Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Day 291 - 293 (January 1 - 3) New Year, new job, new country

Day 291 - 293 (January 1 - 3) New Year, new job, new country
I sent New Years Eve in Charlotte with a couple of friends. Two of them (Ryan and Matt) decided to cook up a storm for dinner. I mean a huge prime rib (bone in), greens, okra, chocolate pie and a bunch of other stuff. Meanwhile another friend (Wes) and I supervised from the couches, while watching football and nursing New Years Eve eve hangovers... not huge ones, just enough to get out of any work though. But really the food was great and got to see a few more friends when other people came over.

I went back over to Joe and Elizabeth's on the 1st and stayed there until I left Charlotte on the 3rd for Switzerland. But seeing as this is about the end of my time off work, I guess its a good to to recap things (cue the flashback montage). So the country count stands roughly at 18 (including a brief stop in Iceland and Canada) and the break down is estimated below.

Country Days
South Africa 6
Namibia 8
Botswana 6
Zambia 7
Malawi 3
Tanzania (including Zanzibar) 12
Kenya 9
England 24
Argentina 38
Bolivia 11
Peru 3
Panama 52
Colombia 52
Switzerland 22 hrs
Netherlands 4
Iceland 3 hrs
Canada 1 hrs
USA 57

Total - roughly 293 days (give or take)

Most memorable moments - include wine tour in Stellenbosch, Table Mountain Cape Town, sand-boarding in Namibia, Okavango Delta in Botswana, Zanzibar, Ngorogoro Crater/Serengeti (running into a friend from the UK in the middle of the Crater), camping across Africa, Buenos Aires for the Bicentennial, La Boheme at Teatro Colon in BA, horse riding in Salta, Death Road in Bolivia, working at Paradise Gardens - Boquete, Panama, getting SCUBA in Bocas del Toro, Patronio Alvarez, Ciudad Perdida, SCUBA in Taganga, Parque Tayrona, Playa Blanca Cartagena, San Blas Islands Panama, Amsterdam/London/New York - catching up with friends and seeing family in Panama.

These were just the main highlights. The trip as a whole was unbelievable. I have met some great people and have so many great memories. Cost - priceless.

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