Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Africa

Let’s Go Malawi …

Back on the road taking in a new country, we headed to Lake Malawi for the first of two campgrounds on the lake.  The scenery coming up to the lake was quite stunning and our campsite happened to be right on the sand.  The lake itself is called the ‘calendar lake’ because it’s 365 miles long and 52 miles wide and provides food and work for the many impoverished Malawians. 

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in all of Africa and it is sadly, extremely obvious.  There are next to no cars on the roads as they are simply unaffordable, the grocery stores carry very little food and next to no fresh fruit or vegetables.  The people selling wares are so desperate for clothes that they would rather trade than have you pay in cash, as clothing and shoes are next to impossible to purchase.  But through all of their difficulties and hardships they are happy and smiling people.  Here more than almost any other country we’ve been to thus far, the kids, young and old come running to wave at us in the truck or simply to have a chat and ask us where we are from.  It is amazing to see such warmth in the face of such adversity.

Over the course of the next few days we recovered from the two and a half day drive by reading and taking walks on the beach… while we weren’t shopping that is.  Malawi is home to some of the most amazing wood carvings and art works and have been made famous by the two piece Malawi Chairs that nearly every tourist brings home.  We managed to escape without a chair but we still have a rather large supply of other goods that we’re eager to display our house once we come back home.  Stijn also managed to make friends with a local scorpion that we found in our tent and kept in a bottle for the remainder of our time.  He’s seems to have really taken to the nastier side of nature by collecting all kinds of critters.  Luckily for me… or him depending on how you look at it… they stay outside the tent once they’ve been discovered.  After this latest discovery, I immediately covered the entire tent in bug spray.  Scorpions behind us, art work and souvenirs in hand we packed up camp and headed to the other side of the lake to Candy Beach where we would call home for the next three days. 

Candy Beach is one of the busier campgrounds we’ve seen thus far and tends to be a meeting point for many of the overland trucks.  Luckily for us it wasn’t as crowded as it will get in a few weeks and we were able to relax in the sun and savour some more beach time.  Stijn and I made use of our free time by sailing a catamaran a couple of times among other things, and on one particular windy morning had one serious ‘oh shit’ moment!  We caught the wind but it was so strong that we weren’t able to steer and ended up having to lean out really hard to prevent the boat from tipping.  I was scared but Stijn was having the time of his life and once we got back on to dry land, I was pretty happy we pushed it just far enough!  Even the local guides were really impressed with our sailing abilities… or shall we say luck!

That night we had a ‘bad taste night’ where we drew names out of a hat and bought the worst clothes we could find for the person for under $10… and it was UGLY!  Everyone was literally on the edge of their seats and hoping that each and every ugly outfit wasn’t theirs… but eventually you get as good as you gave and Stijn ended up in an overly tight lycra onesie complete with silk pyjama pants that had to be worn under the onesie, and a zebra print bolero to pull the whole look together!  I was a real stunner in a pastel pink ball room dancing dress complete with faux lace which exposed just about everything.  Luckily I managed to sneak a tank top underneath while no one was looking and it was a good thing I did!  But revenge is sweet and I was quite happy when I pulled out our tour leader’s name and quickly went to work putting together the best drag outfit I could muster up.  The final result was an 80’s bathing suit complete with a black fringe skirt and an Egyptian-esque head piece.  I had initially bought shoes as well but they weren’t quite his size so I turned them in to my ballroom slippers!

Once the outfits were on and everyone was in character we dove into the punch we made in one of our very large coolers and just about every kind of alcohol that could be found was added, many of which were local spirits that I couldn’t name if I tried.  After the juice and fruit was added it was nearly tolerable, none the less it didn’t take long for the dancing to start and the party to get rolling!  One newly-wed couple even graced us with their rendition of the epic scene from Dirty Dancing- it was mildly entertaining to say the least!

The next morning people stirred slowly and we took the rest of the day to recover.  We read books in hammocks and strolled on the beach and before we knew it, it was time to once again move on to our next destination.

Let’s Go Zambia…  Crossing over to Zambia we were all rested and ready for more activities.  Zambia is home to the Seventh Wonder of the World… Victoria Falls and as such there are lots of water related activities to keep yourself busy.  When we arrived at our campground we were shown a DVD of all the various things to see and do and despite deciding not to go rafting again, our minds were quickly changed and before we knew it we were signed up and ready to go!

The Zambeze River is one of the best rafting rivers in the world and for good reason.  There is more than 26 rapids in just over 30 km and all but one and commercially raftable.  Unlike the Nile River, the Zambeze is water level dependent, meaning that you can only raft it at certain times of the year but luckily our timing couldn’t have been better as we couldn’t have had a better time.  All 26 rapids were a lot of fun and while we still tipped once or twice, the rapids weren’t scary and we were never held under water.  Stijn even managed to river board a class V rapid, which basically means that he held onto a boogie board and headed straight in!  I drew the line there and by the look of terror in his eyes, I’m glad I did! 

The scenery was like no other river we’ve rafted and was almost entirely in a deep canyon carved through the granite stone over millions of years.  The river had a constant flow which meant that there were next to no flat water areas but plenty of areas where we could float down the river and occasionally get twisted around in a whirlpool.  When the rafting was over we were treated to an amazing lunch and then lifted out of the gorge by a cable car.

The next excursion would be one to remember… we literally jumped into a natural pool right on the edge of Victoria Falls where the water plummets over a thousand feet into the Zambezi River.  The only thing stopping you from going over is a guide who walks along the very edge just behind you to ‘catch’ you if you get swept away- luckily for me I didn’t learn about the fate of the last guide until after we were out of the water! 

In order to get to what’s called Devil’s Pool, located on Livingston Island, you have to take a jet boat from the five star hotel.  From there you have stunning views of the falls before jumping into the water to swim through the current heading over the falls to get to the Devil Pool itself.  You quite literally have to swim completely upstream in order to compensate for the strong current pulling the water over the falls in order to make it across. 

When I first saw the natural pool the idea of jumping in so close the edge of the waterfall seemed completely ludicrous but once they explained where to jump it seemed like a great idea and I was literally the fourth person in!  We all jumped in and posed for the camera and then quickly swam to the edge of the natural pool and hung on for dear life.  What an amazing experience!

After we had been pulled to safety and negotiated our way through the currents and back on to dry land, we were treated to an amazing outdoor meal overlooking the falls.  The camp food has been great but it sure was nice to taste a bit of luxury again and we enjoyed every bite.  Eggs benedict, muffins, scones, tea, coffee and juice made an amazing end to an amazing morning… what a treat!

Let’s Go Zimbabwe… After our adventurous morning it was time to get back on the truck but only for a little while as we were crossing over to the Zimbabwe side of the falls.  A bridge high over the falls quite literally divides the two countries but both have access to the amazing site.  As we made our way to the border we were surprised with the most random of celebrity sightings… wait for it… David Hasselhoff just happened to be crossing over the border at the same time as we were and once we got over the strangeness of it all we managed to get him to pose for a few photos.  He was surprisingly thin, very tall and clearly had a lot of ‘work’ done but he was a great sport and our tour has since called itself the ‘We Hassled the Hoff Tour’!

That night we went to a game meat restaurant where all of the lovely animals that we’ve seen since our time started here in Africa were on the menu… well some of them at least!  Stijn was delighted by the wart hog, kudu (an Antelope) and Ostrich but was less delighted by the crocodile tail.  I was happy to feast on local fish and vegetables!  We also had some great South African wine- the only problem is that it was room temperature but seeing as that was only slightly below 30 degrees, we had to put it on ice!

The whole restaurant was designed like a local village and every guest was given a traditional African cloth to wear for the night.  We were also treated to drumming lessons which had the entire  restaurant drumming a beat (not an easy feat I assure you), face painting and even fortune telling by traditional medicine men.  I couldn’t resist having our fortune told so Stijn and I made our way into his hut and were delighted by how good our fortune was!  All the nut shells and bones appear to be on our side! 

The next day, though we had already lost a few members of our group, there was still enough of us to head to the Victoria Falls Hotel for tea time and cocktails.  It just happened to be the hotel that the Hoff was staying at but despite our best hopes, we were unable to locate him this time, but not for a lack of trying! The hotel is a traditional British hotel built more than a hundred years ago and while it has aged, its original elegance isn’t hard to see.  The grounds have a fantastic view of the falls and provided a perfect backdrop for our proper English tea, complete with scones and finger sandwiches!  They also had an astonishing array of delicious cocktails that didn’t go un-tested by our group.  I only needed to have to have one margarita to find out just how strong they were… my body was mush after only one drink and for only $5!  I’m not sure how they managed but the rest of the group had four or five each and despite the toxicity, we didn’t have to roll anyone out! 

The next day it was time to say goodbye to the majority of our tour group as some people were finished their tour while others were making their way to Capetown via Botswana, while we head to Johannesburg via Mozambique.  The last four weeks, or in some cases six, with this group has been amazing and we will certainly miss a lot of faces.  It’s always hard to say good bye but with any luck we will cross paths again at some point.

As we met our new group, made up of only six, we were delighted to pick up two Canadian sisters from London, Ontario.  We are finally not outnumbered by Australians, a fact which has not gone unnoticed by the two remaining Aussies.  The next two weeks will hopefully be a continuation of the amazing time we are having so far in Africa!

The next morning we loaded up onto our new truck and headed for Matopos National Park where we started our day by jumping out of the safari vehicle and dipping under the fence in search of rhinos.  We were a little taken a back when the guide got out his loaded rifle and began giving us the instructions in case a rhino, or any other wild animal in the park, charged us.  Walking safari’s are not for the faint of heart!  None the less we followed close behind our guide and while we didn’t find a rhino we saw lots of other animals and learned a lot about tracking.

After checking in another few spots for rhinos, we headed to a damn for our lunch where we continued to be fascinated by the level of knowledge our guide had.  He was a professional hunter before he turned guide and conservationist and every question we threw at him was answered with amazing detail and then some.  Our sad sight of the day was coming across a pile of rhino bones and while death is a part of life for rhinos and every other creature, this one met its untimely fate at the hands of a poacher.  Poaching continues to be a huge problem in all of Africa and despite shoot to kill orders, they are still running ramped.  Rhinos are hunted for their horns which are worth more than gold, literally, and are grinded down and used in traditional Chinese medicine.  The evidence of this kill was easy to spot as the skull literally had axe marks on the top of its head where the horn had been dug out and ripped from the rhinos head.  It’s so sad that these majestic animals are being hunted to the point where their populations are dwindling faster than they can reproduce but as the demand for their body parts continues, there is no sign of the poaching stopping.  The story is echoed for so many of Africa’s most amazing animals.

After lunch we were taken to a cave where the famous San people (the nomadic tribe famous for their tongue-clicking language) had left rock paintings some seven thousand years ago.  We were stunned with the level of detail of all of the animals but could only guess at the artworks meaning.   A little break from rhino tracking and it was time to give it a final effort and after returning to the same spot as we were at earlier that day and finding no new tracks, we tried a couple more spots before having to give up on account of the setting sun.  Though we weren’t successful in finding a rhino, we had an amazing time and were able to see lots and learn even more.

After a long day and a late night we were greeted back at camp with yet another amazing meal by our new guide and driver.  They always go out of their way to make my vegetarian meals special and I think Stijn is seriously considering skipping out on meat all together as my meals are always so delicious!  After dinner we went to bed early and got up at 5:30 a.m. to pack up camp and once again get back on the truck in search of our next destination.

Antelope Park is a private game reserve located near Gweru, Zimbabwe on over 3000 acres of savannah grassland.  The park is home to an innovative lion breeding program that seeks to help increase the rapidly declining African Lion population.  Research conducted in 2002 estimates an 80 to 90% decline in less than 30 years.  The park supports a four-stage rehabilitation and release into the wild programme developed in 1999.  The aim of the programme aims to build their lion population by graduating the lions through the four stages that mimic as closely as possible life in the wild.  Success for this project means the release of wild-born offspring from rehabilitated captive-bred lions. Each stage aims to teach the lions a particular skill and during our stay we got a chance to take part in a few of these stages. 

Our first of two nights at the park couldn’t have started better- after dinner we were treated to an amazing traditional dance routine that wowed us all.  The dancing represented the influence that nature has on the local Zimbabwean culture and we couldn’t have been more impressed.  Later that night we were awaken by the massive roars of the lions… there are no words to explain just how magical that sound is, there is truly nothing like it.  They sound as if they’re mere meters away but in truth the lions were over 3 km away.  This massive sound serves to mark one prides territory and to let other prides not to enter it.  We were mesmerized the majority of the night and didn’t mind a bit that we got very little sleep!

   A few hours later we were up and eager to start our activity filled day… first on our list was a morning walk with the lion cubs.  There were two lions that we walked with, both of them only seven months old but by no means small.  While they might act like baby cats there claws are already sharp and can do serious damage.  We were all given sticks to act as a distraction should a lion want to play with a limb or two!  While we were walking we were able to hold onto their tales and pet them when they laid down for a rest.  It was so incredible to be so close to these amazing animals and watch as they played with each other.  This part of the program is only done with stage 1 lions and is intended to allow the animals to play together as this is how they learn their much needed hunting tactics and luckily for us, we just get to come along for the ride. With plenty of photos snapped it was time for us to return the lions to their home and for us to our next activity.

Stijn and I were taken on a private safari of the park on horseback.  Though we’ve done a number of safari’s at this point the special thing about doing one on horses is just how close the animals allow you to get.  We were literally a few feet from herds of wildebeests, zebra, antelope and giraffes-it was pretty amazing.  These animals are brought into the park in order to teach the older lions in stage 2 to hunt and will serve as prey when they are released at night.  Despite having rather difficult trail horses who couldn’t do much but follow, we still had a great time and it was really nice to have just the two of us with the guide.  What a special experience.

When we got back to camp from the horseback safari it was time to go and see a lion feed.  These lions are full grown and by no means cubs.  We were brought to the lion enclosure and were on one side of a wire fence with a mix of animal parts right in front of us.  They release four lions and they literally charge right at us and at the moment where four massive, hungry lions come a charging… there doesn’t seem to be any fence strong enough to protect you.  Luckily for us it held and the lions immediately started devouring the animal and claiming chunks for themselves.  While feeding the lions is obviously important, the real reason for this form of feeding is to determine the dominant males.  The lions who quickly grab a piece of meat and run off are non-dominant males as they are not willing to fight to protect their food while the dominant males will quite literally lay on as much meat as possible and stay right at the kill sight, willing to fight any creature that wants to challenge it for its meal.  The dominant males are then used for breeding to ensure the strongest genes are passed onto the cubs.

It was a stunning thing to see so close and though I thought I was got to lose all control of bodily functions as the lions charged at us full speed and stopped less than 3 feet in front of us, I can definitely say there is nothing like it.  No amount of National Geographic can give you that feeling!  After the feeding it was time to head back for lunch and relax for a few hours before we headed out on our night encounter where we would drive alongside three fully grown lions in an open back vehicle in search of a kill. 

Approaching the lion enclosure we could hear all 90 or so lions making us well aware of their presence.  A handler selected three of the best hunters to take out to feed and within minutes we were off on the hunt.  Because it was night time it took a while before we were able to tell where the lions were but we were very often reminded just how close they were when they would dart by our truck in search of dinner.  The guide had a red spot light that he uses to try and spot the eyes of prey animals and show the lions where they are.  Once a prey animal is located the guide holds the light in a way so that the eyes reflect and before you know it the lions are off.  They attempt to surround the animal and drive it in one direction to be taken down.  Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who you route for, we didn’t see a kill but we were delighted with five amazing chases.  We couldn’t have been happier with our experience hunting with the lions despite the lack of a kill.  After the fifth attempt the lions were growing tired and it was time to take them back to the enclosure for their meal since they were unsuccessful in catching their own.  We too had to return for dinner but it was already ten at night so it was a quick bite before bed and sadly time for us to leave this amazing place. 

We have heard rumours about the park that they are breeding the lions for the purpose of tourist rather than breeding and releasing them into the wild, and of course there’s no way to be sure but from what we’ve seen the park appears to be an innovative pilot project in search of answers for a troubling problem.  The process itself is a long one but hopefully over time the lion population here in Africa will receive a little help because of the great work and dedication of the people of Antelope Park.  Tomorrow we are up at 5 a.m. in order to make the two day drive over the border into Mozambique.

Let’s Go Mozambique…  The drive into Mozambique would prove to be a long one but not without its stories.  A civil war lasting from 1975- 1992 means that our bush pees en-route have to be well planned out as there are active landmines scattered throughout the country.  Not only do you have to be weary of land mines but also of very dangerous snakes such as the deadly Black Mamba.  Hearing this was enough to make me want to pee on the truck tires or just hold it all together but luckily we managed to arrive on the coastal town of Velanculos without incident and we are once again at the beach.  Even though we’ve seen a lot of beaches on our trip, they are always a welcomed treat. We spent the next two days lazing around the beach and enjoying what is likely to be our last bit of sun for a long time!

Let’s Go South Africa… Our next and final stop of the trip was Kruger National Park in South Africa.  This park was much different than the other wildlife parks that we’ve visited.  There was far more traffic and people and full on campgrounds complete with gift shops and all kinds of luxuries that we haven’t had at the other parks.  On one hand it was nice to have the amenities but to be honest it is pretty hard to beat wild camping in the Serengeti or the Masai Mara.

On the way in and the way out, we did a few game drives but we had to do them in our big touring truck and therefore had to stay on the main roads which meant that our animal sightings were limited.  We had high hopes for Kruger National Park but after so many amazing parks already behind us, it just wasn’t quite able to compete.  Regardless, it’s always amazing to be able to see animals in the wild and no matter the setting, it never gets old.

As we wrap up our tour in Africa we couldn’t be happier about our time on this amazing continent.  So much of what we’ve seen has been beyond words and nearly impossible to explain to those who haven’t been.  Africa is a place that gets into your blood and stays with you long after you’ve left its shores.  The people that we’ve met, the sights that we’ve seen have truly been magical and have put a cherry on top of our once in a lifetime experience.  For the first time on this amazing journey we are truly speechless.

Let’s Go Holland… We are once again back in Holland but it seems somewhat bitter sweet.  It is at long last time for us to say goodbye to the special people that we have spent so much time with in Holland.  It’s indescribable for me just how at home I feel in this amazing country.  We have spent time with the people that I have before now only heard so much about and it is so amazing to finally put faces to the names.  Thank you so much to Albert, Inge, Martijn, Ben, Henriette, Daan, Miep, Willem, Noortje, Soetje, and Matts for making our time with all of you so special.  We really can’t thank you all enough for taking us into your families, making us feel so welcome and giving us a home while we were abroad.  We hope to repay the favour in the near future and as often as you all will grace us with your presence in Canada.  You are all, always welcome.

Let’s Go Canada… It is surreal to think that our trip is coming to a close and while it feels like it’s been so long, at times it feels just like yesterday when we were saying goodbye to our family and friends and heading to the airport.  There are so many things we expected that this journey would bring us and mostly we were looking forward to setting foot on those parts of the world that we had long since dreamed about.  What we didn’t expect was just how special home would become to us.  We are so blessed to have an amazing life in Canada, one surrounded by amazing people and an environment where we can set our limits and break any boundaries that we set our sights on.  We have learned even more just how lucky we are and we can’t wait to go home and be reunited with our loved ones.  We will truly cherish this past ten months for many years to come and couldn’t be happier about the investment we’ve made on ourselves and our dreams.

Last but not least I want to thank Stijn for being the only person who I could have made this journey with, the only person who could have taken it with me and the only person who would have loved every moment just as much as I did.  Thank you for being the person who made me laugh and appreciate even the less than ideal moments and the person who made the most amazing moments so much more special for being able to share them with you.  I am an extremely lucky girl and I can’t say enough how proud I am of us for making this opportunity and even more proud that we took it.  We did it babe and when it all sinks in and we look back on this amazing time in our life we are going to have years and years’ worth of smiles!  I love you and as always, I look forward to what’s next.

Tanzania, Africa

Let’s Go Tanzania …

Crossing over to Tanzania would be yet another long journey on our bus but of course with us travelling to over seven East and South African countries that can be expected.  Many of the borders that we’ve crossed thus far provide a very different and almost immediate change so even if there were no border you’d likely know you were somewhere else entirely anyway.  Leaving Kenya we left behind nearly any sense of greenery that was replaced with miles and miles of dust and brush.  Both Stijn and I felt like we had been mysteriously transported to Iraq or Afghanistan or somewhere equally desert-like but none the less quite beautiful if even for its stark contrast to many of the places we’ve been previously.

We arrived at a campground called ‘Snake Park’ and despite Stijn telling me repeatedly that it is only called this because there is a snake rehabilitation program and viewing area, I was however less than convinced and certain there must have been quite a number on the loose and far too close for comfort!  Stijn clearly didn’t feel the same way because before I knew it he had some sort of green snake around his neck!  After putting that creature back in its home and passing through the crocodile area which we
literally camped beside it was time for some local food.  The local women prepared what looked to be lovely roasted goat on a barbecue spit for the meat eaters and I enjoyed some amazing vegetables and salad with rice.  It’s been quite nice trying so much of the local food as often as we can even if mine is only three quarters of the usual meal!

The next morning Land Rovers came to the campsite to pick us up and take us out to Serengeti National Park.  The Serengeti was once a vast ocean but now more than a million years later it is a very dry and vast plain.  The park itself is over 27,000 square kilometers and is home to massive herds and packs of wild animals.  Unlike the Masai Mara there is not a lot of vegetation other than wild brush but there is a lot of rock formations that seem like island oasis’ in the middle of the dense plain.  Our crew consisted of two drivers as well as a cook and we all made the trek to the park to see what kind of wildlife we could observe and we weren’t disappointed.  Over the next two days we spent all day game driving where we saw just about everything you can hope to see in the amazing park and more.  Plenty of lions, cheetahs even the illusive leopards which are generally quite hard to find and we saw two… one of which was feeding on a Thompson Gazelle when we spotted it.  The leopards will actually drag their kills up into the trees to avoid having to share with other cats or fight to save their meal but I have to admit, it looks a bit shocking to see the legs of a gazelle hanging off a tree branch!

We saw many other amazing animals as well but the cats were the most amazing as they are harder to spot. The heard animals are literally everywhere in the park and while we were hoping to see a kill we weren’t disappointed by just how amazing and wild everything that we did see was!

Our evenings were spent in a wild camp inside the park without fences and amongst the hyenas, elephants and buffalo… or at least that’s what we saw.  We listened to the sounds of lions and hyenas and other animals but we were never really sure just how close they were.  Apparently lions and other predators pass through the camp quite regularly and our guide regaled us with a stories of freaked out campers and one when one of his groups was sitting around the fire and the lions came within mere feet of the group before carrying on.  One lady apparently wet herself and I think I would have done the same if that had been our experience but luckily we only had a few hyena’s and other animals come into camp to check us out while we were in our tents and relatively safe and even managed to have some amazing sleeps!

After five amazing game drives and two nights within the Serengeti we headed to the top of the Ngorogoro Crater where we would spend the night at another wild campground amongst the animals and one massive elephant in particular who came into the middle of our camp and decided to help himself to water from the water tank.  Our guide was quite good at keeping our group from getting too close as elephants can be extremely dangerous and much faster than one would expect, but other people seemed to think they were in a zoo and got very close eventually scaring the animal away but luckily without incident.  Our guide reminded all of us just how much respect needs to be given to these wild animals as they have had guests trampled to death in the past.

The next morning we were up early and made our way down the steep road into the crater. The Ngorogoro Crater was formed millions of years ago when the volcano imploded on itself and the vast crater floor dropped and a very special ecosystem was created.  The crater itself is 400 square kilometers and while most animals are able to get in very few are able to get back out causing very shallow gene pools and concern for some of the animals long term well- being.  None the less we were able to see more amazing animals up close including our first hippo that was out of the water.  Because of the altitude of the mountain, even the crater is much cooler than the plains of the nearby Serengeti which means the hippos don’t have to hide from the sun as much and are therefore much more active.  It was really neat to be able to see them grazing on land which they normally only do in the early morning or late evening.

After making our way back up the steep crater walls and back to camp for brunch we made the more than four hour drive back to meet up with our tour guide and driver.  We spent the night at Snake Park once again before making our way to Zanzibar for a few days of beach and relaxation.  We were quite taken aback when we reached our hotel- the first thing we saw through the lobby was the amazing turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.  Our little hotel was right on the beach and we all had private huts with nearly no other guests at the resort.  For the most part we could come and go as we pleased and even make our own drinks at the bar so we quickly settled in and made ourselves at home. 

The next morning Stijn and a couple of the other guys headed out early in search of some game fish for us to cook later that night.  Apparently the local fisherman hadn’t been catching too much in the recent weeks but luckily for us, they came back with a massive Wahoo fish which served as a beautiful meal for the whole group!  While the guys were busy fishing, the girls went to a national marine reserve for some snorkelling.  Sadly the water was a bit rough and the hour or more boat ride made the majority of us feel pretty queasy.    Once in the water it wasn’t much better as the waves were still quite large and we were all getting tossed around pretty badly.  I was only able to snorkel at the first site on account of the sea sickness but after a couple of motion sickness pills I wasn’t feeling too badly but they did make me pretty sleepy and both Stijn and I spent the majority of the rest of the day dozing in and out and until the barbequed fish was served up with a few cocktails… can’t get much more fresh or delicious than that! 

After yet another day of sunshine the following evening we were signed up for a booze cruise on the other side of the island to watch the sunset and of course have a few drinks.  Sadly Stijn was a bit under the weather and wasn’t able to make it this time but he enjoyed a quiet evening and even managed to get a pretty good internet connection so I think he was pretty happy.  Similar to the first cruise that we did on the Nile we had a beautiful boat but unlike the first time around there was no food and the drinks were far too strong or at least they were for a lot of the much younger tour members and before I knew it there was tears, vomit and the usual debauchery that seems to find 19 to early 20 somethings!  It proved to be fairly entertaining none the less and everyone was in bed before 9 p.m. once we arrived back at the resort!

This morning surprisingly everyone was feeling pretty good and after a nice breakfast we all packed up and took the bus into Stone Town, named after Livingston who almost single handedly brought down the slave trade in Zanzibar and in effect most of Africa as this island was the last stop for slaves before they were sold off and shipped to the rest of the world.  There is still a lot of evidence of the torture and disturbing conditions that these people were made to endure in the dungeons and memorials that litter this tiny island city.

Aside from the torture and torrid past Stone Town also offered some interesting markets including one particular meat and fish market where I nearly lost my lunch as I happened to look just as the cows head was getting a wood axe down the centre of it but sadly trying to escape all the smells and sounds that this offered, I ran right into the fish section which didn’t do much to rid my stomach of the urge to vomit.  The surprises weren’t over there as once outside there were a number of animal intestines as well as whole cow skins- I have to say I was much more at home in the spice and vegetable section of the market!

Tomorrow morning we will once again board a ferry back to mainland Tanzania and make our way over the next few days to Malawi.  Unfortunately late last night a ferry carrying over 700 locals to one of the other islands sunk and we were saddened to hear that over 350 are still missing and this morning over 150 people were confirmed dead.  It is yet another reminder of how difficult life can be for the people of Africa and just how different the standards for locals and tourists are.  While we easily sail from island to island on proper high speed ferries with no more than 200 or so people, this particular boat was stuffed to the brim with more than double its capacity and as a result hundreds of people have lost their lives.    This is a constant message in Africa and it is quite difficult to see just how hard life can be for the have-nots of this continent.  

Uganda and Kenya, Africa

Let’s go Gorilla Trekking … We happily arrived at the overlanders camp on Lake Bunyoyni all in one piece- I say this because on the last trip the truck nearly fell over a cliff and into the lake on the way up and all of the passengers had to jump out of the truck one at a time!  Luckily, this was not our experience!  The camp itself is set right on the lake and is one of the deepest lakes in all of Africa and perfect for swimming!  After a quick dip we made ourselves at home for the next few days before retiring early for what would be an early start and a long day.

Our trek started very early the next morning with our car arriving at 4:30 in the morning for the long and extremely bumpy drive to where our trek would begin.  The roads were treacherous all the way up and down several very narrow mountain roads, many of which had large mud puddles and even larger ruts from the big trucks making the trek up to the mountain-top villages.  Luckily for us we had a great little 4X4 vehicle and were able to negotiate all of the mud patches without too much difficulty with the more than four hour long drive provided stunning views the whole way up.  With the mud and a few stops for photo ops we arrived a little late and had actually missed the orientation.  It all worked out though as normally we would have trekked with a group of eight plus guides and trackers but in the end there was only us and one other couple.

As we headed the first of many steep ascends we were quickly reminded of just how many months we spent eating and drinking our way through Europe and other parts of the world!  We were amazed at just how quickly we went from terraced agricultural land and farms to lush, deep rain forest.  After the decent into the rain forest we started the first of many very steep trails up what would end up being four very difficult mountains in search of the Mubare family of gorillas.

The fourth mountain was an even more steep one than the previous three with a bit of a twist that we weren’t all that fond of… bush whacking sans a machete!  We were quite literally caught, cut, scraped and pricked with all kinds of sharp vines and thorns.  Once we made it to the top we stopped for a bite to eat while the guide went ahead to meet up with a few of the trackers to make sure the gorillas were in a good spot before we made our way down to see them.  The way it works is that the second you see one of the gorillas, your hour starts and you can only spend 60 minutes with them no matter how good or how poor the viewing is.  Luckily for us when we finally made our way down after four and a half hours of mountain climbing, bush whacking and sweating more than I have… I think ever… we made our way down to where the gorillas were.

The first thing we saw was the Silverback laying in the middle of the trail, stoking one of his female family members who was cuddling a tiny baby gorilla that was only about two weeks old.  It was absolutely stunning!  In total we were able to see 24 members of the Mubare family and nearly all of them were out on display and putting on quite a show for us.  As the gorillas moved down the trail we followed close behind and at one point two of the adolescent males starting beating their chest straight out of Godzilla and then one of them came rushing towards us.  We had been told that if this happened we would have to remain completely still… and we did… just barely!  As he charged us Stijn and I were right in front of his path but he stopped about a meter and a half from us and then began to pose for the camera!  It is indescribable to see these amazing primates in their natural habitat- they all seemed to have such vivid personalities and attitudes; some posed, some were shy while others played around and showed off for us!  It was if the second we saw them the previous four hours or so of the hardest climb we’ve ever made instantly melted away and we were elated to be able to be so close!

A couple of the gorillas got really close and one came right up to me just to make sure I wasn’t a threat and despite the VERY loud voice in my head telling me to run, I managed once again to stand still and he passed behind me and began playing with one of his siblings.  Sensing my uncertainty, Stijn then made his way over to me and put himself between me and the gorillas and just as he did so another one came running up and was grabbing on to the trees for leverage as he came closer he actually grabbed Stijn’s leg to propel himself past us- it was amazing!  Stijn was pretty excited that one touched him as they are allowed to touch you but not the other way around!  We had an amazing hour watching the gorillas interact and seeing just how human they are- we have 99.9% the same DNA as the gorillas and it’s absolutely apparent when you see them interacting so up close and personal. 

After our hour was up it was time to make the trek back out of the rain forest and back to the campground- luckily for us we were able to take a bit of a short cut out and were back at the car after only about an hour and a half of hiking.  We then headed out for the more than four hour drive back to meet up with the rest of our tour group and heard all about their experiences as well.

We arrived back at the campground shortly after 8:00 p.m. and had just enough energy to eat dinner and share some stories with some of the other trekkers.  By the sounds of it, we definitely had the hardest climb, some groups found their gorilla families within an hour, but our hard work was rewarded with a much larger group and much better sight lines than a lot of the other groups!  We couldn’t have been happier with our experience despite all the cuts, scrapes and sweat but our journey took a lot out of us and we made a quick exit and headed to bed!

Unfortunately Stijn woke up feeling under the weather and before long we were both suffering with bad stomachs, fevers and all kinds of bugs.  We spent the next two days at the amazing campsite resting and attempting to mend ourselves for the next leg of our journey!  Unfortunately this meant that we weren’t able to make the trip with the rest of the group to a local orphanage but we were happy to hear all of the great stories from the rest of the group.  Some people were so taken with the children, which I must admit happens quite easily, that they sponsored a child or in some cases two! 

Luckily we didn’t miss out on all the fun though as the last night at the camp a bunch of local kids came to sing and dance with us and it was quite a special experience.  We all got a chance to get up in the middle of the group with one of the kids and shake our booties a little bit and let me tell you, those little kids can shake their booties better than Beyonce!

Let’s Go Kenya…Again… The next morning we started the long trek back to Kenya over three days and made our camp at Lake Vinashia which is home not only to Maryl Streep’s house in ‘Out of Africa’ but also to a number of families of hippos!  Once we had all set up our tents we took out a few boats to get a closer view of the beautiful yet extremely dangerous animals.  Though Hippo’s are strictly vegetarian they are known to have been the cause of many a death, most likely by stampede, but none the less.  Our tour guide set out very strict rules about when we could and could not go near the lake as unfortunately they lost a passenger a few years back who decided not to heed the same advice and sadly was not heard from again.  Luckily our campground is surrounded by an electrical fence that keeps the hippos out when they exit the water to graze in the evening and early morning.

As we set out on the boats we were amazed by just how massive the creatures are and there were so many different families.  Each family occupies one particular area of the water as well as their grazing territory on land.  Oddly enough, with these creatures being quite dangerous, just up the lake is a public beach and when we drove by on our boats we were shocked to see half a dozen local boys playing in the water! 

The hippos were being quite shy as they tend to do during the day as they need to stay in the water to protect themselves from the heat of the sun as they don’t naturally have enough protection in their skin.  Luckily for us there is another part of the boat tour… we got off at one particular spot of the lake and were taken out into a large field where we were able to walk amongst the wild animals!  We were quite surprised at how close we could get to zebras’, water buck which are a bit like a caribou, wildebeests’ and giraffes’… we were literally walking among them!  

It was such an amazing experience that the next day Stijn managed to hire a fisherman to take us and a few of our tour members back out on the water.  This time, the hippos were out and about!  We were taken up the other side of the lake where we saw five large families, some of them with up to 40 hippos including young babies.  Because it was a bit cooler the hippos were more out of the water than they had been the previous day and we couldn’t have been happier with our impromptu tour… great idea Stijn!

The rest of the day and the majority of the next were spent getting ready to say goodbye to a large portion of our tour group and to prepping the truck and our camp supplies for our new members.  We were sad to see many of the people go that we had shared so many amazing memories and even though it has only been a few weeks, it’s amazing how quickly you get to know people when you’re camping and living out many of our dreams!  Luckily enough the new members of our group are great and I’m sure we’ll share many amazing memories with them as well!  And just as before, we are once again surrounded by Australians!  We are becoming well-versed in Aussie-talk and there are far less perplexed look than there was a few days ago!

After we were joined by the new group it was time for one of the highlights of our tour and the gem of Kenya… the Masai Mara National Park.  The drive was long but the landscape turned almost immediately into the quintessential African landscape.  Rough, wild bush with lone Acacia trees seemingly springing out of nowhere on the horizon- it is truly breathtaking.  As soon as we entered the park, our eyes quickly darted from one side of the truck to the other in search of the big five that are commonly seen here and we were not disappointed.  Almost immediately we saw massive herds of wildebeests’, antelope and impala.  Amongst the animals the park is literally littered with bones of animals that have served the food chain and have helped to sustain life in Africa.  Nothing is wasted of the animals…. The bones are picked spotless by various animals and eventually even the bones will be eaten by hyenas’, vultures’, storks’, and others. 

Carrying on through the park it wasn’t long before we spotted (pun intended) a beautiful cheetah lying in the grass sunning itself in-between meals.  It’s a hard creature to describe other than to say it looks like complete perfection… each spot is perfectly spaced amongst all the other perfectly sized spots all culminating with the most elegant faces.  But the Cheetah does face its’ challenges… even though it’s the fastest animal on earth it is not a successful hunter as it cannot sustain its speed long enough to wear out its prey.  It also is the only feline that does not have retractable claws leading some researches to question if the cheetah is really part of the feline species or perhaps actually a dog.  Whatever the classification, it is undoubtedly one of the most amazing creatures I’ve seen to date.  Simply stunning.

After a few rhinos’, more giraffes’, ostriches’, hyenas and wart hogs’ it was almost time to head to our campground within the park to spend out under the protection of three Masai warriors and enjoy a lovely Masai meal prepared by the local Masai women.  Amazingly enough just as we were heading back we came upon a pride of lions- both a male and female off one their own as well as four other female lions.  When lions mate, the male will take the female of his choice (as there are only one male to four or five females in each pride) off to the side and begin the rather tedious task of mating.  They will do the ‘deed’ every 20 minutes, each act lasting only 20 or so seconds, on and off for two hours.  It was quite a sight to see but more importantly it was just amazing to these majestic beasts in their own environment.  The males’ manes are so beautiful and lionesses are extremely elegant.  Not a bad way to end a game drive!

The next morning we were up and early for one of the highlights of our trip and probably the coolest things we’ve ever done… hot air ballooning over the Mara!  We had no idea what to expect as neither of us had ever done it before and we couldn’t have been more amazed by our experience.  As we took off we quickly climbed up over the park and before we knew it we were 2500 meters in the air!  Inexplicably, it didn’t even feel high and because of the gas it was nice and warm… perhaps too warm as Stijn’s scalp was getting burnt so we switched places and I soaked up the heat! 

The perspective of the park from that high is completely different from that you get on the ground- you can see all the animal tracks and watering holes and the far distant horizon.  We smoothly descended back to 50 feet or so to take in the animals waking up to begin their day and to forage for food.  Most of the herd animals were out and about first and while we didn’t see lions from the air we were quite lucky to spot (or rather hear) an elephant storming through the trees… what a sight!  We had the most amazing and perfect weather and the first cloudless day we’ve had in Kenya yet and it all combined to provide us with a truly thrilling experience! 

We could have spent all day up there but sadly we had to land at some point.  The basket had no wheels on the bottom so we all had to crouch down and sit on the bottom of the basket while holding onto ropes and prepare for landing… a few bumps and we were back on the ground and it was over before we knew it.  Luckily our package had even more in store for us!

Once we were all back on the ground we were picked up by a truck and driven a little further into the park where a massive breakfast complete with champagne awaited us!  It couldn’t have been a more amazing setting if we had dreamt it up.  Champagne was poured and the amazing breakfast was ingested and it capped off the most magical morning… I think we really have a thing for this ballooning now! 

On the way back to the campsite to meet up with the rest of the tour group we once again came across four female lions slowly starting their morning and getting ready for a day of hunting.  Unfortunately we didn’t get to see them make a kill but it was none the less amazing just to sit there and observe them in the wild.

Sadly once we were back at camp it was time to pack up and leave the park… I think we would have quite happily stayed put for many more days but we’ll have many more game drives to come and we did have an amazing stop on the way out thanks to our game drive guide and night protector Jonathan the Masai Warrior.  He and his village welcomed us into their homes and we got a taste of what Masai life is really like.  We were shown the traditional jumping dance that is performed at ceremonial events such as weddings or welcoming guests into the village.  The massive heights that the Massai warriors can jump is perfected over years of herding cows, goats and other domestic animals as they do not eat wild animals.  As they walk through high grass they must jump to ensure there are no lions or other predators that might cause problems for them and their herds.  It also comes in handy in finding wives as they have competitions and the warrior who can jump the highest gets to have the most wives! 

We were lead into their homes which are made by the women of the village and are constructed of sticks from trees and cow dung.  One home can take up to four months and can last up to twelve years.  Each home is designed the same way with two back rooms for young goats and cows.  The main living part of the house has two small beds, one for the young children and one for the parents.  Once children get to be too big they must live in their grandparents’ homes as there is no room for them as new younger children need to take their place.  There is however a guest room for visitors of other villages!  Each bed is covered in cow hide that is placed over wood.  In the middle of the room is a fire for cooking and for keeping warm and although they have all they need, they are by no means luxurious.  There is next to no natural light and it was only after a few minutes of being inside that we could actually see what we were looking at. 

After looking at the homes Stijn and I set off to look at the baby animals that were kept in behind the village.  The village itself is surrounded by twigs that form a circle to protect their animals in the evenings from any predators.  For this same reason, they aren’t able to grow vegetables or their animals and themselves would be at risk.  Stijn, as usual found himself a baby goat to cuddle, much to the chagrin of its mother!

Kenya and Uganda, Africa

Let’s Go Kenya… We arrived in Nairobi around 10 p.m. after a relatively quick flight from Amsterdam through London.  We arrived at our hotel and unfortunately it was dark already so we weren’t able to see much or get a real impression of Nairobi but we enjoyed a much needed good sleep.  The next day we spent getting over the lack of sleep from the flight over and in the evening we had our pre-tour meeting where we met our tour guide and the other people on the tour.  Everyone on our trip are doing different parts of the tour and so over the next two months people will come and go as most people are only doing two or three weeks.  We are lucky that we only have to change trucks and crew once for the last two weeks of our trip.

We left bright and early the next morning and drove through Kenya to Lake Nukuru National Park which is in located in the rift valley.  The park is famous for the large number of flamingo’s but it is also home to four of the ‘Big 5’ (lions, rhinos, buffalo, leopards and elephants).  When we arrived we were treated to our first meal aboard our truck Matilda who is fitted with just about everything you can imagine.  We enjoyed our lunch just outside the park with hoards of baboons just waiting to get their hands on anything and everything and despite our best efforts, one did make off with one of the girls sandwiches!

Once inside the park we were amazed by the stunning beauty.  Lake Nukuru is a soda lake originating from the volcanos in the area and is home to an amazing array of birds- most impressive of course being the Flamingo.  It so amazing to see them in person and I couldn’t get over just how pink they are- just like the plastic ones you see in gardens- and a seemingly absurd color for nature but incredibly beautiful. 

Our game drive lasted 6 hours and every second was amazing.  We saw zebras, giraffes, rhinos, buffalos, baboons, and of course a vast array of birds.  We were wildly entertained not just by the animals but by the road conditions as well- we were in series of vans and because of the amount of rain that there had been recently we were a series of vehicles stuck in the mud.  One after another, each vehicle being pulled out by the one in front of it and then pulling out the one behind it.  We had a great time but we were a little late getting to the campground which meant setting up our tents in the dark- or so we thought!  Luckily for us we were able to out all the tents into the covered eating area which also helped keep us all dry.

The next morning was another early one as we headed to an amazing campsite on our way through to Uganda.  The campsites here are nothing like I was expected- we are not roughing it by any means.  Every campsite has bars and all kinds of facilities along with upgrade options.  This particular campsite was over the top and was where Bill Gates stayed in 2009 on his visit to Kenya.  Apparently he had all of his bedroom furniture flown over for his stay and left it in his suite.  It is now the Bill Gates suite and for $65 you can sleep in his bed!  After looking at all of the options Stijn and I decided to forgo the options for the comfort of our tent- after all it was only day 2 of 58!  Apparently everyone else thought differently as we were the lone tenters!

Let’s Go Uganda… En route to Uganda, the scenery was shocking.  It is so much more lush and green than any of us expected and really stunning.  As we waited for our visas to cross over the border we struck up a game of volleyball with the local boys and reluctantly bought bananas and other wares only because it was too hard to say no!  By the time we got back on the truck we had bunches and bunches of bananas and no one was hungry! 

When we arrived we had about an hour before we headed off to a sunset cruise on the Nile River.  It was absolutely stunning but we spent most of our time chatting with the other tour members and having many drinks!  Luckily for us we have a few other river activities planned, not to mention the amazing view we have from the campsite itself!  Needless to say the party carried on when we got back to the campground bar.  We had a great time getting to know everyone on the tour and for the most part no one got too carried away- apart from one self-inflicted black eye and a few great photo ops! 

This morning we all stumbled out of our tents at various hours and rather than sitting around feeling terrible, Stijn and I opted to go quading with a couple other people on the tour for a few hours.  We had the most amazing time and were completely orange with mud by the time we got back!  The best part, aside from the mud, was the amazing villages that we went through.  All the kids ran out of their houses when they heard us coming and stood on the side of the road and waved with such enthusiasm!  A couple of the local boys came by when we were stopped to climb on the quads for a few pictures as well!  Unfortunately a desperate chicken who was attempting to flee flew right into the wheel well of my quad and met his untimely death when the quads behind me finished him off.  While the chicken was clearly suicidal (and therefore not my fault) we were saddened to have killed a food source for the village but with any luck they were at least able to eat it.  I can’t believe I’ve killed a chicken and I’ve only been here for three days! 

After we got back from quading and in much need of a shower we decided to test out what’s called the ‘shower with a view’… and what a view!  The shower has been built on the side of the hill overlooking the Nile River and the front wall is cut out.  While the water wasn’t warm we still lingered a little while just to take it all in. 

This evening we were treated to a proper Ugandan meal by one of the ladies who lives in the village of Jinja.  It was an amazing array of local food consisting of sweet potato, plantain, rice, peanut sauce and spinach.  It was quite delicious and it was amazing to see how she wrapped it all in banana leaves and layered each item.  It was certainly a treat!

It is only day three and already we are on cloud nine and having the most amazing time.  It is nothing like we expected and so much better than we could have hoped.  We have so many amazing things to look forward to it’s impossible to pick just one!  We hoping to cram in as many activities as we possibly can and really enjoy every second of this amazing place.

Today we opted to take in a full day of rafting on the amazing Nile River… and what a day it was!  Stijn and I have rafted a few rivers some of them bigger than others but are more or less pretty well versed with class 4 and 5 rapids… or so we thought!  The day started quite gingerly with a nice breakfast and then into the river to practice some skills which included a practice raft capsize, a skill that normally isn’t required as the idea is in fact to stay in the raft, particularly with the higher class rapids.  Let’s just say we’re happy we practiced!

After having successfully navigated the first two rapids at class 4 and having quite large stretches of flat in between, we opted for a more difficult line down the following class 5… what a mistake.  We barely hit the first wave before flipping and being a class 5 meant that the rapids were fast, furious and many.  We were all thrown from the raft immediately and I ended up being dragged under by the extremely strong undercurrent and tumbled around as if I were in a washing machine for far long that I would have liked.   Once I finally managed to pop up I was then hit repeatedly with rapids making any breath next to impossible and eventually came up about 100 meters downstream from everyone else.  Luckily a rescue kayaker came and picked me up but let me go a little prematurely as I was soon after sucked back out by the current and he had to come back for me.  Once I had myself sorted, the first thing I did was look for Stijn and he was of course the only person from our boat that I couldn’t see and just then his paddle floated by me.  Fearing the worse, I quickly made my way back to the other boats and was relieved to find that he had been picked up by the rescue boat and was just fine.  Though he had endured his own dramatic experience as well having also been dragged under by the undercurrent and sent through a very long cycle in the washing machine before finally being able to come up for air and being rescued- what an ordeal!

The next rapid we opted for a less difficult line but for whatever reason we still flipped however this time it was far less dramatic but none the less rendered us exhausted.  The rest of the day we managed to stay in the boat and made our way to the end and were served an amazing barbeque dinner before making our way back to our campground to heal our wounds!

Despite the somewhat dramatic experiences we still had an absolute blast.  We’re quite certain we’d never be able to raft the majority of those rapids in North America so it was an interesting experience.  The rafting company played a DVD of our day in the bar later that evening and the second it was over we both headed off to bed completely exhausted.

Tomorrow we will make our way to Kampala where we will stop for a day before heading to Lake Bunyonyin where we will trek to see the Silverback Gorillas.  The entire group is trekking so we have been broken up into several groups as only eight people are allowed up for one hour per day and there are a number of overlanding groups to fit in.  Stijn and I will trek on August 23^rd so we will have a few free days before we head up the mountain.