Good morning from the southern tip of the African continent! When we visited South Africa in 2002 we loved it and knew we had to return. So we managed to fit in a few days during our world tour to take in the Cape Province, namely Cape Town and the neighboring wine region. While South Africa is certainly part of Africa it is a world apart in terms of development - hence the rest of the continent is watching it closely. It is very refreshing to have the power stay...

This blog is brought to you from Cinnamon's Lounge at the Z Hotel on the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania. Hopefully the cinnamon daiquiri (a refreshing mix of rum, apple liqueur and juice with a hint of cinnamon) I am drinking will help me to recall the travels of the past two weeks in an intriguing way. We are relaxing here on the beach for a few days so that Liz and Don can recharge before heading home and us prior to heading to South Africa. We've determined that...

Wow! What an amazing week we've just had in Rwanda! Most people associate Rwanda with gorillas and the genocide of the 1990s but there is certainly more to it than that. It is a country of beautiful hills and colorful people. Many of the hills are terraced for family farm plots and tea/coffee plantations while others have been set aside as protected parks and forest. One can simply relax watching the clouds rise from the lovely rain forests or hike to their heart...