Travel Blog
From travel tips to random thoughts, we’re logging the things we observe and learn as we travel.
What a Difference a Year Makes
A year ago today, we were sitting in my brother’s kitchen with a bottle of wine to celebrate the closing of a chapter and the start of our new adventure. It was a crazy few days. I can still vividly remember feeling a whirlwind of emotions including fear, anxiety, nervousness and excitement … all at once. Everything had happened so fast and I was feeling unprepared for all the changes that were unfolding. In the previous three days we had: finished packing all of our possessions into boxes moved everything we owned into storage...
read morePacking Hits & Misses
Packing for long term travel can be difficult. I know I personally debated for a long time over what I should pack. To see exactly what I packed see my previous post about packing for long term travel. Looking back, I spent most of my time searching for the right clothing and shoes to bring, and probably not enough time thinking about the “other” non-clothing items that we might need. Now that we are over ten months into our journey, here is a reflection on some of the items we have been happy to have on our journey, the items we...
read moreGraceful, I Am Not
My middle name definitely is not Grace. I often wonder how I ever managed all those years skating on a quarter of an inch of steel and avoided any serious injury, outside of the compulsory stitches in my chin. These days, basic activities like riding a bike, walking a bike and simply walking have all left me with a few unexpected aches, pains, and bruises! I don’t ever remember so clumsy! Walking My Bike Yesterday, we arrived on the third largest island of the Seychelles, La Digue. The island only has a handful of cars and thus the best...
read moreResealing Packages
One of the items on my packing list for our trip was “chip clips”. I had read somewhere that clips or clothes pins can serve multiple purposes during long term travel, including: hanging things to dry, keeping things together (like window coverings to block out light), or even sealing food products for storage or transit. So, I tossed in three for good measure.
read moreSeychelles Bottle Deposit
I am known to be compulsive about recycling. In my mind it is one small and easy thing that we all can do to make a small difference in the world for our future generations. So, when I saw crates containing empty beer bottles at the local market in Seychelles, I took note. It meant we could recycle our empty beer bottles at the local market! Somewhere in our first five days in the Seychelles, I read something online about a 2 Rupee bottle deposit on the local beer, Seybrew. This prompted my search on the label for any indication of a deposit...
read moreSouth African Hamburger Joints
We were pleasantly surprised to find that South Africa has not been inundated with the American fast food chains. Yes, if you are in dire need of some American-based grease and in a large town then you will most likely be able to find a McDonalds or a Kentucky Fried Chicken. However, the two local hamburger chains, Wimpy’s and Steers, seem to far outnumber all other chains. Since we definitely love a good hamburger, we could not pass up the opportunity to conduct our own independent taste test to see how each chain’s burgers would stack up.
read moreDuct Tape: Use #911
Another day, another use for duct tape. As we concluded our sand boarding session in South Africa, we made one final run down the “Dragon Dune” lying flat on our stomach clinging to a plastic belly board. The guide instructed us that it was best to use bare feet to steer and slow down. So we proceeded to take off our shoes and socks in preparation for the ride down the 240 meter run. The steep course combined with ideal sand conditions allowed us to pick up ample speed as we torpedoed down the hill. Our guide cautioned us about the bend in...
read moreRiding the Dragon
One of my favorite activities during our month long stay on the North Island of New Zealand was “riding the sand” at the Te Paki Sand Dunes. Thus, when I saw another opportunity to sand board in South Africa, I immediately added it to the top of our list of things to do.
read moreSwimming with Sharks
The coast of South Africa is home to one of the world’s largest populations of great white sharks. Sharks feast on seals and thus can often be sighted near one of the many seal colonies along the South Africa shores. Although the sharks are present year round, a sighting is never guaranteed. With so many sharks in South Africa, cage diving has become one of the most popular tourist activities in the Cape. While researching things to do in Cape Town, I found a highly rated outfitter offering cage diving from the marina at Simon’s...
read moreSelf Drive Addo Elephant National Park
We read mixed reviews about Addo Elephant National Park. As a result, we heavily debated whether a visit to the game park was even worth our time and effort. We almost decided to skip it entirely since we had already booked a four night safari in Madikwe Game Reserve at the end of our time in South Africa. Ultimately, since we were so close, we decided to experience Addo for ourselves and were happy that we did. As the national park’s name suggests, elephants are the main draw. Although not guaranteed, it is highly likely to see...
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