Not quite in Namibia, we spent a night at Ghanzi on the Botswana border so we could do a tour with the Bushman (tribe of short nomadic people who make clicking noises when they communicate – aka the tribe in The Gods Must Be Crazy). It was a fantastic tour – only an hour and a half, but they were so relaxed, informative and chatting to each other in their unique way – all of us were captivated by these remarkable people.
That night we camped with the window flaps completely open, falling asleep gazing at the stars. After a long travel day we arrived at Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, and were blown away by being back in the west and suddenly becoming invisible. For the first time in seven weeks I was no longer a Mzungu, but one of the many white people shopping in town. I observed a 40:60 white/black split, and I can't quite convey how it feels to suddenly be surrounded by western shops and westerners. We went out to Joe's Beer House and ate Gemsbock (Oryx), Zebra, Kudu, Ostrich and Crocodile. My tummy rebelled from having so much red meat and despite a lovely night out, I spent most of the night and next few days as my body tried to find its equilibrium.
The next day we travelled to Etosha National Park. It was the dry season and very hot - though our game spotting wasn't fantastic, we did see lions up close and black rhino. The highlight was the camp site's very own lookout onto a water hole. During the day some of the larger animals like elephant visited the waterhole, but at night you could see a vast number of rhino, springbok, gemsbok, and jackal. And the sound of lions communicating to each other when they are close to camp can be quite unnerving. During the day when it was exceptionally hot we relaxed like kings beside the pool enjoying an Callipo, cold drink and pints and pints of water.
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Namibia - landscapes and adrenaline thrills
Departing Etosha we headed to the amazing Skizkoppe for a night of bush camping (no showers or toilets) - perhaps the best place for photographs on tour to date, both Bernard and I marvelled at the landscape at dusk and then the spectacular star gazing once the sun went down. A fellow traveller started playing guitar and I couldn't help but sing along and was amounts the last to go to bed at 11pm - an unprecedented event on tour to date. The next day we arrived in Swakopmund for a few days of adrenaline seeking adventure. I signed myself up for skydiving immediately though it was cloudy the weather cleared within an hour and we were all clear to dive later that afternoon. Skydiving was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I squealed with delight on the way down - the sensation of falling out of the plane is addictive - I could seriously do that time and time again.
Later that evening we all went out for dinner and drinks - I of course couldn't wipe the smile off my face. The next day we had a bit of a lie in, spent time on web getting organised for next phase of travel in South America, then headed out to go quad biking on the sand dunes. It was an adventure that's for sure. Its been an age since I was on a motorcycle and I started out a little rusty. Bernard's speed comfort threshold was particularly low and unfortunately the guide didn't do a good job of catering for him when he should have. For the first half hour Bernard and I were at the back of the group whilst the other five were in front. One of the girls out front into a corner too fast and fell down a very steep sand dune and had to be evacuated and taken to hospital. Bernard returned with the guide very dissatisfied with the whole thing - I thought we were all turning back so i was waiting for the others to go in front, before I realised that actually the rest of us were continuing on the excursion.
At first I was guilty, continuing when I really ought to go back. So there I was, the lone female with the rest of the boys. But then there was little I could do about it so I decided to enjoy every last minute. I was an absolute hoon going as fast on the dunes as my comfort would allow, and I was very fast and confident on the bike - earning shedloads of respect from the boys. If only Bernard had had such a rewarding time on the bikes as I had and that our fellow traveller Izzy hadn't hurt herself. Later we found out that Izzy walked away with a punctured lung - that's all - which was lucky given how bad the early prognosis looked. But upon leaving Swakopmund we were down 2 passengers (Izzy & her mate Karen) which was quite a shame - I enjoyed their company immensely.
Later that evening we all went out for dinner and drinks - I of course couldn't wipe the smile off my face. The next day we had a bit of a lie in, spent time on web getting organised for next phase of travel in South America, then headed out to go quad biking on the sand dunes. It was an adventure that's for sure. Its been an age since I was on a motorcycle and I started out a little rusty. Bernard's speed comfort threshold was particularly low and unfortunately the guide didn't do a good job of catering for him when he should have. For the first half hour Bernard and I were at the back of the group whilst the other five were in front. One of the girls out front into a corner too fast and fell down a very steep sand dune and had to be evacuated and taken to hospital. Bernard returned with the guide very dissatisfied with the whole thing - I thought we were all turning back so i was waiting for the others to go in front, before I realised that actually the rest of us were continuing on the excursion.
At first I was guilty, continuing when I really ought to go back. So there I was, the lone female with the rest of the boys. But then there was little I could do about it so I decided to enjoy every last minute. I was an absolute hoon going as fast on the dunes as my comfort would allow, and I was very fast and confident on the bike - earning shedloads of respect from the boys. If only Bernard had had such a rewarding time on the bikes as I had and that our fellow traveller Izzy hadn't hurt herself. Later we found out that Izzy walked away with a punctured lung - that's all - which was lucky given how bad the early prognosis looked. But upon leaving Swakopmund we were down 2 passengers (Izzy & her mate Karen) which was quite a shame - I enjoyed their company immensely.
Namibia - ruggest landscapes part II
Namibia has impressed me very much - a number of our newer traveling companions not so much, but I hope that when I look back on Namibia it will be the landscape and its wildness that will linger in my memory, not the cumulative impact of traveling with people who you don't particularly gel with. We spent the night at Serisem camp site, in Namib desert to wake early and walk on the huge bright red dunes to watch the sunrise. The camp site was impressive and we had another spectacular sunset and star gazing opportunity and the night was particularly cold. We awoke at 4am and were on the truck to walk up the dunes at 5.30am. The dunes were very high and it was quite an effort walking up the steep ridges - Bernard felt more comfortable on the ground and took some amazing shots whilst I spent the morning on the top of the dune marveling at the wonders of the world.
After breakfast we were taken on a tour further into the desert - and ironically we were freezing cold rather than hot - we managed to arrive on one of the 15 days that the desert is covered in a thick fog. It made the walk pleasant but the drive into the desert unpleasantly cold. Our guide Buismen was an amazing man who knew the desert inside out - he showed us wildlife that lives happily in the desert, we saw the petrified forrest with trees over 900 years old, and he even encouraged us to run down the steep slope of the sand dune by throwing himself face first down the dune on his tummy - quite impressive for a man in his forties.
We left the desert for our camp on route to Fish River canyon, the second largest (not necessarily deepest) after the Grand Canyon. The Canyon was impressive but unfortunately our photos don't really do the place justice - the horizon was covered in a haze of dust - but it was lovely walking along the canyon edge (Bernard and I hung back to allow others to go out early) and it felt like we were alone which was equally lovely. We watched the sun set over the canyon whilst drinking some wine and returned to camp eager for an early night. The next day we headed to South Africa - only a few days left on our tour.
After breakfast we were taken on a tour further into the desert - and ironically we were freezing cold rather than hot - we managed to arrive on one of the 15 days that the desert is covered in a thick fog. It made the walk pleasant but the drive into the desert unpleasantly cold. Our guide Buismen was an amazing man who knew the desert inside out - he showed us wildlife that lives happily in the desert, we saw the petrified forrest with trees over 900 years old, and he even encouraged us to run down the steep slope of the sand dune by throwing himself face first down the dune on his tummy - quite impressive for a man in his forties.
We left the desert for our camp on route to Fish River canyon, the second largest (not necessarily deepest) after the Grand Canyon. The Canyon was impressive but unfortunately our photos don't really do the place justice - the horizon was covered in a haze of dust - but it was lovely walking along the canyon edge (Bernard and I hung back to allow others to go out early) and it felt like we were alone which was equally lovely. We watched the sun set over the canyon whilst drinking some wine and returned to camp eager for an early night. The next day we headed to South Africa - only a few days left on our tour.
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Zambia – Livingstone, White Water Rafting, and the Devil's Pools.
The past few days have gone by in a whirl. We spent a day in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia before making our way to Livingstone, where we have been for the past four nights. Today our trip goes in different directions – 8 of us go on to Cape Town, whilst the rest go to Jo'burg or Botswana directly. Therefore its been a pretty intense period of bonding for us all. First day 19 of us went white water rafting together down the Zambezi river. I have wanted to muster up the courage to go white water rafting so many times during my past six years travelling the world. Every time I never made it – until now. I was terrified – after all I was going down one of the best rafting sites in the world with at least 3 Grade 5 rapids – I was crying after the safety talk and pretty much the entire truck ride from camp to the start of the rapids. The leader of the tour said to me very early on that I'm with him – and I think everyone knew that whichever raft I was going to be in was going to be the most conservative ride of the day. That said, there's only so much a guide can do to prevent you from flipping on some of the bigger rapids. Bernard went overboard on a Grade 4 rapid fairly early on but apart from that the raft didn't flip at all – though there were a number of times where we were extremely close to flipping and we were holding on the side rope for dear life. It was fun, lots of fun, but the photos are quite amusing because I don't think I am smiling in any of them. I look terrified!
I got horribly sunburnt on my legs despite regular application of 50+ sunblock. I think the doxy tablets have made my skin extremely sensitive to the sun. I spent much of the next day relaxing applying aloe vera cream to my legs. Later that evening we had a sunset (booze) cruise and I managed to be the entertainment for the night dancing up a storm until I hit my “time for bed” moment and Bernard very kindly escorted me back to the room. Yes, we upgraded for the night – wasn't it heavenly the next day to have a hangover from hell and at least have the comfort of an ensuite bathroom and a comfortable bed to lie on until the early hours of the afternoon.
We visited Livingstone island and the Devil's Pools at the Royal Livingstone Hotel. We literally went out on a boat to the island that Livingstone visited when he was first shown the falls by the locals. We went to a couple of vantage points then swam out to a pool that literally sits within the falls themselves and spent about 10 minutes enjoying the view (and the fish nibbling at our feet) before settling in for some afternoon tea. We were escorted back to the hotel and I then got myself a Martini to enjoy whilst watching the sunset and the hippos come out to graze for the night. Twas marvellous day out and one of the highlights of my trip.
Zambia – or Livingstone in particular has been absolutely amazing and I would recommend anyone come and visit – and if your budget can stretch to the $800 a night rooms for the Royal Livingstone, then I'm sure you'll have the time of your life!!!
I got horribly sunburnt on my legs despite regular application of 50+ sunblock. I think the doxy tablets have made my skin extremely sensitive to the sun. I spent much of the next day relaxing applying aloe vera cream to my legs. Later that evening we had a sunset (booze) cruise and I managed to be the entertainment for the night dancing up a storm until I hit my “time for bed” moment and Bernard very kindly escorted me back to the room. Yes, we upgraded for the night – wasn't it heavenly the next day to have a hangover from hell and at least have the comfort of an ensuite bathroom and a comfortable bed to lie on until the early hours of the afternoon.
We visited Livingstone island and the Devil's Pools at the Royal Livingstone Hotel. We literally went out on a boat to the island that Livingstone visited when he was first shown the falls by the locals. We went to a couple of vantage points then swam out to a pool that literally sits within the falls themselves and spent about 10 minutes enjoying the view (and the fish nibbling at our feet) before settling in for some afternoon tea. We were escorted back to the hotel and I then got myself a Martini to enjoy whilst watching the sunset and the hippos come out to graze for the night. Twas marvellous day out and one of the highlights of my trip.
Zambia – or Livingstone in particular has been absolutely amazing and I would recommend anyone come and visit – and if your budget can stretch to the $800 a night rooms for the Royal Livingstone, then I'm sure you'll have the time of your life!!!
Small but significant signs of corruption
Everyone knows that things are done slightly differently in Africa. After all, it is what Mark, our tour leader/truck driver continually says, “ TIA people, TIA”. TIA = This Is Africa. At first there is a small trickle of innocent signs of corruption – especially in Uganda. To see the Gorillas we used a local “fixer” to get us there. An efficient way for us to navigate very tricky physical terrain and local red-tape. However, the fixer was subsequently paid a commission by any person who earned money off us 7 mzungus – whether he was involved in the arrangements or not. It felt entirely wrong – this arrogant man taking money off people – because they think he did this great deed bringing a group of white people to their country. What they don't know is that mzungu come to Africa in droves and are limited only by the number of permits the Government issue. These fixers take advantage of their fellow countrymen's naivety, people who work hard and are grateful for whatever work they can get.
But in Tanzania the corruption was more blatant – officials pulling over trucks without cause, making up reasons for why they are pulled over, and making up arbitrary fines that are to be paid in cash on the spot. Mark and Lindy are savvy and level-headed in those circumstances and have so far avoided having to be paid such “fines”. In Zanzibar officials on the road would pull over our taxi and demand that the taxi driver give the official his 1.5L bottle of water. Just like that. One one particular stretch our driver got pulled over more than once and each time the official asked for water. One particular time the taxi driver had to buy a packet of cigarettes and put a nominal amount of money in the cigarette packet for the official.
As a traveller I find myself trying not to pass judgement – things are not right or wrong – its just as they are. I know fully well that corruption is alive and well in the West – its just that however small signs of corruption can significantly affect the wellbeing of those who struggle each day living below the poverty line.
But in Tanzania the corruption was more blatant – officials pulling over trucks without cause, making up reasons for why they are pulled over, and making up arbitrary fines that are to be paid in cash on the spot. Mark and Lindy are savvy and level-headed in those circumstances and have so far avoided having to be paid such “fines”. In Zanzibar officials on the road would pull over our taxi and demand that the taxi driver give the official his 1.5L bottle of water. Just like that. One one particular stretch our driver got pulled over more than once and each time the official asked for water. One particular time the taxi driver had to buy a packet of cigarettes and put a nominal amount of money in the cigarette packet for the official.
As a traveller I find myself trying not to pass judgement – things are not right or wrong – its just as they are. I know fully well that corruption is alive and well in the West – its just that however small signs of corruption can significantly affect the wellbeing of those who struggle each day living below the poverty line.
Restful days on Lake Malawi
Yesterday was a brilliant day at Kande beach. In the morning we went to a children's centre started by a women from Geelong. The centre supports very young children ensuring that each child has one solid meal a day and a time to engage in play. The centre was amazing fun dancing with the children and playing games. We donated lots of pencils and other goods such as baby formula as there is a particular problem with children being either orphaned or unable to breastfeed and mothers simply being unable to afford any formula. After a few hours at the centre we came back to camp, had lunch then I went off horse riding. Expensive, but really good fun.
My gorgeous light grey horse, Clover, was the matriarch of the bunch, and I had a jolly hard time stopping her from eating along the course – she loves mangos and ate a dozen along the way. I wasn't confident enough to go with the more advanced riders – good thing too because they did a spot of galloping at one point. But as I had ridden previously I was able to lead the less advanced riders – however Clover wanted to go for a run when she heard other horses galloping, so it was quite an effort holding her back. We did a bit of trotting which I handled really well, but the highlight was riding bareback into the water with the horses. SO much fun – Clover was a great horse, she responded well to my commands to speed up, slow down and stop eating.
In the evening we had a Shashe wedding. Andrew and Francy are on tour on their honeymoon so Mark & Lindy decided to host a wedding reception for them. We all got two garbage bags to turn into our attire, and Bec and I turned a few rolls of white toilet paper into a delightful bridal outfit for Francy. The ceremony was a hoot, the food delicious, the punch lethal. We all stayed out to the early hours revelling and there were many a sore head this morning. This morning's fry up was well received by all.
Today has been monsoonal weather – ridiculously hot all morning – I was sweating beyond belief at 8am, simply unable to stay in my tent any longer. By 9.00am the heaven's opened with a pretty spectacular storm and it rained til well after lunch. Everyone hibernating in their tents, the truck or in the bar.
My gorgeous light grey horse, Clover, was the matriarch of the bunch, and I had a jolly hard time stopping her from eating along the course – she loves mangos and ate a dozen along the way. I wasn't confident enough to go with the more advanced riders – good thing too because they did a spot of galloping at one point. But as I had ridden previously I was able to lead the less advanced riders – however Clover wanted to go for a run when she heard other horses galloping, so it was quite an effort holding her back. We did a bit of trotting which I handled really well, but the highlight was riding bareback into the water with the horses. SO much fun – Clover was a great horse, she responded well to my commands to speed up, slow down and stop eating.
In the evening we had a Shashe wedding. Andrew and Francy are on tour on their honeymoon so Mark & Lindy decided to host a wedding reception for them. We all got two garbage bags to turn into our attire, and Bec and I turned a few rolls of white toilet paper into a delightful bridal outfit for Francy. The ceremony was a hoot, the food delicious, the punch lethal. We all stayed out to the early hours revelling and there were many a sore head this morning. This morning's fry up was well received by all.
Today has been monsoonal weather – ridiculously hot all morning – I was sweating beyond belief at 8am, simply unable to stay in my tent any longer. By 9.00am the heaven's opened with a pretty spectacular storm and it rained til well after lunch. Everyone hibernating in their tents, the truck or in the bar.
Zanzibar to Lake Malawi
Zanzibar was just amazing. We had two wonderful days on the beach and could easily have spent a handful more (though thankfully for our bank balance we didn't). We went to stone town, did a spice tour and it was fantastic to see the raw products of so many things I use in my cooking on a daily basis. Seeing the slave market was interesting, but a shame the site isn't being invested in an maintained as a sight of such importance in Zanzibar's history. But it was being in stone town for “Eid al-Adha” has been a real highlight of my tour thus far. We were at the night market after having a few drinks during sunset at Africa house when we discovered masses of people dressed up in their brightest and beautiful attire celebrating together in the square. Such a family friendly atmosphere – children were running about, playing and making that wonderful sound that kids make when they are happy. The colour – the women wore such beautiful attire – I am so disappointed with my photos – so I'll have to make a conscious effort to keep the colours vivid in my memory. The food was amazing – locals and foreigners eating in droves from the market stalls. I had a Zanzibar pizza and a falafel which were both pretty amazing. Afterwards Bernard and I retired early to the hotel room and fell asleep whilst watching Kung Fu Panda on his laptop. It was a pretty blissful day.
The next day we went back to Dar Es Salam in the most impossible humidity I have ever experienced. The entire bus didn't sleep well that night at all – no relief from the heat in our tents – we were all up before the call to prayer – tired and extremely grumpy. We drove over twelve hours that day to a farm house half way between Dar & Lake Malawi. The farm house was a big estate that grew all types of produce. Bernard and I upgraded and slept a blissful sleep in our hut. It was the cruelest thing Mark & Lindy have done to us thus far on tour – making us wake up at 5am and leave the comfort of those beds!!!
Yesterday after another relatively long day and a border crossing we arrived at Lake Malawi. Bernard and I bought a Malawi table. I found the one I liked and Bernard was responsible for the haggling. He was at a stalemate with the man for nearly half an hour – Bernard sent me away within three minutes because my haggling technique wasn't good enough! I slept relatively well last night and we are now at Kande beach and will be here for a few days longer. My tummy has been (touch wood – a lot of wood) really good this week. A full week happiness it has been. My mood is fabulous at the moment. We're half way into our stay in Africa and I'm feeling good, so its not a bad way to be at all.
The next day we went back to Dar Es Salam in the most impossible humidity I have ever experienced. The entire bus didn't sleep well that night at all – no relief from the heat in our tents – we were all up before the call to prayer – tired and extremely grumpy. We drove over twelve hours that day to a farm house half way between Dar & Lake Malawi. The farm house was a big estate that grew all types of produce. Bernard and I upgraded and slept a blissful sleep in our hut. It was the cruelest thing Mark & Lindy have done to us thus far on tour – making us wake up at 5am and leave the comfort of those beds!!!
Yesterday after another relatively long day and a border crossing we arrived at Lake Malawi. Bernard and I bought a Malawi table. I found the one I liked and Bernard was responsible for the haggling. He was at a stalemate with the man for nearly half an hour – Bernard sent me away within three minutes because my haggling technique wasn't good enough! I slept relatively well last night and we are now at Kande beach and will be here for a few days longer. My tummy has been (touch wood – a lot of wood) really good this week. A full week happiness it has been. My mood is fabulous at the moment. We're half way into our stay in Africa and I'm feeling good, so its not a bad way to be at all.
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