2012

Over a year since returning from Kuwait!  

and today is a very victorious day!  I can write on the blog.  Since my return, my little computer used in Kuwait sort of whizzed and whirled as if it were taking off for outerspace so I was introduced to a new computer and somehow, someway unable to access my blog let alone post.  I had spent many hours, searching, and writing emails, asking questions of anyone and everyone.....what can I do.  I would let some time pass and start the process of the search all over again.  For some reason today, I stumbled into it...and I wasn't even trying.   Not sure of the significance that it happened today.....and not when I wanted it to months and months ago....but, be that as it may......here I am. 

There is still much I want to share of my experiences in the Middle East and of my return back to America.  So, in the coming days and weeks I hope to record of my comings and goings, some wonderful pics....and the experience of coming back "home".



A Different World

The sunrise from our deck…..time to head to the beach….our first

day of  diving at Sodwana Bay!

In the mornings we met at the beach under the Scuba Centre Gazebo at least half an hour before launch time. The Dive master did a briefing, advising the group on which reefs it was possible to visit based on the weather conditions of the day.

 
The divers push the boat (7.2 metre semi-inflatable) into the water & the skipper launches the boat through the surf – very exciting!!
….well for some….The ride out on this thing was a real challenge for me…you sit on the edge and hang on to a rope…while this thing crashes against the waves….(are they crazy thrill seekers? or something)…..I was terrified….of what this ride was doing to my stomach.  Believe me …..my stomach let us all know just what it thought of all this…..it wasn’t pretty!

The length of the boat ride depends on which reef you are visiting and varies from 5 minutes to about 45 minutes.  Once you reach the dive site you put your gear on WHILE the boat is rocking up & down,back & forth… then when the skipper says go everyone at once falls backward. You drift dive together as a group led by the Dive master.  The whole dive usually takes about 2 hours.
 
The visibility on the reefs ranges daily and can be anything up to 40 metres, with average visibility of 10–15 metres. The 2 Mile Reef is situated a 5-10 minute boat ride from the launch site. It is a large reef with many different areas to dive.
The reef has abundant coral, fish & marine life including rays, turtles, moray eels and the occasional reef sharks.

Never know what you might find in the sea!

 

 

yep….this is me…..

 

  

AWESOME AWESOME EXPERIENCE

Creatures, creatures everywhere…..

                  this one says ZULU TSE Fly Research Station

We drove 4 hours north from Durban to spend our first four days at the  Sodwana Bay Lodge.  It took us longer, of course, because we had so many photo opportunities.

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Roadside stand…on a back road…hand carved animals being sold.

We brought home a hippo and an elephant!

 

 

 

Sodwana Bay Lodge….lovely place!!

from inside our room….see that tree ???   that’s where we watched these guys

   

They entertained us for 45 minutes…up and down the tree, across the lawn

as we just sat there.

We were warned that these cute little guys are “very naughty” so be sure to keep windows and doors locked.

******** OUT OF AFRICA********

This was the trip of a life time….something that was only in my dreams…but as you can see by reading this blog….many of those dreams have come to pass….and I have been so very blessed to have these many memorable opportunities.

The flight from Kuwait took us 11 hours.  Didn’t matter to us, we were going to  South Africa…..we kept whispering it through the flight…pinching ourselves.

We flew into Durban airport, got a good nights rest so as to begin our journey the next morning…driving up the coast of the Indian Ocean to Sodwana Bay.

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The scenery is spectacular, hills, and lush green valleys, coastal views and trees and flowers we’ve never seen before.  The one mishap that leaves me sad….is it took us twice as long to get to our destination because we stopped to photograph all this beauty, only to find out now those pics were deleted.  So you must take my word for it……breathtakingly…(is that a  word?) beautiful.

 

Pineapple Farms and lots of sugar cane along the way.

 

 

River Cheese Trees

 

Sausage Tree

 

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We saw more animals than cars ON the road!

 

     

More pictures to come…..of the beautiful places we stayed, the cool fish we swam with and the beaches we walked.