Serena Safari Lodge, Lake Manyara

The rooms were relatively small compared to some of the other safari lodges we stayed at later on. But all of our accommodations were well-appointed, the food was excellent and the staff were warm and wonderful.

This was our first safari stop and this place was breathtaking. Situated on top of a mountain overlooking Lake Manyara below. I didn't have a chance to swim in the infinity pool, but it has a beautiful view also of the valley below. We were told that at times during lunch, the baboons would make their way to the grounds of the lodge and beg tourists for food. I didn't see any baboons though, but the birds were utterly shameless! One of them landed right on my plate and stole a piece of bread! This little bandit made off with my lunch then watched me from a tree nearby.

Lake Manyara, Tanzania November 2009

Just a bit of a teaser as I have thousands of photos to sort through and not really a lot of time to spend reformatting them. This is Lake Manyara, one of the smaller safari venues about two hours away from Arusha. There are no big cats here, sorry folks. Despite the ads about "tree-climbing lions", they have not been seen here in a very long time. However, there are still lots of wildlife to see around the area.

This was fascinating to watch as two male, juvenile elephants test out their strength by charging at one another head-on.

Utila Dive Lodge, Utila Island, Honduras

Utila Dive Lodge is by no means a luxury all-inclusive resort where you do nothing but sip alcohol and sunbathe all day long.

As you can see, the accommodations are fairly modest, but comfortable and functional. It's geared for the diving enthusiasts who have come here for this:

I have not been able to encounter any whale sharks yet (or manta rays for that matter). I missed them when I visited the Galapagos Islands in 2004, and missed them again when I visited Belize in 2005. So this year, I want to see them, swim with them and hopefully get a real close encounter.

Photo Credits: Utila Dive Lodge

Upcoming trips 2010

Earlier in 2009, I had mentioned that I was planning a trip to Tanzania. Well I actually did the trip already back in November but again, still posting the backlogs of my trip before that. The photos are forthcoming!

Possible trips for late 2010:
Krakow, Poland and/or
Budapest, Hungary and/or
Bucharest, Romania.

These are still in discussion as I only have so many vacation days to spare, and I'm not sure if I can go because I just bought a house! YIKES! One of my bestest friends is studying medicine in Krakow right now, so that is one of the reasons why I'd want to visit.

April/May 2010:
Utila/Roatan, The Bay Islands, Honduras

This trip I am definitely doing. I am already in talks with Utila Dive Lodge to arrange for my accommodations and the dive packages available. If I have not mentioned this before, I am an avid diver and I try to go scuba diving at least once a year, if I can. 2009 was a crazy roller coaster year, and I just didn't have time to plan a scuba diving trip, so this year, I have to go.

Boston, MA 2009

Trinity Church on Copley Square. Sunday mass was going on, and I'm not religious so I didn't have a chance to step inside. But the outside is impressive. My good deed of the day was helping a mom with two kids cross the street to attend mass.

Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. Great place for sunday brunches.

Harbourfront with live music. You can take a ferry from here to Salem, Cape Cod or other tourist spots nearby.

Good ol' Hah-Vahd. My good friend and former Ph.D. colleague is currently doing his post-doctoral studies here. I am so proud of him! I couldn't go through with it. After 7 years of graduate school, I was done. So I got a job instead. I don't regret my decision though. It sure beats being a poor student/post-doc!

Happy New Year!

I have just been so lazy lately. I know I should be posting more often, but I am having computer issues right now (i.e. I need a new one). Anyway, more photos of Boston coming up....

Cape Cod, Labour Day Weekend

Still posting some back logs. I was in Boston during the Labour Day weekend, visiting an old colleague of mine at Harvard. We rented a car for the weekend and drove to scenic Cape Cod. The weather was sunny and beautiful throughout. We signed up for the amphibious Duck Tour around the area, and every time we passed by fellow tourists, we had to shout "Quack, quack, quack!" That was loads of fun.

We had some gelato, visited some small shops and did some wine tasting along the main tourist strip. The best part was having some authentic clam chowder at a nearby seafood restaurant at the end of the day.