In 2015 I booked an adventure in Bali doing things I love: art lessons, stamping and dying indigo fabric, cooking classes, beaches, temples, massages, etc. I told my daughter, Chanel, "I'm going to B destinations this year--Belize and Bali--and doing C next year." We giggled. And then I thought--THAT'S BRILLIANT--I'M DOING IT! I've got time. I'll finish when I'm 84! Bali was cancelled because some volcano was throwing ash causing the airport to close. So I started properly by visiting a country that started with "A!" Hope you'll join me for the fun as I work my through the alphabet visiting countries. Plan B: I'm to going to visit an A country so I can begin my ABCs properly. WHAT "A" COUNTRY SHOULD I VISIT? (Btw, Bali isn't a country anyway.)
I finally arrived in Addis on Monday morning after a 13-hour flight wearing the same clothes I had worn from home on Friday! Yikes. I’d been planning how I could clean up and change clothes in a bathroom (I tried to channel Mr. Bean changing from his suit into a bathing suit on a public … More Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Reality doesn’t always exceed expectations, but Petra blew my mind. This day will always be emblazoned in my memory! The Nabataeans probably built Petra as the capital of their kingdom in the 4th century B.C. Petra is approached by walking through a slot canyon about a kilometer in length. The geology is fascinating, and I … More Petra: the Jewel of Jordan
It’s liberating to land in a country with no expectations. And the differences between Egypt and Jordan were immediately apparent. The airport in Jordan seems contemporary. The motorway is modern and packed with new cars that KEEP THEIR HEADLIGHTS ON! The roads are paved and not littered with garbage. Egypt is flat. Jordan is hilly. … More Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Egypt any more.
This morning we rose at 4:00 a.m. to travel to southernmost Egypt bordering on Sudan. I watched the moon set–which was almost as gorgeous as the setting sun! Abu Simbel was built by Ramsses II, who enjoyed an unusually long reign from 1279 to 1213–66 years–and is thought to have been 90 when he died. … More Abu Simbel
I feel like I’m on the field trip of my life! I had a grand day discovering Egypt’s first attempts at pyramid building. When I arrived in Cairo at midnight, I discovered there was an impromptu tour with members of my group that arrived early. BUT we were starting at 8:00 am. I was desperately … More Egypt’s First Pyramids
Please forgive me. I have leapt forward in the alphabet to “P” because my sister and brother-in-law, John and Cindy, are serving a mission in the Philippines. I couldn’t resist the chance to visit the Pearl of the Orient and my beloved sister! This was my longest flight time to date: 14 hours to Shanghai … More P is for the Philippines!
Our last days in Belize were spent in Caye Caulker, an island without paved roads. We were lucky enough to stay at Seaside Cabanas. A friend in Placencia said it was the nicest place to stay in Caye Caulker and we agreed. And it was a great price. A day on a catamaran was a … More Last Days in Belize, March 2015
