Now I'm a Soccer Coach?

Rewind to last spring. My son decided not to play baseball. He said baseball was too boring. Hard to disagree with that -- so much standing around. Instead he wanted to play spring soccer. The only catch was that there weren't enough kids registered to have a U12 town league. So they put him on a travel team. There were two practices a week and we'd have to travel to other towns for games. No problem. He had a great coach and he enjoyed it a lot.

Forward to August. He had such a good time in the spring that he wanted to play travel soccer again in the fall. He liked the competitive atmosphere, playing on better fields and having "real" referees. But there was a problem -- There were 15 kids registered and assigned to a team, but there was no coach. The league reached out to the 30 parents. One stepped up as Team Manager. Another stepped up as Assistant Coach. But still there was no Head Coach. It wasn't clear what would happen if no one stepped forward. Would the team be dismembered? Would the kids get to play at all? Weeks went by and nothing was resolved. So I stepped forward.

I had never coached soccer before. I've coached other sports, and I know the rules to soccer, but I don't pretend to know anything about the game. The whole reason I volunteered was to make sure the kids had a soccer season. I figured 90% of the job was to organize practices and get the ball rolling. We'd figure out the rest as we went along. And so we did.

I successfully recruited a second assistant and we began practicing in mid August. The initial practices were a bit rough. I found drills on the web. My assistants brought forth their own activities. We scrimmaged amongst ourselves. And we ran and ran to get in shape. We had a team.

But when the season started we still weren't ready. Some of the teams we'd be playing had been practicing since August 1. Some had played in Labor Day tournaments -- they'd have three or four games under their belts. Plus they had "real" soccer coaches to get them ready. We dropped our first game 4-1. We weren't competitive. How bad were we?



Since we began practicing I'd sought scrimmage partners. Every kid alive would rather scrimmage than practice drills. And the whole reason the kids play is to have fun. On top of that our biggest problem was spacing. The kids were clustering too close together, making passing impossible, making themselves too easy to defend, and getting themselves out of position on defense. We needed to practice 8 on 8 to work on that. So I reached out further for scrimmage partners.

In the coming weeks we scrimmaged against anybody and everybody we could find. We squared off against two U-12 intramural teams, an advanced U-10 travel team, and even a girls U-12 team. We kept practicing two times a week. We had a couple of clinics by a referee. And we had a weekly skills clinic with a former marine turned high school coach. The team got better. As it turned out our schedule was front loaded. We played a tough schedule the first half. Four of our first 5 games were against top teams. At the half way point we had won 1, lost two and tied 2.

Then came the Columbus Day Tournament. This was when I'd hoped we'd come together. This would allow the kids to spend some time together. A scheduling snafu meant we'd have to play 3 games on 1 day. And it was HOT out! And again we ran into tough competition. There was a good team from Watertown, and an upper tier host Natick squad. We dropped the first two in competitive games, but got it all together for the third. We beat a good Sharon team; both teams on tired legs. And we took that momentum with us back into League play.



We opened the second half of the season against the league leading Arlington team that had beat us easily the first game of the season. They were 5-0 and their confidence showed. But our kids were up to the challenge. We played a very strong game and beat them 3-1. And we kept winning. Our only loss in our last five games was 5-4 heartbreaker to the eventual league champion, Weston. And even in that one we carried the play. Unfortunately for us the game was played in a cold driving rain that would later turn into the first October snow storm in many years in Massachusetts. After falling behind early we were coming back strong when the game was ended early due to the conditions. No matter, the kids had a great second half to the season. We went 4-1 those last 5 games and the guys can be proud of that.

The last two games we used to try to get goals for some of the guys who hadn't scored. One of the greatest feelings was watching one of our primary goalies capitalize on his chance to score. A couple other guys who had played mostly defense came real close too. By the end, 12 out the 14 kids had scored goals. It was great to see the kids who were used to scoring trying their hardest to set up their unsung teammates for scoring chances.

Kids sports isn't about winning and losing. It's about a group of kids coming together and creating a team. It's about learning and working hard to make the whole greater than the individual parts. And it's about having fun. We did that!

Framingham Blue Devils

Zoo Review

There are lots of great zoos out there and I've only been to a few. Here is what I think about the ones that I've visited; listed in order of distance from my house, with a 5-Star Rating System.

One Star : Not so hot

Two Star : Just Ok

Three Star : Pretty Good

Four Star : Very nice

Five Star : Knock your socks off outstanding

Franklin Park Zoo, Boston, MA - Not that good. It's in a big park, but there aren't enough animals (or visitors). We visit once every three years or so. It's getting better, but it's still below average. The best feature is the gorilla exhibit, which is excellent. People feel unsafe coming to Frankin Park. It's in a bad part of the city. Significant funding for the zoo is diverted to a small suburban zoo in Stoneham.


Southwick's Zoo, Mendon, MA - A good private zoo way out west of 495. Been here a bunch of times. A really cool 'deer park' where visitors can walk through a sizeable forest area and feed deer. They've also recently installed a chair lift over the park. Why no bears? I love bears.

Roger Williams Zoo, Providence, RI - A nice, walkable zoo in a very pleasant park. Very well organized. We've been here several times. They have most of the animals you expect to see. Nothing particularly special about it, but it's a nice zoo.


York's Wild Kingdom Zoo and Fun Park - York, Maine - Visited here just once. Nothing special here. It's a small zoo for kids in a tourist area. Also has a small amusement park.

Bronx Zoo, Bronx, NY - My favorite zoo so far. Really good! Every animal you can imagine and unique presentations. They have one arrangement called the 'Wild Asia Monorail' where visitors sit in a 4 or 5 row open air 'theatre car' and are scooted over around the park to view the animals exhibits. The cool part is that seats all face the exhibits. There's also a chairlift to get from one part of the zoo to the next. Great energy here! Accessible by subway. Admission is waved on Wednesdays (contributions accepted).

Granby Zoo, Granby, Quebec - Visited this one a while back with college friends. I don't remember it too well. The highlight for us was seeing the birth of an elk. First and last time I've see that happen.

Smithsonian National Zoological Park (National Zoo), Washington, DC - A terrific zoo! Every animal you can imagine. Well organized. In a nice part of the city. And FREE! We especially enjoyed the orangutangs, which have fenceless access OVER the public walkways via rope 'walkways' (watch out, they may pee on your head!). And of course there are the pandas. I've been here a couple of times, but never manage to see it all.


Toronto Zoo, Toronto, Ontario - Vast. A huge place with a tremendous number of animals. We visited here just a couple of weeks ago. The displays in Toronto are often indoor/outdoor to accomodate the long cold winters. The result is a good zoo for viewing the animals in a comfortable setting. But it takes a few miles walking and long time to see it all though. And the Canada exhibit is way too spread out. We enjoyed the Toronto Zoo -- especially this Polar Bear!

[Updated October 2012]
 Animal Kingdom, Orlando, FL - We had way high expectations for this one.  It's rated everywhere as one of the best zoos in the world.  But instead of being a zoo with some Disney attractions, it turned out to be a Disney amusement park with some animal attractions.  To be fair the Kilamanjaro Safari was the best single zoo attraction I've been to.  You're in a four wheel drive truck cruising across a very realistic African savanah.  There are large animals all around you.  Amazing.  Also the tigers and bats on the Majarajah Jungle Trek are sensational.  And and the gorillas in the Pangani Forest Trail are wonderful.  It's a great park to be sure.  But is it a great zoo?

 
Caribbean Gardens, Naples, FL - Pleasantly surprised at this one. Took the kids here while visiting grandma. It's a good zoo. Highlights were the alligator feeding, the African dogs and the monkeys. They have small lake with some islands. You take a boat tour and see different primates on each island. There's no need for fencing or cages 'cuz the monkeys won't cross water.

Audubon Zoo, New Orleans, LA - Visited this place a while ago, but I remember being impressed and thinking that it was a great zoo. It's set in a great park with beautiful trees. You get there via the streetcar. I was most impressed with the big cats; all present and accounted for. And active! This was the only place I've seen where the lions are up and moving around. There was an impressive Flamingo exhibit as well as a "Louisiana Swamp" area. It can get warm in New Orleans, but there is a lot of shade and air conditioned buildings.

[Updated September 2017]
Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, PA - The first zoo in the United States. Often ranked in the Top Ten American zoos. It's relatively small but has a lot of animals. There are several trails for animals to cross over the paved visitor walkways. The primate reserve was great, with active gorillas and gibbons. The lions, tigers and bears were in small enclosures. The reptile and aviary houses contained species we hadn't seen before. There was no direct public transportation to our hotel downtown, but there was a trolley that connected to a bus.

Alipore Zoological Gardens, Calcutta, India - India's largest zoo. Exactly as you'd expect; a sad place. Magnificent bengal tigers in cement cages with iron bars, an Indian Elephant on a cement platform chained to a stake. Lots of great local animals; all treated poorly. Why did I go here?


Someday I'd love to see the San Diego Zoo. That's been on my list for a long time. I've heard great things about the Columbus Zoo as well. And the Singapore Zoo is supposed to be extrordinary.

Yeah, I too wrestle with the question over whether zoos are good or bad. So far I’ve been able to ignore the negatives and focus on the positives. In time? .. I dunno ..

Don't feed the animals. 

Welcome to Niagara!

I took the kids to Niagara and Toronto a week ago. Toronto is a great city; as nice as any other I can think of. But Niagara is truly magnificent. The power of the falls is amazing. So much water... WOW!

We approached first from the New York side. It's a really long drive from Framingham and we were all anxious to reach the falls after a stop over in Rochester. As we got close we began to see signs for the falls and the Canadian border. "What is THAT?" asked Francisco pointing to a plume of mist visible high over the trees and buildings a few miles away. Could the mist from the impact of the water rise that high? Wow! We followed the signs to the falls and parked. We heard them before we saw them; a constant rumbling. "Are those sprinklers or is it raining?" asked Mariana as we followed the walkway to the falls. "It's the mist from the falls" I answered. And there they were, right below us. We marveled at their magnificence. Just amazing. You drive right up and there they are. "Look, a rainbow!" Mariana exclaimed, and there was a giant rainbow.


We were amazed at the sheer size of the falls, and the volume of water. Everybody says the Canadian side is better. I dunno. The American side is more natural. You see the falls from a state park (trees, grass, etc.) You walk out to Goat Island and you see the rapids of the Niagara River. It's very cool. The big attractions are "Cave of the Winds" and "Maid of the Mist". We enjoyed "Cave of the Winds". You take an elevator 200 feet down to the floor of the gorge and see American falls from a series of wooden decks. The highlight is the "Hurricane Deck" which puts you closest to the bottom of the falls. The water is crashing down and it's so loud you can't hear each other. They provide you with a rain poncho and sandals, but you get soaked anyway. It's pretty great.

We went on to Toronto and had a nice stay there. It's a great city. We liked the Royal Ontario Museum and the Metro Zoo. We also saw a major league baseball game at Sky Dome -- tickets cost $11 and we sat about 14 rows behind third base! (that's not gonna happen at Fenway!).

On our way back, we hit the Canadian side of the falls. Horseshoe Falls is awesome. Water coming from every direction! There are many more attractions on this side. It's much more touristy. Clifton Hill is a fun place. There are wax museums, miniature golf, Ripley's and Guiness 'museums'. We had the wits scared out of us in a haunted house. We had a blast!


We had "Adventure Passes" for the big attractions. "Niagara's Fury" is a 4D Movie that explains how he falls were created. Rather than a boring geology lesson, you're surrounded by images of the falls in an Imax like theatre. You feel silly standing in a theatre in a rain poncho until you are doused with spray from the 'falls'! It was our first 4D experience and we enjoyed it. "Journey Behind the Falls" takes you down an elevator to a deck close to Horsehoe falls and into tunnels and portals behind the falls. We took a "People Mover" bus a few miles down river to "White Water Walk". There's a walkway along the amazingly powerful Great Gorge rapids -- Class VI; said to be the most dangerous in the world!


The highlight of the trip was "Maid of the Mist". You can do this from either side. You board a big ferry type boat and head right into Horseshoe Falls. There's water crashing everywhere. Mist all around you. The noise is so loud. You feel the boats motor straining against the current. There's nothing like "Maid of the Mist" .. nothing comes close.


Go to Niagara. You'll have a blast! 

Campground Review .. Lotsa Secrets Revealed!

I've camped in a fair amount of places over the years, sometimes just for convenience or to save money on a hotel, but mostly just because I wanted to wake up in a cool spot .. Nowadays it's car camping; me and the kids, usually with the dog .. Sometimes we meet up with family or friends .. And sometimes it's just us .. We like places with swimming and canoeing .. We also look for bike riding and hiking

So here is my Campground Review .. My opinions on as many campgrounds as I can remember that I stayed at .. Organized by State with a 5-Star Rating System

One Star : Not so hot

Two Star : OK if it's convenient

Three Star : An A-OK place

Four Star : Very nice

Five Star : Knock your socks off outstanding


MASSACHUSETTS

Nickerson State Park - Brewster, MA - Cape Cod .. Super popular .. several lakes .. swimming and canoeing .. not far from bay and ocean beaches .. nice bike trails inside and outside of park .. Cape League Baseball, Drive-In Movies, Provincetown, National Seashore, Beaches with waves, Beaches with sand bars, Fishing, Fried Clams, Ice cream .. What a great summer location!

Salisbury Beach State Reservation - Salisbury, MA - State Beach .. This is pretty much parking lot camping .. mostly RV's .. Beach is close by but you're not camping on it .. Fishing and Swimming .. Both on the Merrimack River and the Atlantic .. Deep Sea charters close by .. Across state line from Hampton .. Lots of Fireworks on the 4th

DAR State Forest - Goshen, MA - Berkshires .. nice camping area .. hiking .. park ranger had activities for the kids .. there was a wildlife viewing area, but all we saw were bugs and birds


Lake Dennison Recreation Area - Winchendon, MA - North central Mass .. Nice lake with swimming beach .. Terrific waterfront sites on north loop .. 102-108 .. I take a weekend here every summer because it's close and these sites are really nice

Otter River State Forest - Baldwinville, Templeton, MA - North central out by Winchendon .. Next door to Lake Dennison .. There is a connecting road that's nice for biking .. Otter River has Yurts and a little swimming area .. Nothing special, but not bad either

Boston Harbor Islands State Park - Boston, MA - Bumpkins or Grape Island .. I forget .. Interesting camping on an island in Boston Harbor .. nice views of the city from the beach .. camp site was in a scrub forest .. islands have quite a history .. no fresh water on the island .. no campfires above high tide mark .. carry-in carry-out policy .. multiple ferry trips limited flexibility on when you could come and go

Myles Standish State Forest - Carver, MA - by Plymouth .. College pond is one of a couple in this large state park .. good swimming and canoeing .. there is a special area for camping with horses .. Way back in high school I went here with friends 

Shawme Crowell State Forest - Sandwich, MA - This is a large forested campground on the Cape side of the Canal .. Close the Canal, bike paths and fishing .. Stayed in a yurt here .. a sort of circular canvas tent covering a cement platform .. bunks and electricity included .. not bad .. Not a spectacular campground but it gets you on the Cape

Pearl Hill State Park - Townsend, MA - Close to Fitchburg and Willard Brook .. We liked this place though there was nothing special about it .. another state park nearby had a pond with a swimming beach .. we hiked Mt Watatic as a test mountain for future expeditions


Sweetwater Forest Campground - Brewster, MA - Cape Cod .. Private .. Nickerson overflow .. Nice lodge .. store .. hay rides .. decrepit mini golf (watch out for the wasps) .. Pond but no swimming .. Close to bike way, bay and ocean beaches .. We had a lousy site at the bottom of a steep hill .. felt like we had set up our tent in a dry river bed .. I greatly feared getting washed away, but we had fun

Clarksburg State Park - Clarksburg, MA - Way out by Mount Greylock, North Adams .. Close to VT and NY borders .. Very old pine forest .. Trees so thick and high that this place remains dark even on a sunny day .. There is a small lake that we came to call Lake Stinky .. some kind of problem with geese and bacteria .. You can stay here and climb Greylock .. not a lot else to do .. No lake front sites

Tolland State Forest - Granville, MA - Southwestern part of the state .. Close to CT .. Large Lake popular with power boaters .. Swimming beach .. Old growth forest .. Got rained on here .. Why don't I remember more about this place?

Mohawk Trail State Forest - Charlemont, MA - Northwestern part of the state .. Pretty sites on a fast moving, freezing cold river .. There is a man made swimming area with pooled off river water, but I don't know if that water ever warms up .. Hiking trailheads from camping area

Nobscot Scout Reservation - Framingham, MA - Surprisingly large boy scout reservation where we take the kids camping and hiking .. nice trails and naturally wooded areas .. cabins, tent areas and lodges .. for some reason it rains every time we go

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Danforth Bay Camping Resort - Freedom, NH - Deluxe Camping on bay off of Ossipee Lake .. Up by Chocorua .. Big heated swimming pools, Movie Nights, Electricity, Cable, Wifi .. Activities for the kids .. Ice Cream socials .. Canoe, kayak and boat rentals .. This place has it all .. Not exactly roughing it, but the kids love it .. go there if you can!

Chocorua Camping Village - Chocorua, Tamworth, NH - Private campground with lodge, and activities .. we rented rustic cabins here .. you walked across wetlands to get to them .. a small lake for canoeing and swimming .. An incredibly buggy hiking trail .. It was purchased by KOA sometime back and they added a small pool .. The cabins are worth renting

White Lake State Park - Tamworth, NH - State park up by Chocorua .. I remember a very nice lake beach .. no waterfront sites though .. Nice place to stay and hike Mt Chocorua .. A very nice campground

Lafayette Campground - Franconia, NH - State Campground close to 93 north of Lincoln between Cannon Mountain and Mt Lafayette .. close to Echo Lake and Lonesome Lake .. Big Lodge .. Nothing special about the campground except that it's at the trailhead close to excellent hiking

Lonesome Lake - Franconia, NH - Beautiful unspoiled lake below Cannon mountain .. about an hour's hike from Lafayette campground and Route 93 .. westernmost NH Appalachian Trail hut .. they serve terrific meals and offer primitive lodging with latrines .. you can also pitch a tent and use their facilities .. we watched a pair of moose enjoy the lake one evening .. great hiking, good food at the lodge and at the summit .. highly recommended!


Pawtuckaway State Park - Nottingham, NH - State park about 40 miles west of Hampton .. Nice lake for swimming, canoeing and kayaking (they have rentals) .. lots of great waterfront sites here .. Horse Island .. there is hiking .. a fire tower .. going back in August

MAINE

Winslow Park and Campground - Freeport, ME - A town owned camping area .. Beautiful waterfront sites on Casco Bay .. A few have drainage issues when it rains .. Sites 1,2,17,18 are great .. Bathrooms are private and clean! .. Swimming Beach is great at high tide, not so great at low tide (mudd flats) .. Calm waters for kayaking, but be careful around the river mouth .. Walking trail to the point is nice .. wonderful views all around .. Near to Freeport shopping .. This place is a gem

Mount Blue State Park - Weld, ME - Way far out in western Maine .. So beautiful .. large lake out in the mountains .. hiking, swimming and boating .. no waterfront sites but there were activities for the kids .. we panned for gold one day and watched a movies outdoors the same night

Sebago Lake Family Campground - Standish, ME - Sebago Lake State Park overflow - mostly RVs .. store .. lake and beach was across the street .. they also rented cabins .. site was swampy .. stinky .. tracked the smell to a pile of abandoned propane tanks out in woods .. wouldn't recommend it

Appalachian Trail Lean-To's - One Hundred Mile Wilderness, ME - Camped around five or six lean-to's between Monson and Millinocket .. each has a name, but I don't remember any of them .. beautiful, unspoiled country .. nice people along the trail .. the lean-to's provide good shelter in the rain and serve as a meetingplace for hikers going in each direction .. there is nearly always a water source close by and sometimes a latrine .. some hikers chose to sleep in the lean-to's but most pitch a tent somewhere nearby

Abol Bridge Campground - Millinocket, ME - Met friends here at the end of the One Hundred Mile Wilderness .. All I remember is the store, a hot shower, eating (what seemed like) good food, and cold beer .. Climbed Katahdin the next morning .. a beautiful mountain

VERMONT

Wallingford Pond - Rutland, VT - Not a camping area at all .. Just a spot the locals know at the end of snowmobile trail where you can pitch a tent lakeside .. lake is undeveloped .. lotta fish, deer .. we even saw a moose .. Directions from Wallingford .. Route 7 .. go east on route 140 for 2.1 miles, bear right onto Sugar Hill Road, and White Rocks is on your immediate right .. there's a dirt road .. you can get a ways down it in a truck and then you're on your own

RHODE ISLAND

Burlingame State Park - Charlestown, RI - The 'Camping City' .. This place is huge .. many hundreds of sites .. more than I've seen anywhere else .. there is a lake, but people come here for the proximity to beautiful RI beaches, including Misquamicut

NEW YORK

Watkins Glen State Park - Watkins Glen, NY - Finger Lakes .. campground has a nice reputation, but we saw little of it .. just a sleep over for us on the way from Cooperstown to Niagara .. and boy was the ground hard .. this is the campground that made me buy an air mattress

Letchworth State Park - Castile, NY .. the "Grand Canyon of the East" .. listed as a "Top 100 Campground" .. 30 miles south of Rochester .. it's in a very large park with a highly impressive gorge carved out by the Genesee river .. the gorge has sheer cliff walls dropping hundreds of feet .. the river has three magnificent waterfalls easily accessible .. many miles of hiking trails .. rafting tours, restaurants and stores .. an enormous swimming pool with a nice diving area .. the campground is forested and has playgrounds, a great rec room and a laundry .. be forewarned that everything in this park is very spread out .. the gorge, cabins, pool and campground are way far apart from each other .. nonetheless this park has more to offer than almost any other park I can think of

??????? - 1000 Islands, NY - big time fishing place .. we may have had a zebco rod with a cartoon character on the reel .. another sleepover in a pretty place

PENNSYLVANIA

S.B. Elliott State Park - Pine Township, Clearfield County, PA - Long ago .. Cross country trip .. Close to the interstate .. Near the OH border .. I don't remember anything about this place except that it was really dark

IOWA

Lake Anita State Park - St. Anita, IA - Long ago .. Cross country trip .. Flat as can be with very few trees .. Man made lake ? .. A midnight storm blew our tent down and we retreated to the car under heavy rains

CALIFORNIA

Castle Crags State Park - Shasta, CA - One of the most beautiful places I've been .. Mount Shasta .. Shasta Lake .. spectacular .. I wish I'd spent more time here .. Remember being warned several times about bears but I didn't see any

El Capitan State Beach - Santa Barbara, CA - parking lot camping next to a nice Cali beach .. University nearby .. Hot chicks on roller blades .. Ate at Taco Bell in the evening .. Swam with dolphins in the morning

????? - South Lake Tahoe, CA - tremendously beautiful place .. deep forest with HUGE trees .. Lake Tahoe is paradise .. there is no place more beautiful than here .. plus you have Casinos and fun close by .. What more could you want?

UTAH

Zion National Park - Springdale, UT - Camped someplace there .. don't remember .. but this park has the most stunning scenery anywhere .. Photos from Zion are far more impressive than photos from the Grand Canyon or most anywhere else; it's just not as big

ARIZONA

????? - Grand Canyon - AR - Camped someplace there .. don't remember .. forested .. my bro and I hiked the Kaibab trail and it was pretty close to there up on the south rim .. Grand Canyon is breathtaking in immensity .. no photo will ever capture it

OKLAHOMA

????? - Oklahoma - OK - Camped someplace there .. don't remember .. but it was probably just an overnight at a SP close to the interstate

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC


Coco's Cabanas - El Macao, Higuey, DR - you travel north from Higuey and leave the carretera .. you take a dirt road through a campo for about ten miles until you reach the far eastern end of the island .. an undeveloped stretch of 'The Gold Coast' .. A guy has a few huts for rent .. on the most beautiful beach in the world! .. Club Med, Punta Cana and Bavaro Beach are a ways down the beach .. on different occasions I slept in huts or pitched a tent on the beach .. perfect green caribbean surf .. hundreds upon hundreds of coconut trees .. endless .. high sand cliffs .. fresh caught grilled fish .. ice cold presidente .. yeah, I remember this place

Bayahibe Beach - Bayahibe, La Romana, DR - If you go there now, you'll find an all-inclusive resort .. back then there was a fishing village with a spectacular beach .. you could pitch a tent on the beach and nobody cared .. there was even a fresh water spring nearby for bathing .. the village had a few small restaurants and bars .. I guess tourists were beginning to discover it even back then

MALAWI

Lake Malawi - Salina, Malawi - Pitched a tent, but didn't sleep a wink .. too worried about snakes and hippos .. Lake Malawi is very beautiful .. Wonderful beaches .. the lake is enormous .. hundreds of miles long, separating Malawi and Mozambique .. there are many islands with great varieties of tropical fish .. beware the giant lizards on the islands and the hippos along the shore .. hippos kill more people each year than any other mammal .. Enjoy the Chambo!

That's all that I can remember .. But hopefully I'll remember more and find some new ones .. Enjoy Camping Out!