Its been a wonderful few days, soaking up the sunshine on a beach in Zanzibar. Its been the first day in about eight days where my tummy feels fine without any medical intervention. To say that I've been pushed outside my comfort levels with regards to my digestive system this past fortnight is somewhat of an understatement. But I don't think its food related per say, but rather camping for four weeks on a thin mattress, enduring very long and bumpy roads, getting used to new foods and drinks, and of course the trauma of anti-malaria tablets that have caused most individuals on tour incredible havoc to their digestive system.
So today, having slept in on a wonderful king size bed, with ensuite, air-conditioning and a stone's throw from the beach has been rather blissful. Zanzibar couldn't be further away from the Serengeti if it tried. The island has its own distinct feel, the expanse of white beaches are intoxicating but cause havoc on white skin that doesn't have an appropriate base layer. Almost everyone who went out into the ocean today got horribly sunburnt despite the rigorous application of sunscreen. I of course, did not burn to a crisp, but that's probably because I spent a great amount of the day enjoying the view from under layers of clothing and a shade umbrella, rather than sunbathing or snorkelling. Similarly, Bernard also emerged relatively unscathed. We are among the few who also apply 50plus sunscreen - one of those few occasions where the higher factor clearly has a greater impact.
So since last entry we have gone from Arusha to Zanziabar. Big driving days, big distances, broken up with a few rest days along the way. We did indeed view Kili on our way past Moshi. I was the most vigilant on the bus - spending an entire half hour waiting for Kili to come into view pre-and post Moshi- we didn't see a complete view, but when the ice-capped areas came into view I squealed with delight and the rest of the truck knew that the "Roof of Africa" had come into view. My pictures are not impressive to say the least, but I spent an age trying desperately to get a shot of the iconic mountain. Fabulous stuff. The scenery around Tanzania is pretty amazing. The majority of the drive from Moshi to Dar Es Salam was flanked by a monstrous escarpment with bushes growing that look like pineapples but clearly were not. We found out later that this is the plant that makes hessian. Our first night on camp towards Zanzibar the heavens opened and I fell asleep to heavy rain droplets falling on our tent. It was a relatively blissful sleep that night. Bernard however, woke up with a wet bottom of sleeping bag, one of the pitfalls of being a tall - his head and feet hit both edges of the tent.
We eventually arrived to Dar Es Salam (Dar) and its infamous traffic. We got stopped at a traffic light for an age to allow a motorcade go through with some official, whether it was the president or not I'm not sure. The camp site was fabulous, on the ocean with a fabulous beach. We were awoken at 4.15am by the call to prayer from a number of local mosques. It was a unique experience to be awoken in such a manner. Luckily enough we had to be on the road by 6am so the wake-up call was relatively pleasant. Many who have spent time in Muslim countries will know what the sound is like - I can honestly say, hand on heart, that the chant sounded to me like... "Mmwwahhh Lizzzzz wake up - Lllllliiiizzzz - wake up....."
Crossed the ferry to Zanzibar and have spent a few days in heaven in a beautiful room with four poster bed and view of the ocean. Today we made our way to a turtle colony during high tide, and had to carry our non-waterproof items high above our heads as we walked along the shoreline that might have been submerged at one point all the way to our neck. It was fantastic. I was extremely nervous along the way but it was one hell of an adventure. I have spent t a few hours catching up on internet access - found out my father is doing extremely poorly so I sent you a thousand well wishes Papa smurf. Otherwise, all is well for Bernard and I. Tomorrow we head into Stone Town to visit the historic spice area as well as the slave market and the night market. I'm pretty excited but am also sad to be leaving such paradise.
I think of people back home, wherever you are. Its been a month since I left the UK - how quickly time flies. Its also approaching Christmas and yet it doesn't feel like Christmas at all - it just isn't the same in southern hemisphere climates. I am looking forward to Cape Town considerably - even though there are bunches of fun stuff to happen before then. I have decided to go Skydiving in Namibia - though this may increase the blood pressure of my mother tremendously!!! I will also be going Gorge Swinging and White Water Rafting in Livingstone NP in Zambia.
Wednesday 17 November 2010
Arusha, the Serengeti and Ngorogoro
Shashe, our trusted Acacia Truck, has taken us considerable distances across Africa thus far, but not necessarily at considerable speeds. East African roads can be horrendously pot-holed and terribly inconsistent. I wouldn't want to commute in East Africa. On our travel day from Nairobi to Arusha, we left camp at 6.30am and already traffic into town was crawling along at a terribly slow pace. We took the road out of Nairobi that avoided the centre of town, but unfortunately we couldn't avoid the pot holes. This is now affectionately referred to be all on tour as the African massage. We thought Tanzania would be better, but we happened to get Tanzania in the middle of its road upgrade. I counted at least 10 times we diverted from the main highway onto gravel dusty roads - the worst part was a 20 km stretch of diversion at which we were only able to manage 25 km per hour!!!
Needless to say, hours later, much later than the kms on Shashe's dashboard would suggest, we arrived at Arusha. I did spend a ridiculous amount of time looking at the horizon on our drive, trying to find where Mt Kili mount be situated, but cloud cover kept Kili back that day, but we did get a partial sight of Mt Meru, which was pretty cool too. I had high expectations of Arusha, after all my darling friends Rachel & Sharon had spent well over a year supporting the local community through the Christian brother's presence there. The boys spent some time tasting the various different snack offerings and deciding whether Samba, Wow, or Champ were the best of the cheesy puff varieties!!!
Arusha was our final outpost before visiting the Serengeti and Ngorogoro crater. I may have raved about the Mara, but the Serengeti has my heart. Not nearly as exciting in terms of game viewing intensity, after all you have over 15000 square km to explore in the national park and therefore oodles more places where animals could be hiding. But is was the vast expanses, even more spectacular than the Mara in terms of scale, were simply outstanding. I sat in the front a bit beside Emmanuel, our guide, with Toto's Africa and Somewhere Over the Rainbow running in loop in my head, grinning like a fool from ear to ear. The sunsets and sunrises throw up the most spectacular colours even if my camera is unable to do them justice.
We did see a great many game as well as birds. The highlight was seeing two leopards in one day, one having just caught its Gazelle and was taking it to a safe spot to munch (it walked right past me, so close that its tail nearly grazed my hand as I was taking photos). We spent a night bush camping in the Serengeti - as a rule you must not go to the toilet on our own, and throughout the night buffalo and hyena walked amongst our tents. Thankfully the lions stayed further afield, but they could be clearly heard at night. My heart was pounding so much that I had to put ear plugs in simply to fall asleep. I needed to pee from about 4.30am but held on to it for an hour until it was time to get up - there was no way I was leaving the safety of my tent for anything!!!
It was sad that we only spent 24hours in the Serengeti - I was quite upset when I realised that was all we got - but Ngorogoro crater game viewing made up for any sadness I felt. The crater is... well I kept saying Awesome to everyone, but that's the only word I thought could do it justice. Nothing, not TV or camera can capture the magnificence of the crater from the rim. I got up early to watch the sunrise, just a shame the clouds obscured the view slightly. We saw male lions basking in the sunshine, black rhino, scavengers circling the air looking for a recent kill, and lots of other amazing sights. My favourite was watching an Ostrich (male) chase another Ostrich (female) then abruptly stop and do a dance to court the female. I caught it all on video which was magnificent timing on my behalf.
I left the crater feeling exhausted - having not slept well for a few days for fear of encountering wild animals during the night - and from having to endure extra bumpy roads in rather hot weather. I arrived back at Arusha and slept well.
Needless to say, hours later, much later than the kms on Shashe's dashboard would suggest, we arrived at Arusha. I did spend a ridiculous amount of time looking at the horizon on our drive, trying to find where Mt Kili mount be situated, but cloud cover kept Kili back that day, but we did get a partial sight of Mt Meru, which was pretty cool too. I had high expectations of Arusha, after all my darling friends Rachel & Sharon had spent well over a year supporting the local community through the Christian brother's presence there. The boys spent some time tasting the various different snack offerings and deciding whether Samba, Wow, or Champ were the best of the cheesy puff varieties!!!
Arusha was our final outpost before visiting the Serengeti and Ngorogoro crater. I may have raved about the Mara, but the Serengeti has my heart. Not nearly as exciting in terms of game viewing intensity, after all you have over 15000 square km to explore in the national park and therefore oodles more places where animals could be hiding. But is was the vast expanses, even more spectacular than the Mara in terms of scale, were simply outstanding. I sat in the front a bit beside Emmanuel, our guide, with Toto's Africa and Somewhere Over the Rainbow running in loop in my head, grinning like a fool from ear to ear. The sunsets and sunrises throw up the most spectacular colours even if my camera is unable to do them justice.
We did see a great many game as well as birds. The highlight was seeing two leopards in one day, one having just caught its Gazelle and was taking it to a safe spot to munch (it walked right past me, so close that its tail nearly grazed my hand as I was taking photos). We spent a night bush camping in the Serengeti - as a rule you must not go to the toilet on our own, and throughout the night buffalo and hyena walked amongst our tents. Thankfully the lions stayed further afield, but they could be clearly heard at night. My heart was pounding so much that I had to put ear plugs in simply to fall asleep. I needed to pee from about 4.30am but held on to it for an hour until it was time to get up - there was no way I was leaving the safety of my tent for anything!!!
It was sad that we only spent 24hours in the Serengeti - I was quite upset when I realised that was all we got - but Ngorogoro crater game viewing made up for any sadness I felt. The crater is... well I kept saying Awesome to everyone, but that's the only word I thought could do it justice. Nothing, not TV or camera can capture the magnificence of the crater from the rim. I got up early to watch the sunrise, just a shame the clouds obscured the view slightly. We saw male lions basking in the sunshine, black rhino, scavengers circling the air looking for a recent kill, and lots of other amazing sights. My favourite was watching an Ostrich (male) chase another Ostrich (female) then abruptly stop and do a dance to court the female. I caught it all on video which was magnificent timing on my behalf.
I left the crater feeling exhausted - having not slept well for a few days for fear of encountering wild animals during the night - and from having to endure extra bumpy roads in rather hot weather. I arrived back at Arusha and slept well.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
The Maasai Mara
Africa is so surreal - you can be driving along in pastures that looks remarkably similar to the paddocks sheep used to graze in our farm. I could be on a farm in Australia I thought to myself. Little did I know that two minutes later, we would come across two Cheetah that have just killed and feasted on a Gazelle and are moving away fast before the other bigger scavengers smell the carcass. Moments after we'd stumble across a pride of Lions resting at the base of a tree.
So there I was, driving across the pastures that so reminded me of my childhood. However, this isn't rural NSW, its the Maasai Mara, and its all that's left of the great migration - we missed it by about two weeks - but the impact of a couple of thousand wilderbeast is clear enough - the grass is mown short and there are droppings everywhere. We arrive at the Mara river to see a great many hippos lazily basking in the sunshine, Crocodiles never far away, and a few stray Wilderbeast trying to find a suitable spot to cross.
We see herd after herd of elephants, several with quite young babies and very protective mummas. We see a great number of giraffe, and an even greater number of lion. We were fortunate enough to briefly see Hyena, ugly as they are, during the day when they are traditionally nocturnal animals. And everytime I saw a warthog I had to refrain from singing Hakunah Matata.
The Mara is a spectacular expanse where horizens are big and bold. Bernard took well over 500 photos during our three days. The rains caused us a little bother the first late afternoon drive. One of our three vehicles got bogged not far from a pride of lions, then the second vehicle also got bogged trying to pull the other out. At this point my nerves are shot and I can no longer hold back my nervous tears. I have a healthy respect for wild animals and this pushed me just a tad too far. We slip slide all over the place getting out as well as getting our view of the lions, but in the end no one was harmed, and we had such an amundance of good game viewing that this early mishap has become an amusing anecdote for all involved, nothing more.
And when you need to let nature take its course, then its better to pee and be seen, then to pee (behind a bush for example) and never be seen again!!!
I'm not sure how I felt when we interacted with the Masai. I suppose I feel a great deal of respect for these proud hard working people and that I am just another imposter interfering with their traditions - staying at a campsite that would otherwise be their grazing lands. That said, many of the women were ruthless trying to sell their wares. They can be as entrepreneural as any other African I have met thus far. We interacted with lots of boys and males who were minding their cattle. I hope that the nomadic lifestyle will still be relevant to the younger generations.
So there I was, driving across the pastures that so reminded me of my childhood. However, this isn't rural NSW, its the Maasai Mara, and its all that's left of the great migration - we missed it by about two weeks - but the impact of a couple of thousand wilderbeast is clear enough - the grass is mown short and there are droppings everywhere. We arrive at the Mara river to see a great many hippos lazily basking in the sunshine, Crocodiles never far away, and a few stray Wilderbeast trying to find a suitable spot to cross.
We see herd after herd of elephants, several with quite young babies and very protective mummas. We see a great number of giraffe, and an even greater number of lion. We were fortunate enough to briefly see Hyena, ugly as they are, during the day when they are traditionally nocturnal animals. And everytime I saw a warthog I had to refrain from singing Hakunah Matata.
The Mara is a spectacular expanse where horizens are big and bold. Bernard took well over 500 photos during our three days. The rains caused us a little bother the first late afternoon drive. One of our three vehicles got bogged not far from a pride of lions, then the second vehicle also got bogged trying to pull the other out. At this point my nerves are shot and I can no longer hold back my nervous tears. I have a healthy respect for wild animals and this pushed me just a tad too far. We slip slide all over the place getting out as well as getting our view of the lions, but in the end no one was harmed, and we had such an amundance of good game viewing that this early mishap has become an amusing anecdote for all involved, nothing more.
And when you need to let nature take its course, then its better to pee and be seen, then to pee (behind a bush for example) and never be seen again!!!
I'm not sure how I felt when we interacted with the Masai. I suppose I feel a great deal of respect for these proud hard working people and that I am just another imposter interfering with their traditions - staying at a campsite that would otherwise be their grazing lands. That said, many of the women were ruthless trying to sell their wares. They can be as entrepreneural as any other African I have met thus far. We interacted with lots of boys and males who were minding their cattle. I hope that the nomadic lifestyle will still be relevant to the younger generations.
Friday 5 November 2010
Moving on - final days of leaving the UK
Its been over two weeks since I left the UK, and I still am overwhelmed by tears when I think about the UK. Its taken me a few attempts to write this particular blog - I have written pages on the subject matter in my journal. I feel heart-broken. The sadness I feel is still immense. However upon reflection it does make sense to me. I have been in love with the UK for years, a love affair that started well into my high school years. The Tuesday before we departed the UK was one of the hardest days I've ever experienced. After a weekend of saying goodbye to friends and work colleagues then saying the final goodbye to Clare and John then the London gang...I simply couldn't cry any more tears without bringing on a serious headache. Even now I know my response is kind of nonsensical, because I will see (fingers and toes) everyone again in April 2012. Still, the intensity of what I have been feeling, this ache in my heart has definetely overwhelmed me.
However, its not all doom and gloom, and I wouldn't want you to get the idea that I am pining for London or wishing I wasn't moving back to Australia. But I do feel like I am grieving and that travelling is a beautiful soothing balm cushioning the pain so I can return to Australia with vigor and enthusiasm.
Every day I wake up and explore something new and am reminded of how lucky I am. The day with the Gorillas was one of those days - I quietly shed a tear when the hour was nearly up - it was just a once-in-a-lifetime experience - I felt awe-struck and so completely happy. Going tubing down the Nile river was another such experience - all aprehension about going white water rafting has gone after that amazing "introductary" experience to white water. At Nakuru - Days1&2 of tour I got to see so many animals - Giraffe, Rhino, Impala, Waterbk, Water buffalo, Flamingo, Baboons, Zebras, Falcons, Eagles, Rock Hyrax, Eland, Fuinnea Foul, Vervet Monkeys, Thompson and Grants Gizelles.... Even sitting at camp in the evening around a campfire with my fellow travellers has me sitting quietly with content - I am surrounded by wonderful people, Bernard of course! I am so proud of being able to say "I'm with that big tall Mzungo" when Africans ask me what I'm doing in Africa. When we were volunteering for a charity in Jinja I was asked by all the teachers (female) how many boys Bernard and I were going to have when we get back to Australia. They were of course surprised that Bernard and I were in our thirties - by their reckoning we should have at least 3 or 4 boys by now!!!
So things are good. I am thankful for all I have. And I am thankful to be on "holiday". Travelling, for all its hardships, really can be fantastic fun.
Lots of love to family and friends, and I'll be in touch again when internet permits. L
However, its not all doom and gloom, and I wouldn't want you to get the idea that I am pining for London or wishing I wasn't moving back to Australia. But I do feel like I am grieving and that travelling is a beautiful soothing balm cushioning the pain so I can return to Australia with vigor and enthusiasm.
Every day I wake up and explore something new and am reminded of how lucky I am. The day with the Gorillas was one of those days - I quietly shed a tear when the hour was nearly up - it was just a once-in-a-lifetime experience - I felt awe-struck and so completely happy. Going tubing down the Nile river was another such experience - all aprehension about going white water rafting has gone after that amazing "introductary" experience to white water. At Nakuru - Days1&2 of tour I got to see so many animals - Giraffe, Rhino, Impala, Waterbk, Water buffalo, Flamingo, Baboons, Zebras, Falcons, Eagles, Rock Hyrax, Eland, Fuinnea Foul, Vervet Monkeys, Thompson and Grants Gizelles.... Even sitting at camp in the evening around a campfire with my fellow travellers has me sitting quietly with content - I am surrounded by wonderful people, Bernard of course! I am so proud of being able to say "I'm with that big tall Mzungo" when Africans ask me what I'm doing in Africa. When we were volunteering for a charity in Jinja I was asked by all the teachers (female) how many boys Bernard and I were going to have when we get back to Australia. They were of course surprised that Bernard and I were in our thirties - by their reckoning we should have at least 3 or 4 boys by now!!!
So things are good. I am thankful for all I have. And I am thankful to be on "holiday". Travelling, for all its hardships, really can be fantastic fun.
Lots of love to family and friends, and I'll be in touch again when internet permits. L
Initial observations of Africa
The soil is red. So incredibly red. My heart soars at the sight of it - it reminds me of Moorefield where I grew up, even through the soil is probably a little lighter in intensity. The problem is that the dust coats everything - you may think you have a great tan, but then you realise that you're simply covered in dust. When it rains and the soil turns to mud it is even more impossible - you have to scrub long and hard at your trouser legs to get those mud stains out. Suddenly I recall my mother's frustration of having to dust Moorefield (that red dust) and clean our muddy red clothes!
Nothing can quite prepare you for Africa. I am completely surprised at the inadequacy of the provision of critical infrastructure - electricity, rail, roads, sewage, running water, rubbish collection, parks and open spaces. There is real poverty in Africa. I knew this - intellectually I knew this - and I am just so surprised at how ramshackled the cities are - everything is utter chaos - the streets lined with rubbish - people live in mud huts and having to find fresh drinking water...and yet people are so lively, well dressed in their Sunday garb, full of vigor and entrepreneurial spirit. Nothing is wasted, everything is for sale, its a completely different way of life.
Yet for every person we see who working hard to improve their quality of life, there are others who exploit the mzungu (whites) - asking for money, bottles, pens, anything really. I have found that 9 times out of 10 it is boys/men ask for money, and not women. Whether thats because boys simply have more confidence to interact with mzungu, or whether girls are busy working.
Women lead long hard lives in Africa. I am humbled by them. They very seldom are resting, they are in the shops, selling their wares, in the fields, complete with young babies on their backs, they are heaving water and firewood great distances balanced carefully on their heads. They have such dignity. They look at Mzungu with curious and yet ever-so-slightly distrusting eyes. And rightly so.
The landscape is more green and lush than I was expecting - though I am travelling in the wetter part of the year. The Acacia trees are magnificent, Jacoranda trees have been in bloom so Nairobi and other cities we have visited have been covered in this lovely lilac bloom. In Uganda sugar cane plantations were in a abundance. The smell of burning sugar can fields are so distinctive. The weather can get extremely hot during the days and surprisingly cool in the evenings. My 3+ season sleeping bag has been handy indeed. And when it rains, it can be Monsoonal - I had forgotten what really heavy rainfall feels and smells like after years of gentle UK drizzle.
Nothing can quite prepare you for Africa. I am completely surprised at the inadequacy of the provision of critical infrastructure - electricity, rail, roads, sewage, running water, rubbish collection, parks and open spaces. There is real poverty in Africa. I knew this - intellectually I knew this - and I am just so surprised at how ramshackled the cities are - everything is utter chaos - the streets lined with rubbish - people live in mud huts and having to find fresh drinking water...and yet people are so lively, well dressed in their Sunday garb, full of vigor and entrepreneurial spirit. Nothing is wasted, everything is for sale, its a completely different way of life.
Yet for every person we see who working hard to improve their quality of life, there are others who exploit the mzungu (whites) - asking for money, bottles, pens, anything really. I have found that 9 times out of 10 it is boys/men ask for money, and not women. Whether thats because boys simply have more confidence to interact with mzungu, or whether girls are busy working.
Women lead long hard lives in Africa. I am humbled by them. They very seldom are resting, they are in the shops, selling their wares, in the fields, complete with young babies on their backs, they are heaving water and firewood great distances balanced carefully on their heads. They have such dignity. They look at Mzungu with curious and yet ever-so-slightly distrusting eyes. And rightly so.
The landscape is more green and lush than I was expecting - though I am travelling in the wetter part of the year. The Acacia trees are magnificent, Jacoranda trees have been in bloom so Nairobi and other cities we have visited have been covered in this lovely lilac bloom. In Uganda sugar cane plantations were in a abundance. The smell of burning sugar can fields are so distinctive. The weather can get extremely hot during the days and surprisingly cool in the evenings. My 3+ season sleeping bag has been handy indeed. And when it rains, it can be Monsoonal - I had forgotten what really heavy rainfall feels and smells like after years of gentle UK drizzle.
Our "Shashe" Acacia Tour - at a glance
Bernard and I will be spending 59 days on Shashe, our Acacia overland truck (and remember its a truck not a bus!). Shashe holds up to 24 passengers. During the past two weeks we've had the luxury of up to 10 passengers so lots of space. All of us are bracing ourselves for experience of a full truck - which we will be by Sunday this week.
Bernard and I have been impressed with the quality of the tents. We're travelling during East Africa's "Short rains" season and so far its rained nearly every day and the tents have kept us safe and dry. We have tent 663 - chosen because its in really good condition. I have locker number 11, again chosen after careful deliberation of which locker height suits me best, locker 5 didn't pass the test. I sit on the front seat on the left hand side of the vehicle. Ah, the luxury of choosing these small things before the truck gets full!!!
Mark and Lindy are our tour guides all the way to Cape Town. A gorgeous South African couple whom I already like tremendously. We have a fantastic mix of passengers so far - Emily and Lucy from the UK; Anna from Ireland (whom we all must be careful around at a bar - she's a bad influence!); Rod from the States (and the best kind of American if I do say so myself); and Perry a slightly older passenger from Canada who has come over to fulfil a lifetime dream - he makes me think of my folks quite a lot. Together we all pile onto Shashe every morning, find our seats and settle down for the day's adventure.
I have somehow appointed myself tea/coffee maker because my first priority of the morning is my cup of coffee, and last thing before bed my cup of peppermint tea. But at this stage we all pitch in with duties - I help out with cooking quite a bit - the food quality is outstanding - having a freezer on tour is helping out a lot. Bought a bottle of gin in Kampala and have been enjoying the occasional G&T in the evening. Marvellous in this tropical heat.
When the tour starts Bernard will join me in the front seat (which is the only place on the truck with ample leg room for him) but it will be a tight squeeze as the seats are VERY narrow. So imagine on those long and bumpy bus rides Lizzie and Bernard sitting lide sardines but enjoying the amazing view.
Tour started two weeks ago at Nairobi - we have spent 14 days travelling through East Kenya and Uganda. We pick up more passengers then head into our next leg in the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Zanzibar, Lake Malawi, Livingston/Vic Falls. The final leg takes us through Botswana, Namibia and ends in Cape Town.
And after 59 days of camping, Bernard and I will be enjoying a little luxury in Cape Town for Christmas. Bring it on!!!
Bernard and I have been impressed with the quality of the tents. We're travelling during East Africa's "Short rains" season and so far its rained nearly every day and the tents have kept us safe and dry. We have tent 663 - chosen because its in really good condition. I have locker number 11, again chosen after careful deliberation of which locker height suits me best, locker 5 didn't pass the test. I sit on the front seat on the left hand side of the vehicle. Ah, the luxury of choosing these small things before the truck gets full!!!
Mark and Lindy are our tour guides all the way to Cape Town. A gorgeous South African couple whom I already like tremendously. We have a fantastic mix of passengers so far - Emily and Lucy from the UK; Anna from Ireland (whom we all must be careful around at a bar - she's a bad influence!); Rod from the States (and the best kind of American if I do say so myself); and Perry a slightly older passenger from Canada who has come over to fulfil a lifetime dream - he makes me think of my folks quite a lot. Together we all pile onto Shashe every morning, find our seats and settle down for the day's adventure.
I have somehow appointed myself tea/coffee maker because my first priority of the morning is my cup of coffee, and last thing before bed my cup of peppermint tea. But at this stage we all pitch in with duties - I help out with cooking quite a bit - the food quality is outstanding - having a freezer on tour is helping out a lot. Bought a bottle of gin in Kampala and have been enjoying the occasional G&T in the evening. Marvellous in this tropical heat.
When the tour starts Bernard will join me in the front seat (which is the only place on the truck with ample leg room for him) but it will be a tight squeeze as the seats are VERY narrow. So imagine on those long and bumpy bus rides Lizzie and Bernard sitting lide sardines but enjoying the amazing view.
Tour started two weeks ago at Nairobi - we have spent 14 days travelling through East Kenya and Uganda. We pick up more passengers then head into our next leg in the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Zanzibar, Lake Malawi, Livingston/Vic Falls. The final leg takes us through Botswana, Namibia and ends in Cape Town.
And after 59 days of camping, Bernard and I will be enjoying a little luxury in Cape Town for Christmas. Bring it on!!!
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