2003 - 08

2003 - Cuba: In late September Cherie flew off to Cuba for two weeks in the sun in La Habana [Havana] and Varadero - Matanzas while Clive stayed at home cat minding and playing bowls - a total of 81 competitive games during the summer season.

.
Havana - panoramic 2003 Photos by Rob Mann

.

. .

.

Torreon de Cojimar close to Hemingway’s house and inside his home

2004 - Kenya & Zanzibar: At the end of May Cherie was off again to Africa, this time to Nairobi in Kenya and a safari into the Masai Mara Nature Reserve renowned for the numbers and diversity of its game. Early morning drives to view lions, leopards, elephants, hippopotamus, crocodiles, giraffes, buffalo and various antelope. A week later she flew out to the spice island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean for some quiet relaxation on the beach. Clive, meanwhile, was again bowling by day and cat minding at night

Kenya

. .

.
African sunrise. lions. elephants.

.

. .

. .

.

cheetah, safari group and with local village people

Zanzibar

. .

.
the beach, the castle and . . . . . . a native!!! there he is [Red Colobus Monkey]

2005 - Tunisia: Mid June and Cherie flew out again to Africa, this time to Hammamett on the Mediterranean coast of Tunisia. Although most of the time was spent relaxing in the sun she also visited the ruins of Carthage and embarked on a four day safari - visiting the Roman ruins at El Djem and the Troglodyte cave dwellings at Matmata before heading out via Douz into the sand dunes of the Sahara desert. After crossing the Chott El Jerid salt lake to Tozeur she stopped at the oases of Chebika and Tamerza before returning via the Holy City of Kairouan. Clive - of course - was cat watching and bowling

. .

.
Carthage, El Djem and Chott El Jerid salt lake

. .

Troglodyte cave dweller, in the Sahara and desert oasis

2006 - Borneo: Once more in mid June and Cherie was winging off to another exotic destination - Kota Kinabalu in Borneo. Whilst there she visited the UNESCO World Heritage Kinabalu National Park at the foot of Mount Kinabalu - one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world - and also spent a day at the Sepilok Orang Utan centre.

. .

Borneo 2006, Orang Utan at play and waterside village

2008 - Jordan: Early November and Cherie is off to Jordan. Arriving in Amman she visited Mount Nebo, from where Moses is said to have viewed the Promised Land, and then Al Karak Castle. Next stop was the spectacular ruins of Petra - the “rose red city half as old as time” [John Williams 1840]. Then on for a week of relaxation on the shore of the Dead Sea. Clive was, of course, playing indoor bowls and cat minding.