Tongabezi Lodge

On our trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia, we spent three nights at the Tongabezi Lodge. As I already said in my musings blog entry, I doubt that we will ever go back to Zambi, but I really enjoyed the Tongabezi Lodge.

During the trip, Tom pointed out that the Tongabezi Lodge is featured in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz. Sharon gave me the book for Christmas more than twenty years ago.

While the book focuses on places and attractions, it often includes specific, noteworthy accommodations as part of a destination's entry. Tongabezi is included in the section dedicated to Victoria Falls/Livingstone, Zambia, and is highlighted as one of the quintessential places to stay in the region, known for its unique riverfront location and luxurious, romantic setting.

Nick Sogard

There are several people that Jack played baseball with and against that are still trying to make it in the game. This includes Alex Isola, Nick Sogard, Dylan Carlson and Darren Baker.

Jack played with Nick Sogard on the Jesuit teams.

Over the last two years, Sogard has been up and down between the Boston Red Sox and their AAA affilate in Worchester. Playing second baseball on Tuesday night, Sogard was 2 for 4 with a run scored and strike out in the Red Sox victory over the Yankees in the first game of the MLB AL Wild Card series.

In the seventh inning, Nick Sogard grounded a double into right-center and hustled to second when Judge didn't sprint to pick up the ball. Yoshida lined the next pitch, a fastball at the letters, to center to score Sogard for a 2-1 lead.

Register Batting

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2017	19	Loyola Marymount	WCC	NCAA		34	104	83	13	22	3	1	0	10	4	1	13	17	.265	.386	.325	.711
2017	19	Shelter Island	HCBL	Smr		10	36	33	5	8	0	0	0	4	2	1	3	4	.242	.306	.242	.548
2018	20	Loyola Marymount	WCC	NCAA		53	238	185	31	60	5	1	2	21	11	3	30	26	.324	.438	.395	.832
2018	20	Duluth	NWDS	Smr		57	269	217	49	64	4	1	0	37	16	5	46	26	.295	.420	.323	.743
2019	21	Loyola Marymount	WCC	NCAA		59	279	229	39	71	8	0	0	19	30	3	38	44	.310	.418	.345	.763
2019	21	Hudson Valley	NYPL	A-	TBR	63	262	214	36	62	5	0	0	21	20	6	39	43	.290	.405	.313	.718
2021	23	2 Teams	2 Lgs	A+-AA	BOS	80	338	297	52	82	12	2	13	42	8	4	32	59	.276	.346	.461	.807
2021	23	Portland	AANE	AA	BOS	18	63	57	8	15	0	1	0	2	1	1	5	11	.263	.333	.298	.632
2021	23	Greenville	HAE	A+	BOS	62	275	240	44	67	12	1	13	40	7	3	27	48	.279	.349	.500	.849
2022	24	2 Teams	2 Lgs	AAA-AA	BOS	125	472	401	59	102	22	2	4	43	18	4	61	88	.254	.359	.349	.708
2022	24	Worcester	IL	AAA	BOS	65	237	201	26	52	13	1	0	21	9	1	30	45	.259	.356	.333	.689
2022	24	Portland	EL	AA	BOS	60	235	200	33	50	9	1	4	22	9	3	31	43	.250	.362	.365	.727
2022-23	24	Toros	DOWL	FgW		8	30	28	2	7	0	0	0	2	2	0	1	9	.250	.300	.250	.550
2023	25	Worcester	IL	AAA	BOS	112	460	391	74	104	20	4	7	47	17	7	63	79	.266	.370	.391	.762
2024	26	Worcester	IL	AAA	BOS	96	440	368	69	104	19	1	13	59	10	6	64	90	.283	.390	.446	.835
2024	26	BOS	AL	Maj	BOS	31	86	77	13	21	4	0	0	8	3	0	7	25	.273	.326	.325	.650
2025	27	Worcester	IL	AAA	BOS	91	409	340	64	94	22	0	5	28	16	4	64	73	.276	.393	.385	.778
2025	27	BOS	AL	Maj	BOS	30	104	96	13	25	8	0	0	9	2	1	5	24	.260	.317	.344	.661

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/1/2025.

Piatti

Sharon and I met Donna and Kevin at Piatti for dinner. We had a nice evening reliving the Africa trip. Kevin said that his high point was the second encounter with the wild dogs. While we had lots of amazing encounters, I was particularly enchanted by the cheetahs. Donna and Sharon highlighted the first afternoon with the lions.

Sharon and I split a Caesar [romaine, garlic-anchovy dressing, bread crumbs, cured egg yolk, grana]. We both had Spaghetti [prawns, garlic, preserved lemon, peperonata, arugula, white wine, butter] for the entree.

Annual Rebecca L. Frame Memorial Invitational Scottish Rules Bocce Ball Tournament

Sharon and I spent the afternoon at the thirteenth not-so-annual Rebecca L. Frame Memorial Invitational Scottish Rules Bocce Ball Tournament at Tom's house. The group included: Tom, Eric, Kevin, Leah, Lydia and Amelia, Terry and Steve, Mary, Arthur Kenton Stanley Myers and his wife Pat, Jim, Sharon and I.

Sharon, Eric, Kevin and Jim were in the finals. Jim prevailed as the winner.

A few musings on the trip to South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia

Struggling to find the words to describe the trip, I heard Sharon tell someone that it was phenomenal. It really was a once in a lifetime trip. At one point, Sharon ranked it as the best trip that we have ever taken.

One of the things that made it so amazing was the itinerary by Rothschild Safaris. We used Rothschild because Holly and Van had done two trips with them: one with Van and Stacey, and; another with Van and Holly. I can't say enough good about Rothschild. Everything was top shelf: the acommodations; the guides; the transfers, and; the airport greeters. Although we moved around quite a bit over the three weeks, the trip went extremely smoothly. As Donna said, the airport greeters at Capetown and Johannesburg were the bomb. Although we have had better individual meals, the food for the whole trip was very good.

The service everywhere was also very good. With high unemployment rates in several of the countries and tourism an important part of the economy, they throw people at service.

The prices were very reasonable in South Africa. We were surprised that dinners weren't more expensive. In contrast, in Zambia, everything was pricey.

Taken in total, the games drives at the two Safari Lodges were unbelievable. [Note to self], I need to build an index of all of the animals that we saw. As I said over the course of the trip, I am amazed that the predators are so comfortable with the jeeps. We got a chance to see lions, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs up close and personal.

Before the trip, Drew asked me what I was looking forward to the most on the trip. I said the Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve. It was supposed to be the most luxurious of the two game lodges. As it turned out, I enjoyed the Makanyi Private Game Lodge more. I liked the acommodations, the food and the guide at Makanyi more than at Leopard Hills. Nevertheless, we had some remarkable experiences at Leopard Hills, including: cheetahs; the vultures on the cheetahs' kill; a large group of elephants drinking at the watering hole outside our room; Sharon's encounter with an elephant; and lots of leopards. Leopard Hills also included the Sands River; the terrain was very different from Makanyi. When we were with the guide at Makanyi, we felt like we were with Indiana Jones. The Leopard Hills guide was more of a college professor. I wouldn't hesistate to recommend either lodge.

While we won't ever go back to Zambi, I really enjoyed the Tongabezi Lodge.

When we were at the Tongabezi, we ran into the Nicci Bonella, the Group General Manager for Green Safaris, on an inspection tour of their lodges. Having a drink with her on the second night, I asked her where she would go back to in Africa. Somewhat surprisingly, she said Fundu Lagoon on Pemba Island. While I don't think that we will ever get there, I have added it to my places to travel. She also talked favorably about Lake Malawi.

Interestingly, on our last night, we ended up talking to a travel agent, Sandra Schonbachler from Anderson Expeditions. Originally from Switzerland, she came to Africa and fell in love with countries. Sandra was checking out the Tongabezi for clients. She also mentioned Lake Malawi as a destination. Although I don't think that we will get there either, I added to my places to travel.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Friday night, Sharon and I saw Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale at the Century Arden 14 and XD Theater. This is a sequel to the 2019 and 2022 Downton Abbey films; we watched the first movie in February of 2021 and the second film in June of 2022. All three films are based on the television series. We watched the series over a six month period in 2020 and 2021: season one August 2020, season two early September 2020, season three late September 2020, season four October 2020 at Sea Ranch, season five December 2020 and season six January 2021.

Set in 1930, the film centers on the Crawley family facing financial jeopardy and social disgrace after Lady Mary's high-profile divorce and the reveal that Cora's brother squandered a large inheritance. A crisis ensues when a supposed financial advisor who helped Harold recoup losses is revealed to be a con artist attempting to blackmail Lady Mary over a tryst. Ultimately, the Crawleys successfully thwart the blackmailer and embrace the future, with Lord Grantham formally handing the reins of the estate to Lady Mary as he and Cora prepare to move to the Dower House.

The film is billed as the final film in the Downton Abbey franchise. Sharon pushed to see the movie in the theater. During dinner at Original Pete's afterwards, she was somewhat lukewarm on the film. I think I may have liked it slightly more than she did. I only recommend it as a bookend if you have watched the series and the other two movies.

At Ancil Hoffman

Thursday afternoon, Sharon and I played nine holes at Ancil Hoffman Golf Course with Jim and Debbie. We teed off at 2:44 pm.

It has been exactly a month since we played golf with Holly and Van at Wildhawk. I went over before lunch and hit a bucket of balls. Working on keeping my right elbow against my body, I felt pretty uneven on the range.

I started a little rough. It took me two shots to get out of the bunker on the 1st hole. I started to settle down and feel like I was making solid contact. I bogeyed five of the last six holes. I had long par putt opportunities on the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th.

I ended up scoring a liberal 52. I used a galley loss on the 3rd hole. I love the red balls I am playing, but with the fall leaves starting to drop finding them can be an adventure. Walking the course, I enjoyed the afternoon.

Gridley Union High School Class of 1975 50 Year Reunion

Flying back from South Africa on Saturday, I missed my 50 Year High School Reunion. Sharon and I went to my 40th Reunion. Thirty years ago, Sharon and I also went to my 20th Reunion together!

First row seated, left to right:
George Oropeza, Judy Johnson Pruett, Joyce Helmers Skaggs, Cindy January Anderson, Pete Tamez, Debbie Austin Shackleford, Lynn Barrow Leishman, Connie Winters Shirley, David Rush.

2nd Row:
Jon Schneider, Liz Wilson Robinson, Vivian Chavez Johnson, Margaret Dena Evans, Michele Ethington Dewsnup, Candace Gregory, Valorie Ford, Tonia Brown, Billie Carlin Paul, Teresa West Prettol, Bill Waller, Patti Yeager, Larry Golden, Kathy Russell Campbell

Back Row:
Bart Johnson, Gary Olson, Mike Squires, Mike Hughes, Bob Breeding, Stan Capps, Suzette Bushman Meik, Gerry Shirley, Steve Lockhart, Mukhtar Khan, Robert McDowell, Curtis Quist, Rusty Stohlman

Sea Ranch Golf Links Reopening!

Larkin found this update in Facebook. Sharon and I couldn't be happier. We have been lamenting the closure. Sea Ranch is one of our favorite places in the world. Although we played on it in late January, the course has been closed since January 5, 2025.

From Golf.com

The Sea Ranch homeowners' association is reportedly working on a deal to lease and reopen the Sea Ranch Golf Links, closed in early 2025 due to financial losses.

It now has a new management company helping to operate the course, with the goal of making it financially viable. After its closure, the course's greens and fairways were maintained by a skeleton crew, presumably to keep it in decent condition for a potential sale or reopening.

Public access: A pre-existing agreement with Sonoma County requires the course to remain accessible to the public, not just Sea Ranch homeowners, if it were to continue operating.

The Sea Ranch community received this update on September 4 from the management company, Kemper Sports:

Good evening, good people of the Links,

First, just wanted to let you know that we have signed the Lease to run the course for the next five years! We are very excited and the end of a long uphill battle is finally coming to fruition.

We will start in earnest with Kemper to get the course and clubhouse ready for operations this next week. You should see more guys working out there if you are playing or walking by. Jason and Richard are chomping at the bit to get to work. Kemper should have them onboarded next week at some point. They feel we will be able to actually start taking paying customers with a soft opening on October 1st. We are hoping to get the clubhouse stained and tidied up inside and stocked for customers! In the meantime, if you are playing, please be respectful of the crew and give them a wide berth. Time is of the essence and they really cannot afford to wait patiently aside while you play through, like they would once we are charging to play 🙂

Lastly, We are doing a walk through with the ownership reps next Friday (9/12) at 3:00 to take note of what condition everything is in as we take control.

We should have control of the website (SeaRanchGolfLinks.com) soon and will post all of our news and temporary price structure on there. Those of you who wish to purchase memberships at any level will be able to do so on October 1st.

Baseballers Beat Alumni In 1953 Season Inaugural 16 to 6 - Dick Heringer at UC Davis

California Aggie, Volume 51, Number 4, 5 March 1953

Baseballers Beat Alumni In 1953 Season Inaugural 16 to 6

By G. W. BILLIE

   The fact that our Aggie horsehide aspirants had nearly three weeks of practice in the premature spring sunshine, yet were "fortunate” enough to play their season opener under some of the most threatening clouds we have seen in a long time might be labeled irony by some, the eventual moisture was not nearly enough to dampen the spirit and determination of the Blue and Gold as they went pn to down the alumni squad by the resounding score of 16-6. This marks the beginning of what all hands hope to be a victory string of—shall, we say 24 games?
   The game, played before a small, but somewhat noisy throng was marked by a strong show of Aggie pitching and fielding that was to hold the alumni nine to a total of six base blows and an equivalent number of runs. Five of the runs incidentally, came as a result of two fielders’ choices, a single, a walk, and a grand slam home run by "Babe” Forbes, the Alumni captain and coach.
   The Aggies big show came in the 3rd when they "bunched” one hit and several small Alumni miscues to push across seven runs. This orgy proved to be the margin of victory.
   Coach Lotter, commenting on the game, said that he was pleased with the hustle and spirited play displayed by his horsehiders during the entire game, but assured your reporter that all this and more would have to be demonstrated time and time again if the Aggies hope to wrest the victors’ laurels from their tough FWC foes in future league play. Next Saturday’s game with the Mather Air Base nine should bear out coach Lotter’s words. Game time for the pending battle with our Rich Uncle’s little eaglets will be at the customary mark of 2:30 p.m.
   The box score:

 
  Player       AB  H  R 
  Veerkamp If   1  0  2 
  Purcival cf-c 4  1  3
  Cbull 2b-ss   5  2  1 
  Heringer rf   2  0  1 
  Barker 3b     5  2  0 
  Smith lb      4  0  1 
  Ortega ss-p   2  1  1 
  Wilson c      3  0  1 
  Bushnll p     1  0  1 
  Harrison lb   0  0  2 
  Bizzini 2b    2  0  0 
  Soares If     0  0  0 
  Hall cf       1  0  0 
  Isacson p     1  1  1 
  Shephard rf   0  0  2
  Behrendt c    0  0  0 
               31  7 16 

  Alumni 0501000-—6-6-6 
  Aggies 307033x—16-7-4

Dick Heringer and Joyce Abbott at UC Davis

Mark Twain by Ron Chernow

My book for September was Mark Twain by Ron Chernow. I finished book while we were at the Brookdale Estate on the South Africa trip. I have read two other of Chernow's books: Grant in September of 2022 and Hamilton in January of 2017.

I didn't realize how famous Mark Twain was while he was alive. I was surprised at how big a celebrity he was. In a time before mass media, he was known throughout the world. The only modern comparison that comes to mind is Taylor Swift.

Twain had a varied career as a young man. He worked as a printer's apprentice and typesetter for various newspapers. Twain qualified as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River. He briefly served as a volunteer with a Confederate militia before heading west to Nevada with his brother. Twain tried his luck as a silver prospector. Finding himself broke, he returned to what he knew best: journalism. He took a job as a reporter for the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City, Nevada, where he first began using the name Mark Twain for his articles.

Mark Twain married into a very wealthy family. His wife was the daughter of Jervis Langdon. Langdon was a wealthy New York coal and lumber businessman. Twain traveled the world, including the Holy Land. Later in life, he and his family lived in Europe for nine years, including Germany, France, Switzerland, and England.

Mark Twain coined the term "The Gilded Age." In the spirit of the Glided Age, Twain was a keen but often unlucky entrepreneur, inventor and publisher. He patented a number of inventions, including a self-pasting scrapbook, and invested heavily in new technologies like the Paige Compositor, a mechanical typesetter. Many of these business ventures failed, leading to his bankruptcy. His publishing company published Grant's autobiography; I read the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant in 2005.

At over 1,000 pages, the book is a load. While important in understanding his life, the last 200 pages focus a lot on his relationship with his two surviving daughters and his secertary Isabel Van Kleek Lyon after his wife dies. The youngest of the two daughters, Jean, suffered from epilepsy. A condition that was poorly understood at the time, Jean's illness created a great deal of stress for her and her family.

I enjoyed the book. I recommend it, but you have to realize that it is a large commitment. As an aside, I have never read any of Mark Twain's books. [Note to self], I am going to add Innocents Aboard to my reading list.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #20 - Carmicheal

41 hours door to door

Sharon and I both found the premium econony seats on the British Airways 380 more comfortable than some of the other premium economy sections that we have flown on other airlines. We were both able to sleep in the early morning on the way to London. Oura gave me about 3 1/2 hours of sleep; more than I can usually sleep on a plane.

We were on the ground at Heathrow ahead of schedule just after 7 am. By the time that we worked our way from the C gate back through security, we had less than two hours to kill. We had coffee at Gordon Ramsey's Plane Food where we had dinner on the way out.

Making our way back to the C gates, the plane started boarding just after 9:45 am. As we were loading the giant British Airways Airbus 380 (470 passengers!?!), Heathrow Airport was hit with a cyberattack. Although we were already on the plane, they had to use paper to finish the boarding process.

The flight ended up leaving about 45 minutes late. The flight was uneventful. Both Sharon and I got restless. Neither of us slept. Although I had downloaded a couple of movies for the trip, I ended up reading Dan Brown's Secret of Secrets.

Oddly, they waited until about an hour from landing to serve the second meal. It turned into a very rushed affair that was very unsatisfying.

The flight landed at SFO on time. I was shocked at the line for Global Entry. At one point, there were probably 50 people in front of us and 100 behind us. Nevertheless, everything went fairly quickly. We were through passport control, collected our luggage and were standing on the curb waiting for the shuttle in about 50 minutes.

The Gainsleys had come back through Istanbul. They landed a couple of hours before us, but waited for us. The five of us took an El Dorado Express shuttle home. Dropping the Gainsleys in Elk Grove and Tom in Sacramento, it was 6 pm by the time we were home.

A phenomenal trip! I am going to post a summary in the next week.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #19 - Livingstone to Johannesburg

I wrote this blog entry using the Wifi on the British Airways flight from London to San Francisco.

from our Rothschild Safaris Itinerary

TRANSFER
Departure time 10:00AM: This morning, you will be transferred to Livingstone International Airport for your flight to Johannesburg where you continue on to your international flight home.

LIVINGSTONE-JOHANNESBURG
SA Airlink 4Z483 - Departs 13:25 - Arrives 15:10

MEET & GREET
Upon arrival in Johannesburg, a special meet & greet has been arranged to assist you through the airport and on to your connecting flight.

Donna and Kevin
JOHANNESBURG-ISTANBUL
Turkish Airlines TK43 - Departs 17:55 - Arrives 04:40 (+1)
Note: (+1) Flight will arrive the following day.

Sharon, Mark, and Thomas
JOHANNESBURG-LONDON
American Airlines AA7105 - Departs 21:15 - Arrives 07:30 (+1)
Note: (+1) Flight will arrive the following day.

We were up just before 6 am. We did our final packing; I had a hard time getting my bag closed. I did two 5 minute Peleton Core workouts on a yoga matt on the deck in front of our room.

We joined Donna, kevin and Tom for breakfast at 7:30 am. I had an omelet.

Although I am never coming back to Zambia, I really enjoyed the Tongabezi Lodge. The service was top shelf.

They picked up the bags at our room at 9:45 am. We loaded up at 10 am to go to the airport. I am terrible with names but the activities guide that we had for the last four days took us to the airport. Donna thinks that his name was Phixion.

Livingstone is a very small airport, but the international terminal was nice. There were a lot of shops. I ended up buyging Sharon a Christmas Ornament. The SA Link flight from Livigstone was on time and eventful.

When we landed in Johannesburg, we were meet at the end of the jetway by two greeters. As Donna said, "the greeter service is the bomb." The greeters shepherded us through passport control, to baggage claim, to the check-in for our next flight, through an assisted security line and then to our gate. It made the whole process very stress free. As part of the post trip observations, I need to talk more about Rothschild Safari. Everything about the trip has been excellent.

While Donna and Kevin had less than a three hour layover, Tom, Sharon and I had six hours. We had a drink and a cheese board at Bottega Whisky and Wine Bar. It boasts the world's largest whisky and wine collection available at any airport.

Eventually, we wandered to our gate. The plane for the flight is an Airbus 380, a very large quad engine jet. British Airways configures these planes for 470 passengers!.

We had a very late dinner on the plane. It was close to midnight by the time that we ate. I had chicken. We were somewhere over Congo.

2025 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Zambia - Day #18 - Tongabezi Lodge

After 2 1/2 weeks of pushing hard, we planned a down day at the lodge before we start home tomorrow.

from our Rothschild Safaris Itinerary

Livingstone

TYPICAL DAY IN LIVINGSTONE
Time in the Livingstone area is what you make it. Most visitors want at least a guided tour of the famous falls, either on the ground or from above, or both! Then, you may choose to pump yourself full of adrenaline on some of the many activities available like the gorge swing, zip lining, or rafting. Or perhaps the more mellow activities are more your style things like sunset cruises, a steam-train dinner experience, or a traditional high tea? Relaxing in your unique accommodation is always an option for you, too! No matter what you choose to do (or not do), your time in the Livingstone area is sure to be memorable and perfectly tailored to you.

LIVINGSTONE ISLAND BREEZER
Departure time to be advised by management
Please meet in the reception area of your accommodation
Recommended attire casual clothing, hat, sun protection
Activity inclusions - transfer to/from starting point, guides, entrance fees, food & beverages
Special notes - Tour operates dependent on water levels. Cruises depart at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Tour duration approximately 1.5 hours.

When 19th century explorer David Livingstone traveled down the Zambezi River in November 1855 with the local Tonga tribesmen, he camped for several days on an island to explore his 'discovery,' the Victoria Falls, and its surrounds. Now you can follow in his footsteps and explore the aptly named Livingstone Island, located in the middle of the Zambezi River and is perched on the very lip of the Falls on the Zambian side. Cruise down the Zambezi in search of crocodiles, hippos, and other wildlife along the riverbanks. Birds are plentiful and gorgeous.

Land on Livingstone Island where you will enjoy a light breakfast (coffee, tea, bacon or egg rolls, and biscuits) along with a traditional "Maheu" drink right in the middle of the Falls, whilst surrounded by the stunning views which makes for an unforgettable and breathtaking experience not to be missed. Following your tour, return to your lodge for the remainder of your day to spend as you wish.

**Swimming in the Devil's Pool is optional (bring your bathing suit, a change of clothes and shoes that can get wet. Towels are provided), subject to timing on the excursion and water levels - only possible during low water which is usually mid-August to mid-January.

SIMONGA VILLAGE VISIT
Today you will visit Simonga village to experience life as it really is in rural Africa. A short drive takes you to a local village where you will be shown all aspects of African village life. Visits allow you to spend quality time in the environment of these traditional African settlements, meeting local residents and visiting children at their school. There are very few people who don't come away from the experience feeling enriched by the time spent there.

MARAMBA & MUKUNI VILLAGE MARKETS
The Maramba and Mukuni markets are visited daily by hundreds of locals from Livingstone and surrounding areas. They come to buy everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to chitenge, the bright patterned fabric characteristic of Southern and East African fashion. A guide will escort you through the marketplace and will be there to help when buying from vendors if required.

Sharon and I took an opportunity to sleep a little later. It was almost 7 am by the time that we both got up. We had a lazy breakfast with the group. I had french toast.

After breakfast, Kevin and I fished off the dock with the guide. Using casting rods, we were fishing for tiger fish. Fishing for about an hour, neither of us caught anything.


After starting to pack, I went to the fitness center. I did a 30 minute upper body Peleton strength workout and then walked 40 minutes and 2.4 miles on the treadmill.

Getting cleaned up, the staff said that they had a surprise location for us for lunch. We met the group at 1:30 pm. It turned out that we were having lunch in the middle of the lodge's garden. The chef described it as farm to table. The five of us walked through the garden and picked a number of vegetables and herbs for the meal.


The chef then prepared the meal right there. The meal included a fennel soup followed by chicken, beef, salad and cauliflower rice with vegetables. It was very good. It turned out to be a very lazy, late lunch.


After lunch, I scrambled to get my blog updated for Wednesday. I have never gotten more than a day behind updating the blog on this trip, but I still feel like I am spending too much time working on it. I have got to figure a better strategy that uses templates for the blog entries when we are traveling.

The plan for the late afternoon was a sunset cruise. We spent a little more than an hour crusing up the Zambezi River. We got a chance to see hippos and crocodiles. All of the boats from the lodge stopped on an island across the river from the lodge. We had a cocktail and watched the sun go down.

d
When we got back from the cruise, we rushed to get ready for dinner. The second surprise of the day was that they were serving us dinner on a dock in river. We had watched a couple have dinner out there on the prevous night.

It was an interesting experience. The bugs weren't too bad. I had soup starter and a pork main.


Given it was the last night of the trip, Sharon and I had a drink with Donna and Kevin in the bar. Tom crashed. We ended up talking to a travel agent. Born in Switzerland, she has lived and worked in Africa over the last twenty years. Over the course of the trip, I had a number of conversations with an assortment of people about visiting Africa. I need to pull together a blog entry that summarizes the discussions.

Sharon and I crashed just after 10 pm.

A footnote. I finished reading this blog entry abroad the British Airways flight from Johannesburg to London somewhere over the Congo...