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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Cheetah Rahabilitation
November 26, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F
I don't usually like zoos - animals shouldn't be in cages.

But!
When it is for rehabilitation and conservation? I will happily pay some money to get up close and personal with animals who would otherwise be too reclusive and/or dangerous.
After seeing big cats in the wild last week ( https://findpenguins.com/1ooyf9lg96j6p/footprin… ) , I am even more appreciative of getting a closer look.

So we visited the Daniell Cheetah Farm near Kirkwood and it was wonderful! - https://daniellcheetahproject.com/

Our visit started with enjoying the quirky gift shop and a cold beer. We arrived just before three, as we were under the impression that tours are hourly. It was disappointing to learn that tours are hourly *except at three*, when everyone rests. The quirky shop and beer isn't exciting enough to fill an hour but we figured... "May as well wait." The Jackal IPA that I had was excellent, incidentally.

Waiting worked out GREAT as we ended up doing a special 3:30 private tour with Kayla (not sure of spelling) who was fantastic: friendly, funny, and knowledgeable. The one-hour tour lasted more like 90 minutes and felt like 30 minutes. I love it when I am instantly rewarded for patience, which happena often, it seems, but not always. Sometimes patience turns out to be a horrible waste of time, but not today!

We got to hear about the lives, loves, and losses of meerkats, cheetahs, lions, leopards, african wildcats (very affectionate), Caracal -african lynx (3-4M vertical leap!), Serval, and hyeena. There was a wild tortoise cruising around too.

I still think adult hyeena are dang ugly but now I see that they also have personality. And a jaw that can apply 1,100 psi... So I won't call 'em ugly to their face anymore.

Seeing a healthy adult (220kg) lion from 1m distance with only a thin wire fence is .... Impressive. They truly are regal and magnificent. I also learned (not firsthand, fortunately) that male lions will piss on anything and everything, especially tourists.

We were extra fortunate because the cats were waking from their afternoon naps and we got to see them moving about and stretching. Such incredible strength and grace!

Then we headed to visit Bruce's cousin, Jenny and I got some more good animal lovin' along with a fantastic home cooked meal and some hilarity.Read more
TravelerI was the luckiest to have you guys as my guest. I love your enthusiasm and love for wildlife.
11/27/23Reply
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Nope, What?!?, Nope
November 27, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F
Port Elizabeth is near where I'm staying and has a dive center, so I figured it would be a fun inclusion on the road trip.

It's also got a mall, so I figured I'd cut off my 3+ months of hair growth.

Neither went to plan.

The dive center doesn't run dives on Monday nor do they rent wetsuits besides to their divers. nope, and nope. I figured I could kick out anyway and snorkel around a pier just to enjoy the view, but I'd wait a bit for the sun to rise.

So off to the mall for a haircut. Boy did I get my hairs cut! I guess that's a yep, not a nope, but... Do I still have hair? Nope. I do not. It'll grow back. At least I don't much need to carry shampoo anymore. Bonus.

I strenuously object to racial profiling but have to concede that everyone else in the hair place had much darker, courser, tightly curly hair than I did. That may have been relevant to my experience. Also everyone else there was getting much shorter styles, which may also have had some relevance. At least I gained an experience! That'll be worth it, in retrospect. Call it a type II experience.

Shrugging off that experience, I headed for the water. When I spoke to the dive shop they said surface temps are about 20° (68F) and I figured I could tough it out for 30-60 minutes while Bruce ran some errands. Either 20°/68° is colder than I thought, or my cold-tolerance is even worse than I thought. I Noped out of that idea after about 5 minutes. Maybe it's the lack of hair making my head feel colder?

This is a little bit of a bummer as I love being in the sea. I even considered buying a nice rip curl wetsuit on sale but decided that hauling a wetsuit along on my journey is a silly idea just to do a brief snorkel in this particular bay.

And so here I sit, with an amazing view, planning the next stages of my adventure. Not bad at all.

Somewhere in there I enjoyed a delicious chocolate croissant and an almond dirty chai, scrumptious.Read more
TravelerAnd the adventures continue…..
11/30/23Reply
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Cielo Reunion
November 28, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌬 68 °F
Back in September I had a great time with Kimi and Phil aboard Cielo. I figured our paths might cross again at some point and... Sure enough they have crossed here in Knysna, South Africa. ("Nize-na")

The last time we spent time together it was much warmer!

I have a little dream of someday introducing all of 'my people' to each other... That would be a logistical accomplishment of epic proportions. Until that wonderful day, I'll just be happy anytime I can make a connection here and there, like now.

Bruce, Kimi, and Phil hit it right off. Besides knowing me, they're each English expats and adventurous.

After quick hellos Bruce took it upon himself to give us a superb tour of Knysna. Having wheels and a tour guide was a big plus for P&K, having a comfy yacht on which to sleep was a big plus for B&S. A win-win for sure!

The Heads are Knysna's most famous boat-eating feature. They form a tight and treacherous entry to a beautiful estuary (called lagoon by locals). We braved a gathering storm to do first one side then the other, swapping anecdotes along the way.

Then we scampered back to the Yacht Club for some warm air and cold beverages before enjoying a delicous meal together.

It doesn't sound like much adventure, but after many months on the road it meant a lot to me to be in the warm company of three people who I feel I know pretty well.Read more
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Strollin in Paradise
November 29, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F
Knysna has proven to be absolutely wonderful.

Wednesday was all about relaxing and enjoying perfect weather. We woke slowly aboard Cielo. I just love sleeping on the water! Then met up with a friend of Bruce's, for breakfast at a cute n quirky harborside restaurant before heading off on a 10km/6mile beach stroll punctuated by a refreshing beverage and fries at Buffalo Bay, where I would really like to have a beach house. It feels like a combination of various beach areas that I love.

Then again, the big "use this box for shark attack victims" is a wee bit discomforting. 🦈

Along the way I was pretty sure I'd lost my wallet, which is always a rough feeling. Happily I wasted no time fretting... And decided to fret only after checking aboard the boat. Perfect! Wallet found, fret avoided.

We finished the day watching dingy races and swapping tales with folks at the yacht club while pale golden springtime sunshine reflected off of the bay (which they call a lagoon for reasons I do not understand).Read more
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Ostriches are Weird
November 30, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F
Ostriches are weird critters.

They can lay up to 200 eggs/year, mate for life, live 50+ years, can run 60+km/h and have really pretty feathers that were once worth as much as gold (per unit weight).

Also they have deadly sharp toe claws, 19 vertebrae in their neck, and despite weighing over 100kg their brain fits in a teaspoon.

Their meat is lean and high in protein (and delicious).

#knowledge #bird #travel #explore #ostrich #farm #southafrica #tourist #food #peckishRead more
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Smallest Bar
November 30, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 99 °F
It is very small.

And has great personality.
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
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Found Penguins!
December 8, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
This would be a fantastic last post (in light of the website name).

One of the many attractions to Cape Town is thst South Africa has done a marvelous job of protecting a colony of African Penguins. In the 80s there were only two breeding pairs left - the colony was being preyed upon by domestic animals, local fosh trawlers were out competing them for sardines, and human activity was encroaching. But that has been very successfully reversed and there are over 2,000 pairs today!

I love to see a success story.

The dodgy weather may be a blessing today. Apparently the penguins (not surprisingly) aren't big fans of heat.

The overcast also makes the water spectacularly inviting and I confess I find myself wishing I could snorkel in this beautiful bay. I suspect that would be frowned upon.

So.... Instead I paid my ~$10 to stroll on a very well maintained boardwalk and enjoy seeing hundreds of cute little aquatic birds just sorta hangin' out. They squeak and bray, they peck at each other, they waddle cutely. Birds.

A highlight was seeing one dig out its burrow, throwing sand in the face of another. Yep. Fascinating antics. But seriously, a fun visit.Read more
Traveler What a diverse country! Your experiences and discoveries are amazing and inspiring.
12/8/23Reply
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Vino 1
December 9, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
Went wine drinking, erm, tasting.
Started at a place named after frogs.
Their pinotage was tasty.

I really enjoyed seeing yet another aspect to the local landscape- South Africa has tremendous diversity and abundant beautyRead more
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
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Vino 2
December 9, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F
On the way to vinyard #2 we swung through Stellenbosch, a really cute little wine town in the foothills. It is the 2nd oldest city/town in ZA and a university/wine driven place. I usually like those two features this was no exception: a lovely place to stroll.

The weather stayed windy but turned sunny and delightful. The tour was brief but then we had wine to taste!

This 2nd winery really didn't do much for my palate, but the lunch that we bought was delicious. An amazing salad that I plan to replicate.

Again, the grounds were absolutely spectacular. Flowers all over, soaring mountain vistas, beautiful vines.... Lovely.

We did the fastest/least informative cellar tour I've ever experienced. That was an amusing addition. Literally: we walked down. Stood there and the guy told us a quick bit about using oak barrels ... And then we walked back upstairs to enjoy the view.Read more
Traveler Dad….:)
12/10/23Reply
Traveler Easily a scene from Sonoma…
12/10/23Reply
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Vino 3
December 9, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
Franschhoek is my new favorite little wine town in South Africa. It is also my only. But let's don't let that confuse the issue.

It's cute, it's small, they have coffee and chocolate shops all over the place, and lots an lots of wine. Delightful.

We strolled a bit, took some pictures, then headed to do our 3rd and final wine tatsing of the day (well... We might have had some wine after getting home).

Again I've forgotten the winery name because I just wouldn't buy their wine.

The real highlight? They paired the 5 wines with five *Marshmallows*.

Yep. You read that correctly. Fluffy sugar candy as a wine pairing. This is the first time I've experienced that... And it is also my last. Marshmallows are hands-down the worst wine pairing I've ever had. The trip description said "chocolate pairings" this was not a good substitute.

Unsurprisingly, the wines tended toward sweet and I am definitely a dry-wine fan.

But hey, part of the fun of travel is discovering new things and new ideas, no?Read more
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
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Sea(l) Lions
December 9, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌬 68 °F
The local pinnipeds are African Fur Seals.

Which are sea lions.

But locally called seals.

Not. Confusing. At. All.

By any name, they're cute.

After the wine tour we strolled the waterfront. High winds (20-30kts) chased us away. The outdoor areas just aren't as fun when you're getting blasted by wind. We did take a moment to look around and enjoy the aforementioned sea(l) lions.

Driving home along the seashore was spectacular.Read more
Traveler Is the blurryness of San Francisco of significance????
12/10/23Reply
TravelerJust a windy day, I think.
12/11/23Reply
Traveler Don’t penguin s smile? Maybe they prefer country life to city surroundings…
12/10/23Reply
TravelerA local penguin expert insists that they do smile but I haven't yet seen a bird make much in the way of a smile
12/11/23Reply
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
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Departing Cielo (again!)
December 10, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌬 63 °F
Once again, I find myself departing Cielo. If I count correctly it is the 4th location and third country!

Many thanks to Phil & Kimi for their generosity and good cheer. I wonder where we will overlap next? ...and look forward to finding out.

This morning was beautiful and sunny with crazy blasts of 20kt wind coming across the verdant hills that surround Hout Bay.

A fine way to wrap up my time in South Africa.

Ooh! And we saw some cute pelagic shrimp tooling around by the boats, which was a beautiful reminder of how much life there is around here. Fun.Read more
Traveler Always carry a hat!
12/10/23Reply
TravelerSmart
12/10/23Reply
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
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Doha, Qatar
December 11, 2023 in Qatar ⋅ 🌙 64 °F
I've really enjoyed my experience with Qatar Airways and my 20hr layover in Qatar.

I can see why they are often awarded "best airline".

I won't dwell on the flight more than to say that the plane was comfy, the staff friendly, and they served 2 decent meals on a ~9hr flight, and wine.

The best part however, was discovering that if one has a layover from 8-24hr in duration, in Doha, and there is not a more expedient option AND one is a member of their (free) premier club... Qatar Airways may just pay for a hotel, airport transfer, and meal voucher.

It took a few minor run-arounds with their online chat, but the results were well worth it!

I landed just before midnight and it took almost two hours to get into town to a nice hotel. The room, no... the Suite was spacious/clean and had a decent view of the skyline.

I slept hard then lazed about in the big fluffy bed with sunshine streaming in the windows until I finally motivated to eat an absurdly overpriced buffet breakfast* (thanks, Airline!) And took myself for a meander.

Doha is clean and really new-looking. My tour bus audio says that nearly everything has been built in the last 20-30 years and it looks true.

After walking by the waterfront a bit I jumped onto a big yellow topless bus to get driven around. This city is large enough that walking wasn't feasible. I *can* walk 30km in a day but that wasn't the sort of day I wanted.

So I sat. I people-gawked. I enjoyed comfy weather (dry and 80°F/27°C) and light breezes.

My overall impression is that Qatar is like a nouveau riche and slightly insecure guy in his 30s. Everything is flashy and big and a little over the top with an apparent emphasis on what other people are going to think instead of what is actually beautiful or otherwise merits investment.

That's not to say it's bad, per se. As Kevin Spacey famously quipped in Midnight in The Garden... "It's the riche that counts"
This city is dripping with wealth. Ferrari/Rolls dealers, giant fancy architecture, they've built islands, for goodness sake.

In the end it feels like a less sleazy version of Vegas.

So I enjoyed my tour and boogied back to the hotel where I miserably observed that I had failed to pack swimmies in my carry on. I know better than that! So I didn't enjoy the rooftop pool, but did squeeze in a quick workout in my spacious suite before a rushed (grossly overpriced) snack of hummus, stuffed grape leaves, and watermelon juice (Thanks, Airlines!).

All in all, a very good day.Read more
Traveler Not at all what I expected to see!
12/11/23Reply
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Over The Sea
December 12, 2023, Indian Ocean ⋅ 🌙 77 °F
I'm really not sure what time it is - it would be 4AM if I were in Qatar but that's various hours to the West.

Amusing: I have more navigational power on my wrist and in my hands than the Great Explorers could dream of! Yet.... All I really know is that I am in Seat 30K. I'm just insufficiently motivated to figure out what time zone I am in. GMT +4-8 is close enough.

More importantly: I hit the Empty Seat Lottery! On a 14hr flight, having one of the few empty seats on the plane beside me is a delight and I am duly delighted about it! That my row-mate is a friendly and funny septegenarian just makes it that much better.

I should acknowledge my sense of gratitude is easy: I am among the lucky ones who sleep like a baby on a plane. Sure... I can't reach stuff on the high shelves, but moments like right now? It all feels worth it. A few light stretches in the aisle, a cup of coffee, and I feel almost as good as I would waking up at home.

We only have ~six hours left ... It beats cruising the high southern latitudes in a wooden ship, shivering in wet wool and seal skins, hoping to see land again someday, without even a chronograph.

And that I can post this via satellite-powered internet while flying?!? We live in the future.Read more
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Over Red Desert
December 12, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F
Big.

We have been doing this for a while.
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7! And Scrambling For a Solution
December 12, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F
I have now had a meal on all 7 continents!

If you count a pint as a meal. Which is pretty dang dodgy but seems apropros for Australia. The kitchen was closed and my stomach doesn't think it's dinnertime anyway.

Merry Holidays!!

In all honesty, I'm having a challenging day: there is a category 2 cyclone hitting my next destination right now so I am scrambling to salvage a very broken itinerary and realizing how vital it is to read fine print on travel insurance. So... Do I pay a few hundred $$ to buy a new ticket to fly into a hurricane to go on a dive trip? Or take a much larger $$ hit by not attending the not (yet?) canceled boat trip? And make an alternate plan?

Let's just set aside for a moment the reality that I am working hard to find a way to go to an area that is presently facing evacuation. Seems safe, right?

Persistent? Stubborn?
I guess I'll know in retrospect.

Adventure can be a fickle companion.

At least I'm enjoying an xmas celebratory light show in a bustling square with warm weather and happy people in Australia.

It sure could be worse!

I'm tired, hungry,
And my itinerary is fucked.

Seems perfect. Travel ain't always easy.

[Edit: found a late(r) night Indian spot. Delicious curry! Yay!]Read more
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Straddie
December 14, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 81 °F
N Stradbroke Island is a very well-known vacation spot in Australia, apparently.

I'd never heard of it but ~3 hours after learning it exists, I was there. I impress myself, sometimes.

When my flight to Cairns was cancelled for the 2nd (3rd?) time, I realized I wouldn't be diving the Great Barrier Reef. This makes me sad, but I'm vacationing in Australia so really ... In how much self-pity can I indulge? Not much.

The very nice young lady at the front desk of my hostel is also a diver and in chatting about sub-aquatic activity she suggested Straddie as a solid alternative to the GBR. Not as much coral, not as great viz, but really pretty and sharks and rays and mantas. Ok. I can get stoked on that.

I jumped the train from Brizzy to Cleveland, then a free bus to a ferry to a cheap bus that dropped me on the front steps of the Manta Dive Center (and hostel). On the way I called to confirm diving and lodging were available.

Cell phones sure do make travel easier!

After arrival I dove into the Western Pacific Ocean for my first time then set off to find dinner - delicious fish, chips, and calamari. Yum. I ate watching the sun go down and retired, tired, to get a good sleep before tomorrow's diving.Read more
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Sorbet and Roos
December 16, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 81 °F
On my list of things to see in Australia: Kangaroos!

I'm pleased to report them seen and appreciated.

Also, Australian sorbetto stands up against some of the best I had in Europe. Delicious!

This all happened on a pleasant stroll around Straddie, after a morning of diving. I'm glad I ended up here as it is a great place to appreciate a sorta 'normal' Australian beach town. Good stuff.Read more
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Kudos to the Service Desk
December 18, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F
When my flight was cancelled* Virgin Australia did their best to reschedule, twice. They did poorly and anyway it wasn't helpful as my situation was particular.

So I was not feeling great about it when I showed up at the service desk a complicated request to change an old/cancelled itinerary into one I could use that was to a different destination/time/date.

On top of that, I'd already booked the flight I wanted and bought the ticket so I wanted them to cancel/refund that flight too. It wss a lot to ask, but I asked anyway and was very pleased with the results!

Thanks, Virgin Australia. I imagine that Cyclone Jasper cost you a lot more money than it cost me so I deeply appreciate the positive outcome and the positive attitude that got us to that outcome.

Aside: if you take a moment to learn the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO_phonetic_a… ) it will, in my experience, endear you to the folks working customer service at an airline. Almost every time I use it, someone will thank me for making their job easier.

*Cyclone Jasper really wreaked havoc in Cairns. I have a total of 5 cancelled flights now due to his shenanigans. I only booked 2 flights. It's been exciting.Read more
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Sydney View
December 19, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F
Because Sydney leans towards expensive anyway, I treated myself to a nicer room, with a view.

The suite is nice, especially with disagreeably wet weather outside it helps to have a pleasant place to stay.

Bonus: en suite laundry. *All* my clothes are clean at the same time for the first time in a long time.Read more
TravelerA super treat….excellent and just in time for Christmas!
12/20/23Reply
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
Great Food, Great Company
December 20, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 63 °F
If you find yourself in N. Sydney I strongly recommend that you eat at RAFI.

I had a fantastic meal at the bar. The barkeep, Matthew was a delightful conversationalist, as was Tabitha sitting beside me.

Nothing makes great food even better as well as good company.

I popped in because they advertised a drink special/happy hour and I'm so glad that I did.Read more
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Summer Of Yes Traveler
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Culture Shock
December 21, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F
When my bill came in the Honolulu airport I chuckled at my own awkward discomfort.

1st: everywhere else (without exception) I've been for the last 7 months runs a credit card at the table not at a POS station.

2nd: suggested tip starting at 18% is a lot of extra money on top of an already-grossly overpriced $20 salad. The US tipping culture is absurd. Service Industry workers should get paid more fairly and less arbitrarily.

3rd: Holiday Decorations! The US does seasonal decorations with much more enthusiasm than most other places.

I'm sure that the differences will disappear as I get back into the swing of 'Merican life, but they feel jarring today.Read more
Traveler Beautiful
12/22/23Reply
TravelerI just looked at this again and had to giggle. We had a similar experience when you were almost 8 and I almost 10. We were back in American soil, moving back from Singapore ,when we wanted to buy ice cream and were amazed that America needed extra money. We were not accustomed to paying sales tax for food.😂😂😂
4/18/24Reply
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Trip end
December 21, 2023