Well, after a long hiatus, we have booked our next big adventure in Africa. We leave home on July 27 and expect to return on September 5, 2016. We will be stopping in Dubai for a couple of nights to acclimate and get a quick look at that modernistic city in the desert. The we fly to Khartoum to spend 8 days in Sudan. We have read some exciting information about the history and people and want to see for ourselves. It will be very hot, so am glad it is not longer than 8 days. From there we will fly to Uganda to spend a week with our Kellermann Foundation friends next to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the South Western corner of the country. This will be our third visit there and we know we will be seeing an incredible hospital facility, nursing school, volunteer residences and other buildings in the area, none of which existed when we first visited Scott and Carol Kellermann in 2002. Then, we helped them administer drugs to people suffering from malaria, by hanging IVs from a large tree while the sick lay around the tree on blankets with their families next to them. I have somehow agreed to be on the KF board and this will be an official trip with several other board members visiting as well. We will finish off our Uganda leg with a stay in a high mountain rain forest lodge.
From Uganda we will have a driver take us to Kigali, Rwanda. Should be an interesting ride. We will have only one night in Rwanda so we will see what we can in the allotted time. My primary goal is to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial and learn about the Hutu and Tutsi mass killings that took place in April-July, 1994 and what is happening in the country since then.
From Kigali, we will fly south, across the equator to Zambia, where we will visit two game parks for several days each. What is different about safaris in Zambia is that they are often walking safaris, which should be interesting and adventurous. Finally, we will fly into Milawi for several days of adventures on and near Lake Malawi, the ninth largest lake in the world. Interestingly, it also contains the greater diversity of fish in the world. Maybe I will even try fishing……
….which reminds me about my mother who loved to fish and keeps asking me when will I go fishing for her. For those of you who are interested, LaVonne, still with us at the age of 94, resides happily in an assisted living facility in Grass Valley. She has been under Hospice Care for 10+ months since she suffered a mild stroke. She is growing weaker in both mind and body, but is not ready to leave yet. Mark and I had paid for a trip to Africa just before her stroke and decided to cancel, believing she would not last long. Almost a year later, she is still walking and talking and smiling at anyone who comes near. We have given up waiting. So this time we are paid up again and determined to go. Hopefully she will still be here when we get back.
So I am sending this to you as a warm up for the trip and a chance to see if I can still blog. It has been a long time. Next I will try to send some images and see how that goes.
So until then, Happy Adventuring,
Julia
Comments
Hi Julia,
Your trip sound amazingly exciting! We look forward to reading your blog and seeing your photos!
Jim and Julie
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Julia,
Thanks for including us in your trip’s e-mails.
Gary and Bonnie
Yea for you and Mark. Home now and trying to get over jet lag. Talk soon. Luv BT
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Hi Julia,
Al and I will be most interested in your experiences in Aftrica and thank you for including us in your blog.
Happy Travels, Bev & Al
So excited to follow you on google earth again! -Nancy
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I’m looking forward to your posts! Question….do you have someone you rely upon to create your trips? If so, would you please share his/her name &number. Gratefully, Melissa Fowlkes ________________________________
Sounds exciting, Julia. Thanks so much for your account. Will look forward to hearing about your adventures in these exotic locales! W >
I am ready to travel with you via email once again!! Love, Sherry
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Sounds very cool. . .don’t forget to get that Christmas card shot! Safe travels, Andy
Happy Adventuring, Julia! I’ll look forward to your blogs. Claire
Julia and Mark,
It looks like the two of you have an interesting itinerary scheduled for your African hiatus. May your travels be blessed with rich experiences and interactions with people. After reading your past travelogues it seems like you both have a way of touching others peoples lives for a minute, a moment, a day, a week, however long you might be in contact with them.
May you continue to enhance the lives of all that you come in contact with and share life’s experiences with. I pray for good health and happiness for both of you as you go on this journey. And I pray for good health and happiness for Lavonne also. Go and make it a great African trip! Remember to share love, the greatest thing in the universe, with everyone that you encounter.
All God’s love and may His Spirit be with you always.
Mike Estes
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Sounds like an interesting trip, enjoy and be safe.
Karyl
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Hi Julia,
Sounds like an awesome trip and amazing experience, have a wonderful trip,
Luis
Try the tiki drinks at the Flamingo. I hear the blue hawaiians are to die for!
Also, my new email address is “jamesbuckzimmer@gmail.com”. I look forward to your chronicles. Bon voyage! Don’t forget sunscreen.