Nancy's Travel Adventures!

Hi Everyone - I finally get a chance to be a guest on Nancy's blog so I thought I would fill you in on some of the highlights or funny memories from my end. I will try to dowload as many photo's as possible to add to the commentary.

For starters the trip has been amazing and it has been so much fun to travel with a friend instead of by myself. As you can imagine when you have this much time to spend with someone you cover just about every topic under the sun and get to know things about someone you didn't know before even though they are your best friend. Some conversations are deep and thought provoking, some random and some just down right silly(aka blonde). We have covered everything from world politics & poaching to "would you rather be stung continuously be tse tse flies or wade into the hippo pool full of hippo crap"! I am sure there are several "you had to be there" conversations but a few of the more entertaining ones included Nancy explaining to me how jet lagged worked (and she was very serious)! That was truly a eye opener for me as I rarely travel:) Another one took place just last night after dinner at my friend Rhett's house. When we got back to the hotel we decided to grab a glass of wine in the Leopard Lounge at our hotel and Nancy decided to open up and let me know that she is truly a social person that needs to get out and be around people! I almost fell out of my chair-can you belive our friend Nancy is social and not a hermit:)?! The thing you learn about yourself when you travel are limitless! As you can tell those are just a few of the silly ones, but there have been many amazing people, places, stories and conversations that really have made such an impact on me.

I think Nancy has done such an amazing job of recapping the things we have done so my job as guest blogger is to fill you in on some of the more silly things, happenings and people we have met that may not have made it into the blog. Nancy has been very kind and not highlighted the many obsessions and neurosis that I apparently have and come out when I travel so I will make sure I include those as well to keep things fair. So here are a few highlights, favorite stories and updates.

Things I have learned about Nancy:

• Her dreams change and adapt to the environment she is in. Gone are the days of dreaming about Mathew McConahot. She now dreams about bush bandits breaking into our camp and dragging her away!
• Ms. Accessorize has traded in dangly earrings for her new favorite accessory- her head lamp!
• She met the Spanish Mr. Big (not the cat but the guy) in Seville, but unfortnately he doesn't drive around in a town car.
• She will overlook badly dressed/80's wanna be men if they are good dancers (She met this gem at On the Rocks in Positano and if I can find a picture I will post it), but think acid wash zipper jeans!
• She hates the words poop and pee, so once I found this out I tried to use them as frequently as possible:)
• She met another Mr. Big (this time it was a cat and a dead ringer look alike), but while attempting to hug and squeeze him like she does the real Mr. Big he mauled her. Blood was drawn, but I told her no worries "its just a flesh wound".
• She is obsessed with the circumcision rituals of the Masai Warriors (but I am too-it is just crazy when you hear about these things)
• She is a social person:)

Things I have learned about myself:

• I wish I had a head lamp of my own.
• I apparetnly talk too fast for foreigners, which I neer knew before.
• I am obssessed with condiments and apparently remember the meals I have at hotels more than any other aspect.
• Stay away from house cats that look like yours but don't want to be squeezed like yours.
• When I drink wine my foreign language skills increase dramatically.
• I am not directionally challenged in foreign countries.
• I sleep with my mouth open -even in public places! Nice touch huh

Things I have learned in general during the trip:

• Forget weight watchers when travelling through Spain and Italy! Just enjoy the wine.
• Police officers are good for two things in Spain-blocking traffic and giving bad directions.
• Everyone has an amazing story to tell so ask lots of questions.
• I LOVE Capri, but beware of Lemoncello.
• Befriend anyone named Salvatore or Juan.
• If you can brave it rent a SMART car they are hysterical.
• Animals in Africa will never bore you.
• When stranded at an airport and being asked to pay overage on your luggage weight allowance, but have no cash (and no access to an ATM or credit card), aks for them to drive you the nearest ATM...they will waive that fee.

Ok-more to come later. I have to run, but promise to fill you in on stories and things I know I have forgotten. Pictures to follow.

posted by Nancy Chapman @ 3:19 PM