Wow its been way too long. Sorry all you dedicated followers...
So we ended off at Zanzibar. From there we took a ferry to Dar es Saleem. We couldn't get off the ferry until the morning when it was light because of the crime. From there we boarded a train for over a day. That was quite interesting. We then stayed a night in Mbeya and got up early to get a bus to Malawi. We bought a ticket to the border and then another one that would take us from the border to the next big town. Well when we got to the border, there were no buses and we got screwed...little did we know we were on punked and Ashton K came running around the corner screaming "you've been punked jamie." I was alittle embarrassed but gave props to AK for getting me. Eventually we decided to get a taxi and get to Lake Malawi (it was Ashton's taxi, so he was stranded at the border).
Lake Malawi, wow. Incredible. We stayed at this hostel right on the water. We had a balcony where we sat and watched the kids playing and the sun rising. Yes i know this is alittle too romantic for 2 guys. Don't worry Rach, he loves you more. We spent a few days there, wish it was longer. Naturally we met these 2 local guys, Maurice and Amos. They were artists, so we decided to pay for 2 t-shirts that they would make us. Nicks read "No my friend, i do not need a taxi" and mine read "Stephen Harper, not obama" We get asked alot about how Obama is and whether we need a taxi.
From there we spent a few days traveling to Zambia. This is where we would see the great Victoria Falls. It was truely amazing. There wasn't as much water as most pictures show because its the low season, but that allowed us to do some amazing things. The first day we started walking around the falls and this guy approached me. He asked me about my Stephen Harper shirt. After we chatted and i told him the Flames are a terrible hockey team, we found out that Mike and Kelly are from Calgary. So we went with them to the Devil's Pool. This is a pool that overlooks the falls and can only be swam in when there isn't as much water. We were literally swimming in a pool that was inches from us falling over the falls to our death. It was amazing. At one point, we stuck half our bodies over the falls. The next day we went bungy jumping. Mike joined us and Kelly did a sweet job on documenting this legendary day. So thrilling. We loved it. ON the way back, we were walking and there were some baboons. As the big one passed me, i came up behind it and started mimicking it and making monkey sounds. Mike was laughing and trying to film it. The baboon didn't like this, so it charged me. I turned a ran. So did Mike. Eventually it stopped and we were laughing for awhile. I was definitely taken by surprise. That baboon and its rabies put some fear in me. The next day we rafted the Zambezi River with MIke and Kelly, as well as Chris and Mitch. They were from Winnipeg. It was an all canadian boat. Those 5 days were quite a highlight.
We then left Zambia and went through Botswana for a few days. We hitchiked to the Namibian border with truckers who were carrying these huge tanks. One of the trucks broke down, so we were sitting in the middle of the Kalahari desert with a truck that was over heated. Eventually it worked out and they brought us to the city. From there we were looking to get to Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. This massive, mean looking german guy picked us up and said we could sit in the back of his big semi on top of the carrotts he was delivering. We were jacked. He took us the remainder of the 3 hours and we were finally there after like 3 days of travel. Windhoek is very German. It really isn't like anything we experienced in Africa. Its more like Europe, so it was a nice break from the poverty. From there we went to the coast to Swakopmund. We sandboarded there on the beautiful dunes. We played in the cold atlantic ocean and we even spent a few hours building sandcastles. We were getting a little anxious to leve and go to south Africa.
We took a 24 hour bus to Cape Town and that is where we are now. It is stunning here. The ocean, mountians, beaches. So gorgeous. We have been here 2 nights. We are currently staying at my buddy Carl's Uncle's Bed and Breakfast. Martin his uncle has been great. Put us up in his house, gave us his car for the day. Awesome man. Surfing and swimming with sharks are to come. We are meeting Mike and Kelly to see the sharks with them. 17 days and we are through with Africa and onto India.
Today we went wine tasting, olive oil tasting. A little out of our comfort zone but that is what this trip is about. The average age of the wine tour we did was probably 88, hahaha. Cool old people i tell you.
NO pics for now, but the pics are coming for real, so don't get mad Ash. SOme poetry too.
Sorry for the long delay. That was the short version. There are many more stories.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Poll question
(Tanga to pangani, about a 1.5 hr drive on bad gravel roads)
How many people do you think were in this taxi ride at one point? Take a guess.
Ok now for a real blog update....sorry for the delay.
It definately has been a while, a few weeks a large number of kilometers, and an even larger amount of greetings of 'My friend, you need a special taxi? Ill give you friends price'. pretty funny but to be serious we were thinking of making shirts that say 'NO WE DONT NEED A RIDE' or something along those lines. the big towns are definately the worst but everywhere you go and seemingly everyone you meet is a official tour guide/owns a taxi/ or has a gift shop you can not afford to miss. but with a whole variety of lines we now miss most. The offers/ the shops/ etc are all getting to be the same, but I guess it is our fault that this has come about. Lately, somewhat out of spite, we have begun bartering with people sheerly for pleasure and to see how low we can get them from their original price. It may seem mean but especially on the beach it somehow doesnt feel all that wrong.
Gorilla (obviously, but we actually saw them in the wild)
At any rate it has been a while since we updated and you are probably wondering where weve been and where we are, so I will start from where we left off.
From Kampala ( a very crazy city) we headed down by bus through Uganda to the southern city of Kabale. We heard that a Lake which is near to this town (Bunyani) was very nice, and also free of parasites etc as it is quite high in altitude. It turned out to be a good time, although the poor weather limited our stay. In fact we got caught out in a big storm paddlign our rented canoe, and had to dodge a few lightning bolts. From Bunyani we stayed one night at a nice hostel in Kabale, before venturing across the border into Rwanda.
The geography of both Uganda (the parts we saw) and Rwanda is absolutley phenomenal. It is extremely lush and mountainous and was very interesting to drive through. This was a nice change, especially after coming from the Masai lands of Kenya which have been in severe drought. The Rwandan border was no problem to get through and soon enough we were in Kigali the capital city.
Us, another trekker, and our guide for gorilla trekking.
In Kigali we booked a ticket to go see Gorillas in the Volcans National park. This park was very nice, and a rarity for the tiny country. It seems nearly every part of Rwanda is cultivated, all the slopes etc, and much of the national parks that previously existed were given out to displaced people and returning refugees from the genocide (more on that later). Anyways we tracked the Susa group or family of gorillas, famous because of Diane Fossey. It was a neat experience, and the two hour hike through the rain forest was very good. Once back to Kigali however we were short on funds, and the banking system wouldnt recognize our cards or banks so we had to go pretty budget and walk for hours around the city. Kigali is very nice, and has obviously benefited from international aid etc. Getting out of the country to Tanzania was a bit tough by ground, especially without funds, we decided to fly to kilimanjaro airport with Rwandair. It worked out great as they accepted visa.
But back to the Genocide. All around the countryside were reminders, graves, signs (Jenoside in Francais) etc. We were also informed that it is now an offence to mention anything about tribes (hutu, tutsi). Automatic jail apparently, everyone is now a Rwandan. We also went to the memorial in the capital which was very interesting and quite eye opening.
Boat to the island of Zanzibar (4 hour trip, with an hour for snorkeling)
From Kigali to Kilimanjaro International airport was a nice flight on a tiny little twin prop. Very nice views flying over lake Victoria, and the Ngorongoro Crater among others, it was definately worth the extra money, and saved us a couple days of bad roads and cramped buses.
After arriving in Kilimanjaro, we were able to see the mountain, although with the clouds we originally thought that Kili's neighbour, MT Meru was the highest point in Africa. And if it was it would have been a let down. But on the way to the nearby town of Moshi, we saw the snow capped peak breifly and were thereby able to check Kilimanjaro off the too do list.
Zanzibar (enough said)
Tanzania has been hot from the start. Very warm inland and as we made our way by bus to Tanga (on the coast) even warmer as we headed over the Masai Steppe and through various mountain ranges. The people here are much like the Kenya, with decent english, but it seems everyone is trying to hustle you. Giving you wrong change (to see if you notice), trying to get you to buy, acting like a pal and then expecting money for a service you never wanted. Pretty exciting stuff.. but we are managing. Tanga itself was a let down, with only a small chunk of INdian Ocean beach, and at a cost no less. So we took off to the small town of Pangani, which was gorgeous. Both of us got cooked swimming in the ocean and kicking it on the white sand beaches. Good times, but as we have found out the last couple days, it doesnt hold a candle to Zanzibar. We took a small wooden boat, (which we actually have a pic of above) to the island with a few other mzungus (white people) and were dropped off at the northern town of Nungwi (For those following along). It was unreal, which didnt help the burnination of our backs. From the there we headed to the actual town of Zanzibar, and the old Stown town (Which is where you find us at press time). The old town is quite something, easy to get lost, easy to get ripped off and even easier to get hustled by the appropriately named "ticks" (i forget the swahili name). Anyways everyone here is a amuslim it seems, and all the women wear the clothes. It has been good though, seeing the sites, as well as experiencing a bit of the culture, while also eating some good food evening markets and small shops.
But our trip must go on, so tonight we are heading back to the mainland, Dar es Salam to be exact. We are taking a night ferry which is the cheapest and also the longest unfortunately. It doesnt dock till 6 am tomorrow morning, due partly to being slow, and partly to the fact Dar is deemed to unsafe at night to drop hundreds of people off into. Good to know, and another reason we wont be staying too long. Off to southern Tan (Mbeya) and then Malawi Lord Willing. And this is where we leave you followers for now. (all five last time I checked?) Not including my mom and dad though, who I assume do not know how to become followers. All the best every one!
How many people do you think were in this taxi ride at one point? Take a guess.
Ok now for a real blog update....sorry for the delay.
It definately has been a while, a few weeks a large number of kilometers, and an even larger amount of greetings of 'My friend, you need a special taxi? Ill give you friends price'. pretty funny but to be serious we were thinking of making shirts that say 'NO WE DONT NEED A RIDE' or something along those lines. the big towns are definately the worst but everywhere you go and seemingly everyone you meet is a official tour guide/owns a taxi/ or has a gift shop you can not afford to miss. but with a whole variety of lines we now miss most. The offers/ the shops/ etc are all getting to be the same, but I guess it is our fault that this has come about. Lately, somewhat out of spite, we have begun bartering with people sheerly for pleasure and to see how low we can get them from their original price. It may seem mean but especially on the beach it somehow doesnt feel all that wrong.
Gorilla (obviously, but we actually saw them in the wild)
At any rate it has been a while since we updated and you are probably wondering where weve been and where we are, so I will start from where we left off.From Kampala ( a very crazy city) we headed down by bus through Uganda to the southern city of Kabale. We heard that a Lake which is near to this town (Bunyani) was very nice, and also free of parasites etc as it is quite high in altitude. It turned out to be a good time, although the poor weather limited our stay. In fact we got caught out in a big storm paddlign our rented canoe, and had to dodge a few lightning bolts. From Bunyani we stayed one night at a nice hostel in Kabale, before venturing across the border into Rwanda.
The geography of both Uganda (the parts we saw) and Rwanda is absolutley phenomenal. It is extremely lush and mountainous and was very interesting to drive through. This was a nice change, especially after coming from the Masai lands of Kenya which have been in severe drought. The Rwandan border was no problem to get through and soon enough we were in Kigali the capital city.
Us, another trekker, and our guide for gorilla trekking.
In Kigali we booked a ticket to go see Gorillas in the Volcans National park. This park was very nice, and a rarity for the tiny country. It seems nearly every part of Rwanda is cultivated, all the slopes etc, and much of the national parks that previously existed were given out to displaced people and returning refugees from the genocide (more on that later). Anyways we tracked the Susa group or family of gorillas, famous because of Diane Fossey. It was a neat experience, and the two hour hike through the rain forest was very good. Once back to Kigali however we were short on funds, and the banking system wouldnt recognize our cards or banks so we had to go pretty budget and walk for hours around the city. Kigali is very nice, and has obviously benefited from international aid etc. Getting out of the country to Tanzania was a bit tough by ground, especially without funds, we decided to fly to kilimanjaro airport with Rwandair. It worked out great as they accepted visa.But back to the Genocide. All around the countryside were reminders, graves, signs (Jenoside in Francais) etc. We were also informed that it is now an offence to mention anything about tribes (hutu, tutsi). Automatic jail apparently, everyone is now a Rwandan. We also went to the memorial in the capital which was very interesting and quite eye opening.
Boat to the island of Zanzibar (4 hour trip, with an hour for snorkeling)
From Kigali to Kilimanjaro International airport was a nice flight on a tiny little twin prop. Very nice views flying over lake Victoria, and the Ngorongoro Crater among others, it was definately worth the extra money, and saved us a couple days of bad roads and cramped buses.
After arriving in Kilimanjaro, we were able to see the mountain, although with the clouds we originally thought that Kili's neighbour, MT Meru was the highest point in Africa. And if it was it would have been a let down. But on the way to the nearby town of Moshi, we saw the snow capped peak breifly and were thereby able to check Kilimanjaro off the too do list.
Zanzibar (enough said)
Tanzania has been hot from the start. Very warm inland and as we made our way by bus to Tanga (on the coast) even warmer as we headed over the Masai Steppe and through various mountain ranges. The people here are much like the Kenya, with decent english, but it seems everyone is trying to hustle you. Giving you wrong change (to see if you notice), trying to get you to buy, acting like a pal and then expecting money for a service you never wanted. Pretty exciting stuff.. but we are managing. Tanga itself was a let down, with only a small chunk of INdian Ocean beach, and at a cost no less. So we took off to the small town of Pangani, which was gorgeous. Both of us got cooked swimming in the ocean and kicking it on the white sand beaches. Good times, but as we have found out the last couple days, it doesnt hold a candle to Zanzibar. We took a small wooden boat, (which we actually have a pic of above) to the island with a few other mzungus (white people) and were dropped off at the northern town of Nungwi (For those following along). It was unreal, which didnt help the burnination of our backs. From the there we headed to the actual town of Zanzibar, and the old Stown town (Which is where you find us at press time). The old town is quite something, easy to get lost, easy to get ripped off and even easier to get hustled by the appropriately named "ticks" (i forget the swahili name). Anyways everyone here is a amuslim it seems, and all the women wear the clothes. It has been good though, seeing the sites, as well as experiencing a bit of the culture, while also eating some good food evening markets and small shops.But our trip must go on, so tonight we are heading back to the mainland, Dar es Salam to be exact. We are taking a night ferry which is the cheapest and also the longest unfortunately. It doesnt dock till 6 am tomorrow morning, due partly to being slow, and partly to the fact Dar is deemed to unsafe at night to drop hundreds of people off into. Good to know, and another reason we wont be staying too long. Off to southern Tan (Mbeya) and then Malawi Lord Willing. And this is where we leave you followers for now. (all five last time I checked?) Not including my mom and dad though, who I assume do not know how to become followers. All the best every one!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
