We have been fortunate enough to take several trips into the Amazon Rainforest and to say that it is amazing is certainly an understatement. One of the most obvious things about visiting a rainforest is that you are likely to get rained on. Even when it isn’t raining, you are going to experience heat and humidity, so having proper clothing, what we refer to as our “jungle clothes”, is an absolute necessity. The other interesting thing is that the humidity will often cause the clouds to wrap themselves around the treetops and settle into the jungle itself while above them it is more clear.
Heading Down Towards the RainforestEerie ViewsClouds Hanging on the HillsidesBarely Able to See the Bird on the Tree
Because of the pockets of humidity, clouds, and changes in altitude, the views can be both ominous and beautiful. We obviously take lots of photographs during our trips and some of the pictures where we are actually above the clouds and not in an airplane are eerie, yet calming. Whether driving through the mountains or climbing to the top of the canopy, seeing the clouds floating below you is quite fascinating.
Above the CloudsStanding with Our Guide, Clouds More Visible than UsClouds Drifting Downward Towards the RainforestAbove the Scarlet Macaws as the Clouds Lift
At the time, of course, the clouds seemed like a bit of nuisance as we’re trying to scan the trees for birds, monkeys, sloths, or other wildlife. Looking back, however, the photographs seem interesting as the clouds contrast the dark jungle foliage. We have shared just a few of our pictures that we took from above the clouds during our time in the Amazon Rainforest.
Clouds Blanketing a VillageContrasting ViewsColorful Scenery if You Could See ItView Driving Down Death Road
It is hard to believe that we are only a few days away from departing for our 12 day African Safari. To be clear, until we’re sitting on the plane leaving from Frankfurt to Nairobi, the last leg of the outbound trip, we are taking nothing for granted. Although we are fully vaccinated, we still have to get a negative COVID PCR test that is taken 96 hours prior to arriving in Nairobi. We don’t need one for flying from the United States through Frankfurt, but obviously we will have them anyway. Once we arrive in Nairobi this Sunday evening, our adventure will start first thing that Monday morning. It will be a very full itinerary, but one that we are very excited about. (pictures included are not our own as we obviously haven’t been on the safari yet 😉)
Day 1 – We drive from our hotel in Nairobi to our lodge at the Amboseli National Park, which is located in Tanzania. Even though we will start our day with a several hour drive, we will still spend the afternoon enjoying our first game viewing drive. This is one of the few lodges where we will spend more than a single night, but fortunately we’re packing light.
Day 2 – We have a full day in the Amboseli National Park, which has views of Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance. We will either spend a full day out on game viewing drives or do a morning and afternoon game viewing drive with time at the lodge to relax in between. We will certainly enjoy having the opportunity to spend a second night in the lodge.
Day 3 – In the morning we will drive from Amboseli National Park to Lake Manyara. We will once again enjoy an afternoon game viewing drive before spending the night in the lodge.
Day 4 – We will have the opportunity for both morning and afternoon game viewing drives before making the drive from Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro. Ngorongoro features the world’s largest, inactive and intact volcanic caldera, but it is the abundance of wildlife that are the true attraction.
Day 5 – We make the drive from Ngorongoro to the Serengeti National Park where will we spend two nights at our lodge there. We will get to go for an afternoon game viewing drive inside of the Serengeti National Park.
Day 6 – We get a full day exploring the Serengeti National Park with either a full day game drive or once again breaking it up into morning and afternoon game viewing drives. The Serengeti is a World Heritage Site and will certainly be just one of many highlights of our safari.
Day 7 – From the Serengeti, we drive back to Kenya to visit the famous Masai Mara. Along the way to the last of our two-night lodge stays, we will get to enjoy a variety of wildlife.
Day 8 – We enjoy a full day in the Masai Mara, which boasts some of the most diverse numbers of wildlife anywhere in the world. Due to COVID, we will likely not get to go to one of the local villages, but we are hopeful that we have that opportunity.
Day 9 – Continuing our circular safari circuit, we go from the Masai Mara to Lake Naivasha. We will get to enjoy an afternoon boat ride followed by more game and bird viewing.
Day 10 – We make our way from Lake Naivasha to Lake Nakuru, which is famous for the flocks of flamingos that visit the lake, although their numbers have diminished somewhat. Both lakes also provide opportunities to see hippos, which are one of the most dangerous animals for people on safari.
Day 11 – Exhausted, we leave Lake Nakuru to return to Nairobi and enjoy a relaxing evening in our hotel there. After 10 nights in lodges and tent camps, a night in a modern hotel will be a nice change of pace.
Day 12 – We have a full day tour of Nairobi where we’ll enjoy seeing a baby elephant orphanage, the famous Giraffe Center, and see the local bead artisans. It will also provide us the opportunity to get our COVID test, which is necessary for our return trip to the United States.
Day 13 – We have a full day on our own in Nairobi. We have nothing planned at this point and will likely use it visit some of the local markets or simply relax before the long flight home that doesn’t start until late in the evening the following day.
As you can clearly tell, when we said that we had a very full itinerary for our trip, we weren’t kidding. In addition to everything listed above, at one point during the safari, we are hoping to go for a balloon ride to see the amazing scenery and animals from the air. Not only is it our first trip in over a year and a half, it is likely the only time that we’ll have the opportunity to visit this part of Africa, so we wanted to make sure that we made the most of our time.
We love hiking throughout the year and the scenery in the Rocky Mountains is always quite stunning. Although we always take time to look around and see the mountain peaks or stop to gaze at a waterfall, but when you hike you spend the majority of your time staring at the trail that is right in front of you. Obviously we try to keep our eyes on the trees around us to catch a glimpse of any animals that might be near by, but the surest way to trip and bang yourself up is to try to walk over roots and rocks without paying attention to where you place your feet.
Leaves on the TrailShadows on the TrailBridge on a Mountain TrailAspen Leaves on Snow Covered TrailFallen Tree by the Trail
Trails come in many different styles from wide and well-traveled to narrow and sometimes overgrown. Some places are deep in the woods and others are in open fields or even along the edge of a cliff. The different parts of the trail also provide different things along the trail itself, such as Aspen leaves falling on the path or roots of giant pine trees jutting out of the ground. It is quite common for trails in Colorado to be a mix of everything as you hike the full length of the trail. We enjoy all of the different types of trails for the natural beauty that each supplies. Just getting out into nature is its own reward and hiking is a great way to relax, unwind, and recharge ones battery.
Colorado Trail Beaver Creek TrailBarr Trail at Tree LineShadows Across a Trail in ColoradoRocks on the Trail
