Lovely Lao
Wednesday, November 20th, 2002
My favorite country so far…the people are sweet but very natural and direct. Flew from Siem Reap Cambodia to Vientiane, the Capital of Lao. The “s” was added by the French so many travelers now use the word Lao like the locals do. I stayed a couple days in Vientiane and then flew north to Luang Prabang in the mountains where I stayed in the new Mano Guesthouse for a couple weeks at $5 a night…a home away from home…having many wonderful conversations with newfound traveler/ friends coming and going again.
I was usually the only foreigner in the morning market getting my noodles for breakfast at 7am. Lao massage, and herbal steam bath down the street at the local Red Crosswas $3 an hour. Heaven. I began to think maybe this is all I needed to live a good life.
Bob, in the meantime, had worked his way to northern Thailand from Bangkok and took a slow boat for two days down the Mekong River to meet me in Luang Prabang. A few days later we flew back to Bangkok where we would spend time running errands and getting ready to fly to Hong Kong.
Spent the night in a cheap backpacker hotel before boarding an air conditioned tour bus the next morning for Danang. On the way to Danang though, we pass through Lang Co, a small ... 
Bob was happy to get out and stretch his legs on a two day trek in the hills above Kalaw. His guide used to be a chemistry teacher and school principal who only ... 
A Sleepover in Soweto-Africa's largest township
On our way to India we stopped in Johannesburg for two days to stay with Lolo Mabitsela in her Bed and Breakfast in Soweto-a township about 30 minutes outside ... 
June 12, 2002 To the South African Border
In the morning before we leave camp, three guys walk up to our campfire as George is frying bacon; I walk up and introduce myself. Two ... 
Tues May 28,2002 To Sitatunga Camp near Maun Botswana
Up at 5:30 again. Had wieners, eggy bread (French Bread) with honey and canned spaghetti for breakfast. James is doing his usual antic-body stuff ... 
Tues May 21-22, 2002 Long Drive to Lusaka the capitol of Zambia
Up at 5 am again and on the truck by 6:30. Take the whole day just to drive to Lusaka-about 12 hours or ... 
That night Rod has arranged for us to have dinner at the home of a local family. We each take a bowl and spoon from the truck and are led down a series ... 
The Ngorongora Crater is a conservation area and National Heritage Site. After breaking camp in the Sarangeti, we drive another two hours up to the Crater rim where we set up camp so ... 
A week before picking Bob and me and another 3 people up in Nairobi, the WorldWide Adventure Company had taken about 15 others across the Masi Mara into Rwanda to see the Gorillas. ... 
As the ferry approached the island through the caldera you see a red-brown black and pumice grey terraced cliff face that looms hundreds of feet above the water with brilliant-white buildings with blue trim ... 
Zoe