tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6357168852096683462024-02-18T18:04:02.071-08:00We Love to Travel!Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-63915231753464651742015-09-30T09:54:00.001-07:002015-09-30T09:55:30.119-07:00We arrive in Santa Clara, Cuba!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Thursday, September 17. An agonizingly early start today. We have a 4:30 wake-up call for a 5 AM departure to the Miami airport. Our Road Scholar tour leader was on the job and helped all of us begin our journey to learn as much as we can about the people and culture of Cuba. An hour after taking off we arrived in Santa Clara, Cuba, and by mid morning we were on the bus heading for our first Cuban experience. We drove through this rundown but surprisingly clean town to a cigar factory. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but learned a lot about the process. Each cigar is composed of five kinds of leaves: one each for aroma, strength, combustion, glue, and the outer wrapper. Surprisingly, all five kinds of leaves grow on the same plant, just in different locations. There is an extensive training program for this job, which pays well by Cuban standards. (Note: the average Cuban earns about $25 US per month.) Each cigar is carefully inspected for quality and to be sure it draws properly. They even have a special machine for that. The cigar factory is owned by the government, like most enterprises here. In recent years, since Raúl succeeded to the presidency Fidel had occupied for half a century, some privately owned businesses have developed, but this is not one of them. Most are restaurants, called paladars, or B&Bs. The big restaurants and hotels are government owned, but it is supposed that privately owned businesses will increase dramatically in coming years, especially after Raúl steps down in 2018. (Note: Cubans don’t use last names to refer to their leaders. I don’t know why, but first names prevail.)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOl9fxlmcTFhVUBWklsBQa81X8WuL3Gph38NA0N3fJDcEd30Yvhf1PQIimutuc1kfdqOwOGuppjyD0lfPV-otsLE7XirPi4H53tQfOFdQVm9-mPUr_nBr8tDyYu9GU3oYlB2LPUpAMsj9/s1600/P1050765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOl9fxlmcTFhVUBWklsBQa81X8WuL3Gph38NA0N3fJDcEd30Yvhf1PQIimutuc1kfdqOwOGuppjyD0lfPV-otsLE7XirPi4H53tQfOFdQVm9-mPUr_nBr8tDyYu9GU3oYlB2LPUpAMsj9/s320/P1050765.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first sight of Cuba</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj12-EGEb7JcktzvYpjU3HZUF7zPtu8ie88yFo-NHTlGJ5GPIVKA9KHCEcQ55IcK-e6SnxTKRjMkHpbycxpH5bAJVF5RhEeL8tMdLZHIIPPM2ci-_eZyDRfa5h_rjwyeQQadiRkWLBbKq3/s1600/P1050766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj12-EGEb7JcktzvYpjU3HZUF7zPtu8ie88yFo-NHTlGJ5GPIVKA9KHCEcQ55IcK-e6SnxTKRjMkHpbycxpH5bAJVF5RhEeL8tMdLZHIIPPM2ci-_eZyDRfa5h_rjwyeQQadiRkWLBbKq3/s320/P1050766.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost the first thing we saw after landing were many classic American cars in the airport parking lot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhop-AnZdSFCWhukzweTTpfNqTUPaK9Pf5PkePTMUfUId2PU426cFSusUlP1NlBKAEC2403MNFYNLvN3TGAhK7DUPcsLOPlqRCgL6xOtZY85b3qVCyc_zYnCLybLcyfb_CXUb_5Dd7sp1J9/s1600/P1050767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhop-AnZdSFCWhukzweTTpfNqTUPaK9Pf5PkePTMUfUId2PU426cFSusUlP1NlBKAEC2403MNFYNLvN3TGAhK7DUPcsLOPlqRCgL6xOtZY85b3qVCyc_zYnCLybLcyfb_CXUb_5Dd7sp1J9/s320/P1050767.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local housing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiue4Djb-4nn_KvRvJq1-LnZyJkfmL8ZskoEujhyxBUeNBSZftDMdbC4SKppVVp2hpGqAwuoQHN1QziXO2kH0qKOmnT1oAQXndg_QatVPK2no7epgRRDZwr8wLFfzNDi5K1OgM7OyI6DFNo/s1600/P1050769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiue4Djb-4nn_KvRvJq1-LnZyJkfmL8ZskoEujhyxBUeNBSZftDMdbC4SKppVVp2hpGqAwuoQHN1QziXO2kH0qKOmnT1oAQXndg_QatVPK2no7epgRRDZwr8wLFfzNDi5K1OgM7OyI6DFNo/s320/P1050769.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8ZyDqNnIwa629F8kA2MIXliBEoc8vOrGouSGb84sJrA-V8KmCduaPOu0ZaseVZRzqmbASD_f3WQg4Q9pgLzDYKNpXXU-kEFAAbMpZz-dMPjsU0902AgZYxdMZrZ4WeUd0rnWmvUrMOcS/s1600/P1050771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8ZyDqNnIwa629F8kA2MIXliBEoc8vOrGouSGb84sJrA-V8KmCduaPOu0ZaseVZRzqmbASD_f3WQg4Q9pgLzDYKNpXXU-kEFAAbMpZz-dMPjsU0902AgZYxdMZrZ4WeUd0rnWmvUrMOcS/s320/P1050771.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This apartment building was left over from the Russian period. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkNAJ1ldikSFMhytt3zYZAwj6Ap-Pj-481W4I7ja04dgQLOeyv0hSDc93pV9zCCjmiu6HRZ7eLSG7b5bz9eDyW0pJCpT_i20WdnUihRJ7FWfTWsyEPj3pbuseuNpIibydJ_RQGe7dKd_h/s1600/P1050772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkNAJ1ldikSFMhytt3zYZAwj6Ap-Pj-481W4I7ja04dgQLOeyv0hSDc93pV9zCCjmiu6HRZ7eLSG7b5bz9eDyW0pJCpT_i20WdnUihRJ7FWfTWsyEPj3pbuseuNpIibydJ_RQGe7dKd_h/s320/P1050772.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD467UUYtQ7uZnFIli1AibeVwrf1KMYex0UEIn1armXnWEaDFrw-8PR8OXba0iS19XayVsRadqtkSMzZVi0cJlm6g-cAN6f_ezBenfYWzjq9fwM3GBmB-g0h35XIK8YQRGbod78CY9pCb/s1600/P1050773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbD467UUYtQ7uZnFIli1AibeVwrf1KMYex0UEIn1armXnWEaDFrw-8PR8OXba0iS19XayVsRadqtkSMzZVi0cJlm6g-cAN6f_ezBenfYWzjq9fwM3GBmB-g0h35XIK8YQRGbod78CY9pCb/s320/P1050773.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbY5ZS1tTUUhpgN6X3WMN_mcdRta9iZpM5FmSzGYikpvtkB97NEAqzI5qs9KYHWtT-unPLzwrWUZ3Pu7SsbjzE1KU62qp3xe7kR3vXrMIkilqXxkCN8ug3LwSlK5QMkuaDTtYTpqWpCMTh/s1600/P1050774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbY5ZS1tTUUhpgN6X3WMN_mcdRta9iZpM5FmSzGYikpvtkB97NEAqzI5qs9KYHWtT-unPLzwrWUZ3Pu7SsbjzE1KU62qp3xe7kR3vXrMIkilqXxkCN8ug3LwSlK5QMkuaDTtYTpqWpCMTh/s320/P1050774.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUkGDxdRxEvYzVxiiJuX9ylF13GLLs3uRU64KWWjuHhhNAYFBN1rg-inkn5OKhlZS9UUQ4EWZcTfSASeYGgtBrGf3Alg-ZHw8Lk5muEiOAspWF5NBIkVC4cElTqAU0rl4Q7wZtSBMdZR6/s1600/P1050775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUkGDxdRxEvYzVxiiJuX9ylF13GLLs3uRU64KWWjuHhhNAYFBN1rg-inkn5OKhlZS9UUQ4EWZcTfSASeYGgtBrGf3Alg-ZHw8Lk5muEiOAspWF5NBIkVC4cElTqAU0rl4Q7wZtSBMdZR6/s320/P1050775.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A street in Santa Clara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWCK-SnTaMzX6NkEM2bVPn6SrzQzKbAZKxObWpoioDGrQK06LTa_d3rrAwXM-YzEKVjc3X9Q6kE6rZSv0RWPDPNjwpbacvcRBPriCpqDXuVcgtP_S4McVflsdAsypwSCn8HXq08gOiFhJ/s1600/P1050776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWCK-SnTaMzX6NkEM2bVPn6SrzQzKbAZKxObWpoioDGrQK06LTa_d3rrAwXM-YzEKVjc3X9Q6kE6rZSv0RWPDPNjwpbacvcRBPriCpqDXuVcgtP_S4McVflsdAsypwSCn8HXq08gOiFhJ/s320/P1050776.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horse-drawn vehicles might outnumber cars here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesg26rKOfb0XtxTC_3qoER0nyPeaSmKEq-m8ewfX1bVSvH_xI9WQbvDCliSpZNVu-6GDPL1Ct8yjDcNIo8lFiA5qmtt9oCTtusUXEJ0_xFhjs20zf2W59c2DUTqoOCanwLp-BO_Ypd6Gp/s1600/P1050777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesg26rKOfb0XtxTC_3qoER0nyPeaSmKEq-m8ewfX1bVSvH_xI9WQbvDCliSpZNVu-6GDPL1Ct8yjDcNIo8lFiA5qmtt9oCTtusUXEJ0_xFhjs20zf2W59c2DUTqoOCanwLp-BO_Ypd6Gp/s320/P1050777.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't know they have trains in Cuba, but they do. There is a passenger line that runs the entire length of the island in about eighteen hours.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDSOVS5cbpaK4GrlVMGfsbuf124F2UFlV_fmzhGoI5um1KzoSPRAnoE-MVmYJXn18DPfNxu0jqg-nR7cHDLvY-Y_CDVsKs4yYCtOimshD5bPq2-ZmntDyAD_8FiliawX2M5j-3x8SVslE/s1600/P1050780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDSOVS5cbpaK4GrlVMGfsbuf124F2UFlV_fmzhGoI5um1KzoSPRAnoE-MVmYJXn18DPfNxu0jqg-nR7cHDLvY-Y_CDVsKs4yYCtOimshD5bPq2-ZmntDyAD_8FiliawX2M5j-3x8SVslE/s320/P1050780.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A restoration project in Santa Clara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtuHGxdixrcf3OvK2BX0_JAGMy4hwsu9oDaEad1xqDj6X018hjhPIWWkWhxy7OrOYYyy1EAcPGaWCXDivNJ7hLzbxi9l844_h9rFGbPftHOhvWBoSbwRRYtv75awH7ZKBnGvWioYXObow/s1600/P1050781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtuHGxdixrcf3OvK2BX0_JAGMy4hwsu9oDaEad1xqDj6X018hjhPIWWkWhxy7OrOYYyy1EAcPGaWCXDivNJ7hLzbxi9l844_h9rFGbPftHOhvWBoSbwRRYtv75awH7ZKBnGvWioYXObow/s320/P1050781.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lady wearing these amazing tights was our cigar factory guide. I took this photo from the bus window and have been surprised to see this fashion statement throughout Cuba.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
After a stop in the Santa Clara town square, we lunched in a local paladar, one of Cuba’s relatively new privately owned restaurants, which turned out to be very nice! We were given our first Cuban welcome drink—a pińa colada. The custom here is to serve the virgin drink to everyone and then come around with a bottle of rum for anyone who wants a little kick added. The pińa coladas were so good that when we were told we could order a second drink, most of us ordered another one instead of the water, wine, beer, or soda they probably meant us to have. This turned out to be the last time the options for the second drink weren’t specified. LOL. Lunch was a huge buffet with all kinds of vegetables, fruits and several meats, as well as desserts. We have been warned that meals in Cuba are huge even by American standards. For that reason, Road Scholar has arranged for buffets or family style service whenever possible, so we can take what we want and not waste as much food as they did when meals were plated in the kitchen. Our lunch was followed by a concert by a well-known Cuban singer, who performed with his guitar, accompanied by his son on violin. Of course, CDs were available for purchase.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hZ4dm-alrlkUu80VwcYqCOnI-T1GMGHiJWCMgAFLQdccqYJyBrYsEJy2xz7Qi5ynX6GQyLmqPelANrfFq46akdHTk7rDtC_Jin85hcopP6uG5usOLsuB0TeJScaxQeymrKnBa8tR1w1d/s1600/P1050782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hZ4dm-alrlkUu80VwcYqCOnI-T1GMGHiJWCMgAFLQdccqYJyBrYsEJy2xz7Qi5ynX6GQyLmqPelANrfFq46akdHTk7rDtC_Jin85hcopP6uG5usOLsuB0TeJScaxQeymrKnBa8tR1w1d/s320/P1050782.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Cuban gas station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHpGgO32-pbIlpJ-XqvsEcSe4m2jLaimct4f-BY5ih3vTCDt4RQBcapqVqPEdeXClAErELVmBJb7ncMo6P2KknTQ5sczVcXmRtBlgkqFls8uxKNJEK0q6SDvnSfPC_K8qk6KwG6QObqck/s1600/P1050783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHpGgO32-pbIlpJ-XqvsEcSe4m2jLaimct4f-BY5ih3vTCDt4RQBcapqVqPEdeXClAErELVmBJb7ncMo6P2KknTQ5sczVcXmRtBlgkqFls8uxKNJEK0q6SDvnSfPC_K8qk6KwG6QObqck/s320/P1050783.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Clara street</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLjkOQBZa_JY8l6dR0I8Ddm1qrmhUL44fq2c65sYPeEJ-Q9mbgQ7YhrqN8vPt7GDZjT_wHpEIxdVik3SdV8IEaMzCGUfU-Wsvj95hfsHp2pXuMa2jkNCMb2uXtl-T9wbre0bx6StigDLb/s1600/P1050784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyLjkOQBZa_JY8l6dR0I8Ddm1qrmhUL44fq2c65sYPeEJ-Q9mbgQ7YhrqN8vPt7GDZjT_wHpEIxdVik3SdV8IEaMzCGUfU-Wsvj95hfsHp2pXuMa2jkNCMb2uXtl-T9wbre0bx6StigDLb/s320/P1050784.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92zXWTeNOaosPjzX1IvS_r6TOWQInc47lo8A_HAR_Fn6HfMjC3rmOPWAQrPwG3frqsxv3ugTxErgRC6HSwCq1Hn3gPQbiTfNKfsnw2aQNkOXXnQJbbyqUHwYz36vk2QEKbxfFC5v3J2Ew/s1600/P1050785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92zXWTeNOaosPjzX1IvS_r6TOWQInc47lo8A_HAR_Fn6HfMjC3rmOPWAQrPwG3frqsxv3ugTxErgRC6HSwCq1Hn3gPQbiTfNKfsnw2aQNkOXXnQJbbyqUHwYz36vk2QEKbxfFC5v3J2Ew/s320/P1050785.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKloWHvrliTtRLvU3ciTpgGvg7kqfKOrzTscg-G-PwVPhFQ34bLETRl5QBNtgH1nmgq0bv7s7WRJKocLqGBFuDngH1cc3GiY5AkEvlmJ0ibx29508Z3nUKELilXeIDSga5mQRzx04HPGac/s1600/P1050788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKloWHvrliTtRLvU3ciTpgGvg7kqfKOrzTscg-G-PwVPhFQ34bLETRl5QBNtgH1nmgq0bv7s7WRJKocLqGBFuDngH1cc3GiY5AkEvlmJ0ibx29508Z3nUKELilXeIDSga5mQRzx04HPGac/s320/P1050788.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Clara's Plaza Major</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcq7QZDXqlCuxxOaS9l_SN3WdgAGBd6Yj03JBVNCgHX-tCeV3MdiIkg3wc2Er91QMarbkIMhZDEP4ZkgiDedEoyj_E3C1WM2ksBBaVVBWjvy-WeRuia2_DomyHbwtK1ZmNNUSHducioBYa/s1600/P1050791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcq7QZDXqlCuxxOaS9l_SN3WdgAGBd6Yj03JBVNCgHX-tCeV3MdiIkg3wc2Er91QMarbkIMhZDEP4ZkgiDedEoyj_E3C1WM2ksBBaVVBWjvy-WeRuia2_DomyHbwtK1ZmNNUSHducioBYa/s320/P1050791.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A statue honoring a major benefactress to the city and...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZFSyfbHFLEw8IPesRmYHxlS4vtmLQa4HdtKq4E8g9g9IGdJywS8dmkFsZhGhGS5oDJLR5sCdvqYocpaadBB3JVb2JIohU8biUchwlW_OmGGet8WOYnrTkJ-ur2vtk0I430rLOypVyNpx/s1600/P1050790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZFSyfbHFLEw8IPesRmYHxlS4vtmLQa4HdtKq4E8g9g9IGdJywS8dmkFsZhGhGS5oDJLR5sCdvqYocpaadBB3JVb2JIohU8biUchwlW_OmGGet8WOYnrTkJ-ur2vtk0I430rLOypVyNpx/s320/P1050790.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...citizens of Santa Clara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHrJ34XVkqyRfnkHnr4jsBSvnYD88IRXUiHVBcP80WDK55N8AW_bN2aFgdA9QVXGAVCCWUm5OPGSfdAkkcZo8Ywjv9yFtqUUYTTEXkUED-vS0ZU9lVxyA0YDDWDQkSj1yjp1cxU3bGFwW/s1600/P1050793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHrJ34XVkqyRfnkHnr4jsBSvnYD88IRXUiHVBcP80WDK55N8AW_bN2aFgdA9QVXGAVCCWUm5OPGSfdAkkcZo8Ywjv9yFtqUUYTTEXkUED-vS0ZU9lVxyA0YDDWDQkSj1yjp1cxU3bGFwW/s320/P1050793.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't get my camera out in time for the real subject of this photo--the elaborate cake this young woman was carrying.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyQTgqg8bQ4HHNjWhJyGPFjnICZeIX8udFS3o_VifJzmCyifmeEPidEYa6PeR82XaLKajGoswgu1xCfaSZF8-WEjQXjYcL4dsYOuPzVE_-5eQMs6FaUm9H2CVCQ3GT_AWRffpr3RJgdu4/s1600/P1050794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyQTgqg8bQ4HHNjWhJyGPFjnICZeIX8udFS3o_VifJzmCyifmeEPidEYa6PeR82XaLKajGoswgu1xCfaSZF8-WEjQXjYcL4dsYOuPzVE_-5eQMs6FaUm9H2CVCQ3GT_AWRffpr3RJgdu4/s320/P1050794.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local transportation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiie9TfqaTD8fxLkOpEo_bERHZmUdyPHwy6zG98RebAIvP8zrvb1gDOlwDpjL62KZHAh5QMMS8tpMGhjNHvOWOsQ7eUp-o6eX1q0UJZ2TEMMjDKkvsbSzewmnfIPPEHhWBkbkmmdkL4FUcY/s1600/P1050795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiie9TfqaTD8fxLkOpEo_bERHZmUdyPHwy6zG98RebAIvP8zrvb1gDOlwDpjL62KZHAh5QMMS8tpMGhjNHvOWOsQ7eUp-o6eX1q0UJZ2TEMMjDKkvsbSzewmnfIPPEHhWBkbkmmdkL4FUcY/s320/P1050795.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to our first paladar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeIJNxLMtq89jBwLRiN3WbpUIqwLDyHWG_7X1E0y7QM5hcYK4udQmAojkSS8ASfLB-X_xCk83HsHugCMmYFUymAusxI8N3UU3-qbxaXJwFgnPctobTajiAfP-aWIWnoJe4oH7l5rC6Ktu/s1600/P1050799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLeIJNxLMtq89jBwLRiN3WbpUIqwLDyHWG_7X1E0y7QM5hcYK4udQmAojkSS8ASfLB-X_xCk83HsHugCMmYFUymAusxI8N3UU3-qbxaXJwFgnPctobTajiAfP-aWIWnoJe4oH7l5rC6Ktu/s320/P1050799.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The buffet table</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaG_c-bTP75fWFFzOkU_xukxKosQecMyln-4O0F9Lp5wVLEDrBXu9TF2ieaoIS95AVy-9hu9yjswD0pyTCTSUjjNcUtlJP5LnH9UhWG4H-3E-Du4_TXJRPYTKrpZ9Vmubv8mMVC__8VRZC/s1600/P1050800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaG_c-bTP75fWFFzOkU_xukxKosQecMyln-4O0F9Lp5wVLEDrBXu9TF2ieaoIS95AVy-9hu9yjswD0pyTCTSUjjNcUtlJP5LnH9UhWG4H-3E-Du4_TXJRPYTKrpZ9Vmubv8mMVC__8VRZC/s320/P1050800.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dishwasher behind the bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWayt4iA5pcD5LonyWfc2yccAxE7s5YVQXS9ZkiTp7XZ9Vx3S7l6U_nfcSarQhF7uEDPNJknZbyLisFXF34lTpQwwE0b53-nxRlu0JTT9FnOk1v3vZOvZIDccOO5bX6jWVRSmJ86NURYO/s1600/P1050801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWayt4iA5pcD5LonyWfc2yccAxE7s5YVQXS9ZkiTp7XZ9Vx3S7l6U_nfcSarQhF7uEDPNJknZbyLisFXF34lTpQwwE0b53-nxRlu0JTT9FnOk1v3vZOvZIDccOO5bX6jWVRSmJ86NURYO/s320/P1050801.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entertainment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrWjL5ewevSVuXry6A4WcE41IkBVK0TzjsWAD_f-KQe8rrEeb923J3I_W2ontJ5B0i4R8tUCzXWwuNGgVSXvILC_H9Si_Umtn2MrCXGtg2cvsW7MuRFDaCwt-UEa_mY63-Y5tATkhcMTs/s1600/P1050804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrWjL5ewevSVuXry6A4WcE41IkBVK0TzjsWAD_f-KQe8rrEeb923J3I_W2ontJ5B0i4R8tUCzXWwuNGgVSXvILC_H9Si_Umtn2MrCXGtg2cvsW7MuRFDaCwt-UEa_mY63-Y5tATkhcMTs/s320/P1050804.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back in the plaza, this is known as the boy with the boot fountain. Water pours from the holes in his boot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Che Guevara is considered a local hero here even though he was actually from Argentina, and there is a large statue of him at the museum/mortuary that honors him and other key figures in the revolutionary army that eventually caused the fall of the corrupt and murderous US-backed Batista government. There is much to criticize about the Castro regime, but the revolution did rid Cuba of a government that didn’t serve the majority of Cubans well at all and replaced it with a more egalitarian state that despite our usual view, has provided its people with many benefits such as universal education and excellent medical care.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevxVpm4rtaExgLv5WctAhYQ_-oUwHRxgwSzJf99A0uuTxjLeA5evXmVywvbI7YjTOkT8-rLkXIc4x12TzJTuiiQGmus35KRzjGiEr-_r7eR5jtQQBLz_DvtFqZzLNLh3_JwVhOGEUBou-/s1600/P1050805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevxVpm4rtaExgLv5WctAhYQ_-oUwHRxgwSzJf99A0uuTxjLeA5evXmVywvbI7YjTOkT8-rLkXIc4x12TzJTuiiQGmus35KRzjGiEr-_r7eR5jtQQBLz_DvtFqZzLNLh3_JwVhOGEUBou-/s320/P1050805.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Che Guevara Memorial and Mortuary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkZKWalcXNEGjV2RNB4ivIG7e55AFkjj3lfRe33kmJr7I5UUaC7tlUW4Ma9hHVfdFExPswEhB014U0m3JhpAhptV8u3oTwlul7mef637uEWIp1tfm9pQfubIJlQFx40snZ4qV34l3tYN9/s1600/P1050807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJkZKWalcXNEGjV2RNB4ivIG7e55AFkjj3lfRe33kmJr7I5UUaC7tlUW4Ma9hHVfdFExPswEhB014U0m3JhpAhptV8u3oTwlul7mef637uEWIp1tfm9pQfubIJlQFx40snZ4qV34l3tYN9/s320/P1050807.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Eventually we arrived at our hotel in Santa Clara, Los Caneyes. This is the word for the round dwellings that the original indian inhabitants of Cuba lived in before Columbus arrived. Unfortunately, these original peoples were almost entirely eradicated by the European invaders, either by disease or by being killed off. Columbus may be celebrated as the “discover of America,” but he was NOT a nice guy, it seems. The hotel, however, is quite charming, with a sort of sophisticated country air. The rooms are a bit primitive by our standards, but perfectly adequate, very clean, and laid out in individual pods of six units per round building. We are told to remember to brush our teeth with bottled water, but were pleased to discover that the rooms contain both 220 and 110 plugs, so we can charge all our devices with no need for converters of any kind. I guess they sort of said that in our pre-trip information, but not in a way that most of us understood clearly.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x-kxwg4YvCChi5l4bzyw667tNSDdzyg8b1thC5gnjYWPfmOSrgQ_YGTj0Md0lcYMbT7dDXMjzkI-F1vcAWakvQZjJrhSBuB9ufJ11DbQUKlF7zdYkskh2S3CupBmQWE9l-7YTdFNBw1M/s1600/P1050809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4x-kxwg4YvCChi5l4bzyw667tNSDdzyg8b1thC5gnjYWPfmOSrgQ_YGTj0Md0lcYMbT7dDXMjzkI-F1vcAWakvQZjJrhSBuB9ufJ11DbQUKlF7zdYkskh2S3CupBmQWE9l-7YTdFNBw1M/s320/P1050809.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to Los Caneyes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3a9wqYG_Y4ZSCgT4ybbGLhkioPHz6W8LKfPq89rsPEPFeew1iHS-ogfNFhicnPqhdt48naCbBUE5gPQE98V6A595aiKUxEDazkJR7K33WnJLazPJHO69MQdcVe0NSq-Rzb8VkwhJpmjl/s1600/P1050808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3a9wqYG_Y4ZSCgT4ybbGLhkioPHz6W8LKfPq89rsPEPFeew1iHS-ogfNFhicnPqhdt48naCbBUE5gPQE98V6A595aiKUxEDazkJR7K33WnJLazPJHO69MQdcVe0NSq-Rzb8VkwhJpmjl/s320/P1050808.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DGkxZftFeqAjOoM1PbFxgH83NdUqo_bJ_suwALxbdiNloXFasf96SJecji-0OH4z2AXIIQL4gRRGAvoGyvo4ZZfoUkQQWZhiuN_Um6kMxDYXmLmcfQR4VJYOtGiaZOYjzDAwWoCt2ftj/s1600/P1050816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DGkxZftFeqAjOoM1PbFxgH83NdUqo_bJ_suwALxbdiNloXFasf96SJecji-0OH4z2AXIIQL4gRRGAvoGyvo4ZZfoUkQQWZhiuN_Um6kMxDYXmLmcfQR4VJYOtGiaZOYjzDAwWoCt2ftj/s320/P1050816.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dining pavilion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtYD5kWoIYSXkZgbR92QZ98JkZm4D4QchZk6JPRkYbC3cym4CzeyXUVWCEo0L1ph0pgPspgKQQU2eOQsYZT8vgPEro7uvWc9VKtoi7X14fMh8xy8aIJ2BxJyx4H7wDpFFrgT_UuT8wgbU/s1600/P1050817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtYD5kWoIYSXkZgbR92QZ98JkZm4D4QchZk6JPRkYbC3cym4CzeyXUVWCEo0L1ph0pgPspgKQQU2eOQsYZT8vgPEro7uvWc9VKtoi7X14fMh8xy8aIJ2BxJyx4H7wDpFFrgT_UuT8wgbU/s320/P1050817.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reception</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
After we settled in a bit, I went to the desk to change some US dollars into Cuban money, and on the way back enjoyed the ambiance of the grounds, including the presence of a couple of roosters and their attendant chicks and chickens. Not too sure I’m going to like that rooster presence come morning.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsO0mXmfzRJVqy8jhaehST6KhBzqtolpufo_xbp_4rFIFagD5SNH_xM5fD4wnVHw61AUGlk-4YijnUuA3KRNR9I7lewF9YI44jaW40EkOiqquRv_hMH0icM8eiFSv2EZnoFvDacJywjfBl/s1600/P1050814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsO0mXmfzRJVqy8jhaehST6KhBzqtolpufo_xbp_4rFIFagD5SNH_xM5fD4wnVHw61AUGlk-4YijnUuA3KRNR9I7lewF9YI44jaW40EkOiqquRv_hMH0icM8eiFSv2EZnoFvDacJywjfBl/s320/P1050814.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy with the mane seems to be rooster in chief</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCGQ7u9nVwzQ1yQbUh9GsEQE8aWc8CCI4b6Evf8UTgMMfycPyRQWYkcIagaebKBmUDUzb7zIKzW7QJHams1fWj_cRfhhgTeY26N41SrP3SEUUnSgOwYRuYkLlh4KLogXoF_Vt-uIAemUX/s1600/P1050819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyCGQ7u9nVwzQ1yQbUh9GsEQE8aWc8CCI4b6Evf8UTgMMfycPyRQWYkcIagaebKBmUDUzb7zIKzW7QJHams1fWj_cRfhhgTeY26N41SrP3SEUUnSgOwYRuYkLlh4KLogXoF_Vt-uIAemUX/s320/P1050819.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#2 rooster</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpBnwRJQFKo8PXWJAtGh4cjP_FD-91UoLKrjULRj5-dVDjgCG8DDXgOKhdORwMgfPjO_hOo4TJmnclzs0eN_uZKObwobzjs9xYftJPhLGiuKTjExGBkb4ggv53XYGkHkniNTB0V28jm7X/s1600/P1050821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpBnwRJQFKo8PXWJAtGh4cjP_FD-91UoLKrjULRj5-dVDjgCG8DDXgOKhdORwMgfPjO_hOo4TJmnclzs0eN_uZKObwobzjs9xYftJPhLGiuKTjExGBkb4ggv53XYGkHkniNTB0V28jm7X/s320/P1050821.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the way to our cabin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eYNW6rQUt0mW3uH3uBGwR9ZatYvgUZ7c-R9hKVqFPXU_A-J1Y4NdQZo9Jvkka-BgfR8XpIWrI6xeGKRFqCb8MwTkW3-BMIX2uPLJ1c8wuRMjlqaWvC-yQHeytFOLxLPmnsg-yyUD4yC6/s1600/P1050825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eYNW6rQUt0mW3uH3uBGwR9ZatYvgUZ7c-R9hKVqFPXU_A-J1Y4NdQZo9Jvkka-BgfR8XpIWrI6xeGKRFqCb8MwTkW3-BMIX2uPLJ1c8wuRMjlqaWvC-yQHeytFOLxLPmnsg-yyUD4yC6/s320/P1050825.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The common porch in our building is a shady retreat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcr28jtEMTmKpdJmRlIlJeQzMKnxvk0APVjvbV0gRsfcJA7Eby06E4qxefftGV1S6nwPvo-ojF78V-Eujf9nAI-ltgXJhNnSkto3AvzV-38vE_fpcNLiyl1riuK2YElt0rS9Se6aOTmec/s1600/P1050826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcr28jtEMTmKpdJmRlIlJeQzMKnxvk0APVjvbV0gRsfcJA7Eby06E4qxefftGV1S6nwPvo-ojF78V-Eujf9nAI-ltgXJhNnSkto3AvzV-38vE_fpcNLiyl1riuK2YElt0rS9Se6aOTmec/s320/P1050826.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The center of our building, surrounded by our rooms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKKYEGNtvpDEWBbko0ApEZsw-0Rvo7ac-Msp-ADjptwZfCX4LEueGL75fr1VZx0Q_1M1jpgU91ZheZUIHkGWTbiXZEf3cRnnTGb5hXTPydvTvhvgjCaDcf2npWd7dmRbFP5xHgdH_ON6d/s1600/P1050810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKKYEGNtvpDEWBbko0ApEZsw-0Rvo7ac-Msp-ADjptwZfCX4LEueGL75fr1VZx0Q_1M1jpgU91ZheZUIHkGWTbiXZEf3cRnnTGb5hXTPydvTvhvgjCaDcf2npWd7dmRbFP5xHgdH_ON6d/s320/P1050810.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
We dined at the hotel’s buffet, pretty good for a government owned facility, but not as nice as our lunch was. After our very early start today, we were all glad to head to bed for some catch-up sleep.</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-53047761046528307972015-09-30T09:14:00.004-07:002015-09-30T09:56:18.388-07:00Trinidad de Cuba<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Friday, September 18. That handsome rooster and his gang were even more trouble than I feared. They started crowing by 3:30 this morning. Rooster soup for dinner sounds like a great idea. Barbara hardly heard the din because she always travels with silicon ear plugs with the brand name of Mack. She has two pair with her and has kindly given the spare pair to me. I look forward to better nights ahead!</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Our objective today was a tour of a small old colonial town, Trinidad. This is a very old town, dating from the early 1500s. We were told to wear sturdy shoes for the cobblestone streets, which are charming, but make for difficult walking. Some of the special features of the old buildings, many of which were home to the region’s wealthy sugar barons, are 18-foot ceilings and very tall windows and doors, designed to keep the rooms somewhat cooler than the newer low-ceilinged rooms that replaced them in later centuries. This older style is much prized in Cuba today because few people have air conditioning other than what the architectural design can provide. Intricate tiled floors are another beautiful feature that has survived all these years. I’m sure most have needed restoration, but they really are lovely. A word of explanation about housing. Following the revolution, the Castro regime effectively nationalized all property in Cuba, but Cubans who did not flee were allowed to remain in their homes and even pass them on to other family members. They were also allowed to swap homes. When Raúl came to power, he began to allow these homes to be sold. While Cuba has not had a real estate market as we know it, they have had a form of private ownership despite their communist/socialist form of government. There are government owned apartment buildings in Cuba, but there is also private ownership.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHE4Bbjtbxcv4Hy8WYow6bJcEp4ogEsh47mAeiirKSqGe12rVjt31mtqHpd8RPUIrkKxjFlnE_VgFQvXosDd_H6QSclyuNSsD_Ok9b5hTCgFGgMViszLrWG3hbjUeFtuddZEXzA9KYquK/s1600/P1050828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHE4Bbjtbxcv4Hy8WYow6bJcEp4ogEsh47mAeiirKSqGe12rVjt31mtqHpd8RPUIrkKxjFlnE_VgFQvXosDd_H6QSclyuNSsD_Ok9b5hTCgFGgMViszLrWG3hbjUeFtuddZEXzA9KYquK/s320/P1050828.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public art. We drove past this mosaic on our way out of Santa Clara.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqFasKTZR08bqBuKng7fqAGUmFUx3ytsin38d68b-xAzCAPDMfqLi3CxAnuyWhliJFLn2m3RWScMksGYyy5c5H8-Fgodr7g3F7i6YAGGzXYXektRflaFhG20tBXUeq7JjyLU64ua0wExv/s1600/P1050829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqFasKTZR08bqBuKng7fqAGUmFUx3ytsin38d68b-xAzCAPDMfqLi3CxAnuyWhliJFLn2m3RWScMksGYyy5c5H8-Fgodr7g3F7i6YAGGzXYXektRflaFhG20tBXUeq7JjyLU64ua0wExv/s320/P1050829.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We drove through a lush valley surrounded by mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uM9X1oFS-bLkbqIF_fxAz5RTRDnL_LCz_DrMdPKG9ggjFM5ayUP_kv-cJdhROeK5wIgI1sUA9K5uGt-WH5VnNj0PPftsnrEiHhkWaXK_dYir0KEL6IHPBteUk5To8UMqvc8DCP8zU93q/s1600/P1050830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uM9X1oFS-bLkbqIF_fxAz5RTRDnL_LCz_DrMdPKG9ggjFM5ayUP_kv-cJdhROeK5wIgI1sUA9K5uGt-WH5VnNj0PPftsnrEiHhkWaXK_dYir0KEL6IHPBteUk5To8UMqvc8DCP8zU93q/s320/P1050830.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This man was driving a horse drawn cart filled with bags of something. Maybe rice?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZ6_ET7wn5P6-o_nOCia3AEL0gPAv7SjBSeXveRvm-n0I63XKsG4sqa0HZaw5bl0_zQXFDNK7w59vIemNtg7Sxf4CftxsegyhDlM-06YxXY_R3C54irELHAX36Byi5xOEB2P0qBtm58Yi/s1600/P1050832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZ6_ET7wn5P6-o_nOCia3AEL0gPAv7SjBSeXveRvm-n0I63XKsG4sqa0HZaw5bl0_zQXFDNK7w59vIemNtg7Sxf4CftxsegyhDlM-06YxXY_R3C54irELHAX36Byi5xOEB2P0qBtm58Yi/s320/P1050832.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town of Trinidad. Note the long windows and doors.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OGpfZezRmQtOpP65D5GBT88Ufzi6b7vIhqDPVfQXd-xoVB1iNFteB-VWC7-Afdo6TEIQzRrt5JLQ8kOw2DyTylkqsVyZ-Uv6-fSggIM4HmMIk8nNeKSen0mEZo1hwXGkxcRVbr7tLRLm/s1600/P1050833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OGpfZezRmQtOpP65D5GBT88Ufzi6b7vIhqDPVfQXd-xoVB1iNFteB-VWC7-Afdo6TEIQzRrt5JLQ8kOw2DyTylkqsVyZ-Uv6-fSggIM4HmMIk8nNeKSen0mEZo1hwXGkxcRVbr7tLRLm/s320/P1050833.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bicycle taxis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOFpLRTffuZjZSdxtnMpUQk14vF4RwEZuJkiJphSBmLEcMBaCq0MCQHe2zNOdQG2vcVlMPlSZrmZ9NYyHuoLnDADZy2ZuoRs5EFPs3yQY_ld3SIg5laQ0kowoeQk-MEeIgWH0vE7zFZNK/s1600/P1050835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOFpLRTffuZjZSdxtnMpUQk14vF4RwEZuJkiJphSBmLEcMBaCq0MCQHe2zNOdQG2vcVlMPlSZrmZ9NYyHuoLnDADZy2ZuoRs5EFPs3yQY_ld3SIg5laQ0kowoeQk-MEeIgWH0vE7zFZNK/s320/P1050835.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cobblestone streets throughout the town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPXJ_UtIGvNtaheZIajkB3V_4xxLvQiaB0KaISHzx4BV8E2qDvvh85iCJ652ows3_3DGcqQ7W7GXGSu0ecwhnB0LVg3FkKRtnMNIJ6dX2S_BXuH80jI8-hJXddeYagNERsvfxkGnYcdvV/s1600/P1050836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPXJ_UtIGvNtaheZIajkB3V_4xxLvQiaB0KaISHzx4BV8E2qDvvh85iCJ652ows3_3DGcqQ7W7GXGSu0ecwhnB0LVg3FkKRtnMNIJ6dX2S_BXuH80jI8-hJXddeYagNERsvfxkGnYcdvV/s320/P1050836.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of the old tiles found in many of the houses here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQZnNDrrZkOi3woNPs7cNyhivTT2AvmPfuBpeiDBuf5RS-UdRR0xucdj88C2xEwZnFhq-e90SVyxoSVIbs2N42GbGl2NtJ9Z24e-PCQ9Ppvvvi98DMD3TsEMnG4MxAbg5ifAKC0WSQgEq/s1600/P1050837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQZnNDrrZkOi3woNPs7cNyhivTT2AvmPfuBpeiDBuf5RS-UdRR0xucdj88C2xEwZnFhq-e90SVyxoSVIbs2N42GbGl2NtJ9Z24e-PCQ9Ppvvvi98DMD3TsEMnG4MxAbg5ifAKC0WSQgEq/s320/P1050837.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demolition/restoration. Trinidad is a World Heritage Site and a tourist destination. Restoration will continue to be important here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeP9_uNfL3xgh1qpSFIfJcr1uC4-sXF8waLNknaH4hmLWjOhtno4vw4RefP0GtomIzHF7LZYEUbJy8juVfQ6RakFZse09KxqTigiTXe6NnjmvzdwpFVnj896h4Fds6Lz9Igwl5aUct6-G/s1600/P1050839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeP9_uNfL3xgh1qpSFIfJcr1uC4-sXF8waLNknaH4hmLWjOhtno4vw4RefP0GtomIzHF7LZYEUbJy8juVfQ6RakFZse09KxqTigiTXe6NnjmvzdwpFVnj896h4Fds6Lz9Igwl5aUct6-G/s320/P1050839.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old cannons like this one are often place at the street-side corner of buildings to protect them from traffic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYlzkOU-FF9Hq3m7pBkrq16K1hASCk5kFWDTa-nXMR1Rw7FJ1PGmsRCpADVdV1zFiKE8GoueOZdhgzCwZD3wu9tm7yiPBM4yHeF2C_Obh6zRkV-gaubQk5xXkLfs72CFIK8XZjhvxXU9d/s1600/P1050841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYlzkOU-FF9Hq3m7pBkrq16K1hASCk5kFWDTa-nXMR1Rw7FJ1PGmsRCpADVdV1zFiKE8GoueOZdhgzCwZD3wu9tm7yiPBM4yHeF2C_Obh6zRkV-gaubQk5xXkLfs72CFIK8XZjhvxXU9d/s320/P1050841.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School children in Cuba wear uniforms. Different colors define different grade levels and are the same throughout Cuba.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iCcuA0yYEwCe762pgkljQAe-UZZj1W0OG65uMsrQOoYbOy_MuY9kM3IKp58W4yQE_MPHHcNwJ8yl8cwlT1CMr9kny_Bxu7TUR6OjzlM1FqnyfqLzaFgqJNJwI4V8ZieBE-oP0rjH_B7F/s1600/P1050843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iCcuA0yYEwCe762pgkljQAe-UZZj1W0OG65uMsrQOoYbOy_MuY9kM3IKp58W4yQE_MPHHcNwJ8yl8cwlT1CMr9kny_Bxu7TUR6OjzlM1FqnyfqLzaFgqJNJwI4V8ZieBE-oP0rjH_B7F/s320/P1050843.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We walked past the local church, which, unlike many Cuban churches, is still active, if under-attended. Churches here are open until noon only, allowing the priests to enjoy leisurely afternoons. </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kDJ2ZC3x5E235QWhtNO8EeIZOh7-nofM19TP8eP1bF_IL4uA2snzwuWh7OxApjVtZKmz-DvQz4OLGjA3eqbLVDA9_6UNU7L0n5kmpwiRppcreZFVbmPDlDJHwx1sIVA9IRT-SvpFXo_g/s1600/P1050845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kDJ2ZC3x5E235QWhtNO8EeIZOh7-nofM19TP8eP1bF_IL4uA2snzwuWh7OxApjVtZKmz-DvQz4OLGjA3eqbLVDA9_6UNU7L0n5kmpwiRppcreZFVbmPDlDJHwx1sIVA9IRT-SvpFXo_g/s320/P1050845.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another group of school children gathers near the church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pL10yFcWB4oazTuLDg-oZjZEzrhClckbdrrnwC-ptuBNeVM3pAMj-Ub-spS0nXgtFIZAIZRb5mNJt0yW9QyLo-vswOpFMhf1g7BeaQnap6mSoQnOOhDkkRPCZAKg3pfKpfXv5aInGMSP/s1600/P1050846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pL10yFcWB4oazTuLDg-oZjZEzrhClckbdrrnwC-ptuBNeVM3pAMj-Ub-spS0nXgtFIZAIZRb5mNJt0yW9QyLo-vswOpFMhf1g7BeaQnap6mSoQnOOhDkkRPCZAKg3pfKpfXv5aInGMSP/s320/P1050846.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Restored building</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCR-Hab6aGTuSwNOR-fpNmoGRGF15SoHw2FWp7cLN5ANg_Qq_-2M6FyW836rQGJGXCWGVBDyxC1QAndPaKZu7fkeE-8krcKMVWFCLuw6j5D-ZaUG71Q9TExWnIQ-Z6VvSyzOikrzm4_sE8/s1600/P1050847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCR-Hab6aGTuSwNOR-fpNmoGRGF15SoHw2FWp7cLN5ANg_Qq_-2M6FyW836rQGJGXCWGVBDyxC1QAndPaKZu7fkeE-8krcKMVWFCLuw6j5D-ZaUG71Q9TExWnIQ-Z6VvSyzOikrzm4_sE8/s320/P1050847.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The local museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZiC5PWGRAnU21UyzxTIVGz83bNMpHvh2_xUidJRHwEb8kF5O8YmQ3yNrCQk78emCYVSjhpNhkoNy4jZCO3Eu6yhCmyeVWeE6WMMcNfwe581gt8_GahyphenhyphenCfXulxySm5LxLYx9cPgk5yGnq/s1600/P1050848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZiC5PWGRAnU21UyzxTIVGz83bNMpHvh2_xUidJRHwEb8kF5O8YmQ3yNrCQk78emCYVSjhpNhkoNy4jZCO3Eu6yhCmyeVWeE6WMMcNfwe581gt8_GahyphenhyphenCfXulxySm5LxLYx9cPgk5yGnq/s320/P1050848.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tourist wares</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVmI4vGyKH8qQkI6Kx4CUJj1MWomABtsnYDC7sCjKBw8g9ykznO-a5mmUY2b9OTYdE920m_MqtTNJ0_TX7DvNcWTKvIqnUQJfED4kyKvHAUPG9fR2etyxZI-cKRjdCQqV88Ros05Wj5pa/s1600/P1050849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVmI4vGyKH8qQkI6Kx4CUJj1MWomABtsnYDC7sCjKBw8g9ykznO-a5mmUY2b9OTYdE920m_MqtTNJ0_TX7DvNcWTKvIqnUQJfED4kyKvHAUPG9fR2etyxZI-cKRjdCQqV88Ros05Wj5pa/s320/P1050849.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We went to a fairly new privately owned bed and breakfast where the owners’ son met us and told us about his family’s enterprise. It is in a very old house once owned by a sugar baron. The last surviving member of that family was a very elderly lady for whom the house was way too much to maintain. The current owners are a husband and wife singing team who, when we visited, were in Scandinavia on tour. They saw the possibilities of the house for both a performing venue and a hotel so agreed to swap the small house they owned at the time for this one. They have been restoring it while renting out four rooms at something like $35/night to bring in funds. We were able to see one of the rooms with its private bath, the living room, dining room, beautifully redone kitchen, and the delightful patio. The decorative painting on the walls in the living room is original, only partially restored because it has become impossible to find anyone with the skills needed to do the work. Personally, I liked being able to see both. The restoration was lovely while the original lent it authenticity.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIZ7F5-xxM5E0-zJxI_csULp8V5DvIvgyWZCeePJa2mb5A_CO1XHCqofNz-xZze0ix4GQsHNiNq93P01A-ZVz7dr1qWBMtaDYkf-CknmN5axReomX60x3s9SsVmktk5HKbiB3DepDksm8/s1600/P1050852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIZ7F5-xxM5E0-zJxI_csULp8V5DvIvgyWZCeePJa2mb5A_CO1XHCqofNz-xZze0ix4GQsHNiNq93P01A-ZVz7dr1qWBMtaDYkf-CknmN5axReomX60x3s9SsVmktk5HKbiB3DepDksm8/s320/P1050852.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the owners' son, a recent college graduate with a degree in business. The parents are singers. I suspect the son is handling the business aspects of this venture, which also includes a riding stable located in the countryside.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGZ9lDb4sljMg-YBpJGI_xWsYqH93YYuRgGFTtGj81zrQtyGf6F_aQv8GVmB-XujET0aGvukcbfQID-EOl_GQwvqGr6Jru712egeFiS0nzjK7FV2L0AsIwR6_QHhl_TO9T86ucrbHvkC4/s1600/P1050850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGZ9lDb4sljMg-YBpJGI_xWsYqH93YYuRgGFTtGj81zrQtyGf6F_aQv8GVmB-XujET0aGvukcbfQID-EOl_GQwvqGr6Jru712egeFiS0nzjK7FV2L0AsIwR6_QHhl_TO9T86ucrbHvkC4/s320/P1050850.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A long stick topped with this haughty fellow was hanging on the entry wall to greet us. I don't know what this is, but I love it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-tCNSRUmoZRnuB0_hkUjUflDA7BpMsgkQ71UhyphenhyphenpD46bxme6i0cTu4T0SPHBwCN5Y_RmX1Vax-pol6C-f2u0tUPEahiTKCEZCNqB2Uu64VB8H9KqJOVY64yIxr-CYZiMTlRRrRpqypnVX/s1600/P1050851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-tCNSRUmoZRnuB0_hkUjUflDA7BpMsgkQ71UhyphenhyphenpD46bxme6i0cTu4T0SPHBwCN5Y_RmX1Vax-pol6C-f2u0tUPEahiTKCEZCNqB2Uu64VB8H9KqJOVY64yIxr-CYZiMTlRRrRpqypnVX/s320/P1050851.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The intricate original ceiling. Since warm air rises, these high ceilings were intended to trap the heat, leaving the rest of the room a bit cooler. The house was not air-conditioned, but fans helped the ceilings do their work.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBcpGM4su2wsnrthKuiNWgjhRi58XSPLtuBFIBrH6SWNpmj2L3-RT_vIaAxWr4zI0oGwaDzX03WSeNr4W4TjvgsQEAY46ZXI_FecWWodSM3ue7EQidrvUe4WHpXWd0TbSBo46J8cBxwFh/s1600/P1050853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBcpGM4su2wsnrthKuiNWgjhRi58XSPLtuBFIBrH6SWNpmj2L3-RT_vIaAxWr4zI0oGwaDzX03WSeNr4W4TjvgsQEAY46ZXI_FecWWodSM3ue7EQidrvUe4WHpXWd0TbSBo46J8cBxwFh/s320/P1050853.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceiling detail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WdKB5_22dEshH5qgbse9AtTT6fi7leIOBDf3XwA7g0CrzQzWuseyDotK0sJl6l6LDbIw3N1FB66INMh6JQqaVu4n9EbEyhxTSjqbQ726FQYD2KsrQB-vGQ1FtEjVhzZmSIfQ3-6BxKBG/s1600/P1050854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WdKB5_22dEshH5qgbse9AtTT6fi7leIOBDf3XwA7g0CrzQzWuseyDotK0sJl6l6LDbIw3N1FB66INMh6JQqaVu4n9EbEyhxTSjqbQ726FQYD2KsrQB-vGQ1FtEjVhzZmSIfQ3-6BxKBG/s320/P1050854.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original paintwork in the living room, partially restored. This was obviously the home of wealthy people.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oQ4m4Ybit9dxZVZh7s0JO9WgU27qoV62cmfz6XoIuQcG-15LzZwYU_tUQWCwB6GWZ-IxkdVMmB-ddhVtV0L00l_JM_glu-6R-z-ZevsnRsDVDFV56fh4bXwhBhcUQ38wtMZCUx-qf4dU/s1600/P1050855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oQ4m4Ybit9dxZVZh7s0JO9WgU27qoV62cmfz6XoIuQcG-15LzZwYU_tUQWCwB6GWZ-IxkdVMmB-ddhVtV0L00l_JM_glu-6R-z-ZevsnRsDVDFV56fh4bXwhBhcUQ38wtMZCUx-qf4dU/s320/P1050855.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of four rooms for rent in the house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5ZbdLVVafj2_icES9h9HSTOuRV7ZxVhwVk5HyhkG5sze5aNqFt0rfAHOBelOqYWVZmK93UugpAloQh_7_qJihyphenhyphennmcoHp2JAJ6WbFj-Vjnkk_vadQnENyWqCzA1pw7KWPBCZNdhK12f_7/s1600/P1050856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW5ZbdLVVafj2_icES9h9HSTOuRV7ZxVhwVk5HyhkG5sze5aNqFt0rfAHOBelOqYWVZmK93UugpAloQh_7_qJihyphenhyphennmcoHp2JAJ6WbFj-Vjnkk_vadQnENyWqCzA1pw7KWPBCZNdhK12f_7/s320/P1050856.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The other side of the same room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_R1BizjgDpMyYL1KVca0ttgioj8pR2xvTYk24yCh1PjYJPgDEXzjePVmOBZVvEgE1z2syckr_1iuDVYtyO2p0ezH_VMbWNauQ9_R6GXjcA29_4ic5Xc-RXoGFwIkfwY4czqhyIqrLJu5I/s1600/P1050857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_R1BizjgDpMyYL1KVca0ttgioj8pR2xvTYk24yCh1PjYJPgDEXzjePVmOBZVvEgE1z2syckr_1iuDVYtyO2p0ezH_VMbWNauQ9_R6GXjcA29_4ic5Xc-RXoGFwIkfwY4czqhyIqrLJu5I/s320/P1050857.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very nice en suite bathroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hd97f-v0g7PukBW1sd08AJuWYqQ6LA5Kl3wp1ZU3V-Q_jKN1aYy2am2n-r3uNKK6qn8IhrDlsrKYFzyEnAVEzNLHcAzqFFp9U6JGwugkbgq6y9kksgBptGD-9pWXwqj5HsQ39L5QMvjW/s1600/P1050860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hd97f-v0g7PukBW1sd08AJuWYqQ6LA5Kl3wp1ZU3V-Q_jKN1aYy2am2n-r3uNKK6qn8IhrDlsrKYFzyEnAVEzNLHcAzqFFp9U6JGwugkbgq6y9kksgBptGD-9pWXwqj5HsQ39L5QMvjW/s320/P1050860.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hats are essential in Cuba</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2LxWLu_nrFeSP9Y9abPDiVe0lURxGxgAMq9UhLWlH1aJLBz2WRhO862nT5WFqWk58lTy8x_fN87qzGTRvVyxgpQAijaKsfitecUIanUen6UxJmRBTp5P5mCacF9PjSXkaCXQgBHRI8h2/s1600/P1050866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2LxWLu_nrFeSP9Y9abPDiVe0lURxGxgAMq9UhLWlH1aJLBz2WRhO862nT5WFqWk58lTy8x_fN87qzGTRvVyxgpQAijaKsfitecUIanUen6UxJmRBTp5P5mCacF9PjSXkaCXQgBHRI8h2/s320/P1050866.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A corner of the charmingly remodeled kitchen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJW9Wf1IukZpR8hyCf_y2xlwj6LtNb45p5qfuxA1r3e_9NnyqA0MGDwUG0DkaT6JmOhQgocAWpo81CMJ9qRCjYlZ3f7x703A6rSVZujnWk5Gs8Ub6eXCUj6XTCu6rc8-SPPueII2O-3Jb/s1600/P1050870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJW9Wf1IukZpR8hyCf_y2xlwj6LtNb45p5qfuxA1r3e_9NnyqA0MGDwUG0DkaT6JmOhQgocAWpo81CMJ9qRCjYlZ3f7x703A6rSVZujnWk5Gs8Ub6eXCUj6XTCu6rc8-SPPueII2O-3Jb/s320/P1050870.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just off the kitchen is a sheltered corner of the patio containing supplies for more of the ongoing restoration</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLqftwQbKWlw9i9rC3E6Fyd3XiVEMx0MQqedLl2sscb364eLsbtDkow5uwWv3XYGZw_CR93UL4mU01ugZfMHchABO32RaIWlVPxbrSRPl1nrJ3By_r1cCQGhjCnRrZqjkFrHDHCtZmMkZ/s1600/P1050873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvLqftwQbKWlw9i9rC3E6Fyd3XiVEMx0MQqedLl2sscb364eLsbtDkow5uwWv3XYGZw_CR93UL4mU01ugZfMHchABO32RaIWlVPxbrSRPl1nrJ3By_r1cCQGhjCnRrZqjkFrHDHCtZmMkZ/s320/P1050873.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More hats!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnVbRX8q7Bit7vOJQtzt5_ESqYKCyslbutfUh6eQGfAMmkxqQdUwDwaKxbiJ9p6JjZXY2Ss90y6010EGkWpMAabtAeOLHfSM4JA4QM5gBkemFx_5I7s5KvWB9yYpGwzn4trPrIYJwlDpt/s1600/P1050861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmnVbRX8q7Bit7vOJQtzt5_ESqYKCyslbutfUh6eQGfAMmkxqQdUwDwaKxbiJ9p6JjZXY2Ss90y6010EGkWpMAabtAeOLHfSM4JA4QM5gBkemFx_5I7s5KvWB9yYpGwzn4trPrIYJwlDpt/s320/P1050861.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main part of the patio features tables for outdoor dining</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2ycwZCyTJY6dcqZXQV-QM14BpygFrphBK9eQcsX7A8KqrqeeGrAbkhetMyoGCbiE8FQbBPhcODIewD6U3XSrjgV6NRmJaAjbWIFXkEqX6Ci7_Kb_36AnLK2sScbUPcFkP5iVrUhZqHgR/s1600/P1050874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2ycwZCyTJY6dcqZXQV-QM14BpygFrphBK9eQcsX7A8KqrqeeGrAbkhetMyoGCbiE8FQbBPhcODIewD6U3XSrjgV6NRmJaAjbWIFXkEqX6Ci7_Kb_36AnLK2sScbUPcFkP5iVrUhZqHgR/s320/P1050874.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhue4OfuihkyAun3LaVZ3JNAUD8Qqbs9Ad-UbaN6rpDRWakjhOQXZ8hyppIbQKGXdZWh-6H96wNVN5h_e3tfRa7IH8rzS7fypNAJfrx__j-Eu4DKx7PvqldBp1xEXNNvOuS0ul4vXrbkvZx/s1600/P1050875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhue4OfuihkyAun3LaVZ3JNAUD8Qqbs9Ad-UbaN6rpDRWakjhOQXZ8hyppIbQKGXdZWh-6H96wNVN5h_e3tfRa7IH8rzS7fypNAJfrx__j-Eu4DKx7PvqldBp1xEXNNvOuS0ul4vXrbkvZx/s320/P1050875.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved this pieced mat. There were several in the house, some used as floor mats and others as chair cushions. Easy to wash with plenty of uses, these are locally made.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoDeHj_Qi4ZISOEuT5qs0Aey8gVWaTehCm-I77f6aCqzU9gRbRSvaHqydaWgbtlPw8B8v_clLj5dpggwY3ezeiUM702qCuGRoVwIogYlcUMn89ThHiW4kpWtf5zxSfyoK1rUZkLLYr-hm/s1600/P1050879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoDeHj_Qi4ZISOEuT5qs0Aey8gVWaTehCm-I77f6aCqzU9gRbRSvaHqydaWgbtlPw8B8v_clLj5dpggwY3ezeiUM702qCuGRoVwIogYlcUMn89ThHiW4kpWtf5zxSfyoK1rUZkLLYr-hm/s320/P1050879.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A desk with a new laptop and a very old typewriter is a perfect symbol of the transitions Cuba is experiencing. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lWCM904v7tRFHS_wvpJvhioKbMi_otTxE7wIQFBvYmmocgG7cyIZNYG0skIHLn-uVhbhsNmgqJgjKQXvGpD7zLi-sT39UQj35M_lmUMUkMIDNjsR0J3DbhpVleg7ygDaIHEaiRFMSbOI/s1600/P1050882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6lWCM904v7tRFHS_wvpJvhioKbMi_otTxE7wIQFBvYmmocgG7cyIZNYG0skIHLn-uVhbhsNmgqJgjKQXvGpD7zLi-sT39UQj35M_lmUMUkMIDNjsR0J3DbhpVleg7ygDaIHEaiRFMSbOI/s320/P1050882.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The owners</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOheSR6lS_iZ9euBdOTu42dNiszTJa9IVTbF9emKBw0YgDCzTfA2zLQvmJUwZy-RkTJcT0oYDYFlg1jJI8cWI4cLaxZq_yRFkELaqBHc4GZuG2kPhfpgMU5CaS9WnpeK01iF2aPX16OlQ/s1600/P1050883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOheSR6lS_iZ9euBdOTu42dNiszTJa9IVTbF9emKBw0YgDCzTfA2zLQvmJUwZy-RkTJcT0oYDYFlg1jJI8cWI4cLaxZq_yRFkELaqBHc4GZuG2kPhfpgMU5CaS9WnpeK01iF2aPX16OlQ/s320/P1050883.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A poster and a guitar tell us more about them</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KdQKx-YZ2gg8k32CodMi4BbIfve2oTDKled4ro7_vS6BCVId-SRQsw8anuXSEcWduIogfgSz2pxVUqgoSxmw00JonOdInrxCJE2cae86VizaBesU6KWbreQoSxFy75k1CzhSja0luMuI/s1600/P1050884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4KdQKx-YZ2gg8k32CodMi4BbIfve2oTDKled4ro7_vS6BCVId-SRQsw8anuXSEcWduIogfgSz2pxVUqgoSxmw00JonOdInrxCJE2cae86VizaBesU6KWbreQoSxFy75k1CzhSja0luMuI/s320/P1050884.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An unrestored corner of the living room.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
We walked back through the town to a paladar where one of our choices for lunch was Cuban lobster. I ordered that, expecting it to be small and was amazed to get a tail the size of a Maine lobster with a very similar flavor. It was a bit over-cooked, but really a terrific surprise.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7vmJy8O24WGsreHYnQUm5CN6a9Xk6sfS0j5vzpagvqH9qPMPhPTJ5I6psNVKFXCJw8v8N8UATdW7t2Ryvr6FeHM2eXSQiTYULYRJxdSnhqbYjUUkWJHzvLbvvwz4HJADpuvdtbY-DcMx/s1600/P1050887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7vmJy8O24WGsreHYnQUm5CN6a9Xk6sfS0j5vzpagvqH9qPMPhPTJ5I6psNVKFXCJw8v8N8UATdW7t2Ryvr6FeHM2eXSQiTYULYRJxdSnhqbYjUUkWJHzvLbvvwz4HJADpuvdtbY-DcMx/s320/P1050887.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secondary school students</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GC5bYHs-WocBkwzJlppA4rfmJV2gLCq9TfwYDEHjoID284UjwCFtK7mBM-r7j4XFsnnVqV-T2D-tMhyphenhyphenvD2oz-SWGwnEQOcqMWsrxjBpt1iHhWmok8eun6tKZwIUT6CWRzW__r0Dem-qv/s1600/P1050888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GC5bYHs-WocBkwzJlppA4rfmJV2gLCq9TfwYDEHjoID284UjwCFtK7mBM-r7j4XFsnnVqV-T2D-tMhyphenhyphenvD2oz-SWGwnEQOcqMWsrxjBpt1iHhWmok8eun6tKZwIUT6CWRzW__r0Dem-qv/s320/P1050888.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the tile on this facade</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq1OewQVQSuSCAXGeTPYX-VtEVy8IND8LNpDrHm0spNIk73Up9EOwY8Jx-m7tHikoAdUjFz71E0TuGFZIw72UQt2wjWGBM8pgEMXQQO086aNTKsHGFHGSrXJnD2NjmpaXOITdJHWx5UuF/s1600/P1050889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq1OewQVQSuSCAXGeTPYX-VtEVy8IND8LNpDrHm0spNIk73Up9EOwY8Jx-m7tHikoAdUjFz71E0TuGFZIw72UQt2wjWGBM8pgEMXQQO086aNTKsHGFHGSrXJnD2NjmpaXOITdJHWx5UuF/s320/P1050889.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We saw horse-drawn carts everywhere</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJgVOvbD4EFKzzfDDvAlJ_1HB4CIREAKil2wNh396hhpYaZzV3Dk6L5OwMy-Fyo117UaNkXETam61LdvcVgHJX_1p1nIqhosCq4410QO__MCyF3DVK4Ej5MjWfk4gPLugoKgkADgHY7bV/s1600/P1050891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJgVOvbD4EFKzzfDDvAlJ_1HB4CIREAKil2wNh396hhpYaZzV3Dk6L5OwMy-Fyo117UaNkXETam61LdvcVgHJX_1p1nIqhosCq4410QO__MCyF3DVK4Ej5MjWfk4gPLugoKgkADgHY7bV/s320/P1050891.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0YJWlyA1RFkv-a8D0H76LDp4kHaKg_oAxjFMj5cEoi3k_lqnwaynPGaA1wt2dTWF05cBpbso_cN-kuMcdzWoLBkmVRv2j_ak7TelXmJae-MFGM5Ngnc9PFvECrTxXTxeKdeBWZKuR0hJ/s1600/P1050894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0YJWlyA1RFkv-a8D0H76LDp4kHaKg_oAxjFMj5cEoi3k_lqnwaynPGaA1wt2dTWF05cBpbso_cN-kuMcdzWoLBkmVRv2j_ak7TelXmJae-MFGM5Ngnc9PFvECrTxXTxeKdeBWZKuR0hJ/s320/P1050894.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These musicians entertained us at lunch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhM0xeRptI4kHJYGUsEOHL08JVCFdvXCpA3BSa4Ojk5fsvpdQ2vptKQ8GN6qVOQvkk6yShHX6rqc1ObMXsIDUecQXOUtNRQpXB45jLKSUupL-ntC1i8iZghCxhuugnSgEN_Rp5JevRHAQM/s1600/P1050895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhM0xeRptI4kHJYGUsEOHL08JVCFdvXCpA3BSa4Ojk5fsvpdQ2vptKQ8GN6qVOQvkk6yShHX6rqc1ObMXsIDUecQXOUtNRQpXB45jLKSUupL-ntC1i8iZghCxhuugnSgEN_Rp5JevRHAQM/s320/P1050895.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuban lobster!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5DBDrU4qq_4OmmpU8H0VTZikZ84svKmTUDINFjEErkzV6NqytMEU4ZnZHGhh3PIekzHkPnJ6wT4OSjbBDkeM47xX12aC_6AAu8ct-2fOzplXaOrJkNokkYR5ZT5UNoK26DDucoVr8LM9/s1600/P1050896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5DBDrU4qq_4OmmpU8H0VTZikZ84svKmTUDINFjEErkzV6NqytMEU4ZnZHGhh3PIekzHkPnJ6wT4OSjbBDkeM47xX12aC_6AAu8ct-2fOzplXaOrJkNokkYR5ZT5UNoK26DDucoVr8LM9/s320/P1050896.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classic American cars are everywhere, too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWbOBV-3IqNfKydIIFmU-Auli_ppii9hL6l_ZlQBlTnWWer2YB-iF7-j70iXz1xHEvFCpSm0LwGRXLeX4Y2Lmadq1gEuC87u2mK5h745RKQ1ZfrjfjY8u6cZJeSjGroMpUfR714K7Ni54/s1600/P1050897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWbOBV-3IqNfKydIIFmU-Auli_ppii9hL6l_ZlQBlTnWWer2YB-iF7-j70iXz1xHEvFCpSm0LwGRXLeX4Y2Lmadq1gEuC87u2mK5h745RKQ1ZfrjfjY8u6cZJeSjGroMpUfR714K7Ni54/s320/P1050897.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trinidad street scene</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8Bb8uRJr2wPltzVXdT0R8iBUA8FJz3JVQSOwDd5s4HPXEYCyZTHU73VTnZi2v3691V0GuNtNTgrkPQzpMgMnlpKKhWslPBQv7R0SnREG5wgn4HC3qFjDnF-k-K6rA_UvUbFsfzfoH9sQ/s1600/P1050902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq8Bb8uRJr2wPltzVXdT0R8iBUA8FJz3JVQSOwDd5s4HPXEYCyZTHU73VTnZi2v3691V0GuNtNTgrkPQzpMgMnlpKKhWslPBQv7R0SnREG5wgn4HC3qFjDnF-k-K6rA_UvUbFsfzfoH9sQ/s320/P1050902.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful example of an old Spanish tile floor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZZBNW-otzNr1cYNC6NkdhXYyAn67R_q9_16_sNQGgKLwygiSqeENFxlyrIY0HLm2sjYVlw-xIfT9Ju8OarQb-bBLoX8EeMUXuqck4A-JtqCeXIlcAA-PZFFV9NROWTfdV6ZrEsbUQ2P3/s1600/P1050906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZZBNW-otzNr1cYNC6NkdhXYyAn67R_q9_16_sNQGgKLwygiSqeENFxlyrIY0HLm2sjYVlw-xIfT9Ju8OarQb-bBLoX8EeMUXuqck4A-JtqCeXIlcAA-PZFFV9NROWTfdV6ZrEsbUQ2P3/s320/P1050906.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still in Trinidad, but away from the town center, the streets are paved and the houses are a little newer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
After lunch we went to a pottery that has been in the family of the potters for many generations. The grandfather was working on the wheel and amazed us as he threw out pot after perfectly formed pot as quickly as if he were a machine. Once he finished his ball of clay, he asked for a volunteer to try the art. Our brave volunteer was Joan, from NC and on the tour with two of her adult children—Mark and Alana. Joan is pretty amazing. She was a psycho-therapist and only after retirement took up singing and acting. Her kids say she is fearless and untiring, and the rest of us can see that is true. She HAS tried her hand at pottery in the distant past, although not, she says for a very long time, and that helped her produce a credible pot that even looked like a pot. Our tour leader, Carole, said she did FAR better than any other volunteer she has ever seen. Better her than me. I would have had it all over the floor, I’m sure.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdJ_eefKHVy0d68LRXHSJWED7Bbknkblw-uSH47Za1CFH8gIm-BKKyrBarcNzznMEqamh5GQggaDyqLhbnnyLA4rP7kgLo7JPe1gTAuTPZN0XOm1YHuHvkUEW-ZeNmlEaBeJUaCHb45Rp/s1600/P1050908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdJ_eefKHVy0d68LRXHSJWED7Bbknkblw-uSH47Za1CFH8gIm-BKKyrBarcNzznMEqamh5GQggaDyqLhbnnyLA4rP7kgLo7JPe1gTAuTPZN0XOm1YHuHvkUEW-ZeNmlEaBeJUaCHb45Rp/s320/P1050908.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These look like wind chimes but are not. Very pretty, however.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichLOhBBayK__UVwDnP8q38YNSXhWrFQ4GtbkVmj8dQMkVYXPSz-kHdsb-HU-QsC2D7QlmlDmKnk_a-pMgiNV46QzumctbykoxXYRJNQf9SyV6bDxJAmglOcVXc_sS8gjxQ-RJ2bFdVOHU/s1600/P1050909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichLOhBBayK__UVwDnP8q38YNSXhWrFQ4GtbkVmj8dQMkVYXPSz-kHdsb-HU-QsC2D7QlmlDmKnk_a-pMgiNV46QzumctbykoxXYRJNQf9SyV6bDxJAmglOcVXc_sS8gjxQ-RJ2bFdVOHU/s320/P1050909.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sample of the many pots for sale here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmIJP52bJ_yZMfL5KLnSfDgnrDqYuh4ZjEiaR7ZkWoa_8bkW6TmVJmYduwdV1A1BKkB_RBYR0QX9uuMaNC4DGJ7BS1u1ZF5vMVqUxILLZRDj8p7teN3EipqI6RLD64BnHsbSLh3rn0w9g/s1600/P1050910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmIJP52bJ_yZMfL5KLnSfDgnrDqYuh4ZjEiaR7ZkWoa_8bkW6TmVJmYduwdV1A1BKkB_RBYR0QX9uuMaNC4DGJ7BS1u1ZF5vMVqUxILLZRDj8p7teN3EipqI6RLD64BnHsbSLh3rn0w9g/s320/P1050910.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandpa, the master potter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yWaGVtkodkJ96hJet4dXPR8orjtsxMVVbsx7zoihPthP1Tgiqv_z-gR1U45cM-0cCKnKaqHZPxJgA_z8Zu6OpiD14UczDbasgEWZr2jhzLZIGI573eZ-w3cvU0aPAxea4GbeutAIobqr/s1600/P1050911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yWaGVtkodkJ96hJet4dXPR8orjtsxMVVbsx7zoihPthP1Tgiqv_z-gR1U45cM-0cCKnKaqHZPxJgA_z8Zu6OpiD14UczDbasgEWZr2jhzLZIGI573eZ-w3cvU0aPAxea4GbeutAIobqr/s320/P1050911.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and Joan, the talented novice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
We drove back to Santa Clara and arrived too late to get much rest before we were off for another paladar meal, this time a beautiful plate of cold salad fixings including shrimp. I can’t say how surprised and delighted we have been with the food in Cuba!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Vvz1vpGfDJnbiI_eFHbr8kp1KDl2HXqTcyVdk6S_PXkjkp0a5j9XoXja2zCMX_P12DAAdIwSRjSHTg9AFNkq4qkxCx0JQKaVsWiZR6AEyh7PxOdijppKCMOmZpEuJo-ka3wSh-rU_Uht/s1600/P1050913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Vvz1vpGfDJnbiI_eFHbr8kp1KDl2HXqTcyVdk6S_PXkjkp0a5j9XoXja2zCMX_P12DAAdIwSRjSHTg9AFNkq4qkxCx0JQKaVsWiZR6AEyh7PxOdijppKCMOmZpEuJo-ka3wSh-rU_Uht/s320/P1050913.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The countryside outside of Trinidad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnxLGlTTrjY46PkyW7PdltSLDMOn42PHSLzAwcjqkZwP9ONpmOI_AVBJVpdQHdOJh4-KAeuVY1cmL-dSkLdZmxieFissOe1XodEceP-UwSTuwYvxbna0ZAvQQ8ElvcQrapqS0TmXRU2qV/s1600/P1050915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnxLGlTTrjY46PkyW7PdltSLDMOn42PHSLzAwcjqkZwP9ONpmOI_AVBJVpdQHdOJh4-KAeuVY1cmL-dSkLdZmxieFissOe1XodEceP-UwSTuwYvxbna0ZAvQQ8ElvcQrapqS0TmXRU2qV/s320/P1050915.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This tower was constructed by a sugar baron so he could keep an eye on his slaves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyfvjidN6AsSbiLzCzmHkimk7U7jNZJkIx_F-CAZjQv709YS48LKAU7hcZ96UxDb9tqJOywEHe2BHnh5RoYw2oTjp000YKK1zm3xZUnKQ4X-kiYpK4gCo8nV50MKfqVaplOfd8AuTLajY/s1600/P1050916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyfvjidN6AsSbiLzCzmHkimk7U7jNZJkIx_F-CAZjQv709YS48LKAU7hcZ96UxDb9tqJOywEHe2BHnh5RoYw2oTjp000YKK1zm3xZUnKQ4X-kiYpK4gCo8nV50MKfqVaplOfd8AuTLajY/s320/P1050916.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mEim0EqvoYes6F6WCx8rGXYK6iwiB-W8zKB4dow1_60VCln6Ny1YrKxk5nUzHNx02loHw9S753Ix5iZyT5g1hkU_OLe2zDkJQ7GwZoYp9a3oR9xkMEAmtMqN5lREiQCJuzVEgXH21cTI/s1600/P1050919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mEim0EqvoYes6F6WCx8rGXYK6iwiB-W8zKB4dow1_60VCln6Ny1YrKxk5nUzHNx02loHw9S753Ix5iZyT5g1hkU_OLe2zDkJQ7GwZoYp9a3oR9xkMEAmtMqN5lREiQCJuzVEgXH21cTI/s320/P1050919.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sugar cane. Cane has been the major crop in Cuba from the beginning. It was the reason slavery was introduced here, contributed to the great difference between rich and poor here, and also encouraged foreign ownership of land and over-dependence on imports for food since it was a far more valuable crop. Sugar is also the basis of rum production, making that drink cheap and readily available here. Cuba has few if any drug users, but many alcoholics, we were told.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKprpYdzAEyUu3XkLCfshO890cGnJ1qrLpVA7ZDSGLLy9k4LZyuD9ceevgX0zg9YucvrkyLAdGcHDG3upG6vQht8nh-2stCHQkNWqPnb6e0Q_0QBpf-8aJhnEEXPT6ACRlXNPcV7-IhHa3/s1600/P1050922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKprpYdzAEyUu3XkLCfshO890cGnJ1qrLpVA7ZDSGLLy9k4LZyuD9ceevgX0zg9YucvrkyLAdGcHDG3upG6vQht8nh-2stCHQkNWqPnb6e0Q_0QBpf-8aJhnEEXPT6ACRlXNPcV7-IhHa3/s320/P1050922.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous countryside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCq1iZDA0JKBAyJ5xaGGfol4kMrbfPDfQYUAcSmQWYw99xN947M9R4GNg-U12OyHObpg4VyVxBovz4miH7ZPxusVgxMqw2bhR1mOvQr_pqNBrE6-Z2LjGhgbKaxPffIcLw2Td6jZigIMkm/s1600/P1050923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCq1iZDA0JKBAyJ5xaGGfol4kMrbfPDfQYUAcSmQWYw99xN947M9R4GNg-U12OyHObpg4VyVxBovz4miH7ZPxusVgxMqw2bhR1mOvQr_pqNBrE6-Z2LjGhgbKaxPffIcLw2Td6jZigIMkm/s320/P1050923.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An after work gathering spot along the way</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4GF4Z7_NJIwf6FkC_WFwaNHJz-HUJXkDVjZyuiA2hFAzlqCpii-JJMnFU-UHptLunVMkbFld0mdTXey5mnPqFUxS3E-3W-WfwrjrNLoM0R7E4z87igdIERau6y4AM_06lPT9SYTiLG8Q/s1600/P1050924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4GF4Z7_NJIwf6FkC_WFwaNHJz-HUJXkDVjZyuiA2hFAzlqCpii-JJMnFU-UHptLunVMkbFld0mdTXey5mnPqFUxS3E-3W-WfwrjrNLoM0R7E4z87igdIERau6y4AM_06lPT9SYTiLG8Q/s320/P1050924.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrGj_X_14kXrdkFdwmebocQhqauT0MtR4Llnurji7TOnBilzdlskG6LyWvwmzdxyn7gyMRq9lqYeTRlVwOR0lKP7vt-iKiNiahjlK3tg8l60e9ZTohO5JZHNDkeYHRlgW2JJxGzKaPgzj/s1600/P1050927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrGj_X_14kXrdkFdwmebocQhqauT0MtR4Llnurji7TOnBilzdlskG6LyWvwmzdxyn7gyMRq9lqYeTRlVwOR0lKP7vt-iKiNiahjlK3tg8l60e9ZTohO5JZHNDkeYHRlgW2JJxGzKaPgzj/s320/P1050927.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It rains a lot here. This striking thunderhead means another tropical shower is on the way</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GZmhvkGkizDpTjc-CF-wlF0dgeaYUsoA7ARKEB1BxJoWhWGe7Wx7iwUVcLNyjZpg-b1USV7gX0U56Q18cO9iAz2hmHKQg_aU7BN6HOhyphenhyphen4Vpz3J_YfX3TvVsQTKuOfRRvzDCNC5sPj3yx/s1600/P1050928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0GZmhvkGkizDpTjc-CF-wlF0dgeaYUsoA7ARKEB1BxJoWhWGe7Wx7iwUVcLNyjZpg-b1USV7gX0U56Q18cO9iAz2hmHKQg_aU7BN6HOhyphenhyphen4Vpz3J_YfX3TvVsQTKuOfRRvzDCNC5sPj3yx/s320/P1050928.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was every bit as delicious as it looks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-49770434029765794992015-09-29T19:37:00.004-07:002015-09-30T09:56:39.746-07:00Cienfuegos<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Saturday, September 19. Our first stop this morning was an open air produce market in Santa Clara that is usually crazy jammed with local shoppers. Today, for inexplicable reasons, it was almost deserted. Many empty stalls and hardly any customers. The atmosphere may not have been authentic, but we enjoyed seeing a local market under these conditions. The vendors were selling a variety of fruits and vegetables of course, but also several varieties of rice, beans, and cornmeal. Long strings of onions and garlic and tiny peppers I assumed would be VERY hot like Scotch bonnets, but which turned out to be quite mild.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6YRiOew4rJY86h4a6L26gpKIx6QhzwTV3tYWzT_VheEF9WcMBBivBbEirxt2b9GpbVMo7W0SOwCiuZaqWnsVewsUVWGUilEutP_qflfhrxnagZRMSB8SqWnS5o5ybE8sTMn0_le5moEl/s1600/P1050930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6YRiOew4rJY86h4a6L26gpKIx6QhzwTV3tYWzT_VheEF9WcMBBivBbEirxt2b9GpbVMo7W0SOwCiuZaqWnsVewsUVWGUilEutP_qflfhrxnagZRMSB8SqWnS5o5ybE8sTMn0_le5moEl/s320/P1050930.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fancy stall in the main market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzjVTGU6W3RQMTxx5Ad4TK8hKeeG28pfTIfCp3qFcCuKopQzuAmE6KxI6TeAQtUBfQnt_K-MSqE6jnb-nZOBqsVX_ZndF7DZtReHEDK4U224Gk2IsUunoTOoqIvcJdG92RJRw0ZV03M7v/s1600/P1050936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzjVTGU6W3RQMTxx5Ad4TK8hKeeG28pfTIfCp3qFcCuKopQzuAmE6KxI6TeAQtUBfQnt_K-MSqE6jnb-nZOBqsVX_ZndF7DZtReHEDK4U224Gk2IsUunoTOoqIvcJdG92RJRw0ZV03M7v/s320/P1050936.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The more casual market nearby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxWm1njMYUtJIzSc5zcXjyvuexoJqKIJwc5qE7buLfCb7keeFWAomw1JqcSuYhtaG96J1oclMdivh_kDY-W_WxrPonoVVK5q3H8pD3NPTORkoM4zfhMDISV2JCGCulV2Hir7GLwsXuhWs/s1600/P1050932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxWm1njMYUtJIzSc5zcXjyvuexoJqKIJwc5qE7buLfCb7keeFWAomw1JqcSuYhtaG96J1oclMdivh_kDY-W_WxrPonoVVK5q3H8pD3NPTORkoM4zfhMDISV2JCGCulV2Hir7GLwsXuhWs/s320/P1050932.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny but mild peppers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQ8TpuUUU7fgWPHrksmyKgqMG2Qwby6mFcpxP8TWshzKVnxorGtTq4KvDbS9yn7GzdR-BrQv1nzqi6SExS6R3IcTGK5qOQqOyptW6EMUJIVIAzrO9lWtN5JSGB1l8YjMXH-x5V7LvQEIX/s1600/P1050933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQ8TpuUUU7fgWPHrksmyKgqMG2Qwby6mFcpxP8TWshzKVnxorGtTq4KvDbS9yn7GzdR-BrQv1nzqi6SExS6R3IcTGK5qOQqOyptW6EMUJIVIAzrO9lWtN5JSGB1l8YjMXH-x5V7LvQEIX/s320/P1050933.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beans and rice, a staple of the Cuban diet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nwbqRlCaYXXUtDVnhE6rEw6EMFOLEYWwveNz9T9BUtpHkmot58tcMG4iraecAUOFzG1oO2BgSPEL3vguyy4oXGa9n26VhOv92IsvZ-iwLeCOdvehHqZloy6IGLTNkQSprbyypMxjLDxF/s1600/P1050935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nwbqRlCaYXXUtDVnhE6rEw6EMFOLEYWwveNz9T9BUtpHkmot58tcMG4iraecAUOFzG1oO2BgSPEL3vguyy4oXGa9n26VhOv92IsvZ-iwLeCOdvehHqZloy6IGLTNkQSprbyypMxjLDxF/s320/P1050935.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open air meat market. It must all be sold by 4 pm, but the heat and the flies were off-putting even in the morning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhMszTHOI_k52GvujmERYhx4-9vtQVK7NjzSdtIHMpilpUyB4aLUM_W2VFlL2FSHe8MSoQgorlvqt9YWqcArdl46J92E80uDOfKWAQ3kBFgWdPnJsTvrskE9sqpwM7Gqkchwh2BIjIuUi/s1600/P1050937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhMszTHOI_k52GvujmERYhx4-9vtQVK7NjzSdtIHMpilpUyB4aLUM_W2VFlL2FSHe8MSoQgorlvqt9YWqcArdl46J92E80uDOfKWAQ3kBFgWdPnJsTvrskE9sqpwM7Gqkchwh2BIjIuUi/s320/P1050937.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite stall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hPYDJKDyXUXBVWZ9Cuw9DOrnd7121u6iZ5yNsW3F5_-mGEoqILWiSbtFzu7aEj2Y-paiM2R6gYYNBYgVu4HVtj1oViUU1HbftvE6v-GSwpTILI83NO7ccKxaR8szIUOojmb8iWC3znMf/s1600/P1050938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hPYDJKDyXUXBVWZ9Cuw9DOrnd7121u6iZ5yNsW3F5_-mGEoqILWiSbtFzu7aEj2Y-paiM2R6gYYNBYgVu4HVtj1oViUU1HbftvE6v-GSwpTILI83NO7ccKxaR8szIUOojmb8iWC3znMf/s320/P1050938.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2v2WQ5YL5xrcvBeE8gtC_oLWyV-P-VrHFoPqrhJTZxfIXzGZ3umDT_B8VLZ2tW1dugE99-NPjHloCMmDpxo6RW7PbAhx5W_lXd_9K-SIUwxiMbY_aFyXGWO1C4L6OXT-KFBNZHNZvMGON/s1600/P1050939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2v2WQ5YL5xrcvBeE8gtC_oLWyV-P-VrHFoPqrhJTZxfIXzGZ3umDT_B8VLZ2tW1dugE99-NPjHloCMmDpxo6RW7PbAhx5W_lXd_9K-SIUwxiMbY_aFyXGWO1C4L6OXT-KFBNZHNZvMGON/s320/P1050939.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNykhpbh_IIP23xXIFR1nsUz4WNHNIUI0t76-LBW5XmRg2VMA3zDgZnyuW4diKl4S7jilsCL4XpqgQqKybxBizFbOuXWmjn93C_dtDzE1wA6dbrrG7z4TZQBUo7eK_eYht24LopVwIxYbP/s1600/P1050940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNykhpbh_IIP23xXIFR1nsUz4WNHNIUI0t76-LBW5XmRg2VMA3zDgZnyuW4diKl4S7jilsCL4XpqgQqKybxBizFbOuXWmjn93C_dtDzE1wA6dbrrG7z4TZQBUo7eK_eYht24LopVwIxYbP/s320/P1050940.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plantains, not bananas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHTNy6t56eYjO59pH3UXfuEgCuLvG6qJjxsVFg8tuWOmu2WA3K61DJnVyXZ6wt5f4bHzRP6v9kjhr2VhZQy2vhAln_TrGi23YoP7gkNl4bHtpgK6-nSRHvWeZpnf7gKNGb5FpO7-Ki-cj/s1600/P1050941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHTNy6t56eYjO59pH3UXfuEgCuLvG6qJjxsVFg8tuWOmu2WA3K61DJnVyXZ6wt5f4bHzRP6v9kjhr2VhZQy2vhAln_TrGi23YoP7gkNl4bHtpgK6-nSRHvWeZpnf7gKNGb5FpO7-Ki-cj/s320/P1050941.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strings of onions and garlic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eEEkRovxu07hNgxJQPJvzk5fo3rltKx_IaWlhIwWnFf4ccrU3M6ypCofP0aIua3EGkqaO2BzNNMkZx5h-jjbT48LA7V4opQ1YU5zaCr3-9Qf6mVrzfMn3wk8JA_D_QKwq1CsohMKIvvx/s1600/P1050942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eEEkRovxu07hNgxJQPJvzk5fo3rltKx_IaWlhIwWnFf4ccrU3M6ypCofP0aIua3EGkqaO2BzNNMkZx5h-jjbT48LA7V4opQ1YU5zaCr3-9Qf6mVrzfMn3wk8JA_D_QKwq1CsohMKIvvx/s320/P1050942.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ate squash nearly every day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
After the market we returned to the paladar where we had lunch on Thursday but this time for a midmorning visit with Los Abuelos, a fun-loving group of Cuban retirees who shared an old-time dance called the dançon, gave us a lesson on the romantic language of the fan, and taught us to play a game with a stick that you use to flip a smaller stick into the air and then hit it as far as you can. It sounds kind of dumb, but it was actually a lot of fun and because the equipment is so simple, it's something all Cuban children can grow up playing.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NTdNgLhWFtAMvP8w66I-xNktuOHqvwNpL8RoH_eogluI0_OMyVioavLL1-8WbWskdSK66Y7Dk1oPOtSQWkhExnYnefv4-twtnxIuc3mQWkTMTB8MsRJp9bJgLzw0TAvhltWQ-xXZBjRW/s1600/P1050798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NTdNgLhWFtAMvP8w66I-xNktuOHqvwNpL8RoH_eogluI0_OMyVioavLL1-8WbWskdSK66Y7Dk1oPOtSQWkhExnYnefv4-twtnxIuc3mQWkTMTB8MsRJp9bJgLzw0TAvhltWQ-xXZBjRW/s320/P1050798.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fans allowed these ladies to "talk" to boys even when their chaperones were watching</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjG8Qn2AT4NPIJddkB6VHHP4P0qoIcRbADCCwZ8GRgVAAtJKEChVM7HY5Qik1SfNyjf42LTtqeDtUpeyO8j415yun5al5TyeLaETVYTTuX2cVTkNtmwah_JnrikhQ62YdbKByEHV263a2/s1600/P1050946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjG8Qn2AT4NPIJddkB6VHHP4P0qoIcRbADCCwZ8GRgVAAtJKEChVM7HY5Qik1SfNyjf42LTtqeDtUpeyO8j415yun5al5TyeLaETVYTTuX2cVTkNtmwah_JnrikhQ62YdbKByEHV263a2/s320/P1050946.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dançon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfNQCwUCCOdijiwC4fTqR47DPEkjOjTERQpJ6Qo_kG_yl0btxp6d_NjnHCicL2dpD_kUJrIlM8tv62KqOG6zmiSVdEuLmITzsZcesuMgL_vFjc_EU9NNOQF7-uPTnoBcZRm_yyjSFJNaY/s1600/P1050947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfNQCwUCCOdijiwC4fTqR47DPEkjOjTERQpJ6Qo_kG_yl0btxp6d_NjnHCicL2dpD_kUJrIlM8tv62KqOG6zmiSVdEuLmITzsZcesuMgL_vFjc_EU9NNOQF7-uPTnoBcZRm_yyjSFJNaY/s320/P1050947.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN28dYccc09fW1wQwX5vku6nGA_Fn7vyr_2t7ynROVPZEyFNBNQvgCgFqIfb55zK4kRyt0KP9-RuBPaApJcOyvljSFAIBC72mF0myGq0_cYe1yVccgJPjIqnxLaVHHfv09o64jDUBVagj8/s1600/P1050948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN28dYccc09fW1wQwX5vku6nGA_Fn7vyr_2t7ynROVPZEyFNBNQvgCgFqIfb55zK4kRyt0KP9-RuBPaApJcOyvljSFAIBC72mF0myGq0_cYe1yVccgJPjIqnxLaVHHfv09o64jDUBVagj8/s320/P1050948.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking back to the bus we wanted to photograph the poster of Pope Francis on this door. We tried and tried to wave this gentleman on until finally he told us this was HIS house and he was waiting for us to finish before opening the door. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA63X3bA8sfLw9XxUGNm5i_Bbw-8Y4qUi1zfVxoxAuiZVYHRxgFMpjXVfz8xAEO80HvoThAhKWYigRd3Fntv5SgNbyz-1cS5394wSVD3I0vVCCt8Os6PHkZhGgomVZpD42b6ssEwA_O5NF/s1600/P1050949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA63X3bA8sfLw9XxUGNm5i_Bbw-8Y4qUi1zfVxoxAuiZVYHRxgFMpjXVfz8xAEO80HvoThAhKWYigRd3Fntv5SgNbyz-1cS5394wSVD3I0vVCCt8Os6PHkZhGgomVZpD42b6ssEwA_O5NF/s320/P1050949.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIeT_yndun74rmK56t5yJ2hIB9MzKlB4Dpf-Yyje5Dh6ggmR-7UwXIkX-3_N4Zms-paMAm9yTc25cEg-kENBLtgjRpfaCtOfhTf3eeLlZX62_0t1pvLKBLWkFY3HOwdC-UEOR3IQOvSCW/s1600/P1050953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIeT_yndun74rmK56t5yJ2hIB9MzKlB4Dpf-Yyje5Dh6ggmR-7UwXIkX-3_N4Zms-paMAm9yTc25cEg-kENBLtgjRpfaCtOfhTf3eeLlZX62_0t1pvLKBLWkFY3HOwdC-UEOR3IQOvSCW/s320/P1050953.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A ration book. Each Cuban family has one of these, enabling them to buy staples for very low prices. Without rations, most Cubans would find it very difficult to afford necessities because Cuban wages are very low.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodMsVKqVxgVrPkP8ieG06c8iXiPJJ0fGv-17V8ziGsiGa0HoMrYEgV25PMWBBV2A27bGlIliQxFKyjqrbsk0_ICKHyQvUpacw_IMV1b0n6HxX11Jdqw2FEdsXUMDNrGM-Orp6N2TnI6uG/s1600/P1050952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodMsVKqVxgVrPkP8ieG06c8iXiPJJ0fGv-17V8ziGsiGa0HoMrYEgV25PMWBBV2A27bGlIliQxFKyjqrbsk0_ICKHyQvUpacw_IMV1b0n6HxX11Jdqw2FEdsXUMDNrGM-Orp6N2TnI6uG/s320/P1050952.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ration book lists the number of people in the household and the items they can purchase as they become available. Not everything is available every day, so shopping is tricky. Cuban households are large because they contain many generations, grandparents, mom and dad, aunts and uncles, cousins. These extended families are the primary reason there are no homeless people in Cuba. As long as you have a family, they will care for you. The few people without family fall to the state, but their numbers are very few.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
Soon we were back on the bus and on our way to Cienfuegos. Lovely city! It is situated on a large sheltered bay and is a charming old waterfront town with lots of the attractive homes that were built in the 1800s by French settlers who had come to Cuba from New Orleans. Wide continuous porches provide both shade and shelter from rain. There was a time in Cuba when it was mandated by law that there be no barrier between porches just for this purpose. Lunch was in a beautiful paladar on the water. Another excellent meal, served in the gracious Cuban style with a welcome drink followed by course after course of fresh and flavorful food.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ09dXc4VsJGOchIK_EZS78Vt1d7WMXXmFJZH8i8GC2_Gx7wE1arwSVK-lAyaWIPoO9z5gkIiGqmU45ST5JXHLxDvPorMVIjuToQb3pN2JJYxKy2Q9jcQ3_ymmvkzN8cpAy0XTQDxCgXnB/s1600/P1050958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ09dXc4VsJGOchIK_EZS78Vt1d7WMXXmFJZH8i8GC2_Gx7wE1arwSVK-lAyaWIPoO9z5gkIiGqmU45ST5JXHLxDvPorMVIjuToQb3pN2JJYxKy2Q9jcQ3_ymmvkzN8cpAy0XTQDxCgXnB/s320/P1050958.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colonial era homes with connecting front porches</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemQIltj16P1pOt09UK3anSKVKULPBUeO0FHZlIbAn1bwH3hTFqNhXlv0YarSisqySxfDwML6w7Hle-1lL18m5pry7WgEvSPtQF02a_rQxgPqydtTDNV3cajTt-bNmQMS_VAILdw7YCjMe/s1600/P1050961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemQIltj16P1pOt09UK3anSKVKULPBUeO0FHZlIbAn1bwH3hTFqNhXlv0YarSisqySxfDwML6w7Hle-1lL18m5pry7WgEvSPtQF02a_rQxgPqydtTDNV3cajTt-bNmQMS_VAILdw7YCjMe/s320/P1050961.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Newer porches, still offering continuous shelter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nEaLL_zeOt2j7tMOxGxW7lERC9ABVu96MSvNmqANuZL306HnhDGLGjXid0MUruNzXeNDH1vds5WcHwfPXlA-665Gs6Gp7_dedKPxy0PHnI-3WZPT2LvGNXyg-LREPUHsvhi7Heoky7QD/s1600/P1050965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nEaLL_zeOt2j7tMOxGxW7lERC9ABVu96MSvNmqANuZL306HnhDGLGjXid0MUruNzXeNDH1vds5WcHwfPXlA-665Gs6Gp7_dedKPxy0PHnI-3WZPT2LvGNXyg-LREPUHsvhi7Heoky7QD/s320/P1050965.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty beachfront</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_HMMJwMasRzo4vwrHOgoxbkzbGSL2gz4-L5GjB_TY7-EhFqpRWnQf74WJ1wusxeCZ4dbt141XOYzXTevb3UCJPZyfsGo1LA0TKk3YtsPRsFy-6ZYEld4qMsRbQsjk66CDXK7uFUw_fI2/s1600/P1050968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_HMMJwMasRzo4vwrHOgoxbkzbGSL2gz4-L5GjB_TY7-EhFqpRWnQf74WJ1wusxeCZ4dbt141XOYzXTevb3UCJPZyfsGo1LA0TKk3YtsPRsFy-6ZYEld4qMsRbQsjk66CDXK7uFUw_fI2/s320/P1050968.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The paladar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wcXiuS2Pjnx69x4rjRtR989V9PAY2LQmDq80-C2Fc5-0EHrnG_T8WhEiBmhyMPjMOPapKy5yixWOZbi1eaRVf68jgxJKjfvkbYVxvXyQbgTPhggt0vgTX7wHjzvgDW8UWYpDPT5sfy05/s1600/P1050969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wcXiuS2Pjnx69x4rjRtR989V9PAY2LQmDq80-C2Fc5-0EHrnG_T8WhEiBmhyMPjMOPapKy5yixWOZbi1eaRVf68jgxJKjfvkbYVxvXyQbgTPhggt0vgTX7wHjzvgDW8UWYpDPT5sfy05/s320/P1050969.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtr6rPeGhL1V-v1RlhfS2iAkn6sRFZY-do2K-ZVTTi_rfUQrOFPCaLlTHW24BZvOczf0FAq5xJ0UIuIv9C4EipAvTrH_KcTh4vwCIAgfhewS-B9Tud_xxQC_TXgjwuKHYWsdQQ_mp595cP/s1600/P1050971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtr6rPeGhL1V-v1RlhfS2iAkn6sRFZY-do2K-ZVTTi_rfUQrOFPCaLlTHW24BZvOczf0FAq5xJ0UIuIv9C4EipAvTrH_KcTh4vwCIAgfhewS-B9Tud_xxQC_TXgjwuKHYWsdQQ_mp595cP/s320/P1050971.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgIJL0n1-5ruYuTx3949q04CAmWVR13THPwZZDF7L3AhRhY_fC0SJYPPZPRl2-w2ZudfqQdfiJMc89La-UYGb2b3XoA9WcSSEUAHShQ2r4PSS2u5ymp8XInl6W-bJUmujeD5l7tMylZk7/s1600/P1050972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgIJL0n1-5ruYuTx3949q04CAmWVR13THPwZZDF7L3AhRhY_fC0SJYPPZPRl2-w2ZudfqQdfiJMc89La-UYGb2b3XoA9WcSSEUAHShQ2r4PSS2u5ymp8XInl6W-bJUmujeD5l7tMylZk7/s320/P1050972.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTOFN4zFpig8y5IsBATUqUd2_BIbO_Y6V2Nrmx0me-6mIOg7owi_klxYJeZXRh7Jm6Nl0WQmpPpMEZ_E5suvUzVBimwT4Jmv2hCz8f_uIXqfBTfF3Ru2aDsRsW50XELETS69B5NTVJpLG/s1600/P1050973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDTOFN4zFpig8y5IsBATUqUd2_BIbO_Y6V2Nrmx0me-6mIOg7owi_klxYJeZXRh7Jm6Nl0WQmpPpMEZ_E5suvUzVBimwT4Jmv2hCz8f_uIXqfBTfF3Ru2aDsRsW50XELETS69B5NTVJpLG/s320/P1050973.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free bananas!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bjwmKzxuk8c6QVmTF0yluBbpq78OJJ-Jlj8efayVMm_kUvIDJHZMl96mvXO_nCJ_X-zNM4q3rnaGoXUJP3ebRaV_RoHxAHdp8nkZHYME1cqKNi5sNCyzL7QfvfQqS1Fxvh905TAYnyQT/s1600/P1050974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bjwmKzxuk8c6QVmTF0yluBbpq78OJJ-Jlj8efayVMm_kUvIDJHZMl96mvXO_nCJ_X-zNM4q3rnaGoXUJP3ebRaV_RoHxAHdp8nkZHYME1cqKNi5sNCyzL7QfvfQqS1Fxvh905TAYnyQT/s320/P1050974.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAPVDOE73Gulyxmy8Dry6OvvQ_7qjkkDJdFN8yKY70sfquC9LQs2HU9latGiFvXlb5RhGHuWkJaBSlJthiC3VVFsfpHaB5NdlhzsS3EA0wTNdcjnjnR3thxiHVzKpstS_4OaxMTiEvZVW/s1600/P1050975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAPVDOE73Gulyxmy8Dry6OvvQ_7qjkkDJdFN8yKY70sfquC9LQs2HU9latGiFvXlb5RhGHuWkJaBSlJthiC3VVFsfpHaB5NdlhzsS3EA0wTNdcjnjnR3thxiHVzKpstS_4OaxMTiEvZVW/s320/P1050975.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dock and the bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjej3_CcVpxaiX2eVt04OPGDmd-XvXsNp73c05Nqoi-YkrhlnruU4P3cb-l3HejxNKe2I8mM1CYr16oSeB580Zgxzdiaixw8zVyoSAaKEaw8bIsZzcGRgTQ_5KefdCw6J2RBrqMBuhIWtNk/s1600/P1050976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjej3_CcVpxaiX2eVt04OPGDmd-XvXsNp73c05Nqoi-YkrhlnruU4P3cb-l3HejxNKe2I8mM1CYr16oSeB580Zgxzdiaixw8zVyoSAaKEaw8bIsZzcGRgTQ_5KefdCw6J2RBrqMBuhIWtNk/s320/P1050976.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Appetizers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
After lunch we had the opportunity to stroll the promenade, see a statue of the famous Cuban musician Benny Moré, and visit two stores. The first was a store where local people shop and the accepted currency is the Cuban peso. These are worth only about a quarter of the value of the other currency used in Cuba, the CUC, which is the official currency and also what visitors like us typically use. This first store was selling all kinds of goods, rather like a thrift store, with very cheap prices. The second store dealt in CUC's, was a more official store, and sold things like appliances, TVs, and electronics for very high prices even by our standards. We asked how Cubans can possibly afford these prices and were told they use “Cuban magic.” Apparently that has to do with working several jobs and/or having relatives in America.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeYxlyJAm-PLe6qQLHHnEVcphj0q1tkNyhgFfJTckqirg8FViaTWeiTyAx8XBDr0gnMzzH-n9lFOdaKeKpUQ7gCv5qSBeMbMNAQiN0k9Y_BxFD1pzG2iF-lQZj9pfhXXYQaZ4bHr82bqE/s1600/P1050977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeYxlyJAm-PLe6qQLHHnEVcphj0q1tkNyhgFfJTckqirg8FViaTWeiTyAx8XBDr0gnMzzH-n9lFOdaKeKpUQ7gCv5qSBeMbMNAQiN0k9Y_BxFD1pzG2iF-lQZj9pfhXXYQaZ4bHr82bqE/s320/P1050977.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cienfuegos is really lovely</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwm58mNgMvfU9mRR_ZtvP7pEkKiE1_6JOeDS75_BmzXYtBIPytMM5L1GJCp70ysKOKFuhgCohbrynd_Sk8tnjwC6P_IXxkae6C31WLg1XiyXJPtaSqkKkpUi1_KDVNWG4TxGjZfntX4im/s1600/P1050978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwm58mNgMvfU9mRR_ZtvP7pEkKiE1_6JOeDS75_BmzXYtBIPytMM5L1GJCp70ysKOKFuhgCohbrynd_Sk8tnjwC6P_IXxkae6C31WLg1XiyXJPtaSqkKkpUi1_KDVNWG4TxGjZfntX4im/s320/P1050978.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV0LN0AzFKZE5vMdVZrWyzaVxJ0niZCbSyP4By5AcjgH2Edk3R5gVkrf26ysHPT5DPO2PgMaASTIV_lGaOSXVla3rlYpU-qgRWwzuy8_gsHhFjyNRV66WYMGTpivaaxM14V6Zi6TRKmKr/s1600/P1050979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV0LN0AzFKZE5vMdVZrWyzaVxJ0niZCbSyP4By5AcjgH2Edk3R5gVkrf26ysHPT5DPO2PgMaASTIV_lGaOSXVla3rlYpU-qgRWwzuy8_gsHhFjyNRV66WYMGTpivaaxM14V6Zi6TRKmKr/s320/P1050979.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Zcya6bBKzPDA9jWTiLUQWEMGUDY4gZZCPzSQOKfnEuEk9sfgq1wCZ8Cp8YKMCIX1r_so_wuKAcWlLzaXZE5cMkSTUrhGSWJp_gf0Gh-PGNWr3-ro7Hx13oEdv8MwARYP_e5nVGKu7XW6/s1600/P1050980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Zcya6bBKzPDA9jWTiLUQWEMGUDY4gZZCPzSQOKfnEuEk9sfgq1wCZ8Cp8YKMCIX1r_so_wuKAcWlLzaXZE5cMkSTUrhGSWJp_gf0Gh-PGNWr3-ro7Hx13oEdv8MwARYP_e5nVGKu7XW6/s320/P1050980.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2FQn3eENKRGbrxgvKJw19bA4aZ-ycvzOL1URllTPq62CAERPP3lgXpnk1YlVdX61OB-5vTBwvjTJw89AcnmYykWl1cKgw3vWIdMwqekOBcYwmZYDRCkaz27tJ0uThpsIZgKKopds61tL/s1600/P1050982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2FQn3eENKRGbrxgvKJw19bA4aZ-ycvzOL1URllTPq62CAERPP3lgXpnk1YlVdX61OB-5vTBwvjTJw89AcnmYykWl1cKgw3vWIdMwqekOBcYwmZYDRCkaz27tJ0uThpsIZgKKopds61tL/s320/P1050982.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2M1gP4RE95wmK8kgIXN2Hm1R-7juaWOM75XC4mJdKr3MJYOLbdRvy6VQfInE5u-Cc-mDJ4qsQTmpCy4mXKfb5JDDnPK5EDTqLY3Vom-W1TaNJD4dGbqAMX8oV-gZrXyswvl2n34WzQvg/s1600/P1050983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2M1gP4RE95wmK8kgIXN2Hm1R-7juaWOM75XC4mJdKr3MJYOLbdRvy6VQfInE5u-Cc-mDJ4qsQTmpCy4mXKfb5JDDnPK5EDTqLY3Vom-W1TaNJD4dGbqAMX8oV-gZrXyswvl2n34WzQvg/s320/P1050983.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLA2uANgvWrQphOyenpsJ8zAedkFDgevZO3Yxq_aP4O30gvMaRPxBWtOV1r3-Q1mpUtnX8VDriyqoiLXBPdBr_RYUHBEBdKRSfdis4swgaFhUtNeDdsszEfK3uJ5IkOoyb1pYL6XNFGYOa/s1600/P1050985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLA2uANgvWrQphOyenpsJ8zAedkFDgevZO3Yxq_aP4O30gvMaRPxBWtOV1r3-Q1mpUtnX8VDriyqoiLXBPdBr_RYUHBEBdKRSfdis4swgaFhUtNeDdsszEfK3uJ5IkOoyb1pYL6XNFGYOa/s320/P1050985.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2_yiP9FwR0TdbG9kkgWPkPJQqOaKnIpREb0I1PLCwQDbANIuFk_Wxs5vjUPhS4eKx2ZDRKFbUlLMkuS-UUzzE31yto_IUaxTdyQucEXkrlhawnKs9b6cazfSqKU7JWPStQGwcIysEQwd/s1600/P1050986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2_yiP9FwR0TdbG9kkgWPkPJQqOaKnIpREb0I1PLCwQDbANIuFk_Wxs5vjUPhS4eKx2ZDRKFbUlLMkuS-UUzzE31yto_IUaxTdyQucEXkrlhawnKs9b6cazfSqKU7JWPStQGwcIysEQwd/s320/P1050986.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phone booth. We've seen lots of these.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjRu0xQdiNd2lv9BEjz5yiP1Fmmovl2BvsUVX_-7PV6BUjJlXSO4Q5Z-IRp0lxAXg5WD4mkad0wS76ROWQdU3x9BqShBMgYPiAWMlj3Gv4W7eBdgb_tIOXWvQhgtmNoLfiGeMQ7VDKcXV/s1600/P1050987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjRu0xQdiNd2lv9BEjz5yiP1Fmmovl2BvsUVX_-7PV6BUjJlXSO4Q5Z-IRp0lxAXg5WD4mkad0wS76ROWQdU3x9BqShBMgYPiAWMlj3Gv4W7eBdgb_tIOXWvQhgtmNoLfiGeMQ7VDKcXV/s320/P1050987.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pesos store</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEzNolofcPFoSJz4bZhXXSTR7iEIzfFNm2JqmG61jUHM1c_RcpES6WyW9TG1anLPaQ7OAKNeDmeM8ffaUhM-R2RoVOUtOfsTmkMm6EO9_ppPT-gVrLZIkIkLvnEUoP3SfUe7jB42E9neO/s1600/P1050988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEzNolofcPFoSJz4bZhXXSTR7iEIzfFNm2JqmG61jUHM1c_RcpES6WyW9TG1anLPaQ7OAKNeDmeM8ffaUhM-R2RoVOUtOfsTmkMm6EO9_ppPT-gVrLZIkIkLvnEUoP3SfUe7jB42E9neO/s320/P1050988.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNN_vdzNqF3rdtrOrwNOTdGVXcsblhJ8Jj4UHIL7QNxmVASI15FMHgkUwrh2Q86PnXYEpmliNU82rrH4PsxTKM6lNH4prQtFSrlKWtyKIArzMnWJMgayB2STsnmG2tw9Z3Ay8TeIYm6ppJ/s1600/P1050989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNN_vdzNqF3rdtrOrwNOTdGVXcsblhJ8Jj4UHIL7QNxmVASI15FMHgkUwrh2Q86PnXYEpmliNU82rrH4PsxTKM6lNH4prQtFSrlKWtyKIArzMnWJMgayB2STsnmG2tw9Z3Ay8TeIYm6ppJ/s320/P1050989.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even fabrics are for sale here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ixl7m1LUyJASDmi7LDhgvRUU76EUCf2ncrbZ5rsVVq410QnflMx13QR9EiaJ7txwfz_fH7LZzc-C2lU7E87tiwlBqalcAHQ0lQvjjce54b2Bdgy1CrT0aQd0R4fvjU9idqXJ5Q5OIQyq/s1600/P1050990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ixl7m1LUyJASDmi7LDhgvRUU76EUCf2ncrbZ5rsVVq410QnflMx13QR9EiaJ7txwfz_fH7LZzc-C2lU7E87tiwlBqalcAHQ0lQvjjce54b2Bdgy1CrT0aQd0R4fvjU9idqXJ5Q5OIQyq/s320/P1050990.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More fabrics</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTy2yZAwj9MVYz1Z7UHUT8sC5jtFutCzDpsrIOfGh05qWN6QeybmIF80LTT9dSk0mQwVqRXO5Rf4Hdl1Ms2BMGZd2TMOhGMJZ1UgiOgU7P0IBpDV3S7-J2eMQBDjGSXChl034oqrKzIU_/s1600/P1050992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTy2yZAwj9MVYz1Z7UHUT8sC5jtFutCzDpsrIOfGh05qWN6QeybmIF80LTT9dSk0mQwVqRXO5Rf4Hdl1Ms2BMGZd2TMOhGMJZ1UgiOgU7P0IBpDV3S7-J2eMQBDjGSXChl034oqrKzIU_/s320/P1050992.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pricy CUC store</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcVU5uo-_5h3o4COFqw6bPaIk_f7kbG6GcEKSNssrlgxK9GPkpWZg4jB43D7yJFfYWZbohwB5C2-2BQIXqjpk0p8mBGgl2SYD-ntT-I0Uh4GUbIIAotowwA6niCzgixsMV3u43KDZk0nr/s1600/P1050993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcVU5uo-_5h3o4COFqw6bPaIk_f7kbG6GcEKSNssrlgxK9GPkpWZg4jB43D7yJFfYWZbohwB5C2-2BQIXqjpk0p8mBGgl2SYD-ntT-I0Uh4GUbIIAotowwA6niCzgixsMV3u43KDZk0nr/s320/P1050993.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These flat screen TVs were around 1000 CUCs. The exchange rate is 87.3 CUCs to a US dollar, so these seemed very expensive to us</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Next we saw a beautiful theater that was built in 1895 with funds donated by a man who was not Cuban but had lived in Cienfuegos for a time, was fond of it, and left funds for the theater to the city in his will. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday there is some sort of concert or play in this theater for which Cubans pay very modest prices, never more than 10 CUCs, usually less. We were impressed that the Cuban government supports the arts and makes cultural events available to their citizens in this way.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Cj3oNsheGO8Ezfi06YclrBaBZRnnmHxmypWc9Iox0aevPoFzeDRD3qWEKKZXx04CmxaC-Geikh_8Hjmib7WhUv9ved3xyJtDFx7cpegKqN6flcUZ_SKF0N-0zUESvZzxyUV6sWXVkIGo/s1600/P1050994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Cj3oNsheGO8Ezfi06YclrBaBZRnnmHxmypWc9Iox0aevPoFzeDRD3qWEKKZXx04CmxaC-Geikh_8Hjmib7WhUv9ved3xyJtDFx7cpegKqN6flcUZ_SKF0N-0zUESvZzxyUV6sWXVkIGo/s320/P1050994.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMkOxMcJhXKwlFQGurxDGERBK32qBp4fKDC80aPAH2Xf2UqvJ0Mkvo206moX40Hj-AFTTtWxnDg2Z53Nyv1DD1hw1R9bf4IW0fdWluYrhvjTV0nfTn5P9FAmsUzudZrjLvdcVN7YsRxBn/s1600/P1050997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMkOxMcJhXKwlFQGurxDGERBK32qBp4fKDC80aPAH2Xf2UqvJ0Mkvo206moX40Hj-AFTTtWxnDg2Z53Nyv1DD1hw1R9bf4IW0fdWluYrhvjTV0nfTn5P9FAmsUzudZrjLvdcVN7YsRxBn/s320/P1050997.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQCPzKg77ZovQVj3vQr3UAdBhT62jfZdrmJ2Pcw5Ose5UbBa8sxA2YAtvjBIVzssdLuCGoNCap_UlGKvE42_QjtXUr3rDZ5OXJ4V-9lrWKQ1XhZe_Wlepm4GbTTwrnzYcpdPA1zfHlGqq/s1600/P1050999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQCPzKg77ZovQVj3vQr3UAdBhT62jfZdrmJ2Pcw5Ose5UbBa8sxA2YAtvjBIVzssdLuCGoNCap_UlGKvE42_QjtXUr3rDZ5OXJ4V-9lrWKQ1XhZe_Wlepm4GbTTwrnzYcpdPA1zfHlGqq/s320/P1050999.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSwgnlREmjWsBK_0XiZ0pqnnhqkKeft86n-vu-tK__acee4GSB_9-iKQjut-fqD1QkghfMYSVKYzRxD98x4YF5RLZSjF3WqnYpFLbE__R__73aC3jywvF85Fd32w91lo6WZTuVG_VB-CI/s1600/P1060001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSwgnlREmjWsBK_0XiZ0pqnnhqkKeft86n-vu-tK__acee4GSB_9-iKQjut-fqD1QkghfMYSVKYzRxD98x4YF5RLZSjF3WqnYpFLbE__R__73aC3jywvF85Fd32w91lo6WZTuVG_VB-CI/s320/P1060001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
We wandered around the square for a bit, I on my own because most others were more interested in finding some shade than in seeing what there was to see. The crime rate in Cuba is said to be very low, and none of us ever felt threatened in any way while we were there. Even on my solitary stroll as I approached groups of men, I did so confident that I would be safe, a feeling I don’t usually have in countries where I don’t feel at home—or even in the States on occasion. One man I passed asked where I was from and when I replied USA, he broke into a grin, and said, "Americans are good people but bone shit politicians." I laughed and told him he had nailed it. Considering how we have treated Cuba for the last half century, all of us have been surprised to find that Cubans welcome us so warmly. They are happy that relations between our countries are being restored and hopeful we will all see a new era of cooperation and prosperity for Cubans. They are not at all bitter toward us. This country is a real pleasure to visit in so many ways.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYGgOEm29fY9vwLonX4Y472O06zvQ5Z8PGH6ja28LMUfhsKvAf2RsVLhVbFym_lqwPa3y-qH57PCc2u1futMU2OKUAwwlNalSyRXj0msN1k__ctd4_3QUNlBrbN-qW5grHNSx6xiNwlIp/s1600/P1060002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYGgOEm29fY9vwLonX4Y472O06zvQ5Z8PGH6ja28LMUfhsKvAf2RsVLhVbFym_lqwPa3y-qH57PCc2u1futMU2OKUAwwlNalSyRXj0msN1k__ctd4_3QUNlBrbN-qW5grHNSx6xiNwlIp/s320/P1060002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Music is everywhere in Cuba</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvKW7xDq41KXavtGv_imbbg3rHn86N4tGcas10INBO0EL85rRvg-RnZ8ZJzD0Pn3U4iR3eXejx1ybMLurKuiMeQQ06uP-DMY32AMD8vkmOy_htu_W0MvYtfdUeFoVXg7OLVgOC7DlhQ2T/s1600/P1060004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvKW7xDq41KXavtGv_imbbg3rHn86N4tGcas10INBO0EL85rRvg-RnZ8ZJzD0Pn3U4iR3eXejx1ybMLurKuiMeQQ06uP-DMY32AMD8vkmOy_htu_W0MvYtfdUeFoVXg7OLVgOC7DlhQ2T/s320/P1060004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomas Terry, the town benefactor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQY50Z__sWv2P64bgqZqjT_fRaphfB49ADUZTgWK9AqiQLp_7AYokg4tZ1z12S2QxF9feKbsgwsnL3P-GZiTzBlM096psCi9NW-Kj701pKzRwZdlsbJMQhBLYnLvFOKERM0M74OgD3A3Sv/s1600/P1060006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQY50Z__sWv2P64bgqZqjT_fRaphfB49ADUZTgWK9AqiQLp_7AYokg4tZ1z12S2QxF9feKbsgwsnL3P-GZiTzBlM096psCi9NW-Kj701pKzRwZdlsbJMQhBLYnLvFOKERM0M74OgD3A3Sv/s320/P1060006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tomas Terry theater</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhER6AdkFj8i2rTL2xnCK_JIPKSuSOzmBVhakCnRoTHm85dC5MNZySqLEkIOjb_vzvoELTEG7-sMPj-4T2t4JJ_TPmzSBd62HOBXvH_QC5Id18lEhI5ZPLMy9yFIcVu1CIg0__uP_zuOfNG/s1600/P1060007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhER6AdkFj8i2rTL2xnCK_JIPKSuSOzmBVhakCnRoTHm85dC5MNZySqLEkIOjb_vzvoELTEG7-sMPj-4T2t4JJ_TPmzSBd62HOBXvH_QC5Id18lEhI5ZPLMy9yFIcVu1CIg0__uP_zuOfNG/s320/P1060007.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A huge kapok tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMYCnvkAKordZY56uJ0YWmd8DLCN0gwzIpAjOhGpBHYe07J281CeZhWgvaOAsMY5UmJ7ujl1aOVOOIj03gg5ZjiTTgBwWZQfXeLezco_paAuob6LYztrYjjLbfADLdQxr134HPyiVZbVn/s1600/P1060009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMYCnvkAKordZY56uJ0YWmd8DLCN0gwzIpAjOhGpBHYe07J281CeZhWgvaOAsMY5UmJ7ujl1aOVOOIj03gg5ZjiTTgBwWZQfXeLezco_paAuob6LYztrYjjLbfADLdQxr134HPyiVZbVn/s320/P1060009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rWvC727vRl93-Z99sgi2sJQlld3KNyLXbCaCIa_4BURu4hCmpVHtQEn8VBl_FMhNJsObkVqZnHuzqlMRzbGZQxorRyHyqihjs8WyO1vls5v5Uo7Gplxgr_RhpVSo4wRo4wiSB8x0tY_z/s1600/P1060012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rWvC727vRl93-Z99sgi2sJQlld3KNyLXbCaCIa_4BURu4hCmpVHtQEn8VBl_FMhNJsObkVqZnHuzqlMRzbGZQxorRyHyqihjs8WyO1vls5v5Uo7Gplxgr_RhpVSo4wRo4wiSB8x0tY_z/s320/P1060012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit68EcsSQp8MOfsjjwjptWGnyNfuQcsnmPsqZKgBtfYfJZmY4aKXYHP_zEDDI_0FQR66VuKfrJH9tC2YXbuFLRKvmPAzTURUIDWJL4Cv-_LLBjM5JY41z6p3Sxp72OqsW1JisZAZSbyCMh/s1600/P1060014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit68EcsSQp8MOfsjjwjptWGnyNfuQcsnmPsqZKgBtfYfJZmY4aKXYHP_zEDDI_0FQR66VuKfrJH9tC2YXbuFLRKvmPAzTURUIDWJL4Cv-_LLBjM5JY41z6p3Sxp72OqsW1JisZAZSbyCMh/s320/P1060014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ronB1d5ULvSRxLc_tmfMZv_HksR3roegA21rqhIVFnaanXHC7Gq0dIVtGxCXOxpRdKpzIfKug_AnciSu9PMiOfK0Ma1rNHiiUhKicMDtW_Opee96LoNyIfy10m1EBfIFh59UigwaxpLR/s1600/P1060015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ronB1d5ULvSRxLc_tmfMZv_HksR3roegA21rqhIVFnaanXHC7Gq0dIVtGxCXOxpRdKpzIfKug_AnciSu9PMiOfK0Ma1rNHiiUhKicMDtW_Opee96LoNyIfy10m1EBfIFh59UigwaxpLR/s320/P1060015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful old tile floors </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CtPcb0AG4dWch_LN9pSIe4M8aG9ve4vX5xOwP-XN4M3T68BesrSN_eybAPnZ2LwvahWyIJ43C5ekRd6LtAUOdlp2be0v3QwXlFcXgrwICpfJ0BWXumbjaIdzzrMiVE1BiEQo-eTv7Q8v/s1600/P1060019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CtPcb0AG4dWch_LN9pSIe4M8aG9ve4vX5xOwP-XN4M3T68BesrSN_eybAPnZ2LwvahWyIJ43C5ekRd6LtAUOdlp2be0v3QwXlFcXgrwICpfJ0BWXumbjaIdzzrMiVE1BiEQo-eTv7Q8v/s320/P1060019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_207NQJdfx-VmUL7Mf0ZgQaxgHF8lsNGy4cVkfJkrrQCHYnjgwM7NeqhB7_l5Imtx-zef9vyGyi29hoxCkoOK-81VJ4UJ9g1d6vdQupInxknR3r1u_ZQgovvOrklmvgkcWEZwnzskV0f/s1600/P1060020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_207NQJdfx-VmUL7Mf0ZgQaxgHF8lsNGy4cVkfJkrrQCHYnjgwM7NeqhB7_l5Imtx-zef9vyGyi29hoxCkoOK-81VJ4UJ9g1d6vdQupInxknR3r1u_ZQgovvOrklmvgkcWEZwnzskV0f/s320/P1060020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvvUn19LevfEGBudT-1iuVIvErqLONXXTfuPxH6VnxNrjFH3HwvReS3o1wyEuaVZDJHJw3BpOygg5b3_ot3GzXpEV2bdQ9L3JU_yjMqor2Rt4cqoytKE1tkia-bSkNxrRtHNGoZVgGq4h/s1600/P1060022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvvUn19LevfEGBudT-1iuVIvErqLONXXTfuPxH6VnxNrjFH3HwvReS3o1wyEuaVZDJHJw3BpOygg5b3_ot3GzXpEV2bdQ9L3JU_yjMqor2Rt4cqoytKE1tkia-bSkNxrRtHNGoZVgGq4h/s320/P1060022.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZIQra8olEZdc2Wdd10mFJKDfmTXx4o6Lbc1WxgTz1oTVH6NNTf4sKvJPMmU1lHzALysDe-oOIualZnP37OzCwZrAhezQEO2OdNQGNBpczsKuc1g8r4NwsEjQxMSGehIS1YemSvgi5oFl/s1600/P1060023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZIQra8olEZdc2Wdd10mFJKDfmTXx4o6Lbc1WxgTz1oTVH6NNTf4sKvJPMmU1lHzALysDe-oOIualZnP37OzCwZrAhezQEO2OdNQGNBpczsKuc1g8r4NwsEjQxMSGehIS1YemSvgi5oFl/s320/P1060023.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old cars are everywhere, too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a half hour of free time, we were treated to a wonderful chamber concert where the musicians, all teachers at the Benny Moré Arts high school, played their own arrangements of Cuban classical music rather than the traditional classical music that is in the usual chamber orchestra repertoire. Their first violinist is a Russian woman who married a Cuban. She is the most energetic violinist I have ever seen, bobbing and weaving in her chair throughout the entire performance. A special treat for us, their American visitors, was the most beautiful rendition of Shenandoah I have ever heard. They finished by getting us all up on our feet to dance the cha-cha, a task I am utterly incapable of accomplishing but still a fun finish to a delightful afternoon.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ngrr41991v6s8_TLNfOgBzi_bVkqT_SgNSNG3wp_xuAptOnju6JS7m5P-4lEJnv4P0-wAFSvdfaJC0qjwmRewFmaIqBLWpbxZ2njbniXWT8kNx5JfUClQqwXg23kVKOZMxUIm0icVdtC/s1600/P1060011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ngrr41991v6s8_TLNfOgBzi_bVkqT_SgNSNG3wp_xuAptOnju6JS7m5P-4lEJnv4P0-wAFSvdfaJC0qjwmRewFmaIqBLWpbxZ2njbniXWT8kNx5JfUClQqwXg23kVKOZMxUIm0icVdtC/s320/P1060011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The concert was held in this blue building, formerly a sugar baron's home.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFMRKdY8-FB5-YX5UmSXURCoEcBEqPQ7FpFEj30g0BRFmcf3KcdaCETWhoDGLmSPow-gg5NyLWA5bFBkRGVvySUDCvM2ED7R4KFfEybOhMR0n-yeaibh5qzf5MIr__S1l3DmDX0E_DwTN/s1600/P1060024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFMRKdY8-FB5-YX5UmSXURCoEcBEqPQ7FpFEj30g0BRFmcf3KcdaCETWhoDGLmSPow-gg5NyLWA5bFBkRGVvySUDCvM2ED7R4KFfEybOhMR0n-yeaibh5qzf5MIr__S1l3DmDX0E_DwTN/s320/P1060024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This room has been restored as it was in the old days</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFSFhZFhpwSRQZiklHQXqMsbLl1ZnjJA-MgeC948Audp5uRuE6XIUK-hH4HflPBlv7qjPldGFibSDc3EhL3VQArMQnMb7QEfFvLLzIjZMYOFErow1lWdajYujMs6TCui_kQKm3AB-6H6b/s1600/P1060025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFSFhZFhpwSRQZiklHQXqMsbLl1ZnjJA-MgeC948Audp5uRuE6XIUK-hH4HflPBlv7qjPldGFibSDc3EhL3VQArMQnMb7QEfFvLLzIjZMYOFErow1lWdajYujMs6TCui_kQKm3AB-6H6b/s320/P1060025.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chamber orchestra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhheB2D0l-STl4qrXDIlAwLeuDDFdIDHrwbxmLiCE714n8Vrkk2Zs_gvXOhyphenhyphenDkj_yqL8sjClvWsMX9R-ZHb12OpBfX1tgz7ZFktbtDKqqQWWJLitrqvh_2nKByoRVnL5c_K3GoVy5E2ba/s1600/P1060031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhheB2D0l-STl4qrXDIlAwLeuDDFdIDHrwbxmLiCE714n8Vrkk2Zs_gvXOhyphenhyphenDkj_yqL8sjClvWsMX9R-ZHb12OpBfX1tgz7ZFktbtDKqqQWWJLitrqvh_2nKByoRVnL5c_K3GoVy5E2ba/s320/P1060031.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way home, we passed our first and only rice paddy. Cuba consumes HEAPS of rice, but imports nearly all of it, making it more expensive than it should be. They hope to be able to buy US rice in the near future instead of importing it all the way from Asia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWtA00Pw3kbyttIy1dsQyqmkQBTs2Qd_RD19EEPgbsRzZBu1e1oc-dUHZZanvzw_HKEuLAI9o29Fya7LHAZAuCLzmnvQpG9OE37opc5_FM_XJuSkVQ9YfA5NNKLnVJtxzcEiopwpWYwe7/s1600/P1060034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWtA00Pw3kbyttIy1dsQyqmkQBTs2Qd_RD19EEPgbsRzZBu1e1oc-dUHZZanvzw_HKEuLAI9o29Fya7LHAZAuCLzmnvQpG9OE37opc5_FM_XJuSkVQ9YfA5NNKLnVJtxzcEiopwpWYwe7/s320/P1060034.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horses are everywhere in Cuba. You see them pulling carts, pulling carriages, being ridden by Cuban cowboys herding cattle, and even following their owner around like a puppy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZnxJVAeCj24y7KEOL3Hcm2YN4BEcqClRlS5TKlpLWnPwRnkhd7fhG2ppmsl2z8kp3_Um6RtZ8QfTjPseAuP9tBwqSLzGksVHIVFwp3JxzHYEQVDwsDCSa5t5C_j9J2o9VMogG31cGQw5/s1600/P1060035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcZnxJVAeCj24y7KEOL3Hcm2YN4BEcqClRlS5TKlpLWnPwRnkhd7fhG2ppmsl2z8kp3_Um6RtZ8QfTjPseAuP9tBwqSLzGksVHIVFwp3JxzHYEQVDwsDCSa5t5C_j9J2o9VMogG31cGQw5/s320/P1060035.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You also often see them tethered in front yards.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Tonight the hotel has planned the pig roast for us. Will I decline and eat vegan? Not a chance! I have decided not to worry about my vegan diet while I'm in Cuba but instead am enjoying the local cuisine, a choice I am very glad I made because the food has been delicious. The standard Cuban dish of rice and beans is both vegan and very tasty and often among the offerings, but always accompanied by other special Cuban foods, all beautifully seasoned but never hot and spicy. Rice and beans, served in many different varieties, is just as delicious as the rest.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWyd9ATjkOM-utrX7zSlbQisEjEuzQM28MURRE5NTA98PRiZZ16KiZc-_64u_8Oy83gQmG85gf0Pw8G_xSW34M9RU-7gsYeopmTJ4KOVyGDanD4sYStXI0nxUIQEFE9KWGNZmp1JpB1Jd/s1600/P1060036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWyd9ATjkOM-utrX7zSlbQisEjEuzQM28MURRE5NTA98PRiZZ16KiZc-_64u_8Oy83gQmG85gf0Pw8G_xSW34M9RU-7gsYeopmTJ4KOVyGDanD4sYStXI0nxUIQEFE9KWGNZmp1JpB1Jd/s320/P1060036.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our maid has apparently been to the same towel critter school that cruise ship staffs attend. We get a new one of these every evening.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We thought the pig roast was the end of today's excitement, but no. After dinner Barbara and I returned to our room and busied ourselves with packing because tomorrow we will leave here and head to Havana. As I headed over to the door to turn out the light, OMG! There on the wall was a tarantula the size of a salad plate! Of course I shrieked. Barbara was still dressed so she went out looking for help and soon returned with a guy who carefully swept our new friend down the wall and out the door. We have now barricaded the one inch crack under the door with a towel and are enjoying the prospect of regaling our travel companions with this story tomorrow. I suspect the size of our visitor will grow in the telling, but really, 6 to 8 inches across is PLENTY big enough to get your attention!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gvVL-CJWqY4Gbiuyt7msChHYEPhO7u7UyQQQ1Xrc5vjTPiLelP5nOpjdG_vH_QpTQ5AAXldmSyrrSE0O5wdsrnJxaRvpnnsZqq9ghtMs-uKnzjA6JkqMBH8Xjg6mhFR96X0zO0f71Swy/s1600/tarantula+on+wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gvVL-CJWqY4Gbiuyt7msChHYEPhO7u7UyQQQ1Xrc5vjTPiLelP5nOpjdG_vH_QpTQ5AAXldmSyrrSE0O5wdsrnJxaRvpnnsZqq9ghtMs-uKnzjA6JkqMBH8Xjg6mhFR96X0zO0f71Swy/s320/tarantula+on+wall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-83321463333248296242015-09-29T18:11:00.003-07:002015-09-30T09:57:09.601-07:00We travel to Havana<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Sunday, September 20. Our eventual objective for the day was Havana, but of course we had much to do along the way. Our first stop was the museum at the Bay of Pigs, site of the ill-fated 1959 attempt by Cubans who had fled to America and the CIA to reclaim Cuba from Castro and the revolutionary Cuban government that succeeded Batista. This has to be one of the most stupid quasi military operations in history. The American Cubans were supposed to be secretly trained in Guatemala by the CIA, but they went to the bars and blabbed enough that even the New York Times ran an article about the operation a week or two before it was supposed to take place. They were supposed to land, go inland, where are they expected to be greeted by the local Cubans who it was assumed would embrace them with open arms. eager to join the counterrevolution. Instead, they landed in a swamp and were greeted by the Cuban army and a population that was not at all interested in what they had planned to do. All of them were killed or captured and we were left with a egg on our face. The museum was built in the early 1960s and features some pretty raw emotions and language referring to the US as capitalist pig’s, invaders, murderers, and other terms it hurts to hear but that most of us couldn't help cringing over for the truth they convey. It is hard to be proud of our country sometimes when we go stomping around the world trying to force people to do things our way. Yes, we do these things with the best of intentions, but we all know what road those pave.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxJkLN4nxEFQOJ9t3cQ5uXzY46LcN1HCkXJk2gKZu_JJIoQOpdi-hsTo5dLr3v9JMZhtseCV3UrXR056pzTQcnGnCz3_zYdPO1OWdXqHim3rkt8RTnYaz9cr055wfOEJhlzLol5hrrU76/s1600/P1060038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxJkLN4nxEFQOJ9t3cQ5uXzY46LcN1HCkXJk2gKZu_JJIoQOpdi-hsTo5dLr3v9JMZhtseCV3UrXR056pzTQcnGnCz3_zYdPO1OWdXqHim3rkt8RTnYaz9cr055wfOEJhlzLol5hrrU76/s320/P1060038.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cigars for sale in the rest stop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Po_EBCIjDOo4VFKrLxPxBs7w-qr3tOIcXBollluJb8MhhCFsYYTABTnMbp7iOHWIZG2_9-cGlLN8WRR3aY_tIqHMm9S7JSgq90rrQqTW86rds_MSqo6g1JTIEPjfjYjIe1UlhASaleD2/s1600/P1060039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Po_EBCIjDOo4VFKrLxPxBs7w-qr3tOIcXBollluJb8MhhCFsYYTABTnMbp7iOHWIZG2_9-cGlLN8WRR3aY_tIqHMm9S7JSgq90rrQqTW86rds_MSqo6g1JTIEPjfjYjIe1UlhASaleD2/s320/P1060039.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where we've been</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0fEtCkMFEJ4VEqX99vT-3Bger2V0vvbHtDACxsww4q221aGbezl5oxq30i0yfu9wa93gF79j28XXk-yDYpUZ9L6VSxWe_ZH4rprAET8PAbj3jiJy1zoMwHUDwsCshuJ87_3250rlCKgV/s1600/P1060043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0fEtCkMFEJ4VEqX99vT-3Bger2V0vvbHtDACxsww4q221aGbezl5oxq30i0yfu9wa93gF79j28XXk-yDYpUZ9L6VSxWe_ZH4rprAET8PAbj3jiJy1zoMwHUDwsCshuJ87_3250rlCKgV/s320/P1060043.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old Cuban tank</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpX7dmxgrQwFOFu8b3eSSu2NfMvUVi1HkU2AFzJH7_cV_TH6rY4EmwIKeHTOzntUFyGzD9vFjhrNFCLXGrE6hcIMFj3m5ZnzARY3ZA4EMfctvR7bmNniY1PZJWPlrFsdkLOwe1d40aXVBg/s1600/P1060045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpX7dmxgrQwFOFu8b3eSSu2NfMvUVi1HkU2AFzJH7_cV_TH6rY4EmwIKeHTOzntUFyGzD9vFjhrNFCLXGrE6hcIMFj3m5ZnzARY3ZA4EMfctvR7bmNniY1PZJWPlrFsdkLOwe1d40aXVBg/s320/P1060045.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and their air force, at the Bay of Pigs museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We then went to the Bay of Pigs itself, and to lunch at a beachfront paladar a few miles away from the museum. Before lunch we heard an interesting lecture about the national park wildlife in the huge Zapata Swamp here. I hadn't imagined that Cuba would have the funds much less the desire, to work on environmental issues or the restoration and preservation of their natural resources. Once again they surprised me. The Cuban government sponsors an extensive program designed to protect this huge wetland area and to educate Cubans and visitors alike. There are many many species of birds in the swamp, a great variety of plants, reptiles, and animals, and a bay filled with fish and a healthy coral reef. It is the only home of the nearly extinct Cuban crocodile, now being protected and restored. Its near extinction was not the result of man-made problems but rather mating with the American crocodile. The result was a nearly total loss of the pure version of the Cuban croc. They somehow found one pair of Cubans in a zoo somewhere and are trying to reintroduce them by keeping them separate from all other crocs. Not sure how this will work, but they are trying.<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Lunch was another huge family style spread of delicious local seafood, meat, vegetables, fruits, and desserts. Way too much food but too tempting to resist. Cubans, who went through a period of near starvation in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, now tend to be on the chubby side. It is easy to see why, based on the quantities of food we have been served everywhere. After lunch we had the opportunity to swim in the Bay of Pigs, and a few of our group did so despite the light rain that was falling.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyl5zHEmcoKX94ZVq-ytle6x9pVmYW8OV7ZxXqGbQvHASiuDOhyphenhyphenTtuoTB_Ecr9dc8_Mm9sx8Juku_NHBDwHH7QBJBkPDX1R1MtW95jYR4k7ZZRDD5pWOm5j84fIub9290Xzq3lp-Dt2tZ_/s1600/P1060049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyl5zHEmcoKX94ZVq-ytle6x9pVmYW8OV7ZxXqGbQvHASiuDOhyphenhyphenTtuoTB_Ecr9dc8_Mm9sx8Juku_NHBDwHH7QBJBkPDX1R1MtW95jYR4k7ZZRDD5pWOm5j84fIub9290Xzq3lp-Dt2tZ_/s320/P1060049.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rooftop where we enjoyed a lecture an glimpses of the Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPcKRZoLrsUkdT-L0Y2zzeJokSQfSPBwhHvyBHgIlwU5MlBAbzUABOVHTDqsQktBwKOX-jGU2iKgg9e-Z3yHkL3p2di36qi7k_2zXswVtUZwPrVxoy3q467oyrVfXJ6PIqB_DniClcYGr/s1600/P1060051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPcKRZoLrsUkdT-L0Y2zzeJokSQfSPBwhHvyBHgIlwU5MlBAbzUABOVHTDqsQktBwKOX-jGU2iKgg9e-Z3yHkL3p2di36qi7k_2zXswVtUZwPrVxoy3q467oyrVfXJ6PIqB_DniClcYGr/s320/P1060051.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming in the Bay of Pigs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Back on the bus, we set out for Havana, a 2 1/2 hour drive away. Before arriving there, our local guide, Ilen (pronounced Elaine), told us we were going to see a memorial dedicated to the measles crisis. We looked puzzled but she assured us we knew already about the measles crisis. Gradually we realized that she was referring to the Cuban Missile Crisis. We all had a good laugh and from then on referred to this event as the measles crisis. The memorial is located near one of the very old Spanish forts that overlooks Havana. We had wonderful views of the bay and the city of Havana from the site. The pope was in town today, and all day we have seen evidence of the excitement of his visit. In the late afternoon, at least 170 buses passed us heading back the way we have come, obviously filled with people who had made the trip to Havana to see him. That confirmed our theory that the deserted market we visited yesterday was caused by his visit. Today as we left the missile site, we had a long wait to enter the tunnel to Havana. No traffic in either direction. Obviously the pope was on the move.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbD6-AfOlpfPJvWsWlfDrGKflO42i0aDQKf5LKkBSXYtY8MQEdaE-GO7oulnd2s2O9W003goBabfT2cVIm2FoaGnUuDACe34cv7XXgW-6fygsDuYsqn7gQKsuZvd9NkUuFX-Fza8KbQMV/s1600/P1060059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbD6-AfOlpfPJvWsWlfDrGKflO42i0aDQKf5LKkBSXYtY8MQEdaE-GO7oulnd2s2O9W003goBabfT2cVIm2FoaGnUuDACe34cv7XXgW-6fygsDuYsqn7gQKsuZvd9NkUuFX-Fza8KbQMV/s320/P1060059.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Missile Crisis Memorial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieweFv9WPoKfFb9ZxdTeQOhEvLvL-c_Y_1iJxkA0vATvg_pFlJtxnw0PoAYBkiWCsKuaDV8Z0G-9HibrLV-laJPHQHycstL5NReTwsUxOnzUvkdXiaDcpkWWI3gqm2GJsENeZLelS0VIZt/s1600/P1060060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieweFv9WPoKfFb9ZxdTeQOhEvLvL-c_Y_1iJxkA0vATvg_pFlJtxnw0PoAYBkiWCsKuaDV8Z0G-9HibrLV-laJPHQHycstL5NReTwsUxOnzUvkdXiaDcpkWWI3gqm2GJsENeZLelS0VIZt/s320/P1060060.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBv2r7W7XUZ9_kp_VpiTuQn7oanv90hmN8vXveZwmeKvBf3ZZNftMINl91gsytFk2qgcqDh61pIifAJZ0Oroy_mHqj9T03TWVrsIvl2mBYt-qrQWyauxEP14TnQ96o0iiqUaeMxU-grKR/s1600/P1060061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBv2r7W7XUZ9_kp_VpiTuQn7oanv90hmN8vXveZwmeKvBf3ZZNftMINl91gsytFk2qgcqDh61pIifAJZ0Oroy_mHqj9T03TWVrsIvl2mBYt-qrQWyauxEP14TnQ96o0iiqUaeMxU-grKR/s320/P1060061.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76Oh27ED0QyXARzkam-vQFhvxJNheRON9FN7gR5FDkBbjcY_bOOozPskKCvVc-UMvft1n-jjgXAtl2aqCHLVqD7CuTRndIdXzz7eS7T482f8FXC45JOm-8Ie12PXtVvRKGlXQh0p6hsOQ/s1600/P1060062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76Oh27ED0QyXARzkam-vQFhvxJNheRON9FN7gR5FDkBbjcY_bOOozPskKCvVc-UMvft1n-jjgXAtl2aqCHLVqD7CuTRndIdXzz7eS7T482f8FXC45JOm-8Ie12PXtVvRKGlXQh0p6hsOQ/s320/P1060062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKmZtem4TuXA76T5kvZdrvsiaglSrnu5BIIfNs-Yhyphenhyphen23r5QpVZvm6QLafVQmOU3MLQZwKzncgUEXdEjR1cVAA65yqdn6kFxF6hEmQhPUTdzD_U8I5jg82BWJJL3NOEPaVtQt7cbMHF7YY/s1600/P1060063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKmZtem4TuXA76T5kvZdrvsiaglSrnu5BIIfNs-Yhyphenhyphen23r5QpVZvm6QLafVQmOU3MLQZwKzncgUEXdEjR1cVAA65yqdn6kFxF6hEmQhPUTdzD_U8I5jg82BWJJL3NOEPaVtQt7cbMHF7YY/s320/P1060063.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaTr6SxkwxcnS3NYBj6hDROuw7t28DQWW3e341iIzDU2z4PnsQoSHwLKnB_Eg18Wm0ObDyuwku3vcP8-mVqEQRRVCS6A6GrDD5x40HLbv_TuyXwyZaForAn3ml51x_dhJ1Y_shgXnhY29/s1600/P1060064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaTr6SxkwxcnS3NYBj6hDROuw7t28DQWW3e341iIzDU2z4PnsQoSHwLKnB_Eg18Wm0ObDyuwku3vcP8-mVqEQRRVCS6A6GrDD5x40HLbv_TuyXwyZaForAn3ml51x_dhJ1Y_shgXnhY29/s320/P1060064.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-SZsmE5Avqt9SP9wH2uQ-aeZ8k1rgW-VZ0f7RWZgbGpe3cZF0yhinFNbupl7HclbHSab6BPNBtZhujBeYIosojC1aRuxnCQ6RiLdZtBwdETAodi-G1t5q61oWvYYznP4VLYhkbKYLbmT/s1600/P1060065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-SZsmE5Avqt9SP9wH2uQ-aeZ8k1rgW-VZ0f7RWZgbGpe3cZF0yhinFNbupl7HclbHSab6BPNBtZhujBeYIosojC1aRuxnCQ6RiLdZtBwdETAodi-G1t5q61oWvYYznP4VLYhkbKYLbmT/s320/P1060065.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkR2Vt9VbO-_zzYgwZJ0RYlhBJUyRJFl9nzPYRXGUuPZQP9SOlftJNPEe5gc4cemNLPNTcJe7OZ_ex2EaZX4aGS7pjzbquHEkQQtoDiLjQ4NxBFnpAbGBUXaurOXUQRNnvdLghU3TrXU0x/s1600/P1060066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkR2Vt9VbO-_zzYgwZJ0RYlhBJUyRJFl9nzPYRXGUuPZQP9SOlftJNPEe5gc4cemNLPNTcJe7OZ_ex2EaZX4aGS7pjzbquHEkQQtoDiLjQ4NxBFnpAbGBUXaurOXUQRNnvdLghU3TrXU0x/s320/P1060066.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0iOMBrR_OkPIz-Cvk26MDAi70nYyXPnc6tkceo98kJgF0DCAdUuRmGmY5Gg2YfTD4XS3dd8HsyF7Ur0ddCys8EILLGfXrPeC5E4rpw-XmVZZvtVm1pGuugbxHo7Ch7PtDUoSFKiQSPfl/s1600/P1060067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0iOMBrR_OkPIz-Cvk26MDAi70nYyXPnc6tkceo98kJgF0DCAdUuRmGmY5Gg2YfTD4XS3dd8HsyF7Ur0ddCys8EILLGfXrPeC5E4rpw-XmVZZvtVm1pGuugbxHo7Ch7PtDUoSFKiQSPfl/s320/P1060067.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaAXuLf9UpI-NzY7DRJzLpziLXrrOJ1ToNH_FR-xdcJDIA6M8Y8V-cCCwTdW63B-9qA6dOfZH_shM2pWVgQPtev3e0b262uyLvXzIIs9BknSksXsseHBtIkZkncHhVe7WFu1UlXTGaB7r/s1600/P1060068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaAXuLf9UpI-NzY7DRJzLpziLXrrOJ1ToNH_FR-xdcJDIA6M8Y8V-cCCwTdW63B-9qA6dOfZH_shM2pWVgQPtev3e0b262uyLvXzIIs9BknSksXsseHBtIkZkncHhVe7WFu1UlXTGaB7r/s320/P1060068.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCa6I31GQ9Upef-xrjm8y858qLzxibPaInoDZFNPZLDtw953tlT1dGruy4WhHASnryR04VN5TS8jdylXdR9DJwSe_zAwkKUHZsFjLZutiWg-j-bvNLTqtcwvuclcheyA0jHgcgm9b7FQrA/s1600/P1060069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCa6I31GQ9Upef-xrjm8y858qLzxibPaInoDZFNPZLDtw953tlT1dGruy4WhHASnryR04VN5TS8jdylXdR9DJwSe_zAwkKUHZsFjLZutiWg-j-bvNLTqtcwvuclcheyA0jHgcgm9b7FQrA/s320/P1060069.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNLi24uEM6qxXPOB8eDllLlfM9nUbk1fOmPvmiYi9cfZ4FRIMmOYYYVslUiqeKtxGZK1XEmhz4L4S8Lak-ZhglVFxc55TaVFRhXN5M5hyphenhyphen27IQfhwZfvvhN5fn1GRumWpkNC33UGTutGQQ/s1600/P1060071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNLi24uEM6qxXPOB8eDllLlfM9nUbk1fOmPvmiYi9cfZ4FRIMmOYYYVslUiqeKtxGZK1XEmhz4L4S8Lak-ZhglVFxc55TaVFRhXN5M5hyphenhyphen27IQfhwZfvvhN5fn1GRumWpkNC33UGTutGQQ/s320/P1060071.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbXtfg72PHBrIULpJiXFIJGCUWc9Lj9VBAg5jK-w8doTKMucWFyuTit7D1tUQ66DQcCTO1_m9J9c5p9sEoIr6i0wlgI-Q645kxqWZjsroZIaBDgPx5dZjEGPADl12Z-acTF9T3sSSxLd6/s1600/P1060076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbXtfg72PHBrIULpJiXFIJGCUWc9Lj9VBAg5jK-w8doTKMucWFyuTit7D1tUQ66DQcCTO1_m9J9c5p9sEoIr6i0wlgI-Q645kxqWZjsroZIaBDgPx5dZjEGPADl12Z-acTF9T3sSSxLd6/s320/P1060076.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blue arch is the entrance to the tunnel to Havana. The trip now takes a minute instead of the half hour or more it takes the long way around.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgkMtqj0uWcJxLkZXyKyxtcln_By9RiKsL4s-YMVsZT_dBEYI-_RFue0vMUHWVwALy1SFTaXGHe_ej_fGdCm3mwMOeRgmDxcPJ33tXWmsFk_TGknBhDf2lnBFnCY8hgH-AuJDSXHm7Fy1/s1600/P1060079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgkMtqj0uWcJxLkZXyKyxtcln_By9RiKsL4s-YMVsZT_dBEYI-_RFue0vMUHWVwALy1SFTaXGHe_ej_fGdCm3mwMOeRgmDxcPJ33tXWmsFk_TGknBhDf2lnBFnCY8hgH-AuJDSXHm7Fy1/s320/P1060079.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course we saw old cars. This one is Russian-made and is called a Believers car. The "believe" they have a car.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuuO5B3hR5U8Kgfpa4PZn14IaaZdDXGn8LNJsZAbvaDisAT1E4mlnFrN-OxYnxt2LkBe2X_oepPCcky5EvJtHAEnTyxPosTSizV-jhgPUOBVoM0GXKQ4B_Ng78jBfF9u1ZBPBKU9OFGAZ/s1600/P1060080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLuuO5B3hR5U8Kgfpa4PZn14IaaZdDXGn8LNJsZAbvaDisAT1E4mlnFrN-OxYnxt2LkBe2X_oepPCcky5EvJtHAEnTyxPosTSizV-jhgPUOBVoM0GXKQ4B_Ng78jBfF9u1ZBPBKU9OFGAZ/s320/P1060080.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American classics are far more popular.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FeMRXUKzf10liEFrj_GqjHekB6Om5l9_-sZ7NLI85bPfOX02lo5W3dA5RXqQ4Tt1lMBPog6flcwyQveC3pj08ci7p-2dzDYGoHf4zhxSslk0YkpF7JiNdJ5ur1zucZupDxxrDkAtyCz1/s1600/P1060081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FeMRXUKzf10liEFrj_GqjHekB6Om5l9_-sZ7NLI85bPfOX02lo5W3dA5RXqQ4Tt1lMBPog6flcwyQveC3pj08ci7p-2dzDYGoHf4zhxSslk0YkpF7JiNdJ5ur1zucZupDxxrDkAtyCz1/s320/P1060081.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgVLER091mTvAHsOkeGpLyEPGQMVL3yWrjJn40guxTDPhbZuHvMsiCIhTpzb1qbfY_8gSR4Q-cmu38CaRbWISiOAQdnDpl5KrIalwj12hoOB1dTHwB2srEYz58R8kXUU-U74KV6N3XOAq/s1600/P1060082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgVLER091mTvAHsOkeGpLyEPGQMVL3yWrjJn40guxTDPhbZuHvMsiCIhTpzb1qbfY_8gSR4Q-cmu38CaRbWISiOAQdnDpl5KrIalwj12hoOB1dTHwB2srEYz58R8kXUU-U74KV6N3XOAq/s320/P1060082.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0r75npsyb0_kzjLB_sNY6PTeEuvhjabxhZwMHB0c3Evsm0GdFhA1s6avT8DWCB4H-Zx1sxv5CCpkWJncfLc2-DzVQuN1V5deMnIqw3ARa0S910K1o8NpHFgrLb96FW-aIib-vtIKBz6T/s1600/P1060083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0r75npsyb0_kzjLB_sNY6PTeEuvhjabxhZwMHB0c3Evsm0GdFhA1s6avT8DWCB4H-Zx1sxv5CCpkWJncfLc2-DzVQuN1V5deMnIqw3ARa0S910K1o8NpHFgrLb96FW-aIib-vtIKBz6T/s320/P1060083.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Havana from the ancient Castle del Morro across the bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj103WhIz-RRPTpsBrh5dZPXD9OZnWjV4WKln_U4jjIXvAJdu67aAVs-cZ9ivkD7JxKRIHQH7fB_awQA88uBMzslz7KbE9WF-JUFpQcw4ltNGKDy2lkLExZ6qiv6xaZq5EBYSSZkjvLCKGE/s1600/P1060084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj103WhIz-RRPTpsBrh5dZPXD9OZnWjV4WKln_U4jjIXvAJdu67aAVs-cZ9ivkD7JxKRIHQH7fB_awQA88uBMzslz7KbE9WF-JUFpQcw4ltNGKDy2lkLExZ6qiv6xaZq5EBYSSZkjvLCKGE/s320/P1060084.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better shot of Havana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjFfqU43gIXHpYMHnNI-nyrACv3xTohAr77pGMfpdVs5lAszV_SIt6NDz34KfDRI7x0c1YTPq_ABaiHT5irDPJD7asD0cpjhbQnVvnhEAIzi1Kd5BrvTesDF6rfAez2xK-vbDbmsPtD5Q/s1600/P1060087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjFfqU43gIXHpYMHnNI-nyrACv3xTohAr77pGMfpdVs5lAszV_SIt6NDz34KfDRI7x0c1YTPq_ABaiHT5irDPJD7asD0cpjhbQnVvnhEAIzi1Kd5BrvTesDF6rfAez2xK-vbDbmsPtD5Q/s320/P1060087.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGy1ctDq7Mlo3SmnEd1go1bm5NooSpP8HaMZGHPdbWbiN5cv3bG43OI6sd2AT8xGACVpcAWtotbtWgMfNuHaRzo7dV_zoNkspG-_7qaYVu_S_ZIMnvL_oBhVA3r0gw74b2Gab3dbYcql6/s1600/P1060088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGy1ctDq7Mlo3SmnEd1go1bm5NooSpP8HaMZGHPdbWbiN5cv3bG43OI6sd2AT8xGACVpcAWtotbtWgMfNuHaRzo7dV_zoNkspG-_7qaYVu_S_ZIMnvL_oBhVA3r0gw74b2Gab3dbYcql6/s320/P1060088.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The seating and crowds in this photo are remnants of the papal visit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9P8U6gCtF_NGaz5KPlpFzAvmeo13OzZCCz8a_D0XqxT2VRTJxgTJ1NyMC6Q7-nvl0R4KMD_Nix0uLRJsNdJjd-zDVl2x4He029rQN8qkPdyFugLeRqUIsFestSdXI1eDItgegNGgADJj/s1600/P1060089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9P8U6gCtF_NGaz5KPlpFzAvmeo13OzZCCz8a_D0XqxT2VRTJxgTJ1NyMC6Q7-nvl0R4KMD_Nix0uLRJsNdJjd-zDVl2x4He029rQN8qkPdyFugLeRqUIsFestSdXI1eDItgegNGgADJj/s320/P1060089.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhizBWv6ewY48Acwylv2N3kGfmcwIeDcr3jJON_4cf92J3v0z1PDPNLMEnCRGBV4U_zhual0M_kPSRsDnwz8GAqmYKJ5ctbQZCp6VdddNXM7N5IlkLDPlok6jAvZ5ATvqBEC3M7SN5Q_nI/s1600/P1060090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhizBWv6ewY48Acwylv2N3kGfmcwIeDcr3jJON_4cf92J3v0z1PDPNLMEnCRGBV4U_zhual0M_kPSRsDnwz8GAqmYKJ5ctbQZCp6VdddNXM7N5IlkLDPlok6jAvZ5ATvqBEC3M7SN5Q_nI/s320/P1060090.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHp5i2ax5Gz4lMQ25uMc9MzylIATPeuwY9wDLakKFLHaIxeRJe420imd6c7Em50qz2P2F506ytAogIN6IY22k-g91quWOO6-966xrtactZ1kAoFjmnvhbiDgSbHhc9Eujp7-9yiSeAhNT7/s1600/P1060093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHp5i2ax5Gz4lMQ25uMc9MzylIATPeuwY9wDLakKFLHaIxeRJe420imd6c7Em50qz2P2F506ytAogIN6IY22k-g91quWOO6-966xrtactZ1kAoFjmnvhbiDgSbHhc9Eujp7-9yiSeAhNT7/s320/P1060093.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAzdmzZqihh5cJ1_WMEXXaTULNZYziGdLR5nUG-HMClZ8hlpNzpn2XJaqjl3x-xMTmf-82_7HZKR0oYL74HAHqzOVlLyi9Wyt1PVnD7SrB-W5M9Suqs5Tn4tbtTz2PeS6EhWkKJG1eSVK/s1600/P1060096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAzdmzZqihh5cJ1_WMEXXaTULNZYziGdLR5nUG-HMClZ8hlpNzpn2XJaqjl3x-xMTmf-82_7HZKR0oYL74HAHqzOVlLyi9Wyt1PVnD7SrB-W5M9Suqs5Tn4tbtTz2PeS6EhWkKJG1eSVK/s320/P1060096.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFE9EFvuNPhVErSVZTSfc5PJtSeL4FF1s24gZ3bwId1dAoKfHQcnEtP2ve6V7Icz-S8xHOYP-CWGQrl1Aj_ubNOtDDqJjZtAchauao-VaGIdkEXeRlN3Ll9M_3WpptucI-m1qjnXqA5t0/s1600/P1060099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFE9EFvuNPhVErSVZTSfc5PJtSeL4FF1s24gZ3bwId1dAoKfHQcnEtP2ve6V7Icz-S8xHOYP-CWGQrl1Aj_ubNOtDDqJjZtAchauao-VaGIdkEXeRlN3Ll9M_3WpptucI-m1qjnXqA5t0/s320/P1060099.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Straight out of Grease!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa4WlxH-OwVA_ZVw-mmGpychYOCgcZ7FPeFzkjlBsclDT1DCkIctSA-cLZJeFdenUJHmFogbUcP_7EqtkJe6ZZ_WkmxsyJ0jRstEZKV2ISNzzp8RiS3BmE_wjH-rw7O0lR59vyITG8eRJ/s1600/P1060101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwa4WlxH-OwVA_ZVw-mmGpychYOCgcZ7FPeFzkjlBsclDT1DCkIctSA-cLZJeFdenUJHmFogbUcP_7EqtkJe6ZZ_WkmxsyJ0jRstEZKV2ISNzzp8RiS3BmE_wjH-rw7O0lR59vyITG8eRJ/s320/P1060101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPJCFDqLco8QFbMQGg3tCihgfaRI7eJA4WQbleuBF7MNPUmFA3LZkRjp4_Z7ceE06PNGV69bPF7sVja3zmbtarPgZnBamVtSypIcVb_HbINtIOi-OqjPNXzVR3j5hdrXunMZLHPPVjcUp/s1600/P1060102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPJCFDqLco8QFbMQGg3tCihgfaRI7eJA4WQbleuBF7MNPUmFA3LZkRjp4_Z7ceE06PNGV69bPF7sVja3zmbtarPgZnBamVtSypIcVb_HbINtIOi-OqjPNXzVR3j5hdrXunMZLHPPVjcUp/s320/P1060102.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the top of the tunnel entrance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj079_j6tzWVYvNRvHSt-ft50SZ8RNyPgaztMEHBU4evHdTEqBBSTAqTY90e7FK9lByy6kV0blkcry0LxL9x-xDTHLF6IcL7k5x7D3nCUt3k-OK10febCskav1n3XhL746pdyhQ8aDMmGOo/s1600/P1060103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj079_j6tzWVYvNRvHSt-ft50SZ8RNyPgaztMEHBU4evHdTEqBBSTAqTY90e7FK9lByy6kV0blkcry0LxL9x-xDTHLF6IcL7k5x7D3nCUt3k-OK10febCskav1n3XhL746pdyhQ8aDMmGOo/s320/P1060103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwNzoFv4R72qpoyTLXiL7EiMY3hRA4MxBPpMuQa1oRJpj-filyWXK-ianNhW_z_UWbl1tbtvm19neRpd5ot9JNQ3rRmtpEjD89wQxIxhrT1YKzRNn32-Sv-yx7_pD7iEe3GunNP-Iaxok/s1600/P1060105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwNzoFv4R72qpoyTLXiL7EiMY3hRA4MxBPpMuQa1oRJpj-filyWXK-ianNhW_z_UWbl1tbtvm19neRpd5ot9JNQ3rRmtpEjD89wQxIxhrT1YKzRNn32-Sv-yx7_pD7iEe3GunNP-Iaxok/s320/P1060105.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traffic waiting for the tunnel to reopen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
At last we arrived at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, an old grand dame of a hotel that reminded me of Raffles in Singapore, among others of that colonial era. It is fun to be here in what is surely the most famous hotel in the city even though our room is a bit musty, the hall reeks of cigarettes and mold, and the plumbing is a little under par as usual in Cuba. I was hoping we would have washcloths here, But no, they apparently don't exist in Cuba. We had dinner in the hotel’s buffet restaurant, pretty good, but not as special as paladar dinners. Like Los Caneyes, this is a government owned hotel, and everything suffers just a little bit from that. We were all tired after a long day, however, and were glad for a low key meal and a chance for an early bedtime.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnh-DYqjv990dB4rLQcebhqcrJt5q-31cMpwNFRfhZZFa6fCVEm3Uq6YTqwpshzch-tc9sUY4aZPix0FQrOvP8hOcCa4tDUYIrFzDtWfsYHaHw7TJwyrkk-Mtonx-BoFPZ9iz6_HkZS1C/s1600/P1060254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnh-DYqjv990dB4rLQcebhqcrJt5q-31cMpwNFRfhZZFa6fCVEm3Uq6YTqwpshzch-tc9sUY4aZPix0FQrOvP8hOcCa4tDUYIrFzDtWfsYHaHw7TJwyrkk-Mtonx-BoFPZ9iz6_HkZS1C/s320/P1060254.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hotel Nacional de Cuba</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqw_cjpEMjF4agGXMZDs-5WFGVJhkYW5LGSrPOXsZMK_wLs2DK00cD8XtPNgH5v1WjlxZLyPY_f9A-IK5KxS1UCbN-NXRd03CIvhrhG4Gr-F-7oHnHiMpCtE1VmXZAsp2py312UW0GxhC/s1600/P1060257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqw_cjpEMjF4agGXMZDs-5WFGVJhkYW5LGSrPOXsZMK_wLs2DK00cD8XtPNgH5v1WjlxZLyPY_f9A-IK5KxS1UCbN-NXRd03CIvhrhG4Gr-F-7oHnHiMpCtE1VmXZAsp2py312UW0GxhC/s320/P1060257.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have left the roosters behind, for more elegant but equally noisy birds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24yo1CUhEm4qhPP0b1hAVhTuTRpa49XS3hnR01O2VDgURZbq-RDCK0Rd3IoPcAS4Gh_wowb34fRpLEYBEGZrqlEoOZ2ODf7mT67dTSpI4SfIGFEt8-rP1lXQX0eWsZP5KPMJU48ZUyWD0/s1600/P1060255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24yo1CUhEm4qhPP0b1hAVhTuTRpa49XS3hnR01O2VDgURZbq-RDCK0Rd3IoPcAS4Gh_wowb34fRpLEYBEGZrqlEoOZ2ODf7mT67dTSpI4SfIGFEt8-rP1lXQX0eWsZP5KPMJU48ZUyWD0/s320/P1060255.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View across the bay from the hotel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-89996395370622482612015-09-29T17:42:00.004-07:002015-09-30T09:57:33.923-07:00Our first full day in Havana<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Monday, September 21. We started our day with a lecture on Cuban religion and culture. To everyone’s great surprise, we were told that Cuba is not a Catholic or even a religious country and has never been. The abandonment of Cuba by Spain after the initial discovery, the near total lack of a native population (due to disease and murder) to convert as was found elsewhere in south in Central America, and the diversity of the people who eventually settled here resulted in the development of a strong sense of an isolated Cuban national identity. From very early times Cubans did not see themselves as Spanish Cubans or Catholic Cubans but just as Cubans, first and foremost. Cuba is divided by race and class but not by religion because Cubans really don't feel strongly about religion. They go with the flow and seem to practice religion as a sort of insurance policy or wish grantor rather than from any real conviction or system of belief. In addition to the eventual Spanish settlers, large numbers of African slaves were brought to Cuba and made up a large portion of the population, still practicing some form of their old African religions, but mostly in the desultory Cuban way. They were followed over the decades and centuries by Buddhists from China, French settlers from new Orleans, Jews fleeing oppression in Spain, and even Spanish Muslims. These people may have brought their religions with them, but somehow in Cuba they soon became Cuban and their religions became less important, in some cases even disappearing. At the time of the Revolution, many Cuban Jews fled to Miami where are they did not call themselves either Jews or Cubans but Jubans, evidence of their unusual bonding with Cuba. Most Cubans, even today, baptize their children in the Catholic Church, but this does not make them Catholics. It is apparently an insurance policy just in case there's something to this religious business.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
After our lecture, Javier, our faithful bus driver, reappeared, and took us to visit two of La Habana Vieja's historic plazas. The first, Plaza de San Fransisco, dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, is a large open square dominated by a former Catholic church, now used as a performance center. It was filled with people who were trying in many ways to separate tourists from their money, some by begging, and some by dressing up to be part of a photo op. An interesting statue is in this square depicting the Gentleman from Paris, el Caballero de Paris. He was a street person in the 1940s and 50s, a little mad and becoming madder, but a familiar fixture on the streets of Havana. People would give him a meal, but he never begged, always giving a gift such as a leaf or a flower petal in return. Leaving the plaza, we saw sugar cane being squeezed for juice, a very old aqueduct under the street, and a new boutique hotel with a monkish theme.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8xLYCBhXH2mzhnChYMMqQhIGaZ6HlUByCtEw9YROeAG2bR_E5ocAXlTIuLt5nhMHMfZ26op1pS9UwoKxQ5MiELCnbuL-Pokbt5rY37dnzsmu2VUuIKAwUZwfmpekbk6x94ZrU-keUmo-/s1600/P1060125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8xLYCBhXH2mzhnChYMMqQhIGaZ6HlUByCtEw9YROeAG2bR_E5ocAXlTIuLt5nhMHMfZ26op1pS9UwoKxQ5MiELCnbuL-Pokbt5rY37dnzsmu2VUuIKAwUZwfmpekbk6x94ZrU-keUmo-/s320/P1060125.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the bus we saw old buildings in various stages of disrepair...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7-mt6JM7RtpPJqg0Ue5Lc01VcoQOBKkk8QHyqH_hboq7OZfBpe4KfIXxxzdK8Nx_TbRipsi4V71sxUjvZ-0EsWxmAhALCvJUWADb6-TL1ObjeFACMiiHP8plsGqcKO3OddptHtdKVAHr/s1600/P1060126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7-mt6JM7RtpPJqg0Ue5Lc01VcoQOBKkk8QHyqH_hboq7OZfBpe4KfIXxxzdK8Nx_TbRipsi4V71sxUjvZ-0EsWxmAhALCvJUWADb6-TL1ObjeFACMiiHP8plsGqcKO3OddptHtdKVAHr/s320/P1060126.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...or reconstruction</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQxLFyCkLJAMRlvEJX5vKn4lg9p3kjjsj6LDa7_qyTlTzdzTawVzVr6FcWUtkjfLCkPygsJxs4rkB5JKaw1MTDEvLUNIm5xw47UaFAMyihyphenhyphenziVU6WnR5jpZhoboO5b2QI3K5jRffNXMrb/s1600/P1060129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQxLFyCkLJAMRlvEJX5vKn4lg9p3kjjsj6LDa7_qyTlTzdzTawVzVr6FcWUtkjfLCkPygsJxs4rkB5JKaw1MTDEvLUNIm5xw47UaFAMyihyphenhyphenziVU6WnR5jpZhoboO5b2QI3K5jRffNXMrb/s320/P1060129.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one looks pretty good</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9upSkN-KWFJmoEe5VYEpj7NJYOoPzO3YkbO-kKy6NGPObxTeGuTLwPxbKA5zipS6cwiv6vY8WA0WEmtsQaCfgm2vCl8peAvEcRV22W_4EjEGptzP36ZbpZGbVTUAoXIcOOJi3Hjk_-03y/s1600/P1060134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9upSkN-KWFJmoEe5VYEpj7NJYOoPzO3YkbO-kKy6NGPObxTeGuTLwPxbKA5zipS6cwiv6vY8WA0WEmtsQaCfgm2vCl8peAvEcRV22W_4EjEGptzP36ZbpZGbVTUAoXIcOOJi3Hjk_-03y/s320/P1060134.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza de San Fransisco</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UtjHt3cEcZtAjITgyL56_Sgx_e_Cku3dY1vk-Z4CH25t-ZY2KEv-lbnnJxZNCxiPoE80a_11rrEp98u8ii1hzWyH4pzKpNIBH_B_ashhv1f3EAz2flmnHucYwTHZgHAx615YLK6Za2B4/s1600/P1060136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1UtjHt3cEcZtAjITgyL56_Sgx_e_Cku3dY1vk-Z4CH25t-ZY2KEv-lbnnJxZNCxiPoE80a_11rrEp98u8ii1hzWyH4pzKpNIBH_B_ashhv1f3EAz2flmnHucYwTHZgHAx615YLK6Za2B4/s320/P1060136.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86PXOrPBv3TIHTkQECVDmO3-akzYa60j3WcKpnFqW44R6Gh-Eda-JdETF8-QTcbEha0eddMmolGZyyCiCERGRySoGMuD2CGS7fdzHgUCA0lm5TiZH7pAytQvVng2QDbxUCeWq-AyeoANY/s1600/P1060138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86PXOrPBv3TIHTkQECVDmO3-akzYa60j3WcKpnFqW44R6Gh-Eda-JdETF8-QTcbEha0eddMmolGZyyCiCERGRySoGMuD2CGS7fdzHgUCA0lm5TiZH7pAytQvVng2QDbxUCeWq-AyeoANY/s320/P1060138.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQi4zKfEzms2F7bbfO6mq0VehgDztMFfHb_REaN7P3LNDeyT6BgIDKuGoxVJI7dju7QuVv5bQT_7v_yaZr2cWiYG3jlq8oyGlhMwitBRhCmzCqTabKc7rqMQJGHynYXMDFvUQeCaITXBpk/s1600/P1060141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQi4zKfEzms2F7bbfO6mq0VehgDztMFfHb_REaN7P3LNDeyT6BgIDKuGoxVJI7dju7QuVv5bQT_7v_yaZr2cWiYG3jlq8oyGlhMwitBRhCmzCqTabKc7rqMQJGHynYXMDFvUQeCaITXBpk/s320/P1060141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhS3lG2lNxfMvTPzZDeJFiKYf-7wCx0v5Dfh1gcVncKQO7uBuzkvqbSccVsCwbOsjuZW1vyHyaD4ihgTnVK08o5OlmR9R5D1DsIE_oq7wmK4eHiZS8XxJINL8MyG2jAXtlwlcjBpRBUTqO/s1600/P1060144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhS3lG2lNxfMvTPzZDeJFiKYf-7wCx0v5Dfh1gcVncKQO7uBuzkvqbSccVsCwbOsjuZW1vyHyaD4ihgTnVK08o5OlmR9R5D1DsIE_oq7wmK4eHiZS8XxJINL8MyG2jAXtlwlcjBpRBUTqO/s320/P1060144.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The former church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4wXzq_8wzbK1aWIsrujDPsUKQylJqzZLVArWqiXcHJY14inEr8viaSRthRSRRXhU4JQvjs_uhb6wN7AJbf0BjPOg3eeMDO9oTI-n8wJT24ef2ktOyV5J1D9vrQ3BA-mn9dNkH1FHkd1K/s1600/P1060146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4wXzq_8wzbK1aWIsrujDPsUKQylJqzZLVArWqiXcHJY14inEr8viaSRthRSRRXhU4JQvjs_uhb6wN7AJbf0BjPOg3eeMDO9oTI-n8wJT24ef2ktOyV5J1D9vrQ3BA-mn9dNkH1FHkd1K/s320/P1060146.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and the saint</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgk3KaIhFgk7YPceuxhpnADyaNGapsKnc0dM6hFsf-y67jkBxbAWcYYxuNZm0Z3HRxbktk4okoC9K_MO7hvLOzKoqB0BvyFSQ4VgCDEHhynWb-3CayYZ9NGMzqYXMbZJWBES-au5SWf3r9/s1600/P1060147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgk3KaIhFgk7YPceuxhpnADyaNGapsKnc0dM6hFsf-y67jkBxbAWcYYxuNZm0Z3HRxbktk4okoC9K_MO7hvLOzKoqB0BvyFSQ4VgCDEHhynWb-3CayYZ9NGMzqYXMbZJWBES-au5SWf3r9/s320/P1060147.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINYR2l9Khk5TJb_4fiQ0hI3XM7jLbQfUHNeiRFCaLmdsUTm0ETOzFBYmuXFwYDpFLcBfGZvqJppcPU_2qBmbgGJkSfcuQTj8P1nzRNK10COKDpD_XHUUqFvxYnW5buvMiKEEiliofknqW/s1600/P1060150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINYR2l9Khk5TJb_4fiQ0hI3XM7jLbQfUHNeiRFCaLmdsUTm0ETOzFBYmuXFwYDpFLcBfGZvqJppcPU_2qBmbgGJkSfcuQTj8P1nzRNK10COKDpD_XHUUqFvxYnW5buvMiKEEiliofknqW/s320/P1060150.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for a photo op</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoz62KgBD-IxCK0Rsp1nfWGCJaFE9yT9VsQ38KEUFdJAZXrmsAllk8KWmoR0Rqq8G_xZEuYnOK6jy9vm4JFH69V4vMcF76EDprovqlylNtQ1VkM7_WSehYfuoAWblw3mW8pUCq3xHJhsX/s1600/P1060151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoz62KgBD-IxCK0Rsp1nfWGCJaFE9yT9VsQ38KEUFdJAZXrmsAllk8KWmoR0Rqq8G_xZEuYnOK6jy9vm4JFH69V4vMcF76EDprovqlylNtQ1VkM7_WSehYfuoAWblw3mW8pUCq3xHJhsX/s320/P1060151.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CYhOt4OhVlHRRq3SgfSDZeBuwN4PcjRaXJkcsCBrkAfgA-BhaUFUqbfkxsmtB5dYHyGNeaYc1UGxTHyuFmRFndmfPvU11nlEYjO9YrSEJTGAIkvq7GNz2w5suz-AE8smYm-0Z9FuU_HP/s1600/P1060155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CYhOt4OhVlHRRq3SgfSDZeBuwN4PcjRaXJkcsCBrkAfgA-BhaUFUqbfkxsmtB5dYHyGNeaYc1UGxTHyuFmRFndmfPvU11nlEYjO9YrSEJTGAIkvq7GNz2w5suz-AE8smYm-0Z9FuU_HP/s320/P1060155.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little dog was a hoot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFsNjzQ_ffFUR4_8tE4xxPPKpzEEJZIcu5SB5WQSqvDrnfKfTF0OPDiR7pPED597NskOsrWmsA02s-9a8fHEsyEDLOrtX6zhpFCyqURVP5TdGiSAJV_AI-l9JNiwtcmH9GBeo1LbQM6B3/s1600/P1060156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFsNjzQ_ffFUR4_8tE4xxPPKpzEEJZIcu5SB5WQSqvDrnfKfTF0OPDiR7pPED597NskOsrWmsA02s-9a8fHEsyEDLOrtX6zhpFCyqURVP5TdGiSAJV_AI-l9JNiwtcmH9GBeo1LbQM6B3/s320/P1060156.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gentleman of Paris</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1m4xZ2jMBoEpwCwr3vjRtvl1gDtBMkgr6YwAyPD4XtX4Y4iJoOxEOuqvwnnoqQnnMvUw9cf7I2Isw6bu1-RwRxmw6Sl4F1hI-wPGt14jqf7vD9PHBXqMFeqmKYvE4eQVeJVFfUc_O8w8/s1600/P1060159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1m4xZ2jMBoEpwCwr3vjRtvl1gDtBMkgr6YwAyPD4XtX4Y4iJoOxEOuqvwnnoqQnnMvUw9cf7I2Isw6bu1-RwRxmw6Sl4F1hI-wPGt14jqf7vD9PHBXqMFeqmKYvE4eQVeJVFfUc_O8w8/s320/P1060159.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making sugar cane juice. It must be drunk immediately as it doesn't keep. It is often mixed with fruit juice and of course, the ubiquitous rum.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuujN7huo0DlvASaGAyOvCLDYx_9m1uu4014AEQkl-_TVmvj6Ik1EkOmYi5SEb16bpefn1bgHAgC51_vDw77IIFY4Y1Ki00pSn6cBGQRWwz-u5Ml_f9afz8qQ5zmUfcY1LYDhlIC-_nK9v/s1600/P1060160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuujN7huo0DlvASaGAyOvCLDYx_9m1uu4014AEQkl-_TVmvj6Ik1EkOmYi5SEb16bpefn1bgHAgC51_vDw77IIFY4Y1Ki00pSn6cBGQRWwz-u5Ml_f9afz8qQ5zmUfcY1LYDhlIC-_nK9v/s320/P1060160.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhfu5_Y3X5YW0EabgKlUQJTj2ldL1J1OoqCOdYzFeUFt1ixb5xi9961uOS6qOeeH8uruL7nHwUprUBrJ-Oqqim2gWyLi8tpj-um1hJab4nQ4xQ3-UvxBQbutw1ijz1uoP2r2sMVTpWvF6/s1600/P1060163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhfu5_Y3X5YW0EabgKlUQJTj2ldL1J1OoqCOdYzFeUFt1ixb5xi9961uOS6qOeeH8uruL7nHwUprUBrJ-Oqqim2gWyLi8tpj-um1hJab4nQ4xQ3-UvxBQbutw1ijz1uoP2r2sMVTpWvF6/s320/P1060163.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The aqua duct that brought fresh water to Havana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpPrXmUp5UCMFBuX8jaz7sb8mWuDkmgHf8oRdEgOcH237AVWWFp5yYwODB7y5hAqs_i_osjZ7GXjHVvKAEJe_QsGmMOlgAJkWdEQOoVN0dzbhQdxHngEp2GXANn_FtATfQNZJuaX-OPHq/s1600/P1060164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpPrXmUp5UCMFBuX8jaz7sb8mWuDkmgHf8oRdEgOcH237AVWWFp5yYwODB7y5hAqs_i_osjZ7GXjHVvKAEJe_QsGmMOlgAJkWdEQOoVN0dzbhQdxHngEp2GXANn_FtATfQNZJuaX-OPHq/s320/P1060164.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBOneGK6WesLvAYx_6pIQIZy9R612diwCYqPKbMfQUHcciuzCrR5Moo9CPEOGECdZAnDVXr7VTmXyoOvQaHgIGlAsANFTHCJnB0nleoCOuErucPNWcE4Yd8DWjGRKMB57a0wa7uEFEBdt/s1600/P1060166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuBOneGK6WesLvAYx_6pIQIZy9R612diwCYqPKbMfQUHcciuzCrR5Moo9CPEOGECdZAnDVXr7VTmXyoOvQaHgIGlAsANFTHCJnB0nleoCOuErucPNWcE4Yd8DWjGRKMB57a0wa7uEFEBdt/s320/P1060166.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Friary Hotel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX2VQ7F-KBDkD4o5NH6h7z1RLmg-sSuUZAnw-nGDFrRyl4ZIRmQayNkKg7clNAXzmUBFo46C0x-CmJ5DJRiQYmJFL7gDh4Ipr0ahD8QXhufZ0sy9Ry86m8BRM_aOsZs4nKxwC0GVHP2Bj/s1600/P1060167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAX2VQ7F-KBDkD4o5NH6h7z1RLmg-sSuUZAnw-nGDFrRyl4ZIRmQayNkKg7clNAXzmUBFo46C0x-CmJ5DJRiQYmJFL7gDh4Ipr0ahD8QXhufZ0sy9Ry86m8BRM_aOsZs4nKxwC0GVHP2Bj/s320/P1060167.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and a spooky friar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-94ZfKxwnk5vNgMINKIIHyVE37vYB9zW8P9QbiyBk9zJsjkENNptPqygo0ItWt6PdjY3H2mZyAByYqc2qsDrGz61fyMBH9WlJBXkCs_uZGHWM-KOMmljY4DR_vSAWvDCqoOjC2lopohfG/s1600/P1060170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-94ZfKxwnk5vNgMINKIIHyVE37vYB9zW8P9QbiyBk9zJsjkENNptPqygo0ItWt6PdjY3H2mZyAByYqc2qsDrGz61fyMBH9WlJBXkCs_uZGHWM-KOMmljY4DR_vSAWvDCqoOjC2lopohfG/s320/P1060170.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a charming street</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Next we walked to Plaza Vieja where a great deal of restoration has already occurred. It is a big open square surrounded by buildings that were once home to Cuba's very wealthy sugar barons. Many of these have now been restored and are quite beautiful again. Today the sugar barons are gone and these historic buildings serve as hotels restaurants, shops, and so on. The very large open space in the center of this plaza was once home to military exercises and parades.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L80zPtzf2yKOg1oOH5ecoT9_UWrnuLA04EsVZo75IN_FaX2BnekV-oDB6PLpVN0qFdEhwPaUH31VYzoq-IWtBC2qUaNnlxQRp9vwaHJsF8MzgvIreecrXCaW03gsHdOoFI4QtjcpE6CL/s1600/P1060171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5L80zPtzf2yKOg1oOH5ecoT9_UWrnuLA04EsVZo75IN_FaX2BnekV-oDB6PLpVN0qFdEhwPaUH31VYzoq-IWtBC2qUaNnlxQRp9vwaHJsF8MzgvIreecrXCaW03gsHdOoFI4QtjcpE6CL/s320/P1060171.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading toward Plaza Viaja</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxj5vmeZqaDxQ81GSF6GhhbaBQD62e6uKwRWOAylaDJtk73HL0NEOuP_q8jBrKGrjJQqsqGTI4zkykKkzToGSpkmd8i-bsEIkZitIjSYkOQkDSLagFwaJpA3o_Ivp_s1AtoqoUFYi5NDJq/s1600/P1060172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxj5vmeZqaDxQ81GSF6GhhbaBQD62e6uKwRWOAylaDJtk73HL0NEOuP_q8jBrKGrjJQqsqGTI4zkykKkzToGSpkmd8i-bsEIkZitIjSYkOQkDSLagFwaJpA3o_Ivp_s1AtoqoUFYi5NDJq/s320/P1060172.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We pass colonial architecture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmxoOZ3msQofx4iBZT-2LGw-zGxp33aaG_GBYCZ2g0ddFbVeYygDw0nzRU5VHxKzRuxPRzpXzryeXlGOGkVCx8zVja1xVyDgooc4kmBkcjFvLMCiriAL4xPw-pk8PxI3hbfcr4MXqUkhz/s1600/P1060173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmxoOZ3msQofx4iBZT-2LGw-zGxp33aaG_GBYCZ2g0ddFbVeYygDw0nzRU5VHxKzRuxPRzpXzryeXlGOGkVCx8zVja1xVyDgooc4kmBkcjFvLMCiriAL4xPw-pk8PxI3hbfcr4MXqUkhz/s320/P1060173.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3xDsYFRbxwe0cyb4uIoJldd9TqnyBuCE4AOG2Gm3tMsb-pN3nQV4E_O1nsYk4Mt51z14opGBvmVD8r-NPAtKxZL6aSKvhruawAn7N2yM35jqXmQae5IeRCmHeSOVQRcH1KLu2_z3ZGDf/s1600/P1060174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3xDsYFRbxwe0cyb4uIoJldd9TqnyBuCE4AOG2Gm3tMsb-pN3nQV4E_O1nsYk4Mt51z14opGBvmVD8r-NPAtKxZL6aSKvhruawAn7N2yM35jqXmQae5IeRCmHeSOVQRcH1KLu2_z3ZGDf/s320/P1060174.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the plaza, this interesting sculpture. I wasn't crazy about the Cuban paintings we saw, but the sculpture was interesting and lots of fun.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUpbSrtGyj9gFVg1I_Cg2W-kH-BkRbw1VLqSBJddDFQxelQ7NGtZcWqYOD7wmPC1fppl8FpyCXkmbm4clOS83JAFSWvNFrLXBtczg-tZ3kO3tiW-rF3fSF323roG7NdBwKyxtqu1w7bke/s1600/P1060177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUpbSrtGyj9gFVg1I_Cg2W-kH-BkRbw1VLqSBJddDFQxelQ7NGtZcWqYOD7wmPC1fppl8FpyCXkmbm4clOS83JAFSWvNFrLXBtczg-tZ3kO3tiW-rF3fSF323roG7NdBwKyxtqu1w7bke/s320/P1060177.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza Vieja has been largely restored.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy61CEWMsXpkR5kmM5PNA77gZXQCN1Cu1N1ZMgF-FstPDTJ8IpO2wL5hpQB9CM65aRcyPLnFDBfFj90KJGX2IpmOm3mMrQYCsaIvZzbGUQJVvNk_6e9oG0u8w7YtsQkebm_awE4ox6Y5j5/s1600/P1060178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy61CEWMsXpkR5kmM5PNA77gZXQCN1Cu1N1ZMgF-FstPDTJ8IpO2wL5hpQB9CM65aRcyPLnFDBfFj90KJGX2IpmOm3mMrQYCsaIvZzbGUQJVvNk_6e9oG0u8w7YtsQkebm_awE4ox6Y5j5/s320/P1060178.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWEsJNLb2c7qFriswSnOW85YPOWQsaMvBCO6GAY32nxQFqP3MiOmQpVuUYnmoyhNIjsVVgIy1HXYDvGCGnbdWnsFTmDPCdA0umYNukMhPmKZUOAcTinqnrLZSjgzgxELZGMB5TCtMEL7q/s1600/P1060179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWEsJNLb2c7qFriswSnOW85YPOWQsaMvBCO6GAY32nxQFqP3MiOmQpVuUYnmoyhNIjsVVgIy1HXYDvGCGnbdWnsFTmDPCdA0umYNukMhPmKZUOAcTinqnrLZSjgzgxELZGMB5TCtMEL7q/s320/P1060179.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7RueT_bfu5-rKZzABAsXz3TzmGcK91zqaXY4oKkW1DKhcftwgNO67CuO1X2T-6i7C95mhsZKxfyzKB-y1b2D2s08KHTy0aEMDUV46Oes99pMg3MW-z0vDzrLQOiO5wFkSXIkFxafeEWf/s1600/P1060181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7RueT_bfu5-rKZzABAsXz3TzmGcK91zqaXY4oKkW1DKhcftwgNO67CuO1X2T-6i7C95mhsZKxfyzKB-y1b2D2s08KHTy0aEMDUV46Oes99pMg3MW-z0vDzrLQOiO5wFkSXIkFxafeEWf/s320/P1060181.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cCtBo7N81MAiJIfBjyaNrQ4M8QGkcOtf_Nf_DcuA3H2-5YlABDEaHhS-q0CMOWDZmH0NF7scvsWA5yH-lsaZiSIUtPzZkDDhbetQLr2IcDIpKoV_3cQa3-kIz7FauCqERN2S4KXeCVEk/s1600/P1060182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cCtBo7N81MAiJIfBjyaNrQ4M8QGkcOtf_Nf_DcuA3H2-5YlABDEaHhS-q0CMOWDZmH0NF7scvsWA5yH-lsaZiSIUtPzZkDDhbetQLr2IcDIpKoV_3cQa3-kIz7FauCqERN2S4KXeCVEk/s320/P1060182.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidp_9PUwarpjhwE4YvrZNz7iTBZqBW0cb_iG5PDm7xbBwV5l3_fcZNSJHo9UbALA4ocx8-74iJ_lMpmIRk5p9ebevALqb5uMAzoV3lYA3W7tg839GAx05E_qQjrPDLAXDGw9AtffQLaGka/s1600/P1060183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidp_9PUwarpjhwE4YvrZNz7iTBZqBW0cb_iG5PDm7xbBwV5l3_fcZNSJHo9UbALA4ocx8-74iJ_lMpmIRk5p9ebevALqb5uMAzoV3lYA3W7tg839GAx05E_qQjrPDLAXDGw9AtffQLaGka/s320/P1060183.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4VbdV9YQtQn8NUoKw4blzihbXvbmQLwNNnZMYAfKp1Pk06QOjR69dc-s3nx_Jjb-CAW3OyxBJKge7gMcQmNFnIf0bkmJ3ZvhRE9Boi3CtdOVd7kzRIxZCACZHt7MMmbWilrLGcYQiZC8/s1600/P1060186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4VbdV9YQtQn8NUoKw4blzihbXvbmQLwNNnZMYAfKp1Pk06QOjR69dc-s3nx_Jjb-CAW3OyxBJKge7gMcQmNFnIf0bkmJ3ZvhRE9Boi3CtdOVd7kzRIxZCACZHt7MMmbWilrLGcYQiZC8/s320/P1060186.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YSWPHJULOlsk3TLfB6VAJn7puzd3sITg2BCtd6vkMD2_U6P6xoqePWl6KNBTK_3OVNNYNwFQoBBbVDbRPxewS9uqkxr0n1OCASAy41mKUx8BmjT7L4fihUd6HSc42e803GSQJ7ZobInD/s1600/P1060188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YSWPHJULOlsk3TLfB6VAJn7puzd3sITg2BCtd6vkMD2_U6P6xoqePWl6KNBTK_3OVNNYNwFQoBBbVDbRPxewS9uqkxr0n1OCASAy41mKUx8BmjT7L4fihUd6HSc42e803GSQJ7ZobInD/s320/P1060188.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a micro brewery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrdsJ8DcmYFNCLGVE6sqy5HHa0W1Xf5E5ZpRQDi6QGteWXNKtg8gzXzDANfr0qitM9q6B31tVMr1qbrgislhGBKkz_qfTWQneQH8OwLR8X00B9Nz5yq6HcVHLraMG6OPgjraRyshd9I06/s1600/P1060190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrdsJ8DcmYFNCLGVE6sqy5HHa0W1Xf5E5ZpRQDi6QGteWXNKtg8gzXzDANfr0qitM9q6B31tVMr1qbrgislhGBKkz_qfTWQneQH8OwLR8X00B9Nz5yq6HcVHLraMG6OPgjraRyshd9I06/s320/P1060190.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this--a woman riding her rooster and armed with a very large fork.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypojRybcZL004H3sxKmPOfHGoO5S3ZsA4XDJN4oVJ9O5gTAJ77BdQgijk2XxukSztJEkDQNVtok_tbrBAej6ZjFHLNAe0QXiNv7gH0AbUfMrlDOTqAU2ChVQ8Yv_74FHVbD1WGRtYhqLv/s1600/P1060195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypojRybcZL004H3sxKmPOfHGoO5S3ZsA4XDJN4oVJ9O5gTAJ77BdQgijk2XxukSztJEkDQNVtok_tbrBAej6ZjFHLNAe0QXiNv7gH0AbUfMrlDOTqAU2ChVQ8Yv_74FHVbD1WGRtYhqLv/s320/P1060195.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the restoration began, this plaza was almost rubble.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5USn68cDoU2vLwLnoz5vcdg22qEHukEj3QTLXmecXUXNqPkcQRedE3ODwNsE0KGKhtnJQS8x2wiMIglNfOxf_aJS7SGzLiCACROgEbQDXyDSDuT7dqSyOgnW6hQuBP6wAlrxirswbNJCD/s1600/P1060196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5USn68cDoU2vLwLnoz5vcdg22qEHukEj3QTLXmecXUXNqPkcQRedE3ODwNsE0KGKhtnJQS8x2wiMIglNfOxf_aJS7SGzLiCACROgEbQDXyDSDuT7dqSyOgnW6hQuBP6wAlrxirswbNJCD/s320/P1060196.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQVg8hYXSGfk3s4OxnrrobnjChoyYQnT8jIYTtze9WVt3ysOxq5JYKskmFrXzyna4NVtHxBokbYNrUWdj-1HrDMJ8IvxUnETtpEwjpDgE9s3nQzruXP8ngK0tLrBv8sLrNN_GUJbNBIRE/s1600/P1060197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQVg8hYXSGfk3s4OxnrrobnjChoyYQnT8jIYTtze9WVt3ysOxq5JYKskmFrXzyna4NVtHxBokbYNrUWdj-1HrDMJ8IvxUnETtpEwjpDgE9s3nQzruXP8ngK0tLrBv8sLrNN_GUJbNBIRE/s320/P1060197.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This beautiful old building has been entirely gutted and is being restored. It will be gorgeous!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3rHtS4jS1krizoaXQsBdHYflf84QjeINJDbDKHuEtLNNIm8j_FxSdY2v6jeIbcXJRD37fuDXh442ro_vdViAgundxi8C8r0mPLEwwOsETYC8BPZ6MC-V3_Fg2hqGj0trZE9zED2KsWrx/s1600/P1060198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs3rHtS4jS1krizoaXQsBdHYflf84QjeINJDbDKHuEtLNNIm8j_FxSdY2v6jeIbcXJRD37fuDXh442ro_vdViAgundxi8C8r0mPLEwwOsETYC8BPZ6MC-V3_Fg2hqGj0trZE9zED2KsWrx/s320/P1060198.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the lunch trade</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRIs-q5f0Bd7zukNkTutoIvsu2PJt6Qwit-xqSxcwSINqN4izJkgsyxf4pP2eOpFYkxbLltH4UPE4BAARXIg8c3GkL-P_7VM6RW0my29LTapqVkBblZtfYgwjL1Pg9squpaHEn6t5wo_b/s1600/P1060199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRIs-q5f0Bd7zukNkTutoIvsu2PJt6Qwit-xqSxcwSINqN4izJkgsyxf4pP2eOpFYkxbLltH4UPE4BAARXIg8c3GkL-P_7VM6RW0my29LTapqVkBblZtfYgwjL1Pg9squpaHEn6t5wo_b/s320/P1060199.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A coffee pot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6kymQWbHIFVSskZ6A8qwxS2-rYB3FhAeDYDQsJtnlJOXx8q7nCEY2oFy6hhYTJ1_ghepP0liP97pJPuIAVJ6P7o0A_ITKJGivYcDgUssKszmq4WLyV5Qi0LhIrDp9CY4J10WgoNxbZyS/s1600/P1060200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6kymQWbHIFVSskZ6A8qwxS2-rYB3FhAeDYDQsJtnlJOXx8q7nCEY2oFy6hhYTJ1_ghepP0liP97pJPuIAVJ6P7o0A_ITKJGivYcDgUssKszmq4WLyV5Qi0LhIrDp9CY4J10WgoNxbZyS/s320/P1060200.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1UWnZFOPw9UbJciZr5BOJxpiKl7RxasSkHilLVQEMWhXwH73jfM-VVj878moUsvKTajgB4dapoO-DLBHdc9BLHhRNQBCdR8JEZHlzd0jH4XaWWNyV81onQBGPmQ47EOZi-fuBA8j8os1/s1600/P1060201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1UWnZFOPw9UbJciZr5BOJxpiKl7RxasSkHilLVQEMWhXwH73jfM-VVj878moUsvKTajgB4dapoO-DLBHdc9BLHhRNQBCdR8JEZHlzd0jH4XaWWNyV81onQBGPmQ47EOZi-fuBA8j8os1/s320/P1060201.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSNatllKIu5X8EnGkXM0aA-hgQYtzL7W72JrKlA6s8fPMPDbMR9kri4tDauVfwe9U2yRS4P8Mpqz_rdSAPmBhGesuhsKzDYyj7pUCTo_SRc8Mqgq8mU4kcETm4MS5zCtpQxA8s2nofhGj/s1600/P1060204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSNatllKIu5X8EnGkXM0aA-hgQYtzL7W72JrKlA6s8fPMPDbMR9kri4tDauVfwe9U2yRS4P8Mpqz_rdSAPmBhGesuhsKzDYyj7pUCTo_SRc8Mqgq8mU4kcETm4MS5zCtpQxA8s2nofhGj/s320/P1060204.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking to our rendezvous with the bus, we pass another fascinating sculpture. I'd love to know the story behind this one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAlghllAizlk9brMTFMFkAYmD2MhFONNONl-9Vc7sL9GhTYTb4CHJwc0Q8eb0kzH53rV8lPN1jzv_dNdD1oD9_O0m2TKth51MhbgjBPWb3PgqkmTZg41HfgIaO40aJsmhUbgBmXzpynrD/s1600/P1060206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAlghllAizlk9brMTFMFkAYmD2MhFONNONl-9Vc7sL9GhTYTb4CHJwc0Q8eb0kzH53rV8lPN1jzv_dNdD1oD9_O0m2TKth51MhbgjBPWb3PgqkmTZg41HfgIaO40aJsmhUbgBmXzpynrD/s320/P1060206.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFBIHWCrdM_y4Sv8VQNSbn02uvOu68_mEr46waskwfSQgsvHbDCiDIqkqddky1FHp7NDkrHCYAwfhoE7TCnG60gue7Jamk0QP_KdnWU2Gzve3xprUKf-aFg6QWo9lSKCLzhsNCKERKACG/s1600/P1060209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFBIHWCrdM_y4Sv8VQNSbn02uvOu68_mEr46waskwfSQgsvHbDCiDIqkqddky1FHp7NDkrHCYAwfhoE7TCnG60gue7Jamk0QP_KdnWU2Gzve3xprUKf-aFg6QWo9lSKCLzhsNCKERKACG/s320/P1060209.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Coco-cab goes by...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUsjiY8bl-Cjt9NOJ62cuoAfV8a97A-vp0G0o1sYa66zisVRLp_wVGeOBJrjb-HZ-Ayprh3qkbNO62noqFTG-5DqJLWs_y8owW8cbEXO0762xb9FGzlIO34aOYDYAX-ZAeHOsJnXP1gP_/s1600/P1060210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUsjiY8bl-Cjt9NOJ62cuoAfV8a97A-vp0G0o1sYa66zisVRLp_wVGeOBJrjb-HZ-Ayprh3qkbNO62noqFTG-5DqJLWs_y8owW8cbEXO0762xb9FGzlIO34aOYDYAX-ZAeHOsJnXP1gP_/s320/P1060210.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and many colorful classic car taxis.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJf29EtRnbGXUWzYUCsiQQwcmHUTwTEpiZC6l2X2edVc7BcnQcrKNOb4xghdMoW4Zmaq-OWQj1gyenbDfME29C7apUafEDk4rwfmGaf55D-bVxn7tdXgJ9ccpwGOdqstM3_OHPEwdEdrD/s1600/P1060211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJf29EtRnbGXUWzYUCsiQQwcmHUTwTEpiZC6l2X2edVc7BcnQcrKNOb4xghdMoW4Zmaq-OWQj1gyenbDfME29C7apUafEDk4rwfmGaf55D-bVxn7tdXgJ9ccpwGOdqstM3_OHPEwdEdrD/s320/P1060211.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving around Havana, you see one interesting building...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKE-XBjk7xyQ9coZ9IcZKBPlBSXDoSDSQ94J5Aip6-fd9cKHSDUtVdCbIJmSdZXW0ScmF6kcbYNSHHkn2SS81YmlpspTLnpR6YnxPRgOU76MIEz4ipwmgT5ClNbPcbDPOZRqgIfi-0xZqL/s1600/P1060212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKE-XBjk7xyQ9coZ9IcZKBPlBSXDoSDSQ94J5Aip6-fd9cKHSDUtVdCbIJmSdZXW0ScmF6kcbYNSHHkn2SS81YmlpspTLnpR6YnxPRgOU76MIEz4ipwmgT5ClNbPcbDPOZRqgIfi-0xZqL/s320/P1060212.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...after another...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVz62FERtjaxYHoT8xAYgzFHAU7Gjgk3wAYHildAojcJF17O9G7lJzif7jlQ_jSL8NZTfTrRzoLkXTlKJbWwKVHuMvh-hqlP687sq1oL7eKYcTDbSGmvAvi6z5lcpQUA1ws9XQhOvYM2PX/s1600/P1060213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVz62FERtjaxYHoT8xAYgzFHAU7Gjgk3wAYHildAojcJF17O9G7lJzif7jlQ_jSL8NZTfTrRzoLkXTlKJbWwKVHuMvh-hqlP687sq1oL7eKYcTDbSGmvAvi6z5lcpQUA1ws9XQhOvYM2PX/s320/P1060213.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...including demolition.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACQC70IdiYi0va4hZjmt_heiZ8fd1ffEOOV6QeeRVUn2Fe3fLj_HhgeLZZEYnpGRBZWJZOQHt9yF6cAiWPh0bJb3GFsKYMUoOICGBO7jKj3l6OTrvQ5FyR6HOmRt0IPEAIUFL2nXYlZ2c/s1600/P1060214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACQC70IdiYi0va4hZjmt_heiZ8fd1ffEOOV6QeeRVUn2Fe3fLj_HhgeLZZEYnpGRBZWJZOQHt9yF6cAiWPh0bJb3GFsKYMUoOICGBO7jKj3l6OTrvQ5FyR6HOmRt0IPEAIUFL2nXYlZ2c/s320/P1060214.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-SzNgF8kK737G_Tc4W7CUzXUttxgUudDkKDQGwaA_oM_Jd-qzTb61yxucPhyphenhyphenaEepyFaLEpyB-NmAvOnVCN-VcgPmjetlDNsqYwccdLktvxTIfJYQHiqTRiCKhqI-BhO1fPGCLiVtg1sU/s1600/P1060215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-SzNgF8kK737G_Tc4W7CUzXUttxgUudDkKDQGwaA_oM_Jd-qzTb61yxucPhyphenhyphenaEepyFaLEpyB-NmAvOnVCN-VcgPmjetlDNsqYwccdLktvxTIfJYQHiqTRiCKhqI-BhO1fPGCLiVtg1sU/s320/P1060215.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This looks ultra sleek plus charm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-I7eWLQlEEmlsLh8vUWrnO4FPDJpaQOD_fbktd0Cht3O8lHd6XcLncWadP7oYD5eDc0zv_xLK6mLSGNRMjMnyH1ZXWwrhUl4DjUEOK7hLq9iFmBt-K3ZnCT537x185gfLZejKvPMWRRH/s1600/P1060216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-I7eWLQlEEmlsLh8vUWrnO4FPDJpaQOD_fbktd0Cht3O8lHd6XcLncWadP7oYD5eDc0zv_xLK6mLSGNRMjMnyH1ZXWwrhUl4DjUEOK7hLq9iFmBt-K3ZnCT537x185gfLZejKvPMWRRH/s320/P1060216.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhicLF-FTCele0n3-sExHzC_Sxc7DRfpNWEyvkd3GvvbQAxqeLS-REFwL4AnwZY9Mpy9KhKOruQzE-X98Kavcd-2JQn6vNJJvYbAsfbei7x-8O17w9IbkLls1ZeM9KbIDQWWPC1bsXFL9W/s1600/P1060221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhicLF-FTCele0n3-sExHzC_Sxc7DRfpNWEyvkd3GvvbQAxqeLS-REFwL4AnwZY9Mpy9KhKOruQzE-X98Kavcd-2JQn6vNJJvYbAsfbei7x-8O17w9IbkLls1ZeM9KbIDQWWPC1bsXFL9W/s320/P1060221.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not everything is beautiful</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAV5B3FKK_wLhRpnhveR0q2ifP-SA6M4LN2TxW5p3824xGtWzwKO8eEBHbnoLhpvUDzXnQLt3ht1d63w-sfz7HsaO5WLhRU-HZopAwArvooFij7DTceB_ikYGP-36G7QhPoLjbO1PhzfG7/s1600/P1060222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAV5B3FKK_wLhRpnhveR0q2ifP-SA6M4LN2TxW5p3824xGtWzwKO8eEBHbnoLhpvUDzXnQLt3ht1d63w-sfz7HsaO5WLhRU-HZopAwArvooFij7DTceB_ikYGP-36G7QhPoLjbO1PhzfG7/s320/P1060222.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is clearly left from the Russian period. Cuba is currently stuck with these hideous buildings, but that doesn't mean they like them.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
We enjoyed another lavish lunch before heading to the studio of a self-taught silversmith who trained as an engineer before discovering her calling in making very nice jewelry. She is also training other young Cubans in this art because there is no one left in Cuba who knows how to do this.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Our next destination was the Colon Cemetery where many of Havana’s elite are buried. Ordinary people can be buried there as well, but the section closest to the chapel is reserved for families with enough wealth for some serious displays of Italian marble.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEhnPcbwKWhe08E5uc8qu3Dq3dYu4h-OWecO1bx7rKJGnLXze0udG1dR4npHiTSblcZcDNzLAVVyx-2HZkZ5sfDoxg10-HKgoAXPD4fYh558hvF1uyqyPh_KkJsXw4hPRc5LC6MqUW0Qx/s1600/P1060224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEhnPcbwKWhe08E5uc8qu3Dq3dYu4h-OWecO1bx7rKJGnLXze0udG1dR4npHiTSblcZcDNzLAVVyx-2HZkZ5sfDoxg10-HKgoAXPD4fYh558hvF1uyqyPh_KkJsXw4hPRc5LC6MqUW0Qx/s320/P1060224.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ykWR_VI2dB7djZiv3i3C6c90oQhnUtXoGEkJR6vQUm_I61J6gDH10q0vB8e8XxHS6Wt3GkwVPUT8DccXwQBkJ0Ml49D6hqzIQMrsYShdH5lxRYMpB6NhNQvZmeZE_OnK4rgMqZlyJbFG/s1600/P1060226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ykWR_VI2dB7djZiv3i3C6c90oQhnUtXoGEkJR6vQUm_I61J6gDH10q0vB8e8XxHS6Wt3GkwVPUT8DccXwQBkJ0Ml49D6hqzIQMrsYShdH5lxRYMpB6NhNQvZmeZE_OnK4rgMqZlyJbFG/s320/P1060226.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAC7-HVn9q_6ZwuYS8L8m4KWaghDueALqpvBRU1142ddH2Hrs5VLizhHLZ4j8uid1tXBR-xb47zfzfsxEip0j8u80krISrswoeAOAHij3V08kN6LcLMWumO2xxNn7nfRjISNVTPsnk0Qxo/s1600/P1060229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAC7-HVn9q_6ZwuYS8L8m4KWaghDueALqpvBRU1142ddH2Hrs5VLizhHLZ4j8uid1tXBR-xb47zfzfsxEip0j8u80krISrswoeAOAHij3V08kN6LcLMWumO2xxNn7nfRjISNVTPsnk0Qxo/s320/P1060229.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPocT6nP33kXPB69WQOIDopJK4L44kz-SziH8Gkmb1a4X9UTSvbdCSQjypzLmUaiWMSX6nq7s0dxtS5hMJpuPsy8Ayr81CU4TOEuaLRd4MTe7rKcFQVovQKnrZz6_kBk88CcJxO-13VkS/s1600/P1060232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPocT6nP33kXPB69WQOIDopJK4L44kz-SziH8Gkmb1a4X9UTSvbdCSQjypzLmUaiWMSX6nq7s0dxtS5hMJpuPsy8Ayr81CU4TOEuaLRd4MTe7rKcFQVovQKnrZz6_kBk88CcJxO-13VkS/s320/P1060232.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0TN4-XeOhXQu1Sa833TdRCBXhqNdJiNPXRdhI8ghr_oSKewobqyVQT_j2ZSByZ3djpgAL_ZHmRwN7gMZZz5yMW3EwcG72V6fl0DG_0W9Ly9XiSPABPdhnkgA0hVSM7YHq1iN2GyxaoWQ/s1600/P1060234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0TN4-XeOhXQu1Sa833TdRCBXhqNdJiNPXRdhI8ghr_oSKewobqyVQT_j2ZSByZ3djpgAL_ZHmRwN7gMZZz5yMW3EwcG72V6fl0DG_0W9Ly9XiSPABPdhnkgA0hVSM7YHq1iN2GyxaoWQ/s320/P1060234.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4eq6MXsa-4skNrpizX1geE2rAnQCiFAD2EuirJgfrsHctAJv95i6a19yvN8lLYq6XTpkeNHqv_A5I4N5uV6Jgbo9xnKmBlGAj7umQIYWOAqCStI4dgvcwK7sXIAFylFXaibLyHKrPb2b/s1600/P1060235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA4eq6MXsa-4skNrpizX1geE2rAnQCiFAD2EuirJgfrsHctAJv95i6a19yvN8lLYq6XTpkeNHqv_A5I4N5uV6Jgbo9xnKmBlGAj7umQIYWOAqCStI4dgvcwK7sXIAFylFXaibLyHKrPb2b/s320/P1060235.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_T2EEs0s_ZtA-i9QtocRUalqkAO7a14WKZChTv00tcnjmEVp375e_INn0r6eWwFaRI2rs7OZK2RkeqN6FbdBhqyg2G33G65dS9NhCLeFXBTIqCb-VvUb_FO_34jJ9Q-_OVldTyTWCqWoO/s1600/P1060237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_T2EEs0s_ZtA-i9QtocRUalqkAO7a14WKZChTv00tcnjmEVp375e_INn0r6eWwFaRI2rs7OZK2RkeqN6FbdBhqyg2G33G65dS9NhCLeFXBTIqCb-VvUb_FO_34jJ9Q-_OVldTyTWCqWoO/s320/P1060237.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFwoQXLrm2kc472mCwiQpgpR2QsnJzl0rxyqsfNg8LPmtrv1F3va1JqICOyW5g64_Lr6bWnSjyTAe4Bhy09svejlYvD3DWKMH7NSaO0iK_RBiGmxN30BNi20e-FOAR6x78KjiHsdTvhjc/s1600/P1060239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFwoQXLrm2kc472mCwiQpgpR2QsnJzl0rxyqsfNg8LPmtrv1F3va1JqICOyW5g64_Lr6bWnSjyTAe4Bhy09svejlYvD3DWKMH7NSaO0iK_RBiGmxN30BNi20e-FOAR6x78KjiHsdTvhjc/s320/P1060239.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This huge monument is the tomb of 35 firefighters who lost their lives in a tragic fire caused by an uncaring businessman.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_k6-XQGE2Ov52qIg9QM5ACzdklqoiEMyd1dvGqCdBV1opZo1Lryp9s3JfqQ7kKd5n8lIIbzABM5dSdPiXdxoFVEfQ4DH91q7wPXjIQHAjMByr3E4Jrz5E_KGKofVw430X1baY_VmTk_T/s1600/P1060240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_k6-XQGE2Ov52qIg9QM5ACzdklqoiEMyd1dvGqCdBV1opZo1Lryp9s3JfqQ7kKd5n8lIIbzABM5dSdPiXdxoFVEfQ4DH91q7wPXjIQHAjMByr3E4Jrz5E_KGKofVw430X1baY_VmTk_T/s320/P1060240.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnuuA0xg3vog0B-Fu7z-IBBYcQ_ZDxHX7q_Vaxb2sYZp_HZ7wX1zTVeVjZximeMqQW-EETfVBccOEVYg4UmNe-kOzQqkzqyn2PRzC1nDOffvcR73JOIZcbh2koCS0O5kDEOnbxNo9Nexl/s1600/P1060241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnuuA0xg3vog0B-Fu7z-IBBYcQ_ZDxHX7q_Vaxb2sYZp_HZ7wX1zTVeVjZximeMqQW-EETfVBccOEVYg4UmNe-kOzQqkzqyn2PRzC1nDOffvcR73JOIZcbh2koCS0O5kDEOnbxNo9Nexl/s320/P1060241.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teardrop shapes adorn the security chain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjhNEtgfs9sGSSlbhWEwIG9Fipv9uDaWy4NR_95j70HQrmY4YXxCkeRv99HgYdMG_9BQ8lv82ZTJqYLwKu0wH1uH6XrvO5nrsNPxHBIJ99qhb9XMpfLgbfLK3exl72lgGgxftMzYcTURB/s1600/P1060245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnjhNEtgfs9sGSSlbhWEwIG9Fipv9uDaWy4NR_95j70HQrmY4YXxCkeRv99HgYdMG_9BQ8lv82ZTJqYLwKu0wH1uH6XrvO5nrsNPxHBIJ99qhb9XMpfLgbfLK3exl72lgGgxftMzYcTURB/s320/P1060245.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chapel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46SexK8Og65Gk8qjdum4-VNDir0DUaEkEUH9xGcyH09trBtLMsqOMfUDUaeCgFYQJe4jzaaogca-dDvVsou94DKvud6OGhpvy8ccMs-M_yo4NpxAq-rm5OXra-0IeSWRqYyR3VyKi6uGv/s1600/P1060246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46SexK8Og65Gk8qjdum4-VNDir0DUaEkEUH9xGcyH09trBtLMsqOMfUDUaeCgFYQJe4jzaaogca-dDvVsou94DKvud6OGhpvy8ccMs-M_yo4NpxAq-rm5OXra-0IeSWRqYyR3VyKi6uGv/s320/P1060246.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljViWqbwfY3ONduoBO5zv2EG6LC2xH1b4My3hI88FgIlv_TDNnrIAGhopHQMUJkdgXVs-e4x_MVq1G_ok92V1Cug8cSKh50d3hYLtTSzIU0jmirLXgSHOyv__knFtruohFjzep1E_8Qn2/s1600/P1060249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljViWqbwfY3ONduoBO5zv2EG6LC2xH1b4My3hI88FgIlv_TDNnrIAGhopHQMUJkdgXVs-e4x_MVq1G_ok92V1Cug8cSKh50d3hYLtTSzIU0jmirLXgSHOyv__knFtruohFjzep1E_8Qn2/s320/P1060249.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touching this baby is supposed to make your wished come true.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
By this time we were worn out from the activities and heat of the day, and longed for the hotel where we revived a bit before being taken to a venue where a female a cappella chorus sang for us and then talked a bit about their lives and careers. Finally, we enjoyed dinner at a really nice paladar which gave us lots of rum and even a free cigar. B and I declined both but hilarity prevailed. A very nice ending to a very long and busy day.</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-617980069130407802015-09-29T16:19:00.002-07:002015-09-30T09:57:57.043-07:00Our third day in Havana<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Tuesday, September 22. This morning our lecture was about Havana's architecture. This is an old city built over several hundred years and therefore there are many periods of architecture here, from early 16th century through 19th-century colonial and ending with truly ugly Russian concrete boxes. Many cultures have contributed to Havana’s architecture. Once again we see the influence of the melting pot. The architecture most people find especially appealing in Havana and the rest of Cuba was constructed during the colonial period. Such beautiful old buildings that over the last 50 years fell into disrepair and even began to crumble. In more recent times, efforts have been made to salvage and restore as many of these old buildings as possible, given their lack of funds. They are using an interesting system to accomplish this. First they scrape together enough money to restore one building, usually in a historic area. They turn that building into something that will create an income stream such as apartments, hotels, or restaurants. The income from that building is then turned back into restoration of another building in the same general area and so on, creating a restoration domino effect. Rather than displace people who might be living in these buildings, every effort is made to resettle them in the same area especially if it is close to their work. I suppose this works better than could be expected because the Cuban population is shrinking due to the expense of raising a child versus the very low wages one can earn here. One interesting thing is that by law eviction is not allowed. For this reason many people do not pay their rent. Why would they if they can't be evicted? To be clear, these buildings and businesses are government-owned. Private enterprise is gradually being allowed, but only in private homes. I hadn’t realized there WERE private homes in Cuba, but many families live in homes that have been in the family for generations.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
After our lecture we visited two more of old Havana's most famous squares. The Plaza des Armas is centered by a statue of national hero, José Martí, and a large shady park, completely surrounded by stall after stall of booksellers. Here you can find books in Spanish and English, often at pretty good prices. The prevailing theme is books by and about Che. You can also find old cigar labels carefully displayed in plastic sleeves as well as many posters.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FqxYcxGGGeINNfjKCS6sj_CgvTEEZAX_OSfmHmhyphenhyphenQF2hhpi3rEh_wk1sogTEvA9V2ysbcCvG2mdVBqVkKRg68UKGXpEnXs9EyITt-dW9aboJClPybokfksPoUfFwHkwd__zKeIRtIqcP/s1600/P1060265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FqxYcxGGGeINNfjKCS6sj_CgvTEEZAX_OSfmHmhyphenhyphenQF2hhpi3rEh_wk1sogTEvA9V2ysbcCvG2mdVBqVkKRg68UKGXpEnXs9EyITt-dW9aboJClPybokfksPoUfFwHkwd__zKeIRtIqcP/s320/P1060265.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colonial architecture with a dormant kapok tree. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJW2Ix4XXEbOYvHSPaUoGqMpCFt8CU5ULSTHHkZ4gs-A71yyWhrOvSsbSEn5ACZlpp7TPmzYuf8Q0kz8ETm-RWKflURk5r-0m5xiLHD1NomrQZElK6gwnVA6p1TD8Ml5CxUY82JtFTwCx/s1600/P1060266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJW2Ix4XXEbOYvHSPaUoGqMpCFt8CU5ULSTHHkZ4gs-A71yyWhrOvSsbSEn5ACZlpp7TPmzYuf8Q0kz8ETm-RWKflURk5r-0m5xiLHD1NomrQZElK6gwnVA6p1TD8Ml5CxUY82JtFTwCx/s320/P1060266.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of the booksellers of the Plaza des Armas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZAihORS49eFBHrtUId9lNY0-5Xc6MEhjXcqZm5n55KY-jVglavjaB4lI9oz3q4DHA4_SfiaVoPRiSkLHP3Zbbs3jGUOIQp4I2F3DoRwkG64WR-3ml-ZIIPvJmObPpJRToKSCs91pXccW/s1600/P1060268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZAihORS49eFBHrtUId9lNY0-5Xc6MEhjXcqZm5n55KY-jVglavjaB4lI9oz3q4DHA4_SfiaVoPRiSkLHP3Zbbs3jGUOIQp4I2F3DoRwkG64WR-3ml-ZIIPvJmObPpJRToKSCs91pXccW/s320/P1060268.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A restored building</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDF2Wg0iMQp-4cwTGSOh2SqUPVBDBvoWfyvWLK52Io-azVlXsim4mnmBmFj3X3hfR_lhHMrd7Y2Q09YMAkA5x8Ct9Z-HFpxKqnnoooYT9ci5_hKAvLkULN-pCzRpeZvma4YzV64BmPZ5rC/s1600/P1060274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDF2Wg0iMQp-4cwTGSOh2SqUPVBDBvoWfyvWLK52Io-azVlXsim4mnmBmFj3X3hfR_lhHMrd7Y2Q09YMAkA5x8Ct9Z-HFpxKqnnoooYT9ci5_hKAvLkULN-pCzRpeZvma4YzV64BmPZ5rC/s320/P1060274.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFypA57HT9eRgRrY857nXlcbMgQsiv7hR-ohzYI2dqV57cfztgj9035uDhC7fh8AHPeWHjLAL4NoD9Z2u4OSPyPLzqu4V9-45YbJ_qk2vWSQbcs3DoUode4X0n9fEDBP7jcMs01Xmt0L4/s1600/P1060269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFypA57HT9eRgRrY857nXlcbMgQsiv7hR-ohzYI2dqV57cfztgj9035uDhC7fh8AHPeWHjLAL4NoD9Z2u4OSPyPLzqu4V9-45YbJ_qk2vWSQbcs3DoUode4X0n9fEDBP7jcMs01Xmt0L4/s320/P1060269.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">José Martí</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWJGCWy3Vz4JW1Inh0-OYdIokzYxnnG-2o3WF-QwnhjpdwfDwkiYe94wx8yNeodOwWE9QZ81DQO4ebns5PV-aXmXDMLRrIiAt0fa6CGrUi_ufUWFKFlt2QDrgIB5q84yj_Fv8iFvfoVce/s1600/P1060275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWJGCWy3Vz4JW1Inh0-OYdIokzYxnnG-2o3WF-QwnhjpdwfDwkiYe94wx8yNeodOwWE9QZ81DQO4ebns5PV-aXmXDMLRrIiAt0fa6CGrUi_ufUWFKFlt2QDrgIB5q84yj_Fv8iFvfoVce/s320/P1060275.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can pay to have your picture taken with these guys... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjQay6it-qPczMsqoeUSR8mteZRTvQSb7idHx06GeOeYROxKzZlZdT8oYe0VEeXhHL1w02ab-oJzz3dqwGHFqzthie2RJtt1FOCt8vawn4DROv1k0peKwVrV-7pTQFKJmZd4eq3S2kPbr/s1600/P1060277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZjQay6it-qPczMsqoeUSR8mteZRTvQSb7idHx06GeOeYROxKzZlZdT8oYe0VEeXhHL1w02ab-oJzz3dqwGHFqzthie2RJtt1FOCt8vawn4DROv1k0peKwVrV-7pTQFKJmZd4eq3S2kPbr/s320/P1060277.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and these gals.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Very nearby is Cathedral Square, dominated by the largest and most important Catholic church in Cuba, constructed in what is known as the Cuban Gothic style, which is simpler, less ornate, but just as impressive as the European Gothic we are more accustomed to seeing.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdEZSkRomwtrUxNziboMsKeobLcV8vbYwGoUPwmxzepy3-YWVrTL_NQlN__pcEuMuaMWuKFxvyxqa-ysNhjHK5rMU_s5kYKePyLe-xAlT7o_ZEP6A8LeGdhfAm8mfMPxFaVsafXpTElHQ/s1600/P1060283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdEZSkRomwtrUxNziboMsKeobLcV8vbYwGoUPwmxzepy3-YWVrTL_NQlN__pcEuMuaMWuKFxvyxqa-ysNhjHK5rMU_s5kYKePyLe-xAlT7o_ZEP6A8LeGdhfAm8mfMPxFaVsafXpTElHQ/s320/P1060283.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Cathedral Square we passed this school of architecture where the old facade has been artfully combined with a very modern structure.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWdupoTNhPhGQXN5iAThF_2SAIwmNnzb22d_67BXgc48hrcrsBpLzaEUtoqRJLNBfXsRPOCr-5RrkChWftSjysu0DLKj2abfiNBkAJk1Rr5yBLnL-QdcQOTlG0CjmwjUkySYlmN_Lenlh/s1600/P1060288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWdupoTNhPhGQXN5iAThF_2SAIwmNnzb22d_67BXgc48hrcrsBpLzaEUtoqRJLNBfXsRPOCr-5RrkChWftSjysu0DLKj2abfiNBkAJk1Rr5yBLnL-QdcQOTlG0CjmwjUkySYlmN_Lenlh/s320/P1060288.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pretty street along the way...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmx49dwzgj7XGDxCEoCdPVccxBPXGrHn2PjaSoZswS9kBc9793NhpkH3P-Z3neoiak_YZtIQG5BqB_PpV_LjNDhCM1Tw3rVbqKAodoYq9lqoZ4X51sN_wVuQ5vxdFO8WAJcOvSZ2Gj6mq/s1600/P1060290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVmx49dwzgj7XGDxCEoCdPVccxBPXGrHn2PjaSoZswS9kBc9793NhpkH3P-Z3neoiak_YZtIQG5BqB_PpV_LjNDhCM1Tw3rVbqKAodoYq9lqoZ4X51sN_wVuQ5vxdFO8WAJcOvSZ2Gj6mq/s320/P1060290.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...features this fascinating mural depicting many people from Cuba's past.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhGfsfX7UGiWzSkbSlFqkXkS8Qtw_20EWmXZe0KnNfHObhXhpEU3fyWvxMcMccRVSnZVnmMsPgen4h5jg7m6bhbiSXqQL4RQ5Ge46xa57gB9RNv3rZdjw4VZQauWdhnQK_XbdEnwNDfIQ/s1600/P1060294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhGfsfX7UGiWzSkbSlFqkXkS8Qtw_20EWmXZe0KnNfHObhXhpEU3fyWvxMcMccRVSnZVnmMsPgen4h5jg7m6bhbiSXqQL4RQ5Ge46xa57gB9RNv3rZdjw4VZQauWdhnQK_XbdEnwNDfIQ/s320/P1060294.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First glimpse of the cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QMssFawotgvl1ufy0bmPn_rT2_82BXRo1BV-2l_-atRFgsA5fB48PFAWHrKnKrRUbxGIzexdkArYYWA13KNdksP9dpeEkkZbkRzBArmikUHyrtb-O5h3I_JJoShRCpYhLSswxdKgoZ4n/s1600/P1060295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QMssFawotgvl1ufy0bmPn_rT2_82BXRo1BV-2l_-atRFgsA5fB48PFAWHrKnKrRUbxGIzexdkArYYWA13KNdksP9dpeEkkZbkRzBArmikUHyrtb-O5h3I_JJoShRCpYhLSswxdKgoZ4n/s320/P1060295.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The white dress typical of Santeria practitioners, a turban, a fan, and a cigar. ALL bases covered!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoR44wu0t8FydoyPnSg9C2JD712QzDS-DNYLrmaAhPuO49DpaRZn9_ocJog8B214h5XnjDSfU4kj6MsZN7PluMmrmwKcE34mA0SZ6p1EW-JyUBPtA50MfUYL250bBzXMauqKQfAKeKy-f/s1600/P1060296_carole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoR44wu0t8FydoyPnSg9C2JD712QzDS-DNYLrmaAhPuO49DpaRZn9_ocJog8B214h5XnjDSfU4kj6MsZN7PluMmrmwKcE34mA0SZ6p1EW-JyUBPtA50MfUYL250bBzXMauqKQfAKeKy-f/s320/P1060296_carole.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Senteria practitioner and our fearless leader, Carole. SHE knows how to dress for Cuba--sundress and a fan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLW3Oz6Sry7yvFLUmfSFKUsqJQvQYh-MF1AYF5Iy_efPhGtb5q0KTFrVs2J704VAvjkQJBHEIFN9Oi9uN9PEtCCO0255gghkxSDULyT7a1jqz2ER240Pom7IGL6aX8-Jkp7ONGNKhIOtm/s1600/P1060296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLW3Oz6Sry7yvFLUmfSFKUsqJQvQYh-MF1AYF5Iy_efPhGtb5q0KTFrVs2J704VAvjkQJBHEIFN9Oi9uN9PEtCCO0255gghkxSDULyT7a1jqz2ER240Pom7IGL6aX8-Jkp7ONGNKhIOtm/s320/P1060296.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral Square was the site of the mass Pope Francis performed on Sunday.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6OVRyZDEL1zuljrPQ60-Gn-8cJ3qr_18f9H8yAaxcaYIVXo-FcIf2SKU7OLQhg4fruqtyzRx9yvnC9a7LZHrrYrk0GSohucDQ4R3yF-a6kyr37b8tcLEQgdqi03g33DThAKneqEnz-Sz/s1600/P1060297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6OVRyZDEL1zuljrPQ60-Gn-8cJ3qr_18f9H8yAaxcaYIVXo-FcIf2SKU7OLQhg4fruqtyzRx9yvnC9a7LZHrrYrk0GSohucDQ4R3yF-a6kyr37b8tcLEQgdqi03g33DThAKneqEnz-Sz/s320/P1060297.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Down an alleyway we were taken to a graphic arts studio where artists are able to work and print their creations, some of which were quite interesting. Overhead fans cool the air a little bit but we couldn't help wondering how the artists could work in the Havana heat without dripping all over the paper. We were given an hour or so to find a restaurant on our own to experience a less guided meal. Several of us ended up in a restaurant that seem to specialize in pizza. They had several tables with umbrellas outside but the heat and threat of rain caused us to eat indoors in the air conditioning. As we finished, a heavy downpour cooled the air outdoors a bit, but soon the heat returned. It has been very hot in Cuba as is typical I'm sure in September, and even those of us who like hot weather have found the heat and humidity hard to manage.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjik5uKP8IFzHEfZtJ5YetD0yRj7a4HJ3JlhHVtjgAzvIhFq8zy7Qi482bk9tAa6o5_V-FwIaDvhI4rjA_uapAKbb46daVVS_k9IOMT1jXeP41zfwZyBAIADRbg1H3cCxeu11T5u75GZqI/s1600/P1060298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjik5uKP8IFzHEfZtJ5YetD0yRj7a4HJ3JlhHVtjgAzvIhFq8zy7Qi482bk9tAa6o5_V-FwIaDvhI4rjA_uapAKbb46daVVS_k9IOMT1jXeP41zfwZyBAIADRbg1H3cCxeu11T5u75GZqI/s320/P1060298.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this free-spirited musician</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj540Kr9G5y19I7FhVvjx2-9Fyuj6Pv_ng1grA_8VkkzRKososz1h91eG5Zy-l6a80YNwlIglMpjTI2hyN0oYycm-_kVFOMd_7hDGgMIqfMigWwyxm36WnelI57aHG4JCsKXmw4I0sye7J2/s1600/P1060299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj540Kr9G5y19I7FhVvjx2-9Fyuj6Pv_ng1grA_8VkkzRKososz1h91eG5Zy-l6a80YNwlIglMpjTI2hyN0oYycm-_kVFOMd_7hDGgMIqfMigWwyxm36WnelI57aHG4JCsKXmw4I0sye7J2/s320/P1060299.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the graphic arts studio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQJPjmdhjvPE_qocQr8wyG8tajhKuUclJdnR-JXkJ1ekjiA98G-UtNdfO2B04gp3DCLIBkZwYioUFjptHqjRAddFlZmFXJ5nLi103zvIsu2UFWHZe73fn-PpfUAq45sa_zTDwEPJzhyphenhyphen7c/s1600/P1060300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQJPjmdhjvPE_qocQr8wyG8tajhKuUclJdnR-JXkJ1ekjiA98G-UtNdfO2B04gp3DCLIBkZwYioUFjptHqjRAddFlZmFXJ5nLi103zvIsu2UFWHZe73fn-PpfUAq45sa_zTDwEPJzhyphenhyphen7c/s320/P1060300.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HciUIU3PiLkHkJ5pznrLwdCyZRghSUnbxNGgHAYT7SHZ4Oat_RXPDabkq_ZTVySBH3Fp44D6j3CyR55JUstAq3IvGQRXavml726hkVQWk8WLDAHu3dOkitPwSVkFhCL-_i4ZL9flabjk/s1600/P1060301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6HciUIU3PiLkHkJ5pznrLwdCyZRghSUnbxNGgHAYT7SHZ4Oat_RXPDabkq_ZTVySBH3Fp44D6j3CyR55JUstAq3IvGQRXavml726hkVQWk8WLDAHu3dOkitPwSVkFhCL-_i4ZL9flabjk/s320/P1060301.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJvbWPE7Bis1gd53H95lUYFSfCLjVMWdh7Tud7j5eewRLge00_bq1IJ0pa67FKNTMbIeSkKXgoXM73UNz80P2MlEFjENLasmQnlXlc4BVGy08oI4Sd6CcXJtSpEqI2XpO33QBIBFU-CxR/s1600/P1060302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJvbWPE7Bis1gd53H95lUYFSfCLjVMWdh7Tud7j5eewRLge00_bq1IJ0pa67FKNTMbIeSkKXgoXM73UNz80P2MlEFjENLasmQnlXlc4BVGy08oI4Sd6CcXJtSpEqI2XpO33QBIBFU-CxR/s320/P1060302.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbQGmjd923oyxCg-auTpppj7DJUhSyPtqUUKcWoL48SbUDQq-j-8kPA7jrXcPgqX83s2Q3YbjKWiFmnss_X0Op2fIQ-zkHQaYXN0nh-jlslxhsvQsXH7DtStWBOhgxSzJrqqSd7qHW6_s/s1600/P1060304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbQGmjd923oyxCg-auTpppj7DJUhSyPtqUUKcWoL48SbUDQq-j-8kPA7jrXcPgqX83s2Q3YbjKWiFmnss_X0Op2fIQ-zkHQaYXN0nh-jlslxhsvQsXH7DtStWBOhgxSzJrqqSd7qHW6_s/s320/P1060304.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
We walked back through the squares to our bus and then on to a modern dance recital in a Jewish Temple where the dancers rent rehearsal space. No AC, no fans, no air moving at all. Most of us struggled to stay awake and felt doubly sorry for the dancers who had to be boiling hot, toiling in front of their rudely dozing audience. From here we were taken to a place where those who were interested could buy cigars at good prices or cruise a small craft mall.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKHI5EEwMGHcvlCbAadCF5gi7t18VIDFj3z9qObZe9usZRfgou3FQsWHy0DEjw9Bc4CUcGynom5y5vmcFei2TK_XoyXlx3dQkghheTS1eYF6i4UVDAriQaB1_3gPrXtSxNCKMBx5bHxlp/s1600/P1060311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKHI5EEwMGHcvlCbAadCF5gi7t18VIDFj3z9qObZe9usZRfgou3FQsWHy0DEjw9Bc4CUcGynom5y5vmcFei2TK_XoyXlx3dQkghheTS1eYF6i4UVDAriQaB1_3gPrXtSxNCKMBx5bHxlp/s320/P1060311.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have seen some really nice public art on the streets of Havana.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s5iNqYENTWcHdlNdj5VsAJBzR99q55ak9GM8Yr2e34Y4d3LKrzVxgy70DganOFM79kw9-Ed-8J7HrXc3QoDYX6mM8lyFVcxpadCJDv-1RHFovDPjmkISfSL-7yW7v9p7PZiuXQUuYuFJ/s1600/P1060312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-s5iNqYENTWcHdlNdj5VsAJBzR99q55ak9GM8Yr2e34Y4d3LKrzVxgy70DganOFM79kw9-Ed-8J7HrXc3QoDYX6mM8lyFVcxpadCJDv-1RHFovDPjmkISfSL-7yW7v9p7PZiuXQUuYuFJ/s320/P1060312.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern dance--a very hot business here!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For once we were back in the hotel fairly early—3:30. All of us were exhausted by the heat, humidity, and accumulation of days of activity. Naps, showers, and dinner on our own. Barbara and I decided to eat at the hotel instead of going to the highly popular Buena Vista Social Club, the destination about half of our group chose. Dinner there didn't even start until 8:30 PM with the show to follow. Those who went had a wonderful time listening to Cuban cabaret music and enjoying the dancing on stage. The rest of us old fogies went to bed early instead.</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-25539612612032702672015-09-29T15:44:00.000-07:002015-09-30T09:58:24.012-07:00Our last full day in Havana<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Wednesday, September 23. Our last full day was filled with more surprises. I will discuss our morning lecture later, but afterward we were supposed to go to the art Museum of Cuba to see their collection of Cuban art. Unfortunately, a water main break caused the museum to close. Instead we headed a little ways out of downtown to Finca La Vigia, the house Ernest Hemingway owned here for more than 30 years. It was quite lovely—livable, and charming, and set on large grounds that made it a real retreat even today when small working-class housing entirely surrounds it. </div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUf7NZPNoCjeCxP_ToFCl2R3KjvzJZzHlmyt2oQxuPS_6hTcAKH1RGyXmnyC4hE82wluBSy_qdEVOml2Z7HYs5dA-gsLLx4vJoJtUZ26_r4hUBC9f1rJGaH_aj0gY6SavQV2WRhRrnn1xY/s1600/P1060316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUf7NZPNoCjeCxP_ToFCl2R3KjvzJZzHlmyt2oQxuPS_6hTcAKH1RGyXmnyC4hE82wluBSy_qdEVOml2Z7HYs5dA-gsLLx4vJoJtUZ26_r4hUBC9f1rJGaH_aj0gY6SavQV2WRhRrnn1xY/s320/P1060316.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finca La Vigia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbrZyZS9AxYUBTSOuRELfQ3cwkdbJIWu23DbWrXLBiZaqD132A8zKq71vOFaT4kfb96aH_KVTtWJKn9ZixYS_AD7-xgKN2jh0eSm0-w2T2N_J0gY4e8613er_NUBARZv9fEWnn3piEdlD/s1600/P1060317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbrZyZS9AxYUBTSOuRELfQ3cwkdbJIWu23DbWrXLBiZaqD132A8zKq71vOFaT4kfb96aH_KVTtWJKn9ZixYS_AD7-xgKN2jh0eSm0-w2T2N_J0gY4e8613er_NUBARZv9fEWnn3piEdlD/s320/P1060317.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a lovely spot to enjoy afternoon tea!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpeeYmY4kk0OaIP4P-AYiW96GQap-Prmp1QvLbvHlbEcv2gvS-NjoER6tqoAmmDxgEv-8l1-WhSi5-YJ23siMYqUTa8czeNL5B4FVzAUh6Cle_-QzRdr3VvmBKOxF9bdVXDAhZ4i7emQX/s1600/P1060318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpeeYmY4kk0OaIP4P-AYiW96GQap-Prmp1QvLbvHlbEcv2gvS-NjoER6tqoAmmDxgEv-8l1-WhSi5-YJ23siMYqUTa8czeNL5B4FVzAUh6Cle_-QzRdr3VvmBKOxF9bdVXDAhZ4i7emQX/s320/P1060318.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This tower featured guest quarters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoE1JoCY2rA9pIjEOV16qTjW7ReuVkyEy8rhCPxSsvnlhg2HltqYb5zcmGK-76FfWZSQ87Y9HwhsQW2dKYP29Eox_6S9u58ilnVaKsfXv6KPLl9CiUE3oby3RQq-e0TKjYylt16pbHnpu/s1600/P1060319_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoE1JoCY2rA9pIjEOV16qTjW7ReuVkyEy8rhCPxSsvnlhg2HltqYb5zcmGK-76FfWZSQ87Y9HwhsQW2dKYP29Eox_6S9u58ilnVaKsfXv6KPLl9CiUE3oby3RQq-e0TKjYylt16pbHnpu/s320/P1060319_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hemingway's bedroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikd1cvx1wfsLLb5pncJ-6i4ej-kPwKPFn9PLYTZUIXHV9VPV1NvY05XQwqp_SmXZCr8LgWvhNlON4WduHlM8Yjhu1QthdjsDvR0cLJUis0UOZOtiIwX0KgI8n2QSt4-GM-MepPx6B3CaBb/s1600/P1060324_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikd1cvx1wfsLLb5pncJ-6i4ej-kPwKPFn9PLYTZUIXHV9VPV1NvY05XQwqp_SmXZCr8LgWvhNlON4WduHlM8Yjhu1QthdjsDvR0cLJUis0UOZOtiIwX0KgI8n2QSt4-GM-MepPx6B3CaBb/s320/P1060324_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWT0iKOLrcEe3ruZOFIoI4DBCkwDfTLV8KKfmJn20VBM8IteMATHC4jLkLktf_x9Ivrjj8QqiCP58dp4F8Mm4MDHSnVlB7-WWZDWqhDkJxbElrMVsHI0c3Asf-j5MIsg6GJAsx6GNVMZC/s1600/P1060323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZWT0iKOLrcEe3ruZOFIoI4DBCkwDfTLV8KKfmJn20VBM8IteMATHC4jLkLktf_x9Ivrjj8QqiCP58dp4F8Mm4MDHSnVlB7-WWZDWqhDkJxbElrMVsHI0c3Asf-j5MIsg6GJAsx6GNVMZC/s320/P1060323.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plaque is a Picasso!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5rGp_U9jZvdr4tt1bHgf81m-Ow5siW1TupBKJpIOTCAnJ_hqMU02EsFWEvJc5EhYDYT0s3Pk-6sSv-r67WSzucmWG-N2_XzH8q7JnEh_Z2jLsB2x_Eoejn-G7daZyDkVkvzQHEfj-Zz4/s1600/P1060322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5rGp_U9jZvdr4tt1bHgf81m-Ow5siW1TupBKJpIOTCAnJ_hqMU02EsFWEvJc5EhYDYT0s3Pk-6sSv-r67WSzucmWG-N2_XzH8q7JnEh_Z2jLsB2x_Eoejn-G7daZyDkVkvzQHEfj-Zz4/s320/P1060322.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The library</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TVhUwIV5Z7A6danSb7yH6tiVIBHoacNGJ-4rHgd5WM0ZgkYhctEOtBM7GYUv0He-Gorgbn6SurB35LBGrlcy2wVjDyEOs9CCYwmGe-RfyeoxdQHzgg36pcPNcQEkqWYI1YtwLjCoO0V3/s1600/P1060339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TVhUwIV5Z7A6danSb7yH6tiVIBHoacNGJ-4rHgd5WM0ZgkYhctEOtBM7GYUv0He-Gorgbn6SurB35LBGrlcy2wVjDyEOs9CCYwmGe-RfyeoxdQHzgg36pcPNcQEkqWYI1YtwLjCoO0V3/s320/P1060339.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3r_t5NTL2bTpLt_vMQdRjh3GxF6Rh4P1-e4XXRtsByqw3RAbJGuzSa25Mvz50pzfz1DOdhUB2XVCdaiRhjWss5saBxJBKmX9KfmM9sgJ7sqbBvPa2DRuNL4FXhr7vlIFrDNllsoZ1IuAS/s1600/P1060327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3r_t5NTL2bTpLt_vMQdRjh3GxF6Rh4P1-e4XXRtsByqw3RAbJGuzSa25Mvz50pzfz1DOdhUB2XVCdaiRhjWss5saBxJBKmX9KfmM9sgJ7sqbBvPa2DRuNL4FXhr7vlIFrDNllsoZ1IuAS/s320/P1060327.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pool, dry now</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjub2qjJFzJ_AsGLH9q5ky46L2SgPhAVaCth8-wBq8lfRwzOqcDPfQkvx6-0EM5ifpv2Q1KzISh0FA3R8-G9kp4vaIl1tRQZemIp3YFPlTKh7qQcBqwibPhB4ekOo7SRIuMAKi-G6-lyXgH/s1600/P1060332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjub2qjJFzJ_AsGLH9q5ky46L2SgPhAVaCth8-wBq8lfRwzOqcDPfQkvx6-0EM5ifpv2Q1KzISh0FA3R8-G9kp4vaIl1tRQZemIp3YFPlTKh7qQcBqwibPhB4ekOo7SRIuMAKi-G6-lyXgH/s320/P1060332.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hemingway's boat, Pilar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfn_HEr5BsznX9W66LLeGByyPAHTqPUqxpImtHzMHkiZ-wKQoYi5mYmhQPwANzZwcnBPS8H0iGcK_6yEnw8fL0agG_fPOLu9s7mD7bkhV1pC2b6HrhrELi7LhA9h2n31PfQuYOIhSOULKi/s1600/P1060342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfn_HEr5BsznX9W66LLeGByyPAHTqPUqxpImtHzMHkiZ-wKQoYi5mYmhQPwANzZwcnBPS8H0iGcK_6yEnw8fL0agG_fPOLu9s7mD7bkhV1pC2b6HrhrELi7LhA9h2n31PfQuYOIhSOULKi/s320/P1060342.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Far from his favorite bar, Hemingway supposedly kept a cab on standby to get him home safely after a night of drinking</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWqLyyWzcDjGWVJKcsRPtS8tSEr-uB_y0eovhwcaOWrIiKe-GQUG5k6DRoyMfuGhjY2aOAT4ge30lG0acDIXyu1sZzkUiVrHQNCeTEKIS5CnIz8orwH6AVZOh6_AwDz8Sb-Y_aCnDY2mX/s1600/P1060343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWqLyyWzcDjGWVJKcsRPtS8tSEr-uB_y0eovhwcaOWrIiKe-GQUG5k6DRoyMfuGhjY2aOAT4ge30lG0acDIXyu1sZzkUiVrHQNCeTEKIS5CnIz8orwH6AVZOh6_AwDz8Sb-Y_aCnDY2mX/s320/P1060343.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squeezing sugar cane to make juice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Once again we had a wonderful lunch at a Paladar in Havana. We then visited Havana's large Central Park. Features of the park include something called the hot corner where baseball aficionados gather to argue vociferously about the game. Rows of Cuba's famously preserved 1950s era American cars can also be found here. Of course they're found everywhere in Cuba, but these are mostly taxis and beautifully preserved with colorful paint jobs and enterprising cabbies. We had a great time photographing them before we retreated to one of the slightly cooler hotel lobbies that also surround the park.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDW4laVNrzvRCOQGFPRxQD_36wZ8h0HVHFrBWP8auyUn6qPQteZhHt8RZEsgWsLuFB2gD3KAtZ1zmw77rrZ8FNrRHhp2fpvMBp7HTgDCVVpXYa2LMjPiNZzC1-ZvG5xDWJeekf7pHxf0ij/s1600/P1060344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDW4laVNrzvRCOQGFPRxQD_36wZ8h0HVHFrBWP8auyUn6qPQteZhHt8RZEsgWsLuFB2gD3KAtZ1zmw77rrZ8FNrRHhp2fpvMBp7HTgDCVVpXYa2LMjPiNZzC1-ZvG5xDWJeekf7pHxf0ij/s320/P1060344.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central Park--the "hot corner"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUP0KakYdZMchg6ai9XWMdunLah7QZbeuB0xATvpmpq3-zCacn1objBQro8dUgg_FBZRDnbVjZDnqSQA7vu7UJuRTjBc0WvrliXQtMJYOXXL719in9wq4LS5o2AI1iHAkGh0i8YMNZesTe/s1600/P1060345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUP0KakYdZMchg6ai9XWMdunLah7QZbeuB0xATvpmpq3-zCacn1objBQro8dUgg_FBZRDnbVjZDnqSQA7vu7UJuRTjBc0WvrliXQtMJYOXXL719in9wq4LS5o2AI1iHAkGh0i8YMNZesTe/s320/P1060345.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transportation from a long ago era</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnAZ2G1_OGcTskdxSJ86eVhDGFT8cBOLtRPV2OD0pC9KzfegWHtUoJSSghA89lhijd4qLkDoBH5VIBsVK1k47ABpjShSVXYQAnh5QhiJ_W5z5M6i3I142_w15uejbO7CARHSNu7z-DYtK/s1600/P1060348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnAZ2G1_OGcTskdxSJ86eVhDGFT8cBOLtRPV2OD0pC9KzfegWHtUoJSSghA89lhijd4qLkDoBH5VIBsVK1k47ABpjShSVXYQAnh5QhiJ_W5z5M6i3I142_w15uejbO7CARHSNu7z-DYtK/s320/P1060348.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More transportation--50s era</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCSDWEUUANy3aEklzZCmDFfV_wMbc6U-J47ENX8BQlzvDd77DABxIMHeGmizKNC9LCbg9x9RlRdCqtNP6oKI5P8g-VE_IF1DXx8gMbxGlOruIoCX5uGcAxUYYuJgYiRuol4aidvPrniwF/s1600/P1060352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCSDWEUUANy3aEklzZCmDFfV_wMbc6U-J47ENX8BQlzvDd77DABxIMHeGmizKNC9LCbg9x9RlRdCqtNP6oKI5P8g-VE_IF1DXx8gMbxGlOruIoCX5uGcAxUYYuJgYiRuol4aidvPrniwF/s320/P1060352.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aren't these fun?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTQGzSrEt-7bsp7Fsg-ZSJltW69ivbd7r0OoZXA8LDJOcxsMaW7P0rdXF4BPQyf_okKLFIlW6pkWyCuJOPc8RJKkrKuDZjFrzwYJHgxNa8Fn6TGHA7-w1kqf1GUCWmWiDL21RWHz6QJJZ/s1600/P1060350b+opera+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTQGzSrEt-7bsp7Fsg-ZSJltW69ivbd7r0OoZXA8LDJOcxsMaW7P0rdXF4BPQyf_okKLFIlW6pkWyCuJOPc8RJKkrKuDZjFrzwYJHgxNa8Fn6TGHA7-w1kqf1GUCWmWiDL21RWHz6QJJZ/s320/P1060350b+opera+house.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Opera House</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEnGEsIxtiTMSJJXcMkHD9to-PVOxBrJmEa9LxZenhrwxHKlAFzLfmU104yAeHQ-4apw57Hh2x5-FZGb0mvwC9bP47H5IhwR5wXKR9C_8Dw_KUg61HpBX8fNDFM8_CAytRsY62QZbj6Hy/s1600/P1060351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEnGEsIxtiTMSJJXcMkHD9to-PVOxBrJmEa9LxZenhrwxHKlAFzLfmU104yAeHQ-4apw57Hh2x5-FZGb0mvwC9bP47H5IhwR5wXKR9C_8Dw_KUg61HpBX8fNDFM8_CAytRsY62QZbj6Hy/s320/P1060351.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Capitol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4Dy1quuX1gX-NzZrWQBruinGs1vUJTTxuaHVyjLMSuA-ZNCEqeWM17B3bLGTpCjDNsh9zBuQcIzSV4kfgAh-5m5aIMTPfpC2yFqkZFKrqifh0tCYZgxlDRxbM1VwlqJmtTIJSSyslvf6/s1600/P1060356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4Dy1quuX1gX-NzZrWQBruinGs1vUJTTxuaHVyjLMSuA-ZNCEqeWM17B3bLGTpCjDNsh9zBuQcIzSV4kfgAh-5m5aIMTPfpC2yFqkZFKrqifh0tCYZgxlDRxbM1VwlqJmtTIJSSyslvf6/s320/P1060356.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">José Martí memorial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHttvfOaFb1L8BhCuwObumW9VSsqQhqIAJCtWNhKo3tli5RYXyYaH7qMVWLHj7nRwhoHPi3tPKqHXQftZyi_9kkFZBwyJyCd7xQZlhNZyR4ZFklaBYkvG8MJ0Vt_pqDPBJ35AzkT-BBlyt/s1600/P1060357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHttvfOaFb1L8BhCuwObumW9VSsqQhqIAJCtWNhKo3tli5RYXyYaH7qMVWLHj7nRwhoHPi3tPKqHXQftZyi_9kkFZBwyJyCd7xQZlhNZyR4ZFklaBYkvG8MJ0Vt_pqDPBJ35AzkT-BBlyt/s320/P1060357.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cuban flag</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHK3xcD_mWHCeGNiTa4ngPpW1ZEEokb4gtwzReGZWDOKqkl-Lfc6imqvRN0SiGBJHpjZCIP85mafkMxYBNEf5sM-EofuH3okGMzQC_Gx4hsLemBa91-k0kb5WlnCV6cqgvREJR4C3CQiz/s1600/P1060358_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHK3xcD_mWHCeGNiTa4ngPpW1ZEEokb4gtwzReGZWDOKqkl-Lfc6imqvRN0SiGBJHpjZCIP85mafkMxYBNEf5sM-EofuH3okGMzQC_Gx4hsLemBa91-k0kb5WlnCV6cqgvREJR4C3CQiz/s320/P1060358_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choice of taxis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3B4OfagXlrrRgYcbDp-NAd82xRRnjHtZ2RjoRfDTOrtfnEQpykezZuBUnQXvtnX3HItyO1sdS8xjrBUmiFpQpOVTxZ79XB4Cr3vTxeWVGLgudSoB29o0UvSRUDBucjxzR5j1P_OwUEF5/s1600/P1060359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3B4OfagXlrrRgYcbDp-NAd82xRRnjHtZ2RjoRfDTOrtfnEQpykezZuBUnQXvtnX3HItyO1sdS8xjrBUmiFpQpOVTxZ79XB4Cr3vTxeWVGLgudSoB29o0UvSRUDBucjxzR5j1P_OwUEF5/s320/P1060359.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpEWapcdtpHinpVmK8eG4-aHAPCq4tuYLrvLOGkvWN0D0yDF8HhXSNKsOMWnS11NVAJbog7ZCoETSyEBBnqTfp92_tdGx6Z0VLGSCGcIi4vk9HPiSV-S3656GiWfDxyO_MkD6f3USWE-k/s1600/P1060360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpEWapcdtpHinpVmK8eG4-aHAPCq4tuYLrvLOGkvWN0D0yDF8HhXSNKsOMWnS11NVAJbog7ZCoETSyEBBnqTfp92_tdGx6Z0VLGSCGcIi4vk9HPiSV-S3656GiWfDxyO_MkD6f3USWE-k/s320/P1060360.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XQF9OuDYhPYCoIg1o6_aoQ9yTwSKWEvokie0xIDi0JP8tW-wZy8CMrwWMXGH6S5LtPxNQaIMfYXwwiH99DWTUQtYd5WFe4Mgrbe46-7juRNsjbxHyWxnnNHFD9fNlIwAS7hSwyT1CNBc/s1600/P1060362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XQF9OuDYhPYCoIg1o6_aoQ9yTwSKWEvokie0xIDi0JP8tW-wZy8CMrwWMXGH6S5LtPxNQaIMfYXwwiH99DWTUQtYd5WFe4Mgrbe46-7juRNsjbxHyWxnnNHFD9fNlIwAS7hSwyT1CNBc/s320/P1060362.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Opera and the taxis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy4NFEy7Pfo68_zpn_O1nqci07EoroKMiEicn6fJkjPzmHfUoBC7B6wIwRp_H8cDp2is47Pb1RHaKEL8MtQP7fAOSdKxjy2_ypTfxJvZBDbUO6FqX-93XkwdspBHMGL0ZYp5bYvTkfRsbi/s1600/P1060363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy4NFEy7Pfo68_zpn_O1nqci07EoroKMiEicn6fJkjPzmHfUoBC7B6wIwRp_H8cDp2is47Pb1RHaKEL8MtQP7fAOSdKxjy2_ypTfxJvZBDbUO6FqX-93XkwdspBHMGL0ZYp5bYvTkfRsbi/s320/P1060363.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Our last event of the afternoon was a chance to sit down with four young working Cubans for conversations in which they told us more about their lives, their frustrations, their successes, and their dreams. In some cases they contradicted what we have previously learned, but they contradicted each other as well. Our visit with them was a bit of a reality check but it also confirmed our general impressions of the Cuban people.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFyeJZJBYMzA-ZLD-NUMrSVYvPavzDkVCCmVB8mPEXcrcZe3huz6UQCpk1H06QLzVVluXyBtGq11YBzh9GorI9xvonXcPJcH5rEJUTl3GoD23JaIyG083f3MOY9mVeDN2ZodSo57fzjOs/s1600/P+190.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFyeJZJBYMzA-ZLD-NUMrSVYvPavzDkVCCmVB8mPEXcrcZe3huz6UQCpk1H06QLzVVluXyBtGq11YBzh9GorI9xvonXcPJcH5rEJUTl3GoD23JaIyG083f3MOY9mVeDN2ZodSo57fzjOs/s320/P+190.jpeg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We returned to the hotel with just enough time to shower and change for our final dinner in Cuba. When we gathered in the lobby we were told that our bus wouldn't start and therefore taxis have been called to transport us to tonight's Paladar. Imagine our delighted surprise when we found six shining classic convertibles waiting at the door for us. Off we went, horns blaring, drag racing along the malacón. Eventually we parked on a quiet side Street where we could have our pictures taken with these wonderful vehicles. As the pace of restoration picks up, someday the shabby Cuba we have visited will vanish, but I can’t imagine that these classic American cars will suffer the same fate. They are truly part of the Cuban experience and treasured by visitors and Cubans alike. Piling back in to our chariots, we were taken to the restaurant. Alas, for the first and only time in Cuba, we had a truly dreadful meal. Carol and Elaine immediately Took that restaurant off the acceptable list. Too bad for them, but really, they so deserve their fate. I don't think anyone was able to eat more than a bite or two of the chicken, Fish, or pork they had ordered, and even the side dishes we're tasteless and poorly prepared. Very disappointing after all the wonderful meals we have had elsewhere, but at least we have many happy memories of the food in Cuba. The desert in this restaurant was the best part—two cakes, one in honor of my birthday over a week ago and the other in honor of the 62nd wedding anniversary of Pete and Florence, whose long marriage we were all happy to celebrate.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxW0SXH_rX5mmAb9Bf-9sq2iZNKPmVFp8w5StrMHgBIGRU5DMHVKd0lC8FKP00UsCtWAvikl_NXYE_Un6jt0bDRM18uHlvSQVqmDiVeoiWagDhheiTrdlqzPNaRwRDBP4d5M2rPqXYBBc/s1600/P1060366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxW0SXH_rX5mmAb9Bf-9sq2iZNKPmVFp8w5StrMHgBIGRU5DMHVKd0lC8FKP00UsCtWAvikl_NXYE_Un6jt0bDRM18uHlvSQVqmDiVeoiWagDhheiTrdlqzPNaRwRDBP4d5M2rPqXYBBc/s320/P1060366.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our '57 Chevy--or maybe '56?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsffJcCxYexTNTS36QlOIwOt6Hm7op3rxxeoTENX0jsUZsSX6BK4chit8Xc6vkO3BmJ_nOLdBzKd2oSaGnDDRTKkfho2SFj_AcsJ70aAOGUZok8dYGbR7s7FVhNjLJMVntFA0JcmZb0CLl/s1600/P1060369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsffJcCxYexTNTS36QlOIwOt6Hm7op3rxxeoTENX0jsUZsSX6BK4chit8Xc6vkO3BmJ_nOLdBzKd2oSaGnDDRTKkfho2SFj_AcsJ70aAOGUZok8dYGbR7s7FVhNjLJMVntFA0JcmZb0CLl/s320/P1060369.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pat, Henry, Barbara and me ready to go!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHrinKhbCVAtDthCexxRUV2nzJYfX9O8pEkaxrQq36BSgXVWC3fbNibuBK8Cmi4p4h9YwBy1m8nCfcRW9-A3uEf0RrD01Vm_ffDrWr-Ep7qeOZs4MG___BqkYSp1K7z5rXL-AuVOOUk8e/s1600/P1060391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHrinKhbCVAtDthCexxRUV2nzJYfX9O8pEkaxrQq36BSgXVWC3fbNibuBK8Cmi4p4h9YwBy1m8nCfcRW9-A3uEf0RrD01Vm_ffDrWr-Ep7qeOZs4MG___BqkYSp1K7z5rXL-AuVOOUk8e/s320/P1060391.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey look, kids, I'm driving!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVo2iCQFS9QHD_xYlYOHIA6K-Mh3MDdixwz6iNeVP77O9iQ0Oh1RFNgZZzg9gsvY_YKpzx_05QL87UzWZ4Y0Alug-nOManRvnc9_Q-a9VSKgUgYZdAAXFgrPEN8PUBKb9VTWVEcZplQ6At/s1600/P1060397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVo2iCQFS9QHD_xYlYOHIA6K-Mh3MDdixwz6iNeVP77O9iQ0Oh1RFNgZZzg9gsvY_YKpzx_05QL87UzWZ4Y0Alug-nOManRvnc9_Q-a9VSKgUgYZdAAXFgrPEN8PUBKb9VTWVEcZplQ6At/s320/P1060397.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbara's turn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHVyJGEPh0debO4Yg3X-x98KVDsasTQbgauPMUTGsA_rDKEeS3wob0TO54vfEHS6-LEuT4VeGfOCfZbRPNws9-P7RVCF_MgKcJcyhA0q9x86fWclsmp4InWmHM5U3fobAk-i1sccGtdG4/s1600/P1060385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHVyJGEPh0debO4Yg3X-x98KVDsasTQbgauPMUTGsA_rDKEeS3wob0TO54vfEHS6-LEuT4VeGfOCfZbRPNws9-P7RVCF_MgKcJcyhA0q9x86fWclsmp4InWmHM5U3fobAk-i1sccGtdG4/s320/P1060385.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paparazzi in an Edsel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulOLkKKh2cVVJ7HKzFQsx7EIlFPTNfwB3YkL6JMeCzkEthYOUNCrtt09lLShYf_D8__wSJDoLUf2dzz_7jeJ9a_993kYC7Ht5ZZTpfZPzL1bocCMDgpGyonwXMS19CNKdRPhdQogP5Amp/s1600/P1060387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulOLkKKh2cVVJ7HKzFQsx7EIlFPTNfwB3YkL6JMeCzkEthYOUNCrtt09lLShYf_D8__wSJDoLUf2dzz_7jeJ9a_993kYC7Ht5ZZTpfZPzL1bocCMDgpGyonwXMS19CNKdRPhdQogP5Amp/s320/P1060387.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Draggin' on the Malacón</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT_TUWkRMTquFNK8LvM4gzL3WJ6ns8me45oceadL2mLuX8ZY9HpZQtY0baTiEdn14BqLhs_vla2YTgLh3DXEdvqM4mjETB9sNnEI4Eiuqw7eRLz5WUdU6a5aCRjSLRDIWqhUJeb9rXHru/s1600/P1060378_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrT_TUWkRMTquFNK8LvM4gzL3WJ6ns8me45oceadL2mLuX8ZY9HpZQtY0baTiEdn14BqLhs_vla2YTgLh3DXEdvqM4mjETB9sNnEI4Eiuqw7eRLz5WUdU6a5aCRjSLRDIWqhUJeb9rXHru/s320/P1060378_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkPlA2eFNs4TMDR6jQtWa4GaljcGClxasxdohBfmlr0BRaj0sTqrkQbh2O31jehYqC99qVvQ9sts0NSKslF6gkktNJKUF4XW60chO8kAHyx-90Rxx3RIfJJnNkauY55vULfkoyVurvUWn/s1600/P1060386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkPlA2eFNs4TMDR6jQtWa4GaljcGClxasxdohBfmlr0BRaj0sTqrkQbh2O31jehYqC99qVvQ9sts0NSKslF6gkktNJKUF4XW60chO8kAHyx-90Rxx3RIfJJnNkauY55vULfkoyVurvUWn/s320/P1060386.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghB3DhcpaT5AcaRr1sJubUH1Fs-Qp8splygbhXVGevvxb1IgXzsOGCaL4QzgnrGZ7B-xBCluXMJz3pXQSLW6FQBvUF4hzMysp7e0V8dTpVUsl_Ttz2pSIjEauVdRDg-mXe7VM90eFXNw4C/s1600/P1060380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghB3DhcpaT5AcaRr1sJubUH1Fs-Qp8splygbhXVGevvxb1IgXzsOGCaL4QzgnrGZ7B-xBCluXMJz3pXQSLW6FQBvUF4hzMysp7e0V8dTpVUsl_Ttz2pSIjEauVdRDg-mXe7VM90eFXNw4C/s320/P1060380.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06AmkzPkRQCHvdsLKD_ND4HAn7goRae1E09Ti1I7ImHygXkIGDpmSaywX6mJ6ptPLdbpC0V6eueA2KR8fqgLktq9DHYNuqdQLm54zffbv97XvNQybnZyZuWhg149S8finWDtmtkN8sMor/s1600/P1060379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06AmkzPkRQCHvdsLKD_ND4HAn7goRae1E09Ti1I7ImHygXkIGDpmSaywX6mJ6ptPLdbpC0V6eueA2KR8fqgLktq9DHYNuqdQLm54zffbv97XvNQybnZyZuWhg149S8finWDtmtkN8sMor/s320/P1060379.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWMUMj3OAGuBLUz3rRrTTYaSyFlPXYVBpvtawOFyWUYaKE2BpvUaI-epHDRNxJbiSqGYsO-nItKOaUQHE3ATIcmGJ0kqSmH3i5d85ZPXK0QU28l9FpHB_XPQjaMPXPB32bxtIaXrMNSCe/s1600/P1060402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWMUMj3OAGuBLUz3rRrTTYaSyFlPXYVBpvtawOFyWUYaKE2BpvUaI-epHDRNxJbiSqGYsO-nItKOaUQHE3ATIcmGJ0kqSmH3i5d85ZPXK0QU28l9FpHB_XPQjaMPXPB32bxtIaXrMNSCe/s320/P1060402.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0EMzwcIR_PENp_rDHv1sDDyo3QMPf-YlioLes0TPtrEgQq2DnESMqQdM_4tqlf2ZFrPs8NGF6YgC5kA8AD6bBR3_XfBdCwS3b9_vBS4wm7fNnPL6y_AXnpNW7oQ2AeFYzN-XstX2ocKC/s1600/P1060400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0EMzwcIR_PENp_rDHv1sDDyo3QMPf-YlioLes0TPtrEgQq2DnESMqQdM_4tqlf2ZFrPs8NGF6YgC5kA8AD6bBR3_XfBdCwS3b9_vBS4wm7fNnPL6y_AXnpNW7oQ2AeFYzN-XstX2ocKC/s320/P1060400.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out the Edsel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3CpBZhKfscfUC34mIn6ce1q2OnAWDIuJdpNaxD95mOL5aUug_M7x34ADlnK4-JnZ6gmk6KvsrJgITc4JVruCyyGuOAyqyXAVdNsOI2tzjHsgwX9es33X31Vkx7IvBZwQXc2gc38KiD76/s1600/P1060399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3CpBZhKfscfUC34mIn6ce1q2OnAWDIuJdpNaxD95mOL5aUug_M7x34ADlnK4-JnZ6gmk6KvsrJgITc4JVruCyyGuOAyqyXAVdNsOI2tzjHsgwX9es33X31Vkx7IvBZwQXc2gc38KiD76/s320/P1060399.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David behind the wheel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHoCkEDreE1lyXdlvAFdZSBBbRBipfFRDEq_rdNQon3g66oIVqwEur96rLAia8q31a1sEsT7_LEV5YbsizYWcWzV7WDvMVVsilRpOltjSaAi7JzprsyzVbpa3LMHjpq0EUeOcZY6b7ToZ/s1600/P1060398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHoCkEDreE1lyXdlvAFdZSBBbRBipfFRDEq_rdNQon3g66oIVqwEur96rLAia8q31a1sEsT7_LEV5YbsizYWcWzV7WDvMVVsilRpOltjSaAi7JzprsyzVbpa3LMHjpq0EUeOcZY6b7ToZ/s320/P1060398.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under the hood--the ORIGINAL motor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back to our morning lecture, which was about US/Cuban relations by a very knowledgeable man who has served many years in the Cuban diplomatic corps. He confirmed what all of us seem to believe, that the embargo, which was intended to destabilize the government and bring Cuba to its knees in order to get rid of Fidel, accomplished nothing except to confirm Cuba's low opinion of our government and make the hardships endured by the Cuban people even more harsh than the failed economic policies of Socialism had already done. It is clear to Cubans and visitors alike that as an economic system socialism does not work. Nevertheless, we have been surprised and positively impressed by the success of the social programs put in place by the socialist government here. The Cuban people are highly educated, benefiting from free education from preschool through university and even on to graduate degrees. That program has been so successful that it has created an interesting problem of its own. Until sometime in the 80s or 90s, nearly every Cuban child, even those who might not have considered going to college anywhere else, did go on to university. Suddenly the government and the people realized that they had an extreme shortage of plumbers, electricians, and other members of the skilled trades. That contributed to the decay of Cuban infrastructure. Now young people must pass a test in order to go on to college, and trade schools have been developed where are those whose interests lie in that direction can be trained in these necessary skilled crafts. As a side note, Cuba also sponsors schools of the arts. Children are selected as young as 8 or 9 years old to participate in these schools, which ensure that Cuba has a continuing stream of young artists and musicians to fill the ranks of state sponsored professional companies and workshops devoted to the arts. In addition to free education, Cubans also benefit from free medical care from birth to the grave. From the beginning of the revolutionary government, training doctors was a high priority. Family doctors were trained and put in place to serve groups of 120 families throughout Cuba. Doctors here make very low wages, live among those they serve, and know them as neighbors and friends. The emphasis of medical care is first on prevention, and with doctors living within the community as they do, people can easily be nagged into having essential tests and vaccinations performed. The doctors know who is overweight, who is drinking too much, and other details we can more easily hide from our medical personnel. They are also highly respected as educated people and are often consulted about non-medical issues such as what a teenager ought to major in in college. In addition to family practitioners, Cuba produces specialist in all medical fields. They are justly proud of their medical system and even export doctors to Third World countries all over the world. I'm sure these doctors have a much easier time winning hearts and minds then do our military personnel. Our Cuban guide told us that Cubans are well aware of the failures of the socialist economic system, but they also treasure the social benefits of that system and hope that in the future, as the country turns more toward a free market economy, the two systems can be combined with the best of both. Cubans are pragmatic, educated, clever, and ingenious in a uniquely Cuban laid-back way. We came to feel that if anyone can find a path forward into an egalitarian and socially just lifestyle functioning in a healthy economy it will be the Cubans. They seem to be a very resilient and optimistic people. Despite the great poverty we saw in Cuba, you don't see any homeless people, you don't see people clothed in rags. You do see rundown homes and streets, but the homes are neat, the porches are washed clean, and the dirt yards are swept. You see almost no litter and no graffiti. You don't see people who seem to have lost hope in the future. You see people who work very hard, who make do with very little, who greet today with a smile and tomorrow with optimism. Without doubt, Cuba defies every stereotype we arrived with. These are clearly not a down-trodden or oppressed people. None of us probably felt hardy enough to want to live in Cuba, but clearly the Cubans think their future is going to be better than their past. They don’t expect miracles or magic wands, but they seem to believe that better days lie ahead for them. They are truly delighted that President Obama has opened relations with Cuba and are already entertaining many parties of American politicians and business people who are now reaching out to them. We were all thrilled to see and photograph the newly opened American Embassy with our flag flying in the breeze.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxhs6D6h302rPQ1lCkWjkkBLcgBh36gZyZvttwUXsFavJLd96WMfrz_6uTNry9vGUxgU1lfRWjNbWpMJXy7chjwkFXI_M9s6oZrhAPzJqaP62nL6Ma4Ua2M-JSqAzVwvE_d_fqxQqTeMk/s1600/P1060220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxhs6D6h302rPQ1lCkWjkkBLcgBh36gZyZvttwUXsFavJLd96WMfrz_6uTNry9vGUxgU1lfRWjNbWpMJXy7chjwkFXI_M9s6oZrhAPzJqaP62nL6Ma4Ua2M-JSqAzVwvE_d_fqxQqTeMk/s320/P1060220.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The newly opened Embassy of the United States of America in Havana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span id="goog_672061404"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span id="goog_672061403"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
At the end of the day we were repeatedly urged to tell our friends, family, and fellow Americans to be sure to visit Cuba. I can happily do that, not because I was asked to, but because as long as you pack your flexibility, everyone visiting Cuba will find a warm welcome in a land of many surprises.</div>
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY33embCrsF9bUyNkkMjldmwJ3J3yJA5QETHlKvHeIZJcy6eNrUaBKMNRmvzp_3puFAEvyrY2sf1cfPrdAonVfwAJwOrO0yTCy407G3CDwWBWEjP2u7BobZGoBZUhaQf9IG_lMY3L3ut1H/s1600/P+190.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY33embCrsF9bUyNkkMjldmwJ3J3yJA5QETHlKvHeIZJcy6eNrUaBKMNRmvzp_3puFAEvyrY2sf1cfPrdAonVfwAJwOrO0yTCy407G3CDwWBWEjP2u7BobZGoBZUhaQf9IG_lMY3L3ut1H/s320/P+190.jpeg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hotel Nacional de Cuba</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-10505423053478596192015-09-29T14:19:00.001-07:002015-09-30T09:58:45.515-07:00Cuba - Coming home<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
Thursday, September 24. We are flying home today, but on the way we made a stop at Revolution Square to see the monuments. As we approached, we saw a huge outline of Che on a building adjacent to the square, and then another of Camilo Cienfuegos, on of the major heroes of the Cuban Revolution. The square itself features a stature of an earlier Cuban revolutionary, José Martí. who was instrumental in the rebellion that eventually led to Cuba becoming free of Spanish control. The dominating monument in the square is the tall José Martí Memorial, built in the shape of the five-pointed star that is seen on the Cuban flag and made of gray Cuban marble. All of us have noticed that despite his huge presence in the history of the revolution as well as the government of Cuba in the last half century, Fidel is surprisingly missing from these sorts of displays. Raul is pretty invisible as well .Is it because they are still living?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; min-height: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8iavVJ4q4U90j4pJj5WEdSFClhc1fDyPf7ykDNuP7I1WkdrU71mskLo1uFl0JZWmm3e1t_hBw-qh5OR_vaxYkFHGU31-HP0mygs9DqXE9i1BOWRfXmZVyKomL1GkWy45pDM0i6Fssr40/s1600/P1060404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8iavVJ4q4U90j4pJj5WEdSFClhc1fDyPf7ykDNuP7I1WkdrU71mskLo1uFl0JZWmm3e1t_hBw-qh5OR_vaxYkFHGU31-HP0mygs9DqXE9i1BOWRfXmZVyKomL1GkWy45pDM0i6Fssr40/s320/P1060404.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Che</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXdwpApWa7LnhWpKbx0OjgPqUVM3XRwEk3673WLNFk_mqpqoVASUcbDgxr2fuQE8TW3l1IL_uIyHKtwfEH5rxSIDq4QovTnEN5LijWXmpRLyD5fgHLp8gfJss2TAD4k6dLvKYc2Pzviua/s1600/P1060405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBXdwpApWa7LnhWpKbx0OjgPqUVM3XRwEk3673WLNFk_mqpqoVASUcbDgxr2fuQE8TW3l1IL_uIyHKtwfEH5rxSIDq4QovTnEN5LijWXmpRLyD5fgHLp8gfJss2TAD4k6dLvKYc2Pzviua/s320/P1060405.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camilo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznkQbiXj2wPoSPE69a7ABmCbQadFWtdTo-5SHPjxEhxU6RkRyUROu_I0IQ45_H9aTS8qspiO2OGUDqqrktg2TGp-rA2g7a6BJoo2H-i7hKQi7X-_DLym-yIvWyUvTu-vzalVmab4qXsZK/s1600/P1060406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznkQbiXj2wPoSPE69a7ABmCbQadFWtdTo-5SHPjxEhxU6RkRyUROu_I0IQ45_H9aTS8qspiO2OGUDqqrktg2TGp-rA2g7a6BJoo2H-i7hKQi7X-_DLym-yIvWyUvTu-vzalVmab4qXsZK/s320/P1060406.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">José Martí Memorial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMJGpfgoxZJ55qkJuiTNvq-mi4XNOTJTGppYTT81X-PWTEq2dYd1UPsB1_VLj0fhIkWaRr46u_M4fWYWppPAp2vlo3Srb7oTmIQwtBeNygRXrQrFlFKa1wNJwoCyn0ZhutKapdVR65HYl/s1600/P1060407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMJGpfgoxZJ55qkJuiTNvq-mi4XNOTJTGppYTT81X-PWTEq2dYd1UPsB1_VLj0fhIkWaRr46u_M4fWYWppPAp2vlo3Srb7oTmIQwtBeNygRXrQrFlFKa1wNJwoCyn0ZhutKapdVR65HYl/s320/P1060407.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">We arrived at José Martí International Airport in plenty of time for our charter flight home. It is always good to go back to the US, but we had such a good time in Cuba and enjoyed our entire group so much that was a little hard to say goodbye. </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKURbUBA8ZerdwDNahSnlwL4Jo3pok1KtnnIWZNLvFFehvCjhoIQMch1fWAEnkiYwP_k0q_pl19nX_XnzVUSV7ctSArMURFNLKNIm6we-6_PKD5QSJYYGfChDcXgrXMHQ9e0ToG-b_vUeL/s1600/P1060409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKURbUBA8ZerdwDNahSnlwL4Jo3pok1KtnnIWZNLvFFehvCjhoIQMch1fWAEnkiYwP_k0q_pl19nX_XnzVUSV7ctSArMURFNLKNIm6we-6_PKD5QSJYYGfChDcXgrXMHQ9e0ToG-b_vUeL/s320/P1060409.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnHY6Ilv8IA75eI2UGnnKwsui7rMlOafMqblklqAHB_0xLDalkH7fnRlCKSOxwSrj-nC9N10pmzzmzKkkgczWKkjWgk9AFTp0ePUkp2tvUHXSB7Vbdvfvd1rxoH3hHU8uGR7lGJ_DjIYo/s1600/P1060410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnHY6Ilv8IA75eI2UGnnKwsui7rMlOafMqblklqAHB_0xLDalkH7fnRlCKSOxwSrj-nC9N10pmzzmzKkkgczWKkjWgk9AFTp0ePUkp2tvUHXSB7Vbdvfvd1rxoH3hHU8uGR7lGJ_DjIYo/s320/P1060410.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfyeaKXACET_D6udoarN6srn7qnAaKqILdgibtMCdGfJGrR8m6ul91WVLuvGiom1Va9FG5UStiAohfhGfgI0ZqVUVhEWS5qDpleJhNAXKD3CCyXGBaKagTKe5HUqDSbMwqUvjcnPLsjwh/s1600/P1060412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfyeaKXACET_D6udoarN6srn7qnAaKqILdgibtMCdGfJGrR8m6ul91WVLuvGiom1Va9FG5UStiAohfhGfgI0ZqVUVhEWS5qDpleJhNAXKD3CCyXGBaKagTKe5HUqDSbMwqUvjcnPLsjwh/s320/P1060412.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodbye Cuba</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIw3xOuukeKYaAN0Rq2pnSLhDVGnRSyeO23X3xMXbdK5F9EiRf7-qbPZLLqCWw8q4_VU7RXfArNmCyl2q7CE50OizG4A0StHRDolU4Pxudn4jJinOT1T92IIOQSub6KZKogB_ZmJovzFJ/s1600/P1060413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCIw3xOuukeKYaAN0Rq2pnSLhDVGnRSyeO23X3xMXbdK5F9EiRf7-qbPZLLqCWw8q4_VU7RXfArNmCyl2q7CE50OizG4A0StHRDolU4Pxudn4jJinOT1T92IIOQSub6KZKogB_ZmJovzFJ/s320/P1060413.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Florida</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-35405252049216718132014-12-23T16:55:00.001-08:002014-12-23T16:55:14.612-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 31, 2014, Friday.</i> We are riding the Blue train! Where Rovos Rail exemplifies Victorian elegance and "technology", the Blue Train takes pride in being up to the minute. Our compartment is a little larger, with space for a free standing chair as well as two built ins that will convert to twin beds tonight. Again we have a very nice bath, and this time we have a huge picture window through which it is easier to enjoy the beautiful views. And this 21st century train also boasts TV and wifi where Rovos confidently offers passengers a trip back in time to a less "connected" era. The ride on this train is also more modern, with air cushioned suspension to reduce bumps and special <span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">car </span>connectors to virtually eliminate the issues with slack management that plague older trains like Rovos. All in all, we anticipate another luxurious train experience here in South Africa.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbm3oNg4ig5eTGLEQTYrBe8_4qsW8YVkboHelM13Kegli2NbzSPt0EdveCz3dOvReAG62XwPjXqMEVOodbqZRDcBE_hspST7NJSDJ8VNyi-i-9Cy7GS2PwVT-cOwS9S0uBFM34WOtpYNh/s1600/P1050161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbm3oNg4ig5eTGLEQTYrBe8_4qsW8YVkboHelM13Kegli2NbzSPt0EdveCz3dOvReAG62XwPjXqMEVOodbqZRDcBE_hspST7NJSDJ8VNyi-i-9Cy7GS2PwVT-cOwS9S0uBFM34WOtpYNh/s1600/P1050161.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blue Train</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3G1tVWgha13wBdsAiO1hxhykNKsUO36H5N81bywwJyO_OfyZGVUHNOUF1VH4wbb-M9Fe24dZLT2k9QGhYTH2kdTFMmhmK2YbG9Fs6TPpAD8f9rctL4lYOWuuBkzAop88ejWzeg-wFh8L/s1600/P1050144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3G1tVWgha13wBdsAiO1hxhykNKsUO36H5N81bywwJyO_OfyZGVUHNOUF1VH4wbb-M9Fe24dZLT2k9QGhYTH2kdTFMmhmK2YbG9Fs6TPpAD8f9rctL4lYOWuuBkzAop88ejWzeg-wFh8L/s1600/P1050144.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1mujITz_CwGoCsXsYuz1ByYA28Q4tvt4czQ7_mGwQ-L-nm9W1C6nT71Y5_KtSTQEGYw8cUQJFJeazg4PZo_sLflLerGq6zsoegC69vRSIvs5tCvMz3f8B1Ilw-Ndue7tIbBf98nBsd8I/s1600/P1050146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1mujITz_CwGoCsXsYuz1ByYA28Q4tvt4czQ7_mGwQ-L-nm9W1C6nT71Y5_KtSTQEGYw8cUQJFJeazg4PZo_sLflLerGq6zsoegC69vRSIvs5tCvMz3f8B1Ilw-Ndue7tIbBf98nBsd8I/s1600/P1050146.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUu5Xo_RjwR-4z7voQoywmnAUdonBj8Eo1SHL4I_K-LroM40ZUzzno1ZpNIiaVXXXo4Ge6PmJZJQkeDcJAeAjbKImoEiV8ufFQ8IJBowOJ7D1i4Y7GfZisrNSTITUvpuykpGGbl7ET_Tsw/s1600/P1050147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUu5Xo_RjwR-4z7voQoywmnAUdonBj8Eo1SHL4I_K-LroM40ZUzzno1ZpNIiaVXXXo4Ge6PmJZJQkeDcJAeAjbKImoEiV8ufFQ8IJBowOJ7D1i4Y7GfZisrNSTITUvpuykpGGbl7ET_Tsw/s1600/P1050147.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAVX02C1bkEDRH4ODDE4L-GxDZuzktlA9YnD8BtxXkjR80r6DK25A2sw1bE_fLG2JwusXPMKkoSRzgmYeq_Tiqnzz9spP6EkjY6SUwPVcholll0keLfIxM0c__SNnPsL5k3WHnFxsYmQp/s1600/P1050155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAVX02C1bkEDRH4ODDE4L-GxDZuzktlA9YnD8BtxXkjR80r6DK25A2sw1bE_fLG2JwusXPMKkoSRzgmYeq_Tiqnzz9spP6EkjY6SUwPVcholll0keLfIxM0c__SNnPsL5k3WHnFxsYmQp/s1600/P1050155.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MLYbpdpOdhTXcwAXOpZAwLXt_GU1fzCdlSJqUCK0LNrigHAy2EAgoa5SKZk3pn4LVbguvkzM9JhTXf0S42Fl3Qbe2qwU8PnMoZkWn04XDRkv05RrEnYWXKI-aubStf-BxYd0AzwAqiCH/s1600/P1050149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MLYbpdpOdhTXcwAXOpZAwLXt_GU1fzCdlSJqUCK0LNrigHAy2EAgoa5SKZk3pn4LVbguvkzM9JhTXf0S42Fl3Qbe2qwU8PnMoZkWn04XDRkv05RrEnYWXKI-aubStf-BxYd0AzwAqiCH/s1600/P1050149.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Karoo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 8px;">Back in Matjiesfontein, w</span>e toured different things and even rode the double decker bus this time.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUK-fTXdh7NRO12e9uU_0xvv1Q-s038zNTONtjuk71bZvUWGKpFzzVQ7QkbT8gw8jge-oJEpxwjcc11Dx21dAfvr_X8qsDZvkHginD3SXxYGDrQYu1q_0E_KexxgT6gyvteKZQalK5U4Vi/s1600/P1050160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUK-fTXdh7NRO12e9uU_0xvv1Q-s038zNTONtjuk71bZvUWGKpFzzVQ7QkbT8gw8jge-oJEpxwjcc11Dx21dAfvr_X8qsDZvkHginD3SXxYGDrQYu1q_0E_KexxgT6gyvteKZQalK5U4Vi/s1600/P1050160.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXVXkDy-ydZEDGL8weYJl_PbJx8mbnnYMLNDInUuEToACxIZoSeRUFajB5Qe_z72jC6_4oLfZhKpbkzdiBkmh5qu0SdJ64qpoR-TEqexZ8ok0cs1Ejo8rRtZCgxmvb_GLBM1ynNfz05HM/s1600/P1050166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXVXkDy-ydZEDGL8weYJl_PbJx8mbnnYMLNDInUuEToACxIZoSeRUFajB5Qe_z72jC6_4oLfZhKpbkzdiBkmh5qu0SdJ64qpoR-TEqexZ8ok0cs1Ejo8rRtZCgxmvb_GLBM1ynNfz05HM/s1600/P1050166.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3AVpD6_d_1pCSrsJQQjFZgzsB66RRfd90uXf8c7u1wkH8JASm2-iJp8Jppb4Vt2gi0AoA2vwRqx4WYWcoxchnSVVue6tX_h-XIb0NEbZwUx9_P5lHbrMiYN8Ewm8WtGCEt_WhqMu-q0x/s1600/P1050170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3AVpD6_d_1pCSrsJQQjFZgzsB66RRfd90uXf8c7u1wkH8JASm2-iJp8Jppb4Vt2gi0AoA2vwRqx4WYWcoxchnSVVue6tX_h-XIb0NEbZwUx9_P5lHbrMiYN8Ewm8WtGCEt_WhqMu-q0x/s1600/P1050170.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmF-k1yVqQiLyCYDbgrF4dZgg0ORXQ9IqlU862NkTJe5_kxcCI5fzayuXhySH-DtabzxMNS_wkhD3ObGW2ii8JS6ZfGYDaztU_KtK6Kndn5r6vdSQMLjdnnxfyKbfNApH7A3GE9DJLV3LX/s1600/P1050177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmF-k1yVqQiLyCYDbgrF4dZgg0ORXQ9IqlU862NkTJe5_kxcCI5fzayuXhySH-DtabzxMNS_wkhD3ObGW2ii8JS6ZfGYDaztU_KtK6Kndn5r6vdSQMLjdnnxfyKbfNApH7A3GE9DJLV3LX/s1600/P1050177.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjXDeVOgktdwPvQMv8iNfLZfiBvZ5eIQKeYRNceG52KC2p0Tj-dvjXQCbuJ6kdZkkLTSAoCrgVEv5IwviswtHBzigVlKirkeIU61n3m0xxkvx5mUf9QLbtVoIHcnoAI2AtGwFhYg6OhB4/s1600/P1050178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjXDeVOgktdwPvQMv8iNfLZfiBvZ5eIQKeYRNceG52KC2p0Tj-dvjXQCbuJ6kdZkkLTSAoCrgVEv5IwviswtHBzigVlKirkeIU61n3m0xxkvx5mUf9QLbtVoIHcnoAI2AtGwFhYg6OhB4/s1600/P1050178.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZjc_F1qon8iFzZcwQgA5Fu8bm8A-Gxd606yPsOpmuMzt7yj9vqAEzWQHUcR4bmqYUEO2ptEjXi_4ArHxiGKphnsA0W8f3it83fu7hUYl0p3Q-Hs1gKrzelr5r2LU7TNbIuHV7NEFpisX/s1600/P1050180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZjc_F1qon8iFzZcwQgA5Fu8bm8A-Gxd606yPsOpmuMzt7yj9vqAEzWQHUcR4bmqYUEO2ptEjXi_4ArHxiGKphnsA0W8f3it83fu7hUYl0p3Q-Hs1gKrzelr5r2LU7TNbIuHV7NEFpisX/s1600/P1050180.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROI2sVmIC1ZY7BU0cEh7_slXgR5ZZFAdpQ_WYkooo0Rljkw4B2eQ1oP5OXqBi6nRh8bahcjzZx6IpaezdIB2LU8gMJDGBnZd6uyqntLEJYEJ6TngMLHY-auDaqJIFj5Oxz6dMLSoxp4j2/s1600/P1050181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROI2sVmIC1ZY7BU0cEh7_slXgR5ZZFAdpQ_WYkooo0Rljkw4B2eQ1oP5OXqBi6nRh8bahcjzZx6IpaezdIB2LU8gMJDGBnZd6uyqntLEJYEJ6TngMLHY-auDaqJIFj5Oxz6dMLSoxp4j2/s1600/P1050181.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4TLsqdnZL5PB3WcnNPNOhfuZaUgp_EgJjo4hMCcOo_PxcD52QjCbpPU4dK-ss7eKbsnBJH67Lae8y8PFK8IfaqvlLDfW2L9KpS4S-s7BNobv4gA4vWvF-UjboyXbqSqVKYo9pxa68844/s1600/P1050184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4TLsqdnZL5PB3WcnNPNOhfuZaUgp_EgJjo4hMCcOo_PxcD52QjCbpPU4dK-ss7eKbsnBJH67Lae8y8PFK8IfaqvlLDfW2L9KpS4S-s7BNobv4gA4vWvF-UjboyXbqSqVKYo9pxa68844/s1600/P1050184.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-6vV97cvoGVZoHQYHn3KRzgwiW6KIUeJtU_O5Rpgwk0_9ogtc4rxvf1iVfQRR9erXJ58fRW6lEB-6YnSsTDFKa8QUYemQqUR3cHtY_wKLCAKci81aKL1yNL3fck4Rrhf3a5OeRNoMrKp/s1600/P1050189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-6vV97cvoGVZoHQYHn3KRzgwiW6KIUeJtU_O5Rpgwk0_9ogtc4rxvf1iVfQRR9erXJ58fRW6lEB-6YnSsTDFKa8QUYemQqUR3cHtY_wKLCAKci81aKL1yNL3fck4Rrhf3a5OeRNoMrKp/s1600/P1050189.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8LqczcPj6uDo0MszpSzoA9dY9eud4IMPq-R-8cekAUycsZhykSbMuwpB-JLcZ3QNBKLUJUUKjPhnw9Pyv2GO2RAng1tVdNc12I_6dN7BYYm9R3T_FhFPHn2-K0pNwTBlLJtDWeGHwVKA/s1600/P1050182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv8LqczcPj6uDo0MszpSzoA9dY9eud4IMPq-R-8cekAUycsZhykSbMuwpB-JLcZ3QNBKLUJUUKjPhnw9Pyv2GO2RAng1tVdNc12I_6dN7BYYm9R3T_FhFPHn2-K0pNwTBlLJtDWeGHwVKA/s1600/P1050182.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
This was a long and wearing trip...</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFfMn-mp5MCC99tH_csMMXkMmtuWcd-c90J3HQdc6oPJi_Jr8TRceiTqeI6FAiCZ0u76JJBhJ9iu0VnLMxCL-Ft9ItN5L-cPGnjHH3jKX5fL2UpyomezxQ4ZWShpiS5jMXtzQVRKpKKue/s1600/John+and+Suzy+on+Table+Mt,+Cape+Town.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFfMn-mp5MCC99tH_csMMXkMmtuWcd-c90J3HQdc6oPJi_Jr8TRceiTqeI6FAiCZ0u76JJBhJ9iu0VnLMxCL-Ft9ItN5L-cPGnjHH3jKX5fL2UpyomezxQ4ZWShpiS5jMXtzQVRKpKKue/s1600/John+and+Suzy+on+Table+Mt,+Cape+Town.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...but we had a wonderful time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-68235765696289198292014-12-23T16:43:00.003-08:002014-12-23T16:43:59.264-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;">
<i>October 30, Thursday.</i> First thing after breakfast this morning, we said goodbye to the Mount Nelson Hotel and transferred to the Taj where the Blue Train has offered us a complimentary night's stay. Of course, our room was still occupied, so we merely started the check-in process, left our bags, and took their shuttle to the Waterfront. Our excursion for the day is a visit to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were held during apartheid. The trip over was an hour long ferry boat ride across some heavily rolling high seas. Frankly, it seemed interminable, so unlike the prisoners, we were happy to finally arrive. Robben Island has served many purposes since the 1600s. It was used as a prison several times, but also as a leper colony back when they had such things, and even as a military base during the Second World War. Today it is a museum, commemorating the triumph of the human spirit over oppression. It was dedicated by then president Nelson Mandela only a few years after his release following 28 years of incarceration there. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px; min-height: 10px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;">
Today's visit was a good follow-up to yesterday's walking tour. The island is windswept, the prison buildings are grim reminders of an ugly chapter in this nation's history, but there are some surprises, starting with the excellent view of Cape Town. I hadn't thought about staff housing, but there is actually an area known as The Village where prison guards, medical or military personnel, or today's museum workers and their families live. There are churches, a rather grim Clubhouse, an elementary school, and a fair number of decent houses, each with a large water tank attached. All children living on the island today commute by ferry to school, not just high schoolers as in former years. Despite this effort at normalcy, the island is isolated and grim--not a place where anyone would would want to live, even free. I can't begin to imagine the despair prisoners must have felt here. </div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;">
<span id="goog_680380937"></span><span id="goog_680380938"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px; min-height: 10px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiWxN5jLO4PCTGLZKAQqR8uYFXOoH9GcRx5qDJS7SbXGsu3-4PxyTegtr2iQz3JnyvhyphenhyphenT_13WJqkr2GuRvT2fnADBVu188TYZFz32DuuQr0AQXim4JA1jriP7Hg8pd6WLIvrc4w6xh_Zg/s1600/P1050078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiWxN5jLO4PCTGLZKAQqR8uYFXOoH9GcRx5qDJS7SbXGsu3-4PxyTegtr2iQz3JnyvhyphenhyphenT_13WJqkr2GuRvT2fnADBVu188TYZFz32DuuQr0AQXim4JA1jriP7Hg8pd6WLIvrc4w6xh_Zg/s1600/P1050078.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5NeVisFeNtzvWfDxnxGOK4Lx7QOTpOq3vhKoK7-iRehi5RE8fJBQJg_5WC6IAaS2M459rDR2HmCTQZq1rA5Hl7mnFHvU8mZpZiMCCOUYj45DyuTHUg9SDEH8u7-7RSo7l4ZVsMVV_xWn/s1600/P1050079+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5NeVisFeNtzvWfDxnxGOK4Lx7QOTpOq3vhKoK7-iRehi5RE8fJBQJg_5WC6IAaS2M459rDR2HmCTQZq1rA5Hl7mnFHvU8mZpZiMCCOUYj45DyuTHUg9SDEH8u7-7RSo7l4ZVsMVV_xWn/s1600/P1050079+copy.jpg" height="317" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;">
The Iconic symbol of Robben Island is four vertical paint lines. The first is completely undifferentiated, the second nearly the same. The third is starting to look vaguely human, and the last is a person clearly celebrating freedom and a return to normal life. The message of this place is the message of the Holocaust. We must never forget the evil men have done to their fellows and sternly guard against a return of oppression. This is the only justification I can think of for war, and only then if there is no alternative. But Robben Island reminds us of the fragile importance of human rights all over the <span style="font-size: 10px;">world. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxt9ds7h-pHGUK4RkUoo43Wp8bPzlSE4EQg6cA0ozU4EI7iudml0Cn4QQMIMa7yMrymQPQPIlBBLM5MiOCYgOYklFiv6BHvisUuL5gHEmhBr-RHKSrobdcQmvdxv7oayD8ZXd4IBoahPuk/s1600/P1050080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxt9ds7h-pHGUK4RkUoo43Wp8bPzlSE4EQg6cA0ozU4EI7iudml0Cn4QQMIMa7yMrymQPQPIlBBLM5MiOCYgOYklFiv6BHvisUuL5gHEmhBr-RHKSrobdcQmvdxv7oayD8ZXd4IBoahPuk/s1600/P1050080.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-BO-jGQZbs5cDipS4pYKoiMmWrVbLvcmDblkcVkU9TDwGsluPW16wb8KEivH9mUggsGItI4cwyYXeOFw_JfwtfVjl8EwTCbI-Q0heeM_4YsErJEZcSoDBKnyvdh_GW0iZKGg0GLnqnT_/s1600/P1050081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-BO-jGQZbs5cDipS4pYKoiMmWrVbLvcmDblkcVkU9TDwGsluPW16wb8KEivH9mUggsGItI4cwyYXeOFw_JfwtfVjl8EwTCbI-Q0heeM_4YsErJEZcSoDBKnyvdh_GW0iZKGg0GLnqnT_/s1600/P1050081.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The leper cemetery </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUZ0a04skN9EAXyC0TH4nyzEiUwr6gEW3C2tJoU3CrVjwBb7FwlCVdIY90bV_-HuS5O4ThkBgsdkcRgCjd3zr66bo2mD3f4kPvLWRMpNuaa180mHkUdCAztYyGH4cAHBImXHssMA5qHet/s1600/P1050087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUZ0a04skN9EAXyC0TH4nyzEiUwr6gEW3C2tJoU3CrVjwBb7FwlCVdIY90bV_-HuS5O4ThkBgsdkcRgCjd3zr66bo2mD3f4kPvLWRMpNuaa180mHkUdCAztYyGH4cAHBImXHssMA5qHet/s1600/P1050087.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnFOPsfnKaAluNNiBa6EKFm4Yydp2SkHV38-0cu6rwjme-zywBWFTXgSoaBQLWViAKl8gPVZ8v14wH1D66Ug27jd6IHu6ETmOoXeeiNjTI5ANuN7t75mif_0sbgqv10m3ezQgxpDo_A97/s1600/P1050090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnFOPsfnKaAluNNiBa6EKFm4Yydp2SkHV38-0cu6rwjme-zywBWFTXgSoaBQLWViAKl8gPVZ8v14wH1D66Ug27jd6IHu6ETmOoXeeiNjTI5ANuN7t75mif_0sbgqv10m3ezQgxpDo_A97/s1600/P1050090.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HUkbeM_mikK_-_gWLaKG4KiURKAkWm1ob-exT9L44aYkAkKDxGopyVR0jFljPdPW80nn_DI-lVLF9hEA9OBvlbhIqdcmMnPDnXMjwQZyJnQlWQ90qWuW1iwu0S69B5NlpEJLXJiZCHr9/s1600/P1050093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HUkbeM_mikK_-_gWLaKG4KiURKAkWm1ob-exT9L44aYkAkKDxGopyVR0jFljPdPW80nn_DI-lVLF9hEA9OBvlbhIqdcmMnPDnXMjwQZyJnQlWQ90qWuW1iwu0S69B5NlpEJLXJiZCHr9/s1600/P1050093.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzu4hN29Z6pgIw9Xgqi3bYdIBhZeFmHp0VKP4C663IDF2lQwksS2p-aRBTdhsB8JFknY1rWJkNruidHXn9iwjVHV5wwNHYCOCwzB8oSEiYPMOHR84oiVpiGctN6F8PJlzoO7M099TpseC/s1600/P1050101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzu4hN29Z6pgIw9Xgqi3bYdIBhZeFmHp0VKP4C663IDF2lQwksS2p-aRBTdhsB8JFknY1rWJkNruidHXn9iwjVHV5wwNHYCOCwzB8oSEiYPMOHR84oiVpiGctN6F8PJlzoO7M099TpseC/s1600/P1050101.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a long, choppy swim to Cape Town for escaping prisoners</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E0hhf5qL-PHMFsi7HpZ9nfNOsvTBA5SN5d9C417MbQnraLVwvBdGSWChEGHNZy_9dUejETo-7THC6pEarG14eZCZdtiodS3dLddNccFcQkrn4h4hqGmTAZW9C-opRllaOvS2gtCH4PSP/s1600/P1050114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E0hhf5qL-PHMFsi7HpZ9nfNOsvTBA5SN5d9C417MbQnraLVwvBdGSWChEGHNZy_9dUejETo-7THC6pEarG14eZCZdtiodS3dLddNccFcQkrn4h4hqGmTAZW9C-opRllaOvS2gtCH4PSP/s1600/P1050114.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5NyfJaGT2B2lRNAe3L3MngcINuNXGDZiH9NeuL9P7di008eeykN7Ky_-wLTsZCifU-VJKDkdOjPZqG1OWg63COYsrjzVEQSOIndriFa0UXWCzN9i7ReIWjBhFBqZ5UnkWg33El0bUc93/s1600/P1050123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5NyfJaGT2B2lRNAe3L3MngcINuNXGDZiH9NeuL9P7di008eeykN7Ky_-wLTsZCifU-VJKDkdOjPZqG1OWg63COYsrjzVEQSOIndriFa0UXWCzN9i7ReIWjBhFBqZ5UnkWg33El0bUc93/s1600/P1050123.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRi3OoHcNBGfouHvthNYDIxvq7Xw1szGytFZPHK7uue06Q3Ylji5wbCGoh_iysz0mIEppxYbulIzTEM2fLHUYc2ju8samahIAkFd51e1Evbca_KXKms1CQq4TToRxPiVMvu7N1PxwFxgtd/s1600/P1050115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRi3OoHcNBGfouHvthNYDIxvq7Xw1szGytFZPHK7uue06Q3Ylji5wbCGoh_iysz0mIEppxYbulIzTEM2fLHUYc2ju8samahIAkFd51e1Evbca_KXKms1CQq4TToRxPiVMvu7N1PxwFxgtd/s1600/P1050115.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daily prison rations</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyFDdTeqtannlb2EZEPX8S4VeSCbC0cFaLFkVwvg3s_GegDLrvx8eBN0W7vYF9Q2LH7qt_oaxSpBjjg6CmEe4n31-i3qhkLgDk-B_6XvssBftvFI1PeXnVagGJqRjbuEjzreFCOxbrrJA/s1600/P1050117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyFDdTeqtannlb2EZEPX8S4VeSCbC0cFaLFkVwvg3s_GegDLrvx8eBN0W7vYF9Q2LH7qt_oaxSpBjjg6CmEe4n31-i3qhkLgDk-B_6XvssBftvFI1PeXnVagGJqRjbuEjzreFCOxbrrJA/s1600/P1050117.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXb5SwFyLUAvmiwVnCy1Pq1-1sdnh3ehaq0-9Q99ZuAZHulLc4OvENX8rjqtn9RrUdCULPf1IY5ecr6iNg6C-TAtsglVn5QaLFoMLuDAOgwKXh12j70LaBTlG89-39sQBQj_QGXuUbCg3/s1600/P1050125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXb5SwFyLUAvmiwVnCy1Pq1-1sdnh3ehaq0-9Q99ZuAZHulLc4OvENX8rjqtn9RrUdCULPf1IY5ecr6iNg6C-TAtsglVn5QaLFoMLuDAOgwKXh12j70LaBTlG89-39sQBQj_QGXuUbCg3/s1600/P1050125.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nelson Mandela's cell where he lived for 28 years</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9vqIOYjZyu8_bzT5gQ3q8UmgauyHmhHSIa7RpVPoLCsY-KDZB_F6VJCaxZr2DgUVPOva2w0MLuM2Z5F7tyYIRfI8DbYDcuxKwBlFYiuqZ3xrrj2PQ1VLguoKFx1IQHNivlDmotlc9xGR/s1600/P1050128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA9vqIOYjZyu8_bzT5gQ3q8UmgauyHmhHSIa7RpVPoLCsY-KDZB_F6VJCaxZr2DgUVPOva2w0MLuM2Z5F7tyYIRfI8DbYDcuxKwBlFYiuqZ3xrrj2PQ1VLguoKFx1IQHNivlDmotlc9xGR/s1600/P1050128.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We were happy to return to Cape Town on the ferry after our visit to Robben Island. We were even happy to enjoy our new hotel room at the Taj.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvaSsizMTGyYDAJUE2SEDBuAIjbMedHuori0LiHMxtSGUVpUzLXI8CQ_FjRitNxBlyLY6yZG9lZLhI1Sm8hB7q4vo017pDoamuCgEVLH_hamNaJRBu3VHygQ1D1gySGmO6ykJdpkWGSB7/s1600/P1050132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvaSsizMTGyYDAJUE2SEDBuAIjbMedHuori0LiHMxtSGUVpUzLXI8CQ_FjRitNxBlyLY6yZG9lZLhI1Sm8hB7q4vo017pDoamuCgEVLH_hamNaJRBu3VHygQ1D1gySGmO6ykJdpkWGSB7/s1600/P1050132.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56CK_mPEarlJMoknAJvvb1E21eDeaWCQnflhfFmVcqW9KwGl7xLJNkeI6EvOU9KgnU1Fzcfg_FecuexDCCmdNHKmurl94Qp-VxNL_4ZXwh8XErskzcSZddE8ZwrmaJuyxpeyKYL2zMK9r/s1600/P1050133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56CK_mPEarlJMoknAJvvb1E21eDeaWCQnflhfFmVcqW9KwGl7xLJNkeI6EvOU9KgnU1Fzcfg_FecuexDCCmdNHKmurl94Qp-VxNL_4ZXwh8XErskzcSZddE8ZwrmaJuyxpeyKYL2zMK9r/s1600/P1050133.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only a man would <span style="font-size: 8px;">design a hotel room with a picture window</span><span style="font-size: 8px;"> </span>
<div style="font-size: 8px;">
looking into the bathroom!</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmM-p4h00Qijh-9FK5htcB63G5eRPZxKD33Hv3qdFRh2WD-gYfT7DbKIpMHSYZ6ivI3POVVbx6laFtFnkInbNluKaZBknovN9dlippZ3NsOAcR6R06XuiUVg6LpT9tfkEUengcvIt0ChKQ/s1600/P1050134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmM-p4h00Qijh-9FK5htcB63G5eRPZxKD33Hv3qdFRh2WD-gYfT7DbKIpMHSYZ6ivI3POVVbx6laFtFnkInbNluKaZBknovN9dlippZ3NsOAcR6R06XuiUVg6LpT9tfkEUengcvIt0ChKQ/s1600/P1050134.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PhfppIJG-xtQmfWz6sTO56disCwW7YJdG5vSY3h6NyYUxXWnTbIWqiKgUbOYAc19sCQa78F9FjzWcJftUTs6YJzxXrFduNbyZUFrow5UIHvP_hOX08XoJFkqPvXYEuB3_7eUFmemZkOF/s1600/P1050138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PhfppIJG-xtQmfWz6sTO56disCwW7YJdG5vSY3h6NyYUxXWnTbIWqiKgUbOYAc19sCQa78F9FjzWcJftUTs6YJzxXrFduNbyZUFrow5UIHvP_hOX08XoJFkqPvXYEuB3_7eUFmemZkOF/s1600/P1050138.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 10px;"><br /></span></div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-48922020652298738572014-12-23T16:33:00.000-08:002014-12-23T16:33:01.088-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 29, 2014, Wednesday.</i> We planned two activities for today, one invigorating and one relaxing. The first was a walking tour of downtown Cape Town entitled Footsteps to Freedom. We and two other people met Ivor Shaskovsky, our guide, at the Taj Hotel at 10:30 this morning for a 2½ hour tour with a distinct point of view. The purpose of the tour was to educate us about the history of race relations here in Cape Town and why it is important for people everywhere to examine their own county's history in this regard. Our guide was knowledgeable and expert in his subject without devolving into polemics. The tour was keyed off an assortment of historic buildings with a few long pauses to bring us up to speed on the history connected to each. One of the women who joined us is actually a newly minted local tour guide whose company had recommended that she take this tour. She is what they call Cape Colored here. These are people of mixed race, usually including Indian. She confirmed what our guide described when he said that because of the high number of racial strands in a Cape Colored person's background, it is not at all unusual to see families composed of people who don't resemble each other at all. She showed me a picture of her sister who looked nothing like her. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px; min-height: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
I was struck by the fact that people here actually talk about race, unlike in the US where this is almost a taboo topic. I think this may be the real value of this tour and probably an outgrowth of the sea change that has taken place in South Africa in just the last 20-30 years. Nelson Mandela is not seen as a perfect person here, but he is certainly viewed as the premiere world statesman of the twentieth century for his ability to not only lead the anti-apartheid movement, both while he was free and even during his long years in prison, and for his whole-hearted embrace of all races once apartheid ended. This country today is truly a tribute to a man who insisted that everyone on earth is a member of the human race. Period.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESc-FxV4szMSMtt4MCUzP0iK8XHHXVheCJepn4yAtPSTKW1RnavfK9lhD5pin1Hwv3CYtae4FsscXEBUYgdqagZshsB5tjngkkPYKVrnJqZDmWIxcBj8713DJvNAD_AEhI0BrbnOq4UF4/s1600/P1040979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESc-FxV4szMSMtt4MCUzP0iK8XHHXVheCJepn4yAtPSTKW1RnavfK9lhD5pin1Hwv3CYtae4FsscXEBUYgdqagZshsB5tjngkkPYKVrnJqZDmWIxcBj8713DJvNAD_AEhI0BrbnOq4UF4/s1600/P1040979.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
Walking through the Company's Garden on our way to the tour, imagine our surprise </div>
<div style="font-size: 8px;">
to see a white squirrel! Shades of Brevard, NC. I think these are albinos, however.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8RQktyXZ6CyHUpKopNTHHa5YZluPJ7POZFwL3WYWb0Wz4iz9EKWlUcsBxCrUH-KeWiOmmUYzEy9M13e4afpv7Tdg5EDLbxW0DJxnAfGxh7dFGy1b8XsEaVr_vngV3rwH9D82mSQ_YIhs/s1600/P1040980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ8RQktyXZ6CyHUpKopNTHHa5YZluPJ7POZFwL3WYWb0Wz4iz9EKWlUcsBxCrUH-KeWiOmmUYzEy9M13e4afpv7Tdg5EDLbxW0DJxnAfGxh7dFGy1b8XsEaVr_vngV3rwH9D82mSQ_YIhs/s1600/P1040980.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtCtm3wvFIAhCHHYGZHcBoJyBU51EmqUe1bewmfdUwyn0I1RC93ZwX2vT2U4uEOEHa8KL39FY2jatjXvdyLA5DqBahCunq-gUmOPrcWdx_slRDZPhd8nw9T2ndjVSHQeMpa5E66J05ZQq/s1600/P1040982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtCtm3wvFIAhCHHYGZHcBoJyBU51EmqUe1bewmfdUwyn0I1RC93ZwX2vT2U4uEOEHa8KL39FY2jatjXvdyLA5DqBahCunq-gUmOPrcWdx_slRDZPhd8nw9T2ndjVSHQeMpa5E66J05ZQq/s1600/P1040982.jpg" height="204" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lGni23MiO3IYV3rp9ejoZXnTADSBgNqzMsLNBOGzrDU5xPLzEDUVXD3IEFZw9jtAAxWpxsSp61V6IIyy5tl-QHo1v_uCpwF9o9RnoH1eiC_hnD55VRD3OoUXU1b_T4AIJUv36xPbeaeI/s1600/P1040986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2lGni23MiO3IYV3rp9ejoZXnTADSBgNqzMsLNBOGzrDU5xPLzEDUVXD3IEFZw9jtAAxWpxsSp61V6IIyy5tl-QHo1v_uCpwF9o9RnoH1eiC_hnD55VRD3OoUXU1b_T4AIJUv36xPbeaeI/s1600/P1040986.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rkRUMdnXhV85Ar8PRAVkka2rBOgGflyuXa7vHEbZA_Xy482fDckIzln7ibKVAnIl6ilMHzdq7rCcA6kgL7qzwMt4jSHviCl-Ib4vwRjutwy2K1sJMOKtn6EcbFDDeON7YP9d7M7qnQNv/s1600/P1040990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6rkRUMdnXhV85Ar8PRAVkka2rBOgGflyuXa7vHEbZA_Xy482fDckIzln7ibKVAnIl6ilMHzdq7rCcA6kgL7qzwMt4jSHviCl-Ib4vwRjutwy2K1sJMOKtn6EcbFDDeON7YP9d7M7qnQNv/s1600/P1040990.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNcXDnV90Ayc_tkwGPeye29lYfLHiOWXqzpV-P7cvQmjvAnrdtwiplf5ZmqwyL0Owc6rNQL11ikAGdqv49PbAdDX3w552b_C1ngwb17ohz4hPV9i0wBLHTBIuMh7fO-d497TER9tFgy2x/s1600/P1040992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNcXDnV90Ayc_tkwGPeye29lYfLHiOWXqzpV-P7cvQmjvAnrdtwiplf5ZmqwyL0Owc6rNQL11ikAGdqv49PbAdDX3w552b_C1ngwb17ohz4hPV9i0wBLHTBIuMh7fO-d497TER9tFgy2x/s1600/P1040992.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP86OPx7eFHTFQYT47dbsQIByYWuw8gGjU9MlJIRPOwaZntQW4iSNllVlIOu7qBZnhTw3Cpvp6vxUr7_E9-oyNWyVy7OJ7I9X3mpEH7z63hA4Ip6JV4dyplLYaUqYHmupMgEIvK2k0pVhz/s1600/P1040993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP86OPx7eFHTFQYT47dbsQIByYWuw8gGjU9MlJIRPOwaZntQW4iSNllVlIOu7qBZnhTw3Cpvp6vxUr7_E9-oyNWyVy7OJ7I9X3mpEH7z63hA4Ip6JV4dyplLYaUqYHmupMgEIvK2k0pVhz/s1600/P1040993.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-foJNqj_CkX-wj6QjXE7eLSvEcG13h-Scexv-Tx-Fn4X13Jr92R9zEJhFkLdmNwMuoaUMdNNHmUWO8VuQeD_j4T7vwkrBy365ZbOAsOUuR4RGJeBhFLkEYWsbppYh4Ke_RHUYyCdffXR/s1600/P1040995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-foJNqj_CkX-wj6QjXE7eLSvEcG13h-Scexv-Tx-Fn4X13Jr92R9zEJhFkLdmNwMuoaUMdNNHmUWO8VuQeD_j4T7vwkrBy365ZbOAsOUuR4RGJeBhFLkEYWsbppYh4Ke_RHUYyCdffXR/s1600/P1040995.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVZ30T8Rv-X962bYVY9mFtwXUg73MqlROsmeNrfF-EfENzB0a29dogxkd6H0xTk8IMiTIVLOMd4ov_KXZMgjWNFbqKLeQp9c4Cgr8K69Hrtqv9zLXmuXGvJeqeMXKJeZhkzgjObNi0OOD/s1600/P1040996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVZ30T8Rv-X962bYVY9mFtwXUg73MqlROsmeNrfF-EfENzB0a29dogxkd6H0xTk8IMiTIVLOMd4ov_KXZMgjWNFbqKLeQp9c4Cgr8K69Hrtqv9zLXmuXGvJeqeMXKJeZhkzgjObNi0OOD/s1600/P1040996.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUPvCC1fqlwjRc-WuuU0bakuaqa-WhH0MKk-hhQhTp7Nwb1kF5tXsADwq5j1DVJq6XJhEx0qrZClLMb66YbOZaJHNhYMdgG2soGUgJqlcxfnf2Dz76KkYLW1DFhIAoZO9u8ZZGticQkv2/s1600/P1040999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUPvCC1fqlwjRc-WuuU0bakuaqa-WhH0MKk-hhQhTp7Nwb1kF5tXsADwq5j1DVJq6XJhEx0qrZClLMb66YbOZaJHNhYMdgG2soGUgJqlcxfnf2Dz76KkYLW1DFhIAoZO9u8ZZGticQkv2/s1600/P1040999.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-vA2mbyyBkh134jCNEGnrsUiX4FMXT2YIePYZG7reg7Sth-kTgsWWwZc_11ry15XpEFFjug89skJH7p4oxWb6qfFFFbPuxQE5NrhtONnys6NIO6rcUzZ1f4QmPnDnRTzLn6Oy4iXnh0j/s1600/P1050001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-vA2mbyyBkh134jCNEGnrsUiX4FMXT2YIePYZG7reg7Sth-kTgsWWwZc_11ry15XpEFFjug89skJH7p4oxWb6qfFFFbPuxQE5NrhtONnys6NIO6rcUzZ1f4QmPnDnRTzLn6Oy4iXnh0j/s1600/P1050001.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9k6qFSw7aM23Y9n1TADQLl4tsKTKgaXhKQRZDW5exHWUlWSsLzpjEU_yqyrdREzciA_uxMVJgEe7c97WFXnxfxGSCen_acTq8KRWeO1UVMAQk7OzQmqkvo0OSD-g1ZbQVBWhKvgvHwuqE/s1600/P1050002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9k6qFSw7aM23Y9n1TADQLl4tsKTKgaXhKQRZDW5exHWUlWSsLzpjEU_yqyrdREzciA_uxMVJgEe7c97WFXnxfxGSCen_acTq8KRWeO1UVMAQk7OzQmqkvo0OSD-g1ZbQVBWhKvgvHwuqE/s1600/P1050002.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NX_otzew7O5iqDlNe8MHtG-SgeOaOMwZ9Wnwy72t-k6BMy9xEQjqkF9Pa887JwpdjLszWXJwadOnHEduoHlx1B7XeIJEgKBAiHvTRTA0pmmi8eD1dyZknINcNFCxPnb11BkRVJEzPEMa/s1600/P1050005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NX_otzew7O5iqDlNe8MHtG-SgeOaOMwZ9Wnwy72t-k6BMy9xEQjqkF9Pa887JwpdjLszWXJwadOnHEduoHlx1B7XeIJEgKBAiHvTRTA0pmmi8eD1dyZknINcNFCxPnb11BkRVJEzPEMa/s1600/P1050005.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32rfHa0DrqtLabZ5KlKUDZi5qmijtrdLDPg67Caats1820yOZKCtXFzLcSUEX16Ogh-DbNB5YYPCAbHrJmCaXCAwvf-uB766E4q6Od1QACqd_GUORIG5NAf0ehPa9BsHqBEyStueNjFll/s1600/P1050008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32rfHa0DrqtLabZ5KlKUDZi5qmijtrdLDPg67Caats1820yOZKCtXFzLcSUEX16Ogh-DbNB5YYPCAbHrJmCaXCAwvf-uB766E4q6Od1QACqd_GUORIG5NAf0ehPa9BsHqBEyStueNjFll/s1600/P1050008.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXBGD_wcscC2qYcyHpHlQMpq-mIsqV9TjTW2e7_Ch3rNNqVhyphenhyphenTKrZaGBeja9RIxREPRuj7y4YW8NTcv4unLUntAG_gv_ymQT1dHMRe15WjmewQN2wPH5Q5YcZbqqRI2iVbTbV4_kFel0r/s1600/P1050009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXBGD_wcscC2qYcyHpHlQMpq-mIsqV9TjTW2e7_Ch3rNNqVhyphenhyphenTKrZaGBeja9RIxREPRuj7y4YW8NTcv4unLUntAG_gv_ymQT1dHMRe15WjmewQN2wPH5Q5YcZbqqRI2iVbTbV4_kFel0r/s1600/P1050009.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDK_rOtQfkWu2mXgxlmrs3s6LTShuvQnRzXdZXV7x2WZDarVFUwIgPlVW2hrUp4Fd1YJqIDAmEF21rBa04rJiKIThrerGJcabXk971Wv9uuUUcvge87rgSZ80YJTA6azenBDxVCkvWUHm6/s1600/P1050013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDK_rOtQfkWu2mXgxlmrs3s6LTShuvQnRzXdZXV7x2WZDarVFUwIgPlVW2hrUp4Fd1YJqIDAmEF21rBa04rJiKIThrerGJcabXk971Wv9uuUUcvge87rgSZ80YJTA6azenBDxVCkvWUHm6/s1600/P1050013.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybQHZpPdc_4Vp0iutf1Sm_u444i76NGKNJJnl1CtfURzXz7g1ImcNrs2EEmYrSDjxhKxPKWm8wRiVvxU2q95Wyitnw-k5E02iHGFgby4lRoahOgdcz84bxuIurRAeUlhyphenhyphenhiOJMlV1tuX_/s1600/P1050018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybQHZpPdc_4Vp0iutf1Sm_u444i76NGKNJJnl1CtfURzXz7g1ImcNrs2EEmYrSDjxhKxPKWm8wRiVvxU2q95Wyitnw-k5E02iHGFgby4lRoahOgdcz84bxuIurRAeUlhyphenhyphenhiOJMlV1tuX_/s1600/P1050018.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAXDqhW64fT8pCVzR8NbFr05NCfwJP2R1B1hfHY8hbOyc4eSObJG2JvFmeCfVivFnKzSblsjJOw0EgTYiQ37h9Lt3p1-EsezL0DvsbD12POTuWJKPxDccKEn9PcGZifV6maQTV2n9WdMz/s1600/P1050021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpAXDqhW64fT8pCVzR8NbFr05NCfwJP2R1B1hfHY8hbOyc4eSObJG2JvFmeCfVivFnKzSblsjJOw0EgTYiQ37h9Lt3p1-EsezL0DvsbD12POTuWJKPxDccKEn9PcGZifV6maQTV2n9WdMz/s1600/P1050021.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Yd4lxMswZ_ST-EjPoA-CkU2jED-FxR9wIvHEEqE1dPkHr-TNEdgZD_RMa0oMuNcVYyJSQUpm78Jp3FMlCgFnZW5y9EcNPQq3V8W6Wdf7JGjOdtDg8xqabXGBcwF-wgFuOA0MdJpWL91n/s1600/P1050022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Yd4lxMswZ_ST-EjPoA-CkU2jED-FxR9wIvHEEqE1dPkHr-TNEdgZD_RMa0oMuNcVYyJSQUpm78Jp3FMlCgFnZW5y9EcNPQq3V8W6Wdf7JGjOdtDg8xqabXGBcwF-wgFuOA0MdJpWL91n/s1600/P1050022.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrrRSyakI9szkumCHCmGugvgZLxouRI5VtRrT_FKxDH4FFwxX2RVkY116zl0soo2rBZj0RKh1pahoiBFi0VZsOk2YnqTMSEOeLDOhyGCKsH540-huch_eNDfiRH8IE-MxxBAw0Wfu9o7A/s1600/P1050023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLrrRSyakI9szkumCHCmGugvgZLxouRI5VtRrT_FKxDH4FFwxX2RVkY116zl0soo2rBZj0RKh1pahoiBFi0VZsOk2YnqTMSEOeLDOhyGCKsH540-huch_eNDfiRH8IE-MxxBAw0Wfu9o7A/s1600/P1050023.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwxdDZY_o9Pjcae7eq3jlIcbdF370CperNw0mzxDtfNJuqkq99_3I51A-kd32Nu7N-GPCsEBGyfOht_hOrwpHG6qPZ4qcVwPYULxbG5klo-tcHDbPEeIVH0uHG7cRlw8kAGYOPzVK0r4A/s1600/P1050024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwxdDZY_o9Pjcae7eq3jlIcbdF370CperNw0mzxDtfNJuqkq99_3I51A-kd32Nu7N-GPCsEBGyfOht_hOrwpHG6qPZ4qcVwPYULxbG5klo-tcHDbPEeIVH0uHG7cRlw8kAGYOPzVK0r4A/s1600/P1050024.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwuIIGgD1bXPxF5qxh3Yrxb-36j7gSr1B0tw8Ksucn3FLGwz6QkYN432ejunwJb-qdopMEvmKt9_So0jYzScoYAv2YYSwSRl8GyVTOl2q_6wkyTRTyjTh7h59q2komQL77gcsDgfj8C9LY/s1600/P1050029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwuIIGgD1bXPxF5qxh3Yrxb-36j7gSr1B0tw8Ksucn3FLGwz6QkYN432ejunwJb-qdopMEvmKt9_So0jYzScoYAv2YYSwSRl8GyVTOl2q_6wkyTRTyjTh7h59q2komQL77gcsDgfj8C9LY/s1600/P1050029.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqs_eYu9_ggmAv5hKC5LpugMVIFIALChVGTjHd7MLIjIqotbT0f918gqrUrpVZMCHu5GjUqJoMqyr32ubGqFXW1uciH2O0LoG6b4BA7dNwETpez-s0Avmw_RMmKz8K3utv68297nHl1GO/s1600/P1050034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqs_eYu9_ggmAv5hKC5LpugMVIFIALChVGTjHd7MLIjIqotbT0f918gqrUrpVZMCHu5GjUqJoMqyr32ubGqFXW1uciH2O0LoG6b4BA7dNwETpez-s0Avmw_RMmKz8K3utv68297nHl1GO/s1600/P1050034.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UDXjVnqXXsm9IHp8uX6lgCk9jcZuPw7Gy9_I9cM93evEw0kyCiMFvmgFtz_hPFHXWnixtvwENJtPE58y_ktALewoO5hgcKlz92ES7oP7JvjEqXhclC83dhIZJFDlqPtxU-wKe0NBzm8e/s1600/P1050037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UDXjVnqXXsm9IHp8uX6lgCk9jcZuPw7Gy9_I9cM93evEw0kyCiMFvmgFtz_hPFHXWnixtvwENJtPE58y_ktALewoO5hgcKlz92ES7oP7JvjEqXhclC83dhIZJFDlqPtxU-wKe0NBzm8e/s1600/P1050037.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYu1CrEpdCv-ui84Zpby7jiKghCbRVUwA8ZoCH5e53awiA5VZtsXMVSSyUv0JtZbXV4mWpepoAy3uDk42br6w0OAVTSaXu8s39fAl9cbLSw0zb-EE3mI1n_xtYwHcMMybGOuL-BuErWtJe/s1600/P1050040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYu1CrEpdCv-ui84Zpby7jiKghCbRVUwA8ZoCH5e53awiA5VZtsXMVSSyUv0JtZbXV4mWpepoAy3uDk42br6w0OAVTSaXu8s39fAl9cbLSw0zb-EE3mI1n_xtYwHcMMybGOuL-BuErWtJe/s1600/P1050040.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
This afternoon we enjoyed afternoon tea, part of our Mount Nelson Hotel package. We would not have done this <span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">"</span>reservations required<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">"</span> activity otherwise, but we are happy we found time for it. The hotel already knew we are vegans and when we were seated, we were told our vegan selections would be delivered to us. We had expected to settle for fruit and maybe a couple of the general buffet sweets offerings, but instead we received a full service of nicely prepared food suitable for our diet. The general offerings were even more mouthwatering, so rest assured, all tastes can be beautifully accommodated. The concierge had rightly suggested we sign up for the 1:30 tea and plan that for lunch instead of the 3:30 tea, which is too late for lunch and too early for dinner, hence a bit of a spoiler. We are tea drinking novices, and like all services at the Mount Nelson, we were made right at home and cheerfully instructed in both the teas on offer and in how the mechanics work. I especially loved the clear glass teapot with a lift-out infuser. Tea comes with a timer, and you are told how many minutes each tea requires, making for a perfect infusion for each variety. I ordered a lovely Japanese green tea which is somehow made with a subtle toasted rice flavor. It was delicious, and before I knew it, I had drunk the whole pot. I was offered more and actually agreed, but this time our server suggested I try the rooibos tea infused with orange and spice flavors because it is also caffeine free. I have tried rooibos at home, but this was a whole new level I hope to find there. I could become a real fan of both these teas. John ordered the hotel house blend, which we also liked. These were all loose leaf teas, made possible by that clever teapot I mentioned earlier. I suspect that pot might be the real secret to why these teas were so much better than the tea I am accustomed to drinking.</div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyklAn6VzM-z4jbGV05bF_kl6efawG0bQcDlQL90FT8VVDuy9R-iixo1kLZVBXGBe8xDB4_e7KkD-U80-REuw0Nm08sf-OaJ_Pk6OG6uz36Fm4N-W2XPv6Tr5dYkPrp8MdX86vezCnBLtO/s1600/P1050044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyklAn6VzM-z4jbGV05bF_kl6efawG0bQcDlQL90FT8VVDuy9R-iixo1kLZVBXGBe8xDB4_e7KkD-U80-REuw0Nm08sf-OaJ_Pk6OG6uz36Fm4N-W2XPv6Tr5dYkPrp8MdX86vezCnBLtO/s1600/P1050044.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCQXkLVvHyTI9gv6XuzOCYz8aIkEfZMdkf0BKUFhDnXpxZqidxX4w9STPmOQIRWsreXQErFCjHslG-u4wvDmqi3Xb8EmuyngxVzLBC4Nj-2smcfpflxKqtQlSY8iWkB1H7K2ZZl4JUSZi/s1600/P1050045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHCQXkLVvHyTI9gv6XuzOCYz8aIkEfZMdkf0BKUFhDnXpxZqidxX4w9STPmOQIRWsreXQErFCjHslG-u4wvDmqi3Xb8EmuyngxVzLBC4Nj-2smcfpflxKqtQlSY8iWkB1H7K2ZZl4JUSZi/s1600/P1050045.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
After tea, we wandered through The Company's Garden, just outside the front entrance to the hotel. It's a popular urban park, originally meant to be a source of food for the new Dutch colony here.</div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz19onBfK3qL3OTI16lpg-uW_yoy_UQCNEI_69kpnyyDYh_U2oJdcfMzh7LQ_DSiOd6363ZTrR2UZpz0ahpyPhcCYidf6Iv7lMZ_WjvNhwgdtUlrFZQyR6YEtFYd1_f328V26bTgzaduis/s1600/P1050050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz19onBfK3qL3OTI16lpg-uW_yoy_UQCNEI_69kpnyyDYh_U2oJdcfMzh7LQ_DSiOd6363ZTrR2UZpz0ahpyPhcCYidf6Iv7lMZ_WjvNhwgdtUlrFZQyR6YEtFYd1_f328V26bTgzaduis/s1600/P1050050.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4c7wIIjlaYoOeK4hWXSw_KyeDgyCBmBMpyUmBuaWVc9cAVVnh4d5s1btjb5V8DAsqhULrzi1TtxyGjz6WyF1ezDCPStVO0B-dt0Q-m47aGjxT1YmthGyVJeG8eK2nrOAR_MBYI49_0p4C/s1600/P1050052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4c7wIIjlaYoOeK4hWXSw_KyeDgyCBmBMpyUmBuaWVc9cAVVnh4d5s1btjb5V8DAsqhULrzi1TtxyGjz6WyF1ezDCPStVO0B-dt0Q-m47aGjxT1YmthGyVJeG8eK2nrOAR_MBYI49_0p4C/s1600/P1050052.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJBUQfSo6vYIzd59IZjF9W4KCys-0PPnV_0fZMBGvYuXUK3TiSFc7J7v16j5v9IwW2Um0SKorx47kYE6Uk5w0AiNp6Bgm421JO3-_Es-wh2klEBIQF7I2T7NS7UFyJqKnvKrdIgeBHr0r/s1600/P1050055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJBUQfSo6vYIzd59IZjF9W4KCys-0PPnV_0fZMBGvYuXUK3TiSFc7J7v16j5v9IwW2Um0SKorx47kYE6Uk5w0AiNp6Bgm421JO3-_Es-wh2klEBIQF7I2T7NS7UFyJqKnvKrdIgeBHr0r/s1600/P1050055.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwq5nE23HnFb5m63wYFcJaFxtxBivRVDazxYsX-rGbJFVQ_ao4Fq2tUrxbNfq27HYDtk0CF3TUeZwSSqnzEwytUXr1o4W7gcOkdxPlfHUu-_qtF1JrkehqztKkZabI0xOvn8zD62uE9Jko/s1600/P1050060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwq5nE23HnFb5m63wYFcJaFxtxBivRVDazxYsX-rGbJFVQ_ao4Fq2tUrxbNfq27HYDtk0CF3TUeZwSSqnzEwytUXr1o4W7gcOkdxPlfHUu-_qtF1JrkehqztKkZabI0xOvn8zD62uE9Jko/s1600/P1050060.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV292jGAT9QR5CJbIlDDtQd0rV38kkpws0EEH844YLADaxaeF2qFmCEo4alVf3gKJbKYU-8lupdnRJ9istl-CVKBXFWU4kLmQ7V2Sc7A1PUfDGfOZc7kjI72aI_XDUgkZlGOc7BVomSjpV/s1600/P1050063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV292jGAT9QR5CJbIlDDtQd0rV38kkpws0EEH844YLADaxaeF2qFmCEo4alVf3gKJbKYU-8lupdnRJ9istl-CVKBXFWU4kLmQ7V2Sc7A1PUfDGfOZc7kjI72aI_XDUgkZlGOc7BVomSjpV/s1600/P1050063.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlZ5Mo3ZR2l5uebhvWguZtjRTiDPvO-Mk0zBWXo3RczqiD2WZWn75h0uj0bYp4yoD-rlhyOlHiAUKg6K4iQfgwPIEH7s1gPtQn92FYZM5xDoMfx46DeRiMievS_Z6AM_UrWsMfh4mZAoT/s1600/P1050064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlZ5Mo3ZR2l5uebhvWguZtjRTiDPvO-Mk0zBWXo3RczqiD2WZWn75h0uj0bYp4yoD-rlhyOlHiAUKg6K4iQfgwPIEH7s1gPtQn92FYZM5xDoMfx46DeRiMievS_Z6AM_UrWsMfh4mZAoT/s1600/P1050064.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDgvv0C_XMwjTQPpsLTjW-uSwjfr1pUQ7tUwiA9ha3iKhMQeBabUKDYNRu3CR4uqkEBMqIostRhVIBBDBTo96Bn93LUIvWdYi02O_VYgPFFjxsUswvc7NXe-0lFmEo_MPbYstr7mCCV9d/s1600/P1050066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDgvv0C_XMwjTQPpsLTjW-uSwjfr1pUQ7tUwiA9ha3iKhMQeBabUKDYNRu3CR4uqkEBMqIostRhVIBBDBTo96Bn93LUIvWdYi02O_VYgPFFjxsUswvc7NXe-0lFmEo_MPbYstr7mCCV9d/s1600/P1050066.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoIOPmKlOPIB7Qus_uSHvXvZGWFy0bj1AiPmnstAKBWsAyCatFIarhPVZmBiIEIwa3o_jUrkstWH6OMg04d1CXk4j0CFhbc5Dhk4TbBIsBl_HRVLNIqGqcX6OmTIeDaZXgwk3AXy8rqRr/s1600/P1050069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoIOPmKlOPIB7Qus_uSHvXvZGWFy0bj1AiPmnstAKBWsAyCatFIarhPVZmBiIEIwa3o_jUrkstWH6OMg04d1CXk4j0CFhbc5Dhk4TbBIsBl_HRVLNIqGqcX6OmTIeDaZXgwk3AXy8rqRr/s1600/P1050069.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4ZoEn8oFrz7A3EtXfOtRgYRbFHi4F2vjiQDUTmn449OhmoimppaG1bGiA8QdJByVt1XcMfuu7WeftuihTnhlMsv9uX_6lQlVlDgXurQByiR2loaFVVo2sT5r4TYyETSzdMXuem6w-qlH/s1600/P1050075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4ZoEn8oFrz7A3EtXfOtRgYRbFHi4F2vjiQDUTmn449OhmoimppaG1bGiA8QdJByVt1XcMfuu7WeftuihTnhlMsv9uX_6lQlVlDgXurQByiR2loaFVVo2sT5r4TYyETSzdMXuem6w-qlH/s1600/P1050075.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
The dichotomy of the events of our day is not lost on me. We went from a frank victory march for racial equality in the morning to an equally frank display of the old ways in the afternoon, when all the guests were white and all the servers black or colored here in this historic bastion of white privilege. </div>
<div style="font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
It is impossible to see inside the mind of anyone else, but the nonwhites all over Africa have seemed open, happy, and upbeat. It is certainly true that today they have opportunities in education, jobs, housing, and even relationships that simply didn't exist a generation ago. Of course, most adults are still the product of the limitations of the past. It will probably take several generations for true equality to exist, but there seems to be a sense that this is possible here. As Ivor said to us, the difference between the black experience here and in the US is that here blacks were never enslaved. They were always free people. They may have been exploited but they were never forced to adopt a slave mentality. Coincidentally, this very morning I read an article in the Atlantic in which the (black) author flatly stated that blacks in the US are their own worst enemies simply because so many accuse their fellows of "acting white" the moment they do anything that might make them succeed. This self-defeating attitude doesn't seem to exist here. Where once blacks were kept firmly in a very low place, today, with what is repeatedly described as the best Constitution in the world, South African nonwhites now appear to see endless possibility ahead. I wish every American black child could experience Africa, not only to discover their roots but to envision the wings of the future. </div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
After I wrote that, we went down for our last dinner here. I wish I could say it was wonderful, but instead it was a testimony to the folly of reordering something you loved the first time. We returned to the mushrooms, but instead of being hot, saucy, and divine, tonight they were lukewarm and merely okay. Frankly, if we had had them this way the first night, we would not have come back the second time, much less the third. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px; min-height: 10px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
</div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
Walking out, I had to fill some waiting time and struck up a conversation with the black maitre d' of the restaurant. I asked him if blacks here are <i>really</i> as optimistic as they seem. His accent made him a little hard for me to understand, but I think the gist of his reply was that while Mandela was still president they were, but under his successor, they are not so sure. He seems to feel his management position here is more for show, that there is still a hand above him holding him down. I can only hope that this will become increasingly untrue as the generations of black citizens progress into the future, taking every advantage of the educational and economic opportunities available to them, and that they never forget the proud and free part of their heritage. All over the world, cultures have wasted enormous amounts of human potential by denying rights based on race, gender, or religion. What a world we could have if we put a stop to that. This morning Ivor asserted that all the best social change comes from women. He cited many examples, but still Mandela was a man, and he engineered astonishing change here. We are told that the one word symbol<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">izing </span>Mandela's philosophy is <span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">"</span><i>rise.</i><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><i>"</i></span><i> </i>So I say to my granddaughters and all young girls all over the world, rise, ladies, rise</div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-32665708775562354842014-12-23T16:21:00.001-08:002014-12-23T16:21:25.564-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 28, 2014, Tuesday.</i> This morning dawned sunny, with clear blue skies and a refreshing light breeze. Another lovely buffet breakfast, spoiled only at the very end by the arrival of the most fierce two year old I ever saw. We had encountered her after dinner last night when she was throwing a tantrum in the lobby. This morning she arrived at breakfast, letting the world know she still wasn't happy. A bit later she and her dad were returning to the table from the buffet, and I nearly laughed out loud. First came dad, bearing her plate and a classic scowl on his frowning face. Right behind came Little Miss Grumpy, marching along with hands on hips and a scowl that was an exact replica of her dad's. Oh, THAT apple didn't fall far from the tree. </div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">Soon we were aboard the blue bus, on our way to the Kirstenbosch Gardens. Oh my. Not only were the gardens beautiful in themselves, but the setting is simply breathtaking. The mountains that surround Cape Town appear in nearly every vista and add drama to an already beautiful scene. There is a tree canopy walk, an elevated walkway that lets you look down on the trees. Lacking a map, we actually didn't do that but saw it from afar too late to go back. The walks we did take more than made up for missing that one, however. The most distinctive was probably the long walkway that was bordered by huge old trees with trunks that were 12 to 18 feet around and towering crowns. Awesome! Be sure to click on these photos so you can truly appreciate these gardens!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01bbzMf3D3d2W-xmTZLZfXtuxLEMWw3T7hK5aQ18njhj5ZmKywpYUy7S-Dgx13mZQc9Tp4pgQuoXPbZIiERw5HGpTa2TLeA7nmQfw3ITuaYrQYdcEdzGmzPzC0RefNzZ-lSOKh3LlDXXM/s1600/P1040874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh01bbzMf3D3d2W-xmTZLZfXtuxLEMWw3T7hK5aQ18njhj5ZmKywpYUy7S-Dgx13mZQc9Tp4pgQuoXPbZIiERw5HGpTa2TLeA7nmQfw3ITuaYrQYdcEdzGmzPzC0RefNzZ-lSOKh3LlDXXM/s1600/P1040874.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSIl61tU5wMC1-PRqPQobVWOBZwPOQ_sh8nAdn3IyieqWq5FaX0mjZxoc2emB3O_BsGpIyvFB_BUJivXTgZ8sjvNGNRMeVjOsdTsH7qPY5Ipp2GZ9CdUptYRvXteLYD9tX-P7HD5mF-Fa/s1600/P1040876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSIl61tU5wMC1-PRqPQobVWOBZwPOQ_sh8nAdn3IyieqWq5FaX0mjZxoc2emB3O_BsGpIyvFB_BUJivXTgZ8sjvNGNRMeVjOsdTsH7qPY5Ipp2GZ9CdUptYRvXteLYD9tX-P7HD5mF-Fa/s1600/P1040876.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJmiMMl1Oggr_r7WOTVIXeEvOeIk9AzlCmxMtJEL7U8CFMzadUhDlNL_rorT7k_osUpSpA8d8NdM5cIwAAxl7aTfEpo94rp3lJ1_V8Wsk5kkxf5ZlZJVizIK00znMOYW-puR4qH795z0g/s1600/P1040878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJmiMMl1Oggr_r7WOTVIXeEvOeIk9AzlCmxMtJEL7U8CFMzadUhDlNL_rorT7k_osUpSpA8d8NdM5cIwAAxl7aTfEpo94rp3lJ1_V8Wsk5kkxf5ZlZJVizIK00znMOYW-puR4qH795z0g/s1600/P1040878.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyKJR_iUDNYuKMkXIl4JPp-UYnXzxiovzjEUenfUif293p4ZDAwxuDalxwxWcvnod5Yk_arRALh5Uoox7qTODqm0rtd0OsQx_pRtaaImaRbJzSKxEPbTJnthVMtrHuDITAGCZ1uSsstwo/s1600/P1040881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRyKJR_iUDNYuKMkXIl4JPp-UYnXzxiovzjEUenfUif293p4ZDAwxuDalxwxWcvnod5Yk_arRALh5Uoox7qTODqm0rtd0OsQx_pRtaaImaRbJzSKxEPbTJnthVMtrHuDITAGCZ1uSsstwo/s1600/P1040881.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBKS3EibJGGeF3KmCQVImyThhOCRwy9S3Uvqd1Myc84-V8eittbG28PLzGK4KNJyC3hzyEJwnl4liZ_cqfwvCJnakFci18H1rJKopaIJhNvZGD9lKzgNyI7e5HEHiZyO5iHIndTTapwiO/s1600/P1040882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBKS3EibJGGeF3KmCQVImyThhOCRwy9S3Uvqd1Myc84-V8eittbG28PLzGK4KNJyC3hzyEJwnl4liZ_cqfwvCJnakFci18H1rJKopaIJhNvZGD9lKzgNyI7e5HEHiZyO5iHIndTTapwiO/s1600/P1040882.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIAKuHaIaMqLSJYruu48W48vr-8L3PGvH1sCGf1s97iuB-qtwgXKvNCDD9HcFdZ3BInGq97UL8OSJzH4I1J530h2fX-ZYHB-cqe-RZfDbUfPSX-i2MNO-zLO-9EWtrr7DB-V_UANcL24h/s1600/P1040883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzIAKuHaIaMqLSJYruu48W48vr-8L3PGvH1sCGf1s97iuB-qtwgXKvNCDD9HcFdZ3BInGq97UL8OSJzH4I1J530h2fX-ZYHB-cqe-RZfDbUfPSX-i2MNO-zLO-9EWtrr7DB-V_UANcL24h/s1600/P1040883.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTF6TTz3CwXcgIkxeWCLwAndbYe3IF870x6pY-8Sf_SOL1vxuiHbXnYhvXhhC9T7UuKyLS-WK2dKCWqX1dp9mgyB1kVuaVf5CDrUfKbaCdmRJBbEYpOoHiexr3TwCz_xc9RkbiVBpzKrXh/s1600/P1040887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTF6TTz3CwXcgIkxeWCLwAndbYe3IF870x6pY-8Sf_SOL1vxuiHbXnYhvXhhC9T7UuKyLS-WK2dKCWqX1dp9mgyB1kVuaVf5CDrUfKbaCdmRJBbEYpOoHiexr3TwCz_xc9RkbiVBpzKrXh/s1600/P1040887.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuWFK3aRpSsh0aV728aswLLMrwQ1Q3-Ai4Jd72NCwJzpoxUWGvXFlpL64uRIUQO762yGIB8PXzOeMbWBBw-x9UTFrScFozeQsXonmopKZWoWYOguJwnvEagC7kT4DnZVxQWNCNXgV1qOH/s1600/P1040888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuWFK3aRpSsh0aV728aswLLMrwQ1Q3-Ai4Jd72NCwJzpoxUWGvXFlpL64uRIUQO762yGIB8PXzOeMbWBBw-x9UTFrScFozeQsXonmopKZWoWYOguJwnvEagC7kT4DnZVxQWNCNXgV1qOH/s1600/P1040888.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDig9gmpZxrz3dWwdlJQRSeNDigcMuqJY3Hmg2_MNt9f50KXUx-AUlfN2rj4pDwUnioh-GGevyKa_NpSMx1G5hGk9eycKExY4c0_uyx4-OA-FbpEyppGn91CWMmvLiGRHKSQ4xU_9VYw4p/s1600/P1040893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDig9gmpZxrz3dWwdlJQRSeNDigcMuqJY3Hmg2_MNt9f50KXUx-AUlfN2rj4pDwUnioh-GGevyKa_NpSMx1G5hGk9eycKExY4c0_uyx4-OA-FbpEyppGn91CWMmvLiGRHKSQ4xU_9VYw4p/s1600/P1040893.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpA2VlMnGgl5txM2hNq6cbF03Ql65CiXPEMEDDq_CNjchXIwsmZnveyCqSgYr-EMyubpXU0RZgqI8i1g3WZVtcUOSBPlcVkEUFxrvqkim3o8roWvBuu2vyzeVtIUWLNhwT-KYQLpQU8gO/s1600/P1040894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpA2VlMnGgl5txM2hNq6cbF03Ql65CiXPEMEDDq_CNjchXIwsmZnveyCqSgYr-EMyubpXU0RZgqI8i1g3WZVtcUOSBPlcVkEUFxrvqkim3o8roWvBuu2vyzeVtIUWLNhwT-KYQLpQU8gO/s1600/P1040894.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cUuhs2uL4y2-tyBsx8kOj8Xp5kfOpnRgkxYkC2LOwohUL9kL6VGsp7ANoVRaHAvlnG5hbNpiA5jE_z-wE5iD0ipUsYTso6QcqFx_CVyAd8Fx4UoAKNVTeAA7M9gnhmJbN-J4U-suyI6E/s1600/P1040896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1cUuhs2uL4y2-tyBsx8kOj8Xp5kfOpnRgkxYkC2LOwohUL9kL6VGsp7ANoVRaHAvlnG5hbNpiA5jE_z-wE5iD0ipUsYTso6QcqFx_CVyAd8Fx4UoAKNVTeAA7M9gnhmJbN-J4U-suyI6E/s1600/P1040896.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7z6XiHvO1vfbc6D0UX4TBXcgnsHV9L2R-V2bBHJZfZG5ExrK1AHli7g06u9BpWpxYWg9_XXEZfdCLlM7ZiKl77YZN2O1qQMi5WpLsRW8VCpGdI_KLOXdUs3b-OFbICgmOfw5OzD8QZ3y/s1600/P1040897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio7z6XiHvO1vfbc6D0UX4TBXcgnsHV9L2R-V2bBHJZfZG5ExrK1AHli7g06u9BpWpxYWg9_XXEZfdCLlM7ZiKl77YZN2O1qQMi5WpLsRW8VCpGdI_KLOXdUs3b-OFbICgmOfw5OzD8QZ3y/s1600/P1040897.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMas7A3Efz09OIL2e_DuvZ48ljmptLQBJhfBgZxM6YTE25e1tz6uEggWqsMgkCie7mVIdPh0CW1XX8r_J93iXn8cL_nS1TBW2SULQHj5hu5JpCimoO1lumsKz1VgszX7piaR3z0yNsOF5c/s1600/P1040900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMas7A3Efz09OIL2e_DuvZ48ljmptLQBJhfBgZxM6YTE25e1tz6uEggWqsMgkCie7mVIdPh0CW1XX8r_J93iXn8cL_nS1TBW2SULQHj5hu5JpCimoO1lumsKz1VgszX7piaR3z0yNsOF5c/s1600/P1040900.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ErdLwOUDSDmqaW4JnlM7gzGckjNO53b0XkXIsbhj8U7ECcA9qwDttVaV-1eX_ACIvBp8dM8bdxpjk_78FfytAi6PlyWyfAKlitNV7L2jVHKimTt5S4ze2VVh8boXXvpr2bpkUPrrbMzc/s1600/P1040905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ErdLwOUDSDmqaW4JnlM7gzGckjNO53b0XkXIsbhj8U7ECcA9qwDttVaV-1eX_ACIvBp8dM8bdxpjk_78FfytAi6PlyWyfAKlitNV7L2jVHKimTt5S4ze2VVh8boXXvpr2bpkUPrrbMzc/s1600/P1040905.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p6A6gNv4uI_zgmDlQY4RM8MNObmjwHf_G6CsLtHfSdR-fpWptXXgoCeyoeNDCm5s-YVpmZv3DbJOi8NmBbk5Xzc_bS4GQh_h-TvDzhnVQ2GtkFaBF-riHCQBDE6oOnF2DVoZP-lTxb2O/s1600/P1040906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p6A6gNv4uI_zgmDlQY4RM8MNObmjwHf_G6CsLtHfSdR-fpWptXXgoCeyoeNDCm5s-YVpmZv3DbJOi8NmBbk5Xzc_bS4GQh_h-TvDzhnVQ2GtkFaBF-riHCQBDE6oOnF2DVoZP-lTxb2O/s1600/P1040906.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHduRH_WbAhF1KRGM7IRmSto4sYlLqIPJET67m-S6v4VOJrK6-fOjkGsWn4j_e2g2FItRFzDQCVS5m1ef__08bXQBVSkjbdPBH2DTPfhyw04Lp_0R4f28BAjWJF-XXOiyGH8tA7ieHMBD/s1600/P1040907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHduRH_WbAhF1KRGM7IRmSto4sYlLqIPJET67m-S6v4VOJrK6-fOjkGsWn4j_e2g2FItRFzDQCVS5m1ef__08bXQBVSkjbdPBH2DTPfhyw04Lp_0R4f28BAjWJF-XXOiyGH8tA7ieHMBD/s1600/P1040907.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qhW1N_g343Ft4rM2DxNiSguSJuggPnc1aitgwda4dn-Vk4Trs8hRJjfi8CSDz7etM25iDIGtaqVTHEvsInxP1kPNv1P6p1YqcfEBEvmrRQ2RVbn9luJK5C2jAReJBhUejXWZLBG5ewe4/s1600/P1040909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qhW1N_g343Ft4rM2DxNiSguSJuggPnc1aitgwda4dn-Vk4Trs8hRJjfi8CSDz7etM25iDIGtaqVTHEvsInxP1kPNv1P6p1YqcfEBEvmrRQ2RVbn9luJK5C2jAReJBhUejXWZLBG5ewe4/s1600/P1040909.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVp3FZPooU8SKTBqRU_veYjE_JG2dDw4uCoGj-VLeZ4m5Ld42oVYcweH1Qk51dshTKVkoSnZGjQ8XkQ1BGI_AcM0DG6p1F8p4oDH6pdCirlyVl0B_-vnkDQGupGCrZVAyDBOMUvraQ8AtX/s1600/P1040917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVp3FZPooU8SKTBqRU_veYjE_JG2dDw4uCoGj-VLeZ4m5Ld42oVYcweH1Qk51dshTKVkoSnZGjQ8XkQ1BGI_AcM0DG6p1F8p4oDH6pdCirlyVl0B_-vnkDQGupGCrZVAyDBOMUvraQ8AtX/s1600/P1040917.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaktR2FQ8RhjuaaQsRyovVyu9Z7RRF7eTB_UTvte2b-pWD8Fq-QIVvv45MVsM5hy5-ZMdjtwO4O1NQRfBEAHjFdw-XFrnYSf2JIc0Qwi0bZy0CvAH1YLkU-TJ9nogpAM48EmNh9LY5u5oq/s1600/P1040921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaktR2FQ8RhjuaaQsRyovVyu9Z7RRF7eTB_UTvte2b-pWD8Fq-QIVvv45MVsM5hy5-ZMdjtwO4O1NQRfBEAHjFdw-XFrnYSf2JIc0Qwi0bZy0CvAH1YLkU-TJ9nogpAM48EmNh9LY5u5oq/s1600/P1040921.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2zF0pEOujnDkfCQU5NBC7t9ABC04KAVuThqa-LCWzpwlNIHkOx9gOSbx-l9BQp0h3e0s3g6wDCS4UdeFmKrbb5-suIHvAJJ_pMVVqs4BGh3u7ce7yp6kH5AeyVCuHTLKqBk9IXPxEeXH/s1600/P1040923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2zF0pEOujnDkfCQU5NBC7t9ABC04KAVuThqa-LCWzpwlNIHkOx9gOSbx-l9BQp0h3e0s3g6wDCS4UdeFmKrbb5-suIHvAJJ_pMVVqs4BGh3u7ce7yp6kH5AeyVCuHTLKqBk9IXPxEeXH/s1600/P1040923.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5F_pbnSOKjo_cds6Y6vWmEVnqU5xNYCN_8VwQcL9RvLbz6d44Lmi5W_bjO4Fn1waj6ltjQWisx88nHDHbc6H52g4mcC_c4fJxy93akV2Ss4lqdg5MWCbIZ9_WAsWk7jokIzkHzt2Dz-Jl/s1600/P1040925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5F_pbnSOKjo_cds6Y6vWmEVnqU5xNYCN_8VwQcL9RvLbz6d44Lmi5W_bjO4Fn1waj6ltjQWisx88nHDHbc6H52g4mcC_c4fJxy93akV2Ss4lqdg5MWCbIZ9_WAsWk7jokIzkHzt2Dz-Jl/s1600/P1040925.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5MMVDTFWDhbUK6k_dM0hI-CRmYbqECpFnIEtPEGoYN98BuQFmAzhmvkzcbNmBOLwSY-3HRYDXdUssuCCTv9_whPaSqJYzzj5YKPu6yLF_IDJtIQAt3X0thlYfI9znDkSZI_cVPN_Jc7w/s1600/P1040927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd5MMVDTFWDhbUK6k_dM0hI-CRmYbqECpFnIEtPEGoYN98BuQFmAzhmvkzcbNmBOLwSY-3HRYDXdUssuCCTv9_whPaSqJYzzj5YKPu6yLF_IDJtIQAt3X0thlYfI9znDkSZI_cVPN_Jc7w/s1600/P1040927.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedgqYKoxGeCe5u7iak5-ubTgiE2A5QmdlDC-Z-djHMFvDyWHysYZdXiW-LVFsCNUcc8Cp_vH66sRl-eye1I45ViGndukiCfJquAxrFN1UGzDXUZwxsiXgJlZxqa-RlhMkttK2cdRnDL37/s1600/P1040933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedgqYKoxGeCe5u7iak5-ubTgiE2A5QmdlDC-Z-djHMFvDyWHysYZdXiW-LVFsCNUcc8Cp_vH66sRl-eye1I45ViGndukiCfJquAxrFN1UGzDXUZwxsiXgJlZxqa-RlhMkttK2cdRnDL37/s1600/P1040933.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_e3y86BIM0433hHHRAHmK0DnAReyCWIiSyer_Xj2GKe3qy5OuDRysc3Je6bzC7P2xHo-Pl1UcTOkCeFLGB6K9EYC9bBf0NsrE6dzNuNxN0gZ4saT1ckIcLmMr6f-UmjFX_6iYH95MHxSc/s1600/P1040935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_e3y86BIM0433hHHRAHmK0DnAReyCWIiSyer_Xj2GKe3qy5OuDRysc3Je6bzC7P2xHo-Pl1UcTOkCeFLGB6K9EYC9bBf0NsrE6dzNuNxN0gZ4saT1ckIcLmMr6f-UmjFX_6iYH95MHxSc/s1600/P1040935.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkgJ2yB6mM9D4zopDAH7RtwHcBCLJeflp8jzSRVCnsAJ6x0R_oWuyv3CmAP4LIfNQK2yyvTzoVXop0DzEv_rlB1BiKe6wObBgaplDswMwTTCVtKEC5-ygsX6FgooMM_3ghEwSTtMaZArs/s1600/P1040936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkgJ2yB6mM9D4zopDAH7RtwHcBCLJeflp8jzSRVCnsAJ6x0R_oWuyv3CmAP4LIfNQK2yyvTzoVXop0DzEv_rlB1BiKe6wObBgaplDswMwTTCVtKEC5-ygsX6FgooMM_3ghEwSTtMaZArs/s1600/P1040936.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvGseiwE87i55q5L_fvrr6HU0_ybSrFXnw_432U9OT3Io51sXPIT_6FvucJYzEJyEjKkWOFUTE-mZPMF2WVkAcNpi5SUsgab6VPhQ5OB1QDg3n1MNnNZUT2YGXXsORwEWaQv7kBunkEqh/s1600/P1040938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvGseiwE87i55q5L_fvrr6HU0_ybSrFXnw_432U9OT3Io51sXPIT_6FvucJYzEJyEjKkWOFUTE-mZPMF2WVkAcNpi5SUsgab6VPhQ5OB1QDg3n1MNnNZUT2YGXXsORwEWaQv7kBunkEqh/s1600/P1040938.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb59wuopT5KhMQaxLpIHkDqegZCdItcKv72b0SdGb07aosMq7IeVgivIds4H03gtCxLJLtK8z8UfhC5Td6odwe4FxnZFGSi8aDGUvyLwQcNCYlEYF4SEBd8yXGEDZz0IU2nDwInP4DKzrn/s1600/P1040945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb59wuopT5KhMQaxLpIHkDqegZCdItcKv72b0SdGb07aosMq7IeVgivIds4H03gtCxLJLtK8z8UfhC5Td6odwe4FxnZFGSi8aDGUvyLwQcNCYlEYF4SEBd8yXGEDZz0IU2nDwInP4DKzrn/s1600/P1040945.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The treetops walk we missed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
All too soon, we left the gardens on the blue bus to the next stop where we transferred to the purple wine tour bus. Our first and best stop was at the famous Groot Constantia winery. This is the oldest winery In the area, and one of the most respected. The old buildings are in the Dutch style, large, and scattered over a spacious estate surrounded by vineyards. It was way too early in the day for either of us to undertake a wine tasting or even lunch there, but we enjoyed roaming the grounds. We stopped at a second vineyard, but it was small and less interesting, and still too early for wine.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABFSs17ebjoUas_QXc5yQ8uuSX77-cqsjX7I8lswAKQ40zG9hRNmUWy7kHe-X9mhqjGYw9lb8kx9C1yfZQddVF8h5uKvc_5XdiqrUhdr92_ocQnhs1VDANOkGQ-uL4V6fa8bWoqR_28My/s1600/P1040950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhABFSs17ebjoUas_QXc5yQ8uuSX77-cqsjX7I8lswAKQ40zG9hRNmUWy7kHe-X9mhqjGYw9lb8kx9C1yfZQddVF8h5uKvc_5XdiqrUhdr92_ocQnhs1VDANOkGQ-uL4V6fa8bWoqR_28My/s1600/P1040950.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR9p4CORs8D4Pj0vhny5KHqYyWyQ10znsYLdhImCk8nWOYkIHzw0x4Sw6bM52SPZHqL4BgMvy3_YBXELL-ySuoTfg9GeDCnF8772jlzW9Dm7QR0dCMGAn4Ev-qmvVwmY2t9h_E9drJ8QW/s1600/P1040951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR9p4CORs8D4Pj0vhny5KHqYyWyQ10znsYLdhImCk8nWOYkIHzw0x4Sw6bM52SPZHqL4BgMvy3_YBXELL-ySuoTfg9GeDCnF8772jlzW9Dm7QR0dCMGAn4Ev-qmvVwmY2t9h_E9drJ8QW/s1600/P1040951.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyd0oNuolgnbOqJSSEUGx1WC7BW10QlVRDHCykmov7jPeM2NesAukQUOwuNP7QPLQAFSMA4XrYyyUp8KBZLOXXJybvYE_1SNi2NiSa5-r48n37haXZk1fL__9hiZ86SYisfVw8RBfljO6u/s1600/P1040954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyd0oNuolgnbOqJSSEUGx1WC7BW10QlVRDHCykmov7jPeM2NesAukQUOwuNP7QPLQAFSMA4XrYyyUp8KBZLOXXJybvYE_1SNi2NiSa5-r48n37haXZk1fL__9hiZ86SYisfVw8RBfljO6u/s1600/P1040954.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifMOveZvM0d6A08HAti1TjZGOZx_zCD1yHiEM6wXSf9FpGfcqOpWa__Q1KUMmUAePxn9vc8TO8bd0DUPIESrjCn8t7AW3KzCNJRo7sy4Q1_ImpIR3s4syVGZBJcJM47nDK2yjG9lJlX0A/s1600/P1040960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifMOveZvM0d6A08HAti1TjZGOZx_zCD1yHiEM6wXSf9FpGfcqOpWa__Q1KUMmUAePxn9vc8TO8bd0DUPIESrjCn8t7AW3KzCNJRo7sy4Q1_ImpIR3s4syVGZBJcJM47nDK2yjG9lJlX0A/s1600/P1040960.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtDjfubizQBZN5kv96harC24WMG-MH2EMbrq5wHUxNv4LX4it856r0neguJ5_1-GEmyHSEbjiKJbAgnkAOV12u0ISBxSTFmmXzL-KYnAKiQnTdDUA6r7LEL2giDGJ1a_dwJALiwcULVwc/s1600/P1040962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtDjfubizQBZN5kv96harC24WMG-MH2EMbrq5wHUxNv4LX4it856r0neguJ5_1-GEmyHSEbjiKJbAgnkAOV12u0ISBxSTFmmXzL-KYnAKiQnTdDUA6r7LEL2giDGJ1a_dwJALiwcULVwc/s1600/P1040962.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgJYn3XHf_ZkFL4M7OVyQQxaWiqaHO9jEG8ATf7eBaHGvCugFyM-Xr4RPJFD66kk55q4IyDukER18Cnmtm0qG4FBPtHd6SI4Wf6s90YL50hsJQE1Y826DHEYBg5iFN09TAcMoZ0sjLwrg/s1600/P1040964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgJYn3XHf_ZkFL4M7OVyQQxaWiqaHO9jEG8ATf7eBaHGvCugFyM-Xr4RPJFD66kk55q4IyDukER18Cnmtm0qG4FBPtHd6SI4Wf6s90YL50hsJQE1Y826DHEYBg5iFN09TAcMoZ0sjLwrg/s1600/P1040964.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHzQ7kVhGQTmsMMZj_bc7eKbzMaRw8Q0YFzCygORXNtFBq8PCKIXqru3IkSYebSstaMqLYJD-Q-QIVpSDEoZHT16vICR8c236tdjNaQDC0M73roaMRzo725DgNLcJuooiedBN2RhgCF-t/s1600/P1040966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHzQ7kVhGQTmsMMZj_bc7eKbzMaRw8Q0YFzCygORXNtFBq8PCKIXqru3IkSYebSstaMqLYJD-Q-QIVpSDEoZHT16vICR8c236tdjNaQDC0M73roaMRzo725DgNLcJuooiedBN2RhgCF-t/s1600/P1040966.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
Back on the bus and on to the Waterfront, where we wandered around, located the Clock Tower, from which our tour of Robbens Island will leave on Thursday, and found several hotels John wanted to check out. Not very exciting, but it killed the afternoon. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ACbfGXzZaRWqU_SsbQRHvDMt5JIuY8uktRA0eZcPIlVk-CzZxRkprToVIVZT_CiZvXeSlYPVThaGHcFwJiQbM31dWA22fjjay73n1CqCnEr-tBkCfVoXUl5sCmpkYTYtdvzKp_JcHBkZ/s1600/P1040969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ACbfGXzZaRWqU_SsbQRHvDMt5JIuY8uktRA0eZcPIlVk-CzZxRkprToVIVZT_CiZvXeSlYPVThaGHcFwJiQbM31dWA22fjjay73n1CqCnEr-tBkCfVoXUl5sCmpkYTYtdvzKp_JcHBkZ/s1600/P1040969.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lighthouse on the Waterfront is an excellent landmark</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpBtU1awSUskoZPMSI0nZqkWcaU_-O13raWIKzIjVHo1xNe9KWPDe-xU8C5MgkUT-4BPQxR1SurzqYA_vCZX_cb9VR9zdJzZ8m1HhVPPcBtelNChTzAkbxqXR2eZspBsvE2Qm6lGb65nM/s1600/P1040972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpBtU1awSUskoZPMSI0nZqkWcaU_-O13raWIKzIjVHo1xNe9KWPDe-xU8C5MgkUT-4BPQxR1SurzqYA_vCZX_cb9VR9zdJzZ8m1HhVPPcBtelNChTzAkbxqXR2eZspBsvE2Qm6lGb65nM/s1600/P1040972.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cape Town Aquarium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVo3LItkqHfTqFnMC911y9_gT_cFouzDR6ZtnSqgVuLczMBCRF68yNg45bMugXpBA4hLp2FJIj0sI_CsesRBwCry1AwOPwoTr377P2xd7MsR313ZaT58Aja9km2K-5EYUgnnDXrKv8ZY7/s1600/P1040974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVo3LItkqHfTqFnMC911y9_gT_cFouzDR6ZtnSqgVuLczMBCRF68yNg45bMugXpBA4hLp2FJIj0sI_CsesRBwCry1AwOPwoTr377P2xd7MsR313ZaT58Aja9km2K-5EYUgnnDXrKv8ZY7/s1600/P1040974.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the buses we spent so much time on in Cape Town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-88287459727616092522014-12-23T15:56:00.001-08:002014-12-23T16:15:05.001-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 27, 2014, Monday.</i></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
We fell asleep early last night, reveling in the elbow room of our king size bed and the quiet of being off the train. Bliss! Therefore, we were also up early this morning. Excellent breakfast buffet is included here. We don't eat more than cereal, but the add-ins were amazing--walnuts, pumpkin seeds, chia, and flax seeds all went into my bowl, and that was a drop in the bucket of choices.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-RDdpMGSLN28da78dgEZiwUyb8BTvBbTc_JHeqUGfYjGXKE-_PncYiRWLy7WTySUZDoJL98FlnxHNsK5D6g-A3FsoQr20Fc-J0yZbd4y8zZ7yuRT6WO7xr1LVUBkohM1ed5gZiWcFWMq/s1600/P1040976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-RDdpMGSLN28da78dgEZiwUyb8BTvBbTc_JHeqUGfYjGXKE-_PncYiRWLy7WTySUZDoJL98FlnxHNsK5D6g-A3FsoQr20Fc-J0yZbd4y8zZ7yuRT6WO7xr1LVUBkohM1ed5gZiWcFWMq/s1600/P1040976.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38w0qrzGTBon1P5tOHzpErtiFG9a4gt6n5opoLErmdF1DiBOZn_5gOS7jQA5HwiifrW7Q_JOm4T8ZyAVAV0nIEsFRhyphenhyphenN49xC7IvwdwnhSQZb2fM7qjrCHP71crFH5GBKOOq1LeJeN65xS/s1600/P1050046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg38w0qrzGTBon1P5tOHzpErtiFG9a4gt6n5opoLErmdF1DiBOZn_5gOS7jQA5HwiifrW7Q_JOm4T8ZyAVAV0nIEsFRhyphenhyphenN49xC7IvwdwnhSQZb2fM7qjrCHP71crFH5GBKOOq1LeJeN65xS/s1600/P1050046.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1xAYKvVPuk8KlaIhJg-G8oTTfcLRoXrxp7uh3LB4A6a6x6Hdf2ns5g8bhogvwbhOpXxVfnRVDLi-dFRYVWbMlJ1jr7wzCJijdND4apl2YAFJqTMmzomFt82g3lbMfzPVIQcAd-L0NZFC/s1600/P1050047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1xAYKvVPuk8KlaIhJg-G8oTTfcLRoXrxp7uh3LB4A6a6x6Hdf2ns5g8bhogvwbhOpXxVfnRVDLi-dFRYVWbMlJ1jr7wzCJijdND4apl2YAFJqTMmzomFt82g3lbMfzPVIQcAd-L0NZFC/s1600/P1050047.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
Soon we were off to see the sights of Cape Town. We took advantage of the hotel's free car service to Table Mountain<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> </span>because <span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">i</span>t was a nice day<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">,</span> and we had been told to do the mountain at our very first opportunity because it is often <span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">closed</span> due to high winds or the arrival of "the tablecloth," a heavy cloud that frequently covers the top of the mountain. We were fairly early so the lines for the cable car to the top were short and moving quickly. In no time we were at the top. Our trip up was easy, but below our cable car we could see hikers on their way to the top. I can't even imagine doing that!</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px; min-height: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
I had assumed we would look around, snap a few pictures, and head right back down, but the park up there is extensive and dramatically beautiful. We spent well over an hour wandering around the plateau, truly enchanted by everything we saw, from views of the city and its beaches and suburbs to sharp drop offs, from the neighboring crags and mountains to the ever-growing number of happy visitors from all over the world. Of course, we also ran into some of our train friends, and in the end, we joined Joan, Cy and Linda for the rest of the day. We bought two-day tickets for the local Hop On, Hop Off buses and got busy riding all of them, starting with the red bus as far as the waterfront. We disembarked there near Joan's hotel, the Victoria and Alfred. Soon we found ourselves at the Food Market where each of us could wander around and find something entirely different and perfect for lunch, then meet up at an outdoor picnic table. John and I were thrilled to find a raw vegan restaurant! Zucchini pasta and a zucchini based curried salad both looked so good that we bought one of each and split them. We were happy to show our friends what real vegan food looks like, and they were surprised and impressed. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVFHNdfhe5LM-htvAEJARW7Oi_X5fKhcK-vRJvyTOUztyL929qPmCvcX9bxAE-052oK09CCpyQOltZhp6_T4-dEcQg6WR6qI9HkP6hhngetrAggeWH3c_3fGk4Z7dQMGl1xoKjjvYzLJG/s1600/P1040670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAVFHNdfhe5LM-htvAEJARW7Oi_X5fKhcK-vRJvyTOUztyL929qPmCvcX9bxAE-052oK09CCpyQOltZhp6_T4-dEcQg6WR6qI9HkP6hhngetrAggeWH3c_3fGk4Z7dQMGl1xoKjjvYzLJG/s1600/P1040670.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SzoLEans4OH5DxAxWWOUtQUa-2y-R8eE_cDlMIvRRgzTzHqwgna7JydfgwlcKElrS6y3BGlJLFHQXxV6Sk8KDKvS9HSV99HXL4VPKOydHYVSeBW5LV2g7GEvBgkjEBLrklaEQCxVXgsr/s1600/P1040674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SzoLEans4OH5DxAxWWOUtQUa-2y-R8eE_cDlMIvRRgzTzHqwgna7JydfgwlcKElrS6y3BGlJLFHQXxV6Sk8KDKvS9HSV99HXL4VPKOydHYVSeBW5LV2g7GEvBgkjEBLrklaEQCxVXgsr/s1600/P1040674.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83HsUrD9xeJqNjI2isORegk2DB98OUvwXu9Lpu_uF88zYwPwrvgCOBI9P1A2I7U-zJLK6B8dlLqSEam8HlG-Li-kxvKGo0xTtJNbkH5ChbA7eFFFwV7ClMjxbD5KIAagl-PuBUGNy4zle/s1600/P1040676+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83HsUrD9xeJqNjI2isORegk2DB98OUvwXu9Lpu_uF88zYwPwrvgCOBI9P1A2I7U-zJLK6B8dlLqSEam8HlG-Li-kxvKGo0xTtJNbkH5ChbA7eFFFwV7ClMjxbD5KIAagl-PuBUGNy4zle/s1600/P1040676+copy.jpg" height="320" width="271" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See those tiny people on the mountainside? They are HIKING up to the top!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuNDBuCg8bto626oKpUm7E2H1QXumMSR6CAL9HkbKXcw4Hqa6cGvdAyzhfVy-ieDGDC9AjPwJw8WTKqgwxst5Hue8Hs6zGml48yEa-w1w-B9T0RyUXqoZ4xANkrV_3U3CmQ-WcaInwLqm/s1600/P1040678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOuNDBuCg8bto626oKpUm7E2H1QXumMSR6CAL9HkbKXcw4Hqa6cGvdAyzhfVy-ieDGDC9AjPwJw8WTKqgwxst5Hue8Hs6zGml48yEa-w1w-B9T0RyUXqoZ4xANkrV_3U3CmQ-WcaInwLqm/s1600/P1040678.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt8a7kRidbtiP2T3CWVqOEVHUhn_ZnVR0Hl1THkIXvkGqHJpGowhLGPgtt7fqw9w0K_1qjpk0NFdfOBSyeE6bUKiQc3Dr-Y1uKatRjfgk5GxWLckFIa5aJcdVaV-nFqgDtyeaO_bmCb8N/s1600/P1040682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt8a7kRidbtiP2T3CWVqOEVHUhn_ZnVR0Hl1THkIXvkGqHJpGowhLGPgtt7fqw9w0K_1qjpk0NFdfOBSyeE6bUKiQc3Dr-Y1uKatRjfgk5GxWLckFIa5aJcdVaV-nFqgDtyeaO_bmCb8N/s1600/P1040682.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb4SLZUgkLcWMoudDGHasV6wQbmxOvL9iqIBljI6bFQNNjHDJHnSQ7Vn1ckd77A34UObPXj-eIZ88BqeOmF_qAcaCWstJFhJf-qQ2mAeASaWOuRZZPJyZqMr2OmrvvYKu5Zxg-kXP-fJI/s1600/P1040685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb4SLZUgkLcWMoudDGHasV6wQbmxOvL9iqIBljI6bFQNNjHDJHnSQ7Vn1ckd77A34UObPXj-eIZ88BqeOmF_qAcaCWstJFhJf-qQ2mAeASaWOuRZZPJyZqMr2OmrvvYKu5Zxg-kXP-fJI/s1600/P1040685.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3Tafe4Nda1TCKTeZDzennFAelycb6Qaano1Vs-hjdz-oqO8-GwznXViGX1Ly5fylfr2n9w0eKoOyaYN3Bt4V_S5NFiD1iE9JR-E2c7Q4fAh4vKivGXIrrBFJ4alJJXo5QLjgYjq76THe/s1600/P1040691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3Tafe4Nda1TCKTeZDzennFAelycb6Qaano1Vs-hjdz-oqO8-GwznXViGX1Ly5fylfr2n9w0eKoOyaYN3Bt4V_S5NFiD1iE9JR-E2c7Q4fAh4vKivGXIrrBFJ4alJJXo5QLjgYjq76THe/s1600/P1040691.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94j7Y25YmJarGgihB_-EO0xr2YKwjpqc96WxpEhsaywasNiD-e1CgLRWjcP9pY8YE_hQSOEGiDyM_Zce2oJp5K2mjvRQgU5bFrjeEtyqHRelzMUVNUkqwHWi6vPh-p3iAyEuFcm6b__kr/s1600/P1040696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94j7Y25YmJarGgihB_-EO0xr2YKwjpqc96WxpEhsaywasNiD-e1CgLRWjcP9pY8YE_hQSOEGiDyM_Zce2oJp5K2mjvRQgU5bFrjeEtyqHRelzMUVNUkqwHWi6vPh-p3iAyEuFcm6b__kr/s1600/P1040696.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQFSPTIJouzWiduuBE9bC82669Dz_wEd1GM9ly1GeMAYy5K9iowrFv9Oi5CE38UQziVpVg_-SOTOKkjErP17vjjb_D6kLikpkNieUEUX06DrrluMFMEuZX8cR5IKy30bEBzcPtSxajXtP/s1600/P1040697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJQFSPTIJouzWiduuBE9bC82669Dz_wEd1GM9ly1GeMAYy5K9iowrFv9Oi5CE38UQziVpVg_-SOTOKkjErP17vjjb_D6kLikpkNieUEUX06DrrluMFMEuZX8cR5IKy30bEBzcPtSxajXtP/s1600/P1040697.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiZvYsUkX9LckderX9VGiIKb8elcnaiYl5U8Ykz713P-CMtGbDHKQqM7SyJ7neGKH6SjvZJk-kcTkEd3LuXL5OVbvJXfHO7t08bv7ISucqzx1uDVG29WSDA34Wx5ctY7pjgLgxwxG2OVP/s1600/P1040695+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiZvYsUkX9LckderX9VGiIKb8elcnaiYl5U8Ykz713P-CMtGbDHKQqM7SyJ7neGKH6SjvZJk-kcTkEd3LuXL5OVbvJXfHO7t08bv7ISucqzx1uDVG29WSDA34Wx5ctY7pjgLgxwxG2OVP/s1600/P1040695+copy.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyft7XbjPxyZZq17m6wQYv0Y-ozbXCeZpZmCSmUZZPbYLad75ooIuM_wPifzjtqaFpDYwlX1qssuF9reuxnYn5LvEcUGwkvzCDm7NeDpr245xQabHWJFGMwfHcXpOUd60CUlaP_0d5mnE9/s1600/P1040699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyft7XbjPxyZZq17m6wQYv0Y-ozbXCeZpZmCSmUZZPbYLad75ooIuM_wPifzjtqaFpDYwlX1qssuF9reuxnYn5LvEcUGwkvzCDm7NeDpr245xQabHWJFGMwfHcXpOUd60CUlaP_0d5mnE9/s1600/P1040699.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This <span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">exuberant group from India loved having their picture taken.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsvlmvdVUHNvLXxaoSX3tNkrEc2ukZAMvutScU-MFVhAviC-sU0Ka2F5SagF0kD_pFid7g3PcW8sHe7kbrNkqOwE4zsJdo_d4eeTbuoylN9A9Mh40DD2IANUFvX06ZU1YIIwyoUWP235z/s1600/P1040700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsvlmvdVUHNvLXxaoSX3tNkrEc2ukZAMvutScU-MFVhAviC-sU0Ka2F5SagF0kD_pFid7g3PcW8sHe7kbrNkqOwE4zsJdo_d4eeTbuoylN9A9Mh40DD2IANUFvX06ZU1YIIwyoUWP235z/s1600/P1040700.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhy-WX67D6t9gvyAQCPq0X6fTlejXfBUtuCGTpyyzD0u1Oq62gd4Fxlmljvz1W4wSDUqYP4cPnpRVp4wZ4Bjlfev6Cx9xu2towfA1rHW2H5Bun7uOerp-RDxWB9RsUBooiL1CmmvmOSwY_/s1600/P1040703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhy-WX67D6t9gvyAQCPq0X6fTlejXfBUtuCGTpyyzD0u1Oq62gd4Fxlmljvz1W4wSDUqYP4cPnpRVp4wZ4Bjlfev6Cx9xu2towfA1rHW2H5Bun7uOerp-RDxWB9RsUBooiL1CmmvmOSwY_/s1600/P1040703.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGkxk6SW7JOycCSUObQSxQArenoiVB4HUO5FJ8tHTMRMNepoisjgJGE5WTwrQur3SG_rsctZLxBl9XHjSrwD8ye_tbMKmzx-3sxh1DloClL7ePrk4E4hIkbEsm54GVCDtG-lF8892ivJ7/s1600/P1040704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGkxk6SW7JOycCSUObQSxQArenoiVB4HUO5FJ8tHTMRMNepoisjgJGE5WTwrQur3SG_rsctZLxBl9XHjSrwD8ye_tbMKmzx-3sxh1DloClL7ePrk4E4hIkbEsm54GVCDtG-lF8892ivJ7/s1600/P1040704.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDySCp0xnuBFmj8OZQNcLsdG4_mgZ6AkCqR34QeW6doK-KUUnOc8l4R-mMiQIE4c4BAVPDTwIM4bzFaVE36EquLYcwJyTUfJuTFewhf86G0zZv5jBFdwSoPrHdKf31WuKjd9gGJGaO1Xu/s1600/P1040705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDySCp0xnuBFmj8OZQNcLsdG4_mgZ6AkCqR34QeW6doK-KUUnOc8l4R-mMiQIE4c4BAVPDTwIM4bzFaVE36EquLYcwJyTUfJuTFewhf86G0zZv5jBFdwSoPrHdKf31WuKjd9gGJGaO1Xu/s1600/P1040705.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsBIk_JWWarfNOHm04mwiFBGDTkap9HDyb4LZyoZubL26vz8Wqx19n-zye_YzAFgCuC5tfBqGVezG0g8QqgTEOArnnxW-WpYfhllKjaDrhpS5cpVOV_oblGHdhzG04MfTkB0DEWn0nBCX/s1600/P1040714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsBIk_JWWarfNOHm04mwiFBGDTkap9HDyb4LZyoZubL26vz8Wqx19n-zye_YzAFgCuC5tfBqGVezG0g8QqgTEOArnnxW-WpYfhllKjaDrhpS5cpVOV_oblGHdhzG04MfTkB0DEWn0nBCX/s1600/P1040714.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdCn2_mqDHgWJACAsXf8eG1JOIqfvGjWai8FA1C76r9R5gE2OF-QgJIjrn4S3DihVvYWUyLQTbq48EcjDerzsuIGXpNAMiXWgbQtqb-n8zK3eD4g9c7orMzSaaoq0X1tbASzBTs-q5bjG/s1600/P1040718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdCn2_mqDHgWJACAsXf8eG1JOIqfvGjWai8FA1C76r9R5gE2OF-QgJIjrn4S3DihVvYWUyLQTbq48EcjDerzsuIGXpNAMiXWgbQtqb-n8zK3eD4g9c7orMzSaaoq0X1tbASzBTs-q5bjG/s1600/P1040718.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDy0IMpLrpaCVqpFEwWBU2m732ix3Uxvl9fHYlsB3LjGObN8oC4DirAYbxZR-Uc0VBZopWgiFXC_7pJaZqfZSpLgVVlTloLZgIuwBDUhAf-E8kl2-UiEE9c1C81Aht67ImOlldH3IofsU/s1600/P1040723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDy0IMpLrpaCVqpFEwWBU2m732ix3Uxvl9fHYlsB3LjGObN8oC4DirAYbxZR-Uc0VBZopWgiFXC_7pJaZqfZSpLgVVlTloLZgIuwBDUhAf-E8kl2-UiEE9c1C81Aht67ImOlldH3IofsU/s1600/P1040723.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGf0sSNtoFkyP1-zBvFqJPtPm3lWufKYCbAjIM6jo2OpBVVeVookYPJhhRqJD6gfUnQltgnMItBKvtpGns-TOoAkMQ0edKAZJHJax4M4Ay8lkRAifZAyAfyGpdbA2kmmddAVVVJeTBKhRt/s1600/P1040737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGf0sSNtoFkyP1-zBvFqJPtPm3lWufKYCbAjIM6jo2OpBVVeVookYPJhhRqJD6gfUnQltgnMItBKvtpGns-TOoAkMQ0edKAZJHJax4M4Ay8lkRAifZAyAfyGpdbA2kmmddAVVVJeTBKhRt/s1600/P1040737.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWBC-BfpegmxqC8Rabohd9ioh7kBn56eRXndHmlJ-KhxZ1Izgkyrf1Lqzd8SBXVVLZbPQy_P4BE-pLw7OmvsvV-Wzcg05roJjvQBmsb1NHDhIw7yQLPWH_Lwqw48oASNFS4zJf-KTV1PT/s1600/P1040758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWBC-BfpegmxqC8Rabohd9ioh7kBn56eRXndHmlJ-KhxZ1Izgkyrf1Lqzd8SBXVVLZbPQy_P4BE-pLw7OmvsvV-Wzcg05roJjvQBmsb1NHDhIw7yQLPWH_Lwqw48oASNFS4zJf-KTV1PT/s1600/P1040758.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLPV0H0NfPoFIw2vWRGw36tehpIDEsn8k4SNy5T6w4GELT4Oci51js-XonPbzGcWiSknZnitEfcHwiCUIaA7fEusQLkEZ4p45PUwA7u2tM8RJBJOPQmY-1rW418N6r90FTdd-4Cqfztwj/s1600/P1040765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLPV0H0NfPoFIw2vWRGw36tehpIDEsn8k4SNy5T6w4GELT4Oci51js-XonPbzGcWiSknZnitEfcHwiCUIaA7fEusQLkEZ4p45PUwA7u2tM8RJBJOPQmY-1rW418N6r90FTdd-4Cqfztwj/s1600/P1040765.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwbRAyCwCax02amNQQU7SDfrj7OR_YpZH4W7ovePaUrXAqObF0D_SloW2ho76Dt-t_eiy4UJS6q4xKdXcfjSv5QPGU81h6zP6qxa0N2PhqEATvk4ikETXkwTjrbIypUCSLNzzp-m4LBzE/s1600/P1040771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwbRAyCwCax02amNQQU7SDfrj7OR_YpZH4W7ovePaUrXAqObF0D_SloW2ho76Dt-t_eiy4UJS6q4xKdXcfjSv5QPGU81h6zP6qxa0N2PhqEATvk4ikETXkwTjrbIypUCSLNzzp-m4LBzE/s1600/P1040771.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">
This Indian family adopted John as their favorite photographer. They were SO warm and funny, and they told us how much they loved President Obama.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-U7VWS0XrEQlKqUQRIn_9s1kPW4APTqL58sQWem3o7_D24pntgy9Ai4hWEovive1Vb3P-iM9QvhB2zwnX557BytC5I9G7CD8CAwP6oJvvuXdLFeYd85qIE75efrjV80egS5y5eVLcJ7Bk/s1600/P1040776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-U7VWS0XrEQlKqUQRIn_9s1kPW4APTqL58sQWem3o7_D24pntgy9Ai4hWEovive1Vb3P-iM9QvhB2zwnX557BytC5I9G7CD8CAwP6oJvvuXdLFeYd85qIE75efrjV80egS5y5eVLcJ7Bk/s1600/P1040776.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
In many ways, Cape Town is all about beaches. at least on the Red Bus!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20TO0-EzFoPtyF7hT0rAx740rtQGEltXe7D49eMFNi9s6i5K0bZ5WtvqjDSqxhcVWSVoMR781YFMWvmxzqGpPF_XYbN10Vdv1QLEVztr2qRKd_0A8PSIv3V-aAAP_S0F0IM29mBQcKI7D/s1600/P1040780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20TO0-EzFoPtyF7hT0rAx740rtQGEltXe7D49eMFNi9s6i5K0bZ5WtvqjDSqxhcVWSVoMR781YFMWvmxzqGpPF_XYbN10Vdv1QLEVztr2qRKd_0A8PSIv3V-aAAP_S0F0IM29mBQcKI7D/s1600/P1040780.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHR_-CXEPX4Gz8-OdiGHB_9jH0zAmxI6Riv4G2EDCMjIUDtrPm5El0b137t66z0Lkwg29v2TRwOSRZm7-EaidYOKnz1-e3BxDz9wOarIlY1N05WPIA-yWSWXzZmBa5ahQZct63CDUGG7y/s1600/P1040781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHR_-CXEPX4Gz8-OdiGHB_9jH0zAmxI6Riv4G2EDCMjIUDtrPm5El0b137t66z0Lkwg29v2TRwOSRZm7-EaidYOKnz1-e3BxDz9wOarIlY1N05WPIA-yWSWXzZmBa5ahQZct63CDUGG7y/s1600/P1040781.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwovHxqVMNKyEqBmburgFQTSKrhcMfGlwYsde9Cu8liLCg_S30U7zTaIfjmX9sY61xEhE4pHmQN0vT8ei9crBJxpkJZ9KyqtIb7VDPouVEMIvgqvfqlkfRFfClmTwvxxY1sBr3Wv2gy1_D/s1600/P1040785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwovHxqVMNKyEqBmburgFQTSKrhcMfGlwYsde9Cu8liLCg_S30U7zTaIfjmX9sY61xEhE4pHmQN0vT8ei9crBJxpkJZ9KyqtIb7VDPouVEMIvgqvfqlkfRFfClmTwvxxY1sBr3Wv2gy1_D/s1600/P1040785.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-TpOTqwNFcPt9AUVcg7qVCA38cgfFkhVrUxnkHU9yNmlHQ-yU1cOK_y2nlacGrVETyYL8UE_lwRL_eodOLiiNvtue7QBwAQ7YJMkfs3E4n4rvtx37N7FiZM7S-_Z1OJRpJwqEcWDJwO3/s1600/P1040786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-TpOTqwNFcPt9AUVcg7qVCA38cgfFkhVrUxnkHU9yNmlHQ-yU1cOK_y2nlacGrVETyYL8UE_lwRL_eodOLiiNvtue7QBwAQ7YJMkfs3E4n4rvtx37N7FiZM7S-_Z1OJRpJwqEcWDJwO3/s1600/P1040786.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDXPOs7ycqaSk6-TiB4rgWSE7aQ3nciW2gic7k6sn26g0gHCMqc55fhGwl2GOjs4_jv3yzBSOFFkeCCoxZ6byxtelGZd6s2j_p5ZUafV_3E4nqRSJ0exva9T4s4WmCVOezN1sGwQe_lJR/s1600/P1040793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDXPOs7ycqaSk6-TiB4rgWSE7aQ3nciW2gic7k6sn26g0gHCMqc55fhGwl2GOjs4_jv3yzBSOFFkeCCoxZ6byxtelGZd6s2j_p5ZUafV_3E4nqRSJ0exva9T4s4WmCVOezN1sGwQe_lJR/s1600/P1040793.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Qg9uQXi5A_zg6Xoh6hUlP5oNWrvQe_kDAzEgPwXthU4sf-BpFZjjeyJRlxaRyrwxsehDFNnVZrCd_in5UK4hLQD5boMI7g3JclaPlthps9H5rtZcvgJ1fbjNYdMFK_Zgs86oCYUSutOD/s1600/P1040795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Qg9uQXi5A_zg6Xoh6hUlP5oNWrvQe_kDAzEgPwXthU4sf-BpFZjjeyJRlxaRyrwxsehDFNnVZrCd_in5UK4hLQD5boMI7g3JclaPlthps9H5rtZcvgJ1fbjNYdMFK_Zgs86oCYUSutOD/s1600/P1040795.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: center;">
The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and hotel is a famous and popular gathering spot for locals and tourists alike.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITQ1GSPSdjlfNSEao3hXvGp8jlLm2lNsCKaWecQLGRwAyMFrToo-hsCDKImHsTEIT3XclQAS20XRZmLMZiK-XB3riluQzby5DmH5_k390iEUdO9LIA61KWa1AadT2ApR1KOBb8XqnwgdE/s1600/P1040796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiITQ1GSPSdjlfNSEao3hXvGp8jlLm2lNsCKaWecQLGRwAyMFrToo-hsCDKImHsTEIT3XclQAS20XRZmLMZiK-XB3riluQzby5DmH5_k390iEUdO9LIA61KWa1AadT2ApR1KOBb8XqnwgdE/s1600/P1040796.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt5xse_MVFB3bmksJlS_S2uR9keQqnr2OTDWGuI5ShbHhv9Q9FSITLA_GXg5n6SOFqe89fT7wFnE8OjfJ7M60FSe-iV3p-ewVGSHwdREbeE52zjfrdNTE3m7nM0TKBW5mlr3Ea_FMNPzx/s1600/P1040797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt5xse_MVFB3bmksJlS_S2uR9keQqnr2OTDWGuI5ShbHhv9Q9FSITLA_GXg5n6SOFqe89fT7wFnE8OjfJ7M60FSe-iV3p-ewVGSHwdREbeE52zjfrdNTE3m7nM0TKBW5mlr3Ea_FMNPzx/s1600/P1040797.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After lunch we <span style="font-size: 9px;">took the canal boat tour included in our ticket, and then rode</span> the yellow bus around the downtown area <span style="font-size: 9px;">until we</span> changed to the blue route for a long loop around the outer perimeter. </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_URpNAhlRP3pLtiwA2lxG9vq3Di6mahBz1kuMCAf6WD3s_JgDNAfoVWiOLktIq9xgOuP56u0OR7abtSVUpYwyQS2z6ha6tNFWqVX5ZJuVNjWcVhO1NnL675r50B1aQ92GFH75A1NAEVE/s1600/P1040805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_URpNAhlRP3pLtiwA2lxG9vq3Di6mahBz1kuMCAf6WD3s_JgDNAfoVWiOLktIq9xgOuP56u0OR7abtSVUpYwyQS2z6ha6tNFWqVX5ZJuVNjWcVhO1NnL675r50B1aQ92GFH75A1NAEVE/s1600/P1040805.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKP6EYaNsaCSaBQCAJeCkVW6IoFYRjf8ev7tzL_qS-xOqJ-KaPYJBWmhV0PXnM9Q_rkfrDwlHJfMtg0kWeOr8PPX_NTy90KVXbQV05ATv5l60BfubxgnrARhpY4ZGJlKgpD6lov2UOu-n2/s1600/P1040806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKP6EYaNsaCSaBQCAJeCkVW6IoFYRjf8ev7tzL_qS-xOqJ-KaPYJBWmhV0PXnM9Q_rkfrDwlHJfMtg0kWeOr8PPX_NTy90KVXbQV05ATv5l60BfubxgnrARhpY4ZGJlKgpD6lov2UOu-n2/s1600/P1040806.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTU9B39HVUmfZa6onOCmjI9e-us-FooW6UHAOboXs3ZSsh7ZMSus66kkSJ5BVPuXBvdY5-rJ2Denrehlk4YWvcyzQhk3wAis5gNRcVokNRkqlljplSwithHhm2VltvoO70PJ4Q445J0OXa/s1600/P1040812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTU9B39HVUmfZa6onOCmjI9e-us-FooW6UHAOboXs3ZSsh7ZMSus66kkSJ5BVPuXBvdY5-rJ2Denrehlk4YWvcyzQhk3wAis5gNRcVokNRkqlljplSwithHhm2VltvoO70PJ4Q445J0OXa/s1600/P1040812.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIDklp7XDjXGolO1fzAouG1PeYlaZnVjvHf4Pq2ifNPpSbstbp-1TPXh1yF7B7H9XX3_TfEHw4n3_ilXzoLNjNkeu8BkCIHE1Zw6oOm9bks_sIIYJjEoh-X86jEtDhyZzuCGHbJlIS41J/s1600/P1040814+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIDklp7XDjXGolO1fzAouG1PeYlaZnVjvHf4Pq2ifNPpSbstbp-1TPXh1yF7B7H9XX3_TfEHw4n3_ilXzoLNjNkeu8BkCIHE1Zw6oOm9bks_sIIYJjEoh-X86jEtDhyZzuCGHbJlIS41J/s1600/P1040814+copy.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoc_HVy6FpmNGUT8AIiU2v1AI7VAx1iUrzD99_wZnSMZygFUUDGTBJnMLydV1ZMLhD4Idz3ej4xeUWap4JfMiLDqp4M8AIKDSAmRsVS5PkhU2JRuvdhWfiFR8UzDPSHz4yYmzJOUEu7Nf/s1600/P1040814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoc_HVy6FpmNGUT8AIiU2v1AI7VAx1iUrzD99_wZnSMZygFUUDGTBJnMLydV1ZMLhD4Idz3ej4xeUWap4JfMiLDqp4M8AIKDSAmRsVS5PkhU2JRuvdhWfiFR8UzDPSHz4yYmzJOUEu7Nf/s1600/P1040814.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZWwQeB9bEd4GYiivMFItKri0tUdnBtyihIbfSPxR7L7C_KtdMAD5K7fpy1uH36_NhfhkM1uwqv2z5LGqQSsky3wJHHuwYrNFIL0w2wFbIcDagjbgMYGJMKKWyqPY3UXG-xsibcW3fJjz/s1600/P1040816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZWwQeB9bEd4GYiivMFItKri0tUdnBtyihIbfSPxR7L7C_KtdMAD5K7fpy1uH36_NhfhkM1uwqv2z5LGqQSsky3wJHHuwYrNFIL0w2wFbIcDagjbgMYGJMKKWyqPY3UXG-xsibcW3fJjz/s1600/P1040816.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGQ7cmuU0dy6EfWdAmwwEz3x0PReY5K6OnPlRZc-TmBMFTCaePsJrUtMMbKrWXq2NulpfwCZ5QAnZBodx0Ic339h1DZKcWR2__-nlR1FjAq25DNZhbJ-hR9jsxv_rfhWrSxWEp_UhpL4d/s1600/P1040819+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGQ7cmuU0dy6EfWdAmwwEz3x0PReY5K6OnPlRZc-TmBMFTCaePsJrUtMMbKrWXq2NulpfwCZ5QAnZBodx0Ic339h1DZKcWR2__-nlR1FjAq25DNZhbJ-hR9jsxv_rfhWrSxWEp_UhpL4d/s1600/P1040819+copy.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYih_J3WZG4TTbivFyc1TdLHH3yuktF-xLrsuh0ZcVt0Om2zvWgyA7LuIWuSQN25T0xyi8fexNsbI1WP4iytSkCR5bGFbzCl99gh2teGFuYBDTNNRZHbJnIa-a0bkZ-3f8D_B1KN8_aHm/s1600/P1040820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYih_J3WZG4TTbivFyc1TdLHH3yuktF-xLrsuh0ZcVt0Om2zvWgyA7LuIWuSQN25T0xyi8fexNsbI1WP4iytSkCR5bGFbzCl99gh2teGFuYBDTNNRZHbJnIa-a0bkZ-3f8D_B1KN8_aHm/s1600/P1040820.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFskKtMZH6MN2voamo9grtKkYBLehMypiygktPZrQMEPA3lgV0QJ7jJKtSLvqZhB83w4xxHj124DAeK0ldRYW-ybi23HHGfDuu6XVrntcd8d49COykAO46QtitsfAlr2ZGfhyMGZjanTC/s1600/P1040824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvFskKtMZH6MN2voamo9grtKkYBLehMypiygktPZrQMEPA3lgV0QJ7jJKtSLvqZhB83w4xxHj124DAeK0ldRYW-ybi23HHGfDuu6XVrntcd8d49COykAO46QtitsfAlr2ZGfhyMGZjanTC/s1600/P1040824.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQGKxJaNsY_q2e-SOnyu_2sUJ40-_37Bf6ZMQX46EF-eeGUKIpkFrfRRadkFc2GsYvQBytWhV6HzlkFtSSA3iesPWgBhKdVQsRR_9cw4DF_S6QjmNV-lPUIi8Kup68O5JVmBSj-lJTif4/s1600/P1040837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQGKxJaNsY_q2e-SOnyu_2sUJ40-_37Bf6ZMQX46EF-eeGUKIpkFrfRRadkFc2GsYvQBytWhV6HzlkFtSSA3iesPWgBhKdVQsRR_9cw4DF_S6QjmNV-lPUIi8Kup68O5JVmBSj-lJTif4/s1600/P1040837.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">
Cape Town's District Six was razed by the Apartheid regime and then abandoned to become this huge open field. After Democracy, there have been pledges to rebuild, but meanwhile. the shanty town below is typical of where displaced former residents now live.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAaNWyhBgwqFZngOC7bD1e2gArdYeZznHQuUxpH9TSu08-yukuxs2cTG3cRdNd14VsC2tpjmbn4gYaVMumKCfRzK1IEr6K9U3qjkDnId7SsWzHyzo78sQN_1avpcGhU_aCWdn4C7dV8Qv/s1600/P1040870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAaNWyhBgwqFZngOC7bD1e2gArdYeZznHQuUxpH9TSu08-yukuxs2cTG3cRdNd14VsC2tpjmbn4gYaVMumKCfRzK1IEr6K9U3qjkDnId7SsWzHyzo78sQN_1avpcGhU_aCWdn4C7dV8Qv/s1600/P1040870.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eJ1A9hIavkNRYja0jxAPEi2ucebQ3z5QMR2Jy7RslymkWKzcuqq00Nk6x52f1yPNRtpvQD5Sb6JfEPqeHxdvN8eEDeNhyGexu75Kctc-WdlI694KPWQErmapXXG7Ln-WGXXgIXH9OGPB/s1600/P1040843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eJ1A9hIavkNRYja0jxAPEi2ucebQ3z5QMR2Jy7RslymkWKzcuqq00Nk6x52f1yPNRtpvQD5Sb6JfEPqeHxdvN8eEDeNhyGexu75Kctc-WdlI694KPWQErmapXXG7Ln-WGXXgIXH9OGPB/s1600/P1040843.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">
The old Dutch fort where Cape Town began</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCoNv0o5c90BIMv7vHs45DLrpcS7p-6JzV0UdvYBDQZJvr-bLLSZfMBednISTg5lKY3LGl9tDvLIOvmCyI4c7ldz9OvutqhrGgEMVoXMOpqKZsp3DKLekcf6p-KKb_mDyxwgUF6Q27qlE/s1600/P1040846+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCoNv0o5c90BIMv7vHs45DLrpcS7p-6JzV0UdvYBDQZJvr-bLLSZfMBednISTg5lKY3LGl9tDvLIOvmCyI4c7ldz9OvutqhrGgEMVoXMOpqKZsp3DKLekcf6p-KKb_mDyxwgUF6Q27qlE/s1600/P1040846+copy.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">
School children here all wear uniforms.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZoOTpimOZ5kSPLZx_CDg6z_UL64xjU_aLgcTxamgq-ScAmzuqpwgqUwbc7MWwB_pHSM7AjBtAPEOsBmuKckoAUTkK2-M17PHGNCQqUcHMh3m1QtBInNntOa9vlwawWfotziaVEPWh8KD/s1600/P1040848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZoOTpimOZ5kSPLZx_CDg6z_UL64xjU_aLgcTxamgq-ScAmzuqpwgqUwbc7MWwB_pHSM7AjBtAPEOsBmuKckoAUTkK2-M17PHGNCQqUcHMh3m1QtBInNntOa9vlwawWfotziaVEPWh8KD/s1600/P1040848.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokv6HBLv_brB2PmfTC8U_7X-P448NiRx8ZQtoPwvUj7aEqeYKXSgncf5RJKB-SPM8d70mX7UIpBRp7UY2C6RwT7t3boy-M8xaKKzGJfqF7Fpkk4CZRaVwRVQbg9-qDpV9_ztIUjsXgZwe/s1600/P1040853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgokv6HBLv_brB2PmfTC8U_7X-P448NiRx8ZQtoPwvUj7aEqeYKXSgncf5RJKB-SPM8d70mX7UIpBRp7UY2C6RwT7t3boy-M8xaKKzGJfqF7Fpkk4CZRaVwRVQbg9-qDpV9_ztIUjsXgZwe/s1600/P1040853.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3zExYhl92ok4RHxcvPieDO5hyiewYk9MarDM3VwtGK9MHBkquFns01833Fvl67n1sjRDJ4N0s88OI9ym0ohMYHPx9YbpQy8bZ9hYmZuQMCzYu6EH1Puj941QRaQAJTxXHX6AoE87ZmBu/s1600/P1040871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3zExYhl92ok4RHxcvPieDO5hyiewYk9MarDM3VwtGK9MHBkquFns01833Fvl67n1sjRDJ4N0s88OI9ym0ohMYHPx9YbpQy8bZ9hYmZuQMCzYu6EH1Puj941QRaQAJTxXHX6AoE87ZmBu/s1600/P1040871.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
Here is "the tablecloth" creeping over Table Mountain. It is formed when a south-east wind blows up into the cooler air of the mountain, causing moisture to condense and form a thick cloud that clings to the top. Legend says that the cloud is really the result of a smoking contest between the devil and a local pirate.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">By the end of the bus ride, we were tired and more than happy to head home to our famous pink hotel, known locally as The Nellie. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY19zKNyAHBUUXbBqjwWpl3lTPZzo2okCW5hkPoAuZtTur5bUWTHhrKjRY00pBe1c7I7OI6aMtsVJR2uvF-jsIEEp6yWyrapZ7rS9N8fyCEL6MYDSQzzb4kS0d99CpQgvrcGjKso7bwfyt/s1600/P1040975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY19zKNyAHBUUXbBqjwWpl3lTPZzo2okCW5hkPoAuZtTur5bUWTHhrKjRY00pBe1c7I7OI6aMtsVJR2uvF-jsIEEp6yWyrapZ7rS9N8fyCEL6MYDSQzzb4kS0d99CpQgvrcGjKso7bwfyt/s1600/P1040975.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">We dropped our stuff off in our room and headed down to the outdoor Planet Bar for a restorative brew, which comes with crunchy bar snacks that we later regretted eating because they made us full sooner than we wanted. Then we moved inside to the Planet restaurant, which we already knew had a couple of vegan offerings. We were surprised to find the restaurant nearly empty, and even more surprised about that by the time we had finished our meal. We ordered the spinach and</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">mushroom entree and were amazed to discover it was actually a four course meal. In the course of ordering, we had revealed ourselves as vegans, of course. Imagine our surprise when two trays of exquisite appetizers were delivered with the assurance that they were vegan. Next, two demitasse size cups of vegan minestrone appeared, followed by an entree so delicious that John pronounced it the best mushrooms he has ever eaten. Me too! The difference is that he isn't crazy about mushrooms and I love them. Our lovely meal ended with tiny exceedingly sweet heart shaped strawberry jellies. Honestly, if people knew vegan food tastes like this, why would they ever eat animal products?</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px; min-height: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
Did I mention the service? Of course it was excellent, attentive and relatively unobtrusive, but there were so many servers! Different people to serve the bread, take the wine order, serve the wine, take the food order, serve the food, and check that we were happy. I swear there were three people to do just that. One unique practice here is that as soon as you are seated, someone appears with a little steel and velvet hammock onto which you are supposed to put your purse. How hygienic! How delightful! And then, the final surprise, the check. Our entire meal, including a generous glass of excellent South African wine and tip came to under $50. Astonishing. </div>
<div style="font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-85696285166984684342014-12-23T15:26:00.001-08:002014-12-23T15:38:55.134-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 26, 2014, Sunday.</i> Our last day on this train. We will arrive in Cape Town tonight and transfer to the Mount Nelson Hotel and a welcome night's sleep in a real bed. We hope it will also be quiet as last night this train was not. Meanwhile, we are traveling through the Karoo, a vast high plateau surrounded by low, rocky mountains. Hardly any trees, just scrub and the occasional windmill. We saw a few sheep,this morning, confirming that this is sheep ranching country. It reminds me of Australia's Nullarbor.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDqr_iDUDL-N3XpsfSkUr1kYLLa5nnRg7t0xXtlXlNuuHFpH6ItFrc8ypFD8fpsTqoSStE2J4SGl87TwhzYWCr3ExCqX9N2PyVxcG5NTWDoXIhyEeCsh1E-hKaXAUpniKfdODn0I79CB6/s1600/P1040662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDqr_iDUDL-N3XpsfSkUr1kYLLa5nnRg7t0xXtlXlNuuHFpH6ItFrc8ypFD8fpsTqoSStE2J4SGl87TwhzYWCr3ExCqX9N2PyVxcG5NTWDoXIhyEeCsh1E-hKaXAUpniKfdODn0I79CB6/s1600/P1040662.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
We made a stop around 8am to allow most of the passengers to disembark for a 5K or about 3 mile walk to Matjiesfontein, a reproduction World Heritage site. John's swollen feet and ankles made that walk impossible for him, so we stayed on board along with about a quarter of our fellow passengers. We did walk around the town, snapping pictures of the Victorian era buildings and enjoying the warm/cool fresh air. That made our heretofore perfectly nice train seem stuffy and stale, adding to my desire to leave it behind tonight. It's been a great trip, however, and I would recommend it to anyone. </div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xUkMY3w6cUnJsveE1ql-GwjG8SJliJE7-Q8yd97N9E3GwSZERIqdYzsTCncUj2KZ_vh_ClqK8knyFtEDIf1HTHhPDY5xCNPDyG24_QaTD68Qcpg_7PmQGAivbAVdBhXsxg-0RNp5wzpX/s1600/P1040629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xUkMY3w6cUnJsveE1ql-GwjG8SJliJE7-Q8yd97N9E3GwSZERIqdYzsTCncUj2KZ_vh_ClqK8knyFtEDIf1HTHhPDY5xCNPDyG24_QaTD68Qcpg_7PmQGAivbAVdBhXsxg-0RNp5wzpX/s1600/P1040629.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEg9C4IyRYv0S4Ys4kcvLztniy1UfwktMUmdhCLDLgXIQoOaPA9bTMVRVmfh0oApk04it5RtPt18gJv3mTpvqnBX9d9d89ZK6Zf1SVkCSKdfPJX0gDvAhnlzODTk0DlxT40xIWR45vn6U/s1600/P1040630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEg9C4IyRYv0S4Ys4kcvLztniy1UfwktMUmdhCLDLgXIQoOaPA9bTMVRVmfh0oApk04it5RtPt18gJv3mTpvqnBX9d9d89ZK6Zf1SVkCSKdfPJX0gDvAhnlzODTk0DlxT40xIWR45vn6U/s1600/P1040630.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_fLW1VaTA_ndZpB6v6fUUkT_vEbR47F1sg1-sHJ-fXfffxSVIrKQtUqxJKtH7ROHc6EjeWwOa_Fz-lMqUtdyNP7bUWV7kpYcItTqCAlLf1azZLm_I2qfa5simk_jC_BpJ2ssuvNiwTn8/s1600/P1040631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_fLW1VaTA_ndZpB6v6fUUkT_vEbR47F1sg1-sHJ-fXfffxSVIrKQtUqxJKtH7ROHc6EjeWwOa_Fz-lMqUtdyNP7bUWV7kpYcItTqCAlLf1azZLm_I2qfa5simk_jC_BpJ2ssuvNiwTn8/s1600/P1040631.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUUG1oc4ioPlPSx1Zymp_2pnVzwmonyDu3eHXwfP4S9KEtTYUe4svAnhGROclrtqYCz4WyDneQEGVp_ISgDI3HIZHEyO4R3yWgPzpw6I5kILkFWbL5LAHCqbffoojF2QyjQwCUTEcjNCN/s1600/P1040632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUUG1oc4ioPlPSx1Zymp_2pnVzwmonyDu3eHXwfP4S9KEtTYUe4svAnhGROclrtqYCz4WyDneQEGVp_ISgDI3HIZHEyO4R3yWgPzpw6I5kILkFWbL5LAHCqbffoojF2QyjQwCUTEcjNCN/s1600/P1040632.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56VX2xs_6Jcnq_bTM5pY19QCSQ9Pmfy_hR6x5os82UiNghQ20mibQ6TQoPsn28DM5RZTf3AkGfFOKvEaQ-P6eRNDaU1HMGCPIIJljhoPERmlGKq9ZnzzKU-uqugmUG7up6TvCZzRqJq2g/s1600/P1040634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56VX2xs_6Jcnq_bTM5pY19QCSQ9Pmfy_hR6x5os82UiNghQ20mibQ6TQoPsn28DM5RZTf3AkGfFOKvEaQ-P6eRNDaU1HMGCPIIJljhoPERmlGKq9ZnzzKU-uqugmUG7up6TvCZzRqJq2g/s1600/P1040634.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPN3FUtMWvv2bmhvZ1V_4vRyW-oKMTmSGqGq8sOSYwlO5XfeObPvde7UFKg_Noqp83qSkuNxPU8UInYUEweJ8_IgKtPUzFfVQHpqhpGHxyoGg8BWwZ8QhOBQULe9wu8PBZJZiH9eLcE6V/s1600/P1040635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPN3FUtMWvv2bmhvZ1V_4vRyW-oKMTmSGqGq8sOSYwlO5XfeObPvde7UFKg_Noqp83qSkuNxPU8UInYUEweJ8_IgKtPUzFfVQHpqhpGHxyoGg8BWwZ8QhOBQULe9wu8PBZJZiH9eLcE6V/s1600/P1040635.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D1Su475etUIWnfjZ4xYg3Wfu4SfFswbFH3kcPyMeaYvMELuDidjphZ5u8wWikO6y8Q3bBwz3UsqydUlbuWwQOPBucKQ0kVEIoznsisqo2YkGncykbFDXe-eFR2SWtjGnHuLQW2J5mGzo/s1600/P1040637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D1Su475etUIWnfjZ4xYg3Wfu4SfFswbFH3kcPyMeaYvMELuDidjphZ5u8wWikO6y8Q3bBwz3UsqydUlbuWwQOPBucKQ0kVEIoznsisqo2YkGncykbFDXe-eFR2SWtjGnHuLQW2J5mGzo/s1600/P1040637.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSljTG3Ge9E-LoxyBGTCXQ2dpJTgjDq8D4YE39o_JO7R0wErRFJUFeeMuIaa_n27MdQAKlCoFfmDsheG5J2lav4BQ6nyyZonCJV1k9H9HfMdYr5RwE_-p38Fd917g0qwVIwHn57rQ_gfdC/s1600/P1040642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSljTG3Ge9E-LoxyBGTCXQ2dpJTgjDq8D4YE39o_JO7R0wErRFJUFeeMuIaa_n27MdQAKlCoFfmDsheG5J2lav4BQ6nyyZonCJV1k9H9HfMdYr5RwE_-p38Fd917g0qwVIwHn57rQ_gfdC/s1600/P1040642.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The museum devoted to transportation is a claim to fame here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHa-qMIuiYHU5W87Roy1LODj2FSqrr9tYXIQY50o7XfMrB89amPCS7R_K4DFGInU88glrnKxw9sQgTZjOJ-uG-Fc9iE34Mz7h3TORofx9v5777ylf9DH5vB90Cg3f4RJTEqToppruFRPJ/s1600/P1040645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHa-qMIuiYHU5W87Roy1LODj2FSqrr9tYXIQY50o7XfMrB89amPCS7R_K4DFGInU88glrnKxw9sQgTZjOJ-uG-Fc9iE34Mz7h3TORofx9v5777ylf9DH5vB90Cg3f4RJTEqToppruFRPJ/s1600/P1040645.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCBkRTn79fnbxy60VUH4M_f5DnfrG4kRzchTxqkMuQNAOQPHozGgWAXxoAOAfO88KKENShWOe0zoyd9s0aV0reXZics1bXXF8FPRMqtT2znh2H5Ia9OEVVc82AIX9BriWwXIxOLyoGYWE/s1600/P1040648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCBkRTn79fnbxy60VUH4M_f5DnfrG4kRzchTxqkMuQNAOQPHozGgWAXxoAOAfO88KKENShWOe0zoyd9s0aV0reXZics1bXXF8FPRMqtT2znh2H5Ia9OEVVc82AIX9BriWwXIxOLyoGYWE/s1600/P1040648.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnabB910h291uLdvQIF4EiqQ_vcvafe3qyHjwJRekoNJNZgyaOZk2DRYLAPk3N3OIDex0ps6CZ7w2aosYaaF3eLPx7iAjOPTONJY95sHjeU0gjmNXVc8fW5NZxMjboITnLenSyuLaBrBl/s1600/P1040651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnabB910h291uLdvQIF4EiqQ_vcvafe3qyHjwJRekoNJNZgyaOZk2DRYLAPk3N3OIDex0ps6CZ7w2aosYaaF3eLPx7iAjOPTONJY95sHjeU0gjmNXVc8fW5NZxMjboITnLenSyuLaBrBl/s1600/P1040651.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistjyLz_7MRXDIq9bvTJGvhazaJY-iut-yPEwDpra9zeJYqDnxjiGhTCHA-L9bpQmrI3pbgIEbWySHdY04nQ8FH5bqO-NLVkNVVbC5OSpZiX3F0Jr1arNbxkQbnugxSVS-DaB4P_GeV4Cx/s1600/P1040659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistjyLz_7MRXDIq9bvTJGvhazaJY-iut-yPEwDpra9zeJYqDnxjiGhTCHA-L9bpQmrI3pbgIEbWySHdY04nQ8FH5bqO-NLVkNVVbC5OSpZiX3F0Jr1arNbxkQbnugxSVS-DaB4P_GeV4Cx/s1600/P1040659.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUv4uYMzgGrZW_rmcDYQD_ufyw5VQns65ApH5ThU1XObkrFmbK-myz31EKvm_jX-9tTCVquZvhum-Jc_NDdndzRrnV2ElSNXxilDfo42igjtEPBq0OZkPtQsBIRJ7xfNVCWkhROwcA05c/s1600/P1040649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjUv4uYMzgGrZW_rmcDYQD_ufyw5VQns65ApH5ThU1XObkrFmbK-myz31EKvm_jX-9tTCVquZvhum-Jc_NDdndzRrnV2ElSNXxilDfo42igjtEPBq0OZkPtQsBIRJ7xfNVCWkhROwcA05c/s1600/P1040649.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfF5JfmuVPchjo6OHSKjV06geMY64X2wMUIeNrFaqOIoub3GTzKPzDbE7QdEktmI0HCl4AGDOJTQHZjUrDOyxag0zhuqx_r9brdEXGq1cX9I4OknmWqcCfDqMsHbCpEcNUL-F-rQQut1iR/s1600/P1040657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfF5JfmuVPchjo6OHSKjV06geMY64X2wMUIeNrFaqOIoub3GTzKPzDbE7QdEktmI0HCl4AGDOJTQHZjUrDOyxag0zhuqx_r9brdEXGq1cX9I4OknmWqcCfDqMsHbCpEcNUL-F-rQQut1iR/s1600/P1040657.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iDiJQm-Y96K8m9R07vHSCqTbFNMhkklOu8_9FsFb8veSywV8q7k35Oy5ci2V2UAI5hffTGZM5TOEIwjWISRIkSbzBFWxuUEv0JOI64fM35sYVW_5s5e25N8qxcr58beUXsMel1fZ4WAe/s1600/P1040660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iDiJQm-Y96K8m9R07vHSCqTbFNMhkklOu8_9FsFb8veSywV8q7k35Oy5ci2V2UAI5hffTGZM5TOEIwjWISRIkSbzBFWxuUEv0JOI64fM35sYVW_5s5e25N8qxcr58beUXsMel1fZ4WAe/s1600/P1040660.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
After leaving this nice little town, we entered wine country and what looks like the bread basket of S. Africa. The climate here is so much more temperate and less harsh than in the previous countries that the difference is easy to see. We roll through countryside that is obviously productive, with huge vineyards and wheat fields, Not to mention roadside flowers such as we haven't seen until now. This is a beautiful, open country and easy to imagine as a homeland. With whites, mostly Dutch Afrikaners and English comprising only 10% of the population, I can't help wondering about the ownership of these productive farms. We have been told that in some of the countries where the native African people seized control from white dominance<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">,</span> farming and commerce have both suffered as a result. There is always a period of transition needed with that kind of upheaval. I would like to think it will be short and that countries like Zimbabwe will move forward into both prosperity and less dictatorial and incompetent governments over time. </div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9C571VTL5GDKHL_WhFYdHG2PW2Z4myOGXk5mi1Lvaw_Sb8Yp0CxSIB9RnVllUkP1nbe0sZgv7SNKB7yEkUD4TUerLpk1ma4nDePBF8eOnI5ZUYQBjMifrtA9cae-12Ujc7h990p591D29/s1600/P1040666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9C571VTL5GDKHL_WhFYdHG2PW2Z4myOGXk5mi1Lvaw_Sb8Yp0CxSIB9RnVllUkP1nbe0sZgv7SNKB7yEkUD4TUerLpk1ma4nDePBF8eOnI5ZUYQBjMifrtA9cae-12Ujc7h990p591D29/s1600/P1040666.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLAQTuiak_O0SiFQNi_V7may4mlhKV7-TxhFl-wOjydgnynX2NpQxhgVrSNcE37_Ov_5Xxk55wZZ1XQnrYGSeiHLkRAfEjdjI2Mrz7t80iHGbg9-4BnCM97aaWpu33zwj2ISJmiXww3tR/s1600/P1040668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLAQTuiak_O0SiFQNi_V7may4mlhKV7-TxhFl-wOjydgnynX2NpQxhgVrSNcE37_Ov_5Xxk55wZZ1XQnrYGSeiHLkRAfEjdjI2Mrz7t80iHGbg9-4BnCM97aaWpu33zwj2ISJmiXww3tR/s1600/P1040668.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbE_nqXQ_LfZBZvxk_zWfimTYOyahGZZ4xdlXth_2SGtsz3WauPNGSGAVutrMliffp3du8Cq30cdt2D86zxLUumwcB3qzBG-I35ZWgCUYiYTBorXWjxblFnuy7FDFp3aK8S_JYkfRAo_z/s1600/P1040667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbE_nqXQ_LfZBZvxk_zWfimTYOyahGZZ4xdlXth_2SGtsz3WauPNGSGAVutrMliffp3du8Cq30cdt2D86zxLUumwcB3qzBG-I35ZWgCUYiYTBorXWjxblFnuy7FDFp3aK8S_JYkfRAo_z/s1600/P1040667.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
Prosperous or not, every country we have visited in Africa has </div>
<div style="font-size: 8px;">
pockets of poverty to deal with.<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
At 6:15 pm, we pulled into the Cape Town station and disembarked our luxury train, the first step in our return to reality. Once again, we were met by Rohan Vos, who thanked us all for riding his train and kept his people performing at top efficiency. Our bags appeared along with rides to our various hotels, and after some parting hugs, John and I were off to the Mount Nelson Hotel, a sprawling old grande dame of a hotel, frequented by royalty in the old days. I do love upscale old hotels! They have so much personality. Once again, our room is elegant, spacious, thoroughly modernized, and supremely comfortable. We checked in and were too tired to go out for dinner so settled for eating here even though only the Planet Bar was open. We were able to order two light vegan-friendly pub type items and a glass of wine apiece for a very moderate price, much to our surprise. After two weeks of way too much wine and food, we were very happy to return to moderation. Another happy surprise was the discovery that the Austrian couple and four of the Dutch couples are also staying here. It was great fun to see people entering the bar who now seem like old friends. </div>
<div style="font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8aw_U-TZ1Fckc-dPXuTOiIZuMgB41L9nxi07ePIeZm5EyDUp21rvsAtTg_fGVGAb3DTDYB0lrJDjdAOe_ootJ61SoCrNtEjdQPe6qI5oilAVfIJ9VYep_vO5lU0UGZeUHgaULKwr2eqI/s1600/Rovos+staff+&+Vos+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8aw_U-TZ1Fckc-dPXuTOiIZuMgB41L9nxi07ePIeZm5EyDUp21rvsAtTg_fGVGAb3DTDYB0lrJDjdAOe_ootJ61SoCrNtEjdQPe6qI5oilAVfIJ9VYep_vO5lU0UGZeUHgaULKwr2eqI/s1600/Rovos+staff+&+Vos+copy.jpg" height="190" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-46030283875202500812014-12-23T15:15:00.001-08:002014-12-23T15:15:30.293-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">October 25, 2014, Saturday.</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;"> Today we are riding through open veldt on our way to Kimberley, home to South Africa's famous, or infamous, diamond mining industry. Acacia trees are everywhere along our route, but here they have not been ravaged by elephants as they were in the reserve, and they have also received a little more rain and so are a bit greener. They dot the open plain that is covered with pale dried grasses and smallish termite mounds, our only sight of the reddish earth beneath. I noticed that these mounds have very large entrance holes</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">and began to wonder if they really were termite mounds at all because they don’t look quite like the ones I have seen elsewhere. Yes, they are, but here, three different animals also make homes in them: foxes, anteaters, and meerkats. No wonder they look so strange! </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgLP4OZoWt9PUMD6xUCU99HNBZ91x36mIbqsap-05Op7fOFOCUHXwbkXC2r9GvRDlAutsOh_4dwZ20FZ1sm9FLQQtK44t5c1_btZRoLAUvZ6VxqHLdmSZDRJjMngG2w7aW7pk9jNkQEw-/s1600/P1040530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgLP4OZoWt9PUMD6xUCU99HNBZ91x36mIbqsap-05Op7fOFOCUHXwbkXC2r9GvRDlAutsOh_4dwZ20FZ1sm9FLQQtK44t5c1_btZRoLAUvZ6VxqHLdmSZDRJjMngG2w7aW7pk9jNkQEw-/s1600/P1040530.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrEyGDaHqYKqYSIL67Nf11xXiVCg6xqJoDHZI6oeeAPaFk5YjP1qqm0j2-sbrpWEPDvyAuyJxOZnZIgh7XtcTqpFtE9vpkcNzHhINK9UvDPocnRg8EJF_CMeS44X-a8nzzT75z2WYrAqo/s1600/P1040550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrEyGDaHqYKqYSIL67Nf11xXiVCg6xqJoDHZI6oeeAPaFk5YjP1qqm0j2-sbrpWEPDvyAuyJxOZnZIgh7XtcTqpFtE9vpkcNzHhINK9UvDPocnRg8EJF_CMeS44X-a8nzzT75z2WYrAqo/s1600/P1040550.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Kimberley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVQwF6Ubh3pHDCzxVMHg3hsRK4bKjFHMfRCzgwbN-JEOxYGATs94-IoCeOVfUNTkvg9eDWczsApxLojD-7DGm2XjyvQSR0-Vki_G-KF1p-erj8dXRVtbHHsYMKinNHnhU4FwhdejvxJ77/s1600/P1040551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVQwF6Ubh3pHDCzxVMHg3hsRK4bKjFHMfRCzgwbN-JEOxYGATs94-IoCeOVfUNTkvg9eDWczsApxLojD-7DGm2XjyvQSR0-Vki_G-KF1p-erj8dXRVtbHHsYMKinNHnhU4FwhdejvxJ77/s1600/P1040551.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
We are told that soon we will see a large gathering of flamingoes, so half the train has flocked to the observation car, the better to see this phenomenon. I am here too, although only because our room is being made up. I hope to be back in the room soon as, unlike most<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> </span>passengers, I don't especially like the observation car. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px; min-height: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
LATER: Just outside of Kimberley, there is a dam and a large lake where hundreds of pale pink flamingoes congregate. It is quite a sight!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjIpQIuVn0zHIkPgp1m1s5PkoJLchMHQLro9WfDGiMYmdg55dll-a9zxoMH39EyWRIpAe6_JkhyHj6eZZ-t9g8fmDIJt8FebBLajEZOUo2QOuMMaPNFcH-pnw-e3Vm9In6AJsut7tO9EC/s1600/P1040534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjIpQIuVn0zHIkPgp1m1s5PkoJLchMHQLro9WfDGiMYmdg55dll-a9zxoMH39EyWRIpAe6_JkhyHj6eZZ-t9g8fmDIJt8FebBLajEZOUo2QOuMMaPNFcH-pnw-e3Vm9In6AJsut7tO9EC/s1600/P1040534.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGGdPERsPaLZt2ZXd9iJo4kh2C4WiOgs8ldNHp2LzxIwKktwXE80dqntJftTeoAxlHBqIhOr2RhAhIeC0iwjW4T1KVXM1W89qwMQAqGyjCGpTdP-CXwwb0lEav3lrgiplyvIkb0LtaUwK/s1600/P1040539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGGdPERsPaLZt2ZXd9iJo4kh2C4WiOgs8ldNHp2LzxIwKktwXE80dqntJftTeoAxlHBqIhOr2RhAhIeC0iwjW4T1KVXM1W89qwMQAqGyjCGpTdP-CXwwb0lEav3lrgiplyvIkb0LtaUwK/s1600/P1040539.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepGRdRkxk0N-0Z5wNZx3NSYD5L6aSYnSebhufmUoKwD_SxS8ZsE1vTYNljt_i9BPcthXLKwUbDw-mXLJ6wkScksPAFoLlhSYguzWJPEsRi36FfQ4xkxDeL4MR_yAUy8ezuiVw1DN8ui1x/s1600/P1040543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgepGRdRkxk0N-0Z5wNZx3NSYD5L6aSYnSebhufmUoKwD_SxS8ZsE1vTYNljt_i9BPcthXLKwUbDw-mXLJ6wkScksPAFoLlhSYguzWJPEsRi36FfQ4xkxDeL4MR_yAUy8ezuiVw1DN8ui1x/s1600/P1040543.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
We stopped in Kimberley for today's excursion, a visit to the Big Hole. Owned by the DeBeers diamond Corporation, this was the biggest diamond mine in the world, although it is now a tourist attraction and not an active mine. The mine closed during World War II, and when DeBeers returned, all the shafts and tunnels in the lower portion had flooded. DeBeers determine that it would be unprofitable to try to restore and mine it, so now it sits. All is not lost, however. In the old days, they tossed aside off-color diamonds which are now seen as valuable, so today, the detritus of the early years is being sifted and yields many very valuable stones. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5Qlk0WV-LAg5OBxm-8J0ajgM8jO5wFR2MhBQWVqFNAuDBv-zUadfS61CfRum6Wm7qgV3GRJtMBjhcWWD9F0RynH-EdOLFB4cd-CD2SWMxkIToFtlLy2wn79qPZgq0-UZlss6d0D1FpQd/s1600/P1040561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5Qlk0WV-LAg5OBxm-8J0ajgM8jO5wFR2MhBQWVqFNAuDBv-zUadfS61CfRum6Wm7qgV3GRJtMBjhcWWD9F0RynH-EdOLFB4cd-CD2SWMxkIToFtlLy2wn79qPZgq0-UZlss6d0D1FpQd/s1600/P1040561.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswUdFKKYxPqGoi_55C_KZJemEiaVimjQ2n-vrnooUXRLVAHb88FwP8oRfWQc3pcxnR94DlqEktck62ZO-PfKWYqKM8yjMsOmX5ju6Yla5avxKRxT0GHpgxh9cxOUXXXwPc6bZBML6HMy3/s1600/P1040564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswUdFKKYxPqGoi_55C_KZJemEiaVimjQ2n-vrnooUXRLVAHb88FwP8oRfWQc3pcxnR94DlqEktck62ZO-PfKWYqKM8yjMsOmX5ju6Yla5avxKRxT0GHpgxh9cxOUXXXwPc6bZBML6HMy3/s1600/P1040564.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dkEJ6tlaetsQcBoERkDTj9DiTan3ZwjhWF3ijvem03k568EKABiupZx35u6lx35lEUrf-4oj6wwxHm-M4YW5VyPSnJ1UqxQ7z3-27EOAYqgqUAgKAMmy3oZ_mP4r5RlpOSsHpC7L_psu/s1600/P1040563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dkEJ6tlaetsQcBoERkDTj9DiTan3ZwjhWF3ijvem03k568EKABiupZx35u6lx35lEUrf-4oj6wwxHm-M4YW5VyPSnJ1UqxQ7z3-27EOAYqgqUAgKAMmy3oZ_mP4r5RlpOSsHpC7L_psu/s1600/P1040563.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpZ0f4slVddgxf99ZF7sTPfl90Fof4oVR4YMNgrqUG2sjB5krVDyCSZLImcw0iudYBzGtFqCTUzhttXkscsnbNWdw4c4FdhBiC6GGFwwEwTr1yX1uQkYnpV9aOWJqd8uzjYq-8lhCstDc/s1600/P1040554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpZ0f4slVddgxf99ZF7sTPfl90Fof4oVR4YMNgrqUG2sjB5krVDyCSZLImcw0iudYBzGtFqCTUzhttXkscsnbNWdw4c4FdhBiC6GGFwwEwTr1yX1uQkYnpV9aOWJqd8uzjYq-8lhCstDc/s1600/P1040554.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJI8fiEG7PZO5F9B17ELEijQOt2mKl47IVjjP58WpYLj3jYOknGeXjc2XcmDmrLjMvLHWYOYDwnsSITSJ5yhpvkxB1IbkVUMG-7FZwpPe1sADEIGrzr4gF_lb2dfEGO-M9m66t4KaWCSG/s1600/P1040568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUJI8fiEG7PZO5F9B17ELEijQOt2mKl47IVjjP58WpYLj3jYOknGeXjc2XcmDmrLjMvLHWYOYDwnsSITSJ5yhpvkxB1IbkVUMG-7FZwpPe1sADEIGrzr4gF_lb2dfEGO-M9m66t4KaWCSG/s1600/P1040568.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl45wH7zbujWlO-b-cetb9WXz3ufyCBJ22npOmuuhS5AwWAxl12SQV3bwq8GCaL-cb1pSSuFR3Wf2zvXAVj1nsh6k2kU_FkSdAmNmZnGh6P8kEk1wnioFAJawlgnpvANiWJLLuwgOB65PT/s1600/P1040570+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl45wH7zbujWlO-b-cetb9WXz3ufyCBJ22npOmuuhS5AwWAxl12SQV3bwq8GCaL-cb1pSSuFR3Wf2zvXAVj1nsh6k2kU_FkSdAmNmZnGh6P8kEk1wnioFAJawlgnpvANiWJLLuwgOB65PT/s1600/P1040570+copy.jpg" height="269" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepX0OVOM2zbAFDqRf3Kw16irD67_fik60k-Zvp5Z_JN_NQDYCX2S9ye0kFUJLO_KLIlK94Ln6fJ0pEGqcnttFhgNNPbCRFRqwaQVbUSgjoDrzJ47sJEb9JbTQ2DvDsEiRVkaD9AKd1DTx/s1600/P1040571+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepX0OVOM2zbAFDqRf3Kw16irD67_fik60k-Zvp5Z_JN_NQDYCX2S9ye0kFUJLO_KLIlK94Ln6fJ0pEGqcnttFhgNNPbCRFRqwaQVbUSgjoDrzJ47sJEb9JbTQ2DvDsEiRVkaD9AKd1DTx/s1600/P1040571+copy.jpg" height="251" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8MkwgQMV3wdWWhkZNkNPFB3azKiXoZnV2-mmaple0fDO-r8AuByLtze_CNgQ9fuZRTsHRaFEcrT-zMAjfTYiF8ELHe6mF6Rd6O5ewcqH4mQqBouPQACvwbT4q8Kjr8nPaMJKQXU0HdEh/s1600/P1040575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8MkwgQMV3wdWWhkZNkNPFB3azKiXoZnV2-mmaple0fDO-r8AuByLtze_CNgQ9fuZRTsHRaFEcrT-zMAjfTYiF8ELHe6mF6Rd6O5ewcqH4mQqBouPQACvwbT4q8Kjr8nPaMJKQXU0HdEh/s1600/P1040575.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
We were taken to a very well done twenty minute movie giving us a good history of the mine. Then we walked out to a platform from which we could see the now water filled “big hole.” Down into the pit for a replica of the old mining operation but without the constant din of explosives and machinery, without the dust that reduced visibility to near zero, and with air conditioning, something the mostly black miners never enjoyed while they toiled 12 hours a day for a tiny pittance, Terrible life once deep shaft mining replaced the open surface mining of the very early days. Next we were rushed through a possibly pretty informative museum and then on to our 90 minute shopping opportunity. Mercifully, this is the only one of these we have had on this trip! </div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
We rested near the shops for a bit until John remembered there was a reproduction of old Kimberley outside the main building. We wandered around there for a bit, enjoying a glimpse of raucous frontier life reminiscent of the American old west. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px; min-height: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
In the modern town of Kimberley, we are reminded this is the heart of Afrikaner country. Signs are in Dutch with English below. The vibe here is different somehow--more grit, more pioneer spirit, closer to the bone of survival. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3R-tPLEzCWvqUcMy7vysFr7XRSYCD-pvlzNulyUjTG7Q345ml0YdyTtKdrBm83SLadJRcgIJK06StFu5ZRSJv-gLoMh9mFyygOFVuQeVnHeiQwpgH2-Opy9LWW1P-iEaldVubin-TxnI-/s1600/P1040578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3R-tPLEzCWvqUcMy7vysFr7XRSYCD-pvlzNulyUjTG7Q345ml0YdyTtKdrBm83SLadJRcgIJK06StFu5ZRSJv-gLoMh9mFyygOFVuQeVnHeiQwpgH2-Opy9LWW1P-iEaldVubin-TxnI-/s1600/P1040578.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkCJRye2a8al5CmTMOgexgIQGepwvp98UxgSq4KaC6DVAKnnRRFIAOGB-3DO3dc64F9GmSY2PdZj2QpjUCAlwFMyHS3IY-9ULRbNMpnlt51b36zCLAMYd5NdcDL6L-4OnUi73nmT94V8z/s1600/P1040583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkCJRye2a8al5CmTMOgexgIQGepwvp98UxgSq4KaC6DVAKnnRRFIAOGB-3DO3dc64F9GmSY2PdZj2QpjUCAlwFMyHS3IY-9ULRbNMpnlt51b36zCLAMYd5NdcDL6L-4OnUi73nmT94V8z/s1600/P1040583.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIadCM4FLVxIC8DjuxHyZRrg5ku6T_J3ld2cqI6_pITJf0NvYit-zD06VSdD0n9-QEwFwJgxsXUZBZ4hvc28xdO4zoHjtu8vOQpPuW5Yw-nuZibaLeQVgjGtFaIaUjnh4Gotl2K2OLSGuw/s1600/P1040595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIadCM4FLVxIC8DjuxHyZRrg5ku6T_J3ld2cqI6_pITJf0NvYit-zD06VSdD0n9-QEwFwJgxsXUZBZ4hvc28xdO4zoHjtu8vOQpPuW5Yw-nuZibaLeQVgjGtFaIaUjnh4Gotl2K2OLSGuw/s1600/P1040595.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeP3ciV_bsrCTNx45syB49Wge1lFy8rhyxAidwItqj8qahF7L2R-NB4VG6jg5VMC8yannd0eh6BOZH9hkvu7hyJWPlDbhZEeKVO2Dgg3WCeYVp8s3YtlSQZgX1yQNoKtdD_tZD_ezyhZQ/s1600/P1040593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKeP3ciV_bsrCTNx45syB49Wge1lFy8rhyxAidwItqj8qahF7L2R-NB4VG6jg5VMC8yannd0eh6BOZH9hkvu7hyJWPlDbhZEeKVO2Dgg3WCeYVp8s3YtlSQZgX1yQNoKtdD_tZD_ezyhZQ/s1600/P1040593.jpg" height="246" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDP1YvcMFKy6hOhsLFqOm6CFpGV6hsvT8thm0Das7qDLxr-ul5G2PxqgoTVIdZRgYNmbWd4lno7BUnrGWQrbMWNEu3qmNvJS1Z3t9p0c63zNHyvoMRP746knJ9KRs2l0LhLgrLb8OFNI2J/s1600/P1040587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDP1YvcMFKy6hOhsLFqOm6CFpGV6hsvT8thm0Das7qDLxr-ul5G2PxqgoTVIdZRgYNmbWd4lno7BUnrGWQrbMWNEu3qmNvJS1Z3t9p0c63zNHyvoMRP746knJ9KRs2l0LhLgrLb8OFNI2J/s1600/P1040587.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then and now--there is always a pub in a mining town!<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWFUMYRvHk1Cr2YRRVrN2OcwPyonWrajcSSSj5ez66vwN6bkBvDChYTNc2EWGIknfDDIdR5UdR4nfhaXq5ZSiGQGLa8ANascDxhCFHICpYDPl4n8jNO8aKImXKmiPx1DBalq8XqJ9ek3T/s1600/P1040586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWFUMYRvHk1Cr2YRRVrN2OcwPyonWrajcSSSj5ez66vwN6bkBvDChYTNc2EWGIknfDDIdR5UdR4nfhaXq5ZSiGQGLa8ANascDxhCFHICpYDPl4n8jNO8aKImXKmiPx1DBalq8XqJ9ek3T/s1600/P1040586.jpg" height="258" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVKJJUR3uNQsOzwm9aH10ZDEfVgsZ6x0lNtPLKJlJ7eHByMo-pPsI9GYE3P5bFuLph-4isPf9fKwnWLVLqWCs49N6fPJL6oKaTKOvjgwVbBsAuS5YlDaQK_z2olr6Ti67ENYi_9QajETn/s1600/P1040588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVKJJUR3uNQsOzwm9aH10ZDEfVgsZ6x0lNtPLKJlJ7eHByMo-pPsI9GYE3P5bFuLph-4isPf9fKwnWLVLqWCs49N6fPJL6oKaTKOvjgwVbBsAuS5YlDaQK_z2olr6Ti67ENYi_9QajETn/s1600/P1040588.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxugyHHdS9D7ddnyQ32ENl0jOGkx4aNy0wAa0-MqJepCJuXaDHXw2gIND1R7FKedAHIjuBSq6gCX9MYjaX78xQl6e0U7Kb1lHmCKCLQZyn77GSh8GmsLLYvjyx2bE0k1JAnAKXQhBe1_z/s1600/P1040590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxugyHHdS9D7ddnyQ32ENl0jOGkx4aNy0wAa0-MqJepCJuXaDHXw2gIND1R7FKedAHIjuBSq6gCX9MYjaX78xQl6e0U7Kb1lHmCKCLQZyn77GSh8GmsLLYvjyx2bE0k1JAnAKXQhBe1_z/s1600/P1040590.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lPmKb2C2OAr9ZFk3YoxlCBfd4ydwORCuHTC53aNo72XsoncSy4TWWVXYskBR-CJBzRrCm5I9ycO_jYJBjZ84lqVD1JSADta_sMbCLdJmPLR6zUe4v8gwRGFhYfcwfqmCpoemgImw5WII/s1600/P1040591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3lPmKb2C2OAr9ZFk3YoxlCBfd4ydwORCuHTC53aNo72XsoncSy4TWWVXYskBR-CJBzRrCm5I9ycO_jYJBjZ84lqVD1JSADta_sMbCLdJmPLR6zUe4v8gwRGFhYfcwfqmCpoemgImw5WII/s1600/P1040591.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfwT_EOU85KxFs5awcOfjGVVmbhn_5ND7Ld2MED6jRqL0ljXsiJBVS71udtVbQ6Q-TLl_2yOtSnlox59wTrriikRnJAhQVfCDcod50QjYWFZ9rAF_W1-mr3S2kmKbTiyn-gcNcORrRDaf/s1600/P1040594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfwT_EOU85KxFs5awcOfjGVVmbhn_5ND7Ld2MED6jRqL0ljXsiJBVS71udtVbQ6Q-TLl_2yOtSnlox59wTrriikRnJAhQVfCDcod50QjYWFZ9rAF_W1-mr3S2kmKbTiyn-gcNcORrRDaf/s1600/P1040594.jpg" height="249" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdcoDr9DvhhgzaReUxyZvyhCR-pf4k6D_atsnR3POJH_f78nXHMpggO_fR6xOUuiDH9_DUFGjp3qiVdVyvNIxXimbi0nhdct9ZUZBit5P98MGvGl2hxdy61S5lL5-Kusap9asxJstdQyk/s1600/P1040596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdcoDr9DvhhgzaReUxyZvyhCR-pf4k6D_atsnR3POJH_f78nXHMpggO_fR6xOUuiDH9_DUFGjp3qiVdVyvNIxXimbi0nhdct9ZUZBit5P98MGvGl2hxdy61S5lL5-Kusap9asxJstdQyk/s1600/P1040596.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFXgDFl-pnoFBaf4mLE1d-JZ6yYwLQJ_rnehBW3JOj4QxuqOs53-LmncKEo8AdUNOZcUfE-83wOykBdtjTw8d8bXICIg7eKUGxp-kRmgkt4MU9RSl8cziMUHE8GIB5V90el_ixPkt8bDs/s1600/P1040597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFXgDFl-pnoFBaf4mLE1d-JZ6yYwLQJ_rnehBW3JOj4QxuqOs53-LmncKEo8AdUNOZcUfE-83wOykBdtjTw8d8bXICIg7eKUGxp-kRmgkt4MU9RSl8cziMUHE8GIB5V90el_ixPkt8bDs/s1600/P1040597.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipvZ5BrZy0xM7oFyGAGwFxV5Z9tdMk0I01ZByO5Hd2E35ezSKlRjqRArLIH5Na2GUZrug1S3C7pfbmcpUzib1tSiM67lbUVHskNSJhdr6ZJsAIXcf1kRNPdFrX0mpRyAcpTQ02oDcIUIG/s1600/P1040613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipvZ5BrZy0xM7oFyGAGwFxV5Z9tdMk0I01ZByO5Hd2E35ezSKlRjqRArLIH5Na2GUZrug1S3C7pfbmcpUzib1tSiM67lbUVHskNSJhdr6ZJsAIXcf1kRNPdFrX0mpRyAcpTQ02oDcIUIG/s1600/P1040613.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBP5rSjTDYmdCAJwUJWiBN_8n6UGiFPth4yh_sZ2m5jr6DNEg1IZmlu3hikod4-0ccec0u9Qnq9ZkslvCq9ibZOrsBk3S1bVpwbem-6BV-RbzZjCG03HngM0yd8PopxiqH34P49uJQJcH0/s1600/P1040614+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBP5rSjTDYmdCAJwUJWiBN_8n6UGiFPth4yh_sZ2m5jr6DNEg1IZmlu3hikod4-0ccec0u9Qnq9ZkslvCq9ibZOrsBk3S1bVpwbem-6BV-RbzZjCG03HngM0yd8PopxiqH34P49uJQJcH0/s1600/P1040614+copy.jpg" height="320" width="283" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
now</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbjHPl2cThFq7n2ICJnkHOVr28zKeaIomujHM3vX1DJpgVMzzWAmEpPHYWlSIDTK0yBXOCBXTSfkcNXeFdG4T7Z6oe3-KvSCaTJI7YMcu6bfHVJQ4H3B8EC_yy2Tft9nJH0mtTIOM-R2X/s1600/P1040603+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbjHPl2cThFq7n2ICJnkHOVr28zKeaIomujHM3vX1DJpgVMzzWAmEpPHYWlSIDTK0yBXOCBXTSfkcNXeFdG4T7Z6oe3-KvSCaTJI7YMcu6bfHVJQ4H3B8EC_yy2Tft9nJH0mtTIOM-R2X/s1600/P1040603+copy.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the original DeBeers brothers farmhouse. It seems primitive, but along with the rest of the town, it shows us that the Europeans here lived pretty well for the times.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mZSCSetiEJhz_yRKHoO00AheFKi4I96AtR_6UDYEuDMe4p6eX450kYGr0EaosE_-1vTWf2L2Tm0xOVcCWjpo8LXFgVPLdom-GSiKL2B5oZVxSsiA0-jWdmW7xZoBk0M1-zOsAShM57sp/s1600/P1040600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mZSCSetiEJhz_yRKHoO00AheFKi4I96AtR_6UDYEuDMe4p6eX450kYGr0EaosE_-1vTWf2L2Tm0xOVcCWjpo8LXFgVPLdom-GSiKL2B5oZVxSsiA0-jWdmW7xZoBk0M1-zOsAShM57sp/s1600/P1040600.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The African workers didn't fare so well</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcW2F5-8jkGTE7hcG2ihtzndP2fqbBlgoOCHEwy2sjhorcs5euU34HzlDNbC2vxHZAoasj4oKDCoSLIBot5nUWshvajLUeKO5gIkBJPTeGQFrmXSIW0T7RfkqAcRfA7dsEXlcGi9aAED9F/s1600/P1040599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcW2F5-8jkGTE7hcG2ihtzndP2fqbBlgoOCHEwy2sjhorcs5euU34HzlDNbC2vxHZAoasj4oKDCoSLIBot5nUWshvajLUeKO5gIkBJPTeGQFrmXSIW0T7RfkqAcRfA7dsEXlcGi9aAED9F/s1600/P1040599.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzwv8-MEi9ZqBMR5luZ23HlRYiAGlcskOMmYyJ2_5PA3FT86vNPi3MpHXmabmO8xubTCF3g3NzN12WnWVdEI0nVuKPJJ4mtg5nbND918NwvZIov9cJMe9EP4dpz_W4xv3PTwgZZz1Kb8l/s1600/P1040605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzwv8-MEi9ZqBMR5luZ23HlRYiAGlcskOMmYyJ2_5PA3FT86vNPi3MpHXmabmO8xubTCF3g3NzN12WnWVdEI0nVuKPJJ4mtg5nbND918NwvZIov9cJMe9EP4dpz_W4xv3PTwgZZz1Kb8l/s1600/P1040605.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhR_8L4bEmTaBMCcK4xnOGFK9B0j9y7PrA_vxYMhsGtiWkavDtOQPBC8vWC-AC0BEsmUvdy2aaKP8-DH3SdyMRQYukzxtcschuX-e07rLqqGvu6OODaEwfnkT-BMHEMRTNlKIwiMx6nrr/s1600/P1040615+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhR_8L4bEmTaBMCcK4xnOGFK9B0j9y7PrA_vxYMhsGtiWkavDtOQPBC8vWC-AC0BEsmUvdy2aaKP8-DH3SdyMRQYukzxtcschuX-e07rLqqGvu6OODaEwfnkT-BMHEMRTNlKIwiMx6nrr/s1600/P1040615+copy.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSnIJQg2fDM5rCNAckmijdG190uGbzummjpUJ1t0uU-kN1bVn45-osc-IDIrZUdPHZq_budHIsIzeOh41QJmc9gR97MKdr8E0vY3CGJ1MXbs0etFUkD3Dmt-MxCWfL69caaYy8FKSA4EB/s1600/P1040625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSnIJQg2fDM5rCNAckmijdG190uGbzummjpUJ1t0uU-kN1bVn45-osc-IDIrZUdPHZq_budHIsIzeOh41QJmc9gR97MKdr8E0vY3CGJ1MXbs0etFUkD3Dmt-MxCWfL69caaYy8FKSA4EB/s1600/P1040625.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-55800888008484573032014-12-23T14:57:00.001-08:002014-12-23T14:57:21.348-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 24, 2014, Friday.</i> Traveling south through S. Africa overnight, we woke this morning to an entirely different world--urban, green, and cool. We passed through Johannesburg on our way to Pretoria, noting everything from a 12 lane expressway to nice modern housing, a crowded shantytown to an enormous and elaborate mall/hotel complex. No more painfully sere landscapes, no more gleeful children dashing toward the tracks to watch us pass them by. </div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
Johannesburg is a typically urban jumble with all the usual extremes of poverty and prosperity and everything between. It could almost be anywhere, at least from the train. Pretoria Is smaller and seems neater somehow. It is the governmental capitol of the country, more or less, where Jo-burg is the economic capital. Pretoria is also the headquarters of Rovos Rail, so we arrived in their very own station, to be greeted by Rohan Vos, the president and founder of Rovos Rail. </div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
We were taken on a bus tour of the city to admire the famous jacaranda trees that line many streets. Surprisingly, the city government has banned all future planting of these lovely trees because they are not native to Africa. Eventually, they will be gone, but today, they were in full bloom and made the city very beautiful. We were taken to the imposing Voortrekker Museum where we spent an hour studying this monument to the early Dutch pioneers who settled and eventually tamed this region. The museum opened in 1949. Decades later, in 1994, when the old white government fell and Nelson Mandela was elected the first black president of South Africa, there was talk of tearing down this monument to Dutch (Afrikaner) control, Mandela insisted that it remain, as part of his wise reconciliation policy. It is a very strong, symbolic building, beautiful, and forceful, although probably not in the way the builders intended. Today, it makes us recall not just the history of that time and place, but also the sorrows of the apartheid period the Afrikaner government inflicted on the black people of South Africa.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJ_DPNniq5g1AlFaECGCURUY65JEomO7SXEaEFJmlchofHmxQ5xp5_QStbDE67Z0ItI8XD9BXK-Y5vEmGqMrmCNqpMlh49tdvhWBBmjTt6dE5i9XtlBmCZYRKaY7k352SFqZjJPQ4dlJR/s1600/P1040383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJ_DPNniq5g1AlFaECGCURUY65JEomO7SXEaEFJmlchofHmxQ5xp5_QStbDE67Z0ItI8XD9BXK-Y5vEmGqMrmCNqpMlh49tdvhWBBmjTt6dE5i9XtlBmCZYRKaY7k352SFqZjJPQ4dlJR/s1600/P1040383.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretoria--and its famous jacaranda trees in full bloom!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7K-I5PHgCX_buVG11sq1gdXHFCQSJHUZmdJslpMb1guDcceiBEHTvn64HnkgYzRcyfip-yFAOgCOwCuvFwtc7Dv30wXjQ4x-l-ptgEOMgApkZTt_ndvb3lMf9NAZNxHbN09yyq6wd_4_A/s1600/P1040386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7K-I5PHgCX_buVG11sq1gdXHFCQSJHUZmdJslpMb1guDcceiBEHTvn64HnkgYzRcyfip-yFAOgCOwCuvFwtc7Dv30wXjQ4x-l-ptgEOMgApkZTt_ndvb3lMf9NAZNxHbN09yyq6wd_4_A/s1600/P1040386.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">
After arriving in Pretoria at the Rovos Station, John chats up Rohan Vos.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKAf2wU7equV_XJrm0fiBmLwtHQV_Lm8vz6X4dU2ZWLnbZpqLSOr7qXTb0rUpCRALYZV-XeGmrkZaSPYWZx45sJ1TTuDDInGOEvKAkhKcZ9tMAQZEHW4ogUuceFSSc1rhfiJ9zMEXqsX8/s1600/P1040388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKAf2wU7equV_XJrm0fiBmLwtHQV_Lm8vz6X4dU2ZWLnbZpqLSOr7qXTb0rUpCRALYZV-XeGmrkZaSPYWZx45sJ1TTuDDInGOEvKAkhKcZ9tMAQZEHW4ogUuceFSSc1rhfiJ9zMEXqsX8/s1600/P1040388.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">
The lobby of the station</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqYNTpw93Aq-Uaa1AN-jq3KPqijy429F_ta20KevUSiLunzjaJs39cQP9BmNjqaYiUAtDpXgRt6nlbbTXfzKSd95I2hn2b4PCEvM8CKhnQzE4VbWw8Ywzqx6IIQb-2fINjAXKAwNOnAug/s1600/P1040393+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqYNTpw93Aq-Uaa1AN-jq3KPqijy429F_ta20KevUSiLunzjaJs39cQP9BmNjqaYiUAtDpXgRt6nlbbTXfzKSd95I2hn2b4PCEvM8CKhnQzE4VbWw8Ywzqx6IIQb-2fINjAXKAwNOnAug/s1600/P1040393+copy.jpg" height="243" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggG2gBqqovDNY-JSIQVLEnc-dUdqcqXmAKkH9ddOayTyTqEWUsDoQsHG4pHt90aZmTOaWAn-1lPL2z1kQfIKm45ZTVkvC-k8dxT5LsaSzoTP640sNI_qLxpKtctSnZBxCnM78uhZamvkC3/s1600/P1040399+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggG2gBqqovDNY-JSIQVLEnc-dUdqcqXmAKkH9ddOayTyTqEWUsDoQsHG4pHt90aZmTOaWAn-1lPL2z1kQfIKm45ZTVkvC-k8dxT5LsaSzoTP640sNI_qLxpKtctSnZBxCnM78uhZamvkC3/s1600/P1040399+copy.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">
This may be my favorite sign anywhere, ever.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-N4SGXhi3P_O47Fndg87AkdoyUkF1w-3r8tbzIy-wrbSO7vx3AmCe_Iqk2D52CBEikvIvK3t26SSWuPHHW2J27x9rKUSCB7gtI8AIFMQDpiz4dC2PUA77D5iS4OkT2hOe2N5j3bQJyTe/s1600/P1040400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-N4SGXhi3P_O47Fndg87AkdoyUkF1w-3r8tbzIy-wrbSO7vx3AmCe_Iqk2D52CBEikvIvK3t26SSWuPHHW2J27x9rKUSCB7gtI8AIFMQDpiz4dC2PUA77D5iS4OkT2hOe2N5j3bQJyTe/s1600/P1040400.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">
First glimpse of the massive Voortrekker Museum</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjKseBLPxVULa3hH0CUAqXyqu4r-SHq6Eq3-H8F00K-o9CTEXNB5kJa_t6j1Ld-GmqnlwccWox5WQlcmPngkPJDErvv2KRHwao3yarI3vqs_y6SWIIwMGPg5RbApBFdVe2M9MsQxVJWW-/s1600/P1040401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjKseBLPxVULa3hH0CUAqXyqu4r-SHq6Eq3-H8F00K-o9CTEXNB5kJa_t6j1Ld-GmqnlwccWox5WQlcmPngkPJDErvv2KRHwao3yarI3vqs_y6SWIIwMGPg5RbApBFdVe2M9MsQxVJWW-/s1600/P1040401.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqDDIYSic2ORXeeGFg4t9zZwAkaZrsmSMbN4kjNM9FhZcJA8tKBkPBJg6Fh0c_QH2-oWoqONeph9R4EESscNzYoe0avKK5gTnGNPTYfSjh6y4ae5jeUiABFwRHA5hHv0RVgrOSNZ5Cp3_/s1600/P1040403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqDDIYSic2ORXeeGFg4t9zZwAkaZrsmSMbN4kjNM9FhZcJA8tKBkPBJg6Fh0c_QH2-oWoqONeph9R4EESscNzYoe0avKK5gTnGNPTYfSjh6y4ae5jeUiABFwRHA5hHv0RVgrOSNZ5Cp3_/s1600/P1040403.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVVZOsEfFhazkiXYg1rvGMX_nEcQxacGuZona8XXytR5v_SsF1XEblNvorEp8KLByK_hjr76b2ZS_bw3jringInlHudEHvTyfRgglHjQX4vbfVwwwuFPHo8Lsjpwcftf2kHzU-WpVEPgD/s1600/P1040408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVVZOsEfFhazkiXYg1rvGMX_nEcQxacGuZona8XXytR5v_SsF1XEblNvorEp8KLByK_hjr76b2ZS_bw3jringInlHudEHvTyfRgglHjQX4vbfVwwwuFPHo8Lsjpwcftf2kHzU-WpVEPgD/s1600/P1040408.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg-Ci9A7tjgv373nnMI6LBIelGhPTrHcKXzf6MCMUelyYmIhR31sifpbT082r8uOlG_G_OTMJuukgkiXEM6jCVHLF-KDBKKWsw3rBoyQFsYAxGpEDZwIHRyuUGcmdt_7WYj0ibk22i3jL/s1600/P1040409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglg-Ci9A7tjgv373nnMI6LBIelGhPTrHcKXzf6MCMUelyYmIhR31sifpbT082r8uOlG_G_OTMJuukgkiXEM6jCVHLF-KDBKKWsw3rBoyQFsYAxGpEDZwIHRyuUGcmdt_7WYj0ibk22i3jL/s1600/P1040409.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2JYzSx6LQruPAe0VHLGiRYhW9Mr_4nE3Rj5MZvIVXD8Bgg8NGmkaaT2R9xhryOt6u5gPjMDqa8xVs0uVwSc1peCXJjFvEV4f_UtVNIr51pY9gsN5TDNtkr_7Hx4d7yLU5uxbLQ3nzZJ9/s1600/P1040404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2JYzSx6LQruPAe0VHLGiRYhW9Mr_4nE3Rj5MZvIVXD8Bgg8NGmkaaT2R9xhryOt6u5gPjMDqa8xVs0uVwSc1peCXJjFvEV4f_UtVNIr51pY9gsN5TDNtkr_7Hx4d7yLU5uxbLQ3nzZJ9/s1600/P1040404.jpg" height="320" width="235" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB00YowTZObGFVQdsKd2gli_nLhGxM5Q48Ppxou4RqK3aoIv7v5VVS87FiLk3r52_h46tGIAiMbDVUYJuj40VzVp3KL6DLoF3FivtNU5AkwwVVSc1jJoYfNqU6qscLzQB-tIHfb2sjF_cb/s1600/P1040407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB00YowTZObGFVQdsKd2gli_nLhGxM5Q48Ppxou4RqK3aoIv7v5VVS87FiLk3r52_h46tGIAiMbDVUYJuj40VzVp3KL6DLoF3FivtNU5AkwwVVSc1jJoYfNqU6qscLzQB-tIHfb2sjF_cb/s1600/P1040407.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04qpIV4RToeRTi-bNkefeTdNxeNIlfbUIQt2_PkSiODTHDhdXO7H2Gi8mBaNlxjEAZsGhuUj4h6KwLQdcKMc68q9MzVJ4oAO_voXiSzAErgHMc2FMr6EPWDnccytFbXXRnpx9ftT5ceI7/s1600/P1040410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04qpIV4RToeRTi-bNkefeTdNxeNIlfbUIQt2_PkSiODTHDhdXO7H2Gi8mBaNlxjEAZsGhuUj4h6KwLQdcKMc68q9MzVJ4oAO_voXiSzAErgHMc2FMr6EPWDnccytFbXXRnpx9ftT5ceI7/s1600/P1040410.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0is3owjCBxZDPjrbW6tSAPWrtbFFcQ7vCcTqGEezSnz70h_6jVt1DtVBjKzJ6cPiD0ePflAL8r-4rrs-_F7vuu2X_nBpXJGzft1Qik7CwlhHXV-0oP4tEG_qWa5KVikTGuBZ0KqU89eT/s1600/P1040411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0is3owjCBxZDPjrbW6tSAPWrtbFFcQ7vCcTqGEezSnz70h_6jVt1DtVBjKzJ6cPiD0ePflAL8r-4rrs-_F7vuu2X_nBpXJGzft1Qik7CwlhHXV-0oP4tEG_qWa5KVikTGuBZ0KqU89eT/s1600/P1040411.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretoria from the museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGclwulqmbHZ-nXlfY4v7CSq16K1-xfBPHAx33zpTo5HxWOCqnOC3wsfu6Pbw73gMcwBtgw6NyFFM5p3uv94_XXj-suQJU0hrEib3ywafWLAL9cAPBborDKr6f5jyXc9bDpbQ0bdm-_q-7/s1600/P1040415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGclwulqmbHZ-nXlfY4v7CSq16K1-xfBPHAx33zpTo5HxWOCqnOC3wsfu6Pbw73gMcwBtgw6NyFFM5p3uv94_XXj-suQJU0hrEib3ywafWLAL9cAPBborDKr6f5jyXc9bDpbQ0bdm-_q-7/s1600/P1040415.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This frieze depicts the history of the Dutch settlers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUGUg6C-qNyawMNeA6smnHJfvXEL9KEG1OtKpzxdqYHBvCRfnb5WHkUPVi-lnAwTR9RaqqxZE1JHBbG8KNtxBlJAgoZaT8cGbFG70ISvMD6AuEGFTNbEgVfu8S2p5XHr2-c4586oPam1b/s1600/P1040416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUGUg6C-qNyawMNeA6smnHJfvXEL9KEG1OtKpzxdqYHBvCRfnb5WHkUPVi-lnAwTR9RaqqxZE1JHBbG8KNtxBlJAgoZaT8cGbFG70ISvMD6AuEGFTNbEgVfu8S2p5XHr2-c4586oPam1b/s1600/P1040416.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1T9mr7Dcx9DyK9Y3fgWe0nGq6CKTLI3OQoeXUZfZviSeXqWMXF4dUlrALqLqesShO7e0FlpDRwr4v3mp35m2fWyB5dLVNgDIGE7_TZDtUNpvoq6CZQLe0BCqFUhh-HIlbUUfblMrCf-f/s1600/P1040417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1T9mr7Dcx9DyK9Y3fgWe0nGq6CKTLI3OQoeXUZfZviSeXqWMXF4dUlrALqLqesShO7e0FlpDRwr4v3mp35m2fWyB5dLVNgDIGE7_TZDtUNpvoq6CZQLe0BCqFUhh-HIlbUUfblMrCf-f/s1600/P1040417.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAD8rYvSsxEwRlyL-0e5L9tLPcglthHKeHZceCXXxktm3fHKXJDND4CZpVZ-sMFbI7aAjyksgadfa_Tm8L7gUwE58MV7EigC5eycVox5nX2InH6oqlq6KxQwhTzWZGkfRhMz9aKg1CIoY/s1600/P1040423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSAD8rYvSsxEwRlyL-0e5L9tLPcglthHKeHZceCXXxktm3fHKXJDND4CZpVZ-sMFbI7aAjyksgadfa_Tm8L7gUwE58MV7EigC5eycVox5nX2InH6oqlq6KxQwhTzWZGkfRhMz9aKg1CIoY/s1600/P1040423.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the yarns that went into the equally enormous tapestry depicting the same history</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQATw9983P6lJUe7heppZrkaC6wsRk9Jw0gxL59219zgo_xY-m60fdS9qiUusiO52WRBY-THvcNGQ-A4NdAUWTk_mG4CXG0DA8lTwinvAcpGNaCGH22nHYobNVMDoHG66b6cJGGBiJwVLt/s1600/P1040425+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQATw9983P6lJUe7heppZrkaC6wsRk9Jw0gxL59219zgo_xY-m60fdS9qiUusiO52WRBY-THvcNGQ-A4NdAUWTk_mG4CXG0DA8lTwinvAcpGNaCGH22nHYobNVMDoHG66b6cJGGBiJwVLt/s1600/P1040425+copy.jpg" height="164" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pDCuL9vwYNRjHNT3UA2L0sfcqNu23eYZ54JTCpgALy12U4HwB_Y6LI_7p0lTA7a6Cu6YIB6iFnwLqqOJVsQfVrCRp59Hz3COFJFP7dxUDgJRHIZHOUaPJKsYJtx1iu2vqp-IZOFhtrJu/s1600/P1040426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pDCuL9vwYNRjHNT3UA2L0sfcqNu23eYZ54JTCpgALy12U4HwB_Y6LI_7p0lTA7a6Cu6YIB6iFnwLqqOJVsQfVrCRp59Hz3COFJFP7dxUDgJRHIZHOUaPJKsYJtx1iu2vqp-IZOFhtrJu/s1600/P1040426.jpg" height="133" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxYPm6t8TiP3FquTvg8W3r31xqswb4fdYUkL75hBA57RoFv1iey6U4HbvnZW9BrelCYn6k7tkoWdk7WMJBqIZALqh568W5tO7PCVrvJE6UkHYFiR_Jz9J1XuB-HzReXRQntEtvNcC7GyP/s1600/P1040428+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxYPm6t8TiP3FquTvg8W3r31xqswb4fdYUkL75hBA57RoFv1iey6U4HbvnZW9BrelCYn6k7tkoWdk7WMJBqIZALqh568W5tO7PCVrvJE6UkHYFiR_Jz9J1XuB-HzReXRQntEtvNcC7GyP/s1600/P1040428+copy.jpg" height="123" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_pHSAVQt99h-f0lIZ9c807zRxj8Bxmhfd5b2HLlbZq2G7VJiET3JWu1u7_DJ0YmQ-Ti_yGAo947Cxwlztfq8FWoc-sqjLj5fZKWxZTK_M5D2sxfclGnyg3HoLnwx9GPqkN8-lHbmri7C/s1600/P1040427+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_pHSAVQt99h-f0lIZ9c807zRxj8Bxmhfd5b2HLlbZq2G7VJiET3JWu1u7_DJ0YmQ-Ti_yGAo947Cxwlztfq8FWoc-sqjLj5fZKWxZTK_M5D2sxfclGnyg3HoLnwx9GPqkN8-lHbmri7C/s1600/P1040427+copy.jpg" height="125" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLe-ZJ5lx86CNxZL9Wm9WAG0-MEk-ALyQLNyq42jWqHNwXQ4KsD3ocnBStmycE73QAjYhY9zZLs8Flyormd-QxJ1AwqFQzS2_70bBTkHhXxiT7-RziCha6ZltfcukIQxOsiOjPtpf5s4a/s1600/P1040435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLe-ZJ5lx86CNxZL9Wm9WAG0-MEk-ALyQLNyq42jWqHNwXQ4KsD3ocnBStmycE73QAjYhY9zZLs8Flyormd-QxJ1AwqFQzS2_70bBTkHhXxiT7-RziCha6ZltfcukIQxOsiOjPtpf5s4a/s1600/P1040435.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4tP9HGQTWkgWzw9oQtzDOtD6QhxZWgzAK7bFxwzu6t0cymuOZ2Xr9GHPZZAstdTnHeUMF_HKBBa2Ok_dEZCAq790wB9AcAxmNJSYHZLSw5KU-x41VX5Nj5R9j2U238g_w1b-5WeVCfpN/s1600/P1040438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4tP9HGQTWkgWzw9oQtzDOtD6QhxZWgzAK7bFxwzu6t0cymuOZ2Xr9GHPZZAstdTnHeUMF_HKBBa2Ok_dEZCAq790wB9AcAxmNJSYHZLSw5KU-x41VX5Nj5R9j2U238g_w1b-5WeVCfpN/s1600/P1040438.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WoCRIfCrFPyWhjx26MaIoA0zXt35yK3T2mWXaFJEtQ4c8Y2SfJpQkkp4ty70ojpVn_OfCHL1BZtmDkb437cLXflAjgjssi5aFwjt-e52pkzRN-qVMpKUHwTNThM7LAGcFE-PisLfyXpI/s1600/P1040442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WoCRIfCrFPyWhjx26MaIoA0zXt35yK3T2mWXaFJEtQ4c8Y2SfJpQkkp4ty70ojpVn_OfCHL1BZtmDkb437cLXflAjgjssi5aFwjt-e52pkzRN-qVMpKUHwTNThM7LAGcFE-PisLfyXpI/s1600/P1040442.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_mzmizXfapieBvYUYnjQgozeEG4Mei3YsPfKa6sJTNTW5B8XX_nvZf8ij05uG7zpQ62x9oxNs60G3aXJ2zSSbLCnBnmFmQIXEcMu9PcwFm14Bm1cpopYDQVwWjN-sLbOycC31ejmHAtb/s1600/P1040445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_mzmizXfapieBvYUYnjQgozeEG4Mei3YsPfKa6sJTNTW5B8XX_nvZf8ij05uG7zpQ62x9oxNs60G3aXJ2zSSbLCnBnmFmQIXEcMu9PcwFm14Bm1cpopYDQVwWjN-sLbOycC31ejmHAtb/s1600/P1040445.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGI2L71dS58riTbE-bPTACrcJ6RAkkIKzT-Ij4w4DFKI_Lp0lS5TgF4KbJ9i3M2pWxqpvUP2adrqOMqZ95n0gacGHXWzGSmzDAgZYhEJhYlHXwEfSgT0Lst9gkitRJ7-_1BV3Y_KDihMh7/s1600/P1040457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGI2L71dS58riTbE-bPTACrcJ6RAkkIKzT-Ij4w4DFKI_Lp0lS5TgF4KbJ9i3M2pWxqpvUP2adrqOMqZ95n0gacGHXWzGSmzDAgZYhEJhYlHXwEfSgT0Lst9gkitRJ7-_1BV3Y_KDihMh7/s1600/P1040457.jpg" height="229" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">Back on the bus, we drove through the most prosperous part of the city, home to government officials and embassies, and ended at the Union Buildings, a huge, classically designed symmetrical complex that symbolizes the eventual balance of the formerly divided Dutch and English citizens of South Africa and still houses most of the government that resides here. I suppose today, that balance might be described as between South Africa’s black and white people. All of SA's presidents have statues here, but dominating all of them is an enormous bronze depicting Nelson Mandela with his arms raised to symbolically embrace the entire, diverse nation. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PTYKeir4OlcpPufb71sAC6Q7P5Ej_T6hi10W3tBrdWIYMxbbk-B3Cscduf_VSvGCfRn2MnJz-zQga2RhwVpZdZG51OuQPMBfVFdvG-798Eshc2PWcjltM8lWFPVQES4KloGkthnBhIqJ/s1600/P1040464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PTYKeir4OlcpPufb71sAC6Q7P5Ej_T6hi10W3tBrdWIYMxbbk-B3Cscduf_VSvGCfRn2MnJz-zQga2RhwVpZdZG51OuQPMBfVFdvG-798Eshc2PWcjltM8lWFPVQES4KloGkthnBhIqJ/s1600/P1040464.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_Q_YcFxv-MbWB5wUDc4y9wHY2yTL76lRJo2VjVCu7mYgsz876GNIJFF8zEvt86uPF22De3CfGg2CKPkb_latWBrmitEsYbrNMnfkTjdo99WifIyMKxHaGTLH99bxVy70-P8Kf0OttBMi/s1600/P1040470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_Q_YcFxv-MbWB5wUDc4y9wHY2yTL76lRJo2VjVCu7mYgsz876GNIJFF8zEvt86uPF22De3CfGg2CKPkb_latWBrmitEsYbrNMnfkTjdo99WifIyMKxHaGTLH99bxVy70-P8Kf0OttBMi/s1600/P1040470.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuUg_4coYfJI0Vd4j4WkOm6CFDWFFlvAyhqCBfvPCVGjadgFYUnDLHnp9H64X0GbO4YlLCnteCOwQbD1eUKNAnx5HzYabaI0hKjy_D63Rqaj6XJzlJaezXdSzCfs8XWkH1IklRyY0r-dY/s1600/P1040471+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEuUg_4coYfJI0Vd4j4WkOm6CFDWFFlvAyhqCBfvPCVGjadgFYUnDLHnp9H64X0GbO4YlLCnteCOwQbD1eUKNAnx5HzYabaI0hKjy_D63Rqaj6XJzlJaezXdSzCfs8XWkH1IklRyY0r-dY/s1600/P1040471+copy.jpg" height="320" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to take a picture of this. The thing that looks like a golf club is actually <br />a wand to hold your phone so you can take better selfies!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9C34iSF7fr5IY22bQVTEso_kpqzUc0nfd9y8eM5Kw8b74b8hM2hHoJdedd4OL4NFgACnk_lqzcz0C0047SuTsoSYe4Reyp-vQcjxj41chm1jWiMVURBCrIWnUlmGT-fA0UD4P0ZRnWF_V/s1600/P1040474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9C34iSF7fr5IY22bQVTEso_kpqzUc0nfd9y8eM5Kw8b74b8hM2hHoJdedd4OL4NFgACnk_lqzcz0C0047SuTsoSYe4Reyp-vQcjxj41chm1jWiMVURBCrIWnUlmGT-fA0UD4P0ZRnWF_V/s1600/P1040474.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnEP2cieh3IZoE2PJAzeHFmzDzDxMa7B7MJQdn1jRLdZoiyCTEK7ea2ZrJrvdF3pA2yRh38FQ-8q4IS7uk0t_auyScssX0Em2_OKl4ScOI7RGBGT0yNe5tVfwX134vfFvpUNbVay81KFZ/s1600/P1040480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnEP2cieh3IZoE2PJAzeHFmzDzDxMa7B7MJQdn1jRLdZoiyCTEK7ea2ZrJrvdF3pA2yRh38FQ-8q4IS7uk0t_auyScssX0Em2_OKl4ScOI7RGBGT0yNe5tVfwX134vfFvpUNbVay81KFZ/s1600/P1040480.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqd2p-tfBew03zWeA-e3h_60TvbYsmHYwvuTAhjIZtUD1vtOE927RQIjTfVqadmiVCIUuTH9vnMZewhWFzwquvVO1hF8t0YnCbIB1Y5sieeujXYDRVhLrtpRnqTblF5Sdjx_f4ErOuahu/s1600/P1040485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqd2p-tfBew03zWeA-e3h_60TvbYsmHYwvuTAhjIZtUD1vtOE927RQIjTfVqadmiVCIUuTH9vnMZewhWFzwquvVO1hF8t0YnCbIB1Y5sieeujXYDRVhLrtpRnqTblF5Sdjx_f4ErOuahu/s1600/P1040485.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iiwPEg6PciHlb1XVplA2qEsg0e06YtGNxak9hJ1O0fDtuJFv_Sog89SCLlsG7j95_8NXDpw3Vo4iikaQC9wqij1G5fBieK5S_lan_vkzYmbVJFlk5jPYyMt1yjkMYgE9B08AedfO6W68/s1600/P1040487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iiwPEg6PciHlb1XVplA2qEsg0e06YtGNxak9hJ1O0fDtuJFv_Sog89SCLlsG7j95_8NXDpw3Vo4iikaQC9wqij1G5fBieK5S_lan_vkzYmbVJFlk5jPYyMt1yjkMYgE9B08AedfO6W68/s1600/P1040487.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
We returned to the Rovos station where lunch and wine awaited us, followed by a very interesting tour led by Mr Vos himself. He told us about how he has spent years buying old rail cars and engines, most being sold as scrap and in truly dreadful condition, then gutting and refitting them to the designs he has established for his railroad. It is a large operation, and they are currently over halfway through putting together a fifth train. They already provide luxury service on all the routes worth seeing in Africa, but the trains sell out, so they have steadily increased their frequency. His business is a perfect example of a person who has worked at the thing he loves best and made such a success of it that his hobby has become his livelihood.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHgRHRKV2QgxSsOepZrcXlI3Oj8yINOgcX1SnPC790jFTLyjlt_hf5EWC4KsK0iGvtSGM7O8WBC6dEtuSshY3C4sv6afHJODkGYk3tG1WFUJmr5V-TyfQafo7IVjkawV-D0UmEExrHjMH/s1600/P1040491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHgRHRKV2QgxSsOepZrcXlI3Oj8yINOgcX1SnPC790jFTLyjlt_hf5EWC4KsK0iGvtSGM7O8WBC6dEtuSshY3C4sv6afHJODkGYk3tG1WFUJmr5V-TyfQafo7IVjkawV-D0UmEExrHjMH/s1600/P1040491.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPhlqB9eH1quh-2KSXh0pLlX_8gX37aJK9tf59lWXIVvtMQR_p2DIm3Rhmx-rxkJIfv38HJqFt3ToGAetceCU81zo4Yac_Zotde-ZzY0oUGNp3n6tt4xxMQIcir5__NH_CsBleoEI7k3Y/s1600/P1040497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPhlqB9eH1quh-2KSXh0pLlX_8gX37aJK9tf59lWXIVvtMQR_p2DIm3Rhmx-rxkJIfv38HJqFt3ToGAetceCU81zo4Yac_Zotde-ZzY0oUGNp3n6tt4xxMQIcir5__NH_CsBleoEI7k3Y/s1600/P1040497.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOepSQ_zrZHcLcT_se8gIANSRJKK5HvZH_RGK0crc-NB7tKRV2tXXAg4wVnFQiPimQPS6n2szI2Z_PPQMpFeWWIwp2m7YFEYfMTcEvivdV-dduLQmzQ7nwwn5GhWW5-YONh47xQ9_UuoY/s1600/P1040500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFOepSQ_zrZHcLcT_se8gIANSRJKK5HvZH_RGK0crc-NB7tKRV2tXXAg4wVnFQiPimQPS6n2szI2Z_PPQMpFeWWIwp2m7YFEYfMTcEvivdV-dduLQmzQ7nwwn5GhWW5-YONh47xQ9_UuoY/s1600/P1040500.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdfD_XXrxvm0mXZOO6KyyweSsOWJRoUcrBhpR0oyt_3bDyQ5ZWfwjA_UkGMUCT7LAcEm-AsBFmgA_GbJ05Ykvm44_OvrwvVPWawD2IVQ385ES6SqENkNQ9d1bKL8DQsMrTk1t0vfkHULN/s1600/P1040501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdfD_XXrxvm0mXZOO6KyyweSsOWJRoUcrBhpR0oyt_3bDyQ5ZWfwjA_UkGMUCT7LAcEm-AsBFmgA_GbJ05Ykvm44_OvrwvVPWawD2IVQ385ES6SqENkNQ9d1bKL8DQsMrTk1t0vfkHULN/s1600/P1040501.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyYmT8uZlQ0XzpIJQjHkFCD8xTzy7c3gMmukO1vvvBCEPRDb2M4ri9ADxiqR2dsEd4ugLU5Q-4GDUF-EYzIBgCQD5wmjiQm0V7fnrlRBbKXZZXXx2ZiNgAUjqzhh7sUmxxW3a7nHublPy/s1600/P1040502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyYmT8uZlQ0XzpIJQjHkFCD8xTzy7c3gMmukO1vvvBCEPRDb2M4ri9ADxiqR2dsEd4ugLU5Q-4GDUF-EYzIBgCQD5wmjiQm0V7fnrlRBbKXZZXXx2ZiNgAUjqzhh7sUmxxW3a7nHublPy/s1600/P1040502.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtohWQHLBdmVDuYFXzgzDucnIyBjBrD9F7WXiGygDYaN0-1hvzzRX2kyUrjLpgVy7dUGxKfCE2fRrAtVmLIZZWeG534Wb9N4g3P6978hqH3U0lLUN7oxN-s3J-_9S9OGTFtOWt6nEJh2d/s1600/P1040504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtohWQHLBdmVDuYFXzgzDucnIyBjBrD9F7WXiGygDYaN0-1hvzzRX2kyUrjLpgVy7dUGxKfCE2fRrAtVmLIZZWeG534Wb9N4g3P6978hqH3U0lLUN7oxN-s3J-_9S9OGTFtOWt6nEJh2d/s1600/P1040504.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFN-z0_ngZcckbQVjm5JoPHKRksXjx3ap_JYAh-NGBs3P1ZK6up5DFx89XBQi55qO4WsLc76iyikVs1EMsL-_rBWB9FgZry07o3Vkjrl6in027Ble5E4nKQUlIK4NE2lm98-S63CTUGTD/s1600/P1040507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFN-z0_ngZcckbQVjm5JoPHKRksXjx3ap_JYAh-NGBs3P1ZK6up5DFx89XBQi55qO4WsLc76iyikVs1EMsL-_rBWB9FgZry07o3Vkjrl6in027Ble5E4nKQUlIK4NE2lm98-S63CTUGTD/s1600/P1040507.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRicgasu-P6ESCwzWtDJ8bUylRz8BQTFwiuMjkCW97OEMRDt9hZYR5jkl_WO975z4pZus8NQFd5A89JK_0kM2g9XeJL7lcR-EfTGclsnEE4FdoRgWXJ3H96hk_IN6Ez5gSBl2Z8-P6TAu1/s1600/P1040509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRicgasu-P6ESCwzWtDJ8bUylRz8BQTFwiuMjkCW97OEMRDt9hZYR5jkl_WO975z4pZus8NQFd5A89JK_0kM2g9XeJL7lcR-EfTGclsnEE4FdoRgWXJ3H96hk_IN6Ez5gSBl2Z8-P6TAu1/s1600/P1040509.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OUo93v_0oW3Jr_djJgXhAZMa2OvSGeg9hJsM8MN8Vau__vBj1X8JLxpvwSCXHdZqJ6j6fcbOmk3N_WJVoJBN2B9DSm3v8C-yU4FjmjW84ptVTA2mda24fLrbUf5rm5Wa0a_yhszaH6KG/s1600/P1040513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6OUo93v_0oW3Jr_djJgXhAZMa2OvSGeg9hJsM8MN8Vau__vBj1X8JLxpvwSCXHdZqJ6j6fcbOmk3N_WJVoJBN2B9DSm3v8C-yU4FjmjW84ptVTA2mda24fLrbUf5rm5Wa0a_yhszaH6KG/s1600/P1040513.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUN-kGT8IiOv2XJ1Lh5AVMsw9nf8ByHyO5TCnU-ZC4mWPyynXfkb5R-zHMy_BHtCDbusbjBdI74QFOProyHJSsjlfhEG-f7Nos7FsC9yQjh8Xxu_JkRnqh5u2WvTGz1IiGbE4ON20jxNeI/s1600/P1040517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUN-kGT8IiOv2XJ1Lh5AVMsw9nf8ByHyO5TCnU-ZC4mWPyynXfkb5R-zHMy_BHtCDbusbjBdI74QFOProyHJSsjlfhEG-f7Nos7FsC9yQjh8Xxu_JkRnqh5u2WvTGz1IiGbE4ON20jxNeI/s1600/P1040517.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMgAJGUCIMmWvuMbFsij2zJNtYMn7mc_pMeOb5H4Hvx8QxR6tKWAdT0JjFAiqI4ZTn9BNeAc7J04vpJaDONFKhtXBZLIk4VYR34L9lWWYsj7ydAQCPn70GPvpWXHS1QKh7iFbnTZ8BIu2/s1600/P1040518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMgAJGUCIMmWvuMbFsij2zJNtYMn7mc_pMeOb5H4Hvx8QxR6tKWAdT0JjFAiqI4ZTn9BNeAc7J04vpJaDONFKhtXBZLIk4VYR34L9lWWYsj7ydAQCPn70GPvpWXHS1QKh7iFbnTZ8BIu2/s1600/P1040518.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Bb6JjsHwudvXRkC8XTsLj__mFWR5RsD60u9KLqtTn8SUXQp9ZSYNz8KxOEUUCO4wwVzHYXnCZba4denbP30BgCmVOno8afT77rli6tHvJvuARt_XuDsu4JpJlh5y1U7u4i8HpTn92SSn/s1600/Us+with+Rovos+train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Bb6JjsHwudvXRkC8XTsLj__mFWR5RsD60u9KLqtTn8SUXQp9ZSYNz8KxOEUUCO4wwVzHYXnCZba4denbP30BgCmVOno8afT77rli6tHvJvuARt_XuDsu4JpJlh5y1U7u4i8HpTn92SSn/s1600/Us+with+Rovos+train.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-42842724765399796922014-12-23T14:25:00.003-08:002014-12-23T14:26:42.902-08:00<div style="font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<i>October 23, Thursday.</i> We started our last day here with another early morning drive and a small group of zebra. When they were just standing and grazing, each was turned in a different direction from the rest so each could keep watch for predators the others might not see. They prefer grazing in open savannas for this reason because they can often outrun danger. After that, we bumped and swayed at high speed for a very long time without seeing anything<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> very exciting</span> until at last Iggie took us to a spot where an adult lioness was devouring her share of a large zebra that had made the mistake of wandering into a grove of acacia trees that provided excellent cover for the lions. There were two adult females and three youngish cubs all sated and sleeping while mama finished her meal. Iggie said the male of the pride spends little time with the others, being busy patrolling his territory to keep out other lions. Looks like mama waited until papa went off to work and then bagged some groceries for the rest of the family. Clever lady. She finished feeding while we were admiring her ability to toss around the huge zebra carcass while neatly cleaning meat off the skin and bones. It was not all gone when she finished, so if dad shows up in time, he will get some, too. If not, the scavengers--hyenas and buzzards, will finish the job. Nature is remarkably efficient<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpvAc2lfioUA73If7SA0EeaVQ-Muy5fRwZL_6nr6fsDYa8IxYU0wtGOfoWaMlKvWmWVEYlSEw87QXapP2lsFe6FFmkKbn3ClWAcjJbFXifbop7ZvKflrDUd1PF7DQ2tgsHCRpv5SKHqaC/s1600/P1040304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfpvAc2lfioUA73If7SA0EeaVQ-Muy5fRwZL_6nr6fsDYa8IxYU0wtGOfoWaMlKvWmWVEYlSEw87QXapP2lsFe6FFmkKbn3ClWAcjJbFXifbop7ZvKflrDUd1PF7DQ2tgsHCRpv5SKHqaC/s1600/P1040304.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBQagnQrf5rzMRSMxUM6JUFXmTCbVuZ81PDaw6TD6JAK9YD2OXqMpwbf7GrkDBtw8cQEtByx7mwFUlB7PmWeApIV_6vhVAVDw6SxYbq0cfUb_8o-_7LsYYINsxTde5k6xkuOr5SePDP5Y/s1600/P1040307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBQagnQrf5rzMRSMxUM6JUFXmTCbVuZ81PDaw6TD6JAK9YD2OXqMpwbf7GrkDBtw8cQEtByx7mwFUlB7PmWeApIV_6vhVAVDw6SxYbq0cfUb_8o-_7LsYYINsxTde5k6xkuOr5SePDP5Y/s1600/P1040307.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCrILeu3mE9aWN9zw1C4_wXCsaJ9VqX2U1UIOXjuqjp8r9YD8heVqzX6RBCOY5gcP3yT49GDQ_CUDmzYI7FsZQvMO0392mrmV0A6SBvWTxT_tSMq99aHxP-fXcZtQk55iQ4LNjHF48AJK/s1600/P1040309+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCrILeu3mE9aWN9zw1C4_wXCsaJ9VqX2U1UIOXjuqjp8r9YD8heVqzX6RBCOY5gcP3yT49GDQ_CUDmzYI7FsZQvMO0392mrmV0A6SBvWTxT_tSMq99aHxP-fXcZtQk55iQ4LNjHF48AJK/s1600/P1040309+copy.jpg" height="223" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8xFGY8HBgj1pflXUPeixUJyjQTSAZKIOAvBKDPUuSJKpRHTJzurJ8Mtc_54O1YciOhG9t3CaBoHRXV7M1PvMi56UWBKNR9IUjpVtNATBYnhtSbDMIbxz8h_JuGgIb4F0wEnXOxbbQAOg/s1600/P1040312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8xFGY8HBgj1pflXUPeixUJyjQTSAZKIOAvBKDPUuSJKpRHTJzurJ8Mtc_54O1YciOhG9t3CaBoHRXV7M1PvMi56UWBKNR9IUjpVtNATBYnhtSbDMIbxz8h_JuGgIb4F0wEnXOxbbQAOg/s1600/P1040312.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnHa-jJf2T17YnSqAbAcTmG4ATx6dZT2L7i8LeSBntUYu4ZQwLGstMVQHoDXwbX-W2mbfRYk3ok8Ar0kZXaO0YqHQCljBTwlXkw5LurLaWQghZ5-Utx-hEgSjbTh2WI0IbMRPvxgw8H20/s1600/P1040326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnnHa-jJf2T17YnSqAbAcTmG4ATx6dZT2L7i8LeSBntUYu4ZQwLGstMVQHoDXwbX-W2mbfRYk3ok8Ar0kZXaO0YqHQCljBTwlXkw5LurLaWQghZ5-Utx-hEgSjbTh2WI0IbMRPvxgw8H20/s1600/P1040326.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> <span style="font-size: 9px;">We saw more zebras, a few elephants, and even a few rhinos trotting along off in the distance about the time we stopped for our tea break. Our best sighting after the lions was totally unexpected--a big ostrich standing right in the middle of the road and politely posing for a few photos before moving off into the bush. Lots of downtime this morning, but some very nice rewards anyway. I was happy to have both my fleece and my windbreaker today.</span><span style="font-size: 9px;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfI56UyJx_1TYxWhDIRWvgUls8C_TuYOXH1pE_JJe5lnNazgZD4mj_LlhSN2oeyE6ldU6ICu2PoGIldiU6tfMj-MRCuIpTBN9aigDxRVO9LFSzURcL9QZkgQOTH3vfK2gEbLeIZZ6Q5X0/s1600/P1040336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibfI56UyJx_1TYxWhDIRWvgUls8C_TuYOXH1pE_JJe5lnNazgZD4mj_LlhSN2oeyE6ldU6ICu2PoGIldiU6tfMj-MRCuIpTBN9aigDxRVO9LFSzURcL9QZkgQOTH3vfK2gEbLeIZZ6Q5X0/s1600/P1040336.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcGMOV74X0UwFC_VZMT0l2JOKpeAzCVu1WA9oaCjMRouQTTxU553RfNUdiKuOYw7IHM72WUQdpVmXA5UY9sOaHFBUr2z33XOt-t_4y0m_f2CJtiZvksnPN5TdQpoKzvwossc-1-bfohqh/s1600/P1040340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcGMOV74X0UwFC_VZMT0l2JOKpeAzCVu1WA9oaCjMRouQTTxU553RfNUdiKuOYw7IHM72WUQdpVmXA5UY9sOaHFBUr2z33XOt-t_4y0m_f2CJtiZvksnPN5TdQpoKzvwossc-1-bfohqh/s1600/P1040340.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDJoO84axE6GPgZEvcM0HLIhl-SMw1RzHj35EvXqIg96mk5BAz2kbiUBSEiJZOmVjhhsR9CNkpnnGbgYtRTeF5mCmHY3N5WylAVNFDK6v0WLojLBQ5WOt8OSLVQx_a2Cu4ENzgt0L1FF1/s1600/P1040343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDJoO84axE6GPgZEvcM0HLIhl-SMw1RzHj35EvXqIg96mk5BAz2kbiUBSEiJZOmVjhhsR9CNkpnnGbgYtRTeF5mCmHY3N5WylAVNFDK6v0WLojLBQ5WOt8OSLVQx_a2Cu4ENzgt0L1FF1/s1600/P1040343.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GaqUhUr13LQg5C4LM_QHw-ftg3t5WiqTmwxZbpumGfE8YDdgzK33wQ1jMS4hsGA5E9YbdB43iusxiXWjkHvFpaorhGDkfuZSimopcSpUEEC0jkCI4Zf2TN8LGZZj9q95zsNq5GgdZZAK/s1600/P1040349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4GaqUhUr13LQg5C4LM_QHw-ftg3t5WiqTmwxZbpumGfE8YDdgzK33wQ1jMS4hsGA5E9YbdB43iusxiXWjkHvFpaorhGDkfuZSimopcSpUEEC0jkCI4Zf2TN8LGZZj9q95zsNq5GgdZZAK/s1600/P1040349.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnwNln66mXcIH5bnnNcuAjIQMF9PINNPgl-U5c62qAC_JkIlnuQHSwov7TDIDRV3Y8587NS-lWqRinG-2z1rTvAxKI2SqQy3RIvc3JGg466JS6AUvlHVvwGcvNWriTbUOZ4Pw12-01o2f/s1600/P1040356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnwNln66mXcIH5bnnNcuAjIQMF9PINNPgl-U5c62qAC_JkIlnuQHSwov7TDIDRV3Y8587NS-lWqRinG-2z1rTvAxKI2SqQy3RIvc3JGg466JS6AUvlHVvwGcvNWriTbUOZ4Pw12-01o2f/s1600/P1040356.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqCZvpUFnUNYzhIa-lfDz4ZnefUmdk_EsrrTYfYUZaAS6MND0ugmN5NBEYhb4moof0anbPYzZ-J-70yOhAxBMouHG0qLa4Qy3P5A3Zqv9Evty9ivGSSIkcGzwzyEs0Yyw6PCxHSr7FcF7/s1600/P1040364+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqCZvpUFnUNYzhIa-lfDz4ZnefUmdk_EsrrTYfYUZaAS6MND0ugmN5NBEYhb4moof0anbPYzZ-J-70yOhAxBMouHG0qLa4Qy3P5A3Zqv9Evty9ivGSSIkcGzwzyEs0Yyw6PCxHSr7FcF7/s1600/P1040364+copy.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImsOoCDTlwjuQWdKU4NTKaVEg0v90ts6j_rRepnQs6wmf0EoqXVF5SylboKRaJh07m0YQaYj98MCTw76XfDmxLNlHsQx5Bn8YDKKw0KG-EdtsO9q8G5A10y2Rjf-a1WkI-f27jP2ghoju/s1600/P1040368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjImsOoCDTlwjuQWdKU4NTKaVEg0v90ts6j_rRepnQs6wmf0EoqXVF5SylboKRaJh07m0YQaYj98MCTw76XfDmxLNlHsQx5Bn8YDKKw0KG-EdtsO9q8G5A10y2Rjf-a1WkI-f27jP2ghoju/s1600/P1040368.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8s_orIZp-FTmBjTFjkKZz8Iagcux8Ofl2plq4BAILlJ679wl-TPSzb3DuzsFUbIxyOWpCGvj13n54q3yw40NazAAjtCeszDnFQEXGHTxmCYZmTR_4Gm9LRA1N4T3ZNNDpxAwWW-okqHEs/s1600/P1040365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8s_orIZp-FTmBjTFjkKZz8Iagcux8Ofl2plq4BAILlJ679wl-TPSzb3DuzsFUbIxyOWpCGvj13n54q3yw40NazAAjtCeszDnFQEXGHTxmCYZmTR_4Gm9LRA1N4T3ZNNDpxAwWW-okqHEs/s1600/P1040365.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_31WcnvvNkKHvhoSn1BrrfG5e8bERqgHR-WL56ERIHp46fLQiWsKFEeoyqiWEqM8FxPudHGDmaW0oDmWxpiFZg3Lplco9tjW6zRSg3EUPxrcpb2Xdjgp-7jTP9SpuZsFB60T1bh-dbXr1/s1600/P1040351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_31WcnvvNkKHvhoSn1BrrfG5e8bERqgHR-WL56ERIHp46fLQiWsKFEeoyqiWEqM8FxPudHGDmaW0oDmWxpiFZg3Lplco9tjW6zRSg3EUPxrcpb2Xdjgp-7jTP9SpuZsFB60T1bh-dbXr1/s1600/P1040351.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> <span style="font-size: 9px;"> </span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPOOnAOxAH-q50L7F0IPc_qrk2n99hfe0h2RkY7BW9FUJ281_2VctSvw6SWqUcMLTfDdoUCCDW0uhTZmkOTat8nRkJPXbjnwZFvISmu2Oi3fFXQS93nZqwOdycobna2Noljm7w9JCdX4P/s1600/P1040370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPOOnAOxAH-q50L7F0IPc_qrk2n99hfe0h2RkY7BW9FUJ281_2VctSvw6SWqUcMLTfDdoUCCDW0uhTZmkOTat8nRkJPXbjnwZFvISmu2Oi3fFXQS93nZqwOdycobna2Noljm7w9JCdX4P/s1600/P1040370.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
We had a little visitor during our tea break.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMouxvfaKRaLaGuLxsX72l-Dwb29JmrennLWn_agrZ2Na25RF67Lhng1Xn78MKsR8wVVzkGn-61OWww3ZDwuIi48agRZEiwII9AmaAjODBETWEIopOV3RZ5eYupx9vW1DMInKXw0OyD2zv/s1600/P1040371+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMouxvfaKRaLaGuLxsX72l-Dwb29JmrennLWn_agrZ2Na25RF67Lhng1Xn78MKsR8wVVzkGn-61OWww3ZDwuIi48agRZEiwII9AmaAjODBETWEIopOV3RZ5eYupx9vW1DMInKXw0OyD2zv/s1600/P1040371+copy.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Times;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;"></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;"><span style="font-size: 9px;">Of the Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, hyena, and leopard) we missed only the leopard during our visit here, and they are so elusive that a leopard sighting is truly rare in this reserve. I really don't understand why the Big Five is made up the way it is, actually. I'd much rather see giraffes, zebras, kudu, and water buck than hy</span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">e</span><span style="font-size: 9px;">nas or even buffalo, but I guess they are not rare enough to make the list.</span><span style="font-size: 9px;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;">
A last breakfast on the terrace, just enough time for another open air shower, and back onto the jeeps for a ride to the gate and a rendezvous with our busses. A couple hours on the bus, and we are back on the train. Too bad the train drivers didn't come on the bus with us as we had a three hour wait before they showed up. It is 4:30pm and we are at last moving. Of course we have already been plied with food and wine, and now a nap is sounding like an excellent idea. Then we will have more food and wine, and bed before our morning arrival in Pretoria. We have calculated that we are drinking between 1½ and 2 bottles of wine a day EACH! We have just three more nights on the train and then we will be waddling around Cape Town. I see a diet and wine fast in our future, but not this week!</div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorlebmU0RwLBgh1c-kapJ1P79y25dgzNNBfoKX8d9KPg9rjR4NNIwKLwP-8gO_qn1_yUV69yxEggZxaDIyeyCwQ1-yfqgBNIDphHsh9wcIS3Tfgo_CFiOQ_vq_ybyKC9bxBrKl2s_G9sf/s1600/P1040380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorlebmU0RwLBgh1c-kapJ1P79y25dgzNNBfoKX8d9KPg9rjR4NNIwKLwP-8gO_qn1_yUV69yxEggZxaDIyeyCwQ1-yfqgBNIDphHsh9wcIS3Tfgo_CFiOQ_vq_ybyKC9bxBrKl2s_G9sf/s1600/P1040380.jpg" height="242" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
The Tau Lodge guides say goodbye to us</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-52651120648111822052014-12-23T14:10:00.001-08:002014-12-23T14:27:11.682-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 22, Wednesday.</i> We were awakened at 5:30 this morning for the first of today's scheduled game drives. Yesterday afternoon we were comfortable in short sleeves, but this morning even a windbreaker didn't keep us warm. I will be wearing my fleece under it tomorrow morning! We had a great drive, however. We saw a small herd of female kudu with only one young buck among them, impala, two<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> </span>awkwardly graceful giraffes, and finally the big catch--a male lion feasting on a little impala while his mate and cubs waited patiently for their turn, something that was unlikely to come because an impala is a mere snack for an adult male. Not quite fair since it was almost certain the female had made the kill. Law of the jungle, however, since he needs to assert his privilege to keep the pride operating smoothly. Next we took a morning tea/coffee break before finishing with sightings of a group of young male kudu, some impalas, a distant herd of buffalo I only identified after seeing my zoomed photos, and finally zebra. Back to the lodge by 9:30. Quite a morning!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNlY_fbOztxda8xLKUloRwS2doXlPfgau_-Fn67mQYxoaj7YTjrHmKg2genIyqUVZ032USHWAVGkpO4aCDwehsOHVoLUpCcX9Cnor_xt_3c_4vE2zGFn1WxHjMMJZB3kTLVSYv_a8CpCS/s1600/P1030996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNlY_fbOztxda8xLKUloRwS2doXlPfgau_-Fn67mQYxoaj7YTjrHmKg2genIyqUVZ032USHWAVGkpO4aCDwehsOHVoLUpCcX9Cnor_xt_3c_4vE2zGFn1WxHjMMJZB3kTLVSYv_a8CpCS/s1600/P1030996.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tau Lodge at sunrise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPdRCiuWoM9A0Ef5FuEKekNS7p-WrCxQTdrJgIBG45zsQteas58jo65GnKGoKlBYWijgOkxSKxh5K-B17HiIVcxvFlLqLLZQUCHGQ-SqxZn-tZjBlnxFaRHmM25QZTQQG_FGiSk5XSqXD/s1600/P1040001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPdRCiuWoM9A0Ef5FuEKekNS7p-WrCxQTdrJgIBG45zsQteas58jo65GnKGoKlBYWijgOkxSKxh5K-B17HiIVcxvFlLqLLZQUCHGQ-SqxZn-tZjBlnxFaRHmM25QZTQQG_FGiSk5XSqXD/s1600/P1040001.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kudu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNumRRHXcJzyg_CjVXcawmw-WgByAERJTACr4xvViTpKk-x4bHfx1CPbFEdsAS95HqvpSGIZwrFu3PfcheRnJ-jH-nsfcOZ4LrgoP_gahXaB_qh8ZXK6YdauU3s6otg_L2GILBjmVNNSv5/s1600/P1040011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNumRRHXcJzyg_CjVXcawmw-WgByAERJTACr4xvViTpKk-x4bHfx1CPbFEdsAS95HqvpSGIZwrFu3PfcheRnJ-jH-nsfcOZ4LrgoP_gahXaB_qh8ZXK6YdauU3s6otg_L2GILBjmVNNSv5/s1600/P1040011.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdfeynNMQCMtuDBvtUytzHRLht8WHr_GI3_zZ5Sx9gt077ZtWFnV8jVaGiBmKjJdy46S8USTLEMgICgDNQ8hhyLLaHfEqeV_V5EtUugTazINDAw82EiETkk6tXP3oMrJftuPjNHPmg9R4/s1600/P1040023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMdfeynNMQCMtuDBvtUytzHRLht8WHr_GI3_zZ5Sx9gt077ZtWFnV8jVaGiBmKjJdy46S8USTLEMgICgDNQ8hhyLLaHfEqeV_V5EtUugTazINDAw82EiETkk6tXP3oMrJftuPjNHPmg9R4/s1600/P1040023.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">impala</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1IvzKeYYll8SuWhXmNKjNPHkAI-0NilG_ZzdNI4sDyo4_T2dnWh088s-Slwm6FUc2LUJqJWYLzB2mTCgykNrQEujLXm1-ZJEMWgbIwlOIougFCCgUZzFhWa3MfxApoXU2i2hYVvfkiI5/s1600/P1040043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1IvzKeYYll8SuWhXmNKjNPHkAI-0NilG_ZzdNI4sDyo4_T2dnWh088s-Slwm6FUc2LUJqJWYLzB2mTCgykNrQEujLXm1-ZJEMWgbIwlOIougFCCgUZzFhWa3MfxApoXU2i2hYVvfkiI5/s1600/P1040043.jpg" height="274" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijakZjK1zyTpGi3besVlGp0_VS0DTt5GXAh2BOw9huxJ8D_j7W97Oq0ZjIMImMA_PR1f4ktzswVXLPi4m7N_EsYUm_Sc-o06sa7zIeIe-cj6TKJxFW4H5V0g1JvNOzEIsa5qWNixLjptzc/s1600/P1040041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijakZjK1zyTpGi3besVlGp0_VS0DTt5GXAh2BOw9huxJ8D_j7W97Oq0ZjIMImMA_PR1f4ktzswVXLPi4m7N_EsYUm_Sc-o06sa7zIeIe-cj6TKJxFW4H5V0g1JvNOzEIsa5qWNixLjptzc/s1600/P1040041.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB_CvX704BJ2KTzOcvaKKcnPc3PtFFyfm7HHyJgvqvarDNfSZ_gLcqc36axAsZPctp7y83qNyuojzim0UPwjFt6QkqvHbqle-AKAb70u5MuTlu1k9itATEBarhtB5O-MS2BWTZxnPiQmW/s1600/P1040038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB_CvX704BJ2KTzOcvaKKcnPc3PtFFyfm7HHyJgvqvarDNfSZ_gLcqc36axAsZPctp7y83qNyuojzim0UPwjFt6QkqvHbqle-AKAb70u5MuTlu1k9itATEBarhtB5O-MS2BWTZxnPiQmW/s1600/P1040038.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQNASVET97njxkao9JN0JdyIQh2524Kp4WTX0LMnCC_9PgAxn1x2eKqdM74UFzcwCG3ql4nXvL5GW6x6p18XeiJYM3UugWdWSOmOxdQhafRGHOwcgABQLndPZzuYSvMDNNDPPrfGkSZlQ/s1600/P1040062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQNASVET97njxkao9JN0JdyIQh2524Kp4WTX0LMnCC_9PgAxn1x2eKqdM74UFzcwCG3ql4nXvL5GW6x6p18XeiJYM3UugWdWSOmOxdQhafRGHOwcgABQLndPZzuYSvMDNNDPPrfGkSZlQ/s1600/P1040062.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipguRCg35lV2Nd4TaiAaWHBXCAzGBh_t85CEOUBX-fUSilpJyCSiIrQbR5F-lJcYF8S1oKg6G7_LBH1jeW24jIXkL9cDB3X7osUSRHlVTka-lnv0cnBtuuNZkJUROxTkw-x79i38id9kK4/s1600/P1040068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipguRCg35lV2Nd4TaiAaWHBXCAzGBh_t85CEOUBX-fUSilpJyCSiIrQbR5F-lJcYF8S1oKg6G7_LBH1jeW24jIXkL9cDB3X7osUSRHlVTka-lnv0cnBtuuNZkJUROxTkw-x79i38id9kK4/s1600/P1040068.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmmm. Mama found something to gnaw on!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRPQ8yngb655OOa5IIHCCGrhkbXqJoysyQlPQ2RGkLXTKcA3T4bQ9T6YhqDjSOAxA4W5m6feaJ2JD1z1puKWNC5p9DTc0T88fTxI7Bi-6Z2Hcl9Zib4wT3CenUTQ65qMa2-HnJ-j-7-b-/s1600/P1040082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRPQ8yngb655OOa5IIHCCGrhkbXqJoysyQlPQ2RGkLXTKcA3T4bQ9T6YhqDjSOAxA4W5m6feaJ2JD1z1puKWNC5p9DTc0T88fTxI7Bi-6Z2Hcl9Zib4wT3CenUTQ65qMa2-HnJ-j-7-b-/s1600/P1040082.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess this is what is called "the lion's share,"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz97dWm3Y3deJsVrfumppKpOHq2JAl4eU_-YE3MbVHQM8u_BDygJqdYU16iPsjuTrXPEXUVjBaT2HWR3J_twVENyUfWCLLEhlJn7cF3zgeQvmDlORgMNFqTj2SRNkxSXXolvsRWJlMeNuq/s1600/P1040088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz97dWm3Y3deJsVrfumppKpOHq2JAl4eU_-YE3MbVHQM8u_BDygJqdYU16iPsjuTrXPEXUVjBaT2HWR3J_twVENyUfWCLLEhlJn7cF3zgeQvmDlORgMNFqTj2SRNkxSXXolvsRWJlMeNuq/s1600/P1040088.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's still plenty chilly at break time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6_JoL2E7l-ctgiThyAzPrF3RpCBWGPuC_uT26ZtWjYMzyTRxK8jMi5_PmviVzB9A5Fzj9txUT8tlRNYAQOnduq-2vTpkLgk0Rd3AbVAI4MMlcNEaFp-nrxt0cUB75qWIbtcsYnemrvl2/s1600/P1040092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6_JoL2E7l-ctgiThyAzPrF3RpCBWGPuC_uT26ZtWjYMzyTRxK8jMi5_PmviVzB9A5Fzj9txUT8tlRNYAQOnduq-2vTpkLgk0Rd3AbVAI4MMlcNEaFp-nrxt0cUB75qWIbtcsYnemrvl2/s1600/P1040092.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kudu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhad1ur0kACmox0t7C0iGLf51-tdrFksfB2d8ZnL1YTZuYy2GVenwFM_V-lTclu1cPrXjcymF5rwXf1JvGcm5-9tLG8whHSfqlTo0xwMVT3D9ys0fG2f_SHMcHqHpNUoNATNSparnkjGYmD/s1600/P1040095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhad1ur0kACmox0t7C0iGLf51-tdrFksfB2d8ZnL1YTZuYy2GVenwFM_V-lTclu1cPrXjcymF5rwXf1JvGcm5-9tLG8whHSfqlTo0xwMVT3D9ys0fG2f_SHMcHqHpNUoNATNSparnkjGYmD/s1600/P1040095.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCF4FRG_tXCcJXwCQ3k_JqxxWp6WwSoTqNcwJLfzaMdBJfLNpZtBjBJG_A1xram-kjmfOMsak0bIBaO5dxR4cTLHytxguYxt6Tkzn8qNLaWiums2Ah2VuiSRIeeCzYO8GMiIj30kxb81Hy/s1600/P1040102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCF4FRG_tXCcJXwCQ3k_JqxxWp6WwSoTqNcwJLfzaMdBJfLNpZtBjBJG_A1xram-kjmfOMsak0bIBaO5dxR4cTLHytxguYxt6Tkzn8qNLaWiums2Ah2VuiSRIeeCzYO8GMiIj30kxb81Hy/s1600/P1040102.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuB6E_U2u1dy9eLt4QwG7R1e4asWJgCqcMJ8qqp8w3YWg1F5KU-IV8NC_3mEBqFHLTWcl_hYnPc2UORcVMVkHOP29TTlc_xzHONdUlu9VreiVlWbp3Qif0jb63U24MDrxExj3VOgFzWSr6/s1600/P1040101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuB6E_U2u1dy9eLt4QwG7R1e4asWJgCqcMJ8qqp8w3YWg1F5KU-IV8NC_3mEBqFHLTWcl_hYnPc2UORcVMVkHOP29TTlc_xzHONdUlu9VreiVlWbp3Qif0jb63U24MDrxExj3VOgFzWSr6/s1600/P1040101.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">impala</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooK7mKvOUTK_E7b9PZCrnQrGtlb0T_km5AufHiPX1kls9Uq90_yQeEDY_rNF-K4tDc1wRyNbzacu9UFamSW8M-3_7rY9hy2XXDJpT5XWtMWq_zzAhczAOlsQuZc0p9H_nOpmXpRweciVQ/s1600/P1040098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooK7mKvOUTK_E7b9PZCrnQrGtlb0T_km5AufHiPX1kls9Uq90_yQeEDY_rNF-K4tDc1wRyNbzacu9UFamSW8M-3_7rY9hy2XXDJpT5XWtMWq_zzAhczAOlsQuZc0p9H_nOpmXpRweciVQ/s1600/P1040098.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqNfhwwouwswYhXGCWWBe93SwviuA1P4Ojm5lkU2iQ5Epn5aO9mO_i73a2pXtytn-zDL1tipoYEGzGpudjZhfZ3swFhPlc2uOY_4BFUB36619JWYbvKvw_THAW6EbJ_YbNwmWubhoGOh9/s1600/P1040118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqNfhwwouwswYhXGCWWBe93SwviuA1P4Ojm5lkU2iQ5Epn5aO9mO_i73a2pXtytn-zDL1tipoYEGzGpudjZhfZ3swFhPlc2uOY_4BFUB36619JWYbvKvw_THAW6EbJ_YbNwmWubhoGOh9/s1600/P1040118.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvD4TXXybWmtuVT-4D0EUA_LUsBYQgJgGlbuZ_pj9ImHvtHZFdtucGVxP1GaWu29ZwXPvW8P1Lb1zB0uMm_i-4bh1HvVpGIiMbzvDGd5y8SOYZgM5bClcpMhVxJ_mXRSysp0r_23TEmPz7/s1600/P1040115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvD4TXXybWmtuVT-4D0EUA_LUsBYQgJgGlbuZ_pj9ImHvtHZFdtucGVxP1GaWu29ZwXPvW8P1Lb1zB0uMm_i-4bh1HvVpGIiMbzvDGd5y8SOYZgM5bClcpMhVxJ_mXRSysp0r_23TEmPz7/s1600/P1040115.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhRf-zTBh-M2pGWTsT0zBBp5SQC8l7ef4IY1JJgt7WbVrCDHggsHnKLP6P5sN27QLABkeclIY0-XfIUxzml87HnoUdPjoh5dQXm_lUaUOyhY5DdKUU33hlrhJjqMKKu1ov12NybkttppT/s1600/P1040104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhRf-zTBh-M2pGWTsT0zBBp5SQC8l7ef4IY1JJgt7WbVrCDHggsHnKLP6P5sN27QLABkeclIY0-XfIUxzml87HnoUdPjoh5dQXm_lUaUOyhY5DdKUU33hlrhJjqMKKu1ov12NybkttppT/s1600/P1040104.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpLUp8qojLGnQ-ipyPZKxOk5Edto8MWdOFyUgVDSikFuwhVGchakKryjCNFVZ18KeEQIsjIhJ-0zBw2CD8bTN6qx2B4c6YYQsKlapaxOchY94fY5W2D2Qdi0AJZimKlxbE0zrmsWCVmDV/s1600/P1040107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpLUp8qojLGnQ-ipyPZKxOk5Edto8MWdOFyUgVDSikFuwhVGchakKryjCNFVZ18KeEQIsjIhJ-0zBw2CD8bTN6qx2B4c6YYQsKlapaxOchY94fY5W2D2Qdi0AJZimKlxbE0zrmsWCVmDV/s1600/P1040107.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkNL8sqyFI69Coyr3znXNCe4PkijIofQ8z3gf-ttCVT8bz9mXRw0qh453nZxg6J7oW5r_NdY23hzWaMOm-QoL13vIQe5LlfPwgfza4ScJtLwq3CV3Xuxs_ml9ZL1YlcrT4WgWTtOo0DAo/s1600/P1040109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkNL8sqyFI69Coyr3znXNCe4PkijIofQ8z3gf-ttCVT8bz9mXRw0qh453nZxg6J7oW5r_NdY23hzWaMOm-QoL13vIQe5LlfPwgfza4ScJtLwq3CV3Xuxs_ml9ZL1YlcrT4WgWTtOo0DAo/s1600/P1040109.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">buffalo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofRwLxXEOJcTGZhYmCitQ9r-i54BET4hsDeJU3sTYWtQB-_Jxvyo2S-LuUvy-eMXiU5LrrXI3wzNn5V8q0cUHzdmd_baVFSVp6GRU5Vczg2VJ4G9Byk6t-nEzYbjAegrETYsjoxivURjI/s1600/P1040112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofRwLxXEOJcTGZhYmCitQ9r-i54BET4hsDeJU3sTYWtQB-_Jxvyo2S-LuUvy-eMXiU5LrrXI3wzNn5V8q0cUHzdmd_baVFSVp6GRU5Vczg2VJ4G9Byk6t-nEzYbjAegrETYsjoxivURjI/s1600/P1040112.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
After a post-drive breakfast, during which we saw an assortment of deer and birds and a big, lazy crocodile half buried in the muck, suddenly the wait staff paraded in with a birthday cake for one of our number, singing a wonderful African call-and-response birthday song, with the deep male voices calling back and forth with the high women's voices. I wanted to buy the CD! They were so professional sounding I was sure they would have one, but no. BooHoo. I would happily have bought a CD, and later told the lodge owner he was missing the boat by not producing one. Later, our South African passengers, Mdudu and Rae, told me all Africans sing like that. "You should hear us at weddings!" Sigh.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzRQj76rcc1n8LUCjgBzCGBf7VZgI9GOeukSUiZUaLk3XlHCgbzT34LOvLXcH7SeUEZnfaWxgwfhkPv2djhH_SrsDntDJcEw6CIJipkkOk9iyRF_ncZf5ZA00DSMGKJTUM3nKfZ48ZQVZ/s1600/P1040119+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzRQj76rcc1n8LUCjgBzCGBf7VZgI9GOeukSUiZUaLk3XlHCgbzT34LOvLXcH7SeUEZnfaWxgwfhkPv2djhH_SrsDntDJcEw6CIJipkkOk9iyRF_ncZf5ZA00DSMGKJTUM3nKfZ48ZQVZ/s1600/P1040119+copy.jpg" height="244" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egyptian geese</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguphDJbgKgymO6oXFWRlpjq1nRwrWq6C4RRUdL9o4lNIKh9UUTWH9EyjnZFZphq61rCqlAfpshXOxsT4S10w1U-sW3KNoVB5S5umTVNMqU4Vr9IV7DnjSGM-bGigDYcfhyphenhyphentYuz0McgSL11/s1600/P1040129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguphDJbgKgymO6oXFWRlpjq1nRwrWq6C4RRUdL9o4lNIKh9UUTWH9EyjnZFZphq61rCqlAfpshXOxsT4S10w1U-sW3KNoVB5S5umTVNMqU4Vr9IV7DnjSGM-bGigDYcfhyphenhyphentYuz0McgSL11/s1600/P1040129.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVgOs2t1A931caRr6Q8DiTmn5_N72g2BXIEXX_5uYLGBRNljEgkgiPWOJ38gA9zygl9-vgNMorZg9lwLhzpsxp48r3E2FTpjuS8jo8Ban6yNrgvRGiOR6PYAEpJpoikzBeICgLeZPFsZi/s1600/P1040132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVgOs2t1A931caRr6Q8DiTmn5_N72g2BXIEXX_5uYLGBRNljEgkgiPWOJ38gA9zygl9-vgNMorZg9lwLhzpsxp48r3E2FTpjuS8jo8Ban6yNrgvRGiOR6PYAEpJpoikzBeICgLeZPFsZi/s1600/P1040132.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WAm6KS8rNBJf8k1a7b1riuZnTfFe5F_yja90NYf5Fi4MDmli8jKMvl4E6NxcZ2jZDwztVMNaiR_RzfMCp2wxGNcMFgaroICj4alJB4GB4_iWOddVjVBJgD_K-kvXVOQW6fup0EMkSAim/s1600/P1040134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WAm6KS8rNBJf8k1a7b1riuZnTfFe5F_yja90NYf5Fi4MDmli8jKMvl4E6NxcZ2jZDwztVMNaiR_RzfMCp2wxGNcMFgaroICj4alJB4GB4_iWOddVjVBJgD_K-kvXVOQW6fup0EMkSAim/s1600/P1040134.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9l47dT7x3ia3c660w-euR6iX5cdYRSlIvaEpq5TGFdRiCziLpzNSo_ZawVC88ck06GfU9IepenY4NHoktCt8wWAm3tg7eI4BYB-takagHmXEOC1Jyj7MJj91yF2O7cUQ2QU5bv1iBDAF/s1600/P1040137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9l47dT7x3ia3c660w-euR6iX5cdYRSlIvaEpq5TGFdRiCziLpzNSo_ZawVC88ck06GfU9IepenY4NHoktCt8wWAm3tg7eI4BYB-takagHmXEOC1Jyj7MJj91yF2O7cUQ2QU5bv1iBDAF/s1600/P1040137.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SOARF5hImAtE1U-5x5uXrwCL3d_c35hRTbpC7OqARlxO4XRtElYZV0fFwLEVpiszuY_bG9XGHCbOGuWU4zk6Rzt7Y9328KFUwHVzlelvyBIDPTRZbBbjg3W8oVSPP9lhYBbrjE5IRgO0/s1600/P1040143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SOARF5hImAtE1U-5x5uXrwCL3d_c35hRTbpC7OqARlxO4XRtElYZV0fFwLEVpiszuY_bG9XGHCbOGuWU4zk6Rzt7Y9328KFUwHVzlelvyBIDPTRZbBbjg3W8oVSPP9lhYBbrjE5IRgO0/s1600/P1040143.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPP_ew-VmfhjN4L-E2_QpSlY1Di5dJm0WiNrlLPj1WBNiarthRH4ppWDXt4WIpsUctjqyLqh_RPW_5D_yvEyO93MCKHhG3dxtTqIm2ryPJpIzUcZQAw_KhzOfBnhSkUUZ7CMdLW4b7uHL/s1600/P1040147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPP_ew-VmfhjN4L-E2_QpSlY1Di5dJm0WiNrlLPj1WBNiarthRH4ppWDXt4WIpsUctjqyLqh_RPW_5D_yvEyO93MCKHhG3dxtTqIm2ryPJpIzUcZQAw_KhzOfBnhSkUUZ7CMdLW4b7uHL/s1600/P1040147.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 9px;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ry50XwiGZ4EW6QCCb96cKJZ8j5v95Lmf8RWiLV5e-wCB7Q6DN5dxMxhjnrUZ-_YdHMdWV-Ga_hXPmCc1-51EowNtm24_cbfiYjTOlegRQRmLvhxbnvKKUnPSDCtZdm8gmLl8XT0GNDkt/s1600/P1040153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Ry50XwiGZ4EW6QCCb96cKJZ8j5v95Lmf8RWiLV5e-wCB7Q6DN5dxMxhjnrUZ-_YdHMdWV-Ga_hXPmCc1-51EowNtm24_cbfiYjTOlegRQRmLvhxbnvKKUnPSDCtZdm8gmLl8XT0GNDkt/s1600/P1040153.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EDKHVxnXc96VJmUakuysmqlUTtXtvYrsuYJ1yUDvjyzBGEaObqWar9kM7woPYXHE6QY6Sojf5xQFcmle_VlDrhSfkO0swnwGeUj0f0gq-ZHNKAwo66WNQcf3kdvEuWQ6W1ZdHqv4stwl/s1600/P1040148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8EDKHVxnXc96VJmUakuysmqlUTtXtvYrsuYJ1yUDvjyzBGEaObqWar9kM7woPYXHE6QY6Sojf5xQFcmle_VlDrhSfkO0swnwGeUj0f0gq-ZHNKAwo66WNQcf3kdvEuWQ6W1ZdHqv4stwl/s1600/P1040148.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIjSQtYs9iSm7R5prKYud8jL0mF0kgJtM3R0GEHMH7FozoLtdJaMPBsGuXdwnTkmUS6q1LPmtBDv6jjpKwnG8Zwd4qmjpLvyqUiCzPd-fPW7cboX5Ps7PYQ-Y9hK28To12SJu-g9XBmCk/s1600/P1040152+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZIjSQtYs9iSm7R5prKYud8jL0mF0kgJtM3R0GEHMH7FozoLtdJaMPBsGuXdwnTkmUS6q1LPmtBDv6jjpKwnG8Zwd4qmjpLvyqUiCzPd-fPW7cboX5Ps7PYQ-Y9hK28To12SJu-g9XBmCk/s1600/P1040152+copy.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
I headed to our little cottage for a most welcome shower outside in the sunshine and then an hour or so of equally <span style="font-size: 9px;">welcome Internet access in the lobby. Walking back to the room, I was surprised to see a herd of 28 elephants walking in the same direction. I hurried inside, woke John from his nap, and we both went a little crazy watching and photographing their antics in the muddy pond just off our back deck. After some splashing around, they continued their march, and the water buck and deer returned to the pond. More photos. Went inside, thinking the show was over, but no, here came the elephants back again. More antics before they left for the larger pond at the lodge, then they returned to us one more time before finally wandering off for good. By now it was time to assemble for the afternoon drive. Imagine our surprise when a rhino was spotted from the lodge deck, heading right for our pond. About a dozen of us dashed down the path to our cottage to photograph him. So much excitement during what we had expected to be our rest time!</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
<span style="font-size: 9px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOvweuf5MiQTwx2yOwZzY7cfEgjbQVIYEcf11gYip47ZxrvgUImEYUXLiWNDm32u7B20pxx7XW2QZS_ubl8n4afIurCg8ui-IKhi06UgS7dOazLQMKO59eFOVC_Oc0D2SPN1q4Z2_Wz3u/s1600/P1040156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOvweuf5MiQTwx2yOwZzY7cfEgjbQVIYEcf11gYip47ZxrvgUImEYUXLiWNDm32u7B20pxx7XW2QZS_ubl8n4afIurCg8ui-IKhi06UgS7dOazLQMKO59eFOVC_Oc0D2SPN1q4Z2_Wz3u/s1600/P1040156.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">water buck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMbV7CIt7nl9ygKumz1c0GBCQm713XcaHDJWH_DTXxWYvKIOv8O6VllY6Y-nqqDENSeiBC2N3eVscnpTHoAQfHdQwX3Bu_BFhPKA64iDOHFPUoOGUHEhIDwTYl-HMXFdmpWiyR4e40q5w/s1600/P1040160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMbV7CIt7nl9ygKumz1c0GBCQm713XcaHDJWH_DTXxWYvKIOv8O6VllY6Y-nqqDENSeiBC2N3eVscnpTHoAQfHdQwX3Bu_BFhPKA64iDOHFPUoOGUHEhIDwTYl-HMXFdmpWiyR4e40q5w/s1600/P1040160.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kudu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0f0M9RUMYlBNFDQdOoTrzSIs7DAVz017Fa8JIADbA1h_K9InYVDhCkTsdt031ktIR9nA210YUu_25qRC4SurcgH6h0benwxBC2Vsly8AUNPRWy4D1I849UDmqgCRmp3GoBK4wYSl-9IUw/s1600/P1040168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0f0M9RUMYlBNFDQdOoTrzSIs7DAVz017Fa8JIADbA1h_K9InYVDhCkTsdt031ktIR9nA210YUu_25qRC4SurcgH6h0benwxBC2Vsly8AUNPRWy4D1I849UDmqgCRmp3GoBK4wYSl-9IUw/s1600/P1040168.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHBQQavVKRBGiMRI4Yyo33l-Z0vg1aVdjyaiYZYrm5GStswSba-BbSNc2wFNa5oPfTgH8MuognHNGHEYghtQzBEX7nETpPNcds7bASm1tRaAGG-Ph4xgMfTdliGdTaqI305cZvafYGvNm/s1600/P1040173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHBQQavVKRBGiMRI4Yyo33l-Z0vg1aVdjyaiYZYrm5GStswSba-BbSNc2wFNa5oPfTgH8MuognHNGHEYghtQzBEX7nETpPNcds7bASm1tRaAGG-Ph4xgMfTdliGdTaqI305cZvafYGvNm/s1600/P1040173.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPY4t0KJ8AJ33ZXWhtZJ0cxECtrY8-IhdfrhQmXurgff4iMDs4WcGftbcHOOq_e3lPXC41NvFJL4CeDvrmRlKOA7Ss4J3kiaqyJE_8LQBhX5N_JIEbvuTvhexJbRSTXbpsKQDiNCthPAJ/s1600/P1040175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPY4t0KJ8AJ33ZXWhtZJ0cxECtrY8-IhdfrhQmXurgff4iMDs4WcGftbcHOOq_e3lPXC41NvFJL4CeDvrmRlKOA7Ss4J3kiaqyJE_8LQBhX5N_JIEbvuTvhexJbRSTXbpsKQDiNCthPAJ/s1600/P1040175.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMby2Q7JXnu1_I4vI2JodoXNly8sIz3JY7O4cm5_CCxCDw6VLwX_xeYn0OHR8ah-u7DEkUWjqKeDEON2h8YfqBtVu4g3QpzAv3ILIET0qYUKPRRYT8yV2aviaGTKs3PRHQ3ahdRXn4ZAes/s1600/P1040176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMby2Q7JXnu1_I4vI2JodoXNly8sIz3JY7O4cm5_CCxCDw6VLwX_xeYn0OHR8ah-u7DEkUWjqKeDEON2h8YfqBtVu4g3QpzAv3ILIET0qYUKPRRYT8yV2aviaGTKs3PRHQ3ahdRXn4ZAes/s1600/P1040176.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT5nFLNuyqGbrSdtH4kN3H01iTpknZDMMVUUwD3I6mRl48iKv_Wje7khTy5pO311UneMaW5otwUR76D6OsTNlM77L0QIZO0fnVoWmvSgFeeICb848C-QNkHpqQqu91KKf_V16cwI-fQJbl/s1600/P1040177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT5nFLNuyqGbrSdtH4kN3H01iTpknZDMMVUUwD3I6mRl48iKv_Wje7khTy5pO311UneMaW5otwUR76D6OsTNlM77L0QIZO0fnVoWmvSgFeeICb848C-QNkHpqQqu91KKf_V16cwI-fQJbl/s1600/P1040177.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLsDMzekfF5PsP21QBz0cQgMKAyUmsvfGnBy942tqgopgh7MEiB7n07Q4w_G9hyphenhyphenTC5cFrZGNDGXvbz31aJnAGHf7-Uk5VG0qsM_y_pq7X5yDYTZw5sAWBM7TRBRFY3qfVwRjzoReTr6R_/s1600/P1040178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLsDMzekfF5PsP21QBz0cQgMKAyUmsvfGnBy942tqgopgh7MEiB7n07Q4w_G9hyphenhyphenTC5cFrZGNDGXvbz31aJnAGHf7-Uk5VG0qsM_y_pq7X5yDYTZw5sAWBM7TRBRFY3qfVwRjzoReTr6R_/s1600/P1040178.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlx5_zz-4ewX5MvKVP2bbHwDrw7HcsTx-6gBujakOqMOWxrFNyJTda89vVgtYoels-f4_y5PKQ4Hhljfo7xqPLXhgW149x00TbAhfLL8oLL2YpZ6vJaqc8cySXkG6uuT4oPt_jeSla481a/s1600/P1040201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlx5_zz-4ewX5MvKVP2bbHwDrw7HcsTx-6gBujakOqMOWxrFNyJTda89vVgtYoels-f4_y5PKQ4Hhljfo7xqPLXhgW149x00TbAhfLL8oLL2YpZ6vJaqc8cySXkG6uuT4oPt_jeSla481a/s1600/P1040201.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYKsDKtp4WU1OiIueTELjo1_ChXE-e1AW0-bBdvbQg5bRRsYy8AaS2dgLDU5T_zPoMHTfdj1taWkwC7FVxapmPXI3U7Rg3jqEgz1R2wgd5KXOlXCTEveP-wcz5Ip64t1WGwfnO5tI5dSC/s1600/P1040201+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYKsDKtp4WU1OiIueTELjo1_ChXE-e1AW0-bBdvbQg5bRRsYy8AaS2dgLDU5T_zPoMHTfdj1taWkwC7FVxapmPXI3U7Rg3jqEgz1R2wgd5KXOlXCTEveP-wcz5Ip64t1WGwfnO5tI5dSC/s1600/P1040201+copy.jpg" height="252" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAdAF3vtdz-I-4I2QwPZGtK10FE5Jkuq9QHZp0aPbMh10oe-bwnI7FBWxb8s0fpQNNwMJrwExNmXukh05EaUGgfld200o40A9y7v_SwD1xg3AlXNUm-CduiXrlanp4cJJ9v8vcb5WTo_r/s1600/P1040200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAdAF3vtdz-I-4I2QwPZGtK10FE5Jkuq9QHZp0aPbMh10oe-bwnI7FBWxb8s0fpQNNwMJrwExNmXukh05EaUGgfld200o40A9y7v_SwD1xg3AlXNUm-CduiXrlanp4cJJ9v8vcb5WTo_r/s1600/P1040200.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRLRsPG9Qn1SS8XWz9Qa0baT0V7d11W1viRoELzoo8n_uXlYFJEW2Ox3RuZHOgin7i7AWgjWHNfS1XBOqE0tiRtUR0zrelUpqbu4XLYPjPHKq6hRLNDeOw0XewggKgok6f-1hkwu4ekM7/s1600/P1040181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRLRsPG9Qn1SS8XWz9Qa0baT0V7d11W1viRoELzoo8n_uXlYFJEW2Ox3RuZHOgin7i7AWgjWHNfS1XBOqE0tiRtUR0zrelUpqbu4XLYPjPHKq6hRLNDeOw0XewggKgok6f-1hkwu4ekM7/s1600/P1040181.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VcekqrmBbnh908GvhwWYrA_YhrfHhtfOGBypJBd7vl1Mfsm-CaLdn2lVIDpo3GiuYlt6kXyPWwwKYEkdLC_DfsJ8RWpUxMAPLfU0izUC_cgmfGJ0UyEqtqtEB5lVIrq7-l_n5hJxxubQ/s1600/P1040209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VcekqrmBbnh908GvhwWYrA_YhrfHhtfOGBypJBd7vl1Mfsm-CaLdn2lVIDpo3GiuYlt6kXyPWwwKYEkdLC_DfsJ8RWpUxMAPLfU0izUC_cgmfGJ0UyEqtqtEB5lVIrq7-l_n5hJxxubQ/s1600/P1040209.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xzKp2J6eWB95tsUrsjpCE7BdHVCTNT7oOA6ByEGUKmRPxhOyAzeeyFktzphect4EdpuGr-vPFxrcuRsEscRSlOORaV-CV8UUudP8exLhjWRbt0WyvgrgJ9LzqP-C6NWSpD2Lp1G5tdBo/s1600/P1040212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xzKp2J6eWB95tsUrsjpCE7BdHVCTNT7oOA6ByEGUKmRPxhOyAzeeyFktzphect4EdpuGr-vPFxrcuRsEscRSlOORaV-CV8UUudP8exLhjWRbt0WyvgrgJ9LzqP-C6NWSpD2Lp1G5tdBo/s1600/P1040212.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjjnniu6zG7UsALTV7tr72cjNTrD1RyReBVB5RfaGG64t62qbXaLydQO73tK6lpZrKtjMy-HeU7DEyktOBQd4A8aqwfAZJMR65a-MsINQKDRNRIL6N6N0reWB9j9K4Qmw3JepWJwy-wMG/s1600/P1040214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjjnniu6zG7UsALTV7tr72cjNTrD1RyReBVB5RfaGG64t62qbXaLydQO73tK6lpZrKtjMy-HeU7DEyktOBQd4A8aqwfAZJMR65a-MsINQKDRNRIL6N6N0reWB9j9K4Qmw3JepWJwy-wMG/s1600/P1040214.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3BqTKTZ0HcmvrCLVW2of4EtuDE9yvgMCfbK-VRenU3uKiomFH2um8ZGKmdMWR3qQmTTygs-WeASmiB_WnpVo1PKE0ECV2Jf0qNhua_dhxiZHH2f5645IdQ_WHqFiL4y3sUFJxBnZLGPK/s1600/P1040234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3BqTKTZ0HcmvrCLVW2of4EtuDE9yvgMCfbK-VRenU3uKiomFH2um8ZGKmdMWR3qQmTTygs-WeASmiB_WnpVo1PKE0ECV2Jf0qNhua_dhxiZHH2f5645IdQ_WHqFiL4y3sUFJxBnZLGPK/s1600/P1040234.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsmK9tW549-ngFhswk4xenpyOhUOSjOGCBS0uN9tR0UMSA62w24DUp2cjTSNEQA2iGU3aixDH27hZKC4yFdB0xyULEWnhUv4dFIYMb8xDihmdQmRY96YhjUUaOXfBUmyOWLYP_qmYLsEi/s1600/P1040235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsmK9tW549-ngFhswk4xenpyOhUOSjOGCBS0uN9tR0UMSA62w24DUp2cjTSNEQA2iGU3aixDH27hZKC4yFdB0xyULEWnhUv4dFIYMb8xDihmdQmRY96YhjUUaOXfBUmyOWLYP_qmYLsEi/s1600/P1040235.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
Is this baboon thinking about taking a shower?</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUe33MWB-79tzFULk59NteSyS33lL1o8ooFHHJPlMb5RnVJZtzGoucnRdihQqA5NH8QkHu1W2xtm2EQ56EC8-TAab-x4TdphaTuhZqwkJr8Uhd85s1QCezRXaK1tBPH6Dn1c9kaCQtMjc/s1600/P1040241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUe33MWB-79tzFULk59NteSyS33lL1o8ooFHHJPlMb5RnVJZtzGoucnRdihQqA5NH8QkHu1W2xtm2EQ56EC8-TAab-x4TdphaTuhZqwkJr8Uhd85s1QCezRXaK1tBPH6Dn1c9kaCQtMjc/s1600/P1040241.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rhino!<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
Soon we boarded our jeep, but we were sure nothing we saw on the drive would equal the excitement we had already had. Of course, we were wrong. In addition to the usual deer family animals, we soon spotted a mama rhino and her baby a mere fifteen or so feet from our jeep! That was an amazing experience, only to be topped by soon seeing seven more rhinos at a greater distance, and another large herd of elephants as well as a very large one, on his own, who entertained us from just a few yards away while stuffing wads of thorny, bare acacia branches into his mouth. Snap, crackle, and pop! We were amazed that anything could eat that stuff. Our guide told us it will go through the elephant's system almost whole, which is why they try never to drive over elephant droppings lest they end up with punctured tires. Iggie also told us how to differentiate between male and female elephants. The latter have a boxy looking forehead, where the skulls of the males are more rounded. Males have larger tusks, too, and they splay outward, unlike female tusks that are more parallel to their trunks.</div>
<div style="font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGaFS4x4DRRYPqlsw823PJvg-iGWimnMSvqpBDe4gV3QcGZtenz7jRA55341vQs_egoj7no1bIB7uFCgRC-llpNTjeG9NWOmEY5RnAHpVOzZEFPPzYzQjR5wADJkUcuYskFD4Dr4c0ajh/s1600/P1040244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGaFS4x4DRRYPqlsw823PJvg-iGWimnMSvqpBDe4gV3QcGZtenz7jRA55341vQs_egoj7no1bIB7uFCgRC-llpNTjeG9NWOmEY5RnAHpVOzZEFPPzYzQjR5wADJkUcuYskFD4Dr4c0ajh/s1600/P1040244.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS45NWDIyaxomynyvdgaepX2FI8w470PJYxs3-6nvQXLWbfp7yCTfG3t9zPqaeEywc7LdRxviKe2YAPIhs3jHMQirC0PNdVw1eYDiF2CHWgb2lwQ9j6hGVL7UlrixigkqVaoMkPumtktrG/s1600/P1040245+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS45NWDIyaxomynyvdgaepX2FI8w470PJYxs3-6nvQXLWbfp7yCTfG3t9zPqaeEywc7LdRxviKe2YAPIhs3jHMQirC0PNdVw1eYDiF2CHWgb2lwQ9j6hGVL7UlrixigkqVaoMkPumtktrG/s1600/P1040245+copy.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbCWOsK3V6tXuGVzIqPAoNAkv5q5hk6O8HHx12uDbbWkZmT-kxN7LEuBTiv6umktoSASqbvVJy3OFnADgwFdFuBI6J6BgizyvQUQ643lkxgTV09ZT0weyyAuVVrWOP7ZqD8PuDluEQx6H/s1600/P1040246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbCWOsK3V6tXuGVzIqPAoNAkv5q5hk6O8HHx12uDbbWkZmT-kxN7LEuBTiv6umktoSASqbvVJy3OFnADgwFdFuBI6J6BgizyvQUQ643lkxgTV09ZT0weyyAuVVrWOP7ZqD8PuDluEQx6H/s1600/P1040246.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPKYef_s7v0UP-UpQj9AWMGjXqcBSoQn10d48hxXNLDgobadQueUj_Q0pYHQFNrEwfemGYJJtaUH1skWHYoegT3bBCmnGgQrU7x8MbOYmOut7dO53tjnFvWRUmpGSAb1i0hOjqo6sVSxm/s1600/P1040247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPKYef_s7v0UP-UpQj9AWMGjXqcBSoQn10d48hxXNLDgobadQueUj_Q0pYHQFNrEwfemGYJJtaUH1skWHYoegT3bBCmnGgQrU7x8MbOYmOut7dO53tjnFvWRUmpGSAb1i0hOjqo6sVSxm/s1600/P1040247.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxH9Mzv7cPqW7p2NFJsvNAzeyEwr2_Y8zXTX_uxG3KNGNx-sXFLfFECAhlH9ZSp3JfgfLiqgrK0EpjlxTPEefRfpNO4FNsUdL8C3uhU-xZiaH_CI2yIuP9-w96Ra5EAGTRYOEHMSvk4Ej/s1600/P1040252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxH9Mzv7cPqW7p2NFJsvNAzeyEwr2_Y8zXTX_uxG3KNGNx-sXFLfFECAhlH9ZSp3JfgfLiqgrK0EpjlxTPEefRfpNO4FNsUdL8C3uhU-xZiaH_CI2yIuP9-w96Ra5EAGTRYOEHMSvk4Ej/s1600/P1040252.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis06PuHCFaP1Fml8BZownuxO6raGjS6RsmDHsGmDQAxd7xQOy3VnFOW9NM51qnSjQZuZG8GudKj75rBX7K4cuH0b-FYn33IelAO3PkoAlbCu3f-ttzxDEDh2Ub5IGsa0t2cGDz7T0Gu650/s1600/P1040256+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis06PuHCFaP1Fml8BZownuxO6raGjS6RsmDHsGmDQAxd7xQOy3VnFOW9NM51qnSjQZuZG8GudKj75rBX7K4cuH0b-FYn33IelAO3PkoAlbCu3f-ttzxDEDh2Ub5IGsa0t2cGDz7T0Gu650/s1600/P1040256+copy.jpg" height="258" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoGBkxPe2JNJNOrGPlLGUHOOlF_Ch2ZpqEC_vcpf_7qlpg1rHyh3KX6Qw5AbeM1-BepWo8uxuj4K7B2qMqpPSSNKkGGBYxBVKiNRpUbta1QWewvm0eS6Pc8DKhqjdbBl3WELYO3yAOgoE/s1600/P1040263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoGBkxPe2JNJNOrGPlLGUHOOlF_Ch2ZpqEC_vcpf_7qlpg1rHyh3KX6Qw5AbeM1-BepWo8uxuj4K7B2qMqpPSSNKkGGBYxBVKiNRpUbta1QWewvm0eS6Pc8DKhqjdbBl3WELYO3yAOgoE/s1600/P1040263.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf-nF1nU7YaMMP8cZyfz0dDU0Go02kRD5QNStAtxk7EjP59vMjkATa4Oy7gDJ8W99ZWhyfohtxKuDKprzN8LRTHulG2ZWqrM8uSJOu5jGKhO50xrTFC7kyblaCgTZI_0vzC7KNlT8RQpX/s1600/P1040272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFf-nF1nU7YaMMP8cZyfz0dDU0Go02kRD5QNStAtxk7EjP59vMjkATa4Oy7gDJ8W99ZWhyfohtxKuDKprzN8LRTHulG2ZWqrM8uSJOu5jGKhO50xrTFC7kyblaCgTZI_0vzC7KNlT8RQpX/s1600/P1040272.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcz0wViKFI2B77a3SqRCps-SAcBz10UX-jWn1yA8_XYr47HEqlOJ1EtSvi0t6GZsxll813ck0TM1XFflgQJs4GED59qNij7756XzInVKUvyLp9ua6WfaRnRY0-FKGOoy5b8tSLTNXJHwe/s1600/P1040276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcz0wViKFI2B77a3SqRCps-SAcBz10UX-jWn1yA8_XYr47HEqlOJ1EtSvi0t6GZsxll813ck0TM1XFflgQJs4GED59qNij7756XzInVKUvyLp9ua6WfaRnRY0-FKGOoy5b8tSLTNXJHwe/s1600/P1040276.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxop8jetd5nnqh9lRw2jknBHSqeUsPYk6OJqz_R25z4rmFeN900zcqONA-yMOdkPcElFKf9XTdM-dMGMr-hTnQ-7CqqZcULNrYnWBA6Hkvvok5oV6Wd_HunaC4oMpPmpGqFmLIghpQ1vb/s1600/P1040278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxop8jetd5nnqh9lRw2jknBHSqeUsPYk6OJqz_R25z4rmFeN900zcqONA-yMOdkPcElFKf9XTdM-dMGMr-hTnQ-7CqqZcULNrYnWBA6Hkvvok5oV6Wd_HunaC4oMpPmpGqFmLIghpQ1vb/s1600/P1040278.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
Before our afternoon was over, we spotted a large group of wildebeest right next to an equal sized her<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">d</span> of buffalo. Both are members of the bovine family but the buffalo are much larger. Just as it was growing dark after our sundowner break, Iggie spotted a fairly rare brown hyena for us.<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> </span>Alas, my lone photo of him in the dark didn't turn out! Just before that, we saw a large male lion standing in the road right in front of us. By a miracle, I think at least one of my photos of him is reasonably good. This afternoon's drive truly exceeded all expectations!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi969fZKeVouNotKsX7BTbNpKIyU5RemEf_I9FH0UNaI4WC57YhDNlJ8x3KPq9TK0gpjWXXyW11gZ-yVweGTojz0kWt5DdaCUA8UeM1vjKk_Rzu7LBMIwusYyI6KwbaoJDeMlJ0amg-Canf/s1600/P1040281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi969fZKeVouNotKsX7BTbNpKIyU5RemEf_I9FH0UNaI4WC57YhDNlJ8x3KPq9TK0gpjWXXyW11gZ-yVweGTojz0kWt5DdaCUA8UeM1vjKk_Rzu7LBMIwusYyI6KwbaoJDeMlJ0amg-Canf/s1600/P1040281.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BLHtjeJ5_0a9rQo1Z62x6_dehe6S2fJpFZhT7BygJVD3FapK8tUiBLoezPu99rwL_50-HG82kge0Y_utflRaKXC8nSbZy2rU6UE8UZxXIEGyQa8MrQDwX46F8TAUZzH2haLRBZO-MHQ0/s1600/P1040282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BLHtjeJ5_0a9rQo1Z62x6_dehe6S2fJpFZhT7BygJVD3FapK8tUiBLoezPu99rwL_50-HG82kge0Y_utflRaKXC8nSbZy2rU6UE8UZxXIEGyQa8MrQDwX46F8TAUZzH2haLRBZO-MHQ0/s1600/P1040282.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-jSOugrwvtsfLOA5P981GPkP_l0ycLt2c2sYe3EiYm9SVfGnC4x03sDLnE0htdzLWh9S9hZVVRfRATyfW02ZTXgbUsY3WSZDfMHMmF1DuDymgvR_TjPeI2ggJoXrsxzZJLI3o4z3BPtm/s1600/P1040294+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-jSOugrwvtsfLOA5P981GPkP_l0ycLt2c2sYe3EiYm9SVfGnC4x03sDLnE0htdzLWh9S9hZVVRfRATyfW02ZTXgbUsY3WSZDfMHMmF1DuDymgvR_TjPeI2ggJoXrsxzZJLI3o4z3BPtm/s1600/P1040294+copy.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-35860039020538118072014-12-23T13:37:00.001-08:002014-12-23T13:37:23.614-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10px;"><i>October 21, 2014, Tuesday.</i> </span>We have arrived at the Tau Game Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve, just across the border from Botswana in South Africa. As usual, we were about an hour later arriving in Gaborone, Botswana, than planned. Gaborone is the capitol and largest city of Botswana, which has the third largest economy in Africa and is growing very rapidly. The bits of the city we were able to see from the train and the bus looked more prosperous than any place we have seen so far. That is nice for the people, but less interesting for us because along with prosperity comes a look that could be anywhere.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px; text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOeDo7XPt_r4FEt7bBZnICUDe0mNG4QW1uV6i5t7dDnZ5kelmOOMkk0vhkxwYV-vd4LoTtbs7qz0lf2skXpW7fxK4xuVrbIldiCG64IBpTFoDEUdGvxGFy1g1kvpaupbgZYl6eEUZZqu5/s1600/P1030906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOeDo7XPt_r4FEt7bBZnICUDe0mNG4QW1uV6i5t7dDnZ5kelmOOMkk0vhkxwYV-vd4LoTtbs7qz0lf2skXpW7fxK4xuVrbIldiCG64IBpTFoDEUdGvxGFy1g1kvpaupbgZYl6eEUZZqu5/s1600/P1030906.jpg" height="173" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of the train crew stayed behind and waved us away.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
We drove for a while and then exited the bus to walk through immigration<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> in order</span> to leave Botswana, then walked a few hundred yards further to go through South Africa's nearby immigration checkpoint. Back on the bus and on to the entrance to the Reserve where we climbed aboard game drive vehicles that brought us to the lodge. Climbed is the operative word. They are a little challenging to get in and out of. We hope to secure a shotgun seat for John for the rest of our stay here.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnfX1gYjwCUgJMQufHJmSZrOsP_z5yrwtsBzLbNj-7y65xopSMidJMirEZYQ1XsfXEtdeecw5bwxQpb0sObd8OYPbgRbArtmB6CGmzp2_gTDkHTSzwZevsrqtetvp_F7YPmjVyrPxzW5N/s1600/P1030908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnfX1gYjwCUgJMQufHJmSZrOsP_z5yrwtsBzLbNj-7y65xopSMidJMirEZYQ1XsfXEtdeecw5bwxQpb0sObd8OYPbgRbArtmB6CGmzp2_gTDkHTSzwZevsrqtetvp_F7YPmjVyrPxzW5N/s1600/P1030908.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the Madikwe Game Reserve</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrjxzTBFnHuS0qkoBtLsIVIvDocIY5CWomBtqEdI1cCtHZ7yNe1uDGkzvZF__-RPG5euYGN08LKKM3hOAOk0aEof0eYqwYiY2olgyuq-FEPF8DTLXanGtViXo0S8p5NP1ReZVy4Uo2t-t/s1600/P1030912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrjxzTBFnHuS0qkoBtLsIVIvDocIY5CWomBtqEdI1cCtHZ7yNe1uDGkzvZF__-RPG5euYGN08LKKM3hOAOk0aEof0eYqwYiY2olgyuq-FEPF8DTLXanGtViXo0S8p5NP1ReZVy4Uo2t-t/s1600/P1030912.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
The entrance to our lodge at the park--one of 135 lodges at all different price points</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
Lunch on the terrace, a chef who promised vegan meals for us from now on, conversation, a breeze, and an elephant before we walked down to our room. Really, more like our own little home because it is en entirely separate cottage. Bedroom, bath, OUTDOOR shower, deck, all out of view from any other accommodations. Nice! John is napping while I write and marvel at the view. We are at the edge of a nearly dry pond filled with birds. When we arrived, an elephant was just outside our deck, and just now a large water buck is up to his knees in the muck, feasting on whatever Is growing there. I can't say it is totally quiet here, but all we hear are the birds, twittering, chirping and calling to each other. We have been told to return to the terrace for high tea at 4pm, followed by our first game drive. I don't think this place will disappoint us at all. <span style="font-size: 10px;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nJwvetDAbH5JT65pl-QVHAYW6zHnEQl_is0bnGL-RApljslDIuGNdpt-6bLE9ZrPeAMfVzDPAQtMG5uwofppf2IAYTn3L2PayOxmVzJR7qQw4GxMUwTQw357017iGN8iZA4SaHcsqjed/s1600/P1030916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6nJwvetDAbH5JT65pl-QVHAYW6zHnEQl_is0bnGL-RApljslDIuGNdpt-6bLE9ZrPeAMfVzDPAQtMG5uwofppf2IAYTn3L2PayOxmVzJR7qQw4GxMUwTQw357017iGN8iZA4SaHcsqjed/s1600/P1030916.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
The double mosquito nets covers our beds at night. The greens spell </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">
<div style="font-size: 8px;">
w-e-l on one bed and c-o-m-e on the other.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 10px;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tHao-ho3GSVOWxen11LX_dTZy4nxmcM7qdmy6Ta1a-xvJ-SnqUhntchgw7e79dgGjo0CVIufRSNa-h_5xy5U798JrWjeYpXrZ0uUpw0BHpbczOQ4W0zNc80WvSfLE7yid1Ze3sWKKLx0/s1600/P1030919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tHao-ho3GSVOWxen11LX_dTZy4nxmcM7qdmy6Ta1a-xvJ-SnqUhntchgw7e79dgGjo0CVIufRSNa-h_5xy5U798JrWjeYpXrZ0uUpw0BHpbczOQ4W0zNc80WvSfLE7yid1Ze3sWKKLx0/s1600/P1030919.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
I LOVED this open-to-the-sky shower!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 10px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0Rl7mfCryMqj3vNQc8Efr6KWIbeiVKXz2zkGHPMCunNZrGNvgLHV1frpb-OpYCbneBX9xFbs8V5TcUs9j5UJruksLSfvPeCGfXZWTBRQPI22tLacyqt8QjdU95XFKghyA1cnRtbJteD_/s1600/P1030920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0Rl7mfCryMqj3vNQc8Efr6KWIbeiVKXz2zkGHPMCunNZrGNvgLHV1frpb-OpYCbneBX9xFbs8V5TcUs9j5UJruksLSfvPeCGfXZWTBRQPI22tLacyqt8QjdU95XFKghyA1cnRtbJteD_/s1600/P1030920.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<div style="font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
I've always wondered what the inside of a thatch roof looks like. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">
<div style="font-size: 8px;">
Now I know.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 10px;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lASzu0h-HYmtNQ3YFCTqR_EL_yyolicLoa19lkiVCgKy25u0E7QWt8aw2c_5Bkp6f-OTtHfVpO3QMXHTnIaPvvB9CyxRKmtWa3LQ1ShCIJ1egxRTvqJXAMATdLHcMmS6lwqjy6jK93hQ/s1600/P1030914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lASzu0h-HYmtNQ3YFCTqR_EL_yyolicLoa19lkiVCgKy25u0E7QWt8aw2c_5Bkp6f-OTtHfVpO3QMXHTnIaPvvB9CyxRKmtWa3LQ1ShCIJ1egxRTvqJXAMATdLHcMmS6lwqjy6jK93hQ/s1600/P1030914.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<div style="font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
Our first elephant!</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 10px;"></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRjvw0u96F5m7lf4ldSB2wo5RmuZhHaiOkm0t6CbHjWLwCaTJMekm8DkJap4ycSqwMyioEYDcy2w8fPazX9yPkO8DFHHqHbAoVEtWALLljb5kIrQZDavisyAfk95AMCKk3F2sXSiHaeBM/s1600/P1030915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRjvw0u96F5m7lf4ldSB2wo5RmuZhHaiOkm0t6CbHjWLwCaTJMekm8DkJap4ycSqwMyioEYDcy2w8fPazX9yPkO8DFHHqHbAoVEtWALLljb5kIrQZDavisyAfk95AMCKk3F2sXSiHaeBM/s1600/P1030915.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
Lurking in the pond...</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 10px;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FJq_WpWTAF6RM0e5OD9iJwnmfMVOZRJIR1M_dpTNWiev6-Sc5TZwK4k4MuGm2ByaSOrwWVDRigeCEiV7wd3av649dgnLd3GOzUxgyC1wd8zUdFQU1uC5i5QeTBdjjd6VkM8t2vy9gvB0/s1600/P1030925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FJq_WpWTAF6RM0e5OD9iJwnmfMVOZRJIR1M_dpTNWiev6-Sc5TZwK4k4MuGm2ByaSOrwWVDRigeCEiV7wd3av649dgnLd3GOzUxgyC1wd8zUdFQU1uC5i5QeTBdjjd6VkM8t2vy9gvB0/s1600/P1030925.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
Water buck</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 10px;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 10px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fhrUJQXxdjJ6EECVfMCMkqmV2Rg1SIt9OZXlhjHnUopwqgTOJzW2cZhSKKzIzOpoPirowjyrTGm5mYrICQxR5VcTHeBIEW-NbgVroaYcnnyrvfhvDmBdBh1BT4zqE9_yxe7B5ayE5C5Q/s1600/P1030928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fhrUJQXxdjJ6EECVfMCMkqmV2Rg1SIt9OZXlhjHnUopwqgTOJzW2cZhSKKzIzOpoPirowjyrTGm5mYrICQxR5VcTHeBIEW-NbgVroaYcnnyrvfhvDmBdBh1BT4zqE9_yxe7B5ayE5C5Q/s1600/P1030928.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6NUuHBb8IIpJ27ldg8kpHbtN3wUX76wxG-4_FdwmauQml3Nm0Dp36jzbf1ajpBn3cr9_nU_no3xRWAp90ezxwsToIK1URSbRCnKUKrP36idbQWrjoxCK7lc_ypo97_H2QqQhyVjmzDU_/s1600/P1030929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6NUuHBb8IIpJ27ldg8kpHbtN3wUX76wxG-4_FdwmauQml3Nm0Dp36jzbf1ajpBn3cr9_nU_no3xRWAp90ezxwsToIK1URSbRCnKUKrP36idbQWrjoxCK7lc_ypo97_H2QqQhyVjmzDU_/s1600/P1030929.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
Baboons are pests here. We were warned to keep our doors locked!</div>
<div style="font-size: 8px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
Later. We have experienced our first game drive. <span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> </span>next to our driver/guide. The jeep holds up to 10 passengers plus a ranger. Off we went, bumping along over dirt roads, some rocky, some thick with dust that must turn into mucky bogs in rainy season, some slanted at a 45 degree angle, and a few slightly graded and graveled. We were warned to keep hands and legs inside the vehicle, partly to avoid alarming the animals we hoped to see and mostly as protection from the thorny acacia trees that frequently reached in to grab us. We were happy that our jeeps had canopies, making hats largely unnecessary--a good thing if you didn't have a chin strap to keep them from flying off. We would drive fairly fast until our guide Ignatius (Iggie) spotted something of interest and then we would stop to observe and photograph it. Then off again in search of the next surprise. Our first sighting was a group of guinea fowl with their tiny colorful heads, slender necks, matchstick legs, and bulbous bodies. They were everywhere on the reserve, but fun to see the first time. We saw Egyptian geese and ducks, and then our first "real" sighting, a small herd of zebra. So pretty. Iggie told us we could tell they were healthy because their manes were standing upright and not flopping to the side as they do when the animal is in trouble. As the afternoon passed, we saw impala, a magnificent adult male kudu with its spiraling twisted horns, a small herd of elephants, and a few tiny steenbok that were too shy and quick to be photographed. At around 6pm we stopped for a sundowner break. We saw the sun setting behind a rocky mountain rising from the dry plain, the sun<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> </span>casting its light over a small lake with a sculptural dead tree turning the whole scene into a work of art. Back in the jeep, we drove around in the dark for nearly an hour, finally spotting a sleeping herd of buffalo it was too dark to photograph even with Iggie's spotlight. We were glad to return to the lodge for dinner, wine, and bedtime. Good day!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbyjdLIVR-Lc7gJ9tWk4TmL57TMP5g_9b5LoqModN4j_bMAyxTL9wnJlfJEOxF3W4YiC0s_hJ60Kp3KLs-mUCVQ_5Du6pw0cFqMkk8EKHW4WGZr1oh-cB6ynurYC1quDW0F9GTdRfdIUH/s1600/P1030930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbyjdLIVR-Lc7gJ9tWk4TmL57TMP5g_9b5LoqModN4j_bMAyxTL9wnJlfJEOxF3W4YiC0s_hJ60Kp3KLs-mUCVQ_5Du6pw0cFqMkk8EKHW4WGZr1oh-cB6ynurYC1quDW0F9GTdRfdIUH/s1600/P1030930.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
This is what a safari jeep looks like.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s3gUkh3pEwf5f8igyyyRSuoLdcVMijml3399G4u-MiNPuV3AHDZGggrs1B6tMoUVxRRB0yMFcgLfsGi536sEJoGlAItx5jy3Nn_-6vn3LByP8MBktp3XZw9hyphenhyphenhvKWZ9pnLKougEgsAO7/s1600/P1030932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s3gUkh3pEwf5f8igyyyRSuoLdcVMijml3399G4u-MiNPuV3AHDZGggrs1B6tMoUVxRRB0yMFcgLfsGi536sEJoGlAItx5jy3Nn_-6vn3LByP8MBktp3XZw9hyphenhyphenhvKWZ9pnLKougEgsAO7/s1600/P1030932.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guinea Fowl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKCMbuK0M5Vx1CeZEQz0sOibdRKSIdjvk4REOeUTwDXtLPA3Siby0vrE7XXyqlVJJdcPbvu-LYuG86EYHsLsWw-C2JaEkrxXLYaoXkUbMNsfm_0sAC25eIrzB_zZInxHJaKZXpuDRXw4p/s1600/P1030934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKCMbuK0M5Vx1CeZEQz0sOibdRKSIdjvk4REOeUTwDXtLPA3Siby0vrE7XXyqlVJJdcPbvu-LYuG86EYHsLsWw-C2JaEkrxXLYaoXkUbMNsfm_0sAC25eIrzB_zZInxHJaKZXpuDRXw4p/s1600/P1030934.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9B6Gn0sbRNpnItF1U9QCA7CINu0rRxpxh1XSeciwVvcz951WjWx2hWFkroHwVYrp8AQ45mdgtaCOKIum-G-n1s3Hwe5vcxLjFnZNMdUJw8NlqCHz12yGvYO9EuLGk1LKnAza_f2Ewl7o/s1600/P1030938+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9B6Gn0sbRNpnItF1U9QCA7CINu0rRxpxh1XSeciwVvcz951WjWx2hWFkroHwVYrp8AQ45mdgtaCOKIum-G-n1s3Hwe5vcxLjFnZNMdUJw8NlqCHz12yGvYO9EuLGk1LKnAza_f2Ewl7o/s1600/P1030938+copy.jpg" height="261" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgQi4pQUaXZ-X3rjvzWM5JzEugwWYPaD0vAuTNfiA7ziVNDqbWDENWxKbzbfWOWjOHaDA6nqNt-pLgt_mYbetrXQ4XxDwnft0514ZV3Epli8X0xtw3FAMMcjYeTsgPvWUUep0AxIFcpCb/s1600/P1030938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgQi4pQUaXZ-X3rjvzWM5JzEugwWYPaD0vAuTNfiA7ziVNDqbWDENWxKbzbfWOWjOHaDA6nqNt-pLgt_mYbetrXQ4XxDwnft0514ZV3Epli8X0xtw3FAMMcjYeTsgPvWUUep0AxIFcpCb/s1600/P1030938.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOlJLpQkfwKV5gbO-ZNZn-LZLdEeEZyqoMeeVCjBPng_UrCECPY3pvpWv0GhOTJ0CStmmQceOxoHdzui9mUwqAcQH_wbW5PXlpKUbalXfxjI1sYcEYWVw3DtaCq6cRTyBT1wYc3IiXWai/s1600/P1030947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOlJLpQkfwKV5gbO-ZNZn-LZLdEeEZyqoMeeVCjBPng_UrCECPY3pvpWv0GhOTJ0CStmmQceOxoHdzui9mUwqAcQH_wbW5PXlpKUbalXfxjI1sYcEYWVw3DtaCq6cRTyBT1wYc3IiXWai/s1600/P1030947.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shadow of our jeep</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKb468jxZAElCZgXYk9kUt-16DrKGff5DDJ7R0f-OQ3R8H9SRzp3FnmJhEpCHeNz2QBU2RrjwVU7r7Ryg1H_F533kcYInqwnyVhw6HIcuTbxZRkFmjIUAbbnuFN358yegVU14s_4lnmQE/s1600/P1030946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkKb468jxZAElCZgXYk9kUt-16DrKGff5DDJ7R0f-OQ3R8H9SRzp3FnmJhEpCHeNz2QBU2RrjwVU7r7Ryg1H_F533kcYInqwnyVhw6HIcuTbxZRkFmjIUAbbnuFN358yegVU14s_4lnmQE/s1600/P1030946.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iggie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1yR_sqiVjCp0vIxDLR4jluhtTDYIpnuOHm2-zqPNnY2902mUUnzAQkMlxhNZdsENHANkkn53lkrFVGkPelcnIVfYqsKzA_UvVN1o55Rs5yk-gomonsnkMsO-OWGgeXUhvzQP2O9KPWNs/s1600/P1030942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1yR_sqiVjCp0vIxDLR4jluhtTDYIpnuOHm2-zqPNnY2902mUUnzAQkMlxhNZdsENHANkkn53lkrFVGkPelcnIVfYqsKzA_UvVN1o55Rs5yk-gomonsnkMsO-OWGgeXUhvzQP2O9KPWNs/s1600/P1030942.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kudu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ouu6i6dkAVpfQnY69Mczf4XTxKi1KKPFqXmXFnjRmEDzr2yvyEFPwzQZjukA60Bfqb57iv9Vak7CSTUmwXTsHFY-yk_Hi57yQUW8PSlP1DBS7v1pb4AHW4rYcMUACgSkV9wLqAUS4YGn/s1600/impala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Ouu6i6dkAVpfQnY69Mczf4XTxKi1KKPFqXmXFnjRmEDzr2yvyEFPwzQZjukA60Bfqb57iv9Vak7CSTUmwXTsHFY-yk_Hi57yQUW8PSlP1DBS7v1pb4AHW4rYcMUACgSkV9wLqAUS4YGn/s1600/impala.jpg" height="254" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impala</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNGp8EzpZUzagbsTRFL8HqybqaeD6s7SR84QkVvRxG8nHbSMdWrCIAmQDapOZxFeOwu7bIBGxk6AfGoEGEVFfDI53AntGJYMzgJdytSwBppSvaKvlTwXj6BIZ0chAUbL3X3QnJy5v4XKe/s1600/P1030949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNGp8EzpZUzagbsTRFL8HqybqaeD6s7SR84QkVvRxG8nHbSMdWrCIAmQDapOZxFeOwu7bIBGxk6AfGoEGEVFfDI53AntGJYMzgJdytSwBppSvaKvlTwXj6BIZ0chAUbL3X3QnJy5v4XKe/s1600/P1030949.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbWHJAt4ue8k1Ik4goP5-jf5pRgdNTezHK-v9En3al2_r-4WWuDLDlTA6Oq513JtYxKkNlK9XjvRSzLTbvop9rtEyPONartgFWErWTyjaxjz4LcvaNmQyz9XRdVgziPcCLNcTFyZhSzO0/s1600/P1030959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbWHJAt4ue8k1Ik4goP5-jf5pRgdNTezHK-v9En3al2_r-4WWuDLDlTA6Oq513JtYxKkNlK9XjvRSzLTbvop9rtEyPONartgFWErWTyjaxjz4LcvaNmQyz9XRdVgziPcCLNcTFyZhSzO0/s1600/P1030959.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rLIEM11uhXRrjgsWp6tqDQbN7l5PJGY9v_Ci8aetESTOqpH6NSY3n9TwcthdPdiKXnZQ3SedF3CdlDSaYHeNZBOPZrKl62ZUtiorW6isf_JHjDjOhrEfKpAKmS_vyE4s4iI3OVs6NDyE/s1600/P1030973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rLIEM11uhXRrjgsWp6tqDQbN7l5PJGY9v_Ci8aetESTOqpH6NSY3n9TwcthdPdiKXnZQ3SedF3CdlDSaYHeNZBOPZrKl62ZUtiorW6isf_JHjDjOhrEfKpAKmS_vyE4s4iI3OVs6NDyE/s1600/P1030973.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxjRTm8X7KhCsFUrv9Vp-jl0HuKBf2j4Qk3QMfbYS_-4fnCPsEyMaCAaLz83vuGfr2001d8oiXOvie75rcdxy1yB_yX9sC8FP5_eU9ZW9szSq6sWqDZgcd17HwD_fQH6ABkXOWLjVh_fZ/s1600/P1030979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxjRTm8X7KhCsFUrv9Vp-jl0HuKBf2j4Qk3QMfbYS_-4fnCPsEyMaCAaLz83vuGfr2001d8oiXOvie75rcdxy1yB_yX9sC8FP5_eU9ZW9szSq6sWqDZgcd17HwD_fQH6ABkXOWLjVh_fZ/s1600/P1030979.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wQFpMtBgOlRa2Lkif6P5VEjx0YEPuMWhyWvafCmAZMI_Q5PCvXYBz5oqdVcIwj2fOxlx-NHZVdI5tuhbuVKWI8RySvQ-9ypHse4R4iL98IoHl-8Ad3SzjcptZyodGmBancCxy7H9jjOa/s1600/P1030968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wQFpMtBgOlRa2Lkif6P5VEjx0YEPuMWhyWvafCmAZMI_Q5PCvXYBz5oqdVcIwj2fOxlx-NHZVdI5tuhbuVKWI8RySvQ-9ypHse4R4iL98IoHl-8Ad3SzjcptZyodGmBancCxy7H9jjOa/s1600/P1030968.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
We climbed into a tiered Jeep, John riding up front<br />
<span style="font-size: 10px;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-60823271685937382802014-12-23T13:18:00.001-08:002014-12-23T13:18:24.177-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 20, 2014, </i>Monday. I'm back in our compartment after another excellent but too filling lunch accompanied by the usual two+ glasses of wine. We have spent some of the day becalmed by electricity outages and the rest rolling through uninteresting scenery. This part of our journey has been more populated, with several small cities or large towns alternating with unpopulated countryside. Not many of the tiny settlements we saw in Zambia here in Zimbabwe. We have been told that the Mugabe government has destroyed the once stable economy of this country, but even so, it seems more<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> </span>like the 21st century, with paved roads, electricity, and perhaps people who suffer more from the extreme poverty of their conditions since they live further from the land. </div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
Sometime today we crossed into Botswana, our fourth African country. As we are traveling more or less east to west near the equator, they pretty much all look alike, at least from the train. They have all been extremely dry with bare, dormant trees and shrubs, and either dry grasses or patches of burned over land. Late this morning we passed through a short stretch of track where fires were raging through the tinder-dry grass right up against the track. Apparently that wasn't as dangerous as it looked because we chugged right through the angry-sounding crackle and heat of the fires. They burn to fertilize the land and to kill insects, especially the termites whose huge mounds we see all along the way.<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
Despite delays, we are told that today's excursion to a cattle farm is still on, to be followed at 8pm by a formal dinner back on the train. John says he isn't going to leave the train. I'm still trying to decide. I'm not all that interested in the side trip, the probable heat, or the nearly certain bugs, but a break from the train does sound good. </div>
<div style="font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
LATER. In the end, we both went and enjoyed our little jaunt. Pleasant temps, no bugs. The lesson here is never to judge by what MIGHT happen<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">,</span> because you will probably be wrong and sorry to have missed a nice activity. By the time we got our act together, we were the last people off the train and so ended up riding shotgun in two different game drive jeep/trucks. That turned out to be a blessing since it saved us the climb up onto the top viewing deck. We were also lucky to be in vehicles that actually saw some game, unlike the majority. I saw a small herd of impala running for cover and then a few water bucks doing the same. We saw a giraffe and later another one who seemed happy to pose for us. Around 5:30 all of us gathered near a pond for what they call a sundowner. That seems to be drinks in a location with some hope that wildlife will also gather for a drink. In our case, the wildlife consisted of one giraffe who approached the pond<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">,</span> only to hide behind a bush<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">,</span> and one more who didn't seem happy with our presence and just stood at the edge of the woods<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> </span>staring at us. We had arrived at this farm way behind schedule, so what should have been a combination tour of Brahman cattle farming and game drive became just the latter. It might have been more useful to drop the game drive and show us the cattle since presumably we will see much more game during our two night stay at the reserve, and this was our only chance to learn about cattle ranching, but it <i>was</i> exciting to see giraffes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1Svd-XTq9dOBcMQBpol_P3JTZr-Yx1iR3HMO5BwuOkM7LUtXH83JavIFeyUm7nfzVnhy_Nk8MABHgd9PZ53WfrT06GbDQoQXfTixCpywPrt-x7i5_dTFRuRwCbOx-pfbxl_-OuEYt1s_/s1600/P1030892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH1Svd-XTq9dOBcMQBpol_P3JTZr-Yx1iR3HMO5BwuOkM7LUtXH83JavIFeyUm7nfzVnhy_Nk8MABHgd9PZ53WfrT06GbDQoQXfTixCpywPrt-x7i5_dTFRuRwCbOx-pfbxl_-OuEYt1s_/s1600/P1030892.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMB5TN-H5ZQ4UyMNgBnR0czqdXV0VkYv_kHbePOBqCJVq7whTUZj9zF4-PReMUNTI-aeGh40dPwQtE5DB0lgsbx1iyI6d0O9nX9WTkdTBdMWTp8qenM8EwsLPebJWHGERQRZfs4SW2R03_/s1600/P1030895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMB5TN-H5ZQ4UyMNgBnR0czqdXV0VkYv_kHbePOBqCJVq7whTUZj9zF4-PReMUNTI-aeGh40dPwQtE5DB0lgsbx1iyI6d0O9nX9WTkdTBdMWTp8qenM8EwsLPebJWHGERQRZfs4SW2R03_/s1600/P1030895.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcIJAvPiaC4w-E-d2F94LnfjN5d4XYQch16xZw9Uugzf_zrj2KKa-zuetV_wkZVfxiwC1BZgkOAbLFIxnI1vkDCTZ5C2TPMuvHKfwVtx4pbde2u_cuia7G09ozZyogB9Yv2NZ1efz0AcX/s1600/P1030896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcIJAvPiaC4w-E-d2F94LnfjN5d4XYQch16xZw9Uugzf_zrj2KKa-zuetV_wkZVfxiwC1BZgkOAbLFIxnI1vkDCTZ5C2TPMuvHKfwVtx4pbde2u_cuia7G09ozZyogB9Yv2NZ1efz0AcX/s1600/P1030896.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGHSqSsSRDcIAoeoE3CbYW0WBKLC6Cb9PZEDGlpLxbQIRD8mrjCLetib3W3MA5XZeFxMk6sV6xDDtC6I5UMxItjUcqAoPQsoO8okPY1xqfU8jc-by3Z-zH7JJa1CM1rWEMvtrpa-HOnQ/s1600/P1030898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGHSqSsSRDcIAoeoE3CbYW0WBKLC6Cb9PZEDGlpLxbQIRD8mrjCLetib3W3MA5XZeFxMk6sV6xDDtC6I5UMxItjUcqAoPQsoO8okPY1xqfU8jc-by3Z-zH7JJa1CM1rWEMvtrpa-HOnQ/s1600/P1030898.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdH1Ufav3KuDAvBZPVkUJWoFJUybdx_kuAWrJEKzilEq52RWsUb4oXMi5iggFfbTNN_aiMvwreuGTqJpy9wYGZGpv9M0HovbfSfP6M0brO2Th0I3jWiat3TtF3J58OFpuCKCslGRwsdaoT/s1600/P1030901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdH1Ufav3KuDAvBZPVkUJWoFJUybdx_kuAWrJEKzilEq52RWsUb4oXMi5iggFfbTNN_aiMvwreuGTqJpy9wYGZGpv9M0HovbfSfP6M0brO2Th0I3jWiat3TtF3J58OFpuCKCslGRwsdaoT/s1600/P1030901.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYc-nEsXnAjVv6tY8fs5YUg0MOZBHuhKSzq5MySzbI3eZtib4Qo_WhQQdaMbVet1XX7_i_BOEdJPp1LJRpx9R9VS7lWl4sExC-aOb_x9JiIDkZvQqL7K-Ke-4em6uFOy8AioJqsgXahNT/s1600/P1030903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYc-nEsXnAjVv6tY8fs5YUg0MOZBHuhKSzq5MySzbI3eZtib4Qo_WhQQdaMbVet1XX7_i_BOEdJPp1LJRpx9R9VS7lWl4sExC-aOb_x9JiIDkZvQqL7K-Ke-4em6uFOy8AioJqsgXahNT/s1600/P1030903.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-4596828120162523072014-12-23T13:09:00.002-08:002014-12-23T13:18:41.199-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 19, 2014 Sunday.</i> Bright eyed and eager after a most welcome night's sleep in a big soft bed, off the bumpy, noisy train, we met this morning for a two hour hike to see the famous falls. This is the end of dry season, so the<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;"> </span>falls are about half normal size, still impressive, and still sending out plumes of mist that left us damp and happily a bit cooler than when we were dry. We are told that during wetter seasons we would have needed rain gear because of the heavy mist. John and I had chosen the most benign activity available to us, but there was a big range of things to do including bungee jumping off the bridge, white water rafting, wading across the top of the falls to a rock where you could peer straight down, helicopter rides and even an elephant ride. This would be a beautiful place to spend a week with a young family before moving on to a game reserve for several more days, as we are about to do. This time of year, we saw almost no bugs of any kind, and the reserve we are heading toward is in a malaria free zone, so this has been a wonderfully pleasant trip with none of the concerns raised by the raft of immunizations we were required to have. All the local people we have met have been friendly and welcoming, too. The only minor annoyance is the ubiquitous hoard of people begging you to buy their wares, and who can blame them for that?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjN65VBCIq0V-adRFa1GzpuZclKPTmWU6qk8ZLKeCn_3OoiNsZIW_32Om50-9kmJiPH2FGnJlKB4svocZGD8_Tt5E19z01x78KR-wiCYe8mIueIhu3fAsnNWx346bh_mpYmi7D5RuP9wf/s1600/P1030842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjN65VBCIq0V-adRFa1GzpuZclKPTmWU6qk8ZLKeCn_3OoiNsZIW_32Om50-9kmJiPH2FGnJlKB4svocZGD8_Tt5E19z01x78KR-wiCYe8mIueIhu3fAsnNWx346bh_mpYmi7D5RuP9wf/s1600/P1030842.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidG_CFFbXDMalEN5kONwuNr2hDhXBsBMIGQPHqGNXUCs8tC5F_VGaqGqY9iIkmevMA9KFnUCzF5Zsze0uijP89OATQj5MlZmKWQ_N_GQDyHfojrRq1fd7f70xtld7OqMsn_E3Lojnr6dP6/s1600/P1030843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidG_CFFbXDMalEN5kONwuNr2hDhXBsBMIGQPHqGNXUCs8tC5F_VGaqGqY9iIkmevMA9KFnUCzF5Zsze0uijP89OATQj5MlZmKWQ_N_GQDyHfojrRq1fd7f70xtld7OqMsn_E3Lojnr6dP6/s1600/P1030843.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GGAMfnrrvEl7XFQqxPBNDfmk6kV8UMXSxjAC4VWH_jGgq4C7W7NIsWOpJZIkSVlNn4CaJ9qP5Y1q9-ixtsIAkUhlMLfJG93BQIZ9IYyLLGwxo9ZiuZGeT3jNMwg2ekhpdjvT2E9Nt_Xj/s1600/P1030852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GGAMfnrrvEl7XFQqxPBNDfmk6kV8UMXSxjAC4VWH_jGgq4C7W7NIsWOpJZIkSVlNn4CaJ9qP5Y1q9-ixtsIAkUhlMLfJG93BQIZ9IYyLLGwxo9ZiuZGeT3jNMwg2ekhpdjvT2E9Nt_Xj/s1600/P1030852.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCKpmBtJmcYrgrg2vw0ZGS7uIz6IztgrSMIEfvI4ztll2e5JZwQ4vxW2lNQXahU4iFFZXkMUR8nGrMqNpNV821hzOFY-yLx3wNtc_rhF8VSK_l9Ip5JBJBI_-SlJqLNSRXZwjXa8QpJXn/s1600/Us.+Vic+Falls+with+burgee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCKpmBtJmcYrgrg2vw0ZGS7uIz6IztgrSMIEfvI4ztll2e5JZwQ4vxW2lNQXahU4iFFZXkMUR8nGrMqNpNV821hzOFY-yLx3wNtc_rhF8VSK_l9Ip5JBJBI_-SlJqLNSRXZwjXa8QpJXn/s1600/Us.+Vic+Falls+with+burgee.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGP7n2oyTZXAXD06I2kjcLKkxEYpmJP1vivAsTBCM6S57LzuQ6MtHRDoTrBnCBIdB016Fmx8YY4Jh5N-w4gZTfSTTZb3Uo791SOUE8y_cSrV14s4IZT5MaWIduNvdFE8oo2FNAi2rrOCIS/s1600/P1030870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGP7n2oyTZXAXD06I2kjcLKkxEYpmJP1vivAsTBCM6S57LzuQ6MtHRDoTrBnCBIdB016Fmx8YY4Jh5N-w4gZTfSTTZb3Uo791SOUE8y_cSrV14s4IZT5MaWIduNvdFE8oo2FNAi2rrOCIS/s1600/P1030870.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click for larger picture to see adventurors creeping across the top of the falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqAL8UVtlqLSAxcfPtFIJzlnoMdCkjCGhnFYcRytElLGETGQPkMJ7DrVZCzKrOc20xud4VbFpaE0IHDZUiJn1k3HU6U7oGoN3GnittIt-1x9CM9olqYnb-JE-64UPd9JfZ0E_DVJob_-D/s1600/top+of+the+falls+walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqAL8UVtlqLSAxcfPtFIJzlnoMdCkjCGhnFYcRytElLGETGQPkMJ7DrVZCzKrOc20xud4VbFpaE0IHDZUiJn1k3HU6U7oGoN3GnittIt-1x9CM9olqYnb-JE-64UPd9JfZ0E_DVJob_-D/s1600/top+of+the+falls+walk.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here they are on top of the falls! The last in line is one of the bartenders on the train enjoying a day off.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpOJiKHS9Gi9SlsO-U25rM-3z0DJ_ql2mIOZjfv3Soh3UhbLzKk-C9RNsXhlCOa6vo1rzZiwbL2RQHgQNJXTAQD-VKFejKI22b45l9hZHR3MVjq14jVpXy5SSJspNwntPAFc9a_l96eYF/s1600/P1030864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpOJiKHS9Gi9SlsO-U25rM-3z0DJ_ql2mIOZjfv3Soh3UhbLzKk-C9RNsXhlCOa6vo1rzZiwbL2RQHgQNJXTAQD-VKFejKI22b45l9hZHR3MVjq14jVpXy5SSJspNwntPAFc9a_l96eYF/s1600/P1030864.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local birds enjoy the heights and sights, too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBsWrySByUVC2g5WacWSuBMdd_Icw_glYVwHm8X1Ne9G4ARC_eLSUsU572P961Ez3wnniR-GxjM_04eQ536_WbbnNK9FeyRbeTEj381nCTjI7ph20JX9U4k4Msp1efOR1R2ggAfuUpzh3/s1600/P1030878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBsWrySByUVC2g5WacWSuBMdd_Icw_glYVwHm8X1Ne9G4ARC_eLSUsU572P961Ez3wnniR-GxjM_04eQ536_WbbnNK9FeyRbeTEj381nCTjI7ph20JX9U4k4Msp1efOR1R2ggAfuUpzh3/s1600/P1030878.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And so do some local monkeys.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBpnOa_9TwVj7nk8kUmlGOqB9UK_QAJZG40IFDQaZI2ntQdrnIYjSBFLaPCFxznE7zCvRdowPHO-a3ednLHPwD-m95Xv4ATfGzKv5dJMvlt_h4RfWbxxD1lGDbRmFI90upGbZ85MEJlVb/s1600/P1030875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBpnOa_9TwVj7nk8kUmlGOqB9UK_QAJZG40IFDQaZI2ntQdrnIYjSBFLaPCFxznE7zCvRdowPHO-a3ednLHPwD-m95Xv4ATfGzKv5dJMvlt_h4RfWbxxD1lGDbRmFI90upGbZ85MEJlVb/s1600/P1030875.jpg" height="270" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7vl7rb4e9Ut-XCtI1ssK0F1AfqNmfe3sIsc1hinxkPt3-Co4rKwmtr6Y3VKl-oeGhTO-INMlsq7CJ-Y2-mWQs3HTnj0mZO45oOShUs4FAzTgtqmHcXHTUNm2zggv6_vJlZ4dVOtWkygI/s1600/P1030880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7vl7rb4e9Ut-XCtI1ssK0F1AfqNmfe3sIsc1hinxkPt3-Co4rKwmtr6Y3VKl-oeGhTO-INMlsq7CJ-Y2-mWQs3HTnj0mZO45oOShUs4FAzTgtqmHcXHTUNm2zggv6_vJlZ4dVOtWkygI/s1600/P1030880.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These percussionists made wonderful music during lunch at the hotel.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zQm5by4_wiQsDL3tsrhNyEtqVBn0L2_tgyFGFgDXHNfldQUL4Gus9_aB_YDgIVN7IENKeDPJLhkzfo4BxJ9ODtVtXtwEjNC4932i_eRQu5r2Ixg4UU3409QBaiypYi04RRprFpDjZZJo/s1600/P1030884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zQm5by4_wiQsDL3tsrhNyEtqVBn0L2_tgyFGFgDXHNfldQUL4Gus9_aB_YDgIVN7IENKeDPJLhkzfo4BxJ9ODtVtXtwEjNC4932i_eRQu5r2Ixg4UU3409QBaiypYi04RRprFpDjZZJo/s1600/P1030884.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the comfortable lobbies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu311d0_QHt61UhXuoybtkfa7IgUz6deAi-0VSF31_9nZutbau7-1kxrAmYCSxw3Dql9k22jmbGAmPcPK25jTKz48zPCpqYwQbX9ajWhYLCZ5Lt6p9d5fY5KwZKBSg6N-_SO3tcf1BKljM/s1600/P1030882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu311d0_QHt61UhXuoybtkfa7IgUz6deAi-0VSF31_9nZutbau7-1kxrAmYCSxw3Dql9k22jmbGAmPcPK25jTKz48zPCpqYwQbX9ajWhYLCZ5Lt6p9d5fY5KwZKBSg6N-_SO3tcf1BKljM/s1600/P1030882.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Victoria Falls Hotel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-15122824458070949832014-12-23T12:51:00.001-08:002014-12-23T12:51:16.830-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 18, 2014 Saturday.</i> We have spent the last 24 hours rolling slowly over bad track, sitting still waiting for other trains, or roaring along to try to make up time. Right now, we are at the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, waiting for a new engine to be attached. Then we will roll for about 15 minutes until the entire train is on the bridge over the Zambezi River. We are not legally allowed to stop there, but Gareth tells us that all 72 "engineers" on board will be allowed to disembark to inspect the wheels and, oh yes, take some photos. As soon as we finish crossing the bridge we will arrive at Victoria Falls where we will again disembark, this time for our overnight stay at the Victoria Falls Hotel and related activities. We have been told to take our insect spray, so this is the real start of the part of the trip for which we have all been taking our malaria pills.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDB6EZUH2BlP0EQq6ove3rZjK_nFGWahGwsZiYDMUGSn65sxyC7jqzDgvDyQ4gAX33guFs2S-WRRcxdm6ehOc8QfVxUO63GyanbVW3aTIQ4KTFPc5SS7Bi1yQ0aYN8AJdBWpmu6LY3SEr3/s1600/P1030764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDB6EZUH2BlP0EQq6ove3rZjK_nFGWahGwsZiYDMUGSn65sxyC7jqzDgvDyQ4gAX33guFs2S-WRRcxdm6ehOc8QfVxUO63GyanbVW3aTIQ4KTFPc5SS7Bi1yQ0aYN8AJdBWpmu6LY3SEr3/s1600/P1030764.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_lMp2i2_XwfVYvZTdU5IJ-5DL2d_gprueKl7WfrqxXl61XFj8tFv7t9sEA0O9Bx8aBux1EcLmQimHuCoy2NwdmH6xf2MnVzzp-dhfeAlS3eNfrlDuoYcObTZsbV7Ji85wc96Sz4HIwoi/s1600/P1030771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_lMp2i2_XwfVYvZTdU5IJ-5DL2d_gprueKl7WfrqxXl61XFj8tFv7t9sEA0O9Bx8aBux1EcLmQimHuCoy2NwdmH6xf2MnVzzp-dhfeAlS3eNfrlDuoYcObTZsbV7Ji85wc96Sz4HIwoi/s1600/P1030771.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
The train on the bridge where we conducted our "inspection"</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 10px;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTiXsYHDcoLCUdZ6G5DqW3GeV5GAJlg_lxKhR6_Y1uYeerZ2xnGyqzd6Q3HXzkCzuL3E1fjAdd3zkgAsLV3h3-wDAP8zK8YwgKRX7D0x-Ng3x0onaMpiJiKxzueYHlGzo32-vXhljcXff/s1600/P1030772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTiXsYHDcoLCUdZ6G5DqW3GeV5GAJlg_lxKhR6_Y1uYeerZ2xnGyqzd6Q3HXzkCzuL3E1fjAdd3zkgAsLV3h3-wDAP8zK8YwgKRX7D0x-Ng3x0onaMpiJiKxzueYHlGzo32-vXhljcXff/s1600/P1030772.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Engineers inspecting trains on the bridge must be common. They were ready for us!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMGl8lqs_mYdDwhyphenhyphen_u_WFfcL_qWBOYciCX4WnrYk2KTrcM42MiWumcZRgxLQTkxAri0M-NH8tXvHBVKy3uVi0W9aw7CuqKT_JecQM_3Krtvmqd54V8bkLc9HDfI4BAa83OcOkvF_xVYNA/s1600/P1030765+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMGl8lqs_mYdDwhyphenhyphen_u_WFfcL_qWBOYciCX4WnrYk2KTrcM42MiWumcZRgxLQTkxAri0M-NH8tXvHBVKy3uVi0W9aw7CuqKT_JecQM_3Krtvmqd54V8bkLc9HDfI4BAa83OcOkvF_xVYNA/s1600/P1030765+copy.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Victoria Falls Hotel from the bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9lRmaOEwRsvDZhR2j4XVd5nrXPVo1t7mbp5YM60lJlBLukr4-p82dsbell6Uo4cJ_sHwlua6r3H4oelMzwh2TLN5qEZFT-tRK5XhXgpMPm8akmeGiKxjGYo6JIAns0PGO8MsH3UmaDnQ/s1600/P1030769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9lRmaOEwRsvDZhR2j4XVd5nrXPVo1t7mbp5YM60lJlBLukr4-p82dsbell6Uo4cJ_sHwlua6r3H4oelMzwh2TLN5qEZFT-tRK5XhXgpMPm8akmeGiKxjGYo6JIAns0PGO8MsH3UmaDnQ/s1600/P1030769.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
Our first glimpse of the Zambezi River</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-size: 10px; min-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 10px;">Later. Well, 15 minutes turned to 40, but at last we got our pictures, including one of a daredevil bungee jumper leaping off the bridge, and eventually really did arrive at the hotel. What a treat! It was built in 1904, is completely up to date but loaded with colonial charm. Our room seemed huge, with plenty of space for two double beds (complete with mosquito nets of the sort I always dreamed of having when I thought being a princess would be a good thing), a couch, dresser, desk and bar, as well as a huge bath with a claw foot tub, roomy shower, and period black and white tile. After our cramped train compartment, the Victoria Falls Hotel seemed like heaven. In fact, most of us would have loved to stay on. We heard later that a few people actually did leave the train there and apparently a few new people have arrived for the Victoria Falls to Pretoria leg of our journey.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8rakKnbXGfvUKGm88hRlTSA44gZ3-HjjsbJpv8kDBwt9AyjrO0M5dQ7viFOcsOywd3HVEUNkFzeFmeMiO52B6KJ6xGTEAv__IbBNZVbCl4tfBBrtkM_yWUB3Hmxa91id34T4diqGJKhY/s1600/P1030773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8rakKnbXGfvUKGm88hRlTSA44gZ3-HjjsbJpv8kDBwt9AyjrO0M5dQ7viFOcsOywd3HVEUNkFzeFmeMiO52B6KJ6xGTEAv__IbBNZVbCl4tfBBrtkM_yWUB3Hmxa91id34T4diqGJKhY/s1600/P1030773.jpg" height="250" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
Better him than either of us!</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjnpTOxgHe-GmsogwmMrhB1LU0WNFlTfv2Z0k7spotCpQ3YjHdDUm3fScf-_pbwaeTgkNZhug9RtvuRV8K60U1XgEtjmokLLWBy-wfueUSte71IiCzbPV0TG4GXRArQHUmRx7uyxIMAKV/s1600/P1030777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjnpTOxgHe-GmsogwmMrhB1LU0WNFlTfv2Z0k7spotCpQ3YjHdDUm3fScf-_pbwaeTgkNZhug9RtvuRV8K60U1XgEtjmokLLWBy-wfueUSte71IiCzbPV0TG4GXRArQHUmRx7uyxIMAKV/s1600/P1030777.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
The front of the Victoria Falls Hotel</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRS8shP2ZGflzj2a0ILCWrw64RbqCzzV29M0KN8C4VWxLICzqulQsB6HxnA5XFrf90sUu46UwOjWi-RvQ6HE9a2Ap2EguQHlnUE8TE7AlGd-wzTjc8XUMsPqZqiPt9_xkuKheeaoZITqtI/s1600/P1030778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRS8shP2ZGflzj2a0ILCWrw64RbqCzzV29M0KN8C4VWxLICzqulQsB6HxnA5XFrf90sUu46UwOjWi-RvQ6HE9a2Ap2EguQHlnUE8TE7AlGd-wzTjc8XUMsPqZqiPt9_xkuKheeaoZITqtI/s1600/P1030778.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
In the foyer, we are reminded the hunt for "big game" has a long tradition here</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5oLss2RaFAaurs3P8LGJTX0Q48-c6XEQMeDYYZ_1zMlM8E17avtJSLg9Tdtozkut0UAjMK-ljV2ScD69EL-vTY-f51Vdlncob6GKg4hLngSXmCnKjslfC0ewnmw9taClMN0q1tWYIn-b/s1600/P1030779+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5oLss2RaFAaurs3P8LGJTX0Q48-c6XEQMeDYYZ_1zMlM8E17avtJSLg9Tdtozkut0UAjMK-ljV2ScD69EL-vTY-f51Vdlncob6GKg4hLngSXmCnKjslfC0ewnmw9taClMN0q1tWYIn-b/s1600/P1030779+copy.jpg" height="270" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
On our way to lunch, we meet a wart hog on the lawn</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpML1Zt1c5l1rjDAfEdJH8GYp4tgcHdjHNi19pqGjSZ4glvAJysYJczJvfXRdY2e-D24tqwtyAinDfHX7lJpoLe6eT80eNntwbVRBbtOpYJq0GIoD3mlF-IPUs6eQA4UU2Al6cWv-P01oN/s1600/P1030780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpML1Zt1c5l1rjDAfEdJH8GYp4tgcHdjHNi19pqGjSZ4glvAJysYJczJvfXRdY2e-D24tqwtyAinDfHX7lJpoLe6eT80eNntwbVRBbtOpYJq0GIoD3mlF-IPUs6eQA4UU2Al6cWv-P01oN/s1600/P1030780.jpg" height="273" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 8px;">
The bridge from the hotel lawn</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DGeO6ClMQtibn54dPXeDCFPdhlszbmIwJPAmzWRutCdiuqxmcXnIbDW0uI-ucPTOKQsFB4aECF9O9hexBkbfOaqFtJe6-ZWt9r97vWAiM6lLjwqPy3w1nzBedWDa2P5Plmwm8pBgVPtF/s1600/P1030668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0DGeO6ClMQtibn54dPXeDCFPdhlszbmIwJPAmzWRutCdiuqxmcXnIbDW0uI-ucPTOKQsFB4aECF9O9hexBkbfOaqFtJe6-ZWt9r97vWAiM6lLjwqPy3w1nzBedWDa2P5Plmwm8pBgVPtF/s1600/P1030668.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping on the train--the couch converts to a bed and the ladder provides access to the upper bunk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBke5gRgfwjcNahb3LzaGhU_BttUfXQtmS_6db9YXXq1XSmxeHy5bPD3FovB1BQXdcbYUZSfzOmRi45Hwi7QPgHWvgt1LlIqF8w4gp76NPp_PRsmeRXrLShxVt2jdRFvsXrRbozZivXwl-/s1600/P1030781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBke5gRgfwjcNahb3LzaGhU_BttUfXQtmS_6db9YXXq1XSmxeHy5bPD3FovB1BQXdcbYUZSfzOmRi45Hwi7QPgHWvgt1LlIqF8w4gp76NPp_PRsmeRXrLShxVt2jdRFvsXrRbozZivXwl-/s1600/P1030781.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping in the hotel. Ahhhhh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlkWjFHvJqQiscyal0y7OdP-nClOn6P3KAOy89TIWHlp0-7zX5JfUnmhQd3JKmUSyNJoTFrxmEshinNjOzmMA2BC1x130hcJovgvueuuTxg317XVnjtfVuvB-KJyOG4krWk-wNZRSlbe8/s1600/P1030669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlkWjFHvJqQiscyal0y7OdP-nClOn6P3KAOy89TIWHlp0-7zX5JfUnmhQd3JKmUSyNJoTFrxmEshinNjOzmMA2BC1x130hcJovgvueuuTxg317XVnjtfVuvB-KJyOG4krWk-wNZRSlbe8/s1600/P1030669.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our very efficient train bath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt39e-AgOAZVsqOiKa0ppdM34gzN_pHAoI-iiXyztcoANwajV6YNZkPaUeaNL-Rvifxu-ufpg01C7o79YtLSbplb-CzKRiHY7fcm_5NlXZ8gWoClMGP7kT1h4e2jRpghfkUHSp01oguim0/s1600/P1030783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt39e-AgOAZVsqOiKa0ppdM34gzN_pHAoI-iiXyztcoANwajV6YNZkPaUeaNL-Rvifxu-ufpg01C7o79YtLSbplb-CzKRiHY7fcm_5NlXZ8gWoClMGP7kT1h4e2jRpghfkUHSp01oguim0/s1600/P1030783.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want more than a tub...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiPEbIJdGGOLw6LyppzPLbrISmQrAovh9-CTtZ4WJYC18Q9C-yN212vnArsycDUP-cGeEa5GhNoqHakyvUX_04vv8H31vYuFKgsaoSOYAtOUBbgo9Yaod17iJNIhOM5zhuITxW_MTNtjf/s1600/P1030670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiPEbIJdGGOLw6LyppzPLbrISmQrAovh9-CTtZ4WJYC18Q9C-yN212vnArsycDUP-cGeEa5GhNoqHakyvUX_04vv8H31vYuFKgsaoSOYAtOUBbgo9Yaod17iJNIhOM5zhuITxW_MTNtjf/s1600/P1030670.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shower on the train. Really, it's perfectly fine!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiveZzvdbMjiestSd4drGUZ3sbocq1_ye29vnk8AevDAGxDJvB4-nSxcpqDa0QjLOyUyWLvpYAWqCp5fsipg9-lERdl4bJ9rXDso9k-s2GAlths-OHIrFHKX3BFQnZI3B1_6BEY0sVEm8/s1600/P1030784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiveZzvdbMjiestSd4drGUZ3sbocq1_ye29vnk8AevDAGxDJvB4-nSxcpqDa0QjLOyUyWLvpYAWqCp5fsipg9-lERdl4bJ9rXDso9k-s2GAlths-OHIrFHKX3BFQnZI3B1_6BEY0sVEm8/s1600/P1030784.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here's the shower in the hotel--better than fine.<span style="font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-size: 10px;">
We had time for a buffet lunch and a short rest and then convened for a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River, which divides Zambia from Zimbabwe. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYht7FB8DPbmE0WJuKpaWELKG1-Eat-s7zWCvqkSHhhMpoa623Dw6p0jUQ9vD-ekpmYtTmUmkYk1n6vl_uK9OA5dVDLk50SZ9-_y3j4YcYCgod6Bu3FUoS2pvnp5IXkKJzlmQQ0sCq3h58/s1600/P1030786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYht7FB8DPbmE0WJuKpaWELKG1-Eat-s7zWCvqkSHhhMpoa623Dw6p0jUQ9vD-ekpmYtTmUmkYk1n6vl_uK9OA5dVDLk50SZ9-_y3j4YcYCgod6Bu3FUoS2pvnp5IXkKJzlmQQ0sCq3h58/s1600/P1030786.jpg" height="320" width="156" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTVN2_C2xzOw88dlmTskWFNMTHXgoceb85vE5EZy6M8FxC2u-ynuES_K9Xpkh-zTSukOx4UmNN8Tq8s6Bfa81zD25ep5kAICUfqGqUTmlNGQYKcRdsek-Z2yLTSRbQ9a9MduPCgRkotGa/s1600/P1030788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTVN2_C2xzOw88dlmTskWFNMTHXgoceb85vE5EZy6M8FxC2u-ynuES_K9Xpkh-zTSukOx4UmNN8Tq8s6Bfa81zD25ep5kAICUfqGqUTmlNGQYKcRdsek-Z2yLTSRbQ9a9MduPCgRkotGa/s1600/P1030788.jpg" height="237" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 10px;">
At the river, we were greeted by dancers...</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoO8hWPukuDlgFWCDXAQirBk9fh63WI7CSmFvewm93aoCza3uxX4G4npdo3Q9rWPCHFat8flKtZylz4j9fhhXUOQ9ItIiPbnmIfgqlUnc27nPY7fwAIAzZm7nOx_v66MV00t43HrLcQ9U/s1600/P1030789+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoO8hWPukuDlgFWCDXAQirBk9fh63WI7CSmFvewm93aoCza3uxX4G4npdo3Q9rWPCHFat8flKtZylz4j9fhhXUOQ9ItIiPbnmIfgqlUnc27nPY7fwAIAzZm7nOx_v66MV00t43HrLcQ9U/s1600/P1030789+copy.jpg" height="268" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 10px;">
...and a witch doctor!</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMyoduptqNKzskm43yvGysRq1Raz25eAn3kjn4fqKAZJpKSZs7xK6bR_Kz0nESPjSMMbYR2b2fbhzv-2ETv_dr2vAuyttY4A9nID30edoRXdrNku4CzJfUU2R1jDjdSq_QaNyS8rObkKv/s1600/P1030791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMyoduptqNKzskm43yvGysRq1Raz25eAn3kjn4fqKAZJpKSZs7xK6bR_Kz0nESPjSMMbYR2b2fbhzv-2ETv_dr2vAuyttY4A9nID30edoRXdrNku4CzJfUU2R1jDjdSq_QaNyS8rObkKv/s1600/P1030791.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 9px;">
Just being out on the wide, peaceful river was fun...</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhls7J_ZpROVEtP6CaaLBR6zIM97x-8JtM1nyEZEUhtMw5e4XXBC6g9zhyphenhyphennWfxe6N3as2HL4lfGCbaOoJ_E5k0YcZojA_cMGOoKUJ9fT_NVorHiskVlfooSaJMR0dj1djWVy-NX59wbUDxF/s1600/P1030795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhls7J_ZpROVEtP6CaaLBR6zIM97x-8JtM1nyEZEUhtMw5e4XXBC6g9zhyphenhyphennWfxe6N3as2HL4lfGCbaOoJ_E5k0YcZojA_cMGOoKUJ9fT_NVorHiskVlfooSaJMR0dj1djWVy-NX59wbUDxF/s1600/P1030795.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtvvNjQOawFXKtMTUCRR6uiaLGBXte5c-N8MQExVbTbxtcnwnhFExMb_-Kik4w2GeiKswgntf3QfGUjyRRjcBuajPwizoHf1yrEkraH4XVnl-VhUqzwO5-_lgQbf-S-de5t3jVmQKR3fw/s1600/P1030798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtvvNjQOawFXKtMTUCRR6uiaLGBXte5c-N8MQExVbTbxtcnwnhFExMb_-Kik4w2GeiKswgntf3QfGUjyRRjcBuajPwizoHf1yrEkraH4XVnl-VhUqzwO5-_lgQbf-S-de5t3jVmQKR3fw/s1600/P1030798.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...<span style="font-size: 9px;">but then we saw hippos in the river--mostly just eyes and nostrils, but HIPPOS! </span><span style="font-size: 9px;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 9px;">And then we saw two or three elephants standing on the bank, soon joined by more, each bigger that the last, until there were at least a dozen. Slowly they entered the water and enjoyed a cooling bath. Then all of them lined up to swim across from one country to the other, no passports required. It was a rare treat to see this and all of us were thrilled. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKNaiS4PBL9_iR7gNfFehTwGC9NQjuhY4YJEjK86zWBNo_BY87uHpXf6n6XnDpioBFbAgEL1fqNUVDPMLzR7Dc3PFZHsKnQUbTv8U_FoQ9VZBkC1kgsCnuzdJ3SN17-jxSkx2SrmlMuZO/s1600/P1030803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKNaiS4PBL9_iR7gNfFehTwGC9NQjuhY4YJEjK86zWBNo_BY87uHpXf6n6XnDpioBFbAgEL1fqNUVDPMLzR7Dc3PFZHsKnQUbTv8U_FoQ9VZBkC1kgsCnuzdJ3SN17-jxSkx2SrmlMuZO/s1600/P1030803.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIC4g0pdT6pQPjJglp9rx8CmhC3f5XPX-oyE_TG_LMCwep4K1EpryW8zcvda4ju_cA297Ba-DRsQ6IhWuWCLqrst5BB3nJo9B9qiRjriHBP7J1hsPqs0_kdB_K0GrI8YWZ58H4MWkSOLL/s1600/P1030806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIC4g0pdT6pQPjJglp9rx8CmhC3f5XPX-oyE_TG_LMCwep4K1EpryW8zcvda4ju_cA297Ba-DRsQ6IhWuWCLqrst5BB3nJo9B9qiRjriHBP7J1hsPqs0_kdB_K0GrI8YWZ58H4MWkSOLL/s1600/P1030806.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7a-8fcn0FK0cYkhyphenhyphenz_LwALjtz29KSTsDhxOMo0k-vB-D0xLNfhCvCw7WNDJfoZO8vu_V7Q6Jk21O47Q3WBjrni84du1bE97oG8ecLkI3O7VcPr6KVuO0P66I-OcngLZ3Q3bnGsQTaoc1/s1600/P1030807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7a-8fcn0FK0cYkhyphenhyphenz_LwALjtz29KSTsDhxOMo0k-vB-D0xLNfhCvCw7WNDJfoZO8vu_V7Q6Jk21O47Q3WBjrni84du1bE97oG8ecLkI3O7VcPr6KVuO0P66I-OcngLZ3Q3bnGsQTaoc1/s1600/P1030807.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEhdh_pCR6I933bbMhzzMo3ZI9NekR5cGUE-Eeax4H0Oma4zkPE0RYbmwWePXPTVfpIwKP8iQ6L-7ltBCwHajn58HrRMFwEnuwdoyQyp-rpAGOvCJSyAXvMJCCwLBWjMOePp_KVWsWEpK/s1600/P1030811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEhdh_pCR6I933bbMhzzMo3ZI9NekR5cGUE-Eeax4H0Oma4zkPE0RYbmwWePXPTVfpIwKP8iQ6L-7ltBCwHajn58HrRMFwEnuwdoyQyp-rpAGOvCJSyAXvMJCCwLBWjMOePp_KVWsWEpK/s1600/P1030811.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPP2xKNfFtKg5no4PKH8j901C2uLNEbndDVXYMFZSUD3ro-YEIk5Y7CO-drcwZHRnd_GZk0QcAcTKtVSkCw86RlZZzHj9K-4uVsdOGNk8YwvUieYqS32xhLU-r2Rxf6qXa3ZxdCmkQK-4/s1600/P1030812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPP2xKNfFtKg5no4PKH8j901C2uLNEbndDVXYMFZSUD3ro-YEIk5Y7CO-drcwZHRnd_GZk0QcAcTKtVSkCw86RlZZzHj9K-4uVsdOGNk8YwvUieYqS32xhLU-r2Rxf6qXa3ZxdCmkQK-4/s1600/P1030812.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkmcEbIAbTOf8LslyRiyvvfQJhzlgddyMrUSAQxpwxGgb76h5Lg-cDwzDeDKhxiIPxliwoutL-_GF0tZ_VHDdAr_ZuH2Xtt3Uh6-KgLpBeDEM8P13RQ-vaSKtnXoZDaqboj2QfONumH1y/s1600/P1030816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkmcEbIAbTOf8LslyRiyvvfQJhzlgddyMrUSAQxpwxGgb76h5Lg-cDwzDeDKhxiIPxliwoutL-_GF0tZ_VHDdAr_ZuH2Xtt3Uh6-KgLpBeDEM8P13RQ-vaSKtnXoZDaqboj2QfONumH1y/s1600/P1030816.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEN3uwSksvHt_GFi-TOHohgyio-Ra9iycYJ1FuaCDz3hb3G_0fLugp0g4PE_4lfy_IRXmS44gDy5tWSBhP7PVXy2zya6uaNDpRuXLwYpL8W_v93fgRLREEvlAR7Ca4-tX_QyyihhQXNSz/s1600/P1030822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEN3uwSksvHt_GFi-TOHohgyio-Ra9iycYJ1FuaCDz3hb3G_0fLugp0g4PE_4lfy_IRXmS44gDy5tWSBhP7PVXy2zya6uaNDpRuXLwYpL8W_v93fgRLREEvlAR7Ca4-tX_QyyihhQXNSz/s1600/P1030822.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;">The sunset was beautiful, but paled a bit in comparison.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-size: 10px; min-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 10px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-76853478654945364872014-12-23T12:23:00.001-08:002014-12-23T12:23:57.706-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 17, 2014, Friday.</i> It is 9:30 am and we have left the outskirts of Lu<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">sak</span>a behind. We have now been told we can raise our windows and open our shutters. I'm still trying to figure out what that was all really about. I spent some time peering out of the crack at the top of a shutter and saw only smiling people, people shopping in the rundown bazaar, little cardboard stalls selling trinkets, tee shirts, food, people on their way to work. And slums, garbage heaps, the usual urban detritus enlivened by the circus atmosphere the passage of our train creates among the children. Are there really times when people throw rocks at the train? Or did they not want us to see the slums? But every city has those along the rail lines. Strange. </div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">Well, Lusaka is not a sleepy little town. It is the capitol of Zambia and its largest city, larger than Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. John has just returned from the observation car to tell me that Gareth, the train manager, stood on the open platform at the very rear of the train where no passengers were allowed, armed with a </span><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">realistic-looking </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;">paint gun to keep anyone from trying to climb aboard. Gareth is brilliant at his job, so I'm sure there is reason for his watchfulness. Nevertheless, if this were a movie, it would have to be a comedy. I'm sorry I was unable to photograph Lusaka.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ry6n_ZxXXQ9dIQ8N_lPkxMMisux_PNdRv7zS4DD_MlvO_ioifvu38IdJY97oo-UMLMipGt7ttODWjiuPan-opS1s2Nl69mGVrVJT78G-bwGHtzHr6FHMPju3YVlzwnkhdkh8s0JCAZyV/s1600/P1030757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ry6n_ZxXXQ9dIQ8N_lPkxMMisux_PNdRv7zS4DD_MlvO_ioifvu38IdJY97oo-UMLMipGt7ttODWjiuPan-opS1s2Nl69mGVrVJT78G-bwGHtzHr6FHMPju3YVlzwnkhdkh8s0JCAZyV/s1600/P1030757.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">
This is what the outskirts of Lusaka looks like outside the city itself.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-VrDmbfxDQ8m-24Ssa32nqyHokxV_UKUZ0AhvsVqFuLquK0tJw-ptUmhyXMFih5pZ56Ec9JjIMG_SnMXB45DJlFiN5BSCHzpnkgF3FJqF1-ECxfxoo2MmE1XuYN1nDmhtSatW-AvLq8w/s1600/P1030744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-VrDmbfxDQ8m-24Ssa32nqyHokxV_UKUZ0AhvsVqFuLquK0tJw-ptUmhyXMFih5pZ56Ec9JjIMG_SnMXB45DJlFiN5BSCHzpnkgF3FJqF1-ECxfxoo2MmE1XuYN1nDmhtSatW-AvLq8w/s1600/P1030744.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRS2EbZgFaMxREqjRsnYk3effGttX0rPcibZm2UQEDLQLRHlvTaXedinEG7KuiZXQs0txxsmY8XV6VZPzq0YxqX9xl5zP1_wdECkqR1t-pBjWcPeLCvQ-5AB4r8NOmijv5eDKzA3c0PEr/s1600/P1030745+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRS2EbZgFaMxREqjRsnYk3effGttX0rPcibZm2UQEDLQLRHlvTaXedinEG7KuiZXQs0txxsmY8XV6VZPzq0YxqX9xl5zP1_wdECkqR1t-pBjWcPeLCvQ-5AB4r8NOmijv5eDKzA3c0PEr/s1600/P1030745+copy.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPREdOwcOAxlcFvD1dEeofv3s74WAqLIzksA8jTO0NNF2NR_cczqQTYDMDHZU6UO0tSfpSJL_UemnnBXsz0uKAmdzMOpys6iARhTHWjWmSX9oYkMazVSH9pj73fEDuKYPp1jU_ojKNTkCB/s1600/P1030747+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPREdOwcOAxlcFvD1dEeofv3s74WAqLIzksA8jTO0NNF2NR_cczqQTYDMDHZU6UO0tSfpSJL_UemnnBXsz0uKAmdzMOpys6iARhTHWjWmSX9oYkMazVSH9pj73fEDuKYPp1jU_ojKNTkCB/s1600/P1030747+copy.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16W_kjJZKavYyg-FvqI4WYuGnQQbWB9BAlOdpdL461k7PFqylyRbS8BBfg8p6gH7PTX2oLlBsuHpUowllTQQ1Oj0ZYxWncmmRteIfMiYYJ_tYmMyxC65MW5lgqdSg34gitlQiWXcwLlvo/s1600/P1030748+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16W_kjJZKavYyg-FvqI4WYuGnQQbWB9BAlOdpdL461k7PFqylyRbS8BBfg8p6gH7PTX2oLlBsuHpUowllTQQ1Oj0ZYxWncmmRteIfMiYYJ_tYmMyxC65MW5lgqdSg34gitlQiWXcwLlvo/s1600/P1030748+copy.jpg" height="230" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UVKAX1d4gmVhLo18Etj7n1Dgd4tV2A4sjYGzKyW2ZzpyuoaXJKno1caYaSB4xHoaodFFFe-2RVVM8PNFwQLv4osOJUwS9p9QUEiSyyGfsvsZJEzCLGyu38x7JFZbDiIsqoX_Apno0pwj/s1600/P1030749+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UVKAX1d4gmVhLo18Etj7n1Dgd4tV2A4sjYGzKyW2ZzpyuoaXJKno1caYaSB4xHoaodFFFe-2RVVM8PNFwQLv4osOJUwS9p9QUEiSyyGfsvsZJEzCLGyu38x7JFZbDiIsqoX_Apno0pwj/s1600/P1030749+copy.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGMVtopLDpnQJjuGvOonC_shGl_aiU-hG5aEAXbn5wjw1wD78TA_MVIsEK4M467jHlnKcDmEYZaDm_d5NK8Pu0o3PuwtDmK9sHuStAdMruzY2Ns01B0ukvvGec2wP5Zt8uscRi6uf2Wdo/s1600/P1030750+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiGMVtopLDpnQJjuGvOonC_shGl_aiU-hG5aEAXbn5wjw1wD78TA_MVIsEK4M467jHlnKcDmEYZaDm_d5NK8Pu0o3PuwtDmK9sHuStAdMruzY2Ns01B0ukvvGec2wP5Zt8uscRi6uf2Wdo/s1600/P1030750+copy.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBstMX86W5VT03ormSuRapAcaC21c-J8Aj6gqbJYNX76hG84BJSqNoFSgyX3s1BlShrCSO2QYsomEBNrS3y_DnU2xtauDp6yqhvuWFjQh4K4VXNEoMUIPAKGkPHZ_dVJ9Fst4kLuObDVJ/s1600/P1030761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBstMX86W5VT03ormSuRapAcaC21c-J8Aj6gqbJYNX76hG84BJSqNoFSgyX3s1BlShrCSO2QYsomEBNrS3y_DnU2xtauDp6yqhvuWFjQh4K4VXNEoMUIPAKGkPHZ_dVJ9Fst4kLuObDVJ/s1600/P1030761.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 8px;">
Our train!</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-61067262763302271022014-12-23T12:10:00.002-08:002014-12-23T12:11:28.794-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;">
<i>October 16, 2014 Thursday.</i> We will be on board all day today, traveling through Zambia. The view looks a bit greener, dotted with many trees sporting new leaves in a rust red color that I suppose will turn green eventually. Again, the countryside alternates between grassy open savannah and lightly wooded areas. So far we have passed fewer little towns where every urchin in the place and many of their elders rush to the tracks to wave and smile and call out to us. I think to them we might as well be from the moon as we float by with our white faces and cameras at the windows of the train. Some of them beg, and yesterday a few misguided passengers apparently tossed candy to them, but then fights break out, so the train director issued a plea to desist. John saw one little boy who managed to climb an exterior train ladder and cling there for about twenty feet even after the train began to move. Most of them just gather at trackside, smiling and waving excitedly. Why are they so <span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">thrill</span>ed to see us? This isn’t the first time this train has passed by. At only one point so far have we seen older children, maybe just out of school for the day, and some of those looked either sad or angry as we passed by. Who can blame them? Glimpses of our privileged lives must seem a stark contrast the the reality of their existence.. I asked if children here go to school and was told schooling is mandatory, but not always well enforced. Yesterday in the larger town where we boarded our buses I saw a decrepit building that was the local teachers college and another that was a secondary boarding school for boys. Do girls receive the same education or are they made to stop sooner? Most of the people we have seen seem happy, living together in lazy, rural poverty, but there is no way for us to know what life is like for them or for those we don't see running toward us as the most exciting thing in their lives for months on end. Previously, most of the places where the local people would rush to see us were tiny villages with only a dozen or so huts, but today in Zambia, many are larger towns. I would have predicted we would attract far less interest there, but no, we, the moon visitors, continue to fascinate. </div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTML5-k2u8Y1r8X4mO_5kgY-vLAbkNu60JwJcgzde0vu3KGeu3we69eNzduDzyc1Muunh8_ASkTx8oVP3O2tT0cOGLE3Lz87fXxosKVSX_o9S8_ntX7JTk5sCi7FWYTn5JG78UD0vg1chB/s1600/P1030736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTML5-k2u8Y1r8X4mO_5kgY-vLAbkNu60JwJcgzde0vu3KGeu3we69eNzduDzyc1Muunh8_ASkTx8oVP3O2tT0cOGLE3Lz87fXxosKVSX_o9S8_ntX7JTk5sCi7FWYTn5JG78UD0vg1chB/s1600/P1030736.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ezPDrjcJ5_qHM_F2ksuRcOI7Xd2uG8k_b2KEvXKeGuBoVOqmNqczR7JTFRkzvM6A1RCREOD3jy2UtBQ6gjtD4bzWPWkQ_wfOVXCh_7tRnhBN10oFZlAE6Z00oxYGsUErM31x_rRmtpgw/s1600/P1030741+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ezPDrjcJ5_qHM_F2ksuRcOI7Xd2uG8k_b2KEvXKeGuBoVOqmNqczR7JTFRkzvM6A1RCREOD3jy2UtBQ6gjtD4bzWPWkQ_wfOVXCh_7tRnhBN10oFZlAE6Z00oxYGsUErM31x_rRmtpgw/s1600/P1030741+copy.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_2132778581"></span><span id="goog_2132778582"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px; min-height: 11px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9px;">
It is now 6pm and we are still becalmed in the town where the train was to be turned. Up until now, the observation car has been at the front of the train behind an engine and a fuel car, but from now on, the engine is supposed to be at the other end as it is should be. We are just <span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 9px;">a few</span> cars from the observation car so it will be nice when the view from there improves. The downside will be that our compartment seating will now be backwards, which makes it much more difficult to take pictures as you can't see what's coming without twisting around. Meanwhile, none of that much matters since we haven't moved at all for over three hours.<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: 9px;">
LATER. I think we got underway around 8pm tonight. This must be normal because we are still within our window, they tell us. We have been warned that tomorrow morning around 8am we will stop in Lukasa, Zambia, where local children sometimes prefer hurling rocks at the train instead of smiles. We have been told to open our heavy shutters and then lower our glass window, then raise the shutters again until we are away from the town. Not exactly terrorists but certainly not the positive behavior we have enjoyed so far. </div>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635716885209668346.post-21083461055803182082014-12-23T12:04:00.001-08:002015-01-05T19:39:27.787-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<i>October 15, 2014, Wednesday.</i> We are now traveling through Zambia, again high country toward the end of its dry season. We are beginning to see fewer leafless trees. At the higher elevations, buds are appearing, then a few flowers, then new greenery, and the ground looks almost shiny from the train instead of dusty. In another month or so the rainy season will arrive, with drenching rains and bugs. We are lucky to be here now when it is sunny, sometimes with light clouds, and relatively cool considering our proximity to the equator. As ever, people rush from their villages to watch us pass by.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10px; text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwb9yILigphQi-NfbzYYuesoXgWDt2kKbKwrv02VUyW9rAYrtmWp2evky93NXvMIpo8kU15w5wm_g1jLTrNMNC7V5WGxbCA92L394oElVyF9Xo3KkITuHiSO2DhN645Vwq76rd4U5LyVz/s1600/P1030629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwb9yILigphQi-NfbzYYuesoXgWDt2kKbKwrv02VUyW9rAYrtmWp2evky93NXvMIpo8kU15w5wm_g1jLTrNMNC7V5WGxbCA92L394oElVyF9Xo3KkITuHiSO2DhN645Vwq76rd4U5LyVz/s1600/P1030629.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRbNMTVbCPmZxGn8-E33I9KZ9g9exO5sGfrf5KmqST_IYic81iBapx9QRz0_iaH9JkZzyI_X3bKNiyVGTojDZP9oIdHICyTlBjtxYRxoDpoGDsEaa-st3-4c983Vi7P6EaeSe5uqwtzo1/s1600/P1030630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRbNMTVbCPmZxGn8-E33I9KZ9g9exO5sGfrf5KmqST_IYic81iBapx9QRz0_iaH9JkZzyI_X3bKNiyVGTojDZP9oIdHICyTlBjtxYRxoDpoGDsEaa-st3-4c983Vi7P6EaeSe5uqwtzo1/s1600/P1030630.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUv1SFhm_vrIds1c5HBKVvT9XY0Fd1ogIpLOXBezr_UqimD7aHe0eUDYCv8qXJ0vWmIejuNrNKVXqulHqDrNtkAeFTQc40PCEpjFeLrdc9xOulejs79JBK0juUkwTf0OwAm2j2iz-NenH9/s1600/P1030632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUv1SFhm_vrIds1c5HBKVvT9XY0Fd1ogIpLOXBezr_UqimD7aHe0eUDYCv8qXJ0vWmIejuNrNKVXqulHqDrNtkAeFTQc40PCEpjFeLrdc9xOulejs79JBK0juUkwTf0OwAm2j2iz-NenH9/s1600/P1030632.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQ0sToy17L_hKmPaqNDuAP02StIKNcZ4iKRoBlFSeztwu8xngjSOB92o42cb6lA22BGg4j21EqKO4O4buenkWH3X0nWlPY_0ZIAPkHe90_-2I1tI-RBmxMW45xwsZjDcr9XBdYu7o27l8/s1600/P1030633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQ0sToy17L_hKmPaqNDuAP02StIKNcZ4iKRoBlFSeztwu8xngjSOB92o42cb6lA22BGg4j21EqKO4O4buenkWH3X0nWlPY_0ZIAPkHe90_-2I1tI-RBmxMW45xwsZjDcr9XBdYu7o27l8/s1600/P1030633.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VipBvXgrSudJj0MpBC_wcAzXpvbKWXgTYRF6ARVCmBPHdyCKFmxrz3r4SxN2FjknPr6Jrid-MrAN78zVPh4d0m0sL5n0bc8ANxiNZu5C43dB6qeXBxj4S_21j8QGs0SSPD4INji-uKcS/s1600/P1030646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VipBvXgrSudJj0MpBC_wcAzXpvbKWXgTYRF6ARVCmBPHdyCKFmxrz3r4SxN2FjknPr6Jrid-MrAN78zVPh4d0m0sL5n0bc8ANxiNZu5C43dB6qeXBxj4S_21j8QGs0SSPD4INji-uKcS/s1600/P1030646.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoV7nOZ4szxQ9H4Wcd0Mi7zcMFP0zHf-S_qfRhuYuxYYEzNpVHC-eu0biqRfpvPVgJnsP2llfxPJCg2WxN2DZAr8UIMZaJnMN9lWF-Ltvxm7EtU46DBiT-Fjc5FB_wb3T3bYGIrgDPk8X/s1600/P1030704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoV7nOZ4szxQ9H4Wcd0Mi7zcMFP0zHf-S_qfRhuYuxYYEzNpVHC-eu0biqRfpvPVgJnsP2llfxPJCg2WxN2DZAr8UIMZaJnMN9lWF-Ltvxm7EtU46DBiT-Fjc5FB_wb3T3bYGIrgDPk8X/s1600/P1030704.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jjhyphenhyphensGmy6N-cpx1wW1O1zJLYOoY5oEe9v-eizoTkEkQERkZ_nY0dWqDYJmbDO_K-ydPcBUhY9rXmrXK1HYrg_ytE6gdCtegd3lqImbuTykH3ptUoZKEbjRyu_dQAPlsDKD9xKXQAP3HP/s1600/P1030658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jjhyphenhyphensGmy6N-cpx1wW1O1zJLYOoY5oEe9v-eizoTkEkQERkZ_nY0dWqDYJmbDO_K-ydPcBUhY9rXmrXK1HYrg_ytE6gdCtegd3lqImbuTykH3ptUoZKEbjRyu_dQAPlsDKD9xKXQAP3HP/s1600/P1030658.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05Vdp2ruY_9G6vWmc8eXTufxwXK6z025mzPHr18Rsk0g734L993JQG7wsB5CxWJeUFFSnVPqYVL41LlyZI7hfYSZjlAXdKc_IO1XlzGfUyQYp0AY1gi0EmTm5d8Jc24xewGgZDTh34zL1/s1600/P1030649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05Vdp2ruY_9G6vWmc8eXTufxwXK6z025mzPHr18Rsk0g734L993JQG7wsB5CxWJeUFFSnVPqYVL41LlyZI7hfYSZjlAXdKc_IO1XlzGfUyQYp0AY1gi0EmTm5d8Jc24xewGgZDTh34zL1/s1600/P1030649.jpg" height="159" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 10px;">
After lunch today we were treated to our first off-train excursion, a ride to Chishimba Falls aboard an African bus, which means that although it was comfortable, there was no air conditioning. Not at all bad, actually, as long as we were moving and the windows remained open. There were two buses, ours, which was larger, and a smaller one. We were stopped twice by uniformed guards and allowed to pass after a few minutes palaver, but the small bus was detained for 25 minutes until the driver forked over some cash. Along the way we passed signs denouncing corruption. This was apparently a real life example of graft at work.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qyxnvymL5yXbr_71lipoSJFl0gsU59PzC4sAYLG1zyC5SgyYM6WHBKqj8QMDXi4a-8iV1C5ZmWa6tV0enfNe3M2RDvT1-HPOu-umI4y5LKo9GbhkpiT7rHI7gmKQSuUSWhNlfbrRM2_X/s1600/P1030707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qyxnvymL5yXbr_71lipoSJFl0gsU59PzC4sAYLG1zyC5SgyYM6WHBKqj8QMDXi4a-8iV1C5ZmWa6tV0enfNe3M2RDvT1-HPOu-umI4y5LKo9GbhkpiT7rHI7gmKQSuUSWhNlfbrRM2_X/s1600/P1030707.jpg" height="191" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="font-size: 10px; min-height: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Times; text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 10px;">
We arrived at the falls and hiked up a wooded path, dirt, roots, some larger stones, bordered by a stone edging. I was way ahead because John becomes irritable if I wait for him when he is reconnoitering. Apparently he fell but not badly. Eventually he caught up with me at the falls itself, where the going became rougher and you had to take much more care on the steps or root-filled side paths. Somehow he lost his balance and then, trying to save himself from falling, put his foot down on a border stone which was loose, rolled over, and took him along with it. He wasn't hurt, thank goodness, except his pride, but it's a good thing we can have things laundered on the train. After that, we stuck pretty close together and agreed we wished we had packed one of our collapsible hiking sticks for him. We must remember that for future travels!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1a4pBWehduWoO7xuiUycrFWHUEDIsNmYU9i5qT1_3BicogPXBlolvYSjLczVumQIOHeEjRhE0UUzHTTVLEuhLetTXaA0NBQ9GjKtYrfHS_fAC6ojdZanCDuP4lVeOaKGiuOaTcqcY1nK/s1600/P1030712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1a4pBWehduWoO7xuiUycrFWHUEDIsNmYU9i5qT1_3BicogPXBlolvYSjLczVumQIOHeEjRhE0UUzHTTVLEuhLetTXaA0NBQ9GjKtYrfHS_fAC6ojdZanCDuP4lVeOaKGiuOaTcqcY1nK/s1600/P1030712.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 10px;">
The falls were pretty, not spectacular, and could be viewed from two widely separated locations. Eventually, all seventy of us from the train ended up sitting around on plastic chairs in the shelter of several large shade trees, sipping everything from water to beer to wine to gin and tonic and enjoying a peaceful African afternoon off the train. Most of us were ready to leave a bit sooner than the bus got underway, but we arrived back at the train just after sunset, in time to shower and enjoy a rare casual dinner with no coats and ties required.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dF69mBbol_jBaTxsEkc3alznFEtm0OJOIIvZAErVqLTz_7FmzqEyyc3Xp3cSZyIff9w24BpBMNJMgpq7PVLOliuR-OXLSkcCXAFdlvWbgjBXMLW2xGOG4qbfwyuW3kADxECW0n50VZ4L/s1600/P1030715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0dF69mBbol_jBaTxsEkc3alznFEtm0OJOIIvZAErVqLTz_7FmzqEyyc3Xp3cSZyIff9w24BpBMNJMgpq7PVLOliuR-OXLSkcCXAFdlvWbgjBXMLW2xGOG4qbfwyuW3kADxECW0n50VZ4L/s1600/P1030715.jpg" height="260" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2FR1IRvHAFoNmZR31S3reuDqbMrP6lRGpM17oYJMCDrU7LD_zQ9dxKGYkmbgoz47mzsPzD5n7odifitNOt-WYsfkQ3uM2UCReUkBdfuRm3hoMkwieTBgnkLePbEl13Q7aNdjhB94JUrN/s1600/P1030717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2FR1IRvHAFoNmZR31S3reuDqbMrP6lRGpM17oYJMCDrU7LD_zQ9dxKGYkmbgoz47mzsPzD5n7odifitNOt-WYsfkQ3uM2UCReUkBdfuRm3hoMkwieTBgnkLePbEl13Q7aNdjhB94JUrN/s1600/P1030717.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmr9unJVYhPf160zfXWlx_E_TaYcDTL96iSWhT0N3JkJrAhT5CCwI3jcTsvem8az8Lh51WtULQS-a-RXi1qOs3irzvuo5Flh-HEeCnxLmlPKWJGBqBssYJm9eTtKnMiIgvIs1OhpKFSBI/s1600/P1030719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmr9unJVYhPf160zfXWlx_E_TaYcDTL96iSWhT0N3JkJrAhT5CCwI3jcTsvem8az8Lh51WtULQS-a-RXi1qOs3irzvuo5Flh-HEeCnxLmlPKWJGBqBssYJm9eTtKnMiIgvIs1OhpKFSBI/s1600/P1030719.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpM0G-kxfPhHj6vtmrq8uq8VMDU6IDsu3p04VBj_NZmXdQrQzdO_sLqSIeQpVKxnfXmPaoYMkHJ2nLZl5fVT-XojdzNh8KcCbAGmO64dlpeYoEKHSvu50wUfYtHMTZWljSAaZ2lcdtGDYn/s1600/P1030720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpM0G-kxfPhHj6vtmrq8uq8VMDU6IDsu3p04VBj_NZmXdQrQzdO_sLqSIeQpVKxnfXmPaoYMkHJ2nLZl5fVT-XojdzNh8KcCbAGmO64dlpeYoEKHSvu50wUfYtHMTZWljSAaZ2lcdtGDYn/s1600/P1030720.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDeOz23rs15tj9wtF8XVoTl8LDqEqzHrFSGo4yMcn7h4ctke5tlLGLdH2x7R5sGN74R3B58yDuEN01p5WzFz_VEGOIpFDs5uXhhahrB2kd-_Nd0NB3uldl38Zf_pnC2rpHfsCN7VDE0-k/s1600/P1030721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDeOz23rs15tj9wtF8XVoTl8LDqEqzHrFSGo4yMcn7h4ctke5tlLGLdH2x7R5sGN74R3B58yDuEN01p5WzFz_VEGOIpFDs5uXhhahrB2kd-_Nd0NB3uldl38Zf_pnC2rpHfsCN7VDE0-k/s1600/P1030721.jpg" height="279" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BYrhPkqCZqtn05nlcVUugFqV9bywQvyTHjhXy54Ac5isPb-yqq1d6ngDfj712sJmsl97hrQGumpMhRvepr6cSx9QRcjo0kdtaFH0FiyO0qoPUK4127IE2xUDAwxJl5ysC7yo6PGg9K12/s1600/P1030722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BYrhPkqCZqtn05nlcVUugFqV9bywQvyTHjhXy54Ac5isPb-yqq1d6ngDfj712sJmsl97hrQGumpMhRvepr6cSx9QRcjo0kdtaFH0FiyO0qoPUK4127IE2xUDAwxJl5ysC7yo6PGg9K12/s1600/P1030722.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNYT-5VRza8R8iZbbm3hRYyg5_hZUxh6dObeXnXwDBweNAlZq9om_fhyphenhyphenjJLvwKQ9ymCOp8xpWy_tnAJq4Kylx5jAXSZS8WXERx6GoJEY7SLAkaYbDiXhPOzEgWcNpSR_6H4rdZQGpKwI_/s1600/P1030723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNYT-5VRza8R8iZbbm3hRYyg5_hZUxh6dObeXnXwDBweNAlZq9om_fhyphenhyphenjJLvwKQ9ymCOp8xpWy_tnAJq4Kylx5jAXSZS8WXERx6GoJEY7SLAkaYbDiXhPOzEgWcNpSR_6H4rdZQGpKwI_/s1600/P1030723.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
Suzanne Sangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07757018068158329398noreply@blogger.com0