Experiencing Devil’s Island
Our first stop in South America was in an unlikely place. Devil’s Island, located off the coast of French Guiana, was the site of an infamous penal colony for 100 years.
Our first stop in South America was in an unlikely place. Devil’s Island, located off the coast of French Guiana, was the site of an infamous penal colony for 100 years.
Our first stop in the Caribbean was on the island of St. Maarten. It is the smallest island in the world that is split between two countries. We thought it would be fun to see both the French and Dutch sides of the island.
We have arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which marks the end of the first portion of our sea voyage from Rome, Italy, to Manaus, Brazil. During this part of our journey we crossed the Atlantic Ocean, making a couple of stops along the way.
Morocco is a country that we have wanted to visit for quite some time. So we were happy to stop in Morocco for a day on our way west, hoping to get a taste of what the country has to offer.
We are back at sea and on the Pacific Princess, as we travel from Rome, Italy, to Manaus, Brazil, over the next 32 days. As we began our journey we visited three ports in the Mediterranean Sea.
We came to Jordan to visit two of the country’s UNESCO World Heritage sites: the archeological treasure of Petra and the desert landscape of Wadi Rum. The way we explored each one took us off the beaten path and provided us with a more remote and memorable experience.
Before and after our trek we journeyed through the northern portion of Ethiopia. Our travels took us along the Historical Circuit, as we sought Ethiopia’s unique history and the role of religion in its culture.
During our three weeks in Ethiopia we visited archeological and historic sites. We also came to this country to trek in a remote place. We set off for our trek in the Simien Mountains to view the incredible vistas and see three unique animals.
We spent a week in the Samburu region of Kenya, learning more about non-profit work being done to provide clean water to communities in the area. In the process, we gained a greater appreciation for the people in this area.
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We spent five days on safari in Kenya, visiting a variety of areas, ranging from small sanctuaries to large national parks. We had previously been on safari and had seen four of the five animals, the leopard being the exception. So we were hopeful of seeing one during our visit to Kenya.
To begin our time in Africa we took a multiple-day walking safari. Our hope was to experience some of the wild side of Africa, in terms of both bush terrain and animal encounters. We also had the opportunity to learn more about the Maasai people in the process.