Well, it has been a few days since I posted, so here goes a short one. After an AMAZING week in the south of Spain relaxing on the beach, swimming, eating, tanning...etc....I have to say I am pretty relaxed and very happy. I was sad to leave as it truly was a special time and one that I will never forget. I can now say I have been horeseback riding in Spain with my favorite person in the world.

After Spain, it was back to London for 2 days, which was also a blast. There is something about walking around the city and getting lost. Total fun. Currently, I am in Nairobi, Kenya and I have to say that though the hotel is nice, I miss the air conditioning. Africa has been everything I expected and more. Traffic is absolutely CRAZY and I even joked that I felt like I was in downtown Bombay in rush hour. The city is sprawling and is blend of modern urban and traditional rural existence. The visuals are taking some time to process...but it might be the jetlag. The people here are beautiful and friendly and anxious to ask about Canada and how cold it is. It is actually quite comfortable in the day here as it is the cold season. I visited the Sheldrick elephant rescue and played with baby elephants....needless to say it was incredible. They are so curious and friendly and, like children, mischeivious (sp?) and often stubborn. Mixed in with the baby elephants were a few black rhinos that passed by to have a look. They are not so friendly and we were warned to stay away.

Following lunch, I visited the Karen Blixen museum, where the film Out of Africa was made. It was based on a real person and she seemed like a remarkable lady. The last excursion was to the giraffe sanctuary to feed the endangered Rothschild giraffe. Hand feeding and petting a giraffe was quite a treat and I managed to get some excellent photos.

Anyway, I am paraphrasing but I am sure if anyone is actually reading this, they are already bored. I am having a great time and I am still trying to wrap my head around my surroundings. Red clay dirt roads, fruit vendors approaching your car, trucks stacked with shit ready to tip over, crazy traffic, pot holes..pot holes....pot holes, mystery meat, slums, cattle grazing in grave yards, etc, etc.....sensory overload!!!

Off to Tanzania tomorrow bright and early. I start the trek up Kili on August 5. Not nervous yet, but I suspect I will be tomorrow. I guess we will see what happens. Oh, and I just had the most amazing hamburger I have ever had.....in Kenya, go figure!!

Rene

still waiting in Malaga airport, so I thought I would post again. As I mentioned, the road trip posed a buch of obstacles that were more than funny....in retrospect. Driving thru Paris was quite intimidating. We had sat nav (gps) in the car....but it was speakin in French. Not a great hlp hen attempting to follow the correct motorway. We managed to get english on the navigation, and it was such great tool to have. we travelled all through france, down to the border with spain then across into many small villages. it was awesome to experience what i felt was authentic france.....the pp were exceptionally friendly and the food was amazing. sitting out in the cafes sipping espresso with my best friend was awesome.

Now it is time to relax in Spain until Friday, then off to London for couple dys before heading to Nairobi. There hav been a few bumps in the road...hopefully those are gone. In La Mongie, a town in the mountains...alan nd I stayed in a deserted chalet that reminded us both of the film..the shining. As alan said, it was in need of retrofit.....lol. It is so hot here in Malaga, that it is often unbearable. hope to g swimming and actualy relax tomo.

thats it for now... time to sign of....hopethose of you who are reading this are well....take care and talk soon.

rene

well, this is the first opportunity I have had to write a blog on the trip...so as I wait in malaga airport, I thought I might create an entry. Where to start...first, I apologie for the spelling mistakes. these Spanish keyboards are quit different than at home.

After a night in Amsterdam getting reaquaintdwth my pal Alan...we took the train to Paris and did the typcal touristy stuff. Many photos to follow. We had decided to rent a car and drive fro paris across france into a small town in the south called Perpignon. when we arrived at the rental aency, we were offered a 2009 BMW for a little more money, and of cours we took that. How many times can you drive across france in a beemer :-). After gettnig into the car, it took about 25 mins to figure out ho to start it...was comical actually...but leaving th car park presentd a bunch of traffic obstales that i will describe later. lets just say drivig in paris is not as easy as it seems. the drive through france took us to th south and intothe perenees moutains, whch were gorgeous...again more to follow regarding mountain driving with no guard rails. glad we opted for the collision.

well,my time is about to expire on this terminal. will fill in more details when i get setted. only 10 days until arica....yikes.

rene

So, just some background on the trip! I am off on July 17, returning home August 21. After spending the last year in the frozen tundra of Nunavut, I figured this would be a welcomed relief. I am a little sad that I am not home in Newfoundland longer, as I really enjoy the summers here. I look forward to returning in August to MC the wedding of a dear friend. Fun times.

As the trip stands now, I am meeting Alan in Amsterdam July 18. Anyone who knows me well will know that Alan and I have been friends forever. This is a special trip for us both, as we have always talked about a road trip together! After meeting in Amsterdam, and sampling some of the local flavors, we are off to Paris for a couple days. I am looking forward to seeing the Belgian countryside as we pass, and again, sampling some of what Paris has to offer. Alan and I have decided to rent a car in Paris and drive cross country. We figured it would be the best way to see the real culture and landscape....and to act like foolish youngsters! After driving through the Pyrenees Mountains, we arrive in the city of Perpignon, on the Spanish border. From there, we make our way to Barcelona, then on to Malaga where we meet Alans family. After a week in Malaga sunning and, again, sampling the local flavors, I am off on my own!!

Leaving Alan in Malaga, I fly to London for a couple of days of sightseeing - then on to Nairobi, via Istanbul. In Nairobi I will have the opportunity to visit the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage. Here, young elephants, whos mothers have been poached for ivory, are cared for. My journey to Tanzania starts a couple days later. In Tanzania, I am hiking and camping for about two weeks, including an attempt at Mt. Kilimanjaro. The climb itself is 6 days long, and I am really looking forward to the challenge. I would be happy to say I tried - a successful summit would be an added bonus! Following the climb comes camping/safari in the national parks and finally a couple days rest in Zanzibar.

Well, that is some background. For those who are actually reading, I hope I am not too much of a douche for doing this. It is more a record for me, as I hate journal writing. Hope all is well with you!

Rene

Testing

Thought it would be a nice idea to create a travel blog of my experiences this summer. For my friends that are interested, you can keep an eye on me as I trek up Kilimanjaro and across Kenya and Tanzania. Not sure how much access there are in the camps however!

Hopefully, will have this up and running soon and will figure out how to publish these entries.

Stay tuned!

Rene