Simbamili Game Lodge

Friday, December 21

We arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa after an 11 hour flight from Frankfurt feeling somewhat rested but mostly in total excitement for what was to come. After collecting our bags and zipping through customs we waited for the next flight, only one hour, into Hoedespruit and from there we met our transfer guide to Simbambili Game Lodge. Immediately after pulling out of the airport we saw a baboon on the side of the road but no time for pictures as our driver had to drive the hour and a half quickly to get us to the lodge for the 4:00 game drive. We drove through so many small, very poor villages to reach the lodge in Sabi Sands Game Reserve. There were cows, goats, and donkeys all over the roads and small fields of corn growing around the houses. Simbambili is about 5km in from the gate of the reserve (1of the 4 gates) and my first thought was, "whoa, we are way out here amongst all the the big five!" It was absolutely breathtaking, remote, and rustic but elegant. Truly a 5 Star Lodge. We were in love and hadn't even been on the game drive yet. In the lobby, they welcomed us with fresh iced tea and they kindly kept a platter of lunch since we had a late arrival. They showed us to Lodge #5 so that we could shower and change. We had to hurry to meet our ranger but the room was so inviting we didn't want to leave!

We are certainly glad we did though! Our ranger Richard, along with his Tracker who's name was Celebrate, did an excellent job of tracking down animals for us. We joined a family from Kansas as well as a couple from Belgium in our Jeep and we were on our 3 hour drive! Oh my goodness, we had no idea if or what we were going to see! Many Impala were amongst the first of our sightings. They are beautiful, much like the deer back home. Then an elephant, just grazing in the trees! We were in total awe. A short while later we saw a whole herd of elephants, tons of them including two little 3 month olds! It was one of the most awesome things I've ever seen! What beautiful animals, so graceful being as enormous as they are and so happy in their natural environment. Well I was pretty satisfied already! Richard pointed out many different varieties of birds, including parrots and eagles. There were more Impala, Wildebeests, Water Buffalo, Jackals, Zebra, Hippos going for a swim but the next big highlight of the drive was the Leopard. They call him Tingana. Oh.my.goodness.was.he.beautiful. They call him Tingana. He was just out for a leisurely stroll and we followed him right along. He found an Impala leg bone and settled down in the grass to snack on the bone. As we followed behind him we could catch the scent of his spray as he marked his territory - a smell that resembles popcorn believe it or not! The drive was fantastic, just absolutely amazing to have seen all that we saw in a short amount of time. Friday was the Solstice, the longest day and when the sun was finally going down it made for some beautiful pictures of Marula trees against the African sky as we stopped for some drinks out in the bush.

Back at the lodge we showered before dinner and met the other guests in the lobby. Dinner was set up on a deck below, around a fire, beautifully lit with lanterns. There were only the 8 of us until 4 more guests from Russia arrived a little later. It was a lovely dinner as we chatted, ate and drank. The Hyenas howled somewhere in the bush nearby. Their call carries we were told which meant that they were not as close as they sounded! We were escorted by the night watchman back to our lodges and we fell fast asleep in the huge mosquito net covered bed.

Link to first day's PICTURES - NOT captioned because they're pretty self explanatory!



Setting out on our first drive!

Well hello Mr. Elephant!

Baby elephants!

Tons of impala everywhere.

One of the eagles we spotted, there are many varieties.

Having an impala leg snack.

Tingana is such a beautiful animal!

Wildebeest grazing.

Zebras grazing.

Hippos going for a dip.

The sun is setting on solstice.

Saturday, December 22
Honestly, 4:45 didn't seem all that terrible of a time to wake up after the amazing sleep in the luxury bed. We hurried up to the lodge for a quick coffee before jumping on the jeep for the morning game drive. We pulled into a riverbed where Richard and Celebrate grabbed the rifle and a slingshot and took off on foot looking for some water buffalo in the area. We were left for dead in the jeep - haha just kidding! We were VERY safe in the jeep, the animals pay no mind to us at all. We watched the guys take off and then hear yelling and them running! Looking through the binoculars we saw them smiling so we knew they were ok. Richard has never had to use his rifle in self defense, he's very experienced and so full of knowledge that we felt we could not have been in better hands.
The morning drive was fun, the sun was up it wasn't too hot yet and starting out with our ranger almost getting attacked by the buffalo was exciting! Richard was on the trail of a white rhino and boy oh boy was that rhino something to see. Enormous and scary is about the best way to describe it. He was running, sniffing the scent of a female and baby that he was searching. We followed behind him quite a while before trailing off. We drove through lots of the bush, Richard all the while identifying more birds and spotting more impala, nyala, zebra and even the big ole water buffalo that scared the guys earlier...he was still in the same spot.

Back at the lodge a wonderful breakfast spread was put out for us. We loved our server, Noks, she was so friendly and helpful and always has a smile on her face. Immediately after we ate, Richard took us out on a bush walk around Simbambili. We are not out to look for animals, but of course we have the chance of an encounter and of course he has his rifle with him. It is a little nerve racking knowing that a scary water buffalo could charge us but the more time we've spent with Richard the safer we feel! He identified so many different plant varieties, flowers, and birds as well as tracks in the sand of all the different animals, including lizards, snakes, mongoose and the list goes on. Richard is a walking encyclopedia, it's awesome! It was fun, but super hot! We got back to the lodge and took a nice cool dip in our plunge pool. It was only 10:30, the sun was blazing and we'd seen so much!
The afternoons were at our leisure, relaxing in our own lodge or in the main lodge. During our 1st free afternoon I stayed on the day bed, under the fan, writing the blog and reading and dozing off to the sounds of birds and monkeys. I know, I have such a rough life. Dave headed up to the main deck, overlooking the waterhole and immediately upon his arrival did he see 2 giraffes, zebras, then an elephant and a whole parade of animals getting a drink on the hot day. Needless to say, I was completely bummed that I was not there! He came back and I quickly got around to make my way back up to the main lodge since lunch was shortly anyway. No more sightings until our next game drive at 4:00. We just enjoyed the peacefulness on the deck of the main lodge and stayed out of the sun.

Dave and I assumed front row jeep seats on the afternoon game drive because we were the only guests! The other jeep mates had checked out so a few of the staff members who were off work joined us for the ride. We nearly got right outside the driveway and came upon two giraffe and zebra relaxing in a shady spot. I was so happy to have seen the giraffe now too! We found a mama warthog with babies, different antelope varieties and another harem of zebra. The male zebra is basically a pimp, lol. We pulled up to a very large waterhole where at least 10 hippos were submerged trying to keep cool. Across from the waterhole was a very large private lodge, very expensive to own! The wildlife around this lodge was amazing. Richard pointed out so many different birds, identifying them both by sight and sound. Two mature female elephants and 3 young approached the waterhole, it was an amazing sight. Next up, we were tracking lion! We drove quite a distance from the lodge but came upon a field with 3 female and 2 young males sleeping in the grass. There were 3 jeeps there and all of us taking turns going around the lions. Only one can start their engine at a time. They had not a care in the world that we were there, they were peacefully resting and were not going to let us bother them. It was really awesome to be so close! We stayed there for quite a while but they didn't budge, they were not that entertaining but hey at least we got to see them! There, cross the big 5 off our list and we were only 3 game drives into our 5.

Dinner was down on the riverbed that lies between the lodge and the waterhole. It was an absolute beautiful set up with lanterns, a fire pit and BBQ. Rangers Pierre and Richard joined the 8 of us guests for dinner and we dined on oxtail, lamb chops and chicken, creamed spinach, squash, pumpkin soup and Greek salad as well as some sort of bread pudding-vanilla-caramel-buttery delicious dessert. We sat under the stars and amazing sky before being escorted back to our lodge. We now know why we are escorted, the night porter held out the flashlight in front of us on the trail to a hyena scurrying up ahead, it was huge! Back safely in our lodge we passed out quickly - 4:45 was just around the corner and we were pooped. It was another exciting day!

Link to second days PICTURES

Big mean and ugly water buffalo!

Zebra and giraffes at the waterhole in front of Simbambili

Mama warthog and babies

Hungry hippos submerged in the water

Elephants at a waterhole

Female lion in the grass

Young male whose mane is starting to develop

The 5 resting lions in the field

Dinner set up on the riverbed

Sunday, December 23
What a better way to start our last day than with our very own private game drive with Richard and Celebrate! Other guests were expected in our jeep but apparently had missed their flight the night before. We set out tracking the female leopard and her cub. The guys could track the cub to only a certain point but couldn't find her exact location. They determined that Salayexe, the mama, left her alone to go in search of food. Then we set off tracking Salayexe. It is just amazing what these guys can do in terms of the search for the animals. They communicate with the other rangers from other lodges for updates in the area so with the help of one another they can accomplish amazing sightings! We found her after some major off road bush driving. She was crouched in a field watching a herd of impala. We were there with another jeep maneuvering around her as she moved in on the impala but the impala must have caught on because they quickly ran off. We spent time with her just waiting to see what she would do. The other jeep took off, but we were glad we stuck around. We couldn't quite tell what she was watching and tried to keep up with her slowly creeping in on the prey. Then we heard the screams and squealing.....she got something but didn't sound like an impala! Richard was ecstatic beyond belief, started up the jeep and pulled around to her up in a tree with a baby warthog. We parked right under her! Oh my god what mixed emotions I had watching this chain of life experience but it was quite amazing and we were really glad to have seen it. On the way back to the lodge Dave spotted a hyena so we turned around and got some great up close pics of her and a younger cub. They actually were quite cute and as Richard said, they've been given a bad reputation, they aren't so bad!
We came back to another wonderful breakfast and then a private bush walk. It was a great, relaxing day. We literally had the place to ourselves! A few more guests checked in, but still the place was certainly not at its 16 guest full capacity. No parade of animals went by the waterhole unfortunately but a group of waterbucks stayed under a tree near it for a majority of the morning and a family of warthogs came to cool off. We had a nice light lunch on the deck again as the day heated up, went back to our lodge to pack up and head back up to the lobby for our last game drive.

Salayexe - she is beautiful!

Watching Salayexe watch her prey

Salayexe caught a baby warthog!

It was a little scary being so close!

Hyena just relaxing in the grass

On the bush walk - Richard told us to wait while he checked for buffalo

The last game drive did not provide as many big game sightings but we did manage to see a very large group of baboons, 2 very up close water buffalo, wildebeest, a yawning hippo, a crocodile, a really cool chameleon, a bunch more zebra - OK so maybe we still did get to see a lot more! It was such a bummer to be our last drive, we just didn't want it to end. We enjoyed a very lovely dinner out on the main deck, just the 2 of us (the 4 Russians were at their own table and the other couples had private dinners in their lodges). It was a great chance to digress about the past three days and talk about how much we loved it at Simbambili. The last morning we could sleep in till 5:30 but unfortunately the baboon and bird activity outside out lodge didn't allow us! The baboons were very active in the riverbed behind our lodge, I was afraid one of the was going to tap on the door as I was showering (since the shower opened up to the deck outside). Checking it was sad, we really didn't want to leave. We had a 3 hour drive to Nelspruit for our 2 hour flight to Livingstone where were going to stay by one the the worlds natural wonders, Victoria Falls!

Link to last day's PICTURES

Baboons play behind our lodge

Baboons on the trail ahead of us

The Chameleon was trying to climb on top of Richards head

We didn't really set too many expectations about this trip, we knew we were going to Africa and it was going to be super cool but didn't really know what to expect. It was an absolute amazing experience out in the bush of Sabi Sands. We can both truly say that we've fallen in love with a new part of the world and I'm pretty confident we will find a way back in the future.

-Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Sabi Sands, South Africa

Köln Christmas Markets

There is no better way to ring in the Holiday's in Deutschland than attending one of the 100's of Christmas Markets that are held from the end of November right through till Christmas.  I really didn't think I would need to hit the markets this year since we did the AMA Christmas Market Cruise last year and were just about "Christmas-Marketed-Out."  But when a friend asked, earlier in the Fall, if we'd be interested in going to the Köln Markts I couldn't say no because we'd been wanting to see the city and it's magnificent Dom for quite a while.  There was a last minute change in plans as Dave remained in the States after a business trip for his Grandfather's funeral.  (Rest in peace, Grandpa Andersen.  You lived a wonderful 96 year long life and will surely be missed.) After we decided that I wouldn't head back to the States, we kept our reservation in Köln and I took my surrogate daughter, Brittany along with so that she could experience the wonders of Germany at Christmastime. 

It was a beautiful 2.5 hour drive north with snow covered trees and peaking sunshine.  We arrived in Köln at about noon, parked immediately nearby the Altstadt Hotel Hayk and checked in before heading out to explore.  We walked through a few of the extremely festive markets directly to the Dom.

Köln or Cologne - yes Eau de Cologne was originated here in 1709 - is mostly known for its massive cathedral, a World Heritage Site that was erected in 1248 but not finished until 1880.  It is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and has the second-tallest spires and largest facade of any church in the world.  While 95% of Köln was destroyed in WWII the cathedral held up fairly well. Glass and art treasures were taken to shelters and saved in anticipation of the bombings.

 

Stepping inside the cathedral absolutely breathtaking, the beautiful Gothic architecture, the history, the chapels, and the stained glass!  The far end of the Dom is the oldest, behind the altar and is called the Chapel of the Three Magi.  It features the church's oldest window (from 1265)  in the center.

In front of the Chapel is the Shrine of the Magi, right behind the high altar. Inside this shrine sit the bones of the Magi, 3 skulls with golden crowns.  The 3 Magi were the 1st to recognize Jesus as the Savior ad the 1st to come as pilgrims to worship him.  They inspired medieval pilgrims and countless pilgrims since.  For 1000 years, a theme of this cathedral has been that life is a pilgrimage...a search for God. 
This is a quite an impressive reliquary!

Well I saw all I wanted to see in Köln now, time to hit the Glühwein!   It was crowded, and it was chilly, and it was nearly impossible to belly up to the booths to shop but we could eat, and we could drink and that makes for a good Weihnachtsmarkt!  To escape the cold and warm our bones we went into the Peters Brauhaus and had the most delicious Kartoffel Suppe but not the most delicious beer.  The Kölsch is a Cologne brewed beer and very hoppy - not my fave.

We met up with 2 JD families back in the Market and hopped aboard the Weihnachtsmarkt Express that drove to the 6 different Markets.   Peters Brauhaus is actually right behind the train!

At night the Markets get even more beautiful, with trees lit up and other lights that we can't even see during the day. 

We had fun getting bumped around, I mean walking around the Markt :) but I never managed to spill my Glühwein.  Which reminds me though, I do need to get my wool coat dry cleaned because of  the Glühwein that was spilled on me - irresponsible Glühweindrinkers!  Next on the list was indulging in another Christmas Markt delicacy- Potato Pancakes with Applesauce.



I have to say, I'm not impressed.  Perhaps I was carbed out for the day but these mass produced, super fried little cakes were not as spectacular to me as I hoped them to be.  I will give them another try sometime though, maybe at a different Markt or make them myself with cinnamon and nutmeg!  We popped into TK Maxx - yes that's right - the German version of TJ Maxx, to warm up a bit before we hopped back into the little green train and circle our way back to the Alter Markt.  There were 11 of us huddled around a tree stump with a tea light lantern and Glühwein trying to stay warm.  We didn't last too much longer.  Brittany and I ventured back towards our river front hotel along with Shane, Nicole and their 2 kids.  We were looking for an inside place to warm up with a drink and a bite but everything was very crowded!   We found outside seating right next door to our hotel at the Löwenbräu  Restaurant and Hotel, with heaters and fleece blankets and decided that would do.  Another bowl of soup and a beer and us cold little chick-a-dee's were ready to call it a night.

Sunday we woke to a pretty miserable rainy/snowy mix but we HAD to find ornaments and souvenirs (other than the Glühwein mugs :) to take home.  The Markets open at 11:00 so we slept in and the ventured our to the nearby Dunkin Donuts on the Hohostraße shopping street for, sadly, a disappointing DD experience.  I should know better than to try the American places anymore!  So back into the Weihnachtsmarkt we went in search of the perfect thing to take home.

No, we didn't take this meat-on-a-stick home but it sure was delicious!   It was getting crowded again but we were able to browse through more of the booths.  It's always fun to see the people working on their crafts right there in the booths.  I was very happy to find a wooden Köln Christmas Ornament to add to my collection.  Brittany and I both found a beautiful candle holder with a very thinly carved wood veneer panel of the Köln skyline.  I got the lighter wood, and she bought the darker. 

We got into the car, cranked the heat on high, warmed our bottoms on the heated seats and got back home mid-afternoon.  It was a great weekend with my little Brittany, I'm so happy she's here in Germany!  We both agreed that having our men with us at the Christmas Markets would have made it a little more special but perhaps we can do Köln again in the much warmer weather!!

Link to the remaining pictures.

 





Thanksgiving in Denmark

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Perhaps because it's in my favorite season with my favorite colors, with my favorite foods, surrounded by some of my favorite people, and sometimes it even lands on our wedding anniversary!  This year we spent my favorite holiday going to work and German class and eating leftovers from the previous nights dinner.  Not my ideal way to spend my favorite holiday. BUT - we were celebrating a few days late this year in a new special way - in Denmark for a Danish American Thanksgiving Feast!

A quick recap from my last post: high school friends Mike and Sidsel are living in Denmark for 6 months on her family farm with their two absolutely adorable daughters, soaking up culture and doing renovations in the farmhouse.  Last year they had a large family thanksgiving so this year they decided to hold a friend thanksgiving and we gladly accepted when we got the invitation!



The Fjederholt

 We arrived in Billund on Friday afternoon to rain, rain, and more rain but were cheerfully greeted by Mike and Den Stur at the airport.  We got a glimpse of Legoland (did you know Billund is Lego's birthplace?) and pulled up the long driveway to the house a little bit later.   It was so great to see Sidsel after many years and meet her youngest, Den Lillie, as well as their two friends, Evan and Tallie, that made the trek overseas from the states for the Feast.  Sidsel prepared a lovely dinner for us and we enjoyed an evening of Danish treats, Juleberg Christmas beer and our own version of SongPop for hours!  It was a fun night!

Saturday morning we woke to no rain! After breakfast burritos with New Mexican green chilies we ventured out for a stroll in the countryside because the breaking sun was calling us. We were all bundled as we made our way down the long driveway.

We encountered cute kitties and a barn full of pretty brown cows. We came to the little river and threw in sticks and leaves waiting for them to go under the bridge but we're not sure where they went because they wouldn't come through the other side!

A short while later Sidsel caught up with us after getting the turkeys in the oven and we made our way back to the house to help her get ready for the rest of the guests.

We had a small electrical mishap that slowed the cooking process down but once Sidsel and Evan fixed it we were preparing in full force and it was a lot of fun!  A couple of nuts - Tallie and Shawna - cracking the pecans :)

The menu consisted of traditional thanksgiving yummies: turkey and gravy, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, twice baked potatoes, cranberry, homemade rolls, green salad and of course pumpkin and apple pies for dessert.

The Powersolo guys and their families started arriving mid-afternoon and shortly after, kids were running around, warm delicious smells filled the house, everyone was chatting cheerfully and chaos in the kitchen all put such a smile on my face! Oh and wine, there's always wine. It was great. Dinner was ready, all 20 something of us were seated and the Danes did the honors of cutting the turkeys! Kim and Ida Marie did a fantastic job and then filled their bellies with our traditional American Thanksgiving foods.

After dinner we sat around chatting and picking up before digging into desserts.  What a great meal we just had - said by all the Danes and Americans!  The kids were even full too!

A little taste of our evening entertainment.

 

 

Later in the evening a fire was built outside in the cold night air.  As much as we would have loved to warm up by it we hit the sheets since we were leaving early Sunday morning back to Frankfurt.  It was a quick weekend and a wonderful way to spend my favorite holiday!  Thank you again Mike and Sidsel for the hospitality and we hope that the "friend Thanksgiving" added to this generations list of good memories!

PICTURES from the weekend.

Why we didn't capture a picture BEFORE we were on our way out the door is a good question but none the less - here is one for a great reunion!  I don't think any of us look a day older than we did back in high school 16 years ago - wait did I just say we are HOW old?!  Regardless...what fun!

 

Wait, October, come back!

I was just reading my dashboard and checking in on my blog when I realized I haven't done a post in over a month!  Yikes!  Where did the month of October go?  After our guests departed at the end of September I think a much needed rest was on our plates after all the fun we had with our dear Nebraskan friends.  We don't have any major plans until Christmastime so we spent time around the area, enjoying the beautiful Fall colors, and whatever nice days we had left of an Indian Summer.  I baked and cooked - a lot (even though I'm frustrated with my tiny sink and lack of counter space :) - because we have two apple trees in our yard that produced more apples than I could keep up with and the cool weather puts me in the comfort food cooking mood.  I attempted a strudel, apple crisp, apple caramel cheesecake and all were equally delicious.  Roasted chicken, German Potato soup with meatballs, and another one with wursts, my first attempt at Käse Spetzle and mini meat loaves! Needless to say we've been hitting the gym routinely!

Apple Crisp

German Potato Soup with Meatballs



Apple Strudel with Ice Cream of course

Herb Roasted Chicken

 

Caramel Apple Cheesecake - Oh.My.Deliciousness

Käse Spaetzle and Mini Meatloaf

I finally organized the picture section of the site (whew whatta project) because Kodak Gallery closed and all photos were moved to Shutterfly.  I had quite a few albums in both sites but now have converted everything to our share site through Shutterfly, which you can access above.  The pictures mostly will be just that, pictures with out captions, because I simply just add them to Shutterfly for convenience of having the share site.  For blogging purposes I download pictures with captions in Picasa.  Be sure to check out the Shutterfly share site and let me know if you have any access issues.

We checked out the Gartenschau in Kaiserslautern which we'd been curious about for over a year. They had a pumpkin display, more like pumpkin art, displaying colorful fish, turtles, mermaids and other ocean life.  It was really cool.  The gardens are beautiful, and it's a great park for a family outing.  There are walking trails throughout that wander in and around all of the dinosaurs in the park.  Yes, we have dinosaurs in Germany!  We climbed the hillside or the Kaiserberg, which was still part of the grounds and had a nice view over Kaiserslautern.

 

Fishy pumpkin art at the Gartenschau

 

Dave and a dino at the Gartenschau

Slideshow of Gartenschau Pictures

DH's birthday was in October.  We actually spent his birthday in Karlsruhe, Germany to check out the town and meet up with a high school friend who was playing with the Danish Rock Band Powersolo.  Mike and his dual citizen (and fellow PYA '96er) wife, Sidsel, are living in Denmark on her family farm for six months with their two daughters.  Mike was asked to fill in on the drums for the band as they toured around Germany so what an awesome opportunity for all of us to get together.  We had a great time hanging out with Mike and the band before the show started.

In the bar manager's apartment before Powersolo went on stage.

We didn't spend a great deal of time in Karlsruhe but did manage to walk around the city and through the central park of the city where we found elephants!

From a pedestrian bridge in the park you can walk right through the zoo!

The main focal point in Karlsruhe is probably the Palace, with 32 streets radiating out from it like spokes on a wheel. - apparently Washington D.C. was modeled from the same plans as Karlsruhe!

Ariel view of Karlsruhe

Much of the old city including the palace was reduced to rubble in WWII but was quickly rebuilt.  We enjoyed dinner in the hopping Markt Square and walked around the city.  There are many museums and places to shop.

Slideshow of the Karlsruhe Pictures

Our Romanian friends, Madalina and Alex came for a night and we visited the Hannenfass Bar in Kaiserslautern where we ordered a meter board, it is 16 (klein) beers on a meter board.  Another activity we'd been talking about and finally crossed off the list.  I have a feeling it won't be the only meter board that we'll ever get :)

Madalina and Alex at Hannenfass with the Meter Board of Beer!

We've had many appointments at the local Arzt getting all the appropriate vaccinations for the trip to Africa. But we're not quite done yet, our last appointment for the 2nd Hep B is right before we leave.  We should be all set now for the next 10 years!  The weather has resulted in terrible sinus issues for me as well.  We are just happy when we see the sun, it has rarely shone in the past few weeks!

On the 24th of October I was able to secure a seat in the 2nd Module of the Deutsch als Fremdsprach Intensiv Kurs, aka German as a foreign language intensive course.  This is a continuation of the Module I took last Nov/Dec.  Along side my friend Rinat, we are there every morning from 8:30-12:30 learning and speaking and reading and writing!  It's a fast-paced course and completely exhausting but for me it really is the best way to learn.  After the 3rd day I couldn't keep my eyes open past 8:00 pm but I've now since adjusted and actually like getting up and around everyday with a routine!  Something this Lady of Leisure hasn't had in a while!   The Module A1-2 will end the day before American Thanksgiving, we will have 4 days off and then Module A2-1 starts which will take me right up to the day we leave for Africa.  I'm hoping to have a good grasp on the language at that point and then possibly continue in January with the 4th Module.

During the break between Modules we will be flying up to Billund, Denmark to enjoy an American Thanksgiving feast with our home town friends Mike and Sidsel on her family farm.  We are looking forward to the trip!  Then the Christmas Markets will be starting up and I really didn't think I'd be all that excited since we visited so many last year but they really are wonderful!  We already have plans with a handful of other JD families to spend the 2nd weekend in December in Köln indulging in the delights of the cities 5 different Weinachtmarkts.  I'm sure that will be a fun time.  Then we are off to Africa!  Oh my goodness, as I write that with the utmost excitement it completely makes me think that I "thought" we didn't have a lot going on during the 4th quarter of 2012.  I guess writing all our happenings in the blog has put that "thought" into perspective!  We sure have had a lot going on, and it doesn't stop there.  We've got some exciting trips planned in 2013 but for now I better get to my Hausaufgaben.