Cruise to Italy

[EddieWalker]

September is coming quick!!! Are you taking and CITES animals? Good thing you've done this before, that takes a lot of stress out of it.

Karen and I are going to CO in September to photograph the elk around Estes and RMNP during the rut. She has never seen a live elk, and didn't know they bugled until I played her some on youtube.

We are thinking seriously that we want to go to Africa next year once she gets her PhD done. Hoping to hear lots of stories about your trip and get something planned at SCI Dallas in January.

Eddie

 

[gsganzer]

Eddie,
No CITES animals. All plainsgame. Slightly stressed over the firearm handling between the overnight layover in NYC and then only 3-hour connection between Jo-burg and Polokwane. I'm contracting with "Riflepermits" that will get the permits pre-issued and meet me at Jo-burg to grease the firearm declaration process for the connecting flight. Sounds like it might be some money well spent.

We're also a little concerned about the status of Nelson Mandela and if his death leaves the potential for some civil unrest. South Africa is starting to get a little unstable and some people are expressing fears of violence against white landowners, especially in the rural areas, similar to Zimbabwe's plights.

At any rate, we're not fretting too much and we plan to have an incredible trip. I'll post photo's when we return.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

My tractor just won't make it across the Atlantic through the Straits and into the Med. Doesn't float worth beans. The bottom muck is too deep. I'd tip over trying to cross the mid-Atlantic ridge. There's not enough places to refuel and towing a fuel trailer won't work because it's too heavy. I can't find a decent 3 mile long snorkel for the engine air intake. And that doesn't even consider that I can't hold my breath that long. ;-)

 

[MRSDOUGLAS]

Eddie,

We did a photo safari to South Africa in 2010 and it was amazing. So much so that we are going back to Africa next year, Tanzania and Kenya. Do the trip, you won't regret it.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie,

We did a photo safari to South Africa in 2010 and it was amazing. So much so that we are going back to Africa next year, Tanzania and Kenya. Do the trip, you won't regret it.

Who are you going with? We are wide open to where we want to go right now.

Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie,
No CITES animals. All plainsgame. Slightly stressed over the firearm handling between the overnight layover in NYC and then only 3-hour connection between Jo-burg and Polokwane. I'm contracting with "Riflepermits" that will get the permits pre-issued and meet me at Jo-burg to grease the firearm declaration process for the connecting flight. Sounds like it might be some money well spent.

We're also a little concerned about the status of Nelson Mandela and if his death leaves the potential for some civil unrest. South Africa is starting to get a little unstable and some people are expressing fears of violence against white landowners, especially in the rural areas, similar to Zimbabwe's plights.

At any rate, we're not fretting too much and we plan to have an incredible trip. I'll post photo's when we return.

I hadn't thought about what is going to happen there when he is gone. From everything I've read, it's already really bad and one of the most dangerous places to live on the planet already. Seems like it's pretty common to have cars with bullet proof glass and flame throwers at the doors because of carjackings. I think I saw a show where BMW is offering these things from the factory because of the demand there.

I've traveled with my rifle and I've borrowed a rifle on hunts overseas. If possible, I will borrow a rifle again over bringing my own as long as they have something decent. It's so much easier to travel without dealing with the rifle that it's something I would be looking into and wanting to do the next time. Most outfitters have pretty good quality weapons with Zeiss optics or equivalent, so it's something to consider. Especially if you lose your rifle on the way there!!! I know several guys who had this happen to them and read that British Airways is kind of famous for losing rifles just because they are anti gun.

Can't wait to see your pics!!!!

Eddie

 

[MRSDOUGLAS]

Who are you going with? We are wide open to where we want to go right now.

Eddie

It is a company called andbeyond.com. They do a fantastic job and you feel like royalty the service is so good.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Afternoon Eddie,
Beautiful shots of he Duomo in Florence... that was truly an amazing piece of architecture !

All that work done with hand tools...

 

[Uncle Doug]

Looks like you had a great cruise to Europe. We did not make it this year. Seems we spent all our travel budget for the next couple of years on 17 acres in Bandera, TX. It is still on our bucket list.

You did not say much about the cruise ship. I know that one is very port heavy and the sea days are for rest. We love to cruise and leave on our 25th Carnival cruise in October.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've only been on two cruise ships, and this one was quite a bit smaller then the one I was on in the Caribbean. It was very nice, but you where able to get anywhere you wanted pretty quickly. The room was amazing. My first balcony and definitely worth the extra money. I'll do that again for sure. The sit down dinners where just so so. Nothing to brag about. In fact, several nights we went for the buffet instead!!! Service was good, but it seamed like they would clean the decks every night while we where out trying to get sunset pics. That was annoying, but of the 2,000 passengers, there was never more then a dozen out taking pictures that we ever saw, so the odds are that they just didn't care. Getting off and on the ship was quick and easy at each port, the pool was never crowded and there was always plenty of places to sit. Unlike my previous cruise in the Caribbean where it was a battle to get a chair anywhere outside. The nightlife was dead. Mostly a dozen or so couples that liked to dance, and the rest just sat around and drank in small groups. There was never a crowd, and always plenty of seating. The shows got worse every day. We went to most of them, but walked out on a few. The ones we endured, none where great. The very worse where the comedians. We walked out on every one of them. For what we got to see, and the ease and comfort of getting there, along with the cost, I can't think of a better way to see what we saw. I'd do it again just like we did, and I highly recommend it to everyone who is wanting to see Italy and that part of the world.

Congrats on your land!!! Are you moving?

Eddie