The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More
The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Yesterday started out nice, descended into endless discomfort, and only now, 28 or so hours later can we glimpse a return to stability somewhere in our future. (more…)
More
Now in Ziguinchor
Today we left the coast and drove to Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. When we arrived here some days ago, we negotiated a ride both ways with Madi, a nice young taxi driver. We agreed on 20,000cfa, West African Francs (about $40), each way. At the Maya hotel on the coast, Rosine, the hotel owner, told us that was really good, normally we should expect to pay 25-30,000 for that ride. (more…)
More
Diembering
We are staying at a little hotel 2 miles off the main road, which itself is pretty deserted. Nearby is a village called Diembering. We could almost walk there, but didn't want to just show up and walk around town. So the bartender here at the hotel, Aliou, arranged for a taxi to take us. (more…)
More
Senegal After 4 Days
Dakar: There is no reason to go to Dakar. It is a business and government hub for West Africa. Modern, high rise city in the center, surrounded by residential neighborhoods, some slums, but not as much as I would have predicted. Preparing for this trip, we read about touts and hustlers and beggars who won't leave you alone, but it doesn't seem that bad - we have seen these, but after a simple "no, merci" they have all gone away. Maybe because we're older. We found a patisserie where we sat and enjoyed cappuccinos and watching the traffic. [caption id="attachment_90" align="alignnone" width="640"] On the street in Dakar[/caption] Then we walked…
More
Why Africa?
Why Senegal? West African culture has contributed a lot to the Americas. I see it in everyday life and in travels around Latin America and especially the Caribbean. I wanted to see what it was like first-hand. (more…)
More
Istanbul – Shopping
A few short blocks away from the Istanbul Hippodrome is the Grand Bazaar, supposedly with 8000 shops. We were expecting / hoping for a rat’s nest of confusing narrow alleys packed with vendors selling all sorts of stuff. Like this: (Souk in Tunis) But instead we found a shopping mall: We did stop in to a leather shop, where Maria tried on some really beautiful red and black leather jackets, but could not find a size that worked. Upon exiting, we got a little bit of half-hearted hustling from the other leather vendors, but not the true Middle-Eastern harassment that is really part of the experience. We headed straight for…
More
Istanbul – Sultanahmet
We stayed just behind the Blue Mosque on a quiet side street, at the Kaftan Hotel. The location was great, an easy walk to the main sites, in a neighborhood with lots of restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet side street, so we didn’t get a lot of the racket we would have had we stayed in one of the many other nearby hotels. We were in Istanbul for 5 days and didn’t see everything we wanted to. We spent most of our time within walking distance of our hotel – there is a LOT to see all packed into a small area. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are…
More
Cappadocia
Upon arrival at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, we hung around the domestic terminal for 5 hours to catch a flight to Cappadocia. Cappadocia is pretty rural, with beautiful landscapes that reminded us of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Instead of sandstone, the rocks are volcanic ash, not nearly as colorful, but the erosion effect is similar, as the “fairy chimneys” are eroded out of the surrounding material by the wind and rain. We stayed at the Cave Hotel Saksağan in Göreme. This was a cave room in a fairy chimney. They arranged a rental car, so we were able to drive away from the Disney-esque bus crowds and see the region on our own.…
More
Saint Martin, April, 2011
Maria was the number 1 salesperson in her group again last year, so we got to go to St. Martin on Iron Mountain. The event was from Thursday to Sunday; we traded our timeshare so we could go down the previous Sunday for some real vacation. We stayed on the Dutch side at Cupecoy. We rented a little Hyundai from a guy who met us at the airport. Windows down, we rolled off at 30 mph. Over the next several days, we went from beach to beach and dined on fabulous French cuisine. The awards festivities were very nice, though our hosts couldn’t be there (as it turns out they…
More
Carthage
We took the local commuter train to Sidi Bou Said, a small town overlooking the Mediterranean. Nice little town where all the doors are painted blue. [caption id="attachment_694" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Sidi Bou Said[/caption] [caption id="attachment_696" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Blue Door[/caption] Then we got back on the train and went a few more stops up the line to Carthage, the ancient city, home of the Cartheginians who, under Hannibal, attacked Rome with elephants that he had marched across Spain, and France, attacking Rome from the Alps. The Romans retaliated by destroying Carthage. All that is there now, besides some excavated holes in the ground is Roman. [caption id="attachment_688" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Carthage[/caption] [caption…
More
Tunis
After a week in southern Tunisia, we spent a couple of days in the capital, Tunis. This is a modern city with a small older section. We stayed on an upper floor in a modern hotel on a main boulevard. The neighborhood was not that interesting, but was clean and vaguely Parisian. The rooftops were peppered with satellite dishes, many on every building. We walked around the old town, a labyrinth of a bustling covered market and little quiet alleys. We visited a food market with spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables and fly-covered meat including a tray of turtles.
More
Camels!
On 5/5/5, we woke up in our tent and went outside to the cool oasis morning. After breakfast, we walked around the area and encountered lots of camels. We met a kid who offered to take us into the dunes on camelback so of course we did that. He gave us a good tour for a couple of hours, we rode a bit, climbed the dunes, enjoyed the emptiness of the desert. Back at the oasis, we bumped into a baby camel: Camels are pretty cool animals!
More
Midnight at the Oasis
On the morning of May 4, a Toyota 4WD picked us up at the hotel. Maria didn't know where we were going. Off we went into the desert. For the first hour or so, we were on paved road, but then the driver turned off onto a gravel / dirt / rocky track that seemed to get worse with every mile. We were bouncing pretty hard and the tough vehicle sounded like it might fall apart with constant banging. No sign of life except for the occasional herd of goats. Then the desert changed from rocky to sandy and off in the distance we saw green. I told Maria that was…
More
Tunisian Desert and Star Wars
We celebrated Maria's birthday by taking a bus tour into the Sahara. They said there are three types of desert: rocky, salt, and sandy. We went through miles of rocky desert, stopping at an oasis where there were date palms, viewing camel caravans, and visiting underground houses which were used as sets on the Star Wars movies. [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Camels![/caption] [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Underground House Used in Star Wars Set[/caption] [caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hillside Village in the Desert[/caption] [caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Rugs Drying Provide a Spash of Color[/caption] [caption id="attachment_658" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Caravanserai Used as Star Wars Set[/caption]
More