with heavy hearts tomorrow.

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South Africa, so far

18/12/2015

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Standing on the Cape of Good Hope - as far south as we've ever been. (This photo is looking east, not south.)

Another sparkling white sand beach in South Africa, this one 20 km from Cape Town.

With Beachli blood in their veins, George and Molly never miss an ice cream shoppe.

It was an extraordinary experience for Molly and me to spend 15 minutes in a pen with two young cheetahs.

It was 2 weeks ago today that we landed at Johannesburg airport. After a week in the Kruger National Park area, and a week driving the south coast from Port Elizabeth, we arrived in Cape Town late this afternoon. This is our last stop. Monday afternoon we fly to Vietnam.

In some ways, I guess it's a little early to summarize our visit. It is possible that, in the next 3 days, we'll discover a bunch of things we don't like. Maybe, but I don't think so. At this point, I know George and I are going to see Star Wars in 4D tomorrow, and we're all going to Robben Island Sunday afternoon to see where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. We also want to take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain, and Molly would love to go back to the beach (300 m away)

South Africa has not been exactly what I expected - a place where we'd have to take the bad with the good. So far, there hasn't really been any bad. I guess I could complain that the T-bone steak I had last night (overlooking the ocean) wasn't the best I've ever had. Maybe for $11 it should have been better. (My most recent first-world problem.)

In terms of personal safety and feeling comfortable, South Africa has been a very pleasant surprise. Obviously, we know there is much violent crime in this country. However, what becomes clear when you're here is that it's not racially based, but wealth based. People get robbed because they have money and valuable stuff, not because they're black or white. In that way, the threat feels different than it did in Israel, where it was based on ethnicity or religion. Having said that, to me it feels much like the United States did in the 70's or 80's. You simply have to be careful.

In some ways, I wish I'd visited here 25 years ago when apartheid was still in force, because then I would have a better sense of how much things have changed. We can see that things are far from perfect. We've seen shanty towns on the edge of the cities, some with shacks without running water and kids playing in filthy places, while others are simple 500 square foot houses. We've seen white people driving expensive cars and living in beautiful homes overlooking the ocean, and black people driving old pick-up trucks and living in shanties in the townships. But we've also seen lots of working class and middle class black Africans going about their work, eating in restaurants, and swimming side-by-side with their white and Indian neighbours. Lots of mixed race families too.

In some of the best ways, South Africa reminds me of California. A place with an unbelievable variety of beautiful landscapes and natural resources. Mountains, oceans, deserts, vineyards, farms, wildlife, parks, cities, towns, canyons and hundreds of miles of sparkling white beaches. If these folks ever get their politics and social inequity issues sorted out, they will be an awesome force to be reckoned with. I really hope they do. If I could, I'd bet on it.

If you'd asked me a month ago whether I thought I would ever visit South Africa again, I probably would have said "no". Now, I know I want to come back. I want to visit all these places again (staying longer), and I want to see more. For Canadian snowbirds who go to Florida for 3 or 4 months, they should come here for a winter. The lower cost of living would quickly offset the higher flight costs. It's mid summer in the southern hemisphere, and on the coast, that means 25 and sunny everyday. What could be better? Oh ya, and if you like, you can go see some elephants or pet some cheetahs...

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WARNING: Budget Update below!

14/12/2015

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For those uninterested in the budgetary aspect of the Devolin Adventures, this posting may not be for you. However, for those curious about the status of our ongoing budget management, this may be of interest.

Today is Day 113 of our 176 day trip from Haliburton to Seoul. This means we’re just 4 days away from the 2/3 point in this adventure. While Paris seems a very long time ago, we can hardly believe we’re just one week away from flying to Asia for Christmas with the Brandons. When we started, Vietnam seemed so very far away, both in time and distance. Now, we’re almost there. (Although it is still 16 flying hours away…)

As you may recall, our two daily budget targets are $100 for accommodation and $200 for everything else. As you can imagine, we’re had cheaper days and more expensive days. We’ve had a few small surprises, but nothing catastrophic (touch wood). Last night, George and I looked back over the past 16 weeks to tally up the numbers, and basically it’s good news.

As it turns out, the Accommodation Budget can be calculated until the end of December, as everything is pre-booked. Please note we had 11 nights of free accommodation in Belgium and Holland, and Grandpa John was very generous while he was with Ursula and the kids. Taken together, these factors skew costs down for the first 3 months. Having said that, here are the numbers.

Month Budget Actual Surplus (Deficit)
Aug $700 $409 $291
Sep $3,000 $1,800 $1,200
Oct $3,100 $740 $2,360
Nov $3,000 $3,007 ($7)
Dec $3,100 $2,988 $12
Totals $12,900 $8,944 $3,956

As you can see, we were pretty much on budget for Nov and Dec, the only two months we didn’t get any freebies. Having said that, we knew about the free nights in Aug, Sep and Oct in advance, but still tried to hit $100 a night for the other nights. Looking back, the typical daily cost turned out to be about $120. This low cost of accommodation allowed us to spend almost three months in Europe while on a tight budget.

In terms of General Spending, we only know the numbers until today, Dec 14. Even so, they paint a similarly positive picture. A couple of points - John was also very generous with general spending, and these totals do not include what I spent while in Canada. Having said that, here are the numbers.

Month Budget Actual Surplus (Deficit)
Aug $1,400 $1,253 $147
Sep $6,000 $5,085 $915
Oct $6,200 $4,697 $1,503
Nov $6,000 $5,483 $517
Dec $2,800 $2,705 $95
Totals $22,400 $19,223 $3,177

As with Accommodation, our General Spending has been on-track or better. In fact, between the two, we’re more than $7,000 ahead of budget. (That’s good, because in the next couple of weeks I need to book 4 tickets from Seoul back to Ontario for next summer, and that’s likely to cost about $6,000.)

I think it’s fair to say that Ursula and I have slacked off on trying to save every penny, as we did for the first month or so. Now that we know we can stay on budget, we don’t mind going out for a few more meals, or signing the kids up for surfing lessons two days in a row. If we had continued the tight budgetary ways of September, we probably would have saved another few thousand dollars, but our goal was never to do this as cheaply as possible. Rather, we wanted to do as much as possible with available resources.

Overall, we are very happy with our budgetary status for the trip so far. Ironically, Ursula and I recently realized we actually spend less money per month travelling like this than we did living in Ottawa and Haliburton the past few years. (Ponder that one for a few moments.) I did, however, have a comfortable income in Canada, while now I’m just an unemployed gypsy drifting from place to place with my family…

To close, I’m writing this while sitting on the deck of a simple treehouse in rural South Africa, listening to the birds. Ironically, at $220 a night it’s beyond our accommodation budget, but because we’re cooking our own meals and staying on the property all day, we won’t spend much else and will still be under our $300 total daily spending limit. (Besides, my parents gave this to us us as Christmas presents, so it’s almost free!)

Anyway, life is good. We’re under budget (so far). Still happy we’re doing this. The adventure continues…

Budget Addendum

One thing I read about before we left, but have now learned first-hand, is that longer stays in fewer places is cheaper than shorter stays in more places. In fact, in many ways it’s not the number of days that drives costs, but the number of places. When I was planning our trip, I read an Australian family’s blog. They first identified the places they wanted to visit during a year-long trip around the world. Then, they decided to go for two years instead of one, because the overall cost only changed about 25%. I didn’t believe it then, but I do now. There are many reasons for this.

First, every time you move it costs money. Having said that, the cost of movement varies wildly depending on the deals you find. In 2015, the cheapest way to travel in most of the world is discount airlines, with Canada being a notable exception. And, the cost of a flight has almost nothing to do with distance. For example, it’s cheaper to fly from London to Morocco or Turkey than buying a British rail-pass or renting a car for a week. As such, if you had a two-week European vacation, it would be much cheaper to spend a week in an apartment in London and another in Marrakech or Istanbul, rather than travelling around Britain for a fortnight staying in hotels.

Second, if an apartment rents for $100 a day, it’s probably $500 a week, and about $1500 a month. Longer term accommodation is also more likely to be in residential, rather than tourist areas. This not only creates a more authentic experience, it also means things like groceries and restaurants are less expensive. On this trip, we’ve had excellent experiences with direct rentals through airBnB and VRBO, with one notable exception in Switzerland (which was the result of a misunderstanding rather than a scam).

Third, it’s much easier to save on food during longer stays. For example, when we’re in a hotel for a few days, we mostly eat in touristy restaurants. If we’re staying a week or more, we rent an apartment and buy groceries. If you’re staying a month, you can buy more staples (e.g. ketchup, jam, butter, etc.) and larger packages of food, thereby saving even more money. We also tend to eat in less expensive neighbourhood restaurants and return to places we really enjoy.

Finally, if you stay longer, you’re more likely to find deals on tourist attractions. For example, many cities have one “free evening” a week for museums, and while famous churches charge admission fees, Sunday services are always free. Transit passes are usually cheaper for longer periods, and you don’t try to pack so much into a day.

Looking back on this trip, if I could change anything, I’d drop a couple of places and spend more time in others. Ironically, when we started to plan this trip, we talked about staying in 6 places for a month each. Subsequently, we allowed ourselves to be pulled in many directions. As a result, we’ve seen places we wouldn’t have seen on the original plan (including Norway, Morocco, Istanbul, Barcelona and Dubai/Abu Dhabi). However, on our current plan we have also been on the verge of travel burnout a few times.

I guess these are what you call “first world problems”. We sure can’t complain. Maybe we’ll get the chance to do this again some day…

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Jeffery's Bay: Driving the Garden Route along the Indian Ocean for 700 km

11/12/2015

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After a week at Sanbonani on the edge of Kruger National Park, we drove back to Johannesburg on Thursday afternoon, and yesterday caught a 6:20 am flight to travel the 1000 km distance to Port Elizabeth on the south coast. (We considered driving or taking the overnight train, but in the end, figured a flight would reposition us quickly so we'd have more time here. That was a good choice.)

We arrived before 8 am, then drove 80 km west to the small town of Jeffery's Bay. When we arrived, we decided to drop in at our BnB. We figured our room wouldn't be ready, but we could change our clothes before going to the beach for the day. The woman who owns the place met us (with her two dogs). She said "you're in luck today. It's a busy weekend, and I've overbooked your room. So, you'll be staying at the house across the street."

She walked us across to a lovely plantation style house overlooking the ocean (about 300 m away). The owners are German, and I presume they use the house for vacations only. This place wouldn't be out of place in Better Homes and Gardens. We all get our own rooms, there's a chef's kitchen and a big covered deck with an old-fashioned charcoal bbq. Ursula and Molly especially like the soaker tub with a view of the beach. Imagine a nice place in South Carolina overlooking the ocean, the beach and the dunes.

After settling in, we went to a neighbourhood supermarket. Ursula says food is about 25% cheaper here than Canada, and there's loads of fresh fruit at great prices. The 'vibe' in the store was typical of any beach town in December - a combination of locals and visitors is shorts and flip-flops listening to Christmas carols while doing their shopping. It felt a bit like Cocoa Beach.

I also hit the "bottle store" and picked up a dozen Castle beer and a bottle of good German-style white wine - all for about C$11. I'd say 80% of the wine I see in stores here is less than C$5 a bottle, and domestic beer is good and cheap too. We don't drink much, but it's always nice to feel like you're not getting hosed by the government for tax on alcohol.

We came back to the house, unloaded the groceries and had a quick lunch before driving to the main beach at the other end of town. When we parked, the first place we saw was a surf shop. George asked if he could try surfing. We chatted with the owner (a stereotypically laid-back and friendly 'dude'), and decided George and Molly would go this morning at 10 am for their first lesson. (FYI - a two hour lesson, including a board and wetsuit, is C$25 per person.)

For dinner, we came back to the house and had a typical South African braai (bbq) with marinated pork chops and baked potatoes. People here don't seem to have gas bbq's. Our chalet at Sanbonani and this place both have built in charcoal or wood-burning units, and charcoal is for sale everywhere. I guess this is consistent with the slower pace we've experienced here, something we seem to have adjusted to. When you're overlooking the ocean, sipping a beer or wine, and listening to some tunes, it doesn't seem to matter that it takes a little longer to make your dinner. It's also nice there are NO BUGS here. Every house in this country seems to be inside it's own gated and fortified compound, so you can leave doors and windows open all the time.

Anyway, as usual, we were all in bed asleep before 9 o'clock. They don't use daylight savings time here, so the sun is up before 5 am, and it's dark about 7 pm. As such, we've decided to adjust to an 'early to bed, early to rise' routine. (Having said that, Molly was glad to hear that yesterday was the last time we have to get up early for the foreseeable future.)

As I write these blogs and tear pages out of my "reservations binder", I feel that our trip is steadily rolling along (109 days done; 67 to go). One of my little routines is to change the settings on my weather.com homepage to include upcoming destinations. Every time we move, I delete the place we've just left and add one upcoming. (I have 3 onscreen - where we are, plus the next two destinations.) Yesterday, I deleted Johannesburg and added Hoi An in Vietnam.

This morning, it's partly cloudy but still pleasantly warm and breezy. Ursula read somewhere that this region has the second mildest (least extreme) climate on earth, after Hawaii. Apparently, it almost never goes below 10 degrees, and rarely goes above 28 degrees. After 30-38 degrees at Kruger, 25 feels nice.

Tomorrow we will drive 200 km west to the "secret place". As you may recall, my parents bought us tickets to the Harry Potter studios in London in September as presents for upcoming birthdays. That worked out so well they decided to do something similar for Christmas. I suggested they rent us a nicer place than we could afford for a couple of nights in South Africa. I found a cool spot online, and we're going there tomorrow for two nights. Stay tuned to find out why it's special.

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Why did the animal cross the road? And why were tourists there to see it?

10/12/2015

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If you want to go on a safari in Africa, there are basically two travel options.

The most common (at least for foreign tourists) is to book into an all-inclusive "safari lodge" and have a first class, once-in-a-lifetime experience. We've all seen these in movies - glamping in a five star resort with champagne and caviar. You sleep in a tent in a platform in the trees, and are waited on hand and foot by staff who outnumber the guests. These places are unbelievable, and cost $1000-3000 per day per person. As you can imagine, that's not what we're doing.

The second option is to do-it-yourself. You fly in, rent a car, drive cross-country to the park (400 km from Johannesburg to Kruger), get a room in or near the park, get up at 5 am, then drive yourself around. Given that we're here during South African summer vacation, there are lots of middle class families doing this here this week - and one Canadian family.

If you're in a private park, the guides drive you over hill and dale to find animals for you to see up close. Given that these places are located on private property, the drivers can go wherever they want (on or off road), and can go out after dark when the big predators are active. This pretty much guarantees up-close experiences with big game every day. For those wanting to see big cats, this is especially important.

On a self-driven tour of a national park, you can enter at 5:30 am and must be out by 6:30 pm. You must also stay on the roads (paved and gravel) at all times, and spot the animals yourself. As you can imagine, if you were doing this along Highway 60 in Algonquin Park, you wouldn't see many wild creatures. Here, however, the density of animals is such that you have a much better chance of sightings.

As such, budget safari makers in Africa only see animals that are alongside or crossing the road. But don't feel sorry for us! Here is a sample of what we saw in our first couple of days.

African Elephants

Giraffe

Tortoise

Warthog

Impalas

Zebras

Foreign tourists (these can only be seen outside their vehicles on bridges or open hilltops, where no dangerous animals can sneak up on them - seriously!)

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Views from the road (South Africa style)

7/12/2015

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I'm sitting in the right seat and there's a zebra out the window - must be in South Africa!

In Canada, when you say "there's a bunch of baboons on the road" you're talking about the other drivers.

Two interesting bits of information: turbo diesels are good on fuel, and it's hot here in December.

And on the 102nd day, the Devolins arrived in South Africa - perhaps the most eagerly anticipated destination on this 176 day, 17 country trip.

On Thursday morning we left Abu Dhabi and arrived here in South Africa about 5 pm. After spending the night in a nice little hotel near the Johannesburg airport, we made the 400 km drive to the Sanbonani Resort in Hazyview, on the edge of Kruger National Park.

We're staying at an RCI property here, thanx to Troy Austen for sharing his RCI points with us. Sanbonani Resort reminds me a bi of PineStone Inn in Haliburton (that 1970's style). Our 3 bedroom chalet is spacious and comfortable. Best of all, the pool here is huge and awesome. Good thing, as daytime highs are expected to be between 35 and 40 degrees this week.

I think it's fair to say we feel "secure" at this resort. In South Africa, "security" means being in a compound surrounded by an electric fence topped with zipper wire, patrolled by armed guards. Ironically, South Africa reminds me of the United States, where "gated communities" are common, and signs everywhere tell you whether you're allowed to carry a gun or not. (There's a gun safe in Molly's room in our condo.)

Yesterday morning we woke up before 5 am, in order to get to the Kruger gate when it opened at 5:30. The early bird gets the worm, and the early riser here gets to see the animals! Check out the photos on Molly and Ursula's pages later today. Suffice it to say this was a day we will remember forever. At one point, within 15 minutes, we had 2 rhinos and a bull elephant (all bigger than our car) so close we could hear them chewing and breathing. (Given that George had shown me a couple of YouTube videos of bull elephants attacking or sitting on cars, I kept the engine running and the car in gear, as the elephant checked us out from up close.)

This morning, George and I went into town to buy a SIM card and data pack for Ursula's iPhone. There is wifi here at Sanbonani, but it doesn't reach our chalet and it's painfully slow. We also hit the bank and grocery store. First time I've ever seen armed guards at the ATMs and grocery store.

Anyway, we're still having fun. Glad we're here. Can't remember the last time I went swimming more than once in a day.

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Planning in advance vs. spontaneity

Update from Vietnam

Merry Christmas from Vietnam!

Good bye South Africa (with regrets), but hello to wonderful Vietnam

South Africa, last day done, off to Vietnam tomorrow

South Africa, so far

WARNING: Budget Update below!

Jeffery's Bay: Driving the Garden Route along the Indian Ocean for 700 km

Why did the animal cross the road? And why were tourists there to see it?

Views from the road (South Africa style)

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