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My Fab Fifties Life Travel Awards

And the Winner Is…

January 19, 2018

Laureen

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Location: Travel Awards

And the Winner Is…

Oscar nominations this week! A big week if you are a movie fan – which of course I am but since I have not stepped foot in the United States in more than 14 months I haven’t seen any of this year’s big films. But instead I have seen a world of real life drama, fantasy, comedy, mystery and animation. Enough to last a life time. So in keeping with the announcement of this year’s Oscar Nominations, I give to you our picks for World Travel Awards, Best and Worst of 2017 and 2018 – My Fab Fifties Life.

And the winner is…

Hoi An Vietnam

DESTINATIONS

Favorite City – Hoi An Vietnam

By far our favorite destination in Vietnam with it’s colorful old town, beaches, rice fields and fabulous food. We loved this place and the airbnb we stayed in here.

Most Surprising – Namibia

We came to Namibia practically blind, allowing our tour guide from Wild Wind Safaris to hold our hand and we were not disappointed. A spectacular destination I think everyone should visit.

Best Value Destination – Bulgaria

We loved our month in the friendly, beautiful and historic country of Bulgaria where we didn’t

Bulgaria

meet any Americans. Put this inexpensive and great country on your bucket list and go!

Best Overall Scenery – New Zealand

Jaw dropping scenery no matter where you go or which way you look, New Zealand is an

Abel Tasman New Zealand

outdoor enthusiast dream and is stunningly beautiful.

Most Crowded City – Hanoi

The scooters alone make this wild city that never sleeps total chaos. Then add the cars, trucks, carts, pedestrians, vendors and well – its pretty wild.

Most Beautiful City – Split Croatia

Whether you are perusing the mega yachts in the

Diocletian’s Palace, Split

harbor or wandering through Diocletian’s Palace, Split is a magical place and my favorite Croatian city.

Most Interesting City – Fez Morocco

Around every corner as you get lost in Fez there is something interesting and amazing and I enjoyed this maze of a city

Fez Morocco

Most Disappointing City – Tangier Morocco

Getting lost in Tangier is easier but nowhere near as fun as getting lost in Fez. We found Tangier a bit of a disappointment.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Best Airbnb for Service – Asilah Morocco

We adored our “mom” Latifah during our ten days

Latifah unveiling the Tajine

in Asilah and wanted to put her in our suitcase and take her with us. The food and care she gave us was unparalleled.

Best Airbnb Overall – Koh Samui Thailand

We had a lot of discussion over this one. We have been, frankly, so lucky with our airbnb’s. And even this one had a few quirks. But we loved it for the view, the private pool and the car that came with it. It was however, also our most expensive Airbnb. https://myfabfiftieslife.com/sweet-samui/

We loved our private pool in Koh Samui

Most Authentic Airbnb – Siem Reap Cambodia

Staying in an authentic Khmer home in Siem Reap was a treat in itself, but then adding the wonderful breakfasts and services our host provided us made this place one of our all time favs.

Cambodian Khmer House

Most Unusual Airbnb – Motueka New Zealand

Funky Truck

We spent two nights in a funky old truck/camper with an outhouse and it was a hoot.

Most Rustic Airbnb – Hikkaduwa Sri Lanka

We nicknamed this place Castaway Cottage and it was like living on Gilligan’s Island – complete with lots of critters including rats, snakes, mongoose, monitor lizards, gecko and BUGS!

View from our Sozopol Airbnb

Best Value Airbnb – Sozopol Bulgaria

We loved this top floor unit with a huge deck and amazing view. We think we might return to this place some day, only $55 a night.

Best Hotel – Luang Prabang Laos

Luang Prabang Laos

We spent three nights in the beautiful Maison Dalabua hotel in this darling and historic city on the Mekong River and it was one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in. From the comfortable and spacious room, the food, the pool, the flowers and the service, everything about it was first class on a budget.

FOOD

Because noodles always put a smile on your face.

Favorite Overall Cuisine – Thailand

This is the best food in the world. Simple, healthy and so flavorful I can’t get enough of Thai Cuisine.

Best Restaurant Meal – Ceverjaria Ramiro Lisbon Portugal, Honorable Mention to Ladja Podlanica in Piran Slovenia

I’ll never forget the dinner we had at Cervejaria Ramiro with our son Erik and his friend

Lisbon Portugal

Salvador who lives in Lisbon. It was a gluttonous evening and I loved every bite. Someday I will go back. In Piran Slovenia with our friends Raymond and Marbi we gorged ourself on the most amazing anchovies in oil followed by spectacular spaghetti

Ladja Padlanika Restaurant in Piran

con vongole. We loved it so very much we went twice.

Worst Food Overall – Camino de Santiago

When we really needed the sustenance the most, our 41 days on the Camino de Santiago provided the least inspiring of food.

Best Cooking Class – Chiang Mai Thailand with Honorable Mention to Cape Town South Africa

I try to take a cooking class in most of the countries we visit, and I do it as much for the cuisine

My favorite Chiang Mai Noodles

and culture as to meet local people who love their food and want to share it. My classes in Chiang Mai (two full days) and my evening class in the home of our instructor in Cape Town South Africa fulfilled what I am always looking for.

Best Beer – Cape Town South Africa and Honorable Mention Piran Slovenia

Capetown because they had a vibrant micro brew scene and good non-lager beers available in most stores and restaurants, and Piran because here my husband had the single best beer he has had since leaving the USA. Don’t know what brand it was but it was a spectacular Slovenian IPA.

Worst Grocery Availability – Seychelles

Hands down the most difficult place to find decent produce and healthy ingredients for day-to-day cooking, we learned to eat a lot of rice, lentils and beans during our month in the

Hmong Village Laos

Seychelles Islands.

CULTURE, NATURE AND EXPERIENCES

Best Authentic Cultural Experience – It’s a tie between Hmong Village Laos and Himba Village Namibia

Seeing these two places will stay with me all my life – when you think about opening your mind to understand cultural

Himba Women and Children

differences, embrace and learn from living hand to mouth and become more tolerant of other cultures – visiting these two places had all that and more.

Best Beach for Scenery – La Digue Seychelles

No wonder Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition has shot here several times. This place with it’s unique rock formations, sparkling white sand and out of this world blue water is about as spectacular as they come.

La Digue Seychelles

Best Beach for Spending the Day – Meia Praia, Lagos Portugal

It helped that our condo was a short walk to the beach, where we went everyday during our three weeks in Lagos. Golden sand, lots of room to spread out and easy and safe swimming made this our favorite.

Best Day Hike – Tongariro Crossing, New Zealand

An experience I will never forget, climbing the mountain, seeing the volcanic crater and lakes and just accomplishing this feat will always hold a special place for me.

Tongariro Crossing

Most Difficult Day Hike – Climbing Down Table Mountain, Cape Town South Africa

We thought down would be easier. It wasn’t. There were times where I literally didn’t think I was going to make it. My body gave it all I had, and it was

Table Mountain Hike

more than a week before I didn’t hurt.

Best Outdoor Experience – Able Tasman New Zealand

Our three-day Glamping Tour on the Able Tasman was one of the highlights of our time in that country. We were blessed with spectacular weather, met new friends and were introduced to the wonders of New Zealand.

Best Historic Sight – Angor Wat, Siem Reap Cambodia

Angor Wat Cambodia

It was a lifelong dream for me to see Angor Wat and it was not disappointing. The fascinating ancient story that unfolds in these ruins set amidst the friendly and persevering Cambodia people is not something I will ever forget.

Fewest Tourist at a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Dougga Tunisia

Nothing like having an entire UNESCO site to

Tunisia

yourself, and that is exactly what we enjoyed at the beautiful Dougga Roman Ruins in Tunisia. Not many tourists in Tunisia, but slowly they are returning, and we loved our time in this ancient country, cradle of civilization as we know it today.

Best Tour – Namibia

Our ten-day tour with our amazing guide “Seven” introduced us to this unknown country so full of natural wonders and spectacular animals. I love Namibia..

Etosha National Park Namibia

Worst Tour – Three day bus tour of the Mekong Delta Vietnam

This tour was cheap but it wasn’t worth it still. Terrible traffic, over pitched and very touristy. Sorry we went.

Most Unique experience – Camino de Santiago Spain

Even though the food was bad, the experience is now branded on my soul. It changed me and I loved it.

On the Camino

Best Live Performance – Tie Violin Concert Piran Slovenia and Carmina Burana outdoors in Dubrovnik; Honorable Mention to Kandy Cultural Show, Kandy Sri Lanka

Front row seats in a tiny historic theater in beautiful Piran Slovenia made for a special night as we enjoyed a beautiful violinist accompanied by a guitarist. It was just so pleasant. Just as mazing the spectacle that was hearing Carmina Burana performed outdoors in historic Dubrovnik

Carmina Burana performed outdoors in Dubrovnik

town center. Spectacular!

Kudos also to the very authentic Sri Lankan dance, music and firewalker show we enjoyed (also front row seats) in Kandy Sri Lanka.

Best Nature and Animal Experience – Etosha National Park Namibia

I’ve said it before – this country was such a surprise and this National Park was the bomb.

Best Free Experience – Free Walking Tours

Our Free Walking tour guide in Sofia Bulgaria

In nearly every major city you can take what is known as “Free” guided walking tours. These are awesome and we love them because it is always a local guide, someone young and enthusiastic. You tip them at the end – so its not really Free – but it is worth it and we have done this at least ten times. A great value.

Friendliest People – Sri Lanka

Hands down the kindest and friendliest people we

Monk in Sri Lanka

have met – despite all the hardships they have been through; colonialism, monarch assassination , civil war and tsunami. Still they smile. Love them.

Worst Drivers – Vietnam

There are several runners-up here, including Sri Lanka (and we haven’t gotten to India or Bangladesh yet), but still Vietnam takes the prize for the craziest drivers, most dishonest cabbies, scooter

Scooters in vietnam

mania and absolute lack of any pedestrian rights.

Worst Experience – Dog Bite Koh Samui Thailand

Hands down the worst day has been the day Arne was bit by a dog in Koh Samui. The one saving grace is it could have been much worse. But still it makes me angry and the overall feral dog situation in Thailand makes me question whether I will ever visit again.

Experience I liked More Than I thought I would – Camel Ride, Erg Cheba, Sahara Morocco

The colors and the light of the desert at dusk, the animals, the other guest from around the

On the camel trek in Morocco

world and having this experience with our friends Sarah and Steve all added up to a very fun two days and one night camel trek in the desert.

Least English Spoken – Spain

Only in the last decade has English been taught in schools, so few adults are fluent. Especially in the small towns and villages on the Camino we did a lot of pointing and hand charades to communicate. It was fun!

WEATHER

Hottest – Seychelle’s and Honorable Mention Doha, Qatar

We saw some rain in the Seychelles but it was never

Seychelle Islands, Praslin

under 85 degrees and the water was like a bathtub. We only spent one night in Doha Qatar, but it marked the hottest one day on the

Doha Qatar

trip at 113 F.

Coldest – New Zealand

We were in New Zealand in the fall and we had a few nights were the temperature dropped in the 30’s. Living in the Kiwi Karavan we wore hats and coats and wool socks to bed to stay

New Zealand

warm.

Worst Rain Storm – Tie between Hua Hin Thailand and Koh Samui Thailand

After a two hour taxi ride turned into a five hour taxi ride in a monsoon we arrived in flooded Hua Hin Thailand not sure what we had gotten ourselves into.

More than once the sky opened up in Koh Samui, accompanied by flashing lighting and booming thunder.

Best Sunrise – It’s a tie between Napier New Zealand and Galicia Spain

I’m a sucker for a good sunrise, and we have seen

Napier New Zealand

some amazing ones but these two stand out above and beyond for the sheer majesty of the experience.

Best Sunset – La Digue Seychelles (see cover photo)

Mother’s Day Dinner in La Digue we watched the sunset from a beach restaurant and it was a religious experience.

TRAVEL

Favorite Airline – Emirates

They know how to treat their passengers, even those of us in Coach

Least Favorite Airline – Air Maroc

The only airline (after 37 flights) to lose our luggage. Eventually it was found. Plus the smell of something (not cigarettes) burning during approach. Ack.

Best Airport – Hamad International Qatar

A very user-friendly and beautifully designed airport.

Teeniest Airplane – Air Seychelles

Eight seats. ‘Nuff Said.

Most Expensive Visa – India

We haven’t even arrived in India yet, but it was hands down the most expensive Visa we have purchased and one of the most difficult online applications. Hopefully when we arrive tomorrow everything will be in order!

Easiest Airport Entry – Capetown South Africa

We breezed through passport and customs so fast in Capetown we were totally surprised.

Worst Airport Entry – tie between Siem Reap Cambodia and Carthage Tunisia

In both cases we got in the wrong line. The line with the guy who was arrogant and pompous and was going to make every passenger know he was the boss. Any sign of dissatisfaction could get you pulled out of line and make your life hell. And so we waited.

Lucky Girl. Fabulous Life Award.

So there you have it. The winner of the Fab Fifties version of the Oscars for 2017-2018. But you do know, the real winner is me. Me and my husband. The luckiest people on the planet. Who needs a little gold statue when you have a Fab Fifties Life?

What a fabulous life it is.

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Africa & The Middle East Travel

Namibia Part I

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

December 8, 2017

Laureen

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Location: Namibia

Once again I am astounded. Astounded by a place I knew so little about. I am so thankful we came to Namibia. Incredible

Good morning

Namibia.

I know only three people who have been to this country. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was open to the adventure I thought it would provide. And I was not disappointed. Only lightly touched by tourism, Namibia is an astonishingly beautiful place and if you have the means you should see it now – because it will change. It always does.

This is an Oryx

There is so much to share about our ten days here, so I’ve decided two blogs are in order and I am starting with the most obvious and most well-known topic of Namibia – the Etosha National Park and the safari we did there.

Why did the giraffe cross the road?

I did a safari seven years ago in Tanzania with my son and sister, but this was a first for Arne and I really worried he might not get to see all the “big game” safaris are known for; elephants, zebras, lions, giraffes, rhinoceros. I needn’t have worried. Yes, we saw all of those and much, much more.

I booked our tour of Namibia with Wild Wind Safaris about six months ago. The tour was $4500 for the two of us for ten days. We could have seen Namibia on our own without a tour guide, the roads (although often gravel) are very good and easy to get around. But our guide “Seven” (a childhood nickname from his football number) provided us with what we learned to call “African eyes”, and the value of that can not be understated. He knew the answer to all of my endless questions and if he didn’t, he found the answer and got back to me within in minutes. He described

With our guide Seven

plants and geology, politics and population, and of course knew facts about animals and wildlife I would never possibly have known. I highly recommend both Seven and Wild Wind Safaris if you want a great experience in Namibia.

So this tour was an anniversary gift to ourselves and although definitely more than our usual $200 a day budget, it was worth every penny.

At the watering hole

The animals in Etosha National Park are varied and abundant. The park has supplemented the natural watering holes around Etosha with some manmade ones, providing constant water in this arid and hot environment. This way the animals stay within the park boundaries and are protected and visible to the guests.

There are still problems with poachers, who specifically target both the black and white rhinoceros in the park. They kill the animals and then cut off their

The beautiful and endangered black Rhinoceros

horns which are then smuggled and sold in the Chinese market. Although this is entirely illegal it is still a problem Namibia struggles with. In fact park officials regularly sedate and cut off the horns of the animals to keep the poachers from killing them. The horns grow back and are made of a material similar to fingernails so it doesn’t cause the animal pain.

Hunting is against the law throughout Namibia (except on some private game hunting reserves), which has changed the culture of many hunter-gatherer tribes and some of the people are extremely poor. But game is also farmed in Namibia and you will often find farmed

Springbok are abundant

game on the menu. Oryx is very popular and tastes just like beef.

With Seven’s guidance we spent our early morning searching for animals – a great time of day for successful sightings. We then would return to the lodge and relax, maybe take a nap or lay around the pool, before heading out again for a late afternoon game drive. You are not allowed to get out of the vehicle for any reason within the park, so having just Arne and I in the vehicle with Seven gave us lots of ability to view the wildlife and go everywhere in the park.

Zebra is the favorite meal for the lions

My photos tell the story of all the incredible creatures we encountered – but only to a point. It’s hard to describe the thrill of moment and how sudden and spontaneous and unplanned it all can be. So often it would just take your breath away. Let me tell you about a few of my favorite moments;

Our first early morning drive we set out with Seven feeling confident we would find lions. We had been out for about two hours and with his “African Eyes” he spotted the three “boys” he knew were often in the area. These lions cubs were about five months old, still young and cub-like but looking full-grown. We watched them from a distance of about 200 yards trot and gallop purposefully across a field,

Lion reunion

ignoring all the animals they usually hunt in the area. They were intent on one thing. Mom. She lay about 30 yards ahead of us on the road. We positioned ourselves and watched in anticipation as the playful and loving reunion took place. The boys happy to be back from whatever adventure they had been on – back with mommy.

This same family we saw several times after that with the magnificent full-maned father (shown in the title photo) proudly watching over his pride. We watched the mating process (in fact got it on video) and these animals truly seemed like a family.

One of the five month old boys

We saw many lions during the rest of our visit but other “cats” were elusive, until one afternoon.

We were exploring several of the water holes in the car but hadn’t seen very many animals. But we noticed that at one water hole the giraffes seemed a bit on alert, staring off into the brush. We watched for a long time but nothing happened so just as we were rolling forward to turn around and leave I spotted a rhino coming out of the trees. So Seven parked the car at an angle where I could get some good photos and we watched. The rhino walked down to the water hole, but never drank – he turned and walked back to the woods. This seemed curious and just then I noticed a lion alone on the other side of the waterhole. “Seven there is a lion” I said. He looked and nearly jumped for

Hard to see from a distance but this is our leopard

joy! “That’s a leopard!” he nearly yelled. “Oh my god a leopard and we are the only ones here at the watering hole!” What a great moment that was. The leopard, though too far to get a really good photo of, was so well camouflaged I couldn’t believe it. He took his time drinking his fill and then quietly disappeared back into the brush. Only then did the rhino return to enjoy his own cool drink. A very rare sighting indeed.

Spotting the endangered Black Rhino was one of my goals as this animal had eluded me when I was in Tanzania. We actually saw many rhinos during our time in Etosha and they are huge, magnificent and very pre-historic looking creatures. But two special moments stand out.

As we were leaving the watering hole and chatting excitedly about our leopard encounter we came around a corner on the dusty gravel road and startled a lone

The beautiful black Rhino at the watering hole after dark

rhino very close to the road. He didn’t like being surprised and he charged our car. I’ll never forget the look on that gigantic creatures face as he lowered his head and charged, while Seven put the car in reverse and I fumbled to get my seatbelt on. He snorted and stared us down but never actually hit the car. Not an animal you want to mess with. Seven told us because he had his head down and was feeding as we came around the corner we had frightened him. Also, because of the poachers these intelligent animals have learned to be wary of vehicles and being snuck up on.

Later that night Arne and I went to the watering hole near our lodge. This hole is designed with night vision lighting that does not bother the animals, but allows people to view the animals from seats at a distance. Every night we went to see what was happening at the watering hole, and on this special night a mama rhino arrived with a teeny little baby.

Giraffe taking a sip

Watching the two of them, never more than a few inches from each other, was a special sight.

For as important as water is to all these animals, watching the effort it takes a giraffe to have a long cool drink is astonishing. Giraffes cannot hold their head down for very long because it cuts off their blood flow. It also puts them in a very vulnerable position to predators, so a giraffe takes a long time to consider its surrounding before finally spreading its long and skinny legs wide and dipping its camel-like face into the water. What a strange and beautiful beast.

Speaking of strange and beautiful, I have saved my favorite animal for last. We saw every animal from Impala to Zebra, Ostrich to Wildebeast, Jackal to Hyena, Warthog to

Ostrich

Tortoise and hundreds of birds. But my favorite always is the intelligent, magnificent, domestic and loving elephant. And we saw so many and have many memorable moments:

The elephant throws mud on itself in an effort to keep cool and keep off the insects. This creates what is known either as a white elephant or a black elephant depending on the mud. We watched as elephants sprayed the mud and played in the water. We saw elephants nearly pure white amongst the green leaves, we saw

My favorite photo of this bull at sunset

white elephants as the sun set looking just like a white concrete statue.

The younger male elephants (bachelors) roam together while the older males usually are associated with a matriarchal group, but don’t spend time together. The matriarchal group is made up of females and babies and “teenagers”. The male teens leave the group at about 15 years. The female elephants spend all their life together. Once again the watering hole provided us a spectacular venue to witness

Elephant parade

these family ties.

One evening we arrived at the watering hole to find two males – one much older than the other. We watched as the younger male began vocalizing as the matriarchal group made its way out of the trees. The older male took this as his cue to exit right, while the younger male greeted both vocally and physically each female as she came near the water hole. The younger male, clearly part of this family, then left the females and youngsters to enjoy the water as he went on his way.

Magnificent

On another evening at the watering hole we watched a small fox running across the sand directly towards a giant elephant drinking. As the fox neared the feet of the elephant he reared up and sprayed water all over the fox – clearly showing who is the boss. The poor little fox scampered away.

The morning we were leaving the park, we had already checked out of our room and only gone about 100 yards down the road and Seven spotted elephants in the distance – with a brand

Our final sighting. Perfect.

new baby in tow. We turned immediately around and headed back to the lodge and the watering hole where we watched for twenty minutes as this new mother, another small male and this itsy bitsy newborn, no more that two or three days old, drank. The baby wanted to wallow around and the mama kept him near to her and out of the mud. Seven told us this was a young female, younger than usually reproduce, probably about ten years old. But she seemed to have a good maternal instinct and watching this

A front row seat

little group was a joyful and satisfying way to end our time in Etosha.

This blog was long, but we had such a great experience in Etosha and in Namibia. I hope you enjoyed reading about it. I’ll be writing more soon, about the people and places of this unique country, but in the meantime, the lion sleeps tonight.

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Europe Travel

Finally – Spain and the Camino de Santiago

August 27, 2017

Laureen

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Location: Camino de Santiago

Let me tell you a story –

Five years ago I had never heard of the Camino de Santiago until one evening my husband mentioned it as something he would like to do. I have a very clear memory of that moment – because in hindsight I know how pivotal it was.

After doing a little research we talked about tackling it the following year. But even though I was retiring that year my husband was not. He thought we should wait until we were both retired and could take our time and do the entire 500 miles.

Then we thought, well, maybe we will take five or six weeks to walk the Camino and spend another couple of months in Europe.

Then that conversation expanded to maybe we should go abroad for a year… or maybe indefinitely. And the next thing we were talking to our realtor and purging our belongings and beginning our new life.

Whoa. It really happened like that. All from that one comment about wanting to walk the Camino.

It’s been nine months now since we left the United States and through all our travels we have been focused and preparing for our personal pilgrimage. Significant in so many ways but for me most significant because we had a goal and we went for it. We didn’t just talk about doing something – we changed our entire life and we feel great about it.

If you like our blogs I would love for you to Pin It.

So now the Camino. I hope we haven’t waited too long. The Camino, like every other destination, has grown in popularity substantially in the last few years. I hope it’s not too crowded. I hope it’s not too hard. I hope I can do it.

But even if I can’t – if injury or sickness stops me – I’ve still accomplished so much. I am at my physical and mental peak and I’m excited and ready to go.

Our three weeks in Lagos Portugal has been the

A month in Portugal with our youngest.

perfect final preparation – lots of hikes and training combined with lots of relaxation and healthy food. I’ve loved Lagos and I’m so glad we had the time here. It was especially great to spend this time with our son Erik. He now heads back to the USA after being away for 32 months.

We fly to Madrid on Monday. We have three days there to do final preparations and last-minute items before taking the train to Pamplona and a bus into France where we begin walking from Saint Jean Pied de Port on September first. We expect to finish somewhere around Oct 8-10th in Santiago Spain. 500 miles.

PLEASE NOTE – I plan to do short and frequent blogs all along the way and daily I will post photos to My Fab Fifties Life Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter pages (except possibly the first two days while in France since my phone may not work in France). I hope you will comment and follow on any or all of these resources and share in our pilgrimage, as you have shared in all of our preparation.

The time has come! Finally – the Camino begins September 1st!

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Inspire

To the Camino!

Training body and soul for the Saint James Way

June 28, 2017

Laureen

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For the past month here in Bulgaria I have become very cognizant of everything that goes into my mouth. I have been cutting back on so many things, including alcohol, as we step up our preparedness for our 500 mile Camino de Santiago hike.

Nine weeks till lift off.

We are training for this hike pretty much everyday with our 8-15 mile hikes 3-4 times a week, my 4 mile run 3 times a week as well as yoga daily.

Eating healthy

But I knew I needed to do more so I’ve upped the protein and veg and reduced the carbs and sugar (all easier to do in Bulgaria than in the Seychelles) and drastically cut back on the alcohol.

Haven’t had a G&T since leaving the Seychelles. And in this heat that isn’t easy. We have had a little beer and some wine but only when we dine out.

Hiking several times a week.

Clearly this reduces calories and also saves money. But mostly I am striving to be in my best possible condition nine weeks from now – both body and soul. Because the most important thing is to avoid injury or sickness on the trail. So starting out healthy is key. And being mentally and emotionally ready for the journey is important too.

Although I am not a particularly religious person, I’m excited for the spiritual journey that is the Camino de Santiago. I read a lot about pilgrims on the Camino and everyone’s experience is different. For me spirituality is staying present and grateful all while opening myself to new and sometimes a bit frightening experiences. I can do it .

We purchased some scallop shells the other day to

Urban hiking in Old Town Sozopol

hang from our packs marking us as pilgrims. This is tradition and says “Buen Camino” to others. We expect to meet and greet a lot of pilgrims. This too will be a new exercise for us, as we spend the majority of our days right now only with each other. The Camino is a community in which we will participate for five or six weeks.

This too will take practice in the weeks ahead.

Camino ready! Focused now and preparing for the challenge. Fab and Fearless.

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Asia & Oceania Travel

Glamping on the Abel Tasman

Chapter Six – New Zealand’s Upper South Island

March 17, 2017

Laureen

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Location: New Zealand

I’m finding one of the most enjoyable parts of our grand adventure is the feeling of accomplishment in both physical endurance as well as in logistical planning. Our just-completed three-day hike on the Abel Tasman Track in the most northerly section of New Zealand’s South Island ticked both those boxes.

The view and the water color was spectacular

New Zealand was high on the destination list as we began our world tour planning three years ago. Hiking the Abel Tasman Track became part of the discussion about a year ago. So

New Zealand’s famous silver fern. Silver on the bottom.

early on day one of our hike we stopped and just breathed it all in. Look where we are! We aren’t just talking about it, we are doing it! It’s such a remarkable, joyful, invigorating and even spiritual feeling. Accomplishing goals is my drug of choice.

Parts of the trail was through lush green jungle-like forests

Our journey was made especially lovely through the help of the Abel Tasman Guides out of Nelson, New Zealand. We knew we did not want to have a guide

So many birds we have never seen before!

lead us on our hike, but we also knew the logistical needs of sleeping and eating on the trek were going to be a challenge. We are not traveling with camping gear and so that is where the Abel Tasman Guides come to the rescue.

We were picked up at our Nelson hotel and transported to Marahau where we parted with our largest pack and kept just a daypack. Our large pack would be transported ahead for us. We then boarded the Abel Tasman Aqua Taxi for the ride to the beginning of our hike.

It was cloudy and drizzly and the sea was quit rough as the boat not only brought us to our destination

Our journey begins

safely, but included several side tours into inlets and bays with our skipper describing the history, geology and flora

Split Apple Rock as seen from the Abel Tasman Water Taxi

and fauna of the area. We reached our destination of Totaranui after about two hours. Here is where our

The views!!

hike would begin. And by the grace of the Maori – the sun came out!

The first day was only about 6 miles and it provided us some of the most amazing scenery I’ve ever seen

At the estuary

in my life. We had been advised to take our time, because we needed to cross an estuary at low tide, which wasn’t until 4:00pm.

We arrived at the estuary just before 4:00 and the

A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

unusually high tide combined with recent flooding from previous days had the water running much higher than usual. We

Oyster catcher

watched other hikers ford the stream with water up to their chest and waist. We waited about thirty minutes and then decided to give it a go. I didn’t mind getting my shorts wet because I had another pair but I really wanted to keep my shirt dry so I decided to wade across in my bra and shorts. It makes for a good story and the reality is we only got wet up to our upper thighs.

Day one was finished as we arrived at the Awaroa Glamping site. Owner Mike greeted us with beer, wine and a smile. We were his only guests that night and he made us a delicious dinner of edamame, coleslaw and three kinds of pizza in his outdoor pizza oven. We had hot showers and then slept in a tent with a double bed inside. I slept like a rock.

Day two Mike made us breakfast before escorting us back to the trail where we said our farewells and began our trek. This was our longest day and the weather made life grand. Sunshine and blue skies prevailed as we tramped along admiring the interesting plants and birds and spectacular

Tree feens look like palm trees but are actually ferns.

turquoise water. When we arrived at the next tidal crossing the water was again very high. But here we had the option of adding an hour to our day by

Inside a dead tree fern

going around and over a headland to avoid wading. We opted to go around. Our total distance on day two was 17 miles.

Glamping tonight was at Anchorage where huge multi-

Glamping night two

room tents were set up for us as well as several other trekkers. Dinner tonight was enjoyed with several other couples; a young American couple from California, a young French couple on their honeymoon, a “seasoned” fabulous American couple(just like us!) from Durango,

Salmon dinner at Anchorage.

Colorado traveling with their friends, two “seasoned” fabulous New Zealand couples. We all hit it off

Dinner together night two

and dined on salmon, salad, potatoes and chocolate brownies, prepared by Chris and the Abel Tasman Guide service.

Day three allowed us to get a bit later start after breakfast as we headed out for a ten-mile final trek. We once again ogled the views, never seeming to tire of it. We ate our lunch and napped for an hour on the golden sand beach at

A bit of a rest.

Apple Tree Bay before arriving at our final destination back at Marahau. Here we joined our new friends for celebratory beers before the two-hour bus ride back to Nelson.

The end of the journey

We could not have enjoyed it any more than we did- such a blessing to be here and to accomplish a 32 mile trek and come out smiling on the other end.

And our time in New Zealand has barely just begun! We have more than five weeks to go!

Cheers Mate!

Chapter Six continues…

Fabulous!

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North America Travel

What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been

The End of Chapter Four

November 6, 2016

Laureen

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Location: Route 66

Fifty One Days

9810 Miles

Two countries

Six Provinces

Seventeen States

Gas prices from $1.79 to $3.59

Twenty-nine Friends

Eight Audio Books

Three Calendar Months

One Big Road Trip

What a long strange trip its been. From Lake Superior to the Pacific Ocean we have enjoyed

Processed with Snapseed.

historic and quirky, inspirational and surprising, natural and manmade sights to fill our senses for a lifetime. North America is a travelers dream – never a dull moment.

I love Europe and Hawaii. I love Asia and Africa and South America. But right here in our own backyard is a Paradise like no other – and I will never get enough. I’m already planning my next American road trip. And you should too.

Because we are lucky to have it all – desert and lakes, oceans and rivers, canyons and forests. We have ghost towns and skyscrapers, monuments and mountains. You do not need to be an intrepid traveler, ticking
off a list of how many countries and places you have been. I have been guilty of this. Without ever getting on a plane you can see a whole world right here in the USA. It’s beautiful. It’s mine. It’s yours.

Be gallant and go see it.

Its fabulous.

Note – with this blog we turn the page and end Chapter Four of The Grand Adventure. We will spend the next three weeks doing our final preparations to depart the United States and not return until 2018. Chapter Five begins November 29th.

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Africa & The Middle East Travel

A Soulful Journey – Three Weeks in Burkina Faso – “The Village”

January 12, 2016

Laureen

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Location: Burkina Faso

Erik’s house (Photo Laureen Lund)

Over the past year as we communicated with our Peace Corp son via email, Facebook and phone I had begun to develop an image in my mind of where he lived and his day to day activities. And yet there were large holes in my imagination as far as really being able to see him settled in Burkina Faso. I needed to see it for myself.

Of all the things we saw and did during our three week visit to Burkina, by far the best thing was the four days we spent in Erik’s village of Nakaba. We loved it.

Don’t get me wrong – it was also the hardest four days. Our son lives in a small

The first evening at the Soup Ladies with Erik’s co-workers (Photo Laureen Lund)

concrete building with no electricity or running water. There is a latrine and you shower with a bucket. Water is hauled to his house from about a half a mile away. When it gets dark at night, you go to bed. When you go to bed, it’s on the floor. While you sleep you hear lizards running around the walls and you wrap yourself in mosquito netting for protection from those malaria-carrying pests.

This is how he lives everyday. This is how we lived for four days. Essentially camping.

The worst part about it honestly was that I came down with a really bad cold and

The wandering Lund Family in Samnaaba’s courtyard (Photo Laureen Lund)

spent the nights coughing and blowing my nose, adding to the difficult living circumstances.

But the best part was seeing Erik in his element. He cooked for us on his propane stove. He toted water for us from the well on his bicycle. He built bon fire for us to sit around in the evening.

We arrived late in the afternoon on Wednesday December 23^rd by a hired car that delivered us to Erik’s door. I was surprised to find Erik’s house separate and removed from the more populated part of the village. He lives within the medical compound where all the staff for the health facility live. On arrival we spent some time getting organized and figuring out how we were going to sleep. Then a welcome party arrived from the village, about 12 people came to greet us and welcome us. It was a great way to start our visit. As the sun was setting they greeted us in French, English and Moore (the local language).

Wandering in the marche (photo Laureen Lund)

Later we walked in the dark to the more populated part of the village to the “soup lady” restaurant. It’s not a restaurant in the sense we think of, more of an open covered area with dirt floor where the cooking is done over an open fire. According to Erik most people are referred to by a title of some sort, not a name. The “soup lady” is known for her delicious chicken soup, which sounded really good to me since I had come down with a bad cold. We met all the staff from the health care facility for soup and we sat together and laughed and got to know each other. They spoke very few words of English but Erik translated for us and we had an enjoyable time.

Enjoying the community spirit found at the Dolo Bar (photo Laureen Lund)

Waking up on Christmas Eve day to a bright but windy day. Wind creates a lot of dust and we had left our laundry on the line overnight so we jumped up to bring it in. Too late, it was already dusty…by the end of the three weeks we would learn to live with dust as part of the daily routine.

We test drove the bucket shower system and got ready for the day. Our first visitor arrived mid morning – a lady on a bike bringing several pounds of peanuts as a welcome gift. She lives on the far side of the village. She greeted our son Erik by his local name “Samnaaba” which means Chief of Strangers.

My two sons and I at the Dolo Bar (photo Laureen Lund)

We strolled to the marche to get a feel for the village and to pick up some things for dinner but we found it nearly deserted because of the holiday. Although the country is 75% Muslim and 25% Catholic, most of Nakaba is Catholic and celebrates Christmas.

We did find plenty of people however gathered at the local “watering hole” where the local fermented “beer” called Dolo was being served. We joined the party. Dolo is made from millet, an abundant local grain. You might be familiar with it as birdseed in the United States but it is a staple food in Burkina. The millet is crushed and then fermented with water. It is ready to serve the same day and has a sour taste. Always served in a calabash bowl. The female server kneels to serve you and takes a sip from the bowl before

Dolo in a calabash bowl (photo Laureen Lund)

presenting it to you.

After spending nearly an hour in this Dolo “bar” (not a building but a canopy made of sticks) Samnaaba said we should move to the adjacent canopy Dolo bar so we could give them some business too. As we moved the 15 feet to the next place, most of the customers moved with us as we continued to provide a source of entertainment.

At the second place we began to receive gifts of Dolo in liter containers. In a short amount of time we had five liter’s of Dolo. Samnaaba said we should share it so I

Dolo gifts (photo Laureen Lund)

served Dolo to everyone who had a calabash bowl. Both the men and women got a big kick out of me serving the Dolo.

By this time we had our fill of Dolo so we thanked everyone and headed on our way. Our next stop was at the home of the “weaving women” where I was presented with the traditional fu-poko the women’s woven skirt and head dress. Our son had special ordered this for me as a Christmas gift. The beautiful woman who weaves the fabric was so gracious and happy to present it to me. She showed us how she weaves and it was a very special gift.

The weaving lady showing us her work (photo by Laureen Lund)

We left the weaving women and walked on to the tailor. Erik had already brought fabric to the tailor that matched my fu-poko for the tailor to construct fu-ereogo, the traditional male shirt for my husband and my other son. The tailor was a jovial man who welcomed us graciously to his home and showed us where he did his sewing on an old foot pedal singer sewing machine just like the one my mother had when I was a child. We thanked him and thanked him and then he presented us with a live chicken as a welcome gift.

My husband Arne and son Dane with the tailor (photo by Laureen Lund)

We headed back to Samnaaba’s compound as the sun was setting on Christmas Eve. On the way there we were met by a boy on a bike. He is one of Samnaaba’s English students and he was bringing us a chicken as a gift from his father who welcomed us to Nakaba. Chicken number two. We named them Bona and Lisa and tied them up in our courtyard.

That evening we spent Christmas Eve around a bon fire in Samnaaba’s courtyard eating boxed macaroni and cheese we had brought to Erik from home. I recited The Night Before Christmas just like I used to do when our kids were little. It was a memorable Christmas Eve.

The tailor’s sewing room (photo by Laureen Lund)

I woke up Christmas morning sick as a dog. But damn it I wasn’t gonna miss this day. I was coughing, my nose was running and my eyes were crusted shut. I took every pill and potion I could get my hands on and dragged myself up ready for this day.

We dressed in our new and beautiful traditional Burkinabe clothing. We exchanged a few tiny gifts I had brought but this holiday wasn’t really about gifts. We then headed off for a day in the village.

Well dressed on Christmas (photo by Laureen Lund)

Our first stop was at the home of the Chief. We had already met the Chief earlier, but we were invited to visit is home on Christmas. The gift giving exchange is very different in Burkina. You do not directly offer a gift. Rather it is presented by a mediator who explains it and describes it and offers it to you while the giftor looks on. On this morning the Chief was in his courtyard with most of his assistant chiefs sitting and talking together. As honored guests we were offered chairs, while everyone else was seated on the ground. We brought a gift for the Chief of Smoked Salmon from home. We had to explain what it was and that it need not be cooked.

Presenting gifts to the Chief (photo by Laureen Lund)

Next we made a gift presentation for the entire village. Thanks to a Go Fund Me campaign we did before leaving home, and the very generous donations of many of our friends and family, we were able to present to the village several gifts. First we presented school supplies for the newly opened pre-school. The school, which Samnaaba is working on, has 90 students, nearly twice what was expected on the first day. With the money we had raised we purchased slates and colored pencils, crayons and reading material. All the Chiefs were surprised and grateful.

Finally we told the Chief that our final gift would be paying for all the children in the pre-school to have breakfast at school for the remaining six months of the school year. The Chief’s were very happy. We were very happy. A very Merry

The wife of the Chief presenting me Fu (photo by Laureen Lund)

Christmas.

We then ate the first of several feasts of the day in the Chief’s home before I was then presented a gift from the Chief’s wife – another beautiful fu-poko made in the Nakaba traditional color of midnight blue. I was very flattered and surprised.

Our next stop of the day was at the home of Emmanuel one of Erik’s good friends in the village and one of the nicest people we met. His wife had prepared a huge feast and there were many people around the table joining the feast. I never did figure out exactly who all the dignitaries were who were dining with us but it was a special

Dancing with the villagers (photo by Laureen Lund)

meal that included chicken, guinea fowl, muton, and much more. The b part best part of this party was we were entertained by a wonderful troop of dancers. Both my son’s and myself took part in the dancing and it was really fun. During the feast my husband took a moment to speak. This is really not like him at all, but he made a beautiful speech thanking everyone for their warm welcome, for their kindness and love they have shown our son Samnaaba and for helping us see what a great place he is in.

I had carefully packed 200 candy canes and managed to get them to Nakaba from

Candy Canes for all the children (photo by Laureen Lund)

home and throughout the day I was able to give the out to children in the village. This turned out to be an even better idea than I had hoped. The kids were all so courteous and patient and it was so fun to be able to share something simple and yet very American with all of the children.

Third feast. We headed back to the health compound where Samnaaba lives to the home of Pascal. Pascal is the Major of the health facility – basically the Director. Erik works with him. We had met Pascal the first night when we had chicken soup. It was very kind of him to invite us into his home. He has one of the nicest homes we saw in the village, with electricity and running water. He has a lovely family and his wife prepared a very nice meal for us that was delicious. Additional special guests

With Samnaaba at the home of Paschal (photo Laureen Lund)

at this feast included two of Pascal’s counterparts from neighboring villages.

We then headed back to the village with Samnaaba stopping to greet people and introduce us every step of the way. The social interaction is very important amongst the people, not just on Christmas but everyday. A kind handshake, asking about your health and family, and shaking hands again before departing. Everyone wanted to meet us, so anywhere we were going took twice as long. But it was fun.

Next we went to the home of Patrice, Samnaaba’s friend and his Peace Corp Counterpart. Patrice serves as guide for any Peace Corp volunteer who comes to Nakaba and he also represents the village to the Health Center where Erik works. He welcomed us to his home and we enjoyed some Dolo before then walking the short distance back to the Soup Lady’s for one final feast of the day.

By this time my cold medicines had worn off and I was dragging. What an amazingly incredible Christmas it was. I can’t imagine ever having another Christmas this unique. I am so happy that my family was all-together to experience this. So very special.

Walking to the outskirts of the village (photo Laureen Lund)

The next morning was our last day in Nakaba. We walked to the far reaches of the village and enjoyed the views before stopping to visit with another one of the assistant chiefs at his home on the edge of the village. He was so happy to have us visit that he gave us….you guessed it…a chicken. Number three.

As we walked back through the village we were greeted by another family as we passed by their home and welcomed and sat and talked and were honored by….you guessed it…another chicken. Number four.

Receiving chicken #3 (photo Laureen Lund)

The people of Nakaba don’t have a lot, but what they do have they share. They are kind, generous, hospitable and loving. They are caring, thoughtful, welcoming and sincere. They love my son and he loves them. Samnaaba is their friend and he theirs and in turn Samnaaba’s parents could not have been more warmly embraced by this quiet little village in the little known country of Burkina Faso.

What a Christmas blessing we were given.

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