It was another spectacular September morning in Kasane Botswana, sitting on the deck of the Chobe Safari Lodge finishing a cup of dark fresh coffee and taking in the scenes I can never get enough of.

The Chobe River was in no hurry this time of the year and the mornings always seemed leisurely. The darters, (a cormorant like water fowl) Malachite Kingfishers and Grey Herons filled the trees while the young elephants splashed in the water under the watchful eyes of the older females.

In September 2004 we set sail from Meaford for Labrador, on our second expedition to this largely wilderness area of the country.

This time, we travelled in a 27 foot sailboat via the Great Loop route, an interesting and varied series of rivers and waterways from Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida, north through the Inter-coastal Waterway, a protected channel leading to New York City, then up the Hudson River into Lake Erie or alternatively the St. Lawrence River.

We left ‘the loop’ at New York and navigated the eastern seaboard to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and finally, Labrador.

Two days were spent preparing and loading the equipment for this great adventure, and then we were off to Namibia, a country on the southwestern tip of Africa. The final touches were done, the chase vehicle and all six motorcycles were finally ready.

The grey Lowry’s woke me early with their distinctive calls from high in the trees, a sound that screams gowaaay goowaaay, a bird the size of a blue jay with vocals that seem better suited to a bird the size of an ostrich. Thank goodness for Duncan, our chase vehicle driver, cook and mechanic who already had coffee brewing and was getting breakfast underway.

When travelling, I choose the often overlooked path. I head to the every day destinations of the people who live in the countries I am visiting.