tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74165090110601743442024-03-14T07:52:13.547-07:00La Vie de CyclismeA Cycling LifeKMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-66424878083465677912013-03-04T13:38:00.000-08:002013-03-04T13:38:38.984-08:00The Last Hurrah<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the past few weeks, we have been traveling through a very dry and hot climate, skirting the edges of several desert areas. Our final leg to the end of the trip in Windhoek had us travelling to and through portions of the oldest desert in the world -- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namib_Desert">the Namib</a>. </div>
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From Walvis Bay, its a long dry sand road across the dunes towards the small settlement of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solitaire,_Namibia">Solitaire</a>. Solitaire is the only place to get gas or anything else in that part of the country, and supposedly has an amazing bakery which was closed when we stopped. The temperature was already over 100 degrees as we continued south towards <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesriem">Sesriem</a>, the gateway to the Namib Desert. And there, in the middle of nowhere, we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn.</div>
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Arriving at Sesriem mid afternoon, we checked in at the ranger's office and started the drive towards <a href="http://www.namibian.org/travel/namibia/sossusvlei.htm">Sossuslevi</a>, a 70 km drive from the campground. We had been advised that the best time to view the dunes was at dawn or dusk to capture the sun's low angle light so we hoped to time it to see it late afternoon.</div>
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While I didn't have a thermometer handy, we guessed the heat at this point was closer to 110 degrees. At the end of the paved road, we stopped in a shady rest area to have lunch before tackling the sand road to the dunes. This being Africa, there really wasn't a designated track through the sand so we followed previous travelers. And quickly became stuck -- up to the frame.</div>
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We had been equipped with a shovel so I started digging out the wheels and frame. Several attempts to move proved futile so I kept digging. I lowered the air pressure in the tires which often works but still no luck. Just then, a Toyota pickup arrives driven by a very nice French couple. Using hand signals and broken English, we managed to rig a tow rope and Oswald came free.</div>
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We only had to travel a bit more to find an area where we could park and take a short hike on the dunes. In addition to being the oldest desert in the world, the Namib contains what is arguably the tallest sand dune in the world.</div>
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It was still hot and I was pretty spent from shoveling but we did manage to hike a good way up it. On the way back to camp, the sun was dropping quickly and the light created amazing shadows on the dunes.</div>
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The campground was fairly busy and noisy but we cooked a nice dinner and turned in early. The light at sunrise was spectacular.</div>
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From Sesriem, we started the drive back to Windhoek, Namibia's capital and the end of our trip. We spent one night in a nice secluded camp near Rehoboth which afforded us the opportunity to wash clothes and pack our gear for the journey home. A pack of baboons in the hills above entertained us until we fell asleep.</div>
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Arriving in <a href="http://www.namibian.org/travel/namibia/windhoek.htm">Windhoek</a> after driving incredibly remote country for three weeks was a bit of a let down. All the traffic and people created quite a case of sensory overload. After cleaning up, we headed to <a href="http://www.joesbeerhouse.com/">Joe's Beer House</a>, a place that had been recommended by just about anyone who knew we were headed to Windhoek. It's a pretty interesting place and in addition to a great beer selection, they apparently serve a LOT of Jagermeister.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mini was used by some Europeans in an unsuccessful attempt to drive the length of Africa.</td></tr>
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We drove almost 2400 miles in just over three weeks through some of the most beautiful country anywhere. We got stuck once, almost hit a Zebra, saw many animals and met some wonderful people. It is often said that Africa gets under your skin and it certainly has mine. Future trips back are currently being dreamed about, and hopefully my daughter and her family will join us.</div>
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Thanks for following along. If anyone wants more pictures or information about places we've stayed and sights we've seen, you know where to find us.</div>
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KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-74802597195361351932013-03-02T15:17:00.000-08:002013-03-02T15:17:28.774-08:00Sea and Sand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spitzkoppe</td></tr>
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The beauty of doing a self-drive vacation is you can pretty much go anywhere you want. Our itinerary had us camping inland but we really wanted to see part of the Skeleton Coast so we zigged when we were supposed to zag. The<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeleton_Coast"> Skeleton Coast</a> encompasses most of Namibia's western border and is so named because of the numerous ship wrecks that have occurred there. A good portion of the northern part is off limits without a permit so we decided to see what we could see without one. Eventually, the entire coast of Namibia will be considered a National Park and it will be the only country in the world that can make that claim.<br />
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En route to the coast, we detoured to see one of the most famous rock paintings in Africa, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Lady">the White Lady</a> in Brandberg. First discovered in 1918, the figure actually depicts a male warrior and was initially believed to depict travellers visiting from the Mediterranean area. It is now believed that local bushmen painted it about 2000 years ago.<br />
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The "White Lady"</div>
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The human legs on the back of oryx are symbols of shamanism.</div>
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Once we hit the coast at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henties_Bay">Henties Bay</a>, we headed north to see the seal colony at Cape Cross. Given the thousands of seals in the colony, you actually smell and hear them way before you see them.</div>
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The pups are born in December and January.</div>
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Apparently, they fear nothing.</div>
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They have no natural predators so the colonies are enormous.</div>
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This is a popular area for surf fishing so there are many roads to the beach.</div>
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The cold Atlantic.</div>
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It was getting late so we drove down to Henties Bay and found a very nice old hotel on the beach for the night.</div>
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We headed east the next morning to visit<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitzkoppe"> Spitzkoppe</a>, a massive granite dome that rises from the desert that is called Namibia's Matterhorn. A number of movies have been shot here including The Gods Must Be Crazy and 10,000 BC for which animals were imported that still live in the area. </div>
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The approach to Spitzkoppe.</div>
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The area reminded me of Utah.</div>
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The area is famous for the thousands of rock art drawings located in the rocks. We hired a guide who led us around to see a few of the great ones.</div>
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This depicts a shaman wearing a headdress confronting a serpent.</div>
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We headed back west towards the coast to spend two nights in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swakopmund">Swakopmund</a>, a beach resort with a distinctively German feel. Oswald really needed a bath so we found a car wash run by a lovely South African woman who filled us in on all the must see places. For the equivalent of about $12 US, the crew literally hand washed the undercarriage, removing pounds of Zambian mud and Namibian sand. </div>
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If we didn't have return tickets, this would be an interesting journey.</div>
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Our booked overnights were at The Stiltz, a resort right on the beach where all the building are built on stilts, connected by a boardwalk. They put us in an incredible two story villa.</div>
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Even the shower was cool.</div>
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The manager made dinner reservation at a great restaurant on the pier where we enjoyed an amazing seafood dinner.</div>
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The next day, we opted to take a boat ride out into <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walvis_Bay">Walvis Bay</a> to see the oyster beds and the seal colony. Given the abundance of seals in the area, the tour companies aren't afraid to involve the seals in the experience. They just jump into the boat and in exchange for a few fish are more than happy to pose.</div>
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Until next time . . .</div>
KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-43989602029391936012013-02-19T13:24:00.000-08:002013-02-19T13:24:04.926-08:00Desert Bound<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Leaving Etosha after three days, we headed south west towards the coast. Between us and the sea were vast expanses of desert and interesting places to visit. We really hated leaving the park but were looking forward to seeing some of the isolated country that Namibia contains. In square miles, Namibia is only marginally larger than the State of Texas but has a population of just over 2 million compared with Texas's 26 million. It contains three deserts - Coastal, Kalahari and Namib - and much of it's coastline is protected in a national park.<br />
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<u>She was waiving good by as we passed out of the park.</u></div>
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As we exited the park, it felt strange to be on a paved road and seeing other vehicles. It was still very hot and we learned later that the temperature that day hit almost 45 degrees Celsius (113 F). En route to our next overnight, we stopped to tour an amazing Petrified Forest site. There were petrified rocks everywhere and this one tree was more than 30 meters long (almost 100 feet).</div>
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Our home for the next two nights was to be <a href="http://www.mowani.com/">Mowani Mountain Camp</a> which turned out to be one of the most beautiful places we have ever stayed. The camp was built around the boulders of the region and so well integrated into the landscape you really didn't see it until you were literally on top of it. </div>
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<u>The lounge and restaurant.</u></div>
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<u>Our "tent". The walls are fabric and the roof thatched.</u></div>
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<u>Incredible landscape.</u></div>
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<u>Linda obviously enjoying it.</u></div>
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<u>To celebrate Linda's retirement, we had a candlelit dinner at a table set by that big rock.</u></div>
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<u>A separate bar on a massive rock facing west. The perfect place for sun downers.</u></div>
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Over drinks with the manager, I made a strong case that he needed someone like me to manage that bar and live there permanently. He said he'd get back to me -- I'm still waiting to hear.</div>
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We had a rest day so we signed up for an early morning game drive. Since it was the low season, it was just us and Frederich, the guide, informed us he had heard about elephant sightings, so off we went. We passed through several villages and drove up a dry river bed until we started seeing elephant tracks.</div>
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And there they were.</div>
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<u>This young guy was very curious about the vehicle.</u></div>
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It was a pretty large herd and included a few young ones. They seemed oblivious to our presence as they ate from the trees. They were moving up the riverbed and we followed along for quite awhile.</div>
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The next day, we headed out to see the rock art at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twyfelfontein">Twyfelfontein</a>, a UNESCO Heritage Site that contains one of the largest collections of rock art in Africa. The area has been inhabited by Bushmen for thousands of years and the rock art, most of which dates back 2000 - 2500 years, was intended to show where animals and water was located. There are close to 2500 different rock drawings in the area so we only saw a fraction of them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiwOeK0UCToo3czhGPzMncOVRQkBAXidV0uDTx4fBSSzPg2koCKYmlc8_hRxrZTDGMoNoSRyPDDHzesq9erGzj3JuCwZ3YwTFL8LI4I1xP9TwmJsMEpxzbCoYFfE9fXEmPUSf7UPTuE8/s1600/IMG_0561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiwOeK0UCToo3czhGPzMncOVRQkBAXidV0uDTx4fBSSzPg2koCKYmlc8_hRxrZTDGMoNoSRyPDDHzesq9erGzj3JuCwZ3YwTFL8LI4I1xP9TwmJsMEpxzbCoYFfE9fXEmPUSf7UPTuE8/s320/IMG_0561.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgqnEeo5fjUi_RbcZBqVk-waKSDOoLfMs1Gt3OqTaE0h-KLzmaRKUA2rw7NKCH8IAHDUYKyOLhSvRbJ-gWKAuoPRMuwtJYPcaP2VQgmqy1f0gMF5fEbLBs4mi_Gg4KENpFfWzXzFaCqQ/s1600/IMG_0579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgqnEeo5fjUi_RbcZBqVk-waKSDOoLfMs1Gt3OqTaE0h-KLzmaRKUA2rw7NKCH8IAHDUYKyOLhSvRbJ-gWKAuoPRMuwtJYPcaP2VQgmqy1f0gMF5fEbLBs4mi_Gg4KENpFfWzXzFaCqQ/s320/IMG_0579.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>This is actually a map. The indentations in the circle signify water holes.</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLQ-a5yBJTfZjRh3lIknOIVSt_aqurqkwIWWu-gLgrWfaLbg-2Q8N63UKD1PxdmbTOqAhM6XtyLGmcKVVheTR7gHLhVYPHoX4R-L0hGMZwMeVd5aGrUlnfrITVwF8L-tfLH3BUO94nY4/s1600/IMG_0567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLQ-a5yBJTfZjRh3lIknOIVSt_aqurqkwIWWu-gLgrWfaLbg-2Q8N63UKD1PxdmbTOqAhM6XtyLGmcKVVheTR7gHLhVYPHoX4R-L0hGMZwMeVd5aGrUlnfrITVwF8L-tfLH3BUO94nY4/s320/IMG_0567.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyI44unsezsLvvS-2WyBp-cEnVbFHx_rau5zpMIYxXuj7uURsKDpD1jU0qTCmyLphlIzg748rzhyGq4e6eS29shF7Ke3Opn9e8l05yQ6olQBRPzleWD0yfEfvEDdZLaSWSW84S0Ry6vQc/s1600/IMG_0570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyI44unsezsLvvS-2WyBp-cEnVbFHx_rau5zpMIYxXuj7uURsKDpD1jU0qTCmyLphlIzg748rzhyGq4e6eS29shF7Ke3Opn9e8l05yQ6olQBRPzleWD0yfEfvEDdZLaSWSW84S0Ry6vQc/s320/IMG_0570.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>Note the drawing of the seal. We are still a good distance from the coast but the Bushmen ranged over a large area.</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JhZbsa3p9sH7pLstxfE96BrX9cWYK3BrPGfKBbFjJhqwKiiekTiXfsj2g2LvNbjIZhJrFNZdky6UX2OUF8PNKW7aD34CZMdBL8XU1GRsSsdlwpQGUwpRX9Ws7z8ULy8o_NVpQ1zqpTk/s1600/IMG_0578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8JhZbsa3p9sH7pLstxfE96BrX9cWYK3BrPGfKBbFjJhqwKiiekTiXfsj2g2LvNbjIZhJrFNZdky6UX2OUF8PNKW7aD34CZMdBL8XU1GRsSsdlwpQGUwpRX9Ws7z8ULy8o_NVpQ1zqpTk/s320/IMG_0578.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgst9-i8L8mzeAuHxyLKwAbCsa3RdeUqHvxxci-ViU5qGfjMdWjPx9NtzU0HuJvi6870uGjdQEYHkv_4B8F5RWjRk0iuJG75WFOvppyQ9zzLw5rFsF-1vmtxKpsZEpp0Uz3PVr2vrFxLvc/s1600/IMG_0577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgst9-i8L8mzeAuHxyLKwAbCsa3RdeUqHvxxci-ViU5qGfjMdWjPx9NtzU0HuJvi6870uGjdQEYHkv_4B8F5RWjRk0iuJG75WFOvppyQ9zzLw5rFsF-1vmtxKpsZEpp0Uz3PVr2vrFxLvc/s320/IMG_0577.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>An ostrich. Note the various positions of the neck and head.</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19k_4OdSigQsDH58dL99-71NPJ-H23sNi5-urB5FwF8yqD00TuJZ5nH4QVQlB0tYjhxajTWvyxxVt2_PPOHsj-ExPR1oq_EuxNNeibaLZwTqGAmBdJI9Rctc4VNjbTbIBMet8MOMUMfo/s1600/IMG_0583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19k_4OdSigQsDH58dL99-71NPJ-H23sNi5-urB5FwF8yqD00TuJZ5nH4QVQlB0tYjhxajTWvyxxVt2_PPOHsj-ExPR1oq_EuxNNeibaLZwTqGAmBdJI9Rctc4VNjbTbIBMet8MOMUMfo/s320/IMG_0583.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUy0YqNUm5ufMbScQjBu2EWx3v_09ZJtymDZy9yfIQu2b43tvN8q_mZwreQ8RLCKGu0jZbN7999SJr8mIRDJwb_mjHO5p1ECSEJ2tcKhxn63lUD6KcJtMy7rwlS4FtittIpWh8rjoeS7I/s1600/IMG_0571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUy0YqNUm5ufMbScQjBu2EWx3v_09ZJtymDZy9yfIQu2b43tvN8q_mZwreQ8RLCKGu0jZbN7999SJr8mIRDJwb_mjHO5p1ECSEJ2tcKhxn63lUD6KcJtMy7rwlS4FtittIpWh8rjoeS7I/s320/IMG_0571.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Since we were "in the neighborhood", we decided to drive to the Doros Meteor Crater. We could see it on the map but this being Africa, there were no signs indicating where it was. Oswald came equipped with a GPS loaded with Tracks 4 Africa which did an excellent job preventing us from getting lost. We hit the end of the main road, engaged the low range in 4WD and off we went. There were a lot of tracks going off in various directions but the GPS kept us headed generally in the right direction.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFk5cJ0R0rF04hx_IUwsy052HBcShOYJGNQnbnlcDJr4QufMsFkHa1X7r5dYYw4NtL9XkvBKQnQ7a8yUCIwlN1FXauKrwMog-DAA8vs9HyJYWeAf0Vq4zPqrJuqV5gUlWw1IHZlecUGL8/s1600/IMG_0605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFk5cJ0R0rF04hx_IUwsy052HBcShOYJGNQnbnlcDJr4QufMsFkHa1X7r5dYYw4NtL9XkvBKQnQ7a8yUCIwlN1FXauKrwMog-DAA8vs9HyJYWeAf0Vq4zPqrJuqV5gUlWw1IHZlecUGL8/s320/IMG_0605.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Desolate country.</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79qzyyfXmtlkbtrDg6C7r3b1kro7LNniKoE3yhj3veXj0p-7X5omKyzgFZIsr1I42MzkvGH8eTK-1ddrpL1-52gpiItXCWliGr6ozxye15MrpzpT_TSxO2zrFotWhiHb64__wfRqxnUw/s1600/IMG_0606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79qzyyfXmtlkbtrDg6C7r3b1kro7LNniKoE3yhj3veXj0p-7X5omKyzgFZIsr1I42MzkvGH8eTK-1ddrpL1-52gpiItXCWliGr6ozxye15MrpzpT_TSxO2zrFotWhiHb64__wfRqxnUw/s320/IMG_0606.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>We got to where the GPS said the crater should be. This rock was unlike any of the others in the area but we don't know if it's a meteor or not.</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRiXLZxtrLU5TdX2kFosveGrkbRFESxnFPNiMStMbiOKVU_iLSZb_QiDLwAuN7FQ6b3K6qr0XuN7X-nExd_vznMcwY3woxkZ4ElrY2PJVt9C4REV0I-gBpKC0LsW5uePAQ2Jb1G87Gqg/s1600/IMG_0610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRiXLZxtrLU5TdX2kFosveGrkbRFESxnFPNiMStMbiOKVU_iLSZb_QiDLwAuN7FQ6b3K6qr0XuN7X-nExd_vznMcwY3woxkZ4ElrY2PJVt9C4REV0I-gBpKC0LsW5uePAQ2Jb1G87Gqg/s320/IMG_0610.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Signage</u></div>
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We went from our favorite lodge to what became our favorite campsite, <a href="http://www.namibiatourism.com.na/Listing/?lid=13222">Madisa</a>. It's remote and we were the only ones there. Given its location, the local community has obviously worked very hard to create an oasis in some pretty tough country. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tfLx_tluq_LcUfgN4Ws30cn2kv3ky-_GK11JUmB8MLizbvbK5YFIoO9JeIsITZkNVYG8TdnodZM_y4Vt0EpqoP8H8TFoFoMXDxIGUZc6vXc8YRM0ldDscRS7FDow1Fyp60-Tei2Dads/s1600/IMG_0615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tfLx_tluq_LcUfgN4Ws30cn2kv3ky-_GK11JUmB8MLizbvbK5YFIoO9JeIsITZkNVYG8TdnodZM_y4Vt0EpqoP8H8TFoFoMXDxIGUZc6vXc8YRM0ldDscRS7FDow1Fyp60-Tei2Dads/s320/IMG_0615.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><u>Every campsite has wonderful shade,</u></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CZybVrfuquHR70Skd6O2T9FaDGfo5cQCBJ0t2JvNMyisT4A6M0DhSXBiBhG80txU99avr0RfNlY5xcss-rVGi-AiqGx3cd5CJy9gJVUyYg9iFk8VpwQly6aDy7zr-3fE9LARVwLxkHI/s1600/IMG_0618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CZybVrfuquHR70Skd6O2T9FaDGfo5cQCBJ0t2JvNMyisT4A6M0DhSXBiBhG80txU99avr0RfNlY5xcss-rVGi-AiqGx3cd5CJy9gJVUyYg9iFk8VpwQly6aDy7zr-3fE9LARVwLxkHI/s320/IMG_0618.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><u>great cooking and cleaning facilities,</u></span></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqWQ5b8x7gGv67d_AUzK8ScRjvEih23VkdT5Z3SKAlD4JDG_SbdTDM9tH4cBY7VRPtied14l5Hy1Rp_84uAjvhyphenhyphengpiUWSnFBjOcuhtIejZ_kgOfBuA3akzjfQfnUZXVHhYT-C5-2TmUU/s1600/IMG_0619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcqWQ5b8x7gGv67d_AUzK8ScRjvEih23VkdT5Z3SKAlD4JDG_SbdTDM9tH4cBY7VRPtied14l5Hy1Rp_84uAjvhyphenhyphengpiUWSnFBjOcuhtIejZ_kgOfBuA3akzjfQfnUZXVHhYT-C5-2TmUU/s320/IMG_0619.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>and amazing showers, open to the sky.</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi886ZRDAuhbSQh7SciWCWNuuyu2f0whxVwPGbmUCg4Jen99527ulaFel_BtDO1WhGcHSrQDJnMxD-qwpv-cvvR_eUR7TihAHWhsxzr-SWnPvI9h19FQwVwXyc4imbPz5b0vTgQ9IBMfng/s1600/IMG_0621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi886ZRDAuhbSQh7SciWCWNuuyu2f0whxVwPGbmUCg4Jen99527ulaFel_BtDO1WhGcHSrQDJnMxD-qwpv-cvvR_eUR7TihAHWhsxzr-SWnPvI9h19FQwVwXyc4imbPz5b0vTgQ9IBMfng/s320/IMG_0621.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Mud walls</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtHa3R-0tM2b_4Jy8KvqQidRejR42c5bEEMLgcX7BRPcGyQqFVKlTa8GgvGBoN-JT9nEML_lxQpXOjUzhJCns9nApYtPiavZn12zGWrvGgjgowDiaDPhMEK1aLmKFFAcDSqOW2yTGcEY/s1600/IMG_0620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtHa3R-0tM2b_4Jy8KvqQidRejR42c5bEEMLgcX7BRPcGyQqFVKlTa8GgvGBoN-JT9nEML_lxQpXOjUzhJCns9nApYtPiavZn12zGWrvGgjgowDiaDPhMEK1aLmKFFAcDSqOW2yTGcEY/s320/IMG_0620.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<u>Even a vessel sink.</u></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KwBydSfD0N62PrRfqJZHvYIiMWd3f5G9mDpaJDXWTL1iZs7GBA4auUTQe9QZT1IjwAibrt35wLlnKkGZLu5ClSlWcvP-4hquN9Aq2P77gkOuT25DcNwb3n10uLkcjJnyJomcmtvzTVQ/s1600/IMG_0623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KwBydSfD0N62PrRfqJZHvYIiMWd3f5G9mDpaJDXWTL1iZs7GBA4auUTQe9QZT1IjwAibrt35wLlnKkGZLu5ClSlWcvP-4hquN9Aq2P77gkOuT25DcNwb3n10uLkcjJnyJomcmtvzTVQ/s320/IMG_0623.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
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The bonus was an almost full moon over camp.</div>
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Until next time . . .</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_feLMz9RH8V-2PZvobPphRjf1s76Cn_F_LLaN_iwGrUBeTs10BisYHYIolDjA6nA0PoL8e-aW2X9c_TM8RCPh5Zp2le0z-OSv5CgMIDH3vSObduhFO9NVxnvHIX3p7z2JWP3oXaEULQQ/s1600/IMG_0542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_feLMz9RH8V-2PZvobPphRjf1s76Cn_F_LLaN_iwGrUBeTs10BisYHYIolDjA6nA0PoL8e-aW2X9c_TM8RCPh5Zp2le0z-OSv5CgMIDH3vSObduhFO9NVxnvHIX3p7z2JWP3oXaEULQQ/s320/IMG_0542.JPG" width="228" /></a></div>
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KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-75794963016417871772013-02-18T14:54:00.000-08:002013-02-18T14:54:21.589-08:00Lions, Zebras and Giraffes, Oh My<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The next two days were spent driving towards <a href="http://www.etoshanationalpark.co.za/">Etosha National Park</a>. We camped one night at <a href="http://www.namibian.org/travel/lodging/private/hakusembe.html">Hakusembe Lodge</a> outside of Rundu on the banks of the Okavango River. It was a beautiful setting and we had the good fortune to meet a German couple who were driving a similar route in reverse. We prepared a communal braii (barbecue) and enjoyed hearing their stories late into the night.<br />
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The next day we started out for Etosha, stopping to get supplies and gas along the way. When we were gassing up, a gentlemen approached us and and after spotting the British registration on Oswald, asked if we had driven all the way down from the UK. Turns out he was from Scotland and both he and his girlfriend of 45 years had driven the length of Africa 20+ years ago. To me, the best part of travel is the characters you meet along the way.<br />
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Our overnight was at <a href="http://www.onguma.com/about-us/onguma-campsite.htm">Onguma Bush Camp</a> located at the eastern gate to Etosha. There are only a few sites and each has it's own private bathroom and shower - deluxe! After setting up the tent, we walked over to the lodge for a sundowner (cocktail) overlooking a water hole they have.<br />
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A huge group of giraffes came into view and we counted a total of 19. You can also see wildebeest in the background. We headed back to camp and cooked a great dinner before turning in.<br />
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The next morning, we entered Etosha through the Von Lindenquist Gate heading west. Etosha is a huge park and it took us almost 3 full days to cross it. The western part, not shown on this map, is open by permit only and we were fortunate to be able to travel there. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>(Courtesy of Etosha's web site)</u></span></div>
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Once you enter the park, you are not allowed to exit the vehicle and all the campgrounds are fenced and gated. Within the first few miles, we started seeing a variety of animals.</div>
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<u>Lions hunt and eat at night. Note the "buffet" in the distance.</u></div>
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<u>Not unlike the behavior of every cat we have known!</u></div>
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<u>The only rhino we saw. </u> </div>
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It was over 100 degrees and shade was sparse.</div>
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Near Halali, we detoured over to see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etosha_pan">Etosha Pan</a>, a huge dry lake bed. In the rainy season, it gets covered by a few feet of rain and is home to large flocks of flamingos. They have had no significant rain in almost two years. </div>
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We arrived at <a href="http://www.etoshanationalpark.co.za/accommodation/inside-the-park/okaukeujo">Okaukuejo Rest Camp</a> in late afternoon and set up camp. This was probably the busiest campsite we would encounter but it had excellent facilities. It also has a waterhole that is lit at night and attracts all kinds of animals. It was difficult to photograph them as the sun went down but the next morning brought a huge variety of animals back to drink.</div>
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There are few roads in Etosha but along the way, are short trips off to see various waterholes. We visited most of them but due to the lack of rain and the heat, we didn't see many animals there. Many did choose to cross the roads in front of us and we spotted some along side.</div>
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As we entered the western section of the park, we saw no cars at all. It was the heat of the day (over 100) and we did really didn't expect to see much in the way of animals. Our destination for the night was <a href="http://www.nwr.com.na/dolomite_camp.html">Dolomite Camp</a> and as we turned towards it, we were shocked to see this:</div>
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This large bull alternated between resting his trunk in the tank and on the ground. He ignored us as we sat in the vehicle for about 30 minutes taking pictures.</div>
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Dolomite Camp sits on top of the only ridge for miles, offering a commanding view of the park in all directions. It was our first night sleeping in a bed so we were really looking forward to it. Upon arrival, you park at the base of the ridge and you walk up to the lodge and the "tents". Each tent has a balcony with incredible views and we were fortunate to get one facing west.<br />
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<u>We saw the storm approaching but it passed by without much needed rain.</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhd_QXsmH6f7NcbiJMYZNuh8UgMjCb1KoYlrd-3xV_Fi0xpF_j2gcrXO73h3T6QNpwx8VmOzGZ5cPN5iAdKZHAXJnu9SKTt-suD1Plw0p_TxubowBKZ9I7myKHQNk5IGdeSHm6rvw6IGc/s1600/IMG_0421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhd_QXsmH6f7NcbiJMYZNuh8UgMjCb1KoYlrd-3xV_Fi0xpF_j2gcrXO73h3T6QNpwx8VmOzGZ5cPN5iAdKZHAXJnu9SKTt-suD1Plw0p_TxubowBKZ9I7myKHQNk5IGdeSHm6rvw6IGc/s320/IMG_0421.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>The most amazing sunsets.</u></div>
KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-86591981008885295422013-02-16T23:19:00.000-08:002013-02-16T23:19:24.345-08:00Bad roads and border crossings<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOb3pOQO-tLDP9Lf_I8D99NpEhfsSY8gDyUImen4aSyAWIDYIKgIGUgD45D_r3xFRQr0HmbQ7VTkjnaR-XoFOd0HCxu1zV6jmU5LbreFwf81Dkj306S2QSYL8dezEa5dkhQcHtTUn62_Y/s1600/IMG_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOb3pOQO-tLDP9Lf_I8D99NpEhfsSY8gDyUImen4aSyAWIDYIKgIGUgD45D_r3xFRQr0HmbQ7VTkjnaR-XoFOd0HCxu1zV6jmU5LbreFwf81Dkj306S2QSYL8dezEa5dkhQcHtTUn62_Y/s320/IMG_0154.JPG" width="312" /></a></div>
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<u>Namibia - Border crossing at Katima Mulilo</u></div>
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Our plan was to head out after an early breakfast so we could hit the border crossing early. Unfortunately, the rear door on Oswald wouldn't open due to some corrosion in the lock and it wasn't until a very small member of the Waterberry staff was able to climb through a window that we were able to get underway. The first leg to the border was a little over 200 kilometers (120 miles) and we had been warned that the road "deteriorated" a bit as you got closer to the border.<br />
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It is often said that the concept of maintenance is foreign to most Africans -- it has to be taught. The roads in Africa range from excellent (comparable to what we have here in the States) to virtually non-existent. Some countries, like the Congo, had well established networks of roads under colonial rule but since independence, the roads have virtually disappeared and look like this:<br />
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The first 50 miles of pavement from Livingstone were in generally good shape and we made great time. But we started to encounter potholes, actually more like ditches, that would span the entire width of the road. Some were 8-10 feet wide, 2-3 feet across and often a yard deep. Traffic would simply drive into the bush to avoid them. Since they were randomly spaced, we were constantly trying to anticipate them and I got pretty good at seeing the alternate routes previous vehicles had taken well in advance. We also started seeing the carcasses of what used to be automobiles, completely stripped of usable material and laying by the road.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOZz0voauEL73rwmCb9Fm9DosYLpf5X1XYxJj9Uw6BzTtiTqmdJz7-YTz-jOKxnuLNuejKCEdUzcXVqdLclcKIlm4km8iQg1Z-Q10LXGFoV4_4y0vdxD0srcNHQ-vPbPACJuJR9-QeyM/s1600/ry=400.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOZz0voauEL73rwmCb9Fm9DosYLpf5X1XYxJj9Uw6BzTtiTqmdJz7-YTz-jOKxnuLNuejKCEdUzcXVqdLclcKIlm4km8iQg1Z-Q10LXGFoV4_4y0vdxD0srcNHQ-vPbPACJuJR9-QeyM/s320/ry=400.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There were people and animals everywhere walking along the road, in the road and across the road. One cardinal rule in Africa is never drive after dark and I can only imagine what that must be like.<br />
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Border crossings in Africa can truly be a "Hey, it's Africa" experience. I have read accounts of people planning an entire day just to navigate their way across one border, dealing with the paperwork, bureaucracy and random fees and taxes that are assessed. Oswald was registered in the United Kingdom and as such, was required to have a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnet_de_Passages">Carnet de Passages</a> to transit across the border. A Carnet is essentially a document that allows for the temporary importation of a vehicle, and looks much like a very large coupon book. We had been advised that the folks who had used Oswald prior to us had not gotten the Carnet stamped correctly so we really did not know what to expect.<br />
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When we arrived at the Zambia border checkpoint, we were ushered into a small and very hot office and told to wait. Eventually, a gentlemen arrived and I explained the situation about the Carnet. Surprisingly, he didn't think it was a problem, stamped our passports and the Carnet and directed us across the border. 100 yards later, we had to repeat the process in Namibia. You visit immigration first, then customs, you pay a Carbon tax and have the Carnet stamped. You then drive about 10 yards, park your car, and enter a small guard shack where you are directed to a huge ledger book. The book reminded me of something you would probably have seen in Elizabethan England. In that book are pages and pages of hand written entries dating back who knows how long that included all kinds of required information -- vehicle number, engine number, etc. It would have been fascinating reading had we had the time. Total elapsed time was about 2 hours, amazing by African standards.<br />
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We were now in Namibia and the roads improved instantly. There aren't a lot of paved roads there but what they have are maintained. After stopping for gas and groceries, we headed to our first campsite in the Bwabwata National Park located in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caprivi_Strip">Caprivi Strip</a>, a narrow strip of land bordered by Angola, Botswana and Zambia. <a href="http://www.namibian.org/travel/community/nambwa.html">Nambwa Camp</a> was developed by local communities in partnership with the National Park. The drive in was quite muddy but well worth it as there are only 6 campsites and we had the place to ourselves.<br />
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We also started seeing animals.</div>
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<u>Baboons</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGnWD9QZxBnkraRm8ct-7R4UmNQ7t5Z_F89G1l-zU-ObEmMsVSL88dUhZJRofa2DgHyTZ3jOi7ZVDNKezq9LbxOAXw-8-X3guCZ9nz8nhWjbKzbfde3zubRE23ZzQKs3YkaP9h36NFd4/s1600/IMG_0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGnWD9QZxBnkraRm8ct-7R4UmNQ7t5Z_F89G1l-zU-ObEmMsVSL88dUhZJRofa2DgHyTZ3jOi7ZVDNKezq9LbxOAXw-8-X3guCZ9nz8nhWjbKzbfde3zubRE23ZzQKs3YkaP9h36NFd4/s320/IMG_0159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>Large herds of Springboks</u></div>
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And of course, another amazing sunset.</div>
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<br />KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-89777528837342028212013-02-15T13:45:00.000-08:002013-02-15T13:45:49.070-08:00Hey, It's Africa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't tell you how many times I have heard those three words uttered by family and friends who have travelled through Africa. After being born in Nigeria in 1955, I spent the first three years of my life traveling through parts of West Africa with my parents. When stories were told about those years, they would describe some crazy event that could only be explained by "Hey, it's Africa", usually accompanied by rolling eyes. More recently, my daughter has travelled to Africa on several occasions and always brought back her own "Hey, it's Africa" stories. To me, it became a verbal gyroscope, somehow adjusting our Western brains to deal with the unexplainable sights and sounds that one experiences there.<br />
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Based on what I have read, most Americans experience with foreign cultures is attained by visiting Mexico, Canada and Europe. As a nation, we are some of the least travelled people on the planet, and the average American has visited less than 17 cities -- in the US! In three weeks, we met lots of folks from Britain, Germany, Holland and France but no Americans until our last night. In fact, most Americans I know who have been to Africa tend to go to Kenya and Tanzania for the animals and Egypt for the pyramids. <br />
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Why visit Africa? There were a number of reasons, actually. First, my wife was retiring and we wanted to celebrate in some big, meaningful way. Second, we had two free tickets anywhere Delta Airlines flew and we didn't want to waste them. Third, my wife and I both have bucket lists that don't match exactly but we both really wanted to visit Africa. And finally, the idea of traveling on our own at our own pace appeals to our sense of adventure and independence. After a fair amount of research, we settled on a self-drive trip and booked it through <a href="http://Safari Drive">Safari Drive</a>, a UK company with 20 years of experience in Africa. They offer trips in various parts of Africa including Kenya and Tanzania but when they suggested Namibia, we were both intrigued. Namibia is a relatively new country, having only gained its independence from South Africa in 1990, and it's infrastructure and road network are easy for first time travelers to navigate through.<br />
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Safari Drive has a number of itineraries based entirely in Namibia. We tend to operate on the principal that if there is something that you really want to see and it's "in the neighborhood", go see it. That "something" was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Falls">Victoria Falls</a>, one of the seven wonders of the natural world and the largest set of falls in the world. It also had the added benefit of being located in Zambia, and I wanted to experience one of the great "Hey, it's Africa" moments by driving across a border (more on that later). Safari Drive was extremely accommodating and reworked the itinerary to allow us to pick the vehicle up in Livingstone, Zambia and drop it off in Windhoek, Namibia.<br />
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<u>Our Route</u></div>
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Preparing for an African trip is a little more involved than booking your flights and packing your bags. Both Zambia and parts of Namibia are in areas with a high incidence of Yellow Fever and malaria is always a risk. We made multiple visits to our physician and the local health department to get the various inoculations and medications. One's passport has to be current and depending on the country, it must contain multiple blank pages. We also had to obtain an International Driver's license from AAA.`<br />
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Our air travels took us from Minneapolis to Atlanta and on to Johannesburg, South Africa (commonly referred to as Joburg). The leg from Atlanta to Joburg takes 16+ hours and is currently the fourth longest commercial flight flown -- a distance of 13,500 kilometers or 8500 miles. We had the good fortune to get an upgrade to Business Class which allowed us to get some sleep en route. We spent the night in Joburg with plans to fly British Air from Joburg to Livingstone, Zambia the next morning.<br />
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The flight to Livingstone is about 2 hours but it makes a stop in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe before a 7 minute hop to Livingstone, Zambia. We could see the spray from Victoria Falls as we landed so we knew we were close. Once we landed in Livingstone, we knew we were really in Africa -- the airport is a collection of Quonset huts around a main building. The air was hot and thick -- a friend used to describe it as a warm hug. The Customs process was fairly painless and after they scrutinized our passports and Yellow Fever cards and stamped everything, away we went. <br />
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Effective 1/1/13, Zambia requires that their currency, the Kwacha, be used exclusively throughout the country. Our first stop was to exchange some currency and while Linda was doing that, I had my first "Hey, it's Africa" experience. A young soldier, carrying an AK 47, walks up to me, extends his hand and says "Welcome to Zambia, man". His grin was as wide as his face and absent the weapon would have probably hugged me. The folks from the lodge where we were staying picked us up, and we were driven about an hour to <a href="http://www.waterberrylodge.com/">Waterberry Lodge</a> on the Zambezi River.<br />
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<u>Waterberry Lodge</u></div>
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Our first task, aside from trying to recover from jet lag, was to get briefed on the trip itinerary and our vehicle. Kate from Safari Drive introduced us to "Oswald", a 2012 Land Rover Defender, that would be our home away from home for the next 3 weeks. We spent a few hours getting familiar with the vehicle and all the camping equipment we would be needing. The biggest challenge was certainly going to be learning to drive on the right side and shifting with my left hand. Kate went over the maps, the border crossing processes and we collapsed into bed, our heads full of new information.<br />
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<u>Oswald would never be this clean again!</u></div>
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After breakfast, we set out for our driver's training and a visit to Victoria Falls. Fortunately, the drive out from the lodge had no traffic so I was able to ease into driving on a different side of the road. We reached <a href="http://www.pranazambia.com/">Prana Lodge</a> where Andy was scheduled to give us a brief driving overview. Due to the amount of rain they had, much of his driving course was flooded, but he did give us a lot of information, and did a great job showing us the vehicle's capabilities. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2ejegUD6V6KM3Qa0bPodkJr_Dp6k6AxL-Ibamgi1rJJYl6bGfjMmXCTMKzHJh3iTtdMER-f1Y5AfvGu9Wuv1xnbyvVanZDmnhU85b5_k2uiMjXht2OY_XwSv5xjqwMVedUVrnVv-6oM/s1600/IMG_0070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2ejegUD6V6KM3Qa0bPodkJr_Dp6k6AxL-Ibamgi1rJJYl6bGfjMmXCTMKzHJh3iTtdMER-f1Y5AfvGu9Wuv1xnbyvVanZDmnhU85b5_k2uiMjXht2OY_XwSv5xjqwMVedUVrnVv-6oM/s320/IMG_0070.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>"Shut up and quit back seat driving"</u></div>
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Victoria Falls was as amazing as we expected it to be. The Falls straddle the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Falls_Bridge">Victoria Falls Bridge</a> crosses the Zambezi River as it enters a huge gorge. We had been advised that if we just wanted to walk across the bridge, we would tell the Customs officer we wanted to go bungee jumping and he would let us cross into Zimbabwe without a visa. After getting permission, we were immediately approached by a number of young men selling everything from small carved statues to jewelry. They were persistent and we were still jet lagged so we ended up buying some items so they would leave us alone.</div>
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<u>First view from the bridge</u></div>
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<u>The Zambia/Zimbabwe Border</u></div>
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<u>Victoria Falls Bridge. Bungee jumping in the middle.</u></div>
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We headed into the Park to walk the trails to the falls. By now it was raining, and coupled with the spray from the Falls themselves, we had a very wet hike -- great fun. There are a number of trails from which you can view the Falls and we tried to hike them all. Pictures are limited because I didn't want to ruin the camera before the trip really began.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoag57qlfyocDgPjV-b8D6R8ZkhUM8zOnwz2wKCyvcRGJBTN69d9G9HfZLsshkHOhBDy6WUavWYZfG_r6XHsom71xB8VPrdMcK89l3HhDKsrZKMnxP75g8tV96sgWvl1r7Zzezw5kHaK0/s1600/IMG_0105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoag57qlfyocDgPjV-b8D6R8ZkhUM8zOnwz2wKCyvcRGJBTN69d9G9HfZLsshkHOhBDy6WUavWYZfG_r6XHsom71xB8VPrdMcK89l3HhDKsrZKMnxP75g8tV96sgWvl1r7Zzezw5kHaK0/s320/IMG_0105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After returning to Waterberry, we joined some of the other guests for a sunset cruise on the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zambezi"> Zambezi River</a>. Animals were seen, gin and tonics consumed and a great time was had by all. It was followed by a delightful dinner, full of great conversation, lots of laughs and fun stories.<br />
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<u>Looking across to Zimbabwe</u></div>
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<u>Hippos resting on a sand bank.</u></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiwcrkXTvZJ1VTDfnEbZrt86LohHBbaqhBKHUfnmRxjuqkiGyhBb7E7_cPKme_i-QXIYagy1DSdR6-PPyJAz6lVCc0WfBRDjQUZSgSN-9GIJqpHVaPXOKEA1EAPWD_YjSfeeZsBpACI0/s1600/IMG_0142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiwcrkXTvZJ1VTDfnEbZrt86LohHBbaqhBKHUfnmRxjuqkiGyhBb7E7_cPKme_i-QXIYagy1DSdR6-PPyJAz6lVCc0WfBRDjQUZSgSN-9GIJqpHVaPXOKEA1EAPWD_YjSfeeZsBpACI0/s320/IMG_0142.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>A large herd. This is a National Park in Zimbabwe.</u></div>
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<u>Between the hippos and these guys, no one's swimming in the Zambezi.</u></div>
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<u>The first of many spectacular sunsets.</u></div>
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Tomorrow, the journey begins towards the border crossing into Namibia.</div>
KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-60863280496435678052012-10-18T11:39:00.002-07:002012-10-18T11:40:10.606-07:00A Lesson in Civics; Principal vs EconomicsA few weeks ago, I received a traffic ticket for disregarding a posted highway sign. To be clear, I did ignore it following a bunch of other cars doing the same thing. We all got tickets. The whole situation felt like a bit of a scam -- the intersection was very confusing, the traffic patterns change daily due to construction, and the police officer was a dick -- literally. And less than two hours after I got the ticket, the sign I violated was gone and the whole intersection was back to normal. <br />
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After a few days, I checked on the Ramsey County Court's site and found that this breach of the law would cost me $131. Given I have a pretty clean driving record, I almost succumbed to the temptation to just drop a check in the mail. But I wanted to tell someone, anyone what a scam I thought the whole thing was so I called the court. I was given an appointment to appear before a hearing officer to plead my case.<br />
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I spent a few years in the criminal justice system decades ago and there was no such thing as a hearing officer. You either paid the fine by mail or you appeared in court before a judge to plead your case. Unless the policer officer was a complete idiot and/or the judge was having a bad day, that court appearance was usually a waste of your time. As police officers, we were paid to be there, and I always enjoyed the theatre that was traffic court.<br />
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Visiting the Ramsey County Courthouse is actually pretty cool because it is an amazing art-deco building. I got there early and wandered around and would have taken pictures if were not for the Ramsey County deputy who reminded me that photographs were not allowed for security reasons. Apparently, al-Qaeda must have its eye on something here. Waiting for my appointment was fascinating in and of itself given the cast of characters present hoping to walk away with driving records intact. There were several well heeled women who were clearly uncomfortable sitting with the rest of us flotsam, several guys chatting loudly in Arabic, and an older guy who reeked of alcohol. <br />
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When my name was called, I didn't recognize it at first because the hearing officer was Hmong and the English language was not his strong suit. As we entered his office, I presented my ticket and drivers license and after some work on his computer, he tells me I have three options. I'm thinking -- wait, when does the hearing start? When do I get to plead my case? It felt like talking to the finance guy at the car dealer when he's laying out the options he wants to sell you, the ones you really don't need. <br />
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In broken English, he presents my options:<br />
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A. Take a court date in March of 2013. I could plead my case before the judge but would have to pay $100 in court costs regardless of the outcome. <i>The extended warranty option.</i><br />
B. Pay $231 and plead not guilty. The ticket goes away, my license stays clear and nothing is reported to my insurance company. When I inquire as to why this option costs $100 more, I am told that this pays for the Ramsey County Attorney waiving the charge. He tries to close the deal by saying "This best option. Keep record clear." <i>The paint sealant option.</i><br />
C. Plead guilty and pay a reduced fee of $82 and have 1 point added to my license. <i>The mudflaps you don't want but are already installed option.</i><br />
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Now, I went down there because I felt the ticket was crap on principal alone. But faced with the cold hard economic facts, I chose option C. It costs me less out of pocket today and hopefully my insurance company will take pity on me. My hearing officer says "Best option. Very cheap".<br />
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He could make way more money as a car dealer finance guy.<br />
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<br />KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-68643040701861657082012-02-11T07:14:00.000-08:002012-02-11T08:38:25.742-08:00"The best-laid plans of mice and men / Often go awry"<div style="text-align: left;">No truer words written (originally from Robert Burns) can describe my life in the past 24 hours. For the past year, I have been scheming about taking a trip -- something long and epic, that would provide memories to sustain me as I sit drooling in some old age home. My plan is to drive from Dead Horse, Alaska to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ushaia</span>, Argentina, a distance of some 12,000 + miles -- essentially from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the tip of South America.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was planning the first leg of the trip this year to commence after spending a few weeks in Washington State working a bike trip. Linda and I were going to take the ferry north towards <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Skagway</span> and then drive the Dalton Highway to Dead Horse. From there, we would head south through <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Banff</span> and back to St Paul. The next leg from Mexico south would start, probably in 2013. </div><div><br /></div><div>To make this journey, I had purchased a 2011 Tacoma last year and spent a fair amount of time making it into a vehicle in which we could live comfortably for extended periods -- refrigerator, dual battery system, upgraded suspension and bumpers, a winch -- and a comfortable sleeping area. I used and tested most it last year on multiple trips west, and it all worked amazingly well, sometimes serving as luggage hauler, ambulance and home away from home. </div><div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjln0D_8WlM44xn7BMc8gFFgMJIqBQTxU14Py2BOG0kZIKgN8cGrixUkJ2mnrq1o9ydAOvjp0fF-Jjpt-PwVnxG-s6NLrdYeCaOhyoIUKNPnqJaFrMYyzzHj3S2U6U5D9EFAg-zNEJBRko/s320/Picture+479.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707906679833640114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN25PxtSt2RYk6NMOKD-j_5NG7CZshlH4sHfwLOgqQCB9ZQEMaxyxoD6M4PWTE0z2BDk_v4nrdJS86qTGTNY7zP4hUoIEpCNQs87JVyAvVGpF2VzoMcDrkiAH9OEeaETxBMcbw8zb5GKY/s320/IMG_0915.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707906849588112114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></span></span></div><div>Unfortunately, it was totaled yesterday afternoon as I was headed to work a shift at the Minneapolis Convention Center. While sitting at a light, I was rear ended by a Jeep Cherokee that police estimate was traveling at about 50 mph. After I got out of my car, the driver of the Jeep took off running down the street. One of his passengers was on the ground complaining of a broken leg and the other was clutching her arm, screaming. She too ended up running down the street after the driver. I attempted to chase them both down on foot but given the driver's head start and the guy laying on the ground screaming, I turned back to care for him. It turned out to be a good choice.</div><div><br /></div><div>After calling 911, the fire department and the paramedics were on the scene quickly, treating the injured. One of the police officers informed me that both the driver and the passenger had been followed by a tow truck driver and taken into custody. After they were brought back to the scene, one of the officers tells me that the Jeep had just been used in a robbery of some sort, and they had been escaping the scene when I was hit. The Jeep was demolished, the engine pushed back into the passenger compartment and all the airbags deployed. When the driver was brought back to the scene, it was evident that he was able to run away uninjured due solely to his rather high level of intoxication.</div><div><br /></div><div>My truck suffered extensive damage to the rear end. The cap was shoved off the bed rails, the drivers seat back was broken, and we discovered that the frame is twisted all the way to the cab. Aside from a little bit of stiffness 24 hours later, I walked away uninjured. I owe a little of that to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">over sized</span> bumper I had installed, and the rest to luck. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjViwNHh_BAidzBGIm5_o8-ztL-DmjlyuPIaRg8_McB_4nlTKMybuTt2dUcnYgtjNKnrKRxkkpINknZXqA3HKyG-zYaWNgmg7PGPo1bmPAqQ3Kb5n2HNI81agduTRBTArBx_p1dzLWhUEU/s320/IMG_1145.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707913229950254226" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDB2CJFaDyyOiO5RiCK6Kr2DfEpqSB8GN8WfgBEyUavwCWKb4fVgZcX8KSkzT5aGMItPontbjdqdTtP2GkhOjM-rFAIAyeKQ7UGASv723ZV5DMVeWPp-zudUvTBN3Ym_URLsRSBbVRedw/s320/IMG_1144.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707913229209650306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYc4xoR9bIawn3JBlK4ndYdO6b5iVOz2zbV4InEAZyW5sOMIAPD7ZUL0uOXgkpqA21a-zw5AsbkEBWYeHRcZy1crjlnYKKYW5Lfi5zdf_W-5QuXXaJLCq8o31U1B4Rbm7GArx44UcUa8/s320/IMG_1146.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707914165157715810" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div>I can salvage most of the work to the truck and will hopefully find a replacement soon. I am scheduled to leave for Utah and points west for the beginning of the 2012 tour season in less than three weeks, and I will get there somehow.</div><div><br /></div><div>As for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Prudhoe</span> Bay this year, who knows? Maybe this is a sign that, instead of doing the trip in sections, I should throw caution to the wind and take the year or two to do it in one trip. Whatever happens, I was reminded that while plans can be made, they can just as easily be undone.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>"The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination."</i></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre; "> </span>Don Williams, Jr.</div><div><br /></div><div>Amen to that!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers</div></div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-43490687915007425482011-12-14T09:52:00.001-08:002011-12-14T09:54:21.608-08:00Photo Journal -- 26<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi4sr5gifrpPux1cIdk5OG6lTf5T441_E1pDhRNb9lq7bKguoEdeaE1iWolVPnPtA3FdKCWEnlDeqHIZplLfpJPsxA0FFp11Lr65L-BhYm_d0EhZnjKoUkYR0-E77Az6rQ00q13tDto4/s1600/IMG_0649.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUi4sr5gifrpPux1cIdk5OG6lTf5T441_E1pDhRNb9lq7bKguoEdeaE1iWolVPnPtA3FdKCWEnlDeqHIZplLfpJPsxA0FFp11Lr65L-BhYm_d0EhZnjKoUkYR0-E77Az6rQ00q13tDto4/s400/IMG_0649.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686043761410225474" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Fire in the Sky; near Butte, Montana</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-80528999824960539832011-12-12T18:58:00.000-08:002011-12-12T19:00:48.022-08:00Photo Journal -- 25<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmZjVshm7h2o3F_der3EStxHbzwvr9_zw9fef9taNXB3tGLUh8D808tjH7gnWfjWBXwnXgVX15bFQs7ItubhCT0Bd69wDay9Qg6D0MMreJJdMN5GOHC75ioV_-mgJZthef6OC0dmUml0/s1600/CIMG2777.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmZjVshm7h2o3F_der3EStxHbzwvr9_zw9fef9taNXB3tGLUh8D808tjH7gnWfjWBXwnXgVX15bFQs7ItubhCT0Bd69wDay9Qg6D0MMreJJdMN5GOHC75ioV_-mgJZthef6OC0dmUml0/s400/CIMG2777.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685442414124068386" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Utah hiking</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-26032487452959552852011-12-10T17:59:00.001-08:002011-12-10T18:00:39.968-08:00Photo Journal -- 24<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSb72tkvL6ja5f5k9L3jIAdo-_BAy11dTnPwrqlnJKoF0xPC2cElu1d0f52h42_rTHu2kxKDnGaZg3I1theKMVu1uwM-5yqVD3UGBH2peLLiwYU7f37kTXK_ee00xMoqvQXtrXQBNMlM/s1600/WMimage_5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSb72tkvL6ja5f5k9L3jIAdo-_BAy11dTnPwrqlnJKoF0xPC2cElu1d0f52h42_rTHu2kxKDnGaZg3I1theKMVu1uwM-5yqVD3UGBH2peLLiwYU7f37kTXK_ee00xMoqvQXtrXQBNMlM/s400/WMimage_5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684684707975083746" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">near New Bruanfelds, Texas</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-30121650281816385322011-12-09T19:37:00.000-08:002011-12-09T19:42:24.731-08:00Photo Journal -- 23<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzc15_Sne9dKcMxVLCY5YXkuVLdjjEcHPOU0_y7lvwi9ksSl3xfJ7SKOwQtVQlQ8B_pvkmaZU2dYVqSUhj_mCcSUiG9PfxdHNDP1melphj7BuZ531PGmIEPz5rmJBjvdiOMQCrnWAkA4/s1600/IMG_0903.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzc15_Sne9dKcMxVLCY5YXkuVLdjjEcHPOU0_y7lvwi9ksSl3xfJ7SKOwQtVQlQ8B_pvkmaZU2dYVqSUhj_mCcSUiG9PfxdHNDP1melphj7BuZ531PGmIEPz5rmJBjvdiOMQCrnWAkA4/s400/IMG_0903.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684339603867166914" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Storm Break; Grand Canyon North Rim; Arizona</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-60604353130162832362011-12-08T16:03:00.000-08:002011-12-08T16:06:07.736-08:00Photo Journal -- 22<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UbtnHao-Hgs/TuFQxw4U2pI/AAAAAAAAE0U/-cXlqeG-iFE/s1600/WMimage_8.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UbtnHao-Hgs/TuFQxw4U2pI/AAAAAAAAE0U/-cXlqeG-iFE/s400/WMimage_8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683913020583238290" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Autumn Road; near St. Paul, MN</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-58783621746143587672011-12-07T17:31:00.000-08:002011-12-07T17:34:35.236-08:00Photo Journal -- 21<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBmbZQHJ5WaRIaLPWNO2G3c78rJatU1kOLKTqcOuM6t6ZCRwoWeZQhpGRMMPg7bEBx2sueZhcHtlI4V682hKjuP3OA_UK2gBP-lQnMvoYEpNOvgP7XQ2-JteK5RC4cTLavgzOPlzXVrg/s1600/web.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBmbZQHJ5WaRIaLPWNO2G3c78rJatU1kOLKTqcOuM6t6ZCRwoWeZQhpGRMMPg7bEBx2sueZhcHtlI4V682hKjuP3OA_UK2gBP-lQnMvoYEpNOvgP7XQ2-JteK5RC4cTLavgzOPlzXVrg/s400/web.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683564584755754162" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Rim Trail; North Rim, Grand Canyon, AZ</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Disclaimer: I did not take this photograph but it was taken on a trip I co-lead.</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-90416011682166161522011-12-06T15:08:00.000-08:002011-12-06T15:10:19.519-08:00Photo Journal -- 20<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zT57HqKVmNn1yIJfQfGgbqzsMZ79Inp97KO55cUw7tAV8qCr6v8i4l9aHDnmeOgqU2_hQaUSBBQn_DKMVlAYPv8_2jzdrRMKzQN0egpjllOpwbrW-YhjvYeKdgt3PeR9bzrs3bLkHS8/s1600/WMimage_12.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zT57HqKVmNn1yIJfQfGgbqzsMZ79Inp97KO55cUw7tAV8qCr6v8i4l9aHDnmeOgqU2_hQaUSBBQn_DKMVlAYPv8_2jzdrRMKzQN0egpjllOpwbrW-YhjvYeKdgt3PeR9bzrs3bLkHS8/s400/WMimage_12.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683156506553752562" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Nature's colors; Farmers Market, Eugene Oregon</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-1506765535872854052011-12-05T07:35:00.001-08:002011-12-05T07:36:57.165-08:00Photo Journal -- 19<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xS5qFahm2ys/Ttzk_wx3CXI/AAAAAAAAEzw/przOxMXkhpo/s1600/IMG_0412.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xS5qFahm2ys/Ttzk_wx3CXI/AAAAAAAAEzw/przOxMXkhpo/s400/IMG_0412.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682668613911644530" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Until Spring; St. Paul, MN</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-69694028253863617052011-12-04T07:45:00.001-08:002011-12-04T07:46:40.321-08:00Photo Journal -- 18<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0uRvSLwPQH38cG1QZ_brLfZqTBNMIfJVWP0Ln2JhOpiDjvJ-BDd8c_Ge9fM5a3n1GshSnKFt3ACNYmxL8SKjMzA_q8BHnCkE4ukHgnnPmCPKi5j8yhsLAcHiKLRjUpPoNzB48VewjNQ/s1600/IMG_0236.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0uRvSLwPQH38cG1QZ_brLfZqTBNMIfJVWP0Ln2JhOpiDjvJ-BDd8c_Ge9fM5a3n1GshSnKFt3ACNYmxL8SKjMzA_q8BHnCkE4ukHgnnPmCPKi5j8yhsLAcHiKLRjUpPoNzB48VewjNQ/s400/IMG_0236.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682299987539718450" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Winter tracks; near Stockholm, Wisconsin</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-86015633048670473662011-12-03T07:04:00.001-08:002011-12-03T07:05:41.690-08:00Photo Journal -- 17<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrsECibdWsJTYS8xNHTClD0G4FdFz-yobUyjz5rzfsLuuseRWls61jO8NJNGfkDToAVzTLMDXy3VAG97vEs70MkoLYtbJbG0OlLTu0uL-31_7w8RGw_r39WPnx8p-0AGd5o4O7yYFhPE/s1600/WMimage_3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrsECibdWsJTYS8xNHTClD0G4FdFz-yobUyjz5rzfsLuuseRWls61jO8NJNGfkDToAVzTLMDXy3VAG97vEs70MkoLYtbJbG0OlLTu0uL-31_7w8RGw_r39WPnx8p-0AGd5o4O7yYFhPE/s400/WMimage_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681918276754966594" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Sand Road; White Sands National Monument; New Mexico</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-69743217849020583132011-12-02T17:25:00.000-08:002011-12-02T17:27:20.783-08:00Photo Journal -- 16<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYv7JVtgrkzDSgHty4b1NxY8WDTV6-fGtKUSYfsIUYRxnYrbNc4eBM10liKH5lIsJqgr2laedjn46YYqfHOBzcAMr1IuB80xoc8yotuZDiJ5rArIAmgp9029QC7HBzSrEE3r2QVkfZQo/s1600/WMimage_7.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYv7JVtgrkzDSgHty4b1NxY8WDTV6-fGtKUSYfsIUYRxnYrbNc4eBM10liKH5lIsJqgr2laedjn46YYqfHOBzcAMr1IuB80xoc8yotuZDiJ5rArIAmgp9029QC7HBzSrEE3r2QVkfZQo/s400/WMimage_7.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681707481611924466" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Sunset; Columbia River; Washington</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-83672147505169260292011-12-01T08:07:00.000-08:002011-12-01T08:15:49.082-08:00Photo Journal -- 15<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzuVGj7VAmIqJaHO2FA5ccsIibCcT6Sktv75RYnl9VhRsrfN4U0LKkGCVQHyOYx-IMJ07F81Wsle0TpK_eXQN8av_Bji_EywvPT294ZeGtHluv8F2r63GSjlnrOVKas6511C-f0rEWZ8/s1600/WMimage_13.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzuVGj7VAmIqJaHO2FA5ccsIibCcT6Sktv75RYnl9VhRsrfN4U0LKkGCVQHyOYx-IMJ07F81Wsle0TpK_eXQN8av_Bji_EywvPT294ZeGtHluv8F2r63GSjlnrOVKas6511C-f0rEWZ8/s400/WMimage_13.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681194272782214402" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The road less travelled; near Hite Crossing, Utah</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-4342400430146746852011-11-30T06:28:00.000-08:002011-11-30T06:31:01.343-08:00Photo Journal -- 14<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWehSdJCvhjKE5EfcZ_7qqqRWkTC0MQ7UF3BFknNkxZIr4Nra32yzUvD20W8wepBhnXReQgnmRk9wbYz0jANDirSaEBGkJ9jUkCPHxKk5-FpnTwhgOsKCFnJWBGZCbEs9wK_BlQonJ5U/s1600/WMimage_11.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 377px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWehSdJCvhjKE5EfcZ_7qqqRWkTC0MQ7UF3BFknNkxZIr4Nra32yzUvD20W8wepBhnXReQgnmRk9wbYz0jANDirSaEBGkJ9jUkCPHxKk5-FpnTwhgOsKCFnJWBGZCbEs9wK_BlQonJ5U/s400/WMimage_11.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680796182329589234" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Mountain Lake; Cascade Highway; Washington</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-83994044612426427452011-11-29T07:20:00.001-08:002011-11-29T07:22:39.837-08:00Photo Journal -- 13<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBC0N4G4LCBt4_sRWKgmpsYBYg0I_LQPBeR8ZxaIOnBCy6YainSXw4ei_qwKECqEWbXEB18KJLLAaj9o-5InfmfwRvOpK0kLcobAPfhdoLeCTBe5CpVqkVM1XbAq7V88nvk012B1l9nq4/s1600/WMimage_10.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBC0N4G4LCBt4_sRWKgmpsYBYg0I_LQPBeR8ZxaIOnBCy6YainSXw4ei_qwKECqEWbXEB18KJLLAaj9o-5InfmfwRvOpK0kLcobAPfhdoLeCTBe5CpVqkVM1XbAq7V88nvk012B1l9nq4/s400/WMimage_10.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680438172919852450" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Point Imperial; Grand Canyon North Rim</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-80271512639158535132011-11-28T05:21:00.001-08:002011-11-28T05:24:05.371-08:00Photo Journal -- 12<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsx8-9N_UC-S9qCUfazAAdgPYJkLpkykKwKtpEjTbIJA70NCaWrJFFW2Gtknz0HbG1-r79WbJU-jx_a8zed6nDP4xMZPL_7B8llmWQn_wC4z2vxQgyD_kmm4eeeU7bsrLOcUAIzpGtyDs/s1600/WMimage_9.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsx8-9N_UC-S9qCUfazAAdgPYJkLpkykKwKtpEjTbIJA70NCaWrJFFW2Gtknz0HbG1-r79WbJU-jx_a8zed6nDP4xMZPL_7B8llmWQn_wC4z2vxQgyD_kmm4eeeU7bsrLOcUAIzpGtyDs/s400/WMimage_9.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680036491524699714" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Anza Borrego State Park; California</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-27729741041778843632011-11-27T05:14:00.000-08:002011-11-27T05:19:24.759-08:00Photo Journal --11<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3J3ACL0vpGqaweSv5pwaaJLT66TpgzW9JCV1wPbkoSgoFRnOtW2cNr8jV0GBY4nLFVdXuYRSIHLHJCj-36qk93bI_bV2UCK0NuxABsEek88sk0cUU8EaNsYh-yqFl0-DleNw9-GbTk0/s1600/IMG_0480.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3J3ACL0vpGqaweSv5pwaaJLT66TpgzW9JCV1wPbkoSgoFRnOtW2cNr8jV0GBY4nLFVdXuYRSIHLHJCj-36qk93bI_bV2UCK0NuxABsEek88sk0cUU8EaNsYh-yqFl0-DleNw9-GbTk0/s400/IMG_0480.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679663757213848658" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Early spring snow; Los Padres National Forest; near Ojai, CA</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416509011060174344.post-45007987427777899522011-11-26T12:59:00.000-08:002011-11-26T13:01:46.929-08:00Photo Journal -- 10<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gzWNOA9M5T6_XrVHroH91MKrzOYuUGL8O1d6-rcxXRWpYF3BlcdNmYxiDCpXrCEGlZAlUc6FbO0xTIDw0Bt2w7SRu6o80uXYHoqKabOLKtIxjM7wX1Ok231SxdpY9n9C6j0tkukVoEo/s1600/CIMG2667.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gzWNOA9M5T6_XrVHroH91MKrzOYuUGL8O1d6-rcxXRWpYF3BlcdNmYxiDCpXrCEGlZAlUc6FbO0xTIDw0Bt2w7SRu6o80uXYHoqKabOLKtIxjM7wX1Ok231SxdpY9n9C6j0tkukVoEo/s400/CIMG2667.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679412429889160146" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Fall touring; Kaibab National Forest; North Rim, Grand Canyon</div>KMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06966611121246745152noreply@blogger.com0