2016

Off To Africa!

At least once but usually twice a year I head over to Africa. Usually part of it is to spend time with friends but the other part is to do research on properties and places so that when people ask about them I can discuss them from experience and not just because I saw a […]

Artistry in Beads

In the Cape Town area there are many amazing crafts people. But no visit to Cape Town is complete without a visit to Monkey Biz. Started in 1999 this non-profit business pays women immediately for their incredible beaded work and requires every artist to have a bank account where money is deposited and providing economic […]

Cape of Good Hope

During my stay in Cape Town I took a beautiful ride down the coast to the Cape of Good Hope. I really enjoyed standing there at this historic point (though I would have loved to have been in a kayak) where many believe is the southern tip of Africa. This point is where the currents […]

Robben Island

Robben Island is a very moving place. It is where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were kept during the apartheid era. During my visit to Cape Town I took the ferry over to the island and with the rest of my group we were given a tour of the island. The first part of […]

The Born Frees

While in Cape Town I had the opportunity to visit the infamous Robben Island where Nelson Mandela among many others was held prisoner (more about this next week). After visiting this very moving place I was taking the ferry back to the mainland. While on the ferry I was thinking about what I had seen […]

Uber Is Everywhere

While not an Uber or Lyft junkie I do use the ride sharing services from time to time when it is convenient. I especially use it in the U.S. when I am traveling as I find it less expensive and less a hassle than renting a car. It did not occur to me to use […]

Amarula Fruit

In 2005 after summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro I was fortunate enough to visit the Mahale Mountains on the shores of Lake Tanganyika to track chimpanzees and stay at one of my favorite places in the world Nomads Mahale Greystoke. In fact if the world is going to end that is where my wife and I want […]

Lake of the Stars

Lake Malawi has several names and nicknames. Because it is 365 miles long it is called the year long lake. It was named by the famous explorer Dr. David Livingstone Lake Nyasa (which is what Tanzanians call it). He also called it The Lake of Stars. He gave it that name because of the lights […]