Cuba

I recently returned from almost two weeks in Cuba where I found a country that runs on very limited resources, where  most buildings are in a state of disrepair and where even the simplest gifts are accepted with incredible gratitude.   

The people of Cuba make do with so little that's it's hard to imagine the lives that they lead.  And yet they are the most welcoming, lovely people.  There are clearly signs of change as new business are springing up - mostly as homes are converted to private restaurants and B & Bs, and some revitalization in the cities has begun.   I loved the people, the music and the cars!

A few of the many car photos that I took.

As we went out into the countryside, there were more horse & carts then cars.

The rare billboards I saw were of a political nature.  What we called the 'embargo', Cubans refer to as the 'blockade'.

 

The people were wonderful.

 

On occasion, you see people wearing USA garb.  Great icebreaker to chat with them.

Amazon

Along the Amazon we visited Macapa, Alter do Chao and Santarem.  In 2009, when I went as far as Manaus, the area was very dry - the driest in 80 years.  This year it has been one of the wettest making for quite a contrast in my two visits. I did the markets, walked around towns and had a fun canoe trip through the flooded jungle.

Pink dolphins hang around at the fish market and love to be fed.

Some of the interesting local catch.

 

 

The fruit of this plant is opened at the top, then a stick is dipped into it to gather up the red 'paint' inside.  Ideal for face/body art.

 

Salvador da Bahia, Brazil

Yesterday was our second stop in Brazil:  Salvador da Bahia .  I was here on a land trip in 2006 and enjoyed the chance to wander around the old city one more time.   I'm sure that these photos will look familiar to Annette.

Adding a 'wish ribbon' to the church fence.

 

 

 

  

Safari!

This was my third safari and my first high-end one.  Each experience has provided special memories in terms of the people I was with, the locations and most especially, the animal encounters. This time I stayed at the 5-star Lukimbi Lodge in South Kruger National Park and it certainly delivered with wonderful staff, accommodations and meals.  A far cry from the accommodations on my camping safari with Carrie 26 years ago.   Good grief, was it really that long ago?!

I was in a hut at the end of the walkway which provided views of the surrounding grounds and passing animals.  You could watch them - mostly impala - from the comfort of your porch, as you cleaned up in an outside shower or from your free-standing soaking tub positioned in front of a large picture window.  It was all good.

 

 

We drove around in safari-style Land Rovers that came in handy when we got off the usual pathways to true off-roading.  As long as we were in the private reserve area (as opposed to on Kruger Park land), the guides are allowed to follow lions and a few other animals into the bush.  And boy, did we!

 

Our first game drive was the afternoon that we checked into the lodge.  The trackers spotted lion tracks and decided to follow on foot. 

 

 

Eventually they let our guide know where the pride was and off we went into the bush.  It was wild.  We were driving through – and I do mean through – bushes and trees.  Just running them down (although most popped back up again behind us).  But no lions. 

It was getting dark by now and the final glow of the sunset was used to determine direction.  Only problem was that it turned out to be the glow of a sugarcane field burning way off in the distance.  I was pretty hard for the guides to find their bearings in the high growth but the good news was that we eventually stumbled upon the lions.  19 of them!  And it was wonderful.  They were hanging out and didn’t seem to mind some spotlights on them.  Eventually they got up and meandered off.  We did the same and eventually found our way back to the path (I refuse to call these paths ‘roads’).  We were only a bit more than an hour late getting back to the lodge that night. 

 

 

 

 

We had many other great encounters including finding a herd of about 25 elephants at a watering hole…

A herd of water buffalo, zebra and a mom giraffe with her 2 week old.  Babies were everywhere - lions, water buffalo, rhino. 

 

  

 

 

 

And, lions in the sunshine.  The cubs are about a year old now.  We followed them into the bush to a water hole which was now merely a mud bath.  They hung out for a little while anyway.

 

 

 

 

Taolanaro, Madagascar

I took a gazillion photos at our second port of call in Madagascar, but I'm going to focus on my friendly little primates.  The Nahampoana Reserve has 4 types of lemurs living on their grounds.  I only saw 3 types and one of them (brown lemurs) I was only able to get butt shots.  But the other two types made up for the rest of them.  If I have this correct, the first ones here are sifakas lemurs (black face ringed with white fur) and the second are the ring-tail.  So darn cute.