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Friends - we made it home....after about a 36 hour journey!  Thanks for sharing this trip with us.  Pictures - out the plane window somewhere over the Atlantic ocean + reaching land (Atlantic City??).


Richard + Tom

Our last day....

Rather than our original plan of taking the bus + ferry to see the island of La Digue, we decided to take it easy and spend the day on our favorite beach, "Anse Lazio".  Had "bourgeois fish" (aka red snapper) at a beach front cabana.  Our last dinner at the hotel...the chef Kevin did a superb job with the seafood entrée.  getting up at 4 am to start our 34 hour trip back home.

Thankful

I (Richard), am so thankful and blessed to be on this vacation.  First, Tom needs to take full credit for all the work in planning this trip.  Second, we could not have done this without our travel agent extrodinnaire Chris Novelli at Just to Travel.  We've been using them for over 30 years; we highly recommend using them for travel plans.....check out:Just to Travel

2nd to last day

Rained all last night and in morning; postponed plans to take ferry to the island of "la Digue"...perhaps tomorrow weather permitting.  No problem: read, napped, took a walk, visited St. Matthews Anglican church, paddled a 2 person kyack (we didn't kill each other over rowing techniques), experienced an amazing sunset and ate an amazing Creole dinner...just a regular 'ol day in Paradise.

Coincidence?

Could New Orleans "Cafe du Monde" be franchising out to The Seychelles???

Vallee de Mai

Vallee de Mai is part of the Seychelles national forest - hill-slopes of the site are mainly covered by a high proportion of native plants, notably all six of Seychelles’ endemic palm species. It includes the palm forest of the World Heritage listedVallée de Mai, as well as many small streams and waterfalls.

You've heard of The Blob in Phoenixville, PA and the Attack of The Shoes in Dayton, OH...but probably never heard of the man eating

Verschaffeltia Splendida


PS - I'm changing my drag name from Taffy Wendell to Coco De Mer! (Miss de Mer to you)

Scuba Diving Day

Went out scuba diving today; didn't bring camera so no photos.  Did see BIG turtles, HUGE parrot fish, octopus, many colored fish and coral.  Here are some photos of the amazing sunset and the obligatory selfie.

Another Day in Paradise

The pictures tell it all......

Botanical Quiz

Since no one submitted a guess, I'll have to tell you what the sculpture is...it's a "Coco de Mer"...a very special coconut that only grows on Preslin and Curieuse islands

in The Seychelles.  An archaic botanical name was "Lodoicea Callipyge" in which callipyge means "beautiful buttocks".
For more info...check out:beautiful buttocks

Praslin, The Seychelles

Took 2 planes to get to the Dhevatara Beach Hotel.  We have to thank our good friends Gregory + Francois from Paris for recommending this beautiful place.  We arrived at 9:30 at night, had ham and cheese sandwiches and glasses of white wine...didn't see much but did hear the soft sounds if waves.  Woke up to the view of the picture below.  Even though there is a beach in front of the hotel, we just had to hike several miles over a mountain to arrive at "Anse Georgette' - one of the many beautiful beaches here; on the way we saw some BIG turtles!  At the base of the mountain we met "Brian", a local who guided up over the mountain; didnt have much choice of him helping, but glad he guided us...even if he charged up "top rates" for "top service".  Check out the photo of the sculpture in the non working fountain....can you guess what it is?  I'll give you the answer tomorrow.

Johannesburg

Today we toured Johannesburg; taking the citybtour bus, stopping for 10 minutes - enough time to get out a see the Impala Fountain (could have saved time and money and skipped the bush if I knew we'd be seeing GOLD Impalas in "Jo'burg").  Went to Mandela Square.  Also went to the Apartheid Museum...excellent.  Saw a building with pink paint on it...found out that it is art.....
the guardian.com - painting-johannesburg-pink-neglected-high-rises

Stanley Camp in the Okavango Delta in Botswana

We were at this final camp for 4 days...equally wonderful but the difference was traveling through the wetlands in the delta....stayed in a "tent" (note the bed art the room stewardess did on our bed).  Woke up one night at 1 am when elephants were tearing apart trees outside tent.  We just arrived in Johannesburg, here for a couple of days before we head to the Seychelles for a final week on the beach.

we're ok

Didn't have access to the internet at out last camp...we're now traveling to Johannesburg... Will add more blog entries soon

Friday Oct 10th....more Botswana

Spent the whole day on safari today..,1/2 day drive thru the bush and then 1/2 day on a boat in the Chobe River.

Botswana!

Took 2 van trips; each an hour-long and a ferry ride across the Zambezi River to Botswana.  Went on an afternoon safari.  Different landscape than Kruger National Park in South Africa....more open space and flood plain so its easier to see migration of animals.  Our room doesn't have a phone so they give you a horn to blow if there is an emergency... Like a wild animal who tries to enter our room.....I think my scream would be louder than the horn!

Oct 8 - Zambia!

Today we saw Victoria Falls and then road some elephants thru the bush.  The only elephant photos are on our camera....not on my cell phone...have only been able to upload phone photos to blog.   As a consolation, i added a photo of me being attacked by a crocodile!  We'll have much better vacation photos available to show at our home...but then again, you'll have to sit through the Richard and Tom show.

in Zambia

2 hour car ride to an airport then a 1 1/2 flight to Livingston, Zambia.  Went on a boatnride on the Zambezi River.  Tomorrow we see Victoria Falls.  Hotel is actually a new hotel but in old colonial style hotel.

Safari Monday

Our last day of safari at Kirkmans Kamp was similar to the past two days except had a surprise breakfast set up in the bush...and also a giraffe walked by while we were swimming.  Would strongly recommend this place to anyone who wants to experience a first rate safari!  Up early tomorrow to travel to Victoria Falls.