This morning the French captain wished us a happy 4th of July. The French can appreciate Independence Day perhaps more than most and it was sweet that the entire French crew went out of their way to wish us a happy day. They even made a 4th of July American feast for lunch and teatime (though we skipped both to indulge in local specialties instead).
We arrived to Syracuse and opted to explore on our own, something I would recommend on every trip as you never know what you might discover. This was a particularly great day for exploration as Syracuse has an old town laid out on the island of Ortygia that has beautiful pedestrian walkways, marketplaces and narrow winding streets.
Ortygia, Syracuse Sicily (Mary Curry)Fountain in Ortygia (Syracuse) (Mary Curry)
We did a bit of shopping and saw the fountain of Diana before taking a break from the heat for a refreshing lemon ice (granita).
Cooling off with a drink in Ortygia (Mary Curry)Cooling off with a drink in Ortygia (Mary Curry)
From there we continued on to the Duomo. This cathedral impressed me more than nearly any of the European churches I've visited, simply for its immense history. Originally a Doric temple built in the 5th century BC, it was converted to a Catholic church nearly 1,000 years later, incorporating the original columns of the temple. In later years, it was conquered by the Arabs and used for a mosque before being retaken by the Normans in the 11th century and converted back to a Catholic church. It's one of the only Catholic churches in the world initially constructed nearly 2,500 years ago, before the time of Christ. The Doric columns are still clearly visible and appear to be a critical structural element to this day!
Cathedral in Syracuse (built on prehistoric temple using existing Doric columns) (Mary Curry)Syracuse Cathedral (Mary Curry)
After our visit, we did a bit more shopping and asked one of the local shopkeepers for advice on a place to eat. He recommended a great little restaurant that had only Italians when we entered. We ordered the same pasta with swordfish, salad and wine. After lunch, we spent about an hour looking for somewhere my mom could exchange money including several banks. The last one finally told us that there is no money exchange on Ortygia and my mom thought it important to mention this here - travelers will find an ATM card much easier in Sicily in general!
Once we returned to the ship, I headed to the pool for a water aerobics class. In this heat, it seems like water based activities are the best choice for exercise! Then we changed for our 4th of July Farewell Gala with the captain.
Farewell dinner with captain on Le Bougainville (Mary Curry)Farewell dinner with captain on Le Bougainville (Mary Curry)
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.
