Charlie & Sam were in for a wintry adventure. Prepared with all their woolens and layered up in cozy fabrics, they had their eyes set on skating that day. Snow glistened everywhere and they embarked, enjoying the best winter has to offer. A perfect day for the season—sun shining brightly almost to smile on all the shoppers and skaters bustling around the scene. They started their experience on the beautiful Rideau Canal Locks and took in its frozen glory.

Squirrels and birds that hadn’t migrated south frolicked and darted around going about their daily business. Even some beautiful bright red cardinals could be seen amongst the trees. After a lovely walk by the locks, their excitement could no longer be contained and they rushed to rent some skates. They found a bench to sit down so they could lace up their skates and took in the sheer beauty of the world’s longest naturally frozen ice rink at almost 8km! The Rideau Canal attracts close to 23,000 skaters daily and seeing them all smiling, laughing and enjoying themselves was amazing sight to behold.

As they stepped out onto the ice, they were reminded of how difficult it is to keep one’s balance! After a few slips and trips, they regained their balance. A few pros made it look easy on the ice, twirling and gliding with such grace. Charlie and Sam still managed to have a great time despite not being gold medalist skaters and falling a few times. It was truly a treat to watch families and people of all ages enjoying themselves.

Now they were feeling a bit chilly, it was time to warm up! A chalet on the ice was selling delicious hot chocolate and who could resist that on a magical winter day? Not Charlie and Sam! Returning their skates and heading out to the street, they wandered over to the Byward Market, one of the oldest and largest public markets in Canada, and took a look around the shops, enjoying all the sights and smells. They came across a crowd of smiling faces and discovered the source of this joy was beaver tails (yummy fried dough)! They rushed over to the shop and ordered some—Sam, a traditional lemon and brown sugar and Charlie, a sweet-tooth’s delight of chocolate and marshmallow. They both agreed that this staple of sweet should serve as inspiration for some of their creations.

Charlie and Sam were not aware of the amazing adventure they were about to embark on as they prepared for their safari in Tanzania. The Ngorongoro Conservation area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts a huge volcanic caldera—the Ngorongoro Crater (meaning “big hole” in the local dialect). Their guide explained that a caldera is a crater formed after a volcanic eruption and the ground collapses beneath it. As well, the chances of seeing “The Big 5” animals (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and cape buffalo) all in one day were very high. They began their journey tingling with excitement of what they may see. The drive down was both exhilarating and time consuming as there are no paved roads and many hairpin turns, yet the scenery was breathtaking.

Once they reached the crater, they started taking pictures! There was so much to snap—game wandering and grazing in their natural habitat, the beautiful horizon and of course, the crater itself!  As they made their way across the crater, a herd of gazelle wandered past, grazing here and there as they went by. A short distance away, a giant flock of flamingoes could be seen in the central lake. Their pink feathers stood out brightly against the blue of the lake and sky. Their truck was moving closer towards the lake when it suddenly slowed and then completely stopped. The guide turned around and excitedly pointed out 6 lions walking beside them! They lazily padded by and stopped to enjoy the shade that the van created. As there is very little tree growth inside the crater to provide shade, the lions seemed content to stay! Charlie and Sam’s excitement was in overdrive.  They opened their window to get a better look and take tons of close up pictures.  They could almost reach down and touch them!  One of the lions was even using the step on their truck as a head rest.  Their guide stressed the importance of not disturbing them as this is a wildlife preserve and it is their job to make sure all the game remain safe, as well as the passengers.  Almost 2 hours passed while the lions kept them hostage as they napped and lounged on the shady side of the truck.

On their way back to the lodge, they excitedly discussed their unforgettable experience. As they arrived at the end of their safari, the beautiful orange sunset over the crater provided a perfect end to that fantastic day.