I know I’ve been bad at posting on my website (which reminds me that I also have to include some high quality backlinks on it) as I’ve been posting more on my Facebook page but for those of you who aren’t yet fans, I am starting another massive trip Sunday. The loose trip itinerary starts in Angola and Cabinda, then down into Namibia and Botswana before heading down to Cape Town, South Africa. I then have a 12 hour layover where I am meeting a friend for lunch in Johannesburg before catching a non-stop up to Cairo. I’ll have a day in Cairo before catching a bus into Eastern Libya. Then it’s back to Cairo and over to Sinai and to Petra before heading into Israel to visit friends and catch a flight up to Moscow, Russia. From Moscow it’s down to Sochi, where we will head into Abkhazia and back. There may be a few other stops depending on timing, etc. From Sochi, it’s off to Bucharest, Romania to visit much of the country I’ve not seen including Transylvania and Brasov. Then finally it’s off to Antalya and Southern Turkey to relax before heading to the UK and the finally back home. Wow, I am tired just writing that itinerary!

The planning on this trip has been ridiculous. As you might imagine with an itinerary this widespread and varied, the logistics were a nightmare. Then there are/were the visas including that elusive Angola visa which after 2 years, I was finally able to nail down. Unfortunately my buddy Pete had to bail out on that portion of the trip but he will always have that Angola visa unused in his passport as a souvenir! It will still be a lot of fun and I am meeting up with at least 4 other friends along the way and two for major portions of the trip and one or two others may meet us in Romania and Turkey.

I can’t wait to get started and am particularly looking forward to Namibia and seeing most of the country that I’ve not seen before. I will achieve four new countries on this trip and will finish the United Nations list which I am excited about. I will be re-visiting several others obviously and seeing many new places within these countries. I’m also going back to some awesome places I haven’t been to in years like Petra, Sinai, Moscow, Eilat and Tel Aviv.

Keep checking back and also check out my facebook page at facebook.com/leeabbamonte as I will be updating often in little blurbs and pictures and then posting reports and pictures on my regular website of course.

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