After 2 days in Mankwe lodge we drove to the Mboma Boat station in the Okavango Delta (through Moremi Game Reserve). In Moremi we saw our first lions and not just off there in the distance, super close up!

Finally the Botswana post are here!!! Iaan and I were super privileged to enjoy a full week in three different lodges in Botswana in June. Llewellyn (the groom of the 18th of December 2009) invited us to visit their lodges and take some photos of the surroundings for promotional material.

Now firstly I have to confess I’m not the “roughing it” type! I really like my hot shower and hairdryer in the mornings and during my daily routine I spend about 8-10 hours on my mac. But that week was right on the other side of those daily activities. And I absolutely loved it!! The beauty of Botswana, the friendly people and the peace and quiet captured my heart big time!Iaan and I flew to Johannesburg and from there we flew to Maun, Botswana. The plane only had about 30 seats and the airport is super small! The baggage gets loaded onto a truck (from the plane) and then it gets placed on tables for the passages to collect. It’s all manual there!

The past two weeks I’ve soking up some sun in the very hot and humid Dubai. The temperature ranged between 42 and 46 degrees Celsius! As most of you probably know by now, my parents live out here in the desert.

Nadia and I spent the last 3 days of our trip in Lisbon, Portugal. We were going to stay in Paris for 7 days, but decided we were going to pay for food and accommodation anyway, so why not visit another place while we’re there. So we decided to spend the last weekend in Lisbon.

(BTW for those of you who are going to travel to Europe, check out this amazingly cheap airline Easy Jet, they have great specials! But don’t even think of having a bag more than 20kg! I had to re-pack mine twice!)

I loved Lisbon! If I had to sum up the city it would be the following:

colour. design. real. graffiti. restaurants. fresh fish. sangria. port. authentic. awesome

In general I’m someone who prefers staying in hotels, rather than youth hostels and backpackers, but I must say when I found this place on the net I fell in love with it! The Living Lounge hostel is situated in the heart of Lisbon and it’s only 10 months old. The building was recently renovated and changed into a stunning backpackers with the most amazing decor. Anything from 60s retro to old classics!

Every room has a different theme and it looks like this place should be featured in a decor magazine! Breakfast was included for only 30 Euro pp per night, for a private bedroom. I would definitely encourage anyone going to Lisbon to stay here. The staff was friendly and the bathrooms were spotless.

Nadia met Henriette in Stellenbosch, where they both studied. A few years after Henriette moved to Paris to finish her studies in fashion design. When Nadia and I was over in Paris, Henriette invited us over for a dinner at her place. Just before the sun set (around 9h30 pm!) we took a few snaps in the streets of Paris.

Apart form the serious black and white photos I took in Paris (my previous post), I also enjoyed the following colour ones.

When you walk in the streets of Paris you understand why so many pictures of Paris are in black and white. The city is such a classic and it just calls out for the basic of basics…black and white.

I met Letitia through my friend Nadia. When I saw that she was pregnant I had to use the opportunity to get a few shots in the little town of Chablis, France. I absolutely adored all the textures of the old walls and those heart shutters are just to cute! I would be able to shoot for hours in those little towns. Definitely going back one day! Anyone keen to join??

“Travel like Gandhi, with simple clothes, open eyes and an uncluttered mind” Kathrine Naido, SAA employee

Here is a little bit out of my diary from my recent trip to France and Portugal:

“Traveling opens your eyes, it challenges your perceptions and pre-conceived ideas. It changes your views on the world. And makes you ask many questions.

When you travel it stimulates your creativity. It makes you think about things beyond your every day life. It takes you out of your safe place and shows you a bigger picture of what the world is like.

To travel is to learn. It’s to learn about other people and about the world, but mostly it teaches you about yourself.