Getting the itch to travel: 5 great deals

OK my bargain travel shopper friends. I'm seeing some great deals out there. 

Of course, after my last trip which was definitely not done on a budget, I won't be going anywhere until 2025.  So I'll have to live vicariously through all of you.

If you have the itch to hit the road, check these out:

1.  6 Nights Rome, Florence, Venice Trip including Air & Hotel - $1,065 offered by European Destinations.
(I'd love to go there again, and I bet my friends Jim and Rose are due for a trip.)

2.  Caribbean & Mexico New Resort Packages with Air - $539+  offered by Cheap Caribbean.com

3.  Feel lucky?  How about 4 nights in Vegas with air and hotel for $186+ from Travelocity

4. Want to leave the snow and cold behind?  How about a 7 night cruise on the Crown Princess for $363+

AND THE KICKER

5. A Dominican All Inclusive Resort Sale - $20.11 per person per night (yes that's 20 dollars and 11 cents) from cheapcaribbean.com.  That deal ends of January 11, so you better hurry.

For these and other great travel bargains, check out one of my favorite website, http://www.shermanstravel.com/.

And make sure you show me your pictures.

Wild thing

We were quite elated to have happened upon two African wild dogs.  The dogs are extemely endangered as ranchers shoot them fearing the dogs will go after cattle.

The calmness exhibited by this dog at rest belies its hunting skiills and somewhat harsh reputation. These dogs are exceptionally skilled hunters.  Travelling in packs of about 6 to 20, their pray rarely escape.  The can run long distances, at speeds up to 35 miles an hour.  They encircle their pray, attacking, and often consume their pray while its still alive. 

This is my good side

Of the many majestic animals we saw on our trip, elephants were among the most incredible.  Every face told a story, each more interesting than the last.

We spotted this fellow as we traveled by boat along the receding waters of the Okavango Delta.

Did you know that elephants, like humans, have a dominant side?  Rather than being right handed or left handed, they are right- or left-tusked.  One tusk is always shorter than the other, the evidence that this tusk is predominantly used to perform myriad tasks like moving trees as they clear pathways or digging for roots.

Marriage Blessing

Well since it's 12:17 a.m. EST, it's official.  Today, George and I have been married for 25 years.  How blessed I am to have found such a wonderful life partner -- my friend, my soul mate, my lifelong love.

We've had ups and downs in 25 years together.  Who hasn't.  But we've stuck through them all and have grown closer every day. To be sure, there were rough patches.  I didn't think our marriage would survive after the death of our only child. But, miraculously, it did and today, we are as happy together as we have ever been. 

Although the gray hair is really showing these days, I think I'll keep him. A newer model would be far too much work and not nearly as much fun.

We had the joyous occasion of celebrating our anniversary a bit early late in October/early in November with an incredible two week adventure in the bush in Africa. Many thanks to Danielle and Pieter, camp managers at Jacana Camp in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, the camp staff and our guide, Brooks Kamanakao for planning such a wonderful marriage blessing ceremony for us. It was an experience we will treasure for the rest of our lives.

And thanks, too, to our friends, Angelique, Marlies, Bernhard, and Martha Camadini, who grabbed our video camera for us and started shooting. Thank you, Martha.  My editing job is not nearly as precise and lovely as yours. Maybe with practice I'll get better, but thank you for capturing the moment.

Pula Pula!

New Friends

My new friend Martha Camadini, from Switzerland, sendt us the most wonderful DVD that arrived in the mail a few days ago.  It's her beautifully produced video of our shared trip to Botswana and Zambia.  The music, the photos, the faces, takes me right back again, and was a true joy after the day I've had today.  A beautiful reminder that there's more to life than jobs, stress, and dysfunction. 

George and I have a number of cameo appearances in the video -- our Mokoro ride, campfire dinners, our marriage blessing ceremony.  Shared excitement and a common appreciation of the beauty that God has created on this earth has bound we six together for life.  Thank you Martha.  Hugs to Angelique.  Greetings Marlies and Bernhard. Merry Christmas.

More soon.

Water, water everywhere....Jacana Camp

First stop on our adventure in Botswana -- Jacana Camp.  But I should set the stage by telling you how we arrived there.  Just imagine 17 hour flight from D.C. to Johannesburg. Overnight rest. Early a.m. three hour flight from Johannesburg to Maun, From Maun, charter flight to airport (well, airport way over sells it...air strip in the middle of nowhere with no terminal, no restrooms, no buildings is a more acturate picture.)  Hour flight on 12 seater plane, picked up trucks, drove another hour, transferred bags and travelers to boat and cruised the Okavango Delta for an hour to reach Jacana. 

Can you say, "Thank God we made it." Pretty much how I was feeling.

Jacana, is a beautiful water camp. Incredible birds, antelopes, and even some large game like elephants. Peace and tranquility will be the lasting memories from Jacana, along with a very special ceremony arranged and prepared by the staff for George and I, as we celebrated our 25th anniversary.  More of that to come. First some Jacana Camp images of a few beautiful birds. Crane, African Fish Eagle, Crane, Pied Kingfisher in flight and at rest (bottom.)

Pula Pula

We have finally returned from our trip of a lifetime -- for those of you had not guessed or did not know -- we did a two week photographic African safari, traveling through Johannesburg, South Africa; Maun, Botswana; the Okavango Delta, Khwai and Linyanti in Botswana, and on to Livingstone, Zambia for a viewing of the final, missing chapter of the African Big 5.

Botswana was a remarkable country, with warm and wonderful people, stunning vistas and incredible wildlife. 

Pula means many things -- it's Botswanian currency; it means rain, and is said as everyone raises a glass and cheers, "Pula Pula" to encourage the rain to fall during this dry, hot season.

It's a beautiful land, and in the coming days, weeks, months, I'll share more information about the trip than you probably ever wanted to know.  It was special....and I am encouraging everyone I know to add a photographic safari to your bucket list -- an absolute must do.

Pula Pula to our new friends, Marlies, Bernhard, Angelique, and Martha from Switzerland, and the Big 6 - our incredible guide, Bapadile Brooks Kamanakao....and to our moturi and camp staff, Joseph, Timothy and Obi.

 And Pula Pula to African Portfolio, the adventure travel company extraordinaire who made this adventure possible. Check them out online. Really.