Africa …
a final thought.
Africa was
by far the most interesting experience of our lives. Perhaps because around
every corner we traveled we were emerged deeply in the culture and landscape.
During our
seven plus weeks we visited five countries, traveled over 32,000 miles by
airplane, 6,000 miles by car, 200 miles by bus, 900 miles by open safari truck,
40 miles by horse, 10 miles by zip line and countless miles walking/hiking.
We strolled the
pristine beaches, navigated the narrow roads in the mountains, savored the
greens of the valleys and like children search for wild animals in the rugged
bushland. We visited large cities with houses encased in metal fences and
barbed wire and stayed in remote villages in huts with no locks on the doors.
We hobnobbed with the wealthy and befriended the poor. We ate at five star
restaurants and also ate with our fingers from a grill in a local small village
butcher shop. We gave gifts and even our personal items to many and also
received a variety of gifts from smiles to life lessons from people we met along
the way. We spent time with black and white African’s as well as people from
all parts of the world.
This trip was
a pretty tall order for two retires heading down the road but not over the
hill. I think it will take us some time to process our experiences but there
are a few things that we are certain of. The countries we visited in Africa
were stunningly beautiful. The people of Africa are equally as beautiful. We felt
extremely welcomed by all the people we met no matter where we traveled. In
many of our blogs we referred to TIA which by now you knows stands for THIS IS
AFRICA. Most often, I found other people used TIA when things went array. We
used it most often when we had an amazing experience. WOW THIS IS AFRICA!
Okay now
for the big question asked most frequently … What was your favorite
experience? Roy will tell you his was also the most ridiculous thing we did and
that was when he rode in the back of truck at night (without a gun) looking for
lions. I still have nightmares about that adventure. Mine was by far sleeping in tents
in the bush and hearing the lions roar in the far off distance. With that said,
we would be remise without telling you that an everyday highlight included the
many people that we met especially the children.
So, we hope you
enjoyed traveling down the road with us and through our blog you were able to
share in our many wonderful experiences. We enjoyed your company on the road.
So, were
back on Potters Lake now getting ready for summer and bass fishing. Our blog will
be a little quiet for a bit. Ironically, our blog goes on vacation when we
don’t! But my wheels are already turning
and it won’t be long before we start planning our next trip. I'll let you in on a little secret...don’t tell Roy but
in the next nine months I will be talking him into going to Rwanda to see
these big guys up close!
