I’d been told that there was an incredible diversity and volume of wildlife in the country of Botswana, so on my last full day in Zimbabwe I elected to do a day safari in Chobe National Park, which is located in Botswana, just an hour’s drive from Victoria Falls. In this part of Africa, four countries come together along the banks of the Zambezi River: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia, and it is quite easy to go back and forth between them.

Vultures in a tree, awaiting a meal

For the entire hour drive to the Zimbabwe-Botswana border the transport jeep traveled through the Zambezi National Park. I kept my eyes peeled for wildlife, if only to hone my spotting skills for the day’s safari, and I was not disappointed. I spied the occasional elephant or two hiding in the brush just off the road and then began to see trees full of vultures. Suddenly, a very fat, sleek spotted hyena darted across the road in front of us. The driver said this was an auspicious sign – spotted hyena are rarely seen in the daylight as they are night hunters. With the vast number of vultures and other birds of prey that were gathering in the surrounding trees he speculated that there was a fresh kill nearby and sure enough, a bit further along the road we came upon a skull in the middle of the road. The driver stopped and kicked it around but it was so mangled that he couldn’t tell what kind of an animal it had been. Whatever the species, it was big, and the raw meat hanging off it confirmed the recent kill.

Crossing the border between Zimbabwe and Botswana

At the Botswana border I passed through Immigration, getting my passport stamped before walking over the border at a small dip in the road that was full of what appeared to be rainwater. I was instructed to step on a saturated foam pad that sat on the curbside, wetting the soles of my shoes. I walked along the curb while the jeep drove through the pit of water. This is a treatment to guard against bringing Hoof and Mouth Disease into Botswana, which I found truly ridiculous – they sanitized the soles of my shoes but my pants have been dragging around in the Zimbabwean soil for a couple of days. Read the rest of this entry »

Yes, that’s the name of a movie. But I was dreaming of Africa long before the movie ever came out. In fact, for as long as I can remember, I have had a passion to see this mysterious continent. So when the opportunity arose to do this round-the-world trip I excitedly included Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Tanzania in my itinerary. All three places were easy choices. Tanzania has the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakeys first found fossil evidence of early hominids. Where Zimbabwe and Zambia meet, the Zambezi River plummets hundreds of feet over a horseshoe chasm, forming the world famous Victoria Falls.

I suffered a good deal of trepidation over the African part of my journey. There is so much that is unknown about Africa. We do not hear much about it in the news. We’re unfamiliar with its cultures and people. Would I be accepted? Would I be safe? This was not just a rhetorical question where Zimbabwe was concerned – their president, Robert Mugabi, has been plundering the country for years, jailing or “disappearing” anyone who gets in his way. The result is a country that is suffering with severe poverty, high unemployment, runaway inflation and an extreme lack of even the most basic goods like cooking oil and sugar. When I initially booked the Zimbabwe portion, the situation was not so dire. But in the intervening months the situation had deteriorated. I grew fearful. I waffled.

Everyone told me not to risk going to Zimbabwe. I made a decision not to go – to walk away from the prepaid flight and hotel on the premise that my life is worth a lot more than a few measly dollars and the falls weren’t going to dry up overnight. But then I decided to email my travel agent, explaining that I was willing to lose my money and asking her to be truthful with me about the condition in the country. Her rapid reply reassured me that the press had blown the situation out of proportion, as usual. Yes, there were gasoline shortages. And yes, Mugabe was up to his usual tricks in the capitol of Harare, but that was a world away from Victoria Falls. Besides, she wrote, the country is so hungry for foreign currency that they take extra pains to ensure the safety of tourists in places like Victoria Falls. I’d had more than an inkling of this when I had to wire U.S. funds to her company in order to book the trip; I eventually discovered that the Zimbabwean currency is worthless and even the local people won’t take it. They want U.S. Dollars, Euro, Pounds Sterling, South African Rand, and even Botswanian Pula, but they will not, under any circumstances take Zim dollars. In the end, I took a deep breath and decided to go, although I didn’t sleep well for the last few nights before boarding the plane to Zimbabwe. Read the rest of this entry »

Hi Everybody! I’ve uploaded all my Singapore photos to the photo library, which includes all the shots from the Singapore blogs, as well as many shots that were not included in the blog. If you’d like to view all the Singapore photos, simply click on the above button labeled “Photos” and follow the instructions. I’ll be back once I get to Africa!!!!

Safe: Singapore may be the safest city in the world

Clean: Clean drinking water, clean river, clean streets

Orderly: There are lots of laws and regulations here, but they do not seem too onerous. The people are happy and everyone just seems to do what is “right.” For example, at a bus stop yesterday, I watched people automatically queue in an orderly line along the sidewalk, without benefit of stanchion and chains. There is no pushing or rudeness; only polite orderliness.

I finally found a part of Singapore that is not perfect. The direct path from the city center to Singapore’s Chinatown took me through the Chinese food sector. Here, although the streets were still litter free, the odor emanating from the markets and restaurants was a mixture of soy sauce, sweet and sour sauce, and rotting meat. The smell was so rancid I nearly lost the contents of my stomach a couple of times. All Chinese markets have this smell in common and they have never before bothered me in quite this way. But ever since I unexpectedly found myself in a Chinese meat market in Vietnam, where rotting pigs heads sat on outdoor counter tops aside putrefying rows of stuffed sausages, I find I cannot tolerate the odor of rotting meat. I held my breath and passed through the area as quickly as possible, grateful not to have embarrassed myself by throwing up all over the sidewalk amidst the throngs of shoppers.

Singapore's Chinatown

The heart of Chinatown is a long pedestrian mall that is accessed from an overpass leading from one of the city’s busier avenues. A brightly painted latticework canopy, supported by tall wooden beams, provides shade in the sizzling Singapore midday heat. Red and gold Chinese paper lanterns zig-zag overhead, while red, green and gold patio umbrellas line the sidewalks. Read the rest of this entry »

I am enchanted. I am captivated. From the moment I arrived this city/state it felt like home – it was instantly familiar to me. No matter where I wander I seem to instinctively know where I am without having to look at a map. Alone I have walked its streets until midnight, carrying expensive photo equipment on my back without feeling the slightest apprehension. Singapore is one of those places where people come for a visit and stay forever. It is not hard to understand why:

• Singapore is safe. There is virtually no crime because it is a small island state – criminals cannot easily escape. Plus, the penalties for crime are steep. They regularly carry out the death penalty for drug trafficking. Yet I haven’t see any police presence during my stay.
• English is the first language in Singapore
• Singapore is multi-cultural and diverse
• The cost of living is reasonable and the quality of life is high
• Singapore is modern, with all the same conveniences found in the United States
• The sewers and toilets work and the city does not smell like most Asian cities
• It tap water is safe to drink
• The people of Singapore are exceedingly friendly and welcoming
• The weather is warm year-round, without excessive heat most of the year
• The residency and migration requirements are lenient
• It is a highly moral and ethical society – everywhere there are signs that the population wants to do what is correct and right. There is no litter or graffiti in Singapore. There are no homeless. No houses of ill repute to which the government turns a blind eye. Even the schoolchildren, when interviewed on TV, are explaining how it is wrong to “bully” on the Internet.

With only one more day in Singapore I tried to cram as much into today as possible, beginning with a visit to the famous Sultan Mosque on Arab Street where, much to my surprise, I was permitted to go inside. Most mosques are off-limit to non-Muslims, but this one allows visitors to view the main worship hall from the entryway and corridor surrounding it.

Sultan Mosque on Arab Street

Sultan Mosque on Arab Street

Read the rest of this entry »

In a city vibrant with color, Little India is perhaps the most flamboyant of Singapore’s many ethnic neighborhoods. Life bubbles over in Little India. The streets are lined with stalls selling everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to used computers, stacked in a high tower on the curb. Indian men rattle incoherent streams of Hindi into cell phones glued to their ears as they rush up and down the street. Lines of pedicabs pedal customers around the narrow streets. Women in exquisite, lusciously colored saris cluster on street corners, waiting for public transportation.

Little India in Singapore

Bicycle rickshaws in Little India

One such group of women in particular took my breath away and I snapped a photo, hoping my intrusion wouldn’t be noticed. No such luck – the woman in the dark green sari looked up the moment I lowered the camera and flashed a brilliant white smile at me. “Would you like to see the photo?” I asked. I leaned over, turning the camera around so she could see herself on the digital display. Her friends clustered around, exclaiming over the photo. “You are all so beautiful,” I said, adding, “Your saris are gorgeous – so colorful – would you like me to take another photo of all of you?” Shy at first, they slowly adjusted their saris, stood or sat up ramrod straight, and gazed regally into the lens.

Women dressed in beautiful silk Saris and Salwar Kameez in Little India

Women dressed in beautiful silk Saris and Salwar Kameez in Little India

I again turned the camera around and watched each of their faces light up with delight as they saw themselves in the photo. I put my hands together in front of my heart and bowed to them – “Dhanyavat,” I said in Hindi – thank you. “Oh no,” they replied in unison, “thank you!” The power of the camera never ceases to amaze me. Read the rest of this entry »

Somebody let the cat out of the bag. I wanted to slip into Singapore unobtrusively, walk its city streets, ride its river and soak in its atmosphere as just another face in the crowd. I walked the few blocks from my hotel to the Singapore River and was contentedly watching the bum boats ply the waters when suddenly there was a deafening roar. Directly overhead, five helicopters flew in formation, the lead one towing an enormous Singaporean flag to welcome me. As I enjoyed dinner at an outdoor table along the banks of the river, fighter jets thundered in the sky above my head. Really, no need to go to so much trouble! As dusk fell I joined the crowds strolling along the river – families with ice cream cones, young lovers on benches with their arms twirled around one another, corporate types enjoying after-hours cocktails. Spontaneously I jumped aboard one of the canopied bum boats for a half hour cruise down the river.

Helicopters fly in formation over Singapore, carrying the Singaporean flag

Fireworks from the top of a highrise

No sooner had we left the dock than the fireworks began, with stunning bursts showering down from skyscrapers in my honor. The boat reversed direction and motored into a sky full of giant illuminated jellyfish kites, their tentacles bobbing up and down between adjacent fountains and bridges. Really, Singapore, this is just too much – the extent of your welcome is almost embarrassing!

Seriously, I have no idea what the festivities were all about. It didn’t seem to be a holiday of any kind. I also determined that it was not an everyday event. It felt as if it was being done specifically on my behalf, and perhaps the Universe did arrange it that way. It certainly provided me with a spectacular introduction to Singapore. Read the rest of this entry »

Goodbye Australia…..

The three words that best describe Australia to me are:

1. DIVERSE: In so many ways – the country is an enticing mix of many different ethnicities; many different geologic landforms; a mix between wonderfully modern, cultured cities and remote rural locales, etc.
2. VAST: Australia is not the biggest country in the world. But it is huge in a way that I have not seen elsewhere, with incomprehensible vast open spaces in the center of the continent that are virtually unpopulated.
3. EXPENSIVE: I may have been influenced by all the time I spent in Sydney, which is the 21st most expensive city in the world, but overall I found Australia to be quite expensive.