Where in the world ..... ???

Where to go ?

Dear Dorothy

Now what ? Now where ? Do I put aside certain prejudices I have for certain countries and miss out on potentially great opportunities ? Do I stick to my feelings and prove to myself that I am not just another opportunistic tourist hunting for that next notch on my travel gun butt ?

Iran - I hate their current politics. I still simmer over the taking of our embassy over 30 years ago. Besides their current policy to U.S. Citizen tourists is no independent travel.

Vietnam - fifty-five thousand lost lives and that was just my country's losses. Not counting the losses on the Vietnamese nationals and the French before us. BUT, they have forgiven us and moved on, why can't I ?

Angkor Wat - Cambodia

Helicopters over a World Heritage Site

Still Toka Leya - Zambia

Dear Dorothy
 
After a nice night's sleep my little eyes spied light to the east this morning so either the sun was starting to rise or the neighboring tent was on fire. Either way I should probably get out of bed. After a cup of coffee I turned on the computer to find it was 5:30 am so I guessed that my neighbors weren't calling their insurance agent.

Breakfast and then a town tour with Sam and Caroline and Oliver the Northern Irish couple. We were going to stop for about an hour while the boys went on a helicopter ride over the falls. I just didn't want to pay $300 for 30 minutes. Besides Caroline didn't seem all that interested and she's good company so what the heck? I'm on vacation and really what would I be doing otherwise?

A stroll among the Rhinos

Toka Leya - Livingstone, Zambia

Seven twenty pm

Dear Dorothy

Time for a room tour. First of all the room is BIG. Maybe 400 square feet. I call it a room because the only resemblance to a tent is that the walls and roof are made out of fabric. The fabric is over a wooden wall frame. There are two sliding glass wooden framed doors that glide effortlessly on their wheels. To the right is a writing desk with an electrical outlet on the wall that has outlets for 3 different plug types. The only one missing is North America's 2 prong plugs. A hairdryer is in the bottom drawer.to the left are two wing chairs and behind them is a table with coffee, tea, sugar and creamer. A hot water heating pitcher and French press coffee maker. A flippin' French press!!

Toka Leya tent - Zambia

Two twin beds surrounded by netting, covered in thick cotton sheets and down comforters on top. The air-conditioning unit is over the bed. Behind the bed is a wall with double sinks and mirrors. A private toilet with flushers for number ones and another for number two's. Of course the t.p. has the folded end. There is an entire room as the shower with teak floors. There are gaps in between the boards and the water drains through them and on to the ground 6 feet below (the whole unit is built on stilts). There is a frosted glass door in the shower leading outside to the outside shower.

Zimbabwe to Zambia

 Livingston Zambia

Dear Dorothy

Let's channel W. C. Fields for a second or two -

Ahhh, yes. I remember it welllll. We wrecked on the lower Zambezi. We lost all of our supplies and had to live for two weeks on nothing but food and water.

Well let me tell you there is no lack of food, water OR liquor on the lower Zambezi today. I moved from the rough of a bush camp in Zimbabwe to the lap of luxury in a tent on the Zambezi in Zambia. So nice that you could take this place anywhere in the world and have a 4 star hotel... that had people sleeping in tents. The only thing tent like about this room is that it has a canvas roof. Heck it even has wood framed sliding glass doors!

Ok back to things in chronological order.