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Clean, Clear, Calm…

A couple of years back, a friend of mine asked me to "help" him run the NYC marathon. He hadn’t trained, and his plan was to enlist 5 friends to each run 5 miles with him and support him through the race. I agreed to do my part and showed up at mile 5 in Brooklyn at the appointed time. As he neared, I jumped into the sea of humanity and found a pace chugging alongside him. Despite the chill of November in New York, I quickly began to sweat out the bottle of wine and huge dinner I had the night before. I was having a blast, though – the sights, the sounds, the supporting crowds… it was incredible to be a part of that swell of energy. As we approached mile 10, though, it became clear that the appointed friend was not as punctual as I had been. Feeling good, I decided to stick with my buddy and fill the gap. I had never run 10 miles before, but what the heck. We trudged along to mile 15, where yet another recruited runner had not shown up. Breaking new ground, I agreed to keep o...
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Introduction & Full Itinerary


Welcome to...the adventure of a lifetime!
The idea behind this site was twofold: 
First, it provided a forum through which I could record my thoughts and impressions while traveling.  
Second, it provided a portal through which friends and family back home could keep up with my itinerary and experiences. 

The journal entries that follow were written in a stream-of-consciousness style from internet cafes and hotel business centers throughout the trip. Unfortunately, time constraints or shaky web connections did not always allow for carefully thought-out and well-organized writing.  As a result, the entries can be a bit choppy and convoluted.  However, on returning home I chose not to change anything other than the typos I caught because I think the essays - as written - capture the authentic thoughts and feelings of the moment. 

While it is nearly impossible to relay through words - or even photos - the first hand experience of travel abroad, I hope these journal pages help to give readers some sense of what it was like to visit these amazing places.  

Please use the links listed within the itinerary below or the archive section on the left to access a particular entry.

All the Best,
Ben Batory -- June 2003


 -- ITINERARY -- 

Southern Africa, Uganda and Rwanda

JULY 15-18: Cape Grace Hotel...Capetown, South Africa
19-21: Garonga...Makalali Game Reserve, South Africa
22-24: Leopard Hills...Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa

● Journal Entry #1: Wine, Ostriches, Sharks and Table Mountain - South Africa!

 25-27: Sausage Tree Camp...Chifungulu, Zambia
28-29: Tongabezi...Zambezi River, Zambia
30-31: Chief's Camp...Okavango Delta, Botswana
AUGUST 1: Stanley's Camp...Okavango Delta, Botswana
2: Villa Verdi...Windhoek, Namibia
3-4: Ongava Lodge...Etosha Game Reserve, Namibia

● Journal Entry #2: Vic Falls and the Zambezi...

 5: Swakopmund Hotel...Namib Region, Namibia
6-7: Wolwedans Private Camp...Namib Rand Reserve, Namibia
8: Grace in Rosebank...Jo'Burg, South Africa
9-11: Ndali Lodge...Kibale Forest, Uganda
12-13: Mweya Lodge...Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
14-16: Asoferwa Guest House...Kinigi, Rwanda
17: Lake Victoria Hotel...Entebbe, Uganda
East Africa, Seychelles and Mauritius

AUGUST 18: Serena Inn...Stone Town, Zanzibar...Tanzania
19-22: Fundu Lagoon...Pemba Island, Zanzibar...Tanzania
23: Sand Rivers Lodge...Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania
24-25: Sand Rivers Fly Camp...Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

● Journal Entry #3: From the Okavango Delta to the Namib Desert...
● Journal Entry #4: Rolling Ugandan Hills and Haunted Eyes in Rwanda...

 26: Sand Rivers Lodge...Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania
27-28: Ngorongoro Tented Camp...Ngorongoro Highlands, Tanzania
29-31: Private Mobile Camp...Serengeti Game Reserve, Tanzania
SEPTEMBER 1-3: Shompole Lodge...Nguruman Escarpment, Kenya
4-8: Peponi Hotel...Lamu, Kenya

● Journal Entry #5: Zanzibar and Diving in Fundu Lagoon

 9-10: Rusinga Island Camp...Lake Victoria, Kenya
11-13: Cottar's 1920's Camp...Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya
14: Ngong House...Nairobi, Kenya
15: Le Northolme Hotel...Mahe, Seychelles
16-20: Alphonse Resort...Alphonse Island, Seychelles
21-25: Fregate Private Island Resort...Fregate Island, Seychelles
26: The Rose Garden...Mahe, Seychelles
27-Oct 3: Paradise Cove...Anse La Raie, Mauritius
OCTOBER 4-10: Le Prince Maurice...Belle Mare, Mauritius
11: Grace in Rosebank...Jo'Burg, South Africa
12: Depart Jo'Burg
13: Arrive New York, USA

● Journal Entry #6: The Masai Mara and The Serengeti, Tanzania; onward to the Great Rift Valley, Kenya; the stunning Seychelles Islands...
Thailand and Burma

NOVEMBER 30: Fly JFK to Hong Kong

● Prologue: Sadness? Fear? Guilt?

 DECEMBER 1: Lose day crossing international date line
2: Connect Hong Kong to Bangkok to Phuket…Chedi Resort…Phuket, Thailand
3: Chedi Resort…Phuket, Thailand
4: Board dive boat for Similan Islands trip…MV Sai Mai, Thailand
5-8: Diving trip…MV Sai Mai, Thailand
9: Chedi Resort…Phuket, Thailand
10: Sea kayak through Phang Nga Bay…Ko Yao Island Resort…Ko Yao, Thailand
11-12: Sea kayak trip…Ko Yao Island Resort, Thailand
13-15: Phi Phi Island Resort…Kho Phi Phi, Thailand

● Entry #1: Clean, clear, calm...

 16: Fly Phuket to Bangkok to Yangon…Pansea Hotel…Yangon, Burma
17: Pansea Hotel…Yangon, Burma
18: Fly Yangon to Bagan…Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel…Bagan, Burma
19-20: Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel…Bagan, Burma
21: Board riverboat for cruise up Irrawaddy River…MV Pandaw, Burma
22: Riverboat cruise…MV Pandaw, Burma
23-24: Sedona Hotel…Mandalay, Burma
25: Fly Mandalay to Heho…Golden Island Cottages…Inle Lake, Burma
26: Golden Island Cottages…Inle Lake, Burma
27: Fly Heho to Yangon. Connect to Bangkok…Peninsula Hotel…Bangkok, Thailand
28-30: Peninsula Hotel…Bangkok, Thailand
31: Fly Bangkok to Chiang Rai…Golden Triangle Baan Boran Resort…Chiang Rai, Thailand

● Entry #2: "...try to be a little more Burmese, ok?"

 JANUARY 1-2: Golden Triangle Baan Boran Resort…Chiang Rai, Thailand


Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore

JANUARY 3: Cross border to Laos…Luang Say Lodge…Pakbeng, Laos
4-6: Grand Luang Prabang Hotel…Luang Prabang, Laos

● Entry #3: 10,500 kips for $1...

 7: Fly Luang Prabang to Vientiane…Settha Palace Hotel…Vientiane, Laos
8: Fly Vientiane to Hanoi, Vietnam…Sofitel Metropole…Hanoi, Vietnam
9: Sofitel Metropole…Hanoi, Vietnam
10: Board Victoria Express Train to Lao Cai…Victoria Express, Vietnam
11: Victoria Hotel…Lao Cai, Vietnam
12: Victoria Express…Vietnam
13: Fly Hanoi to Danang…Hoi An Beach Hotel…Hoi An, Vietnam
14-15: Hoi An Beach Hotel…Hoi An, Vietnam
16: Fly Danang to Saigon…Caravelle Hotel…Saigon, Vietnam
17: Caravelle Hotel…Saigon, Vietnam
18: Fly Saigon to Phnom Penh, Cambodia…Le Royal Hotel…Phnom Penh, Cambodia
19: Le Royal Hotel…Phnom Penh, Cambodia
20: Fly Phnom Penh to Siem Reap…Pansea Angkor Hotel…Siem Reap, Cambodia
21-22: Pansea Angkor Hotel…Siem Reap, Cambodia

● Entry #4: Vietnam, the "American War of Aggression," and the "Killing Fields" of Cambodia...

 23: Fly Siem Reap to Singapore…The Fullerton…Singapore
24: Fly to Sydney, Australia

Australia

JANUARY 25: Sebel Pier One…Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
26: Fly Sydney to Hobart,Tasmania…Wendover Colonial…Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
27: Wendover Colonial…Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
28: Hatherley House…Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
29-31: Bay of Fires Walk…Tasmania, Australia
FEBRUARY 1: Fly Launceston to Melbourne, Australia…Hotel Lindrum…Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
2-3: Hotel Lindrum…Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
4: Oscar’s Waterfront…Port Fairy, Victoria, Australia
5: Ann’s Place…Robe, South Australia, Australia
6: North Adelaide Heritage Cottages…Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
7-10: Angorichina Station…Blinman, South Australia, Australia
11: Fly Angorichina to Streaky Bay…Baird Bay…Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, Australia
12-13: Baird Bay…Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, Australia
14: Fly Streaky Bay to Kangaroo Island…Stranraer Homestead…Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia
15-16: Stranraer Homestead…Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia
17: Fly Kangaroo Island to Brisbane…connect to Cairns…Trinity on the Esplanade…Cairns, Queensland, Australia
18: Fly Cairns to Lizard Island…Great Barrier Reef, Queensland,Australia
19-22: Lizard Island…Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
23: Fly Lizard Island to Cairns…connect to Sydney…Sebel Pier One…Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
24-25: Sebel Pier One…Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
26: Fly Sydney to Auckland, New Zealand…Chez Helen Selaries!…Auckland, New Zealand

New Zealand, Fiji, and Palau

FEBRUARY 27: Stafford Villa…Birkenhead, outside Auckland, New Zealand
28: Lodge at Matapouri…Whangarie – Bay of Islands, New Zealand
MARCH 1: Lodge at Matapouri…Whangarie – Bay of Islands, New Zealand
2-3: Cliff Edge…Paihia – Bay of Islands, New Zealand
4-6: Mercure Grand Puka Park…Pauanui – Whitianga, New Zealand
7-8: Tree Tops Lodge…Rotorua, New Zealand
9: Fly Rotorua to Wellington…connect to Nelson…Serenity Lodge…Nelson, New Zealand
10-11: Sandspit Bed & Breakfast…Marahau – Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand
12: Kahutara Homestead…Kaikoura, New Zealand
13-14: Weston House…Christchurch, New Zealand
15-16: Evergreen Lodge…Queenstown, New Zealand
17-20: The Milford Track…New Zealand
21-22: Evergreen Lodge…Queenstown, New Zealand…Happy Birthday Emily!
23-24: Corstorphine House…Dunedin, New Zealand

● Entry #5: Singapore, Australia and New Zealand: "...the most fun you can have with yer pants on..."

 25: Fly Dunedin to Napier…Cobden Villa…Napier, New Zealand
26: Cobden Villa…Napier, New Zealand
27: Fly Napier to Auckland…At Helen's…Auckland, New Zealand
28: Bruce Springsteen Concert!…Helen's…Auckland, New Zealand
29: Fly Auckland to Nadi, Fiji…Turtle Island Lodge…Turtle Island, Fiji
30- April 4: Turtle Island Lodge…Turtle Island, Fiji
APRIL 5: Fly Nadi to Brisbane, Australia…Quay West Suites…Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
6: Fly Brisbane to Cairns…connect to Guam
7: All Day in Guam…Fly Guam to Palau late night
8-17: Palau Pacific Resort…Palau
18: Fly Palau to Guam…connect Guam to Hawaii….Hawaii to Newark, USA
18: Arrive Newark, NJ Liberty Airport, USA

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