Ruben van Assouw had a dream vacation. His father's travel blog offers a poignant look at the 9-year-old's journey with his family, witnessing the spectacular natural wonders of South Africa's Mac Mac Falls, a vista called “God's Window,” and a tableau of rhinos, impalas and other wild animals. The holiday ended in an incomprehensible disaster. The crash of Afriqiyah Airlines Flight 711, which slammed into the ground upon landing in Tripoli, Libya, left Ruben the sole survivor. His father's diary of the Dutch family's once-in-a-lifetime safari gives a glimpse into the family's last days - some mundane, some inspiring - as they celebrated an important anniversary. The trip began on a rough note. Ruben was sick on the plane to South Africa, and on the first day of the safari he “puked the car full,” Patrick van Assouw wrote on his blog. But the family soon made their way through some of the most spectacular nature areas in the world. Their route took them through parts of South Africa, across the border into Swaziland, and finally into the mountainous nation of Lesotho before they turned back for their return home. The family from the small city of Tilburg, Patrick, 40, wife Trudy, 41, and 11-year-old son Enzo were among the 103 dead in Wednesday's crash. Rescue workers found Ruben, unconscious but breathing, still strapped to his seat at the far end of a field of debris. The safari was a celebration of his parents' 12 1/2-year wedding anniversary - a major milestone in Dutch tradition. Patrick set up a blog about the vacation, and his hometown newspaper, Brabants Dagblad, posted a link to the web address Thursday. “The boys have been counting the days and minutes and can't wait. Just three more nights' sleep, boys!,” Patrick wrote in an entry dated April 23. The father didn't attempt to update the weblog during the trip: the bulk of the entries were posted in the early morning of May 10, just a day before the family boarded the ill-fated return flight. “Finally we're back in the inhabited world: we have Internet,” he wrote. “Here's the whole diary posted with some photos too.” One shows two boys - apparently Ruben and Enzo - posing in front of waterfalls. Others show wildlife and sunsets. Patrick posted about cheap meals and panoramic views, but the highlight of the trip was Kruger National Park.
