FYI:
Walmart used to sell replacement pots. They had several models that could be adapted to fit most coffee machine brands. I bought one about 15 years ago, and it is still going strong. Note that the pot was about $16. A new machine was about $20.

My brother went to an authorized Rolex dealer in Canada to have his watch band repaired. The dealer took one look at the watch, and informed him that it was not genuine. Furthermore, if he touched the watch, he would have to call the police and have it confiscated.

Note that laws in USA may be different. No one in the USA has yet tried to confiscate my fake Timex.

Try Chinese.
Cantonese or Mandarin?

Note that when I mentioned scammers, I was not thinking about people from the tour company or fellow traveller's.

In my case, I was at a market in Nairobi. A man approached and claimed to be the waiter at my hotel who served me that morning. He knew my name, where I was from, and even what I ate for breakfast.

He claimed that his motorcycle broke down, and he needed money to get it fixed. He would pay me back later that afternoon, when he got back to the hotel.

Anyway, I did not give him any money, but offered to take him back to the hotel to get his money. He declined, and I never saw him again.

I later learned that these scammers work with people at the hotels (probably my waiter) to get information about guests. They then follow the guest around, and eventually try their scam. They have a very high success rate.

I have heard of numerous other scams, so be careful.

I am not an expert about Africa, but I have been to Kenya/Tanzania (about 25 years ago) and South Africa and surrounding areas (about 10 years ago). The political situation has obviously changed (check for travel advisories), and hopefully the physical infrastructure has improved.

Now, some photo related advice:
1. In Kenya/Tanzania, the dust was awful. Even the inside of a zippered camera bag got full of dust. Not a camera's best friend! If possible, I would bring 2 bodies so that I would not have to change lenses in the field. I would keep everything in good zip-locked plastic bags. Bring extras. Some masks (such as for Covid) are a good thing too.
2. A bean bag comes in handy. Even though the safari drivers usually turn off the engine, people moving around the vehicle cause vibrations.
Best way is to bring a long sock. Once there, fill it with beans.
3. South Africa was not as bad as Kenya dust-wise, but I would still take the same precautions.
4. Animals move very fast, so you may not get the chance to set up for the perfect shot. I would add a point-and-shoot camera to grab quick shots. The Panasonic FZ300 (or similar) is great for this.
5. Victoria Falls has a tremendous amount of mist and spray during the wet season. Imagine trying to take a picture in the shower. You may be able to find some good vantage points, but don't count on it.
6. Bring plenty of batteries and keep them charged.
7. Swap memory cards often, and store them away from your camera. I do this about twice a day. That way, if something happens to your equipment, you only lose half of your shots.
8. Beware of scams to separate you from your money. There are many, and some are really good.

Have a great time.

About 25 years ago, we stayed in Whitefish. The Quality Inn screwed up our registration and had no rooms. They indicated that the town was full, and suggested a small local place with cottages, but indicated that they do not usually recommend it.
When we drove over, we found a bunch of scarey-looking people wearing athletic undershirts, sitting on webbed lawn chairs, drinking beer and smoking pot. One of the buildings had an old toilet outside.
The "manager" indicated that he could see that we wanted his best room, and took us into a cottage where our shoes literally stuck to the floor.
We quickly decided that it would be better to sleep in the car. Fortunately, we tried other hotels, and found a decent room.
I don't remember the name of that cottage hotel, and am sure it is long out of business. However, be careful if you book an unknown hotel. There may be more out there!

Should be Oban distillery.
Sorry. Bad fingers.

A number of years ago, we toured Scotland with CIE tours. They are a small British company. Advantage was being in a mini-van, rather than large bus. Stops and detours were made as requested. Even if you don't use CIE, check out their itineraries.
Several tips:
1. Bring rain wear. Even if no storms, lots of light showers can be expected.
2. Allow at least a week on the mainland.
- Edinburgh and St. Andrews are musts.
- Take in some of the tours and shows, such as the Edinburgh castle tour, dinner shows (they even have vegetarian haggis now), sheep dog and falconry shows, etc. Google searches will find places/times.
- If you are a golfer, you know about the courses. If not, it is worth a visit the Old Course in St. Andrews. It is steeped in history
3. Visit the Orkneys. You can spend as little as a few days to over a week. It is a short ferry ride from the north coast. While on the north coast, visit the Orban distillery, reputed to be Scotland's oldest.
4. Note that I was about 75 when I took this trip. Equipment weight and cost were critical.
My conclusions:
- Don't be dragged down by too much equipment. There is a fair amount of walking that you will be doing.
- A travel lens (28 to about 250) should do nicely for exteriors. I did not miss a longer tele.
- A fast lens (preferably wide) plus a decent flash are worthwhile for interiors. Skip the tripod.


Enjoy your trip.

I had the 18-250 canon version. I found it to be good, but not great.

Talk about timing!
I have a great grandkid who hasn't been named yet. You can have the naming honors for the bargain price of only $75 million.
CASH ONLY.

I attended a performance several years ago.
I have subsequently learned that this is an AMERICAN group (most of the performers live in the USA).
Although the performers are skilled dancers and acrobats, the overall message is religious (cult-like) and anti-PRC.
Also, although they have multiple shows, they are basically the same from year to year.
I would not go again.

FYI: i believe that St. Jude's is non-denominational, not Christian.

A Yiddish expression denoting an old person. Usually used derisively.

Alter (old) Kacker (Sh---er).

I have an Olympus e520 (4/3 format) with 2 kit lenses. I bought this about 10 years ago for a trip that was cancelled due to health reasons. It is basically new (about 100 clicks, just to test it out before trip) and comes with strap, extra batteries, UV filter, SD and CD cards). I will let it go for $135 + shipping.

GOOD GUESS!