Olivia and I had close to two hours of sleep last night. I didn't feel anxious...I just couldn't sleep. Lord, give us grace for the day!
I was grateful to discover that the snow had not begun to fall yet, so everything is a go! Even my eye issue has resolved a bit. Yeah!
We got to the airport, fully intending to carry on our luggage, with two additional pieces...a purse and a small backpack for Olivia and I. We also carried a couple of snack bags, and an extra bag for the Dubberlys. No sweat, right? WRONG!
We were allowed only two bags on board...period. It didn't matter that one was a purse, or a tiny snack bag. Sooooo, back to the desk to check two of our carry-ons. Which, of course, defeated the purpose. But, it will pay off later. I'm certain of it.
Did I tell you that we acquired these tickets to Bogota and back with AA frequent flyer miles? The only ones that were available for the trip down were first class and business class...wow! What a treat...
It's been quite a day of travel...two legs, and four tired travelers are arriving soon in Bogota. The flights have been a non-event, thankfully, and we have appreciated the extra room in first and business class. Although, I wouldn't pay for this out of my own pocket, especially on a short flight, it was, none the less, a treat. For Olivia and I, it was a dietary disappointment. You would think, on an overseas business class flight, that they would accommodate special requests...nada!
Customs in Bogota went smoothly. The little Spanish we used with the customs officer made him think we were fluent in the language, so he rattled off a string of words! At one point, he took out a type of jeweler's loupe to examine something on my passport. He took his time, which made me wonder what he was looking at. Was it my photo? The paper it was printed on? My signature? I'll never know...
The entire Dubberly family (except Rachel, who's at college), came out in their Chinese 10-passenger van to pick us up. Well, 10 Chinese, maybe, but more like eight Americans and Colombians! Good thing we only had carry-on luggage. We were stuffed like sardines in a can...and we loved every minute of our 15 or so minute drive.
As we talked about the weather, Elaine said there were two seasons during the year...rain and no rain. When it rains two days in a row, the Colombians say, What a winter we are having! If there are two sunny days back to back, they say, What a summer we are having! We got a chuckle out of that!
We arrived at their home tired, but thanking the Lord that we landed safely.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.