For the logistics to work to fly to Fes, we split the Marrakesh portion of the trip and had two different experiences. On entry to Morocco, we spent just over a day in the suburbs near the airport staying at a Marriott resort property and then after returning 4 days later we stayed in the... Continue Reading →
Week 458 – Fes
We got an AirBNB in Fes – whether an AirBNB or a hotel, everything is called a “Riad”. Our AirBNB was great – we had the whole place to ourselves. Like everywhere in Fes – small footprint (less than 400 SF) with no indication on the outside what is inside and near vertical stairs over... Continue Reading →
Week 458 – Chefchaouen
After finally making it to Fes, we had an all-day tour to Chefchaoun. Started early and it was 4 hours there and 4 hours back, with about 3-4 hours in the town. A friend of my daughter’s (a pretty serious person – not an Instafamous type) had recommended going and glad that we did. Really... Continue Reading →
Week 458 – Morocco Trip Planning
Although Morocco has been on our list for a long time, it wasn’t until we were watching “Inventing Anna” that we got motivated to do the trip. We picked to go in November as it lined up with a potential break in my work (ended up being exactly the opposite for me but perfect for... Continue Reading →
Week 241 – Safari – Pilanesberg National Park
For one of the few times in my life, I booked an all-inclusive tour for the safari portion of the trip. Given security situation in Johannesburg and after finally getting to South Africa I wanted a stress-free experience. We did get a great experience - a little pricey but everything was handled. We stayed just... Continue Reading →
Week 241 – Victoria Falls Zimbabwe & Zambia
Our visit to Victoria falls ended up being more interesting than we expected. Our original expectation was to only visit the falls, but because our local contact was so engaging we learned a lot about Zimbabwe and the current economic situation. I booked an AirBNB and they reverted with an offer for help with transfers... Continue Reading →
Week 240 – Cape Point
Getting to Cape Point a little confusing – first there is end the peninsula south of Cape Town that has the mountains running along the ocean (which Table Mountain in Cape Town is the first in the series), second there is the place “where the oceans meet” at Cape of Good Hope, third – it... Continue Reading →
Week 240 – Cape Winelands (Stellenbosch and Franschhoek)
The winelands are about an hour inland from Cape Town – the South African version of Napa Valley. In our original trip, we were going to spend the night in the winelands but with the additional days in Victoria Falls, we made it a long day trip. Many tours were available and we settled on... Continue Reading →
Week 240 – Cape Town
Arrived in Cape Town - Best 28 hour trip in economy ever - Emirates is excellent. Somehow no jet lag for either of us. While we were there with the various people we met and in preparing for the trip we learned a lot about the history / politics / race/ colonialism - it’s complicated and... Continue Reading →
Week 240 – South Africa Trip Planning
We picked South Africa for our 25th Anniversary Trip/present because it had a lot of different things to see (coast, wine country, wildlife, different cultures). We originally were planning our trip in early 2018 we had planned to go around the time of our anniversary in June, but when I contacted a friend from there, they... Continue Reading →
Alexandria – 2001
After I moved to London in 1999, one of the projects in our business unit was near Alexandria with the design office in Cairo and over 2 years I had 9 trips. First trip, right as the project started, entailed having a driver pick me up at the airport with a sign, stay in a... Continue Reading →
Egypt – 1999-2001
After I moved to London in 1999, one of the projects in our business unit was near Alexandria with the design office in Cairo and I had 9 trips over 2 years. First trip, right as the project started, entailed having a driver pick me up at the airport with a sign, stay in a... Continue Reading →
Egypt – 1994
Made my initial trip to Egypt in 1994 - the 3rd leg of my first frequent flyer "score'". I had miles on American and somehow I got a buy-one-get-one-free promotion on TWA. I don't remember the specifics but we flew from Washington - Rome on American, took a ferry to Greece, flew a local airline... Continue Reading →