Week 9 and 10 in Namibia and South Africa

Wow, I have gotten behind on the blog update.  I have been going, going and going.  When traveling on the overland truck, you only have a certain amount of time in each city so you have to do everything as soon as the opportunity presents itself.  Luckily with African Trails, they have given us some flexibility.    We are back down to a group of 4 people (us three Americans and one, new Korean girl).  We lost the group in Cape Town yesterday so still getting use to being a small group again.  Here is an update of the last few days.  Hope you enjoy! 

On December 2nd, we arrived in Sesriem, Namibia.  On the drive there, we stopped in Solitaire, Namibia for some homemade apple pie.  It was wonderful and it finally felt like the holiday season.  It was in the desert and they had old cars and cactus all around the stop.  I even got to see the sand wind funnel flying over.  We got to watch the sunset behind the sand dunes which some dunes are over 300 meters high.  The afterglow on the mountains opposite of the sunset was just amazing.  They changed colors from brown to pink to purple and back to brown.  And the stars that night were also just as amazing!  It was a cold night (about 40 F) and morning came around 4:30 AM.  We had to make sure to be on top of the dune before the sun would rise.  We had about a 15 to 20 minute to the top of Dune 45 where we sat and watched the sun rise over the dunes.  It was beautiful and there were animal tracks everywhere!  The views were just amazing!  After hiking down, we had breakfast and continued the journey to Fish River Canyon for our last night in Namibia.  Kirsty, Joe and I made dinner at the campsite on December 3rd.  I learned to make risotto and it was a good cooking night as everyone hung out with us as we cooked.  

On December 4th, we drove about 10 km to Fish River Canyon where we walked along the edge from one view point to the other.  It was really beautiful but not much water flowing thru the canyon.  It was not as colorful as the Grand Canyon as it had more of just the brown, redish sand tints to it.  We drove to the border and crossed into South Africa.  It was another easy border crossing.  We camped right over the border on the Orange River.  We just hung out and read on the side of the river.  That evening, we played a couples game (with three couples).  I got to be one of the question askers (not sure that is a word).  It was fun to hear the different answers from the boys and girls.  We play a lot of games when we show up at campsites with not much to do!  

On December 5th, we drove to Trawal, South Africa.  Our campsite was on a vineyard (they called it a farm).  The views were amazing with grapes all around us in the middle of the mountains.  We did a wine tasting that afternoon and got to try the Highlanders wines.  They were great! The tour and a bottle of wine cost me about $28 US dollars! On December 6th, we continue to Stellenbosch, South Africa.  We got to upgrade to a hostel but that meant that food was not provided from African Trails.  We went shopping that afternoon and walked around town.  We stayed in that night knowing that we were going on a wine tour the next day.  I did get to use skype and catch up with Gavin! 

On December 7th, we headed to four wineries around Stellenbosch.  We went to Simonsig, Fairview, Dieu Donne Vineyards and Boschendal Wineries.  The first two were my favorites. Our guide was not very friendly and so he kind of brought the mood down.  The views from the Dieu Donne Vineyard was just beautiful.  We also stopped and had lunch at a little cafe along the way.  

At 5:30 AM on December 5th, we woke up to headed to Gansbaai, South Africa where I would get to dive with the great white sharks.  I had a hard time sleeping as I think I was just so excited to see them!  We got on the boat around 8 AM and went about 15 minutes out from the dock.  We had about 25 people on the boat and would all be taking turns in the cage that was attached to the boat.  I went in the second group and had a wet suit, wet shoes and a wet suit hat on.  The water was super cold and my teeth were chattering.  The sharks swam right along the cage.  It was awesome and they are HUGE!  I jumped back in the cage with the last group as I may never get the opportunity to be that close to a great white shark again. On that note, I may never want to be that close to a great white shark again! It was really fun to sit on top of the boat and watch the sharks swim up for the bait.  It was also a weird feeling know the sharks were swimming under the boat at times!  You sure as heck did not want to fall out of the boat.  We got to see a total of 7 different sharks that ranged from 2.5 meters to 4 meters which was a really good day for us!  Jordan made a song that brought all the sharks to us!  I will not share here but if you ever see her ask her to share it! The great white sharks get to be about 6 meters long and range in wideness.  Once a sharks dies, they can use the cartilage to see the sharks age by cutting it and seeing the amount of rings on it (just like an old tree).  The only problem is when a shark dies he sinks and the cartilage deteriorates in the water.  We got to see a lot of the baby, younger sharks as they are more adventures in what they eat and go for.  The older sharks don't take any chances as they don't want to waste their energy.  Just like you have all learned on shark week!!  On the drive home, we got to stop and see 4 southern right whales (2 moms and 2 babies).  They are massive!  I got a great photo of one of the tails.  We also got to see dolphins swim by but I missed them.  The views on top of the cliff were just beautiful!  We got dropped off at our hostel in Cape Town, South Africa.  That evening was Kathy's  Birthday and our Chinese Christmas Exchange dinner.  We went to a local African restaurant and I got to try warthog.  It was really good! For the Christmas Exchange, I ended up with a Christmas bell that I will use next time I go hiking in Canada so it will scared the bears away!  It made me miss home a little but was fun the have a holiday tradition in Africa!

On December 9th, we woke up to a not so windy day in Cape Town so we took the cable car up Table Mountain.  We went to the top and had amazing views of the city and ocean.   We just walked around the top admiring all the different capes.  The water is so blue and one side you could see the clouds coming over the mountain range.  Red Bull was having a festival down by the waterfront so we headed down there after the moutain.  We had lunch and got to try the local Mitchell beer.  It was a fun day out with the girls.  December 10th was our last day in Cape Town.  Jordan and I took the local train to Simon's Point where we walked to Boulder's Beach.  It has the largest African penguin population.  They were adorable and so cute when they walked.  We walked around the little town and did a little shopping. Ryan - I got you a cool gift and I hope it makes it home!  Nothing big but something you would only get in Africa. We also meet up with everyone as it was our last night with the original African Trails family.  It was sad saying goodbye but everyone was looking forward to their next adventures! 

Yesterday (December 11th), we drove to Knysna, South Africa along the garden route.  It was really beautiful drive but not as green as normal and there were clouds over a lot of the mountains.  We had lunch on the Knysna lagoon and did a beer tasting of Mitchell's beers.  The beer is brewed in this town.  Our hostel provided dinner and we just hung out for the night.  Today, I am relaxing and going to rent a bike to ride around town.  

Only 7 more days in Africa and until Part II of the adventure begins! 

Week 8 and 9 in Botswana and Namibia!

This trip is like taking one vacation after another!!  Everything we do is so different and exciting in a whole new way.  I feel really blessed to be here and getting to experience another part of the World!  We have not had internet for quite a while or I have just been busy but here is an update from the past two weeks in Botswana and Namibia!

On November 19th, we crossed the border into Botswana and stayed along the Chobe River in Kasane, Botswana.  It was a really hot bus ride and we jumped right into the pool.  Our African Trails Group is now up to 13 people with 8 British, 2 Germans, and 3 Americans.  Although you may think we all speak English, British and American English are different. A lot of times, I have to ask what a certain word means or ask them to repeat something they have said.  It is pretty funny but fun learning the different words.  Since most countries in Africa were ruled by the British at some point, a lot of the British words apply when we are traveling.  For example...when I ask for a restroom, I get a confused look because it is called a toilet.

On November 20th, we had a very long and hot drive to Maun, Botswana.  It was a stopping place before heading on a two night, three day Okavango Delta tour.  We left on November 21st for the tour and had to pack our tents, pots, pans and food for the next three days.  We arrived on the side of the delta and got our makoro tour guide.  The makoro is like a canoe.  We headed into the delta were we went thru tons of reed, lilies, a hippo pond with two hippos, and an elephant walking thru the delta.  The elephant was so loud when he was walking thru the delta.  We keep our distance at all times.  Our makoro driver was Judge and he ended up being the guide leader.  We got to camp which was just a tree with elephant dung all around. We set up our tents and got to relax for a bit.  The guides dug a 4.5 foot hole for the toilet behind on of the bushes and gave us instructions on covering your waste with dirt, using the shovel to know if the toilet was occupied and when you need to take a buddy in case wild animals were around.  WOW, what an experience for this city girl!  Kayla - I know you would go into more detail here but I will not! We went for a swim in the delta which was nice and no hippos came into the swimming pool area!  That evening, we went on a game walk around the island we were staying on.  It was very hot!  We got to see zebras, cows, old elephant bones and the sunset over the side of the delta.  It was a nice hike but the guide was very hard to understand so I did not learn as much as I may have like.  We slept knowing that if you went out of the tent, you must first scan the area with your head lamp for any wild animals!  The next morning (Thanksgiving back home), we woke up very early for a morning makoro ride and game walk.  It was a long walk but we got to see some elephants for a distance, a black mambo snake up close (I spotted him as we were walking up!) and a little more of the delta.  In the afternoon, we learned to guide the makoros.  Surprisingly, no one flipped over!  It was a lot harder than it seems to go down the narrow, hippo highways thru the reeds!  After learning, we went on a makoro sunset cruise and it was really beautiful!  After dinner, the guides sang local songs and danced along with them around the campfire.  They did a wonderful job!!  When Jordan got into the tent that night, I woke up and asked her if we were still on land....crazy malaria dreams going on!  The next morning, we packed up and left the delta.  Although it was a great experience, bush camping with no showers is not really my style of camping! I think I was also a little sad knowing everyone back home was eating turkey, stuffing and chocolate pie made by Albert's family!!  I was missing my family!  We did return to a hotel where we got a buffet dinner included with the tour and got to use a very nice swimming pool.  A few of us went shopping in the town of Maun for a bit but everything was very expensive.

On November 24th, we had a long drive to the border crossing in Namibia.  It was the most relaxed, nobody around border crossing that I have ever been too.  We stayed the night in Divundu along the Kavango River.  That evening was the best sunset that I have seen.  The afterglow was reflecting a rainbow.  On the other side of the river was Angola.  Dinner that night was made a little too spicy for my taste but I guess you have to expect some nights to be funky when cooking for 14 people! I never felt bad so maybe my stomach is getting a little stronger! We continued to drive thru the north Namibia until we reached another stopping point outside of Grootfontein.  It was on a farm in the middle of nowhere.  We could see the moon coming up along with the sunset afterglow.  As I went to bed, I could see the lighting storm thru the clouds from my tent mat!  In the morning, the sun was rising right outside of the tent window.  Made for a very nice camping spot!  We headed to the largest and heaviest meteor in the World, the Hoba Meteorite.   We drove to Etosha National Park that morning and in the afternoon go to take a game drive thru half of the park.  It was very beautiful and got to see the kudu, oryx, and springbock along the way.  The giraffes were drinking from the water hole and it was a site to see them bending down to take a drink. We stopped in the pan or the old lake in the park.  It was very beautiful and fun to take pictures in!  I can see how the glares in the distance would make someone lost believe they could see water.  We stayed in the Hilali Camp where they had a watering hole with lights.  We got to see a mom and baby rhino walk up and take a drink and an owl flying around!  It was pretty cool because the observation deck is so close to the water hole! In the morning, we continued a game drive thru the other side of the park.  We saw lions and hyenas on the drive.  That evening, we stayed in Kamanjab in Cheetah Park.  We got to go into the persons yard which had 4 older cheetah and a 4 month old baby.  It was GREAT to pet the cheetahs and they were very friendly! In the evening, we went to feed to wild cheetahs from the back of the truck.  There were nine cheetah and it was neat to hear them interacting when they were feed.  You maybe thinking why would they be caged in.  Here in Namibia they are allowed to shot cheetahs that mess with their wildlife or come too close to their homes.  The owner of cheetah farms wants locals to capture them and bring them to the farm where they can live.  It is a nice way to keep the cheetahs alive. There was one mom with her three babies that we slept about 100 yards from!

On our way to Swakopmund, Namibia, we stayed at a campsite in Uis, Namibia for the night.  Right outside of town, we went on a 5 km hike to the tribal paintings on the rocks in the Brandberg Mountains.  They were awesome and really nice to see.  The hike was short and pretty flat but the heat in the desert was horrible.  I am glad that I had tons of water with me! We also stopped to see the seals of Cape Cross which is one of the largest groups of fur seals in the World.  There were tons of babies and one seal was even giving birth.  The seals were all along the shore and swimming in the water.  It was the most seals that I have ever seen (even more than Lauren and I got to see in California!).  The smell of the seals could just about kill someone.  It was super smelly and a few times I thought I might lose it.  But totally worth seeing so many seals in one place! It is really cold on the coast.  We have all been sitting on the truck with our sleeping bags on.  It looks really funny!

On November 29th, we arrived in Swakopmund.  We are not cooking here as we have been upgraded from the tents to a hostel for three nights.  We are staying right on the corner of this cute, little German town right on the Atlantic Coast.  It is nice to get out of the tents!  We went out for a game dinner on Thursday night and we got to try kudu, oryx and springbock.  I liked the oryx the best! It was a nice dinner.  We went sand boarding on Friday morning.  We headed right outside of town to the sand dunes (only 15 minutes from town).  We got our gear which included a helmet, elbow pads, gloves, and the board.  Then, we hiked up the dune which was a hard hike but I made it.  The sand gets easier to climb the more you use the walking path because you don't sink in as much.  The landscape was amazing and hard to believe that I was standing on top of a sand dune with the ocean one side, flat desert on the other and the city in the distance.  Just amazing views! We did about seven sand boarding runs and 6 walk ups.  It was amazing.  On the second to last run, I went 70 km/hr down the dune with even a little jump going down.  It was crazy fast and wild!  The only breaks you have are to stick your feet into the sand.  I have a video and some great pictures of this!  It was a very cool sport and I would recommend to everyone! They had a stand up board option which was just like snowboarding down the side of the dune.  It looked like hard work but I know Ryan and Brendon would have been great at it!

Today is December 1st so only 19 more days in Africa.  CRAZY!  I have just been hanging around and enjoying the city today.  It is a beautiful day but a little chilly here.  We have three more nights in Namibia before we cross over into South Africa!  This trip is going so fast but I also cannot wait to see Gavin in Vietnam!  

Last few days in Zambia!!

Africa is still so amazing. We have not had to cook since we got to Livingstone so have had about 4 nights off. It is fun to go to dinner and have a 20,000 kwacha bill or 4 US dollars! We are still camping so we are up early and most of the time to bed pretty early. It is pretty hot here so does not feel like the holiday season. The shopping centers are starting to put up the Christmas decorations....just like at home.   Below is everything that I have been doing!

On November 16th, we went for high tea on Livingstone Island and got to see Victoria Falls for the first time. Victoria Falls is one of the seven wonders of the World. It also have the largest volume of water going over it during high flows. We swam across the falls to a rock (about 10 yd swim). The swim across had two ropes that I guess you grab onto if you get swept away. Once you got to the rock, we were instructed exactly were to jump into Devil's Pool. Devil's Pool is right on the edge of the falls. If you jump to far right, you would be over. I jumped first and swam right up to the edge where another guide was sitting. No ropes anymore! It was amazing and my heart was beating fast. I sat on the edge of the rock while the fish bit my toes. Once everyone jumped in, we all got to lay on the rocks and look over the edge. I looked straight down the falls while the guide held on the my ankles. It was such a rush and highly comparable to the rush you get when you go sky diving. Towards the end of our swim, the wind started to pick up and you could feel the currents going over the falls. As of today, I would say this was the most amazing thing I have done in Africa! I also have to note that I have never ever seen Jordan look so nervous in my life. She was a little freaked out.

On November 17th, we woke up and went with Jordan for her to bungee jumped off the bridge that was under rapid no. 2. She did great! I had no desire to jump off the bridge but I got a great video of her. That evening, we went on a river sunset cruise. We got to watch about 12 elephants cross the Zambezi River.  It was amazing to see them swim across. The locals were saying that only a few people get to actually see them swim across so we were all very excited about it. The sunset cruise included dinner but also was open bar (never a good thing for me!).

On November 18th, we relaxed in the morning. I have been able to skype with Gavin the past few days so that has been good. I call him when I wake up in the morning (around 6 AM) and it is evening where ever he is (around 9 PM). We took a taxi to the National Park to walk around the falls. There were some great views of the falls. Right now, it is low flow. We are lucky it is low flow because we were able to raft all the rapids and swim in Devils Pool but it must be a site to see at high flow times. Might just have to make a trip back to see them at a different time of year.  As we were walking back on the main trail, a large, male baboon was sitting next to the path.  When I say large, I mean bigger than me.  Liz walked right passed him but when I went to walk past, he stepped on to the path and started walking towards Jordan and me.  I was totally freaked out.  Jordan had grabbed a stick earlier as we had seen a few of them along the way.  I backed up and reached around to grab the stick out of Jordan's hand (she was not using right in my opinion and I was in the front...sorry Jordan!) and started waving it around at him. It worked and he stopped following us.  Thank goodness!  But he just sat on the path that we needed to walk on.  A local jumped the fence and hit the tree a few times until the baboon was scared off.  We had to pay him $4 US dollars but well worth every penny.  Now this is a funny story but at the time, I was totally scared!

We head to Botswana tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to going proper bush camping in the delta! I have been warned that if you need to go to the bathroom, they will dig you a hole! Wish me luck!!

Week Seven in Zambia (Nov 16)

Wow, I only have one month and 4 days left in Africa!! This vacation is just flying by!!  I love it and everyone needs to vacation here! 

On the last night in Malawi (Nov. 8th), we stayed in the capital, Lilonge.  Everything was fine until I was headed to the tent for bed.  The two dogs were acting funny around our tent so I knew something was going on but thought it was just being so close to the sewer hole.  Bob shinned the light as I jumped in our tent a little freaked out.  Jordan was already in so I felt better just being in the tent.  As I put my head down on my pillow, I could feel something moving.  I screamed that our tent had a heart beat.  Jordan did not believing me until she put her hand on my pillow.  Yes, there was something under our tent and right under where my pillow was.  We pulled up the mat and Jordan started hitting whatever it was with her pillow.  It just keep moving around but not leaving the tent area.  Bob and Kathy were the only ones in tent city at this time and thought we were nuts with all the giggling going on.  Finally, Jordan and I got out of the tent with the plan that one person moves the tent as the other watches for whatever was under the tent.  Most of you that know me know just how loud I was as I got out of the tent.  So I pulled the tent forward and Jordan watched as a little mouse ran fast to the nearby bushes.  Yes, we had a mouse that escaped from the dogs under our tent!!  Bob later told me that listening to us that night would be one of his memories he takes home.   

On November 9th, we crossed the border into Zambia and stayed in the border town of Chimpati.  The camp was very nice and we even got a work out in.  Yes, we work out after long truck drives as you just cannot sit anymore!  I don't think I realized just how big Africa is! We also got to stop on the side of the road for a bathroom break and to walk across the border into Mozambique.  I don't know if I mentioned that it is totally legal just to potty on the side of the road.  The boys go to one side of the road while the girls go to the other and always makes me feel like a new person.   

The next morning we drove to a campsite right outside of South Luangwa National Park.  The campsite and park were separated by the Luangwa River.  From the bar, there were crocs and two pods of hippos just sunbathing and grazing in the river.  We were only about a football field away.  We were also instructed that animals always have the right of way.  This meant that when you run into a lion or elephant on the campsite (that was not fenced in), you are to back away slowly and let them proceed.  We had to remove all fruits from the truck to make sure the elephants did not get into the truck.  We had no animal encounters and just hung out around the site for two nights.  It was a very relaxing place.  I also got to skype with my mom, Bella, Tas, Kayla, Ryan and Gavin which made me happy. 

On November 13th, we stayed in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia.  The campsite had zebras just walking in so that was cool to see.  It was the last night with our driver, Henry, so we made steaks and had rum trashcan punch with fruit.  We stopped at a market and had subway for lunch (not the same as back home but nice to have lunch meat instead of PB&Js...yes we have lots of PB&Js to save money at lunch time!).  We got to meet our new driver, Tim, and got a new truck.  The truck is alright but we still have to get use to it.  The seats are a little harder to sleep in so it will stink on long drive days.  Tim seems to really enjoy his job which makes me excited.

On November 14th, we headed to Livingstone, Zambia where Victoria Falls is located.  They have tons of adventures activities so it was hard to just pick a few.

Yesterday, we went white water rafting down the Zambezi River which runs in between Zambia and Zimbabwe.  We rafted thru 25 rapids skipping rapid no. 9 due to it being a class 6.  The water was warm and the rapids were huge!  It was my first time white water rafting and it was a rush like never before!  The entire raft flipped going down a class 5 rapid which made for an adventure.  Our first rapid, we were stuck in it for a few minutes just swinging back and forth with one man overboard.  I was the loud one screaming on the raft.  They were joking that if they could not hear me that means that I had most likely drowned.  About halfway thru, I got to boogie board down a class 4 rapid.  The board was strapped to my arm, I had fins on, my helmet was on and a life vest.  It was something that I never need to do again but that I recommend everyone doing once in their lifetime.  It was crazy and the rapids were huge when you were in them!  Mom - I think you would really like the boogie boarding as I can see you in Costa Rica while we were surfing!!  Another scary part of the Zambezi River is the crocs just sitting on the side of the river.  Seeing and knowing they are all around is just crazy as we were able to jump out and swimming around.  At the end, we were running down a sand hill and jumping into the river.  I got running a little to fast and ended up face planting into the river...I think it is on video.  My entire body is sore from rafting and my knee got a little bruised up but completely worth it!! 

Today (Nov. 16th), we are headed to Livingstone Island for high tea and jumping into Devils Pool!!

Week Six in Africa (Nov 8th)

On November 4th, we crossed the border into Malawi. The country side was beautiful with the mountains. Then, you see Lake Malawi to east and it is awesome. The lake is super blue and looks just like you are driving along a beach coast line. The landscape reminded me a lot of Uganda.

Our first stop was at a camp site right on the lake. It was a beautiful site and the wind was blowing which was nice to cool us off. It gets a bit hot on the truck when the AC gets turned off (aka we have stopped moving because there is not AC anywhere in Africa!). We have to always cover up outside the campsites since we are white and don't want to stand out more than we already do and there are a lot of Muslims. We set up camp and played some volleyball. Even Henry, our driver, played for a bit. That night, I started to feel bad. I am pretty sure with a fever as I went to bed with about 10 clothing items and woke up with two on with the rain fly was off the tent. I woke up with a killer head ache but took two Advil and by lunch was feel better.

We stopped in Mzuzu, Malawi to buy dinners for three nights and to pick out clothing for our party that would be later in the week. The catch is that the clothing was for whoever we had drawn from the hat and the clothing options were like going to a goodwill store, chopping all the clothing into half, sewing random pieces back together, and adding tails to some of them! The best part is that they were good salesman trying to get rid of this wonderful clothing. I got Bob (yes, my 57 year old cooking partner from the blog before!) to dress for the night.

Our second camp site in Malawi was in Kande Beach. We set up camp and went for swim. The lake is fresh water and super refreshing. Instead of being worried about sharks and jellyfish, you have to worry about crocs and hippos! Jordan and I set up a scuba dive for the morning. That night, I was doing dishes and had to stop and run to the bathroom. After that, the sickness was back and I was straight to bed.

The next morning with a horrible headache and not going to miss my first fresh water dive, we headed to the dive shop. We jumped in for a 50 minute dive around an island. The rock formations were awesome but nothing compared to a reef. We saw tons of ciclied fish, fish that we will most likely never see unless we are next to a super cool aquarium. We have tons of pics because we paid $5 for them to follow us with a camera. We also got to see a boat, canoe and car. Not sure how the car got out there. It was a very nice dive. I headed back and a laid on a sofa next to the water from about 10:30 AM until 4 PM only getting up to go potty as I thought my head was going to explode. I even took my prescription super strong advil that the doctor gave me....that did not work. I missed cooking dinner as I don't think anyone wanted me touching food. We exchanged outfits and Bob got to wear pink pants that had a men's tie as the tie to keep them on, an old man pj silk shirt that he was to tie up. Don't worry, he also had me and I had to wear tights with a tutu attached, a flower shirt and two matching flower arm accessories (the ends of the shirt cut off). I was looking hot but it was a lot of effort to get dressed so I just laid on a mat for a few minutes before calling it a night. Everyone in the group looked great and the trashcan punch smelled good! The night was good minus the 9 PM run, like race run, not sure I am going to make it run from the tent to the bathroom. I am not even sure if I had my head lamp or glasses as I ran thru the sand but I made it and did not have to return until about 4:30 AM!

The next morning I was feeling much better, thank goodness! I watched the sun rise, spent the day laying on the beach, had lunch at the cafe, and went back to the beach for a swim. That evening, we headed into a local village where we had a local dinner in between two homes. It was hot so we sat outside on the ground. Two huge spider bugs went by and we all screamed like little girls so I know the locals were loving that. We had rice, beans, veggies, sweet potato soup and their local bread. It was all good minus the local bread. Then, the kids did their local dances for us. We got to join in and it was turned out to be a great night in the local village. The kids got to have all our left overs once we were gone which made us all happy.

Today is November 8th and we have drove to Lilongwe, Malawi to pick up two more people. We are staying a camp site that finally has Internet that is affordable so got to update a few things! Also, I am under budget as a whole for the trip so excited about that and looking forward to the many activities Zambia has to offer!

Over a month in Africa (Nov 4th Update)

I am still traveling and loving it.  We have done so much since I last updated as I have been in Africa for over a month now.  I am still getting use to the African toilets (toilet bowls in the ground with foot steps and no toilet paper!) and converting prices to American prices (maybe if I did not switch countries and conversion rates every two weeks or so, it would be easier!).  I am totally comfortable in the truck and it is such a great way to travel thru Africa.  We get to leave everything on the truck and all our valuables are in a very safe place.  I am going to miss having a place for everything when we head to southeast Asia.

Here is where I have been the past few weeks.  On October 18th, we headed to Maasai Mara National Reserve.  The road was horrible getting into the park and the truck was super loud.  I put in ear plugs it was so loud.  The wildlife and park was amazing.  We got to see lions that were making babies, a baby elephant running to his mother (the cutest thing ever), wart hogs running with their tails up just like in the Lion King, a lion eating her lunch, zebras, gazelles, buffalo, the wildebeest that were migrating, giraffe, two cheetahs and so much more.  The rain clouds were coming in and made for some awesome pictures.  I was amazed at how close we were to all these animals.  My heart was beating fast as we were only 5' from two lions and our driver was like don't hang out the windows!  On the way back from the second day in the park, we went to a Maasai Village to see how the local tribes live.  It was very interesting!  The performed two dances for us, we got to see them start their fires and a tour of one of their homes.  The homes entrance includes a pin for the baby cows, a cooking area in between two beds (one for the parents and one for the kids under 10) and the home is made from cow dung.  The cows are their money and it cost 10 cows for a young man to marry a lady in another village.  (Gavin - Better start saving/buying cows!!)  The kids move out when they are 10 to live in the children's home.  I told you very interesting and a different life!

We stayed two nights in Nairobi, Kenya and our group grew to 12 people (1 German, 7 British, 1 Australian, and us 3 Americans).  In Nairobi, we went to a mall and got to go to the market and shop.  I got a painting but don't know how it will look by the time I get it home. We just relaxed and washed clothes as we had been on the road for a while.  I missed my cousin, Frank's, wedding but was able to see photos and talk to my family on skype. And now I have a new girl cousin!  

On October 22, we headed to Arusha, Tanzania.  The Americans had to pay $100 to get in while everyone else was only charged $50.  Got to love that!  We stayed in Arusha for a night before going on a tour of the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater in a 6 person land cruiser.  The tour was not cheep but included transportation, food and campsites for the two nights.  It was a lot of driving but we crossed the Serengeti plains and around the crater to start an afternoon night game drive.  I spotted a leopard climbing out of a tree and got an amazing picture of him in the tree.  I was also super pumped about spotting him! We also got to see a second one in a nearby tree so we were pretty lucky.  Now, I have seen the big five in Africa (lion, leopard, elephant, Buffalo, elephant and rhino!!).  We also got to see the serval cat along with many other animals.  We slept in the bush and Jordan said the hyenas were very close to the campsite.  I slept right thru their laughing!  The next morning, we continued to game drive.  We found a mother cheetah with her three cubs.  It was so great!  We packed up camp and headed back to the crater.  Our campsite at the crater was right on the edge of the crater.  And an elephant decided she would walk right in front of our campsites and even stop to eat our popcorn snack.  She enjoyed the popcorn and the table was flipped over when she was finished.  Again, how close we were and she was to our tents was out of the world.  I am pretty sure I was holding Jordan's hand and ready to run at any minute!!  We spent the next day on a game drive thru the crater.  It was beautiful to be inside of a volcanic crater with so many wild animals.  I thought I was going to see my first animal kill but the lion was just trying to get the zebras to move (at least I think).  It was still a site to see and I got it on video but don't think it will make the next animal planet!  The tour was awesome although very dusty and made for some long days.

We headed back to Arusha for a night before headed south in Tanzania to Dar es Salaam on the Indian Ocean.  My friend and I got to see the tanzanite at the Heritage Museum.  Anne - I would have gotten you a stone but I would have had to end the trip as the bank account would be empty and I would be in debt!  We drove by Mountain Kilimanjaro and could even make out the top when the clouds finally parted.  The famous shirts here say those who can not climb Kilimanjaro, drink it (the Kilimanjaro beer)!!  We stayed one night along the way at a little campsite and then woke up to continue into Dar es Salaam.  We had been warned that it was a dangerous city and we were not to leave the campsite.  I got to skype with my mom, dad and Bella and Gavin so it was nice as I was starting to miss home a little. We did get to see the sunset and rise over the Indian Ocean.  I never thought I liked sunrises as they are so early and I don't really love mornings.  But this sun rise was wonderful!

On October 27, we headed on a 2.5 hour ferry ride over to Zanzibar Island.  First we took a tuk tuk (three wheel motor bike) over to the ferry entrance.  It was a very fun ride.  When we arrived, we had a guide who took us to a local restaurant and on a spice tour on a private farm.  I learned so much about spices and got to try many fruits that I have never even heard of.  Cinnamon is a tree and iodine comes out of the bark of a tree...at least that is what I was told!  We then headed to the north side of the island where we would stay for the next three nights.  We shared a room with Sarah, our German friend, so it came to $15 a night including breakfast.  I was most excited about sleeping in a bed and not a mat of the ground.  The shower was salt water but it was easy to get use to.  I ruined my only raiser that I packed and thought would last me three months.  I had to jump in the ocean as soon as I could so we headed down to the ocean as soon as we were checked in.  The water was warm, clear and the sunset was beautiful.  The first day we just hung out on the beach.  We bought coconuts and a bottle of rum just to enjoy the beach a little more.  We also played a game of beach volleyball...yes, my team won!!  Nothing to crazy as that afternoon, Jordan and I took a dive refresher course around 4 PM.  I had an amazing tuna dinner that evening and it was a very nice change to the camping dinners we had been having.

Jordan and I went on two dives next to a local island.  The first dive went great and we got to see two sea turtles, lion fish, ghost pipe fish (very rare...maybe) and the beautiful purplish coral.  Our dive was about 50 minutes long.  The second dive was good also with lots of the same things but 4 more sea turtles.  The sea turtles are my favorite!  My BCD vest keep filling with air/water and I was having to release air the entire time and I could not stop floating up.  I finally told the dive master and he had to disconnect my air to the vest.  I was a little nervous but everything was fine and it was a great dive.  Our dive boat was very much like a pirate boat so Jordan and I made pirate jokes the entire time.  My name was peg leg and Jordan's was captain hook!  I think the other divers were thankful that you cannot talk underwater.  We spent the next day on the beach.  In the mornings, the tide was super low so we could walk out to see all the sea urchins and tons of starfish.  I have never seen so many starfish in one place and with so much color.  The tide came in later and the water was amazing.  At lunch time, I even found a whole silver dollar.  I was super excited and hope it makes it the next 5 months without breaking.  One the way back to the ferry, we stopped in Stone Town for some shopping and lunch.  It reminded me of a European town with its old architecture.  It was hot walking around but nice to see the city.  We headed back to Dar es Salaam and the truck.  We had changed campsites due to the riots next to our first campsite.  We also found out today (Nov. 4th) that the next group will not be going to Zanzibar because of the riots on the island.  Glad we are always moving!

We have been on the road the past two days and I have already read so many books that I am going to run out of books on my kindle.  We have been crossing Tanzania and today will cross the border into Malawi.  Bob and I cooked dinner last night.   Bob and his wife are retired and from England.  We get cooking groups, we shop, cook and some nights have to do the dishes.  I don't really like cooking so it was pretty funny.  And cooking by candle light and my head lamp was an adventure.  Luckily, everyone was so hungry they ate the rice, veggies and kinda a fried chicken (did not turn out like I had planned)!  Finally, the generator came on and we had lights for dinner.  We also had a few locals walk in the see what we were doing.  Henry, our guide, told us that they think white people cannot cook and have cooks that do it for them.  Very interesting! 

Second Week in Uganda and Back to Kenya

It has been another great week in Africa and the days are just flying by.  I cannot believe we got here over two weeks ago.   

On October 9th, Liz and I rode a motor bike into town with a local.  It was a little scary considering the roads here are more like a dirt road out in the Texas country side - like going to Aunt Peggy's house.  The local (Charles) drove, I was in the middle and Liz rode in the back as I held on to her the entire time!!  We went into town to buy dinner and got to walk around the town of Jinja, Uganda for a few hours.  The drive to and from town was the best part!  In the evening, we went on the Source of Nile boat tour.  We headed up the Nile River.  The Nile River water is 70% from Lake Victoria and 30% from natural springs.  The Nile River is the longest river in the World.  The birds, lizards, eagles and plants were all amazing.  And we got to drink a Nile beer as we went along!  The next day I was spotted two otters swimming below our camp site!

The next day, Jordan and I volunteered with Soft Power Education.  We first visited some of their classrooms and then headed to a larger school (about 1,075 children).  At the larger school, we painted two classrooms, had a local lunch and got to hang out with some of the children.  They loved for us to take pictures of them and then show them the pictures.  It was not easy work but a great day.  On the way home, it started to rain and we all crammed into a little single cab truck.  I sat on Jordan's lap and remember that the roads are not really roads here!!  I am glad she still likes me!!

Our adventure continued with crossing back into Kenya and staying another night at the camp site in El Doret.  It rained but we had fun cooking and having a Tusker, the local beer.  The next morning, we headed to a camp site located right outside of Nakuru, Kenya.  It is located within a conservatory so there is a 10' electrical fence all around the site and you are not to leave without a guide.  Just a little freaky!! We spent the next day washing clothes by hand or trying to wash clothes.  Henry, our guide, picked up two more girls and we are now traveling on the overland truck (it is a truck not a bus and Henry hates when you call it a bus). 

On October 14th, we headed to Lake Nakuru National Park.  It was AMAZING!!!  We were so lucky to spot so many wild animals.  Hats off to our driver!!  I have the most wonderful photos of baboons, monkey, flamingos, white and black rhinos (and a baby rhino), 6 female lions and 1 male lion, pelicans, hippos, gazelle, jackals, buffalo, water buck, wart hogs, impalas, guinea hens, blue starling and super starling birds....I think that is all!!!  Again, we really lucked out and had a amazing first safari trip!!! 

Today, we drove to Lake Naivasha and are going to stay a few nights here.  It is still raining every afternoon so that is a bit of a bummer.  This evening, we headed to Elsamere, once the home of Joy Adamson and Elsa, the lion that Born Free was written about.  It is also a film.  We watched a video of Joy's life and enjoyed tea and sweets in her garden on the Lake. 

The Internet here is slow to post photos so everyone might just have to wait until the scrapbooks are made!!!  We have many more adventures ahead and I am looking forward to so many of them!!  It is a bit hard to keep with my budget because I just want to see and do everything possible. 

First Week in Kenya and Uganda

What an amazing first week in Kenya and Uganda!!  We have done so much already and I am loving traveling, cooking and camping!  Jordan, Liz and I have figured out how to put the tent up and down as fast as possible.  We have been getting our $12 to buy dinner and breakfast everyday and eating great.   

We arrived in Nairobi, Kenya on September 28th and spent the first few nights at Karen's Camp.  From the camp, we walked to a few shops where the African women made crafts out of beads and old flip flops (Ryan reminded me of my Christmas gift last year).  We also went to Sheldrick's Elephant Orphanage where we pet and watched the baby elephants eat and play.  They were so cute!  After the elephants, we headed to the Langata Giraffe Center where I got to feed a giraffe from my hand. 

The first day of our tour was October 1st but we were the only three girls to sign up for the first two weeks.  So we took off in a Land Rover with our guide, Henry.  The wildlife on the sides of the road are amazing!  We drove by zebras, cows, sheep and goats on a drive to ElDoret, Kenya for the night.

In the morning, we continued to Uganda.  We crossed the border with no problems :)  Wild baboons were playing on the side of the roads and we stopped to take pictures (Gavin - Henry stops whenever we want too)! Our night stop was in Jinja, Uganda which has a huge deck that over looks the Nile River.  They were also giving away free beers which is always nice for a budget traveler!

On our way to Lake Nabugabo, we drove thru Kampala, Uganda.  We wanted to go fishing instead of shopping.  The water was to rough so we could not fish.  So I made fishing poles from my survival kit with wooden spoons and fished from the shore (Brendon - you would have been proud!).  We did not catch anything but made for a fun adventure! 

Our next stop was Lake Bunyonyi where we rented a canoe and got flipped by another tour group - it was actually nice to get into the water!  We went to a local orphanage called Little Angles where we went to class with them and played with them after class (Amber - they all have your haircut!).  They were amazing little kids and just wanted to braid our hair.  It was great to hang out with them for the afternoon!! This is also where I de-boned my first whole chicken.  Yes, I am going to be able to cook when I get home after this trip!!

The next drive was not so fun.  The twisted roads got me a little car sick on the way.  We got to see three countries on one turn (Uganda, Rwanda and DRC).  We stayed two nights in Kisoro, Uganda.  At 6 AM on October 6th, we headed to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to go gorilla trekking.....AMAZING!!!   After 4 hours hiking, we found the family of three (large silver back, mom and an 8 month old baby boy).  It was awesome to see them in the wild and follow them as they started to move! We were only a few feet from them which was scary but wonderful!  It was a long hike back as a wild elephant was on our path.  My heart was beating fast as we could have gotten trampled by a wild elephant at any minute.  The guides AK47 gun was out and he was ready to use it to scare the elephant off.  The adventure was worth every minute to experience the gorillas and the rain forest!  

We drove back to Lake Bunyonyi and Jinja the next few days.  We are staying in Jinja for a few nights which means we get to keep the tent up and don't have so much to do in the mornings.  Our plan is to have a boat tour of the source of the Nile River and go volunteer at a school painting before headed back to Kenya where we will switch to an overland truck and pick up two more travelers. 

I am having a blast so far and cannot believe that I get to do this for the next 6 months of my life!! Dreams really do come true!!!!

Trip to Banff National Park

From September 14th to September 16th, Gavin and I visited Banff National Park, Lake Moraine and Lake Louise.  The views were amazing and the hikes was beautiful.  It was a little cold in the mornings (2*C)!  Here are some photos from the trip!  

The Plan

The travel plan is somewhat planned out!  After leaving my company of five years, giving my brother all responsibilities of my house and having my dad babysit my awesome 4 year old dalmatian, Bella, I flew to Edmonton, Canada yesterday to spend 10 days with my boyfriend, Gavin.  After my 10 days in Canada, I fly home to Houston for a three day stay before leaving on a three month tour of Africa and another three months or so in Southeast Asia, maybe China and maybe Australia.  I will be traveling with one of my best friends from college, Jordan and one of her friends, Liz!

In Africa, we will be on a 77 day camping tour with a company called African Trails.  On the tour, we will pass thru all the highlights from Kenya down to South Africa!  We have booked the tour, hostel for the first three nights before the tour and a cab pick up!  Here is the link to all the details of the tour - http://www.africantrails.co.uk/tour/gorillas-to-cape-town-joburg 

We have also booked a flight from Johannesburg, South Africa to Hanoi, Vietnam for December 19, 2012.  On December 20, 2012, Gavin will be joining me in traveling thru Vietnam for about two weeks!!
   
Everything in life has worked out perfectly to make this dream of traveling the World come true and I am looking forward to every minute of it!  Before heading to Canada, I took a few pictures of my supplies for this adventure.  I know they will not all fit in my backpack but a good start to packing!