Dobbs Without Jobs

DOBBS WITH JOBS!
We’ve been settling in to our new lives in New Zealand and reconnecting with family and friends. We’ve both started work again and are slowly getting back into a routine.

After reflecting on our incredible time away, here are some of our most memorable experiences:

BEST WILDLIFE:
Too many to choose from! From the tiny pygmy chameleons in Madagascar to the huge humpback whales in Antarctica - we loved it all!
But, some standout memories for us are:
- Whales feeding in Antarctica using the bubble net technique where they trap fish in a ring of bubbles and then swim through the center with mouths open to feed
- The gorillas in both Rwanda and Uganda. AMAZING!
- Seeing African painted dogs 5 different times – especially the time they killed an impala in our campsite
- The ridiculously cute lemurs in Madagascar
- The cheetah brothers hunting wildebeest in Masai Mara

BEST LANDSCAPES:
- Antarctica’s icebergs, glaciers and surreal landscapes
- Moai statues on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)
- Forests in Bandhavgarh National Park in India – the place that inspired Kipling’s Jungle Book
- The beauty of Patagonia – especially Torres del Paine
- Machu Pichu in the fog
- Madagascar’s Tsingy (the sharp rock formations) and amazing baobab trees

FAVORITE ACCOMODATION:
- The luxurious ship we took to Antarctica that always had amazing views out the windows
- Mara Triangle Campsite on a hill overlooking the iconic Mara river in Kenya which we had all to ourselves (except all of the wildlife wandering through)
- Camping on the Nile River in Jinja, Uganda with an amazing waterfall and river view
- Sunflower House in Catalonia, Spain because it had amazing views that we shared with our dear friend Cindy
- Our hotel in Chile with stunning views of Torres del Paine

MOST NERVOUS MOMENTS:
- The creepy “policeman” in rural Zambia that wanted us to give him a ride
- Capsizing our canoe in the rapids of Guyana – 11 hours from a hospital
- The huge scorpions and spiders in the lake house in Guatemala
- The occasional grumpy elephant in Botswana
- The black plague outbreak in Madagscar

MOST EMOTIONAL:
- The genocide memorial church in Rwanda
- Encountering gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda
- Heartbreaking poverty in Madagascar
- Experiencing the generosity of strangers everywhere
- The gratitude we felt for being able to travel for two years to places like Antarctica

MOST EMBARASSING/STUPID:
- John getting sick in Rwanda and throwing up in someone’s front yard with a village as his audience
- Difficulty starting fires in South Africa where not being able to start a fire is about the worst thing you could do
- Running after wild dogs on foot in a campsite that regularly has lions, hyena and other critters passing through

MOST SURPRISING:
- The beauty of ice/snow in Antarctica
- That Japan was cheaper than most of South America
- Lack of tourists in Guyana
- Deforestation in Malawi and Madagascar
- Beauty of India’s jungle
- How good the food was in Bolivia

WHERE WE CAN’T WAIT TO RETURN:
- Antarctica – it costs more than a car, but we would happily work an entire year just for 3 weeks in this magical place
- Japan – a place we’ll always feel at home
- Botswana – some of our best wildlife sightings have been here and it’s one of the most inspiring countries on a troubled continent
- South Luangwa National Park in Zambia – some of the friendliest park rangers and best leopard and lion sightings imaginable
- Mara Triangle in Kenya – iconic African wildlife in a small area
- Cozumel – our favorite place to dive – especially with Casey & Marisa
- Catalonia, Spain – because $5 cava, natural beauty and Barcelona beckon
- Rajasthan, India – such a vibrant and colorful place rich in history and incredible architecture, food and artLeia mais