Namutoni to Okaukuejo campgrounds

We didn't have a great sleep Tuesday night. A big windstorm came up, and there were even a couple of raindrops. But it was so dusty, and it blew the tarp off our tent just as we were going to bed.

I figured we would be okay because it hasn't rained here in ages, but sure enough we woke up in the middle of the night to raindrops.

Can you spot the cheetah?

Day two out on safari here at Etosha National Park. And, our second cheetah sighting! This one, we found all on our own.

We planned a shorter day out yesterday. We found that six hours sitting in the vehicle was too long, and unless you go to one of the fenced washrooms, you do not get out of your vehicle. We ended up doing the loop around Fisher's Pan, 57 kms (35 miles) in four and a half hours.

Our first Namibia self drive Safari...what a day we had!

We were up at sunrise yesterday morning, along with most other people in the campground. Sunrise around here is at about 5:50am.

There is a wildlife viewing area at the Namutoni Campground in Etosha National Park and we had heard that if you head over there first thing, you might see some animals. So we went over right away before coffee. There was nothing to be seen for us at that time, but fortunately that wasn't the way the rest of our day was going to be!

Waterberg Plateau to Namutoni Campground, Etosha National Park, Namibia

We knew we had a 384 km (240 mile) drive and so we tried to get an early start. But it was still 9:30am or so by the time we hit the road. We had to stop for more groceries because we are going to be six days in Etosha National Park.

Camping, Hiking, and Wildlife at Waterberg Plateau National Park, Namibia

When we left you yesterday, we were on our way to do a hike to the top of the Plateau. The campground is located near the entrance and administration building, and we had to walk up past the restaurant and chalets to get to the trailhead. It's not really far, but it was uphill and even at 9:30am it was starting to get warm already!

First day camping in Africa!

What a great first day in Namibia.

We were up in time for our English breakfast at 7:30am that was included in our night at Rivendell Guest House. A couple of girls from Denmark, and a couple from England joined us at the table. Breakfast was fine, and at 8:00am we met with Leigh and Monica from ATI Holidays, the tour company that arranged the camping portion of our trip.

Arrived in Namibia, Africa!!!

We are so excited (and so tired!) that we don't know where to start. Of course it makes sense to start where we last left you...we were leaving our couchsurfing host Ike's apartment (thanks again Ike!) yesterday morning and heading for New York's JFK airport to catch our 10:40am flight to Johannesburg, South Africa.

So we had left the apartment at around 6:30am...figuring that was enough time to get across New York City during morning rush hour traffic...

Fun last day in New York City

We took our time heading downtown this morning. Before we left, we made our way to the main street near the apartment and bought some toiletry items that are easier and cheaper to get here than in Namibia. Razor blades, sunscreen...that kind of thing.

Then, we hopped on the subway again.

There is too much to see!

Every corner you turn in New York City leads you to a new street that you've never been on before. We could easily spend more than one full day just in Lower Manhattan. Good thing we're coming back here for three more days in March.

We did at least another 10 mile (16 km) walking day yesterday.

Walking New York City

We didn't leave the apartment until almost 10am yesterday morning. We planned it that way though, partly because the New York City marathon was taking place and we were going to walk from the apartment in Washington Heights to the northern corner of Central Park in order to see some of the runners nearing the finish line. And partly because it was a little chilly out and things might have warmed up a bit by then!

Let the Adventure Begin!

Son in law Justin drove us to Halifax airport yesterday morning. It was just easier for daughter Lindsey to stay behind with the young ones. Made it to Halifax airport with lots of time to spare for our 12:39pm departure to Newark, New Jersey.

We checked in and got our boarding passes. Figured we may as well go through security and wait in the boarding area. Oddly, U.S. customs has a pre screening area in Halifax airport. This means that you actually go through U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Halifax, once you cleared security. That way you don't have to do it in Newark.

But this was a strange experience...

October Expenses

Well, I figured that October was going to be difficult to budget for. We came within $200 of our budgeted $1,400 worth of expenses. Too bad it was $200 on the high side of things!

Fuel and entertainment were quite a bit higher than expected, but groceries were lower. Miscellaneous came in on the high side too. Here's how it all broke down...

We scored Letterman tickets!

And so we better tell you how we did it in case you want to get tickets on your next visit to New York City!

We'll be going to the show on Tuesday November 5th. They don't make it easy to get tickets, and there's a bit of luck involved but we're proof that things can come together if the stars line up the right way. And hopefully we'll be seeing a star or two...we don't know what the guest lineup is for that night's show yet!

Nova Scotia's Lighthouse Route

The little motel we stayed at had breakfast included, so we didn't actually vacate the room until almost 9:30am. We still had to explore the town of Shelburne, and it turns out that it's a pretty little town to wander around.

If you've never been to Nova Scotia...

You really need to go.

There are so many little harbors and coves and beaches to explore. We're doing the Yarmouth and the South Shore route in only 3 days with a rental car, but if we had the motorhome with us we could easily spend two weeks exploring this area.