Canada 2015!

It's true that I have a LONG list of places I would like to see and experience while I have the opportunity. But, for the most part I pick a travel destination within a year of my planned departure. I like it that way; little research, little planning, just go. Suffice it to say, next year's adventure is an exception. I have known where I wanted to be in the summer of 2015 for the last four years; since the summer of 2011. That place is at the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. No other options exist. The rest of the world doesn't exist. All there is is Canada. And all I want to do is cheer on the greatest team in world, the U.S. Women's National Team, to gold.

Who's with me??? I'm serious! I won't only be watching games but hopefully road-tripping all over Canada and I'm always open to having travel buddies for a day(s), week(s), or month(s). The Women's World Cup Draw is on December 6, 2014 and the World Cup begins on June 6, 2015!

Autumn Road Trip

Just because I chose to return to the States doesn't mean I was ready to stop exploring. There is so much beauty in our own backyard and I've never had a problem finding new places to check out. Plus, places I have been before, whether it has been once or hundreds of times, can look and feel completely different each time I visit. Here's a rough outline (in black) of the route that I took.

 My adventures included...

a smoky day on the Five Lakes trail in the north Lake Tahoe area,

a return (15+ years after my first ascent) to the top of Job's Peak in the south Lake Tahoe area,

the wilderness and beauty of eastern Oregon,

Washington's scenic highways and byways,

Idaho's panhandle and Craters of the Moon,

a drive down Utah's Highway 89,

the north rim of the Grand Canyon,

Yosemite National Park (even without its magnificent waterfalls it's still one of my favorites),

 and many more.

Click here to see more photos of Five Lakes, Job's Peak, and the rest of my Autumn Road Trip.

Paje and Stone Town, Zanzibar

I moved on from Nungwi in northern Zanzibar to Paje on the east coast. The beaches here were larger than in Nungwi with long uninterrupted stretches of white sand. The difference between high tide and low tide is extreme and on most days there is an ocean breeze making this a kitesurfer's paradise.

Paje is a great jumping off point for a half-day trip to Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park. Such a beautiful setting and the home to Zanzibar's red colobus monkey. Look closely and you'll see the tiny, little baby wrapped around its mother.

From Jozani, I continued to Stone Town for the afternoon. Wandering and getting lost in the alleys was the best part. I spent my time observing and photographing the incredible people, culture, and architecture of this old world town.

After a few days in the east, I said goodbye to Zanzibar and took the long, two-day journey back to Kilimanjaro. It was a rough return. I had gotten braver about negotiating fair fares for things and since I had very little local currency left in my pocket and no desire to hit up an ATM again before my exit, I stood up for myself. Mistake? In one sense it felt really good, but it also caused me a lot of anxiety. It takes a lot of energy to stand up for what is right! I'm glad I saved my stubbornness for the end.

Click here for more photos of Zanzibar.

Nungwi, Zanzibar

With only one week left in Africa, I chose to take in the island life on Zanzibar. The boat from Pangani arrived to the northernmost town of Nungwi. It is a popular holiday destination and the beaches have been taken over by large, primarily foreign-owned hotels. And it's easy to see why... the beach and ocean is paradise!

Sticking within my comfort zone and budget, I bypassed the expensive resorts and went hunting for a locals guesthouse. I was unable to escape a local man who was insistent that he knew the right place for me. Since it didn't seem like I was going to be able to get rid of him, I chose to follow him to Nungwi Guest House. While not exactly what I was looking for, it was nice and had a relaxed, "small-town" vibe. I was able to talk the owner into a fair rate and so paid for three nights. I settled in and then it was time to explore.

I walked north along the beach to the lighthouse. High tide was coming in, so I wasn't able to walk much past it.

I opted for the village route on my return. It was astonishing to see the stark contrast between the resorts and the village, separated by just a few steps.

In the late afternoon, I stopped to watch a real soccer match. It was the most organized and official-looking soccer I had seen since arriving in Africa. The players seemed serious and focused. That was until halftime when one team came over to talk to me and ask for their picture to be taken.

I had dinner at a local restaurant. The people there were so nice and seemed genuinely happy to have me, so it became my go-to place for the next few days.

The next morning I went on a half-day trip to Tumbatu Island. It was some of the best snorkeling I've ever experienced. The coral and fish were typical of a tropical environment, extremely vibrant and colorful, making me wish I had a waterproof camera. We spent about three hours at two different dive sites.

The snorkeling highlight for me was our encounter with an octopus. They are spear-hunted by the locals of Tumbatu. We came across one in about 6 foot deep water. It was hidden among the coral but part of its body was lying visible on a rock. Our guide, Hamza, decided he wanted to catch it so he swam to shore to borrow a spear and came back in attack mode. Once in position, he lunged toward the octopus, nicking its body but not spearing it. This resulted in one pissed off octopus. An arm wrapped around the spear and pulled it out of the Hamza's hand. As he struggled to get it back the octopus exposed how strong and large it really was. The octopus was getting pulled out of its hiding place and its arms stretched out to resist the force. The suckers (yes, that's the scientific term) on the underside of the arms became exposed and this octopus was massive. Stretched out it was at least 4 feet across. I've never seen anything like that before and it was terrific!

That evening I joined Hamza and some others on the beach for volleyball. There was a group playing beach soccer as well. We all paused our games and joined the beach crowd when the sun started dropping below the horizon.

The Tazari Caves were the chosen destination for day 3. I borrowed a bicycle from a friend and also borrowed his friend and we rode south on the only road out of Nungwi. It only took 20 minutes or so to get to the caves. I love caves. And while these weren't the most interesting caves I've ever been in, there were several things that I really enjoyed. 1) They were sparkly. I'm not sure what mineral was in the stone, but whenever light reflected off the walls and formations they glittered. 2) There was a section of the caves that was extremely warm and humid. I have been in lots of caves and they are all the same cool temperature. This cave had a cavern that made you sweat the moment you entered. It was crazy. 3) The bats and scorpion/spiders (I'm not sure which it is) were awesome.

After the caves, I rode further south alone. I wanted to explore. I saw a side dirt road and decided to take it hoping that maybe I would stumble upon a good view. With the help of Mr. James I was able to find a good overlook of the entire north part of the island.

Mr. James was an English teacher for adults and was on his way to a study session with some of his students. He asked me if I would come to his intermediate/advanced class and answer some English-language questions. I told him I didn't have much time. I could stop by for a half hour or so, but then I had to ride back to Nungwi. I stayed for three hours! The class was very smart and had really good questions. English is such a difficult language to learn. As a native speaker you don't realize how nonsensical a lot of it is, but trust me, there is so much that doesn't make sense. Knowing how to speak English provides many additional opportunities for East Africans. The men in this class understand that and are working hard to make the best life they can for themselves and their families. I'm so happy I ran into Mr. James and took him up on his invitation to join his class.

On the ride back to Nungwi I stopped at the school to play netball with some young girls. This was the first time I saw girls playing a sport (rather than just watching) and so I had to join them. My only other experience with netball came a few years ago when I was in New Zealand. I remembered most of the rules. They showed off some of their best netball skills and then I showed them some basketball moves. They had to leave to prepare for their evening prayer, but I had a lot of fun.

Before arriving I had only heard of Nungwi as a beach and party destination (and it can be if that's what you want), but it turned out to be so much different than I expected.

Click here for more photos of Zanzibar.