Sao Tome & Principe May 13, 2023 We arrived in Sao Tome, the capital city of Sao Tome and Principe, on May 12, 2023. Sao Tome and Principe is a tiny island country with a population of about 225,000. The country achieved its independence in 1975 and promptly declared itself to be ”a revolutionary front […]

Pirates!   We recently have learned a few things about pirates in the Atlantic Ocean – yes that’s right, the Atlantic.   Apparently, piracy is big business off the West coast of Africa, as cargo ships with refined petroleum pass through these waters.  Several African countries on the West coast are rich in oil, and […]

Cape Town, South Africa May 9, 2023 We flew into Cape Town from Durbin on May 5 at the conclusion of our Safari. Then we headed off the next day on a half-day tour of the city. Last time we were in Cape Town (back in 2018) we didn’t think much of the place. In […]

Zululand, South Africa May 8, 2023 When we arrived in South Africa, we immediately went by van to Phinda Forest Lodge for a photo safari (we were part of a group of 8 passengers from the ship).   Phinda is one of the many lodges owned by a company called “&Beyond” which promotes sustainable travel […]

Maputo, Mozambique May 7, 2023 We just finished—wait for it—a pirate drill. Apparently we are about to enter a high-risk area (HRA) for piracy. Not something you see every day.  Anyway, we arrived in Maputo, Mozambique on Monday, May 1st. Now officially known as the Republic of Mozambique, it has a population of 30 million […]

A Stop in Nosy Be, Madagascar April 28, 2023 We arrived at Nosy Be, Madagascar on the 27th of April. (The island country is officially known as the Republic of Madagascar.) To put this visit in perspective, it is necessary to consider one overriding  fact, namely that Madagascar is  one of the poorest countries in […]

On to the Seychelles April 26, 2023 The Republic of the Seychelles, as it is officially known, is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean consisting of 115 islands. Its capital and largest city is Victoria which also happens to be the smallest capital city in the world measured by population. In fact at just under […]

Salalah,  Oman April 25, 2023 Our last stop in the Middle East was Salalah, Oman. Salalah is the 3rd largest city in Oman, which is officially known as the Sultanate of Oman. It is one of the only two Sultanates in the world, the other being Brunei.  Salalah (pop about 200,000) is the capital city […]