I’ll lead off with a correction: In my last entry, I stated that the big island we were flying over is called Samoa. Wrong! The big island is called Savai’l. Sorry about that. (I was politely corrected while speaking to one of the locals.)
Breakfast is included in my hotel room rate, and is served in the adjacent restaurant.
I was impressed. There was a wide variety of choices and it was very good. I’m ready to get after it!
Let’s explore Apia! I’ve scoped out some places I’d like to see, but otherwise I’ll just do some roaming around.
The fire station is located just down the road from my hotel. It looks like the vehicles are second hand from Japan, as I noticed the truck on the right has Japanese writing and the Japanese flag affixed to the exterior (you can see the Japanese flag on the front of the truck).
The Immaculate Conception Cathedral, located next door to my hotel. The original cathedral dates to 1857; however, it was damaged in a 2009 earthquake. This restored version opened in 2014.
Located outside the Samoa Cultural Village. The village is a recommended place to visit in Apia. Unfortunately, it is closed during my visit (low season causality…).
This pedestrian walkway runs along the seawall of Apia Harbor and Apia Bay. It’s wonderful!
Made a stop at the Apia Fish Market. And yes, I asked if I could take their picture. (The Samoans are very nice!)
Continuing along the seawall…
This is the Apia Bus Terminal. Cool looking buses, right? I’m hoping to take one of these on Saturday when I cross the island to my next accommodation. If you’re interested in more information about taking the bus on the island, click here. (Those of you who have followed along on my trips know I like experiencing these local type of things…)
This is located across the street from the seawall. I just thought it looked nice. I think it’s a B&B.
Making my northwest along the Mulinuu Peninsula of Apia bay…
This is the German Flag Memorial (Deutsches Flaggendenkmal). It commemorates the raising of the German flag in 1900, marking Germany’s colonial rule (1899-1914). It also honors German soldiers who perished in a 1889 cyclone.
The Apia Yacht Club. Cute! (I didn’t see any yachts moored nearby…)
Nearing the tip of the peninsula…The National University of Samoa – Ocean CampusI liked this private residence (and grounds) across the street from the Bay.
Samoa Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration Court House (that’s a mouthful!)
Near the Court House I stopped by a little popup canteen to get something cold to drink. The woman running it happened to be from Houston. Small world! Well, she was born in Samoa, grew up in American Samoa, and then moved to the States. She moved back here to help out with some family matters. And after living in Houston, she was complaining about the heat here. Really? I had to call her out on that one!
This British and American Memorial commemorates those who died during the Siege of Apia in 1899. It recognizes British and American sailors who fought alongside Malietoa Tanumafili I during the Second Samoan Civil War.
This monument commemorates Samoa’s independence from New Zealand on January 1, 1962.
The Apia Clock Tower honors Samoan soldiers that died during World War One.
Have I mentioned it’s hot here? (Not as hot as Houston though!) I will say there is a nice breeze walking along the seawall, but after 3 hours of roaming, I was ready to get back to the hotel for a rest during the peak heat of the day.
I was planning on going back out for a late afternoon walk, but a storm came through with heavy rain and high winds. Oh well…
Not much to report today; did some trip planning and worked on a Journal Entry. I need to remind myself: This is a marathon, not a sprint…
The view from my hotel room balconyStreet view of the hotel. My room cost is 160 USD / nightView of the hotel from the beachAnd the beach… (taken rather early in the morning)
Fiji Facts for Travelers
Vehicles operate on the left side of the road (like in the UK)
English is widely used and serves as a common language in government, business, and education
Electrical outlets are the same as Australia
I’ve been told the tap water is drinkable, but haven’t tried (risked) it
Wednesday, January 14 – transit from Fiji to Samoa
I’m off to Samoa today, with a noon departure on Fiji Airways.
My hotel offers an airport shuttle that leaves every hour on the half hour. And the cost is only around 4 USD. Excellent! I’ve booked the 9:30am departure (it’s about a 20 minute drive to the airport).
Nadi AirportDepartures Terminal
The flight was via a 737 MAX 8, and I’d say it was about 2/3 full. I had a window seat, with an empty middle next to me for the 2 hour trip. The cost of the round trip ticket that takes me back to Fiji was 465 USD. (Unfortunately these island hopping flights are kind of pricey. But, I’m so close; have to do it!)
Here are a few pictures from the flight…
Taking off from Nadi
This is the island of Samoa. I’m traveling to the island of Upolu, which is Samoa’s second-largest and most populous island.
Approaching Faleolo Airport on Upolu
A pretty smooth flight. And we were even served a tasty chicken sandwich on this short island hop. My opinion of Fiji Airways is changing, for the better!
Pretty much my only option for getting from the airport to the town of Apia (where I’m staying) was by taxi (ugh!). I might have been able to save some money by booking a shuttle in advance, but I dropped the ball on that. Hopefully I can do better when I return to the airport on the 20th.
The taxi drivers were lined up and waiting as I exited the arrivals hall. The cost of the trip started at 80 Samoan Talas, and I eventually talked the driver down to 70 (about 25 USD). I’m a shrewd negotiator! It was a 45 minute trip, so I guess the price isn’t terrible.
Sidenote: Normally I use ATMs to acquire local currency, but I still had a bunch of Fijian dollars, so I exchanged some of those for Samoan Tala at the airport.
1 USD = 2.78 WST (Samoan Tala)
I’m spending 3 nights at the Tauese Seaview Hotel, which is located behind this restaurant of the same name (what a coincidence!).
91 USD /night, including breakfast
I didn’t get out much after I arrived at the hotel late this afternoon, but I did scope out this nice walking path across the street.
Travel Note: I’ve always pronounced this country’s name as Sa-MO-a. However, the locals say SAM-o-a.
Finally, Samoa is one hour ahead of Fiji. I am now 19 hours ahead of Madison.
No significant plans for today as I still attempt to get acclimated. I think I’ll do one of my favorite things when arriving in a new place: roam.
I have to say that Nadi is not all that picturesque, at least in terms of the areas I could visit within walking distance of my hotel. The cloudy day may have influenced this analysis however. (Note to self: I’ll be using Nadi as a base while I bounce back and forth between the nearby islands; better come up with some day trips or rethink where I’ll be calling home)
Speaking of the cloudy day, I’m an idiot! I say that because, due to the sky conditions, I figured I didn’t need sunscreen or a hat. Wrong! I didn’t receive a flaming hot burn, but enough to be uncomfortable. Ugh! Nice start to the trip…
I ended up doing 20k steps today, which I felt pretty good about. And while we’re on the subject of steps, I can pretty much guarantee that there will be no average daily step count record this year. Due to a few different reasons – with the main one being I’m feeling like a wimp at the moment! (Plus, my average was messed with right off the bat when January 7th was stolen from me!)
I only have a couple pictures worth sharing from the walk…
Pretty!This is Wailoaloa Beach. I’ll be staying at a hotel here in a few days.
The typical high temperatures are in the mid 80s here, with a fairly high humidity. So I took advantage of the hotel pool after the walk!
Travel Note: This is considered the low season in the region, with generally cloudy days and brief rain showers in the afternoons. Basically I consider this a good thing for me. There are less tourists, and therefore the costs are lower (love that!). The downside for me is that the photos may not be as impressive. (Keep your expectations in check! – assuming they were high to begin with!)
Saturday, January 10 through Monday, January 12 – Wayasewa Island
Today I’m heading to Wayasewa Island for a two night stay at a rustic accommodation run by the local villagers. To get there, I’ll be catching a ferry out of Port Denarau in Nadi.
The ferry was scheduled to depart at 8:45am, and the 20 minute ride to the port was arranged by my hotel. The driver, Hamzah, was a nice guy and only charged me 25 FJD (11 USD).
I booked the ferry in advance, and even splurged for entrance into the Captain’s Lounge (don’t worry, it wasn’t much more money). This provided more comfortable seating, with A/C and free snacks & drinks (including beer and wine). The scheduled duration of the trip to Wayasewa Island is about 2 hours. The round trip ferry ticket cost 225 USD.
This is a map of the stops made by the various ferries in the South Sea Cruises fleet. My destination was one of the nearby islands to the west of Nadi.
A sampling of the ferries; none of these was the one I traveled on however.
This is the Yasawa Flyer III, the ferry I’ll be taking to Wayasewa Island. The upper level glass enclosure is the bridge, and just behind that is the Captain’s Lounge, where I’ll be sitting. And this is a relatively new ferry, having just been entered into service in August. Nice!
This is the Captain’s lounge. Pretty nice, right? And there were only 6 of us booked during my portion of the trip. I ended up sitting at the far window. The women across from me is Katja, a medical student from Bern, Switzerland. She’s spending a couple weeks in Fiji and then joining friends for a 4 week trip in New Zealand. We talked for most of the trip, which was fun.
(And I felt it was a little early for wine, so went with tea instead. And some carrot cake! Katja did have a beer after her coffee, but she had further to go than me!)
A couple views from the ride…
There is no dock on Wayasewa Island to disembark from the ferry. So, upon arrival, we were met by a small open boat (12′ long), with an outboard motor operated by hand at the stern. I was the only passenger, and the ride took about 10 minutes. I would have liked to take a picture of the boat, and the island, but it was a quick passenger exchange from the ferry, and I was pretty much holding on with both hands during the ride.
My stay was at the Waya Lailai Eco Haven, which is located in a clearing on the edge of the island. Upon arrival, I was met on the beach by a group of 5 staff members who serenaded me with a Fijian greeting in song. Very nice!
I think I mentioned that this is a rustic place. That means:
No Air Conditioning
No Hot Water
Power shut off during various times throughout the day (it is provided by a generator). Although, power was available all night; which was critical so that the fan next to my bed could run!
Very weak Wifi when the power was on (I didn’t even bother trying to use it. Being disconnected for 3 days was kind of nice!)
Don’t worry though, we did have indoor plumbing!
I will say that despite the lack of A/C, I slept great throughout my stay. Perhaps the after effects of jet lag may have been a factor. And the white noise of the fan next to my bed probably helped too.
Instead of providing a blow-by-blow of my visit, I think I’ll just go with a kind of semi-chronological photo essay to describe the stay…
In the foreground is the boat that transferred me from the ferry to the island.Entrance to the resort from the beachMy bungalow
Yes, I did use the mosquito netting. There were holes in the window screens! (and I only ended up with one bite during my stay!)
Looking down on the compound and bungalowsI like these carvings…Lunch is served!
All meals were included with the cost of the room. Meal times were:
Breakfast: 8am
Lunch: noon
Tea: 3pm
Dinner: 7pm
The banging of drums announced the meal was ready.
Great view from one of the dining tables!The food was great!Post-meal rest…My bungalow is on the left
Sidenote: One of the things I was told when I arrived at the resort was to not leave my shoes outside at night. Apparently dogs from the nearby village will come over and take them!
Early morning sun
The beach isn’t very long; a round trip walk from the compound and back took about 40 minutes (at a slow pace!)
There were small clusters of shells located throughout the beachHeading for breakfast……tasty!
The resort offered a few planned excursions (for a fee), like snorkeling, scuba, hiking and a visit to a nearby village. I pretty much just stuck around the compound though, happy to relax, do some reading, eat, and socialize with the other guests.
While I’m on the subject, I’d say my two favorite parts of the island visit were meeting the other guests and conversing with them over some great meals. While I was there, I met people from:
Minnesota
Arizona
Denmark
Austria
Australia
Germany
France
United Kingdom
Slovenia (family of 6 that stayed on the island for 25 days! Left the day before me)
A mother & daughter from Germany arrived the morning of my last day. When talking with them I discovered that they had just been to Samoa (my next stop). Very lucky; they gave me some good suggestions!
No activities were planned for Sunday; however, we were invited to attend church at the neighboring village. I definitely wanted to check that out, even if it did necessitate me wearing jeans and a polo shirt (the only long pants and collared shirt I brought with me on the trip).
It took about 10 minutes to walk to the church. Five of us from the resort attended.
This picture was taken after the service. The church was full during. We arrived around 10:15am, to the sounds of the choir singing prior to the start at 10:30. Women sat on the left, men on the right.
Most of the sermon was spoken in Fijian (iTaukei), but that’s okay; it was still very enjoyable. And the choir was amazing. The service concluded at 11:30, and by then I was sweating like crazy!
Gathering outside after the serviceBuildings adjacent to the church (the village community center is on the right)Got back just in time for lunch!Relaxed in the hammock after lunch
The shade covering the hammocks is provided by the Vutu Tree (also called fish poison tree or sea poison tree). Its nut can be seen in the center of the picture.
The nut produces this beautiful flower.
Dinner time!Sadly, my last breakfast on the island.
The ferry was scheduled to arrive near the island around 4pm, so I was ready to head out right after the afternoon tea. But before I left, the staff once again sang me a song, this time wishing me a fond farewell. Very sweet!
I really enjoyed my time on the island. It felt like an authentic Fijian experience. I will say though, for me, two nights was probably the right duration. (I’m not a big “roughing it” guy!). The cost of the bungalow and meals was 110 USD per night.
A view of the island from onboard the ferry.
I’m back in the Captain’s Lounge for the ferry ride back to Nadi. And after my rustic experience, I had to go for a glass of wine (or two!).
I was the only passenger in the Lounge for the entire journey back to Nadia. I I felt a little guilty about that too, because the ferry was packed and the passengers seated outside had to deal with some rain showers along the way.
Well, I guess I didn’t feel THAT guilty…
The ferry company offers free shuttle transfers to passengers staying at the major hotels in Nadi. I was able to take advantage because I booked two nights at the Ramada Suites on Wailoaloa Beach (I referenced the beach in my Friday entry above).
I arrived at the hotel around 6:30pm and was ready for some A/C and a hot shower!
Notice the washer and dryer in the background? I decided to do a load of laundry before calling it a night…
Tuesday, January 6 through Thursday 8 – transit from Madison to Fiji
Hello everyone! Welcome back. I can’t believe a year has gone by already! Thank you for your continued interest in my travel journal.
This winter I’m starting out in the South Pacific. I’ll stay in this region for a few weeks, then head to Singapore to celebrate the Chinese New Year in mid-February. From there, the only booking I have so far is my return to the States in early May from Tokyo. I’ll likely go from Singapore to Thailand and Laos; eventually making my way to Japan. Watch this space…
So, as you can tell from this entry’s heading, my journey to Fiji took a while! I started by taking the bus from Madison to O’Hare on Tuesday morning (thanks for the drop off Chuck!). From there I had a 5pm flight to Dallas. My itinerary culminated in a flight from Dallas to Nadi, Fiji. That last leg departed at 10pm on Tuesday, January 6th, and arrived at 5:30am on Thursday, January 8th. Wait! What happened to Wednesday?? Well, the flight took 13 1/2 hours (ugh!), and we crossed the International Date Line on the way. (Nadi is 18 hours ahead of Madison)
I booked my itinerary using American Airlines miles – only 40k one-way (+$5.60!). The flight from Dallas to Nadi was on Fiji Airways. I did buck my usual cheapness self though and splurged on paying for a bulkhead seat on the 13+ hour marathon ($280). Well worth it. I actually slept a fair amount. We flew on a wide body A350, and it was full (although, I was in the window seat, and the middle was empty. Bonus!). Fiji Airways is nothing special. Our dinner meal was a slice of pizza and a cookie! Breakfast was a little more substantial though: we had a choice of three different mains. I chose the scrambled eggs with yogurt, fruit and a muffin. And the movie options were dismal (and edited), with no TV shows offered. Oh well, like I said, I slept a lot.
Nadi Airport, 5:45am.
The trip was not without a glitch, but I saw it coming. For those of you who have followed along over the years, you may recall my hiccup when attempting to fly to Panama in 2023. Basically, I only had a one way ticket, and the airline needed proof that I was going to leave the country at some point before they let me travel.
Fast forward, and I have a one way ticket to Fiji. Mmmmm. I wasn’t able to check-in online for the flight (error message: travel documents need to be checked at the airport), so I knew what was coming. Fortunately I have all of my flights booked up through Singapore. I actually had a fun encounter with the ticket agent in Chicago. She asked me about all the places I was visiting and for how long. And she gave me further props when she saw the (rather small) size of my checked bag. Thank you!
Checked bag.Carry-on
Okay, so I arrive in Nadi at 5:30am, but check-in time at my hotel isn’t until 2pm (too cheap to just pay for the previous night!). Now what? (I did contact the hotel in advance, and they said I may be able to check-in early, based on room availability. Otherwise, I could hang out in their lounge, or take a swim in the pool)
I ended up staying at the airport for a while; taking advantage of their free WiFi to catch up on emails and the news.
Nadi Airport Entrance/Lounge
As I researched the trip, I read about the Nadi bus system, and determined it would be an interesting way to get from the airport to my hotel (plus, there’s that cheap thing…). It turned out to be pretty simple: bus stop by the airport, took about 15 minutes, and cost around 60 cents. Nice! (plus, most of you are probably familiar with my disdain for taxi drivers the world over)
I arrived at the hotel around 9am, and they actually had a room available. With no charge for the early check-in. Very nice! Thank you!
After checking in I took advantage of the pool. It felt great after my long journey!
I saved this from my flight. Of course we would be given Fiji Water by Fiji Airways on the flight to Fiji!
Pretty banknotes! 1 USD = 2.24 FJD
I’m staying here for a couple nights. On Saturday I’ll travel to one of the nearby islands. The accommodation I’ve booked there is rather rustic, so I’m not sure how strong the internet connection will be (the same could be said for most of my South Pacific stay). Therefore, you may not see an update for a few days (unless I do a quick one tomorrow night).
After my swim earlier today I took a walk and picked up some groceries and then came back to the hotel for a nap. That might have been a mistake. I ended up sleeping for 5 hours! It’s about 10:30pm as I write this, and I may be up for a while!
Okay, here we go with the trip summary. Feel free to scan through quickly as your eyes glaze over and your brain becomes numb!
Below are some of the Lists from the trip. All are chronological, except for the ranking of the places visited.
Favorite Experiences
Notre Dame
Hiking the Rock of Gibraltar
Death of a Salesman; a Harrow School Performance in the Vaughan Library
Lenny Kravitz Concert
Train Travel in Morocco
Evening Street Food Tour in Marrakech
North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial, Carthage
Lunchtime Performance at the Royal Opera House
Black is the Color of my Voice at Wilton’s Music Hall
Harrow School Tour
The Who at The Royal Albert Hall
Victoria Falls (Zambia and Zimbabwe)
Chobe River Cruise
Chobe National Park
Okavango Delta
Least Favorite Experiences
Taxi Drivers in the Rock of Gibraltar Nature Preserve
Scammers in the Medinas of Tangier, Marrakech, and Tunis
Crime Threat in Windhoek
Favorite Accommodation
Byron House, Harrow on the Hill
Riad Dar Zaouia, Marrakech
Dobson Apartment in Calpe
The Victoria Falls Waterfront, Livingstone
The Drift Inn, Victoria Falls
The Weinberg Windhoek
Least Favorite Accommodation
Okavango Delta Tent (but totally worth it in order to experience the Delta!)
Favorite Meals
Welcome Dinner hosted by Mary and Tony, following the Sir Gregory Doran talk
Birthday Dinner hosted by Mary and Tony
Hot Chocolate and Mont Blanc at Angelina’s, Paris
Nightly Special at Ali Baba’s in Tangier
Evening Street Food Tour in Marrakech
Breakfasts at Riad Dar Zaouia in Marrakech
Chapati MahDia Special in Tunis
Bream Fillet on the Zambezi Riverfront at Sunset in Livingstone
Easter Sunday Roast in London with Kathy & Ray
Departure Dinner with Mary & Tony
Ranking of Places Visited (excluding London)
Botswana (grouped as country, rather than by individual locations – multiple short stops)
Chobe River Cruise
Chobe National Park
Okavango Delta
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls
The Drift Inn
Paris
Notre Dame
Tangier
Medina
Chefchaouen
Dining
Marrakech
Riad Stay
Evening Street Food Tour
Tunis
Carthage
La Marsa
Sid Bou Said
Riding the Local Bus
Nice Locals
Gibraltar
Rock of Gibraltar Nature Preserve
Funky Pedestrian/Vehicle Crossing across Airport Runway
Livingstone
Victoria Falls
Zambezi River Accommodation
Valencia
Performing Arts Complex
Riverbed Converted to Recreation Area
Kind of Crowded in City Center
A Little Expensive
Calpe
Northern Rock
Would have liked to hike to the top, but weather and health prevented it (hopefully I’ll return to do this!)
Perfect Accommodation
Pleasant Old Town / Promenade
Not the best weather while I was there
My ill health resulted in a less pleasant experience
Windhoek
Half-Day City Tour
Nice Hotel
Crime threat placed this city at the bottom of my list (still happy I visited though!)
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics(Mark Twain)
Countries Visited
I traveled to 9 countries and 1 territory on this trip; 6 countries for the first time (all in Africa). I have now visited 94 countries. Below is a breakdown of visited countries by continent (and the % of countries I’ve been to on each continent):
Africa: 9 (17%) – reminder: HUGE continent!
Antarctica: 0 (0%) – hopefully this will be my 100th country (and 7th continent) in 2027
Asia: 21 (47%)
Europe: 35 (73%)
North America: 19 (83%)
Oceania: 2 (14%) – planning on increasing this count next winter!
South America: 8 (67%)
Trip Length
2025 London: 109 days
2024 London: 108 days
2023 Caribbean: 100 days
2019 South America: 77 days
2022 Hawaii: 66 days (cut short due to high costs!)
2020 Europe: 33 days
2020 South America: 30 days (cut short due to Covid)
Total Trip Cost
2023 Caribbean
2022 Hawaii
2025 London
2019 South America
2024 London
2020 Europe
2020 South America
Trip Cost per Day
2022 Hawaii (23% higher than second place S. America; what a surprise!)
2019 South America (skewed higher by Galapagos Islands and Easter Island)
2023 Caribbean
2025 London (used frequent flyer miles for transatlantic flights)
2020 South America
2020 Europe (skewed lower due to the use of frequent flyer miles for the transatlantic flights)
2024 London (lower due to a) the use of frequent flyer miles for the transatlantic flights, b) visiting Balkan countries in the winter)
Total Steps
2025 London: 1.79 million (818 miles!)
2024 London: 1.68 million
2023 Caribbean: 1.32 million
2019 South America: 1.09 million
2022 Hawaii: 1.07 million
2020 Europe: 550 thousand
2020 South America: 440 thousand
Steps per Day
2025 London: 16.4 thousand (new World Record!)
2022 Hawaii: 16.2 thousand
2020 Europe: 16.1 thousand
2024 London: 15.5 thousand
2020 South America: 14.5 thousand
2019 South America: 14.4 thousand
2023 Caribbean: 13.2 thousand (pathetic!)
Footnote: You might recall that I was walking a LOT in London following my return from the southern Africa trip. Well, as some of you surmised (I’m looking at you X!), I was doing that (partly. mainly?) to get my average back up to World Record pace (as a result of minimal walking taking place during the group tour in Botswana). Result!
Extremes – Steps per Day
Max: 35.4 thousand in Paris
Min: 6.0 thousand on transit day from London to Livingstone
Planes, Trains, Ferries & Buses
Planes: 13 flights totaling 25,359 miles (the circumference of Earth is 24,901 miles)
Longest: Heathrow to Nairobi on 31 March (4,242 miles)
Shortest: Newark / Dane County Regional (Madison) at the beginning and end of the trip (799 miles)
Trains: 5 trips; back and forth to Paris, and within Morocco (plus several rides in and around London!)
Ferries: 1 trip from Spain to Morocco
Buses: 1 trip from Calpe to Valencia (plus several rides on the SL9 to and from Heathrow!)
Number of Journal Entries
2025 London: 35
2023 Caribbean: 35
2019 South America: 34
2024 London: 32
2022 Hawaii: 29
2020 Europe: 13
2020 South America: 11
Favorite Photos
I saved over 3,000 photos from the trip. Here are a few of my favorites…
Winter Setting Sun on the Thames
View of London from Greenwich Park
Harrow School
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
View from Rock of Gibraltar Hike
Entrance to the Kasbah Mosque, Tangier
Tangier Boulevard
Juice Vendors in Chefchaouen
Chefchaouen Medina
The Marrakech Medina Maze
Bread Maker’s Oven, Marrakech
Ben Salah Mosque, Marrakech
Olive Vendors, Marrakech
Kasbah Mosque, Marrakech
Northern Rock, Calpe
Palau de les Arts Reina SofÃa, Valencia
View of Victoria Falls Bridge from Boiling Pot, Livingstone
Knife Edge Bridge, Victoria Falls, Livingstone
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (I’ll probably frame this one!)
Chobe River, Botswana
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Sunset Walk in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Sunrise at the Okavango Delta Camp
Sunrise with the Hippos in the Okavango Delta
Parliament Building, Windhoek
Well, that about does it! Please let me know if you have any suggestions for things to add to my lists, or photos I’ve overlooked.
Thank you so much for following along. I hope you’ll join me again next year!
Well, today is sadly the last full day of my winter escape. It’s been another wonderful adventure!
I spent the day mainly on travel prep. And it only seems fitting that the last dinner of my trip would be here on the Hill with Mary and Tony.
We went to the nearby Grove on the Hill.
I chose the salmon fillet. It was amazingly good!
This was a wonderful conclusion to my stay on the Hill. Many thanks to Mary and Tony for their hospitality! I will definitely be back! (just not certain when; maybe 2028?)
Thursday, April 24 – transit from Harrow on the Hill to Madison
My flight out of Heathrow departed at 1pm; I left Byron House at 8:30am to catch the SL9 bus in South Harrow. The first bus that came by was packed, and I had two pieces of luggage. Not good! But I noticed on the arrivals board at the bus stop that the next SL9 was surprisingly only 4 minutes away. So I waited for that one, and it was nearly empty. Brilliant!
I used miles + money to book a Premium Economy seat on United (50k miles + $369).
Travel Note: As a reminder, my business class flight to London in early January was 80k miles + $5. One of the benefits of visiting London in winter!
It turns out I needn’t bothered with Premium Economy, because the flight was only half full! That’s unusual. Oh well…
I know I’ve mentioned previously the advantage of being a member of Global Entry. It paid off again upon my arrival in Newark. According to the message board at the immigration point, the wait time was 20 minutes (for the hoi polloi!). For Global Entry? Zero wait time. Nice! And there’s a new screening process in place since I last traveled abroad. Previously Global Entry required a passport scan; today it was solely by facial recognition.
I think I’ve also written in the past about Global Entry’s weak link: Baggage Claim. You may get through immigration quickly, but if you have checked bags, you’re back to commoner level!
Travel Note: I noted that my U.S. point of entry was Newark (EWR) airport. Well, it looks like I dodged a bullet, because about a week later the airport experienced all kinds of delays and cancellations due to air traffic control issues. You can read more about it here.
Speaking of EWR, apparently they typically have 3 working runways. Well, there was only 1 open when it came time for my Madison flight to depart. That resulted in a one hour taxi time from gate pullback to takeoff. Crazy! (but our Madison arrival was only delayed by 15 minutes – the EWR issues must be taken into account when developing the flight schedules) The trip to Madison was in a plane with a 2×2 seat configuration. It took 2 hours and was completely full.
And a big shout out to Chuck for the late night airport pickup. Much appreciated! And he went above and beyond with a stop for burgers (at the Tip Top Tavern) on the way home! The best!
Well, that concludes another amazing winter escape. Thanks to everyone for following along! Also, I’m grateful for all of your messages, comments and phone calls. It’s wonderful to hear from you while I’m away from home!
I feel blessed to have had this opportunity to visit so many countries and experience other cultures. I do not take it for granted! Like the young woman from Iran reminded me: I’m lucky to have been born in a country that allows me unfettered access to virtually any other place on Earth.
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you back here in January!
Sidenote: I’ll return shortly with one final post: My annual trip summary; including the lists, stats, and pictures that you all look forward to! (well, a few of you anyway!)
Our tour officially ended today. We all gathered for breakfast before heading off on our separate ways. A few continued on with G Adventures for a tour to other parts of Namibia and South Africa. It was a fun group; I’m happy (grateful!) we all meshed so well!
I chose to stay an extra night in Windhoek. I could have stayed at this same hotel, but I checked the reviews, and they weren’t great. I’ll be moving to my new accommodation later today. But first, I’ve booked a half day city tour for this morning.
Travel Note: Taking group city tours usually isn’t my thing, but extenuating circumstances sadly dictated it in this case. Typically I just like to explore city centers on foot, determining my itinerary as I go. Well, I mentioned this to Shaddie a couple days ago, and he advised against it. Unfortunately, Windhoek has a high crime rate. Nothing violent, but theft is common against tourists. Ugh! After arriving at the hotel here I asked the reception staff about crime in Windhoek. They pretty much confirmed what Shaddie told me. I was advised that I could walk around the city safely, as long as I took nothing of value with me! Really? It feels like I’m back in Johannesburg again! So….I decided a group tour would the best (and safest) way to see the city.
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of Namibia, with a population of around 500,000. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around 5,500 feet above sea level. This high elevation resulted in much cooler temperatures than I experienced in the other south African countries I’ve visited on this trip. (highs here in the 70s, lows in the 50s)
The tour started with an 8:45am pickup at my hotel. I was the first onboard the minibus; there would eventually be 6 of us. A nice small group.
Our first stop was Christ Church, or Christuskirche. (ca. 1910)
The statue outside the Museum is Sam Nujoma, the first president of Namibia, serving from 1990 to 2005.
We didn’t tour the museum, but did make a rest stop at this restaurant on the 4th floor of the Museum.
There are some nice city views from the balconies of the restaurant…
A view of The Parliament Building.
Windhoek High School Stadium
The Parliament Building, also known as the Tintenpalast (German for Ink Palace – an allusion to the extensive use of ink by the workers in the building). It opened in 1913. I like the vintage Land Rover parked in front!
A view of Christ Church from the Parliament Gardens.
Our next stop was to the Oshetu Community Market in the suburb of Katutura. The suburb was created in 1961 to house Windhoek’s black population following their forced removal from an area slated for redevelopment. There was much resistance to the move; the resulting unrest escalated into a confrontation with police, which culminated in 11 deaths and numerous injuries.
Being prepared here is kapana (seasoned, thinly sliced strips of grilled meat).
A row of kapana vendors.
Our guide bought some kapana for us to sample. It was pretty good! (we were told that spices typically include salt plus a mixture of paprika, coriander, cumin and garlic)
Our final stop was Penduka Village. Penduka provides vulnerable women from marginalized Namibian communities with an opportunity to earn a sustainable income through their creation of unique craft items.
Yikes! (located in the Penduka parking lot)
This being the weekend, we unfortunately were not able to observe the women at work.
Batik tapestry is one of the products created here.
The Village is located on the Goreangab Dam in Katutura.
There’s a dining facility on site, and…
…these cute little bungalows. (880 NAD/night, incl breakfast; $44)
This was a fun tour! I’m actually happy I booked it; I wouldn’t have seen all of this just walking around on my own. (The cost of the tour was $34)
Sidenote: I was wearing my Wisconsin baseball cap again today. And there happened to be a couple from Indiana on the tour who recognized the Motion W. Very nice!
I was the last to be dropped off on the tour. I just needed to stop at my original hotel to pick up my bags and then transfer to my new place. The tour guide offered to give me a ride. Thanks! He originally was going to charge me 100 NAD, but I negotiated him down to 20 NAD ($1). It was only a 10 minute drive, and earlier this morning I had asked the hotel staff how much the taxi fare would be to my new hotel. Hence my negotiating power!
(I normally would have just walked to my new hotel, but there’s that pesky crime thing to deal with here…)
The Weinberg Windhoek
Lounge area
Dining space
Rooftop Bar
The Terrace
2,817 NAD/night, including breakfast ($159/night)
I love this place! I arrived at 1pm, and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the terrace. (The middle balcony is my room)
The complex where the hotel is located includes a few dining options. I went with a Sunset Breeze (vanilla vodka, Caribbean rum, passion fruit puree, sour mix, lemonade), and stuffed bell peppers. It was very good! (although, my first choice was pan-seared sea bass, which was sold out) Cost of the meal: 265 NAD ($14).
Travel Note: I don’t think I mentioned that throughout this south African trip (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia), English was the language used. That’s convenient!
Sunday, April 13 – transit from Windhoek to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
My flight on Ethiopian Airlines departs Windhoek at 2:30 this afternoon. I’ve been told that the airport is a small one; arriving two hours early will be plenty. My morning will therefore be leisurely!
I had a breakfast of eggs Benedict (with salmon) on the terrace. Tasty!
Check out was at 10am. At that time I had the hotel book me an 11:30am ride to the airport (half hour trip, leaving me a cushion against the 2 hour pre-departure arrival). I was quoted 500 NAD ($25) for the ride.
Sidenote: After arriving at my first Windhoek hotel a couple days ago, I heard about a Namibian ride share app called Yango. I ended up downloading it, to possibly use as a cheap(er) airport transport option. I ultimately decided against using it today though, mainly because of the Windhoek crime situation (will the driver be legit? Try to scam me? Or worse…).
I did some reading on the terrace as I waited for my ride to show up. Well, by 11:30 the driver had not yet arrived. I checked with hotel reception. They called the car service and was told the driver was waiting in the adjacent parking garage. Another member of the hotel staff checked the garage. Nothing. Seriously? Another call to the car service. This time we were told the driver was on the way. Ten minutes out. By now I was pretty annoyed and told them to forget it, I didn’t believe anything we were being told by the driver. Against my better judgement I used Yango to book a ride. The driver arrived 5 minutes later and got me to the airport with no issues. The ride cost 220 NAD, and I paid with cash because I coincidentally had 240 NAD left over that I was going to exchange at the airport.
(on the way to the airport I saw two giraffes eating leaves from trees alongside the road!)
Hosea Kutako International Airport, Windhoek. And yes, it is very small.
So, I’ve now made four return trips to London during this winter break (from Paris, Tunis, Valencia and Windhoek), and the only time I was asked to confirm that I have the recently introduced UK visa is when I departed Valencia. Just saying…
I was wearing a Wisconsin t-shirt today, and while waiting for my flight in the departure area, I was approached by a man from Berlin, Wisconsin who was in southern Africa on a hunting trip. I’m kind of amazed by how many times my connection to Wisco has been recognized this winter (and the obscure locations in which it occurred!)!
Boarding the flight (an A350).
The flight to Addis Ababa took 5 hours and was 90% full.
Travel Note: This Ethiopian Airlines itinerary was one of the two that I had to book through the travel agent in Harrow. As you may recall, that was due to the fact that I couldn’t get the airline’s website to accept payment from my credit card. The cost of the one way trip to London was £440 ($550).
Monday, April 14 – transit from Addis Ababa to London
Addis Ababa airport is huge! I arrived around 9:30pm, and it was very busy. Fortunately I had a 3 hour layover, because the international transfer checkpoint was packed!
My flight was scheduled to depart at 12:20am, but was delayed by two hours. And it was a confusing two hours (plus), because there were no notifications regarding the delay. On top of that there was also a gate change that was made with no announcement. Not impressed!
The flight to London was on another A350, took 8 hours, and was also 90% full. I was able to sleep a little, so that helped.
I arrived at Gatwick, so took the train to Farringdon and then the Met line to Harrow on the Hill. The Gatwick Express would have been quicker, but also more expensive (not going to go there!). I departed my hotel in Windhoek around 11:45am yesterday, and arrived at Byron House at 11am (Windhoek time). Did I mention that Africa is a massive continent?!?
I concluded my day by making a grocery run and going to bed early!
This two-week trip was quite the adventure! The long journey was well worth it!
Thursday, April 10 – transit from the Okavango Deltato Ghanzi
Well, it was a rough night. The combination of oppressive heat in the tent and Juan’s snoring resulted in minimal sleep for Tim! (a rare third person reference!) That’s okay though, the visit to the Delta was totally worth it. And the overnight experience wasn’t a total disappointment – listening to the hippos’ grunts and squeals was a joy!
We’re starting early today – gathering at 6am for a sunrise walk.
I had no objection to the time of our wake up. In fact, I welcomed getting out of the tent and moving around!
And thankfully, the rain had stopped!
The main focus of the walk was this watering hole, and observing its occupants – several hippos!
Stay calm, we mean you no harm!
I count 20 hippos eye-balling us! Including the guides, there were 15 of us on shore. Not good odds, but thankfully we all survived!
After a breakfast of eggs, baked beans, and toast, Annie and I were back in the mokoro for our return to civilization.
Do you see something over there Annie?
Hippo alert!
We kept our distance, and fortunately they didn’t feel threatened by us (understandable!)!
After reaching shore around 9am, we headed back to our accommodation in Maun, the Sedia Riverside Hotel. The complex also includes a campground, so we took advantage of the showers there to cleanup before we resumed our road trip across Botswana.
Update: My passport and money were there waiting for me upon my return from the delta. They missed me!
Our destination today is Ghanzi, a town in the middle of the Kalahari Desert in the western part of Botswana. We departed the campground at 11:30am, made a stop for lunch and provisions, and arrived at our hotel at 4:30pm.
The Dqae Qare San Lodge
Mosquito nets are back! This could be another rough night though. There is no A/C, but a fan is available. However, the power is turned off at 10pm! (the property’s only source of electricity is solar) I could leave the windows open; if it weren’t for the holes/rips in the screens! Oh, and there’s no hot water.
(Not complaining, just explaining!)
The lodge is run by the San people. The San are one of the oldest (if not the oldest) tribal groups in the world and the original inhabitants of southern Africa, with archaeological evidence showing that they have lived on the land for 30,000 years.
After getting settled in, we went on a short nature walk around the property with two members of the tribe.
It was an interesting hike, as we learned about the San’s interaction with their environment.
And even enjoyed a little bit of a sunset!
We spent the rest of the day relaxing (some of us played cards), and Shaddie cooked us a dinner of spaghetti and vegetables, with cake for dessert. Was a good effort! Oh, and as we were approaching the end of the tour, an attempt was made to reduce the alcohol inventory!
(Apologies for the lack of photos at this stop; I think it reflects my reduced energy level at this point!)
Friday, April 11 – transit from Ghanzi, Botswana to Windhoek, Namibia
I’ll lead off by saying I slept really well, considering. I’m sure my rough night in the tent helped put me under last night!
No sleeping in today though! We have a long trip ahead of us. Breakfast was at 5:20am, and we were on the road by 6am. Our destination is Windhoek, in Namibia. We’re looking at 8 to 9 hours of driving. I think there may be a nap taking place at some point!
We arrived at the Trans-Kalahari Border Post at 9am. The immigration officers for both Botswana and Namibia are located in this facility, which was convenient. And surprisingly there were no other travelers in the building when we arrived. Departing Botswana was a breeze. The entry into Namibia was a little more time consuming (for some!).
Beginning on April 1st of this year, Namibia initiated a revised visa program. I heard about through my tour group company. For U.S. citizens, a visa would be required at a cost of $90. There was an option to obtain the visa in advance online. I jumped at that, and took care of it while I was in London. In our group, only Naima and I arranged for the visa ahead of time. We cruised through immigration in about 15 minutes. For the rest, forms needed to be completed and payments made. The last of us finally made it through 90 minuted after our arrival. (Good thing we were the only ones going through the process at the time!)
Travel Note: Shaddie informed us that since its inception on April 1st, the Namibian visa program has generated $1.5 million in revenue. Impressive!
We arrived at the Auas City Hotel in Windhoek at around 3pm.
There’s a shopping mall right across the street from the hotel; I took advantage and acquired some cash from an ATM.
The Namibia Dollar. 1 USD = 19 NAD.
This was the last night of the tour, so we all went out for a final dinner together. The selected restaurant was Joe’s Beerhouse. Like our first dinner together in Victoria Falls, it seemed kind of touristy to me, but I’m a snob!
I led off with a Galactic Grapefruit (Smirnoff Vodka, Pink Grapefruit Syrup, Cranberry Juice, and a splash of Schweppes Soda, with a sprinkling of Fairy Dust!). Very good!
My main was Namibian Bobotie (a traditional South African casserole made with curried game mince & topped with a savory custard). The game meat was Oryx. Cost of the meal: 316 NAD ($17). It was good. I’m glad I tried a local dish!
Based on the lack of air-conditioning and mosquito nets, I was prepared for a rough night. It turned out to be just the opposite though. I slept great! The early wake-up yesterday I’m sure was a contributor; but there was also wonderful cross-ventilation in the cabin. I actually got under the comforter at some point during the night. And, wait for it, no mosquito bites! Bonus!
Some sunrise views…
From the screened window in my cabin.
Breakfast was at 7am (English breakfast again – eggs, bacon, baked beans, sausage), and we were on the road by 8am.
Our destination today is Maun, which will be used as a jumping off point for our trip to the Okavango Delta. Our road trip included a couple rest stops, a lunch break (some of us went to a Nando’s), another snacks/liquor/ice stock-up excursion, and a visit to a souvenir market (I didn’t buy anything).
We arrived at the Sedia Riverside Hotel around 3:30pm.
Nice place!
My room is in the single-story building ahead…
No mosquito netting, but it wasn’t required (tightly sealed room with a/c).
There were no activities planned for the rest of the day.
Many of us took advantage of the pool!
For dinner I tried the Ox Tail Stew. It was good, but hard to eat – many (large) bones. I eventually gave up and used my hands to hold the bones while I gnawed at the meat! Shaddie complemented me on following the local technique! I finished off dinner with a bowl of ice cream. Cost of the meal: 225 BWP ($14).
Travel Note: I don’t think I mentioned that the time difference between London and these southern African countries that I’m visiting is only one hour. Convenient. No jet lag!
Wednesday, April 9 – transit from Maun to the Okavango Delta
We’ll be spending tonight in tents at a bush camp in the Okavango Delta. It’s where the Okavango River meets the Kalahari Desert. The “water in the desert” ecosystem is equivalent in size to Switzerland. It became UNESCO’s 1,000th World Heritage Site in 2014.
Access to our campsite will be via hand-crafted dugout canoes called mokoro. As such, we were only allowed to bring a day pack with us. It was also recommended that we leave behind our passport and money (to be locked up in the storage compartment of our tour bus). Not a comfortable thing to do, but I complied.
The contents of my day pack. I did bring a little money and my driver’s license (for ID purposes – in case a hippo takes me down!).
Another early start. Breakfast was at 6:30am, and we were on the road by 7:30am.
Ready for the roughly two-hour road trip to the boat landing! In front is Matt; that’s Naima and Janin (a flight attendant from Berlin) in the middle; and next to me is Annie (a school teacher from Highgate, London).
Most of our journey was via unpaved roads.
Oh oh! Temporary delay to clear a road obstruction (tree).
Wildlife sighting!?! Never mind, just cows!
We arrived at the Daunara Mokoro Station around 9:15am.
These land cruisers are standing by to transport the arriving groups who spent last night in the bush camps.
Mokoros
Sidenote: After the groups from last night’s camp out arrived, some of us noticed one man sitting alone in in a safari truck, looking very forlorn and hugging his sleeping bag (fetal position equivalent). That’s a little disturbing. We later learned that the groups that spent yesterday in the bush camps endured a miserable day. There was heavy rain throughout, and they had to stay in their tents the entire time. Brutal! I can understand his misery. Hopefully our time will be better!
Annie graciously joined me on our journey to the bush camp. We departed around 9:45am.
This was a fun trip!
We arrived at the camp site around 11:30am.
We chilled out a bit while the porters set up the tents and prepared lunch.
Our accommodation for the night.
Lunch was burgers and pasta salad. Not bad!
Following lunch we had a bit of rest time before heading out on a sunset hike.
Elephant remains (likely died from disease).
Termite Mound.
Hello! (Cool tree too!)
This herd went off in the other direction once they heard/saw/smelled us approaching.
At least they decided to retreat rather than attack!
Dinner was waiting for us upon the return from our trek. We had oxtail stew. It was good, but had I known tonight’s menu, I probably would have ordered something different for dinner last night! Oh well…
Following dinner, the porters demonstrated some local singing and dancing for us. A little touristy, but cute.
An ominous sign – thunder and lightning in the distance…
It started raining around 9pm, so we all headed to our tents. Tonight I’m sharing my accommodation with Juan. He’s originally from South Africa, but currently lives in Seattle, working in operations for a cruise line.
We had to close the screened window and entrance flaps on the tent due to the rain, thereby eliminating any breeze that might provide some relief from the heat. Ugh! We were required to bring our own sleeping bags on the tour, but I ended up not even using mine. I just slept (or tried to) in my clothes while lying on the cot. This could be a long night…
Travel Note: I ended up buying my sleeping bag at an outdoor supply shop in Harrow. I got lucky and found one on deep discount (originally £70, marked down to £27!). I was planning on just leaving it behind in Africa, but since I never used it, and it’s a nice compact size, I decided to keep it.
Chobe National Park was founded in 1967 and covers 4,500 square miles. The park is best known for its massive population of elephants, who number in the hundreds of thousands. At Chobe, four countries come together: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (all visited on this trip).
Our ride for this morning’s safari. (photo was taken yesterday afternoon)
We departed the hotel promptly at 5:45 this morning (still dark). The ride to the park entrance was a little chilly, but only lasted about 10 minutes. The two land cruisers for our group were the first to arrive at the park, just before the 6am opening. Once there, our driver/guide was required to provide a list of his passengers to the park ranger. By the time all of the paperwork was completed another half dozen vehicles had arrived, ready to hit the park.
And hit it we did! Our safari company had spotters in the park prior to the opening, and had relayed any animal sightings to our driver via radio prior to our arrival. By the time we entered the park, daylight had broke and we were doing some serious motoring as we made or way to observed animal locations. Matt mentioned later that it felt like we were in a rally race car; good analogy, totally agree. One suggestion: hold on tight!
Our first wildlife encounter! Sadly, they were too busy eating to pose for me!
A Cape Fox
The fact that our group consisted of 11 people worked out well for today’s safari. That’s because the capacity of the land cruisers is 9 passengers. As a result, we broke up into two groups: 6 people in one, and 5 in ours. Plenty of room to get comfortable!
Whoa! What do we have here?
On the move…
Once an animal (or animals) is sighted, word is spread across the radios pretty quickly. Several trucks arrived for this!
That’s the land cruiser containing the rest of our group. They were in the perfect spot!
After the lion made its way into the brush, a few of the vehicles went off in search of other game. Several, like us, stuck around though. Why? Remember, there were two lions by the Chobe River. Our driver actually moved us a little further to the east, predicting where he thought the second lion would head. Turned out to be a brilliant move, because…
…he’s heading right for us!
Sitting next to me is Naima, from Lucerne, Switzerland. She was so transfixed by the approaching lion that she forgot hit the button to start the video function on her phone. Can’t blame her! I was just happy I had her between me and the predator! (Kidding!(mostly…))
Wow!
Thanks for stopping by…
Impala (or Rooibok)
Another sighting…
Buffalo crossing ahead!
Rest stop!
More buffalo…
Roan Antelope
Cute!
Amazing!
I kind of like this picture. There are so many elephants around us that while everyone is looking at the animals behind us, they’re missing the large male elephant approaching from the front!
There we go!
Wow! What an amazing morning. The encounters with the wildlife here reminded me of the Galapagos, where the animals are so comfortable with human interaction.
Sidenote: The government of Botswana adopted a shoot-to-kill policy against poachers in 2013 as a “legitimate conservation strategy” and “a necessary evil”, which has reduced poaching to the point it is thought to be “virtually non-existent” in the country.
After (another English) breakfast back at the hotel, we were on the road by 10:30am. Our destination is Nata, a 4 hour drive away.
Botswana is very flat (like Illinois!).
Rest stop…
…with its own warning sign!
We stopped in Kazungula for lunch and to restock our snacks and liquor supply.
The tour bus worked out well. Its capacity is 28 passengers (in a 2×2 configuration), so that meant that each of us could have a set of side-by-side seats to ourselves.
Travel Note: You may have noticed that I haven’t done very much walking since I joined the tour. I fear my World Record average daily step count is at risk!
We’ll be spending the night at Elephant Sands Lodge in Nata.
Accommodation is in these individual cabins.
My humble abode!
You’ll note that there are no mosquito nets (more on that later…).
Apparently this watering hole is popular with elephants during the dry season. As they’re just coming out of the rainy time of year here, we have horses. (no complaints!)
This is the reception/lounge/bar/dining area of the lodge. There is also a small pool. At the moment the tables are being prepared for this evening’s buffet dinner.
View of the main lodge building from my cabin’s porch.
Dinner was pretty good. I liked the dessert too (forgot to take a photo!) – a type of bread pudding with custard sauce. Yummmmmm.
It had been a long day, so most of us were ready for bed after dinner. Plus, the lodge shuts down at 10pm, which wasn’t too long after we finished eating. We weren’t allowed to walk back to our cabins after dark (possible animal encounters); a shuttle bus was used to drop us off.
Now, back to the mosquito nets (or lack thereof)…
This is the first accommodation on my trip that does not have air conditioning. And while there are screens on the windows, I noticed significant air gaps in the door frame and floor boards. Plenty of opportunities for mosquito entry! I therefore covered myself in bug spray and left the fan blowing on me at full blast all night to deter the beasts! Was I successful? Stay tuned…
