South Africa Pt. 1 - Johannesburg, Whitewater rafting, the Panorama Route, and the Karoo!

Nelson and Allie enjoy views of the Panorama Route

We began our South African journey in Johannesburg. A city that holds a sad history of division and exclusion. Of hurt and anger. But one can also say it is a city of unification. In 1992, the remarkable work of Nelson Mandela and President F W de Klerk, reconciled the country and brought a divisive nation together to be wholly 'South African'. The history of Apartheid is quite a piece of history and one can surely see the divide (At a much lesser scale) today in parts of the country. However, the country is making great strides and uniting as one. The people we encountered from all backgrounds were extremely friendly, wanting to assist us, wanting to make sure we were enjoying ourselves in their country. And we did enjoy it immensely! The natural beauty left us in awe each day! As we road tripped through the nation, we saw new natural beauty each day with such a variety of landscapes! 

We visited Johannesburg where the Apartheid Museum gave us a great history lesson and kept us engaged for hours. We also visited the neighborhood of Soweto. Vilakazi street was the home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners: Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Then we headed east to Hazyview and went whitewater rafting  in crocodile and hippo infested waters (!!!) and drove the infamous Panorama Route where we were in awe by the beauty. We then headed south to eventually reach the coastline. But before arriving to the south, we made a stop in Graaf Reinet. A town on the Karoo - The Karoo being comparable to our 'western frontier'. We did some hiking and a self drive game ride to see some wildlife. Enjoy Pt. 1 of South Africa, a country that truly surprised us in the best way possible. 

Zanzibar: Island living in Africa

Allie and Nelson enjoying the sunset on Thanksgiving Day.

Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous island off the coast of Tanzania. Even though it is a part of Tanzania, it felt a world away at times. Zanzibar is known for its white soft sand beaches and beautiful weather. We experienced so much more than a relaxing island visit. We truly felt like we were living with locals, trying new foods, 'embracing' the slow life, and the 'simplicity' of living on a somewhat under developed island. When we arrived in Stone Town, the island's capital city, we were greeted with a very touristy feel. However, after leaving the town and heading to Jambiani, a beach with a very local feel, we felt like we had made a great choice for a stay.  We were forced to slow down. Pole! Pole! As they say in Swahili. To give an idea of how 'remote' our paradise was, let's just say most businesses did not accept credit cards, and the nearest ATMs were 1.5 hrs away in Stone Town! The electricity and water worked when it wanted to, along with the wifi as well. These minor inconveniences were appreciated as we gained perspective.

We learned that the island depended on the tides. Jambiani's economy revolves around fishing and seaweed harvesting. With the tide changing drastically throughout the day, it truly dictated life on the island. Many fishermen would depart at different times daily from right in front of our guesthouse. Naturally Nelson ventured out fishing with them one day. He also obtained his PADI license for scuba diving. We explored local life, interacting with them and asking questions. From their stories we tried to understand the social and economic challenges and balances needed in a location that is up and coming in the tourism world.

Lastly, we met incredible people in Zanzibar! Tourists and locals alike. We felt like when we left, we had made new friends from around the world! Likeminded travelers (many from Germany!) but we got to know much of the staff from our guesthouse. We stayed at Mango Beach Guest House in Jambiani. A 4 room ocean facing guesthouse with tranquility and also the local feel. We would recommend a trip to Zanzibar to anyone! Enjoy the pictures!

Tanzania- Our Safari

Nelson and Allie on safari in the Serengeti

We traveled to Tanzania in plans to hike Kilimanjaro. Unfortunately Allie's feet weren't up for the task, and after careful consideration we opted for a safari instead. What a surprise we encountered from this 'spontaneous' change in plans. It was like nothing we had experienced and we ran into a bit of luck with the things we saw. Not many get to see the 'great migration' of wildebeest, 6 'rare to see' leopards, 4 of the big 5 (lion, elephant, leopard, and buffalo.. still looking for that rhino!) and a standoff between a herd of buffalo and a pride of lions! We also visited a Maasai village and somehow ended up in a luxury tent in the middle of the Serengeti! All and all it was an incredible experience!

First, we need to give kudos to our trek/safari company. Chief's Tours was excellent, professional, and very willing to accommodate our change in plans from a trek up Kilimanjaro to a 5 day/4 night safari. The company is based out of Moshi, Tanzania and owned by Adidas, a local of Moshi. He was very communicative and willing to make our experience a great one. But truly, the safari would not have been as amazing as it was without our driver Sharima! He was incredibly knowledgable and wanted to ensure we had a nice time, but also a genuinely nice guy! We became friends with him. After interacting with some other tourists and seeing their guides, I think we truly lucked out. If anyone is interested in a safari in Tanzania, go with Sharima!

We toured 4 major parks in the 5 days. Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara. If we could do it again we would spend even more than two days in Serengeti. We enjoyed it so much!

The experience brought us face to face with nature but also gave us an appreciation for the wild and for mother nature's influence on the world. Please enjoy our photos of a truly incredible experience! We would recommend to anyone!

Dominican Republic: Back to El Patio

We traveled back to Nelson's native Dominican Republic to spend some quality time with family. We had a special occasion that brought us to Santo Domingo: Nelson's Dad's 60th birthday! We wouldn't have missed it. We were blessed to also have some of our closest friends from home join us for a holiday of their own. We explored Nelson's hometown of Santo Domingo as well as toured some beautiful places outside of the bustling city including Boca Chica, San Rafael Barahona, and Bahia de las Aguilas. The entire family from New York joined and we spent the birthday weekend in La Romana. Nelson and his parents showed Allie the true Dominican experience with lots of platanos, Presidentes, parties, and many Spanish lessons in between. Enjoy our photos as we toured the country. 

Italy, always a special place to visit.

Nelson, Allie and Mom on Allie's birthday

There is truly something magical about Italy. Must be why we keep returning, something keeps pulling us back. Maybe its the people, or the wine, or the majestic Tuscan sunsets, or the incredible food, or the creamy gelato, or just a feeling of raw natural 'down to earth' living you get when you are there. Anytime you get to spend time in Italy is a blessing, but its even more special to spend your birthday there. Allie's mom came to meet us in Tuscany for Allie's birthday. We visited wineries and Nelson did some biking in the Tuscan hills. We then traveled to the Roman region and spent some time in a small ancient Roman town called Sutri. We truly enjoyed our time in Italy, again, and will be sure to return soon. Enjoy our photos.

Morocco - the Beautiful Chaos!

Morocco. As Nelson dubbed it, the beautiful chaos! In our first trip to the African continent we traveled to Casablanca, Fez, into the Saharan desert, and rounded out the trip in Marrakesh. Each place was so unique. The people were very friendly to us. As one can imagine, Morocco in July is hot but we were lucky enough to have some unusually extra hot winds coming from deep in the Sahara in Algeria our entire trip. So 100+ everyday with hot breezes. Other than the heat, the country had so much to offer with natural beauty, an ancient history, and a unique culture that we truly enjoyed exploring. 

France and Germany with Family

We traveled through France where we spent some quality priceless time with Nelson's godmother Mary and her husband Girard. We always enjoy our time with them in Chateauneuf sur Isere. Allie enjoyed cooking and baking with Mary while Nelson enjoyed all the eating. From there we met Allie's mom in Lyon and traveled north through France with a day stop in Nancy, where Allie and her mom made the local newspaper! We then traveled to Frankfurt, Germany where we met up with Allie's Dad and brother. Overall it was a wonderful time spending time with those we love. ***Disclaimer*** - Do not look at these pictures when hungry. :)

Galicia, Spain - A welcomed surprise of natural beauty!

Upon completing our Camino across Spain, we met Nelson's family in Santiago as we began to explore the region of Galicia. We didn't know much about it upon visiting but one of Nelson's parents' friends was a local and gave us the royal tour. We truly enjoyed our time here with family and were amazed by the beauty in a 'new to us' region of Spain. The natural beauty of the ocean cliffs is reminiscent of those in Ireland, as it is right across the pond. Galicia was also a Celtic settlement at one point. 

Enjoy some pictures of our treasured time with family in Spain.

Camino de Santiago- Our way

Finishing the Camino in Santiago de Compostela

We made a decision to take on a new journey. A journey that took 32 days. A journey where we found our way across Spain, and in the process found out more about ourselves. A journey filled with breathtaking scenery, delicious new foods, amazing individuals with kind spirits, while physically challenging our bodies and our minds everyday.  We walked 500 miles from France to the west corner of Spain to Santiago de Compostela and we would recommend the adventure to anyone!

We hope you enjoy a sample of our photos, although they do the scenery and our adventure little justice.

Never Stop Exploring

Nelson and Allie visit Key West in August 2012

"Never Stop Exploring" is the saying that is printed on the handle of our luggage. Every trip we make that saying is staring us in the face. Its a wonderful reminder that life is truly a journey and that we should never stop seeking new adventures. That is just what we have been up to the past three years away from the blog and it is what we intend to keep doing!

Hello, blog followers! Since the proposal back in 2012, a lot has happened. We figured it was about time we catch the blog up to 2015. Some blog postings to expect in the future will be centered around:

• The trip in closing: How we are different and where do we go from here?
• Starting a New Life in Florida
• Life as Husband and Wife
• Turkey: OUR ultimate honeymoon destination
• Panama: Carnival with the Panamanians
• Colombia: An up and coming tourist destination
• Fun travels throughout the diverse US

Even though the travel blog has been on hiatus, our adventurous lives have not. Let us catch you up...