Our first, post-retirement winter took place ten years ago this November. That decade surely went quickly! I take solace in the fact that we didn't have finalized plans set until shorty before our US Thanksgiving Day 2014 departure.
That trip did set a great precedent as we were in sunny Puerto Vallarta for five, straight months. It paved the way for our subsequent winters away from home. Since then, except for one winter when Jay had heart bypass surgery, we have locked up the apartment and flown somewhere sunny for four or five months.
This upcoming winter is turning out to be the most complex so far though. We initially had a simpler plan. However, Norwegian Cruise Lines cancelled one portion of our travel arrangements after we had already booked and paid. So we've had to plan and juggle to add a number of short-haul flights and accommodations. This will set us up for being in Mauritius for Christmas and New Years as in our original planning.
I have put together this list to help me better visualize the four month trip. These are travel dates when we will be moving from one location to a new one. In fact, although we are pretty well set up for the first two months, a few details of our final months in South Africa are still not concrete.
Fri, Nov 22 - Fly to Zanzibar, Tanzania
Tue, Nov 26 - Ferry to Dar es Salaam
Sat, Nov 30 - Fly to Antananarivo, Madagascar
Mon, Dec 09 - Fly to the Island of Mauritius
Sun, Jan 05 - Board NCL ship in Port Lewis
Fri, Jan 17 - Disembark in Cape Town, SA
The first stop in Dubai is the only place we have ever spent time, initially 33 years ago and as recently last year. All the remaining African locations will be new for us.
