Discovering The World Through Our Lens
One of my favorite animals seen when visiting South Africa was the tall, elegant South African Giraffe. Also known as the Cape Giraffe, Bob and I came across these gentle giants on several occasions as we toured Kruger National Park, and it was always a pleasure to sit and observe them. Read more
On our circuitous route around South Africa, Bob and I found ourselves, at one point, on the coast following the Garden Route south to Cape Town and onward to the Cape of Good Hope. One of the stops we made while in that area was at Boulders Beach where a colony of African Penguins is found. It was great fun watching them waddle to and fro across the sand. Read more
While in New Zealand, we had a real mixed bag of weather conditions. Our time spent in Mt. Tongariro National Park was under grey skies for the most part with driving rain, snow, sleet or hail. Our hopes of hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing were dashed owing to strong winds, so we made the best of things and opted for some other scenic hikes, one of which was the Tawhai Falls Walk. Read more
Our drive north from Lower Sabie Rest Camp brought us to one of the most popular lookouts in Kruger National Park, Nkumbe Viewpoint.
Setting off mid-morning from Skukuza Rest Camp in Kruger National Park on a self-guided safari had Bob and me filled with anticipation. Our destination for the afternoon was Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie Rest Camp, a mere 36 kilometres southeast of Skukuza. The generous waterhole at Sunset Dam rewarded us with prime wildlife viewing that included this family of Hippopotamuses. Read more
Bob and I were obliged to remain inside our car at Sunset Dam as is the case almost everywhere you go in Kruger National Park. Allowance is made for parking along one section of the shore, and it was from there that we had fantastic views of this African Jacana. Read more
In our quest to see and photograph as many different species of tropical birds as possible while visiting San Blas, one of the best locations in all of Mexico for birding, a boat tour into the mangrove swamps was a must-do activity for Bob and me. And what could be more perfect than a languid birding boat trip through La Tovara National Park, a federally protected ecological preserve? Read more
The night before our scheduled Armed Safari in Kruger National Park, I was so wound up with excitement that I could hardly sleep. Laying awake from 1:30 a.m. on, I didn’t need the alarm that was set to beep us awake at 3:30 a.m., but the dainty chimes wrested Bob from his sleep and then we prepared for the 4:30 a.m. departure from Skukuza Rest Camp. The armed park rangers in charge of leading us safely around the savanna were Rouleni and Opa. Read more
After spending the early part of an afternoon at Mesa Verde National Park where we were enthralled with the Puebloan cliff dwellings, Bob and I made plans to arrive back at Monument Valley in time for the sunset. Not a minute was wasted in order to achieve our goal. The time was tight, but traffic was light, road construction closed up for the night, and our gas tank was full. Monument Valley here we come! Read more