The road from Prague to Cape Town

Where are we now...

2012-02-09T23:17:00.000-08:00

To all visitors, although there is still a wealth of bountiful knowledge on this blog(!) we are now running a new blog for our latest trip. You can keep up with us here:

Two of us riding nowhere. Two of us sending postcards. Two of us wearing raincoats. You and me sharing memories.
On The Road Again

If you have any questions or queries about any of the places we have been feel free to drop us a line, either by posting a comment or sending an email (addresses on the right hand column) and we will be happy to try to help you out.

Happy Travels!

The Final Analysis

2009-12-14T23:18:00.000-08:00

Between leaving Prague on March 2nd 2009 and flying out of Cape Town on 30th November 2009 we travelled 20,642 miles (according to GoogleMaps) over 274 days. We passed through 21 countries (not including Czech Republic and Slovakia which were but a snowy blur from our train window) took 6 trains and 10 boats, rode on the back of 3 trucks and 3 motorbikes, squeezed into 13 or so shared taxis, hired 3 cars for a total of 33 days and boarded at least 88 buses. We spent time, money and oodles of patience.

The bottom line is that we spent £12,221.25GBP between us in total (plus a further £219.19GBP in ATM cash withdrawal fees) over 279 days (the previously mentioned 274 plus our stopover in Dubai) at £21.90GBP per person per day, or around $35USD. This included any visas, permits or registration fees applicable for any of the countries, which amounted to a combined total of $1159USD, or just over £700GBP at todays rates, mostly payable in USD only! Monikas visas totalled $672USD, Allans came to $487USD. This also included two safaris (a 3-day safari in Kenya and a 4-day safari in Tanzania) which totalled $1800 (£1100) spent over 7 days at $129 per person per day.

Obviously the average daily budget for each country varied widely both from the trip average and the other countries, therefore a country-by-country breakdown gives a more accurate record (Daily averages generally include all costs except visa/registration costs unless otherwise stated):

From Prague To Istanbul
4 days, £228.45GBP @ £28.55 per person per day.
Prague - Budapest - Novi Sad - Belgrade - Sofia - Plovdiv - Istanbul
Mostly travelling by train, staying in hostels and self-catering.
For a full cost breakdown click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Turkey
12 days, £458.97GBP @ £19 per person per day. Estimated budget £15 per day.
Visa: most nationalities enter free, some nationalities require a visa issued at the border/airport, costs vary but for British passports the fee is $20USD.
Istanbul - Cannakale (Gallipoli, Troy) - Ephesus - Cappadocia
Travelling by bus, staying in hostels, self-catering with one cheap meal, read 'kebab' out most days.
For a full cost breakdown click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Syria
13 days, £228.54 @ £8.79 per person per day. Estimated budget £10 per day.
Visa: Can be difficult to obtain and should be applied for in country of nationality. Costs vary wildly but for British passport holders in London the cost is £50 for a 3 month multiple-entry visa. For Czech nationals in Prague the same visa cost around £40.
Aleppo - Lattakia (plus Ugarit and Qalat Saladdin) - Hama (plus Palmyra, Crac de Chevaliers, Sarouj and Qalat Ib-Wardan) - side trip to Lebanon - Damascus
Travelling by train and bus, staying in hotels and guesthouses, eating delicious street food such as falafel and more kebabs.
For a full cost breakdown click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Lebanon
5 days, £151.69 @ £15.16 per person per day. Estimated budget £15 per day.
Visa: most nationalities can enter visa-free for up to 28 days.
Baalbak - Beirut - Sidon - Byblos - Tripoli - Qadisha Valley
Travelling by bus, staying in cheap guesthouses, self-catering and enjoying more delicious Middle Eastern street food.
For a full cost breakdown click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Jordan
7 days, £176.73 @ £12.62 per person per day. This figure does not include the extortionate cost of the ferry from Aqaba to Nuweiba which at £50 per person for a 1.5 hour trip would increase the daily spend up to £20! We regarded the cost of this international ferry as outside of either Jordan or Egypt! Estimated budget £15 per day.
Visa: Cost 10JD (approx £10) each and are granted on arrival. A further 5JD (£5) is levied as a departure tax at all exit points.
Amman (Dead Sea and Jerash) - Petra - Wadi Rum - Aqaba
Travelling by bus and sometimes hitch-hiking, staying in cheap guesthouses, self-catering and enjoying more delicious Middle Eastern street food.
For a full cost breakdown click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Egypt
23 days, £784.50 @ £17 per person per day. Estimated budget £15 per day.
Visa: $15USD granted on arrival to almost all nationalities, but check beforehand.
Nuweiba - Tarabin - Dahab - Mt.Sinai - Suez - Cairo - Luxor - Aswan
Travelling by bus and train, staying in beach huts, guesthouses and cheap hotels, yet more delicious Middle Eastern street food, including Egypts unique Kushari, we visited most of the major sites at a rate of at least one every two days including the Blue Hole, Mt. Sinai, Suez Canal, Egyptian museum, the Pyramids, Karnak temple, and the Valley of the Kings.
For a full cost breakdown click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Sudan
9 days, £211.87 @ £11.77 per person per day. Estimated budget £10 per day.
Visa: $100USD must be issued before arrival. Can be problematic but Cairo is one of the easier places to apply, takes 24 hours and requires a letter of introduction from the applicants embassy. The British embassy will issue a letter on the spot for around £30, the Czech embassy is far less helpful and refuse to issue letters, sadly this ambassador is a rude and pathetic embarrassment to his country, furthermore a letter of complaint to the Czech Foreign Office resulted in this issue being dismissed. There is a loophole however and to read more on Sudanese visa applications click here.
Wadi Halfa - Abri - Kerma - Dongola - Khartoum - Gedaref
We travelled by pick-up except the trip from Khartoum to Gedaref, stayed in Lokandas and camped at Blue Nile in Khartoum. Ate mostly street food although in Khartoum all that seemed to be available were burgers!
For a full breakdown of how to travel in Sudan click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Ethiopia
17 days, £359.12 @ £10.56 per person per day. Estimated budget £10 per day.
Visa: MUST be issued beforehand, DO NOT arrive at the border without a visa. We heard of one person who made the horror trip up from Nairobi to Moyale without a visa! Cost $20 in Khartoum ($30 in Cairo), issued within 24 hours for up to a one month stay.
Gonder - Debark (Simien Mountains) - Bahir Dar - Lalibela - Dessie - Addis Ababa - Dila
Staying in good value hotels, eating delicious plates of injera and travelling by bus everywhere. We also trekked for 4 days in the Simien mountains.
For details of the Simien mountains trekking click here, for a full cost breakdown of travelling in Ethiopia click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Kenya
21 days, £815.12 @ £19.40 per person per day (this included a $300 per person 3-day safari). Estimated budget £15 per day.
Visa: available on the border for most nationalities costs $25 and is valid for 3 months. Part of the EAC agreement between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania is that with single-entry visas for all three countries it is permitted to travel between those three countries as often as needed within the validity of the visas. Once you leave these three countries however the visas are void and new visas will be required. It can be a very useful system.
Moyale - Isiolo - Nanyuki - Mt. Kenya - Nairobi - Mombasa - Lamu - Nairobi - Masai Mara NR - Lake Nakuru NP - Lake Naivasha - Hells Gate NP - Nairobi
Camping or staying in guesthouses, self-catering or eating cheap meals of pilau, githeri or chapati, travelling by bus or on the back of a truck, undertaking one organised safari and entering 3 national parks. We did not climb Mt. Kenya because of the ridiculous price increases. Well done KWS.
For full costs and tips click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Tanzania
30 days, £1617.65 @ £26.96 per person per day (including a 4-day safari). Estimated budget £15 per day.
Visa: costs $50 for most nationalities (Irish pay $100) and are available for most nationalities at most borders but inevitably there are exceptions. See above for details of the EAC visa agreement.
Arusha - Tarangire NP - Serengeti NP - Ngorongoro NCA - Moshi - trip to Uganda via Nairobi - Bukoba - Mwanza - Dar Es Salaam - Zanzibar (Stone Town and Jambiani) - Mbeya
Staying in hotels or camping, travelling by bus and boat, eating cheap meals in canteens or from street stalls. Includes an excellent 4-day safari organised by Forsters Tours.
For full costs and tips click here
For trip reports on Northern Tanzania click here for English, here for Czech
For trip reports on the rest of Tanzania click here for English, here for Czech

Uganda
15 days, £337.35 @ £11.24 per person per day. Estimated budget £10 per day.
Visa: Costs $50 available at the border for most nationalities. Student visas used to be half-priced on presentation of ISIC card but this no longer seems to apply.
Mbale - Sipi Falls - Jinja - Kampala - Fort Portal - Lake Nkuruba - Rwenzori mountains - Masaka - Ssese islands
Staying in hotels or camping,eating street food or the excellent food served by community campsites Lake Nkruba and Ruboni and travelling by bus, on the back of boda-bodas (motorbike taxis) and in shared taxis.
For full costs and tips click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Malawi
22 days, £604.22 @ £13.73 per person per day. Estimated budget £10 per day.
Visa: free for most nationalities, those that doe require visas should apply before. The embassy in Dar Es Salaam charges $100 and takes 4 days. If you are lucky they may let you pass the border and apply for a visa once in Malawi, and may charge you only $70 for taking this risk and flaunting the rules.
Nkhata Bay - Viphya Plateau - Nkhata Bay - Chizimulu island - Likoma island - Blantyre - Mt Mulanje - Lilongwe
Camping every day apart from those spent on the Ilala ferry, self-catering often and travelling by bus/boat (except for one indulgent taxi ride!). One main expense was beer, here they only sell smaller bottles and the costs is the same or more than for a bigger bottle in Tanzania, Uganda or Kenya.
For full hints and tips click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Zambia
12 days, £542.41 @ £22.60 per person per day. Estimated budget £12 per day.
Visa: $50 available at borders (but not when travelling by train from Tanzania) or from embassies.
Chipata - South Luangwa NP - Lusaka - Livingstone (Victoria Falls)
Camping except in Lusaka where we took dorm beds, self-catering almost exclusively and travelling by bus.
For full tips and costs click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Zimbabwe
Why we didn't go

Botswana
9 days, £450.81 @ £25.04 per person per day. Estimated budget £18 per day.
Visa: most countries can visit visa-free but for those that require visas, which includes most of Eastern Europe (inc Czech Republic but not Poland) and Israel, the process can be expensive, very time consuming and ultimately fruitless. Hotel bookings and onward tickets may be required plus a detailed planned itinerary, the process could take from one week to two months and once the application has been made the fee is non-refundable, regardless of its success or lack thereof.
Kasane (Chobe NP) - Nata - Gweta (Planet Baobab) - Maun - Okavango Delta
Public transport is scarce so hitch-hiking is a very useful option, food in restaurants is expensive so self-catering or eating from supermarket deli counters is the only viable option, camping is available in most touristic areas.
For full hints and tips click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

Namibia
12 days, £668.96 @ £27.87 per person per day. Estimated budget £18 per day.
Visa: free for most nationalities. For those that require visas (inc. Czech Republic) they are available at Namibian embassies at a cost of $50, taking around 3 days to issue.
Windhoek - Swakopmund - Walvis Bay - Namib-Nauklauft NP (Kuiseb, Nauklauft mountains, Sossusvlei) - Marienthal - Keetmanshop - Fish River Canyon
Public transport is non existent so the only option is to hitch (if you have the time) or hire a car (if you have the money), camping wild is an option as the country is deserted.
For full hints and tips click here
For a trip report click here for English, here for Czech

South Africa
40 days, 2571.80 @ £32.14 per person per day. This included 26 days car hire (25+1) and all of our souvenir shopping. Estimated budget £15 per day.
Visa: Free 3-month temporary residency permits issued at border to most nationalities.
Cape Town - Cape Peninsular - Hermanus - Cape Agulhas - Mossel Bay - Buffels Bay - Knysna - Plettenburg Bay - Tsitsikamma NP - Jeffreys Bay - PE - Addo NP - Port Alfred - East London - Chintsa - Coffee Bay - Mthatha - Durban - Drakensburg Mountains (Monks Cowl and Royal Natal) - St Lucia (and Hluhluwe) - side trip to Swaziland - Nelspuit - Blyde River Canyon - Kruger NP - side trip to Mozambique - Johannesburg - Bloemfontein - side trip to Lesotho - Cape Town
We camped and self-catered almost all the time and also received a WildCard as a gift, meaning we had hardly any park entry fee's to pay, Hiring a car was the most cost-effective way to see as much as possible.
For a full costs breakdown click here
For trip reports English click here, here or here, in Czech click here, here or here

Swaziland
3 days, £80 plus R200 road permit and 3 days car hire at 187ZAR per day so £140.88 @ £23.48 per person per day. Without the car hire the cost of travelling in Swaziland would be similar to that of Lesotho (see below). Estimated budget £10 per day.
Visa: free for all nationalities that do not require a visa to enter South Africa.
Manzini - Ezulwini and Malkerns Valley - Mbabane
camping at Sondzela Backpackers in Mliliwane Nature Sanctuary, self-catering and travelling in our hire car.
For full costs and tips click here
For a trip report in English click here, in Czech click here

Mozambique
16 days, £568.21 @ £17.75 per person per day. Estimated budget £12.50 per day.
Visa: costs vary wildly, the current best place to apply is in Swaziland where a visa costs $12 and is issued in the same day, visas at the border cost around $25 whilst from embassies in South Africa the cost in around $100.
Maputo - Vilankulos (Bazaruto Archipelago) - Inhambane and Tofo - Maputo
A mixture of beach huts and camping, treating ourselves to excellent seafood as well as self-catering, travelling by bus. Also includes two trips - one to the Bazaruto archipelago and one 'Ocean safari' in Tofo (with a discounted second trip).
For full hints and tips click here
For a trip report in English click here, in Czech click here

Lesotho
4 days, £100 @ £12.50 per person per day. Estimated budget £10 per day.
Visa: Free for most nationalities, for others it maybe worth trying just turning up as the cost of acquiring a visa beforehand can be rather high.
Maseru - Semonkong - Malealea - Maseru
Camping, with one night in a dorm, enjoing lots of street snacks and one nice dinner but otherwise self-catering, travelling by bus.
For full hints and tips click here
For a trip report in English click here, in Czech click here

UAE
6 days, £260.56 @ £21.71 per person per day. Estimated budget £15 per day.
Visa: free for many nationalities, others may receive a 96 hour visa upon arrival or will have to find a sponsor (UAE resident or hotel/travel agent) within Dubai to apply on behalf, the cost is around £120 including mandatory health insurance.
Dubai - Abu Dhabi - Siwa Oasis - Al-Ain - Ras-Al-Khaimah - Sharjah - Dubai
Staying as guests of a friend, shared car hire for three days between four people, most attractions are free entry. Enjoying a welcome return to Middle Eastern cuisine.
For a trip report in English click here

So, as you can see, our actual costs far exceeded our estimated forecast, it came as shock (even after having travelled for over 3 months in West Africa in 2007) just how expensive Africa is as a continent to travel in. Not only expensive but incredibly poor value for money. We camped a few times up until Tanzania but then about 99% of the time after that spending more on camping than we would pay for a luxury double room with hot shower, air-con and TV in most parts of Asia!!!

Finally, if you are still interested, see our exhaustive list of Top 5's here

High Five!

2009-12-09T23:41:00.000-08:00

In a true example of post-modern, Generation X Hornbyism we have compiled pages of lists, top fives for every conceivable aspect of our journey. Our claim of justification is that it might help someone or provide inspiration...

THE TOP FIVE

1. Safari in Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro in Tanzania
2. Swahili culture along coastal Kenya and Tanzania (specifically Mombasa, Lamu and Zanzibar)
3. Likoma and Chizimulu islands, Malawi
4. People of Sudan
5. Seafood in Mozambique

Serengeti

TOP 5 COUNTRIES

1. Malawi
2. Ethiopia
3. Namibia
4. Uganda
5. Tanzania

This is a difficult list, no country on this trip had a perfect mix of people, food, sights, wildlife, value for money and the other mitigating factors. Malawi came out number one principally because of the people. Ethiopia came second despite some of the people but due to the stunning scenery and the fact that everything there is completely alien! In Namibia it was the landscape, in Uganda a similar combination to Malawi but ruined by our experiences in South-West Uganda. Tanzania made the list because it was the location for two of our best experiences (Serengeti/Ngorongoro and Zanzibar) and that other places including Dar Es-Salaam and Mwanza were also very pleasant.

Boy in Malawi

TOP 5 CITIES

1. Cairo
2. Cape Town
3. Istanbul
4. Damascus
5. Dar Es-Salaam
= Maputo

Interesting that 3 of the 5 are Middle Eastern, highlights that Africa is not good at doing cities. The one exception is Cape Town, known as the Mother City, which could keep a visitor enthralled for weeks on end. Dar Es-Salaam and Maputo vy for fifth place on a list that would be better of as a 'top 4'!

Cairo

TOP 5 PLACES - MIDDLE EAST

1. Cappadocia, Turkey
2. Wadi Rum, Jordan
3. Sinai Peninsular, Egypt
4. Petra, Jordan
5. Qadisha Valley, Lebanon

Capadoccia

Wadi Rum

TOP 5 PLACES - AFRICA

1. Likoma and Chizimulu islands, Malawi
2. Zanzibar, Tanzania
3. Simien mountains, Ethiopia
4. Lamu island, Kenya
5. Namib-Nauklauft National Park, Namibia (inc. Sossusvlei, Kuiseb canyon and the Nauklauft mountains

Jambiani beach, Zanzibar

WORST 5 PLACES

1. Moyale, Kenya
2. Mbeya, Tanzania
3. Masaka, Uganda
4. Marienthal, Namibia
5. Mthatha, South Africa

Why? Moyale is the border town between Ethiopia and Kenya and sits at one end of the most infamous road on the 'Cairo to Cape Town' grapevine. It is also right in the middle of a big qat (the slightly narcotic plant) chewing region, which means all the hotels are filthy and the staff are lying around totally whacked out with a giant bunch of qat leaves stuffed in their mouths. Mbeya in Tanzania, close to the Zambian and Malawian borders was populated by people with more standard addictions - alcohol and marijuana - who seemed to be roaming the streets and hanging about in hoodies on every corner (Sound familiar?), not good when arriving at 11pm to find all the cheap hotels full. Masaka in Uganda was simply the epicentre of some of the most primitive and unfriendly group of people in Africa, all of a sudden Ugandans went from being friendly, cheerful and welcoming to uncivilised, nefarious rude and obnxious, which was a shame. Marienthal in Namibia was just one of those places which you pass through and a shiver goes down your spine - small-town, everyone looking like the result of some inter-breeding program, a lot of knocked-out teeth and groups of old women hitch-hiking at midnight. Inevitably we found ourselves passing through, and stopping at the petrol station, three times! Mthatha was not so bad but was the place where we were stuck without a spare tyre because of South Africa's archaic Sunday trading laws, it seemed down-trodden and slightly dodgy but in the end was not so bad and the people were helpful on Monday! It only got on the list because there really were no other places that were bad (pretty good for a nine month trip!) and it begins with M, just like the rest of the list, which is strange!

TOP 5 VIEWS

1. Imet Gogo in Simien mountains, Ethiopia
2. Fish River Canyon, Namibia
3. Wadi Rum, Jordan
4. Lake Nakuru, Kenya
5. Sipi Falls, Uganda

Lake Nakuru, Kenya

TOP 5 LANDSCAPES (BY COUNTRY)

1. Namibia
2. Jordan
3. Ethiopia
4. South Africa
5. Lesotho

Sossusvlei, Namibia

TOP 5 SUNSETS

1. Chobe National Park, Botswana
2. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
3. Cannakale, Turkey
4. Chizimulu, Malawi
5. Hornbill camp, Ssese islands, Uganda

Chobe National Park, Botswana

TOP 5 MOST FRIENDLY NATIONALITIES

1. Sudanese
2. Syrian
3. Zambian
4. Malawian
5. Swazi

Sudanese Girl

TOP 5 EXPERIENCES

1. On safari in Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro, Tanzania
2. Snorkelling with whale sharks at Tofo, Mozambique
= Simien mountains trekking, Ethiopia
3. Taking the Ilala ferry, Malawi
4. Taking the ferry from Aswan, Egypt to Wadi Halfa, Sudan
5. Self-drive safari in Kruger National park

TOP 5 BUDGET HOTELS/HOSTELS

1. Ghion Hotel, Bahir Dar (Ethiopia)
2. Bahari Hotel, Lamu (Kenya)
3. Oasis Hotel, Luxor (Egypt)
4. Cairo Hotel, Hama (Syria)
5. A+A Hill Street Accommodation, Moshi (Tanzania)

To clarify I should add that from Malawi onwards we almost exclusively camped in either 'backpackers' or municipal campsites, which is why none of these are from Southern Africa. This also does not include either of the posh places we stayed, Kempinski in Dar Es-Salaam and Pezula in Knysna, as the comparisons would not be fair. Budget here means up to $15 per night.

TOP 5 CAMPS/BACKPACKERS

1. Planet Baobab, near Gweta (Botswana) (see here)
2. Croc Valley, Mfuwe, South Luangwa (Zambia)
3. Mabuya Lodge, Lilongwe (Malawi)
4. The Old Bridge, Maun (Botswana)
5. Chameleon Backpackers, Windhoek (Namibia)

TOP 5 CAMPS/BACKPACKERS IN SOUTH AFRICA, SWAZILAND AND LESOTHO

1. Buccaneers, Cintsa (South Africa)
2. Sondzela Backpackers, Mliliwane Nature Sanctuary (Swaziland)
3. BiBs, St. Lucia (South Africa)
4. Semonkong Lodge, Semonkong (Lesotho)
5. Naval Hill Backpackers, Bloemfontein (South Africa)

Sondzela Backpackers

TOP 5 'DECENT' RESTAURANTS

1. Casa De Comer, Tofo (Mozambique). Delicious seafood presented exquisitely in a luxurious location.
2. Deli Chez, Moshi (Tanzania). A curry house to rival the best on Brick Lane!
3. Olympic Restaurant, Lamu (Kenya). Fantastic fresh fish accompanied by a veritable feast of side dishes.
4. Lookout Restaurant, Plettenberg Bay (South Africa). Tasty food with good portions eaten whilst admiring the views from the terrace.
5. Moyo, Johannesburg (South Africa). Nice food but the real highlight is the setting and the free tribal face painting!
= Dros, Stellenbosch (South Africa). a 500gr steak (for Monika), 'nuff said.

Again this was a list where the top 4 stood out, the last spot was probably between the only two other reasonably decent places we ate on the whole trip (unless you count Nandos?!).

TOP 5 'CANTEEN' RESTAURANTS

1. Black and White, Tofo (Mozambique). Fish, squid, prawns or chicken served with rice or chips. Friendly service of cheap, tasty and very filling meals.
2. Unique Restaurant, Lalibela (Ethiopia). The food more than makes up for the location, especially their 'fasting food' vegetable injera. The offer to watch the cooking of injera in the kitchen was a highlight.
3. New Peoples Hotel, Mombasa (Kenya). Big trays of pilau, spaghetti or 'half-and half' were the staple, the giant curried fish with chips was a special treat!
4. Demera Cultural Restaurant, Gonder (Ethiopia). A nice introduction to the weird and wonderful injera.
5. Ruboni Community Campsite, Rwenzori mountains (Uganda). Piles of tasty matoke (mashed plantains), rice and beans washed down with good beer at dirt cheap prices.

Black and White, Tofo (Mozambique)

TOP 5 STREET FOODS

1. Night market, Stone Town (Zanzibar). Stalls offering divine snacks such as lobster, prawn, squid or fish kebabs and the ubiquitous 'Zanzibar pizza' (something like an Indonesian 'murtabak').
2. Felafel, Middle East. The best were in Aleppo (Syria), Sidon (Lebanon) and Aqaba (Jordan)
3. Fish or Chicken Tikka, Mwanza (Tanzania).
4. Lentil samosas (Ethiopia). Often the only option for a midday snack!
5. Boerwors hot dog, across Namibia and South Africa but the best was in Windhoek.

Night market, Stone Town (Zanzibar)

TOP 5 BEERS

1. Nile Special (Uganda)
2. Tusker (Kenya)
3. Castle (South Africa)
4. Mosi (Zambia)
5. Maluti (Lesotho)

In terms of countries Uganda and South Africa had the best range of beers, Mozambique had some options but they all tasted similar. Tanzania had a really good range but the brands often tasted totally different from one place to the next, Serengeti beer drunk in Arusha would probably have made this list but the same beer bought in Dar Es-Salaam was terrible, vice versa for Kilimajaro beer!

WORST 5 JOURNEYS

1. Masaka to Kalangala, Uganda
2. Looking for Dwesa, South Africa
3. Dar Es-Salaam to Mbeya, Tanzania
4. Mfuwe to Chipata, Zambia
5. Moyale to Isiolo, Kenya

The first was the worst due to a combination of terrible roads, dilapidated vehicle (this one really on the verge of collapse), primitive behaviour by the driver and conductor which the passengers did nothing to try to prevent, awful weather and long delays waiting for the minibus to fill up! Our search for Dwesa was conducted in our hire car but involved getting lost, driving on really bad 'gravel' roads in treacherous weather conditions and bursting a tyre in the middle of nowhere just before sunset. The journey from Dar to Mbeya included our change being 'dropped', almost being left behind at the lunch stop and arriving after dark in a total shithole of a town where all the hotels were full. Mfuwe to Chipata was memorable not only for the poor road and battered bus but because it departed at 3am and our lodge would only allow pick-ups until 9pm meaning we had to spend the evening in the pubs and clubs of Mfuwe (not many) watching our driver sink several beers before getting an hours sleep and tackling this terrible road in the dark. Finally, the Moyale to Isiolo road is so infamous on this route that it could not be omitted. An 18-hour 1000km journey where there are no roads at all, almost like driving in a ditch, on the back of a truck full of sacks of beans with about 100 other people all holding on for dear life! At least we didn't have any problems with the authorities or other passengers, unlike the 16 Ethiopian guys on board who felt the full force of some totally primitive, xenophobic behaviour. Just when we thought the bad journeys were behind us Africa had one last laugh on the journey from Maseru to Semonkong in Lesotho. Just 130km this journey managed to jolt our memories of all the rest of the combinations of crap roads, shit buses, and demon drivers!

5 DISAPPOINTMENTS

1. Lalibela in Ethiopia. Vastly over-rated.
2. Not climbing Mt. Kenya due to ridiculous fees levied by KWS.
3. Okavango Delta. If you cant get to the Inner Delta the Eastern Delta is not really much of a substitute.
4. Weather in South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho.
5. Coupled with our expensive, high quality tent suddenly losing its ability to be pitched in conditions resembling a white-water river!

THE TOP OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:

- Tulip Guesthouse, Istanbul (Turkey)
- Emres Hostel, Capadoccia (Turkey)
- Spit-roast chicken in Lattakia (Syria)
- Bicycle safari at Hells Gate NP (Kenya)
- Community campsites in Uganda
- taking the ferry across Lake Victoria
- trekking Mt. Mulanje (Malawi)
- meeting up with my relatives Ken and Marie and their family and friends in South Africa
- watching cricket at the Wanderers and at Newlands!

and finally....

THE TOP 5 (or so) BEATLES SONGS AND DAVID BOWIE ALBUMS WE HAVEN'T HEARD IN AFRICA

BEATLES SONGS

1. I Am The Walrus (from the Magical Mystery Tour EP, 1967)
2. Come Together (from Abbey Road, 1969)
3. A Day In The Life (from Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club band, 1967)
4. Day Tripper (single, 1965)
5. Dear Prudence (from The White Album, 1968)
6. Two Of Us (from Let It Be, 1970)
7. Sexy Sadie (from The White Album, 1968)
8. Paperback Writer (single, 1966)

DAVID BOWIE ALBUMS

1. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars (1972)
2. Heathen (2002)
3. Hunky Dory (1971)
4. Reality (2004)
5. Lodger (1979)

All that glitters...

2009-12-06T09:04:00.000-08:00

The worn cliché about the clash of old traditions and modern lifestyles really does apply to Dubai. The high rise skyscrapers, sprawling shopping malls and luxury hotels are surrounded by old souqs, ramshackle buildings housing tailors, laundrettes and Indian cafes. Somehow the whole aura of Dubai reminds of Singapore, or even Hong Kong. Ruled since 1833 by the Al Maktoum dynasty, the current emir Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is also prime minister and vice-president of the UAE, the country made up of the seven emirates – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah – which celebrated its 38th birthday this week, prompting the entire population to decorate their cars in the colours of the flag (or even adorn them with photos of the various emirs.

We have been lucky enough this week to be guests of our friend Stepan (who has already made appearances on this trip in both Egypt and Tanzania), although he had just flown in from Dusseldorf when we arrived and forgot to change the time on his watch, meaning we had two hours waiting at the airport trying to adjust to being in the northern hemisphere again and in a more conservative culture where perhaps swimming shorts and bare feet are not as usual as in the Western Cape. Stepans brother was also visiting this week so we have been moving around in a small tour group!

Up until just twenty years ago Dubai remained a quiet town but in the past two decades uncontrolled development has totally altered the shape of the city, and its skyline silhouette. Buildings such as the famous Burj Al-Arab hotel on Jumeirah beach, whose design was based on that of a traditional sailing dhow, and the new Burj Dubai which once open will be regarded as the worlds tallest building at 808m are very tangible evidence of the effect a massive influx of wealth and capital can have on a city! The extravagance doesn’t stop at the view from outside – within the Mall of the Emirates is the indoor ski resort Ski Dubai which features an 85-meter high indoor mountain with 5 slopes including the world's first indoor black run and a 90-meter-long quarter pipe for snowboarders. Ski lifts carry skiers and snowboarders up the mountain. Adjoining the slopes is a 3,000-square-meter Snow Park play area comprising sled and toboggan runs, an icy body slide, a snowball shooting gallery and snowman making area, an ice cave, and a theatre! Luckily for the shivering sheiks in their dishdashas winter clothing and skiing equipment are included in the price of admission!

The largest of the Emirates with 87% of the countries land area is Abu Dhabi but somehow it always seems to be playing catch-up to Dubai. Where some Emiratis complain that Dubai has ‘sold its soul’ Abu Dhabi by contrast has managed to combine development with retaining its traditions. Indeed, the highlight of Abu Dhabi is definitely a visit to the Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed mosque, which is a modern development of the most traditional style, a beautiful mosque that really emphasises the spirit of Islam. A drive along the Corniche of Abu Dhabi prompts comparisons not with Dubai but with other, less glitzy Arabian cities, Muscat for instance. Trading on these traditions Abu Dhabi has been promoting cultural tourism in a big way, and at any museum, fort or palace you visit within the borders of Abu Dhabi you can be sure of an extremely friendly welcome, offers of Arabic coffee and fresh dates and a very proud and knowledgeable guide, often a women.

200km south of Abu Dhabi close to the Saudi border lies the Siwa Oasis, one of the last stops before entering the ‘Empty Quarter’ where you could probably walk (or take a camel) for 1000km and not bump into anyone else until you reach the Yemen! The whole area is surrounded by giant sand dunes, glowing in the sun in every shade from white to red, appearing as if they have been sculptured by a giant spatula.

Another oasis within Abu Dhabi is Al-Ain, 130km east of Dubai close to the Omani border. Leaving the city behind and passing long caravans of camels along the way before the city rises out of the desert. One of Wilfred Thesiger’s main stops during his Arabian explorations nowadays the oasis, fort and palace are surrounded by a fair sized modern town. The oasis is certainly not the stuff of fairytales, it is very much a working oasis with hundreds of date plantations squeezed together, but is still a very peaceful place to escape the heat and wander under the palms.

North of Dubai in the Ras Al-Khaimah emirate lies the historic site of Shamal, which historians claim was one of the many homes of the Queen of Sheba. Nowadays it is in a terrible state of neglect and hardly receives as much as a mention in the tourism brochures, however the views of the surrounding mountains from the ruins perched up on hill are worth the visit alone.

Closer to Dubai are the small emirates of Ajman and Sharjah. Although we only passed through Ajman we did stop in Sharjah. A stones throw form Dubai and yet worlds apart Sharjah is perhaps the most conservative of the emirates. It is populated by many of the lower income immigrant communities from the Indian Subcontinent giving a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Perhaps it is just the shock arriving from Africa (where days could go past without receiving a smile let alone a greeting) but here everyone seems so happy and friendly, laughing and joking in the streets. It was definitely a shock to be wandering around the streets here long after sunset without even a thought as to personal safety and it also took a while to get used to being able to leave the car anywhere without a care in the world. Even the Bangladeshi guys trying to sell all kinds of dodgy stuff made me happy, it was so good to see some enthusiasm for life after months of trying to encourage shop-keepers to get up and serve me! This feeling continued as we wandered around the gold souqs of old Dubai, the fervent whispers of ‘copy watches, special price, cheap and best’ were music to my ears! The souqs in the heart of Dubai reminded me of all the best parts of the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and beyond. The Middle East really is the centre of all things, influences from Europe, Asia and Africa all get chewed up here before being spat out again in all different directions.

We have enjoyed a busy week here but we did find time to relax by our rooftop pool, sunbathing under the Dubai airport flight-path and watching the constant stream of Emirates jets fly off into the sun. Tomorrow we will be on one of them, the behemoth A380 in fact, but something tells it won’t be into the sun that we will be heading!

How to travel in South Africa

2009-12-05T23:28:00.000-08:00

Visas - free 3 month multiple entry 'temporary residency permits' are given to most nationalities on the border.

SAN Wild Card - costs around 1600R for a non-South African card valid for two people. This gives unlimited access to almost all national parks in South Africa as well as some in Swaziland. It is probably not worthwhile for a short visit but for longer stays it can prove to be more economical. It is especially worthwhile if you receive it as a gift!

Camping at Ashanti Lodge, Cape Town - 70R p.p.p.n. Nice place with clean kitchen, pool and travel centre. The upstairs bar has fantastic views of Table Mountain and big-screen sports but can be very noisy in the evening, and the music is piped through the hostel all day. Situated in the lovely Gardens suburb just 10 mins from Long St.
Bottle of drinkable South African wine in a supermarket - from 30R. Particular favourites include Nederburg and Drosty-Hof.
Boerwors hot dog from street stall - 9R.
Internet on Long Street - from 15R per hour. Fast connections, often with headset for Skype.
Entry to V+A Waterfront, Cape Town - FREE
25 days car hire from AroundAboutCars - 5308R - 177R per day plus 10R per day zero excess cover (optional), 33R contract fee, 200R cross-border permit for Swaziland and a 400R one-way drop-off fee. Amazing price.
Petrol - around 7.5R per litre.
Camping at Millers Point, Cape Peninsular - 130R per site.
Entrance to Cape Of Good Hope National Park - 75R p.p. (WildCard valid).
Entrance to TMNP Penguin Colony at Boulders - 30R p.p. (WildCard valid). Over-touristed and not worthwhile.
Camping at Olrus river, near Hermanus - 120R per site. Good facilities including bath tub (like most South African camp sites).
Whale watching from cliffs at Hermanus - FREE
Visiting Cape Agulhas NP (southernmost point of Africa) - FREE
Full tank of petrol in a VW Chico - around 360R which lasts around 600km.
Camping at Mossel Bay campsite - 130R per site.
Staying at luxury Pezula Hotel and Spa, Knysna - Free if guests of family, if not who knows? It is listed in the Worlds Greatest Spas!
Meal deal at King Pie (fast food chain) - 15R for a pie and chips.
Tasty meal such as Haloumi salad or tuna steak at The Lookout, Plettenburg Bay - around 50-100R. Excellent food, good portions, nice location, great views.
Mitchells draft beer in the Western Cape - 15R per pint.
Self-catering groceries for 25 days - around 1200R
Coffee and cake at Ile de pain cafe, Knysna - around 40R
Entry to Tsitsikamma NP - 88R (WildCard valid)
Camping at Island Vibe, Jeffreys Bay - 55R p.p.p.n. On the beach at a world famous surfing spot. Friendly and good facilities, camping is unprotected from the wind.
Entry to Red Location, Port Elizabeth - 12R p.p. Incredible moving apartheid museum, well presented, located in the New Brighton township.
Entry to Addo NP - 130R p.p. (WildCard valid)
Camping at Kowie Backpackers, Port Alfred - 60R p.p.p.n. set in the gardens of a small suburban bungalow.
Camping at Buccaneers, Cintsa - 55R p.p.p.n Nice place, secluded setting, many activities, including volleyball with wine.
King Steer burger with chips at Steers (South African fast food chain) - 40R
Double room at Bomvu backpackers, Coffee Bay - 200R per room. Nice place but Coffee Bay overrated in my opinion.
Double room at Blues Ally, Mthatha - 350R per room
2 large pizzas from Debonairs (pizza chain) - 185R
Dorm bed at Nomad Backpackers, Durban - 100R p.p.p.n
Bunny Chow (bread and curry) from Victoria St market, Durban - 25R
Visit to the Alayam Hindu temple, Durban - FREE
Pair of new flip-flops from Bata - 29R
Entrance to Monks Cowl Nature Reserve, Drakensburg Mountains - 30R p.p.
Camping at Inkosana Lodge, Monks Cowl - 75R p.p.p.n. Well run place, slightly expensive but with great views.
Camping and entry fee to Royal Natal NR, Drakensburg - 60R p.p.p.n (70R on weekends) including camping in the beautiful Mahai campsite.
Hot dog from road side stall - 13R
Double room at BiBs, St. Lucia - 220R. As they were full we were offered an ensuite room at the price of a room w/o bath. Relaxed place, nice kitchen and bar. Trips on offer.
Entry fee for St. Lucia Wetlands NP - 25R p.p. plus 30R per car. Scenic route through to Cape Vidal beach, with game viewing en route. Especially good for rhino spotting.
Entry fee to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi NP - 90R p.p. (WildCard valid). Big 5 in resident but can be difficult to spot, again rhinos in abundance however.
Map for Hluhluwe-Imfolozi NP - 30R. Well worth it.
Camping at Hluhluwe Backpackers (Daves Place) - 60R p.p.p.n. inc. decent breakfast, slightly weird place though.

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Double room/Dorm bed at Nelspruit Backpackers, Nelspruit - 130R/120R p.p.p.n (maybe 80R for the dorm if you are lucky). Camp site there is not really functional. Friendly staff but a little bit run-down, there is a pool table, fussball, free breakfast, kitchen, pool, braii and bar.
Good quality biltong and droewors from proper biltong shops - around 170R per kg, although 200gr is more than enough!
Entry to Bourkes Luck potholes at Blyde River Canyon - 25R. OK as there is no entry fee at the other Blyde River Canyon sites.
Camping at Forever Resorts, Blyde River Canyon - 60R p.p.p.n. Great value as this is a proper holiday resort with restaurants, pool area, lots of walks and other activities.
Entry to Kruger National Park - 160R p.p. (WildCard valid)
Map of Kruger National Park - 25R.
Camping at any of the Kruger National Park sites - 75R p.p.p.n. Must book in advance. Two recommended sites are Sakara and Lower Sabie as they are in areas of high concentration of game.
Meat for proper South African braii (BBQ) - around 70R per kg for beef, 50R per kg for chicken and 40R per kg for sausages.
City2City bus from Nelspruit to Maputo - 130R. Cramped and stuffy but cheap, more expensive yet more comfortable carriers such as Translux charge from 160R.

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Tickets for Twenty20 International between England and South Africa at The Wanderers, Johannesburg - 200R
Entry to Apartheid Museum, Jo'burg - 40R. Almost compulsory!
Delicious pizzas at Col'Cacchio, Bryanston (Jo'burg) - from 60-100R, very creative menu.
Dinner at Moyo restaurant, near Johannesburg Zoo - dishes from 50-210R including complimentary face painting.
Translux bus from Johannesburg to Bloemfontein - 190R, 5 hours
Camping at Naval Hill Backpackers, Bloemfontein - 60R p.p.p.n. Unique place set in an old water pump house, cool interiors. Friendly and relaxed staff. No bar but self-catering kitchen.
Taxi from Naval Hill to Central Bloemfontein - 40R
BigSky Bus from Bloemfontein to Maseru Bridge (Lesotho) - 50R, 140km, 3 hours. Service is on a 'city style' bus.

================================================

Entry to Naval Hill Nature Reserve, Bloemfontein - FREE
Entry to Olwienhus art gallery, Bloemfontein - FREE
Intercape Sleepliner bus from Bloemfontein to Cape Town - 330R, 13 hours, 1000km.
Internet at Chinese places around The Strand, Cape Town - from 5R per hour.
Pint of Bobs Brew Beer at Bobs Bistro, Long Street - 12R
Ticket for Labia cinema on Kloof Street - 25R. Only two screens at this intimate venue.
Entry to District 6 museum, Cape Town - 20R. Slightly disappointing after Red Location and the Apartheid museum, the exhibits were not really clear.
Guided tour to Robben island - 180R p.p. inc. boat transfer from V+A Waterfront, 45 minute guided coach trip around the island and tour of the former prison guided by a former inmate.
One day 'Cape Special' car hire from AroundAboutCars - 280R including 10R zero excess fee and 40R contract fee.
Wine tasting at Fairview, near Paarl - 25R p.p. including cheese tasting. A warm welcome to a beautiful vineyard in stunning settings. Highly recommended.
Wine tasting at Tokara, between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch - FREE, but the staff were quite snooty and made no effort to make guests feel welcome, we did not even stay for the free olive tasting.
500gr sirloin steak with pepper sauce served with chips at Dros, Stellenbosch - 105R. Incredibly tasty giant steak. Other menu items such as burgers start from 40R.
Admission for Laurie Levine concert at DorpStreet Theatre, Stellenbosch - 60R, but as it was a restaurant concert guests were required to order food also or pay an extra 30R cover charge. After the steak we could only manage a dessert, which cost 35R. This is the common practice at the DorpStreet. It is a nice place worth visiting if there is a good show on but be warned, don’t eat before!
Suburban train from Central Cape Town to Newlands - 5.5R
Ticket in North Stand at Newlands for ODI between England and South Africa - 220R. North Stand is best for the views of Table Mountain behind the stadium. All sorts of food, drinks and souvenirs available at the ground.
Climbing Table Mountain - FREE, but it is a tough, steep climb taking between 2-2.5 hours. Cable car tickets for the lazy people - 160R return. Entry to this part of Table Mountain national park is free.
Shuttle bus from Ashanti Lodge to Cape Town airport - 70R p.p. approx 30mins depending on traffic.
1l bottle of Amarula in duty free - 95R.

Approx costs - 220R per person per day, including 26 days car hire (25 days + 1 day)

Exchange rate - 7.5R=$1USD, 12.5R=GBP1

This is my land

2009-12-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

The South African government has made great efforts to eradicate all the lasting effects of the horrific apartheid regime. A seemingly impossible task it is incredible that at no time has the country descended into a pit of race-related violence. The government has embarked on a program of affirmative action in the belief that to continually treat unequals as equals is to perpetuate their inequality. The global argument in favour of affirmative action is that the disproportionate representations are the result of institutionalised and involuntary forms of discrimination that permeate the society. This is particularly true in societies that have had a long history of racial, ethnic, or sex based discrimination, such as South Africa.

There is a strong argument against affirmative action however, that it devalues the accomplishments of people who are chosen because of their background and not because of their qualifications. Some people also feel that affirmative action is discrimination in itself since it judges on ethnicity albeit in a positive way. It is also claimed that affirmative action in the form of positive discrimination, also called reverse discrimination, has negative side effects in the community by promoting racial disharmony and hindering reconciliation efforts and undermining the self-esteem of individuals, even encouraging them to identify themselves as disadvantaged. Whilst it can be argued that none of these factors ever concerned the apartheid goverment the old adage 'two wrongs do not make a right' should also be noted.

The methods the government has introduced to bring equality into society include such measures as positive discrimination in employment laws, the appointment of government officials and members of parliament, in admission levels at educational institutions and quota-based selection policies regarding national sport representatives. In addition the government has also introduced a very strong income-based payment system with regard to services such as electricity and water, often referred to by the media as 'wealth taxes', referred to as 'white taxes' by many disgruntled white South Africans.

Many of the new laws do not only promote positive discrimination towards black South Africans but also specifically disadvantage the other citizens. The new laws favour black-owned companies and also state that 80% of new jobs should be reserved for black South Africans. In the context of these laws the term 'black' includes all people of “colour" including Cape Malays, rural tribe members and those of Indian and Chinese origin. In the complex, quota-based system firms are required to meet specific levels not only of the workforce as a whole but also in how their company is represented at board and management levels, which other companies they deal with and how their company behaves in the local community.

Some of the laws have been very unsuccessful, how many South Africans, regardless of their racial background, would rather see a sports team that meets the quotas rather than one which is going to bring pride to their country. Personally I disagree with these laws also. What the government should do is put more emphasis on the development of these sports at grass-root level, to ensure that in coming generations the selections will be racially balanced naturally. Again, it also cuts both ways - the players and fans of cricket and rugby may be predominantly white but regarding football the players and fans are overwhelmingly from the black community, in fact there is only one white player in the South African national football team, whose name, Bafana Bafana, is a Zulu word meaning 'boys'. This also creates strong opinions however, people complain that white South Africans refuse to follow football on racial grounds and that many are hoping that the World Cup 2010 will fail. Personally I do not believe this for a second, imagine the economic impact should the tournament fail which would affect all South Africans. Some members of the press argue that white South Africans are discouraged from attending football matches due to the threat of crime and violence, this is partly true, although I would insert the word 'perceived' before threat, or even 'paranoia' instead of 'threat'! The fact that the standard of football played in the South African league is perhaps also a factor - why should people waste their money to attend the games when they could attend good quality rugby or cricket matches and then watch the top European football leagues on TV? The lack of quality spills over into the national team as well whose last ten games have yielded just two draws amongst eight losses!

Another part of the governments actions is the concept of land claims. Since 1994 the South African government has pursued a policy of trying to return land to its rightful owners after it had been taken from them during apartheid. This is a noble and justified project but has had some very unsuccessful and undesirable results. Many of the disputed lands have been operating as successful farms for many years, providing essential employment to the region as well as producing food to supply both the local community and beyond. When a group produces a valid claim to the land they may be offered cash or other land as an alternative or the government will enter negotiations with the present owners to come to a fair remuneration package. Often in these cases, after years of high production levels the farms will crumble within months of the change in ownership - fields will go fallow, the boreholes will dry up and the members of the community will sell off as much as they can before moving on to another settlement. In one particular case a farm showing an annual profit of 7m rand was given away in a land claim to a group that had already received compensation in lieu of the land and should not have been eligible for any more claims, a fact the judge overlooked. Within months there were just 6 people remaining on the farm from the hundreds that moved in, the machinery had all been sold, the buildings dismantled and the farmland destroyed. The real crux of this matter is that ALL South Africans complain as they suffer from less food being available leading to higher prices and even having to import such products as oranges from abroad.

Subjects such as these have done my head in during our couple of months in and around South Africa. It is a challenging country for liberal, open-minded travellers! I am in total support of the ANC's vision but it always seems that there is too much emphasis on making the country appear more equal rather than concentrating on actually promoting equality. Of course the second factor is far more difficult to achieve but surely its the only viable option? Questions such as ‘Why is the crime rate so high?, Why is there so much disharmony?, Why are the people much less friendly and welcoming than in neighbouring Lesotho, Swaziland or Mozambique?’ create forceful discussions in hostels around the country. Where do you draw the line in these efforts? When does common sense prevail?

Out Of Africa

2009-11-30T00:56:00.000-08:00

Arriving in Johannesburg from Maputo we were relieved to find it was not the big, bad Jo’burg of traveller myth. In fact it is quite a pleasant city, at least during the day. Everything is very spread out and there are many parks, gardens and woodlands, in fact it is said that there are more trees than people in Johannesburg, although I am not sure how true that is. The downtown area is obviously less verdant but looked a lively place, not deserted as I imagined, it resembled any other African city.

As we were guests of my relations, Ken and Marie, we enjoyed a relaxing stay, indulged in some nice meals (Col’ Cacchio being possible the best pizzeria in Africa!) and were able to get an insiders look at Johanensburg. Apart from the obligatory trip to the Apartheid museum, which was moving and depressing but extremely well presented and informative we also managed to sneak a look at the new stadium that will host next years World Cup final, visited the brilliant Bryanston market, several of the northern suburbs glitzy malls and casinos and of course managed to attend the Twenty20 International between England and South Africa, escorted by Lauren (Ken and Marie’s daughter) and her boyfriend Sean. Luckily England won, if only by 1 run on Duckworth and Lewis! On the same day South Africa also played rugby against France, a game which caused national uproar, not because of the result but because of the presentation of the South African national anthem, sung by the (tone-deaf) Ras Dumasani. I am not sure how much coverage this received in the international media so if you want a laugh, watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beg0-kMN3fM

We left Jo’burg still laughing at Ras Dumasani as he had an even more hysterical interview on the radio that morning!

Our next stop was Bloemfontein, in the heart of the Free State. The Free State is generally considered to be almost an apartheid stronghold, where the clocks stopped several years ago. I must say however that we saw no evidence of this belief, at least no more so than other South African cities, and can only comment on the warm and friendly nature of all the local people. Bloemfontein is another clean and spacious city with wide streets and tree-lined avenues. We camped at Naval Hill Backpackers, just below the Naval Hill nature reserve; it is a place worth mentioning as it is housed in an old water pump-house.

I should add that South Africans can be the most friendly and welcoming people. During this trip whenever we have met South Africans, in whichever country, they have always welcomed us with open arms, thrusting beers at us and inviting us to stay at their place in South Africa, or at least to come for a home cooked dinner. This kind of hospitality is at odds with the reputation of South Africans, regardless of their race, colour or creed.

The Kingdom of Lesotho is a country in the unusual position of being totally contained within another countries borders, the only other country I can think of in the same situation is San Marino. However once across the border it feels worlds apart from South Africa. In a similar way to Swaziland it is a very rural country, although our first impression was of the chaotic and bustling Maseru market, although to be honest the whole of Maseru seemed to be one big market, traders selling all manner of goods, a lot of Chinese plastic crap and an incredible variety of cheap and tasty street food. An horrific bus journey, one of the worst on our whole trip, took us right into the heart of the mountains, to a tiny village called Semonkong, which means “place of smoke”. From here were amazing views over the mountain range, eerily reminiscent of Tibet or Mongolia, even down to the manner in which the people are dressed. A further comparison with Mongolia can be made in the country’s main tourism niche – horse riding. There is also good trekking but when it rains constantly, and even snows a bit (at the start of their summer) there is not much else to do than appreciate the warmth inside Semonkong Lodge. Admitting defeat we retreated back over the snowy passes to Maseru and down to Malealea, another tiny village but this time in the foothills of the mountains. The views across to the start of the range from here are amazing, simply stunning. There is also pony trekking or hiking offered and this time the weather held, of only for a long morning walk!

After a second brief stopover in Bloemfontein, the highlight of which (apart from staying at Naval Hill) was visiting the Oliewenhus art gallery, we took a long overnight bus back to Cape Town, the “mother city”. As we did not do so much sight-seeing last time it left us with a busy schedule for our last week in Africa. Our first outing was to the District 6 museum, charting the history of the pass laws and the cynical manner in which areas were cleared of blacks and coloureds to make way for white settlements. Although the subject matter made arresting reading the museum itself was a slight disappointment, not as well planned as neither the Red Location in Port Elizabeth nor the Apartheid museum, both of which portray similar subject matter in a far more coherent fashion. It did serve as a taster for the trip to Robben island, the offshore prison where many anti-apartheid political activists were incarcerated, including Nelson Mandela who spent 18 of his 27 years on the island. It was interesting to see the island and in particular the prison (where Mandela’s former cell is the highlight for most visitors) but for me the highlight was our guide, a former inmate, Ngotse, who was also a fantastic orator. He was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for treason in 1984, a sentence he was relieved to receive as he was facing the death penalty, if he would have served his whole sentence he would have been released just 4 days before we visited Robben island, a fact which sent chills down every visitors spine.

We had a much more pleasant experience as we set out on our self-guided tour of the Winelands although we only actually visited two vineyards. The first was Fairview, a relaxed and welcoming place close to Paarl with beautiful views from their immaculate garden, they offered a delicious range of cheeses to taste in addition to the wines. The second place we visited was Tokara which had an exquisite modern design and more stunning views. The staff here were rather snooty however so we only tested a few wines and did not stay even long enough to taste their olives and chocolates. The principal towns in the Winelands are Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch and we found time to visit all of them as well. Both Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are quaint little towns, many buildings whitewashed and shining in the valleys. When we first arrived in Cape Town back in September we heard an interview and performance on the radio from the Jo’burg singer Laurie Levine, who just happened to be playing in Stellenbosch the evening we were there (Actually we planned it that way). It was a strange concert however, rather than standing up everyone was seated at tables and in addition to the cover charge all visitors were obliged to eat as well. Unaware of this we had already been for dinner, Monika ordering a 500gr sirloin steak, so it was with trepidation that we were forced to order desserts whilst watching the concert. Luckily it was a great show and distracted us from the complaints our bulging stomachs were making!

Enjoying a great run of beautiful weather we were relieved to wake to another sunny day on Friday and made our way across town to Newlands for the ODI between South Africa and England. Surely one of the most beautiful cricket grounds in the world I was pleased to see the research I made on the seating had paid off as we sat down to a perfect view of the pitch with Table mountain proving the perfect backdrop. It was a great afternoons cricket, the sun was shining, everyone was having a good time and then disaster struck, and I am not talking about England’s batting collapse... they ran out of beer! Now, there is a Castle brewery just opposite the ground and many people were suggesting a pipe should be connected direct from the brewery. Some people reverted to hot chocolate as the sun had already disappeared behind the mountain but we waited and luckily, avoiding a sure riot, new barrels arrived!

The last activity on our list was to climb Table Mountain. Going against the weather forecast the sun shone again on Saturday as we set out. We started directly from our lodge in Gardens, a tough walk up to the base of the mountain, we were already wilting in the heat before we started the gruelling 2 hours climb to the top. Many people were lying exhausted in the precious few scraps of shade on the way up. Once on top however it was worth all the exertion. The panoramic views of the cape peninsular proved to be a perfect finish to our long journey through Africa. It was our final fantastic experience, unless you count the turning on of the Cape Town Christmas lights last night, but as we missed the actually turning on its not really worth mentioning!

In just a few hours we will be flying out of Africa. All that remains for us is a week in Dubai before returning to England. A week in an Islamic country which might be a welcome rehab after the last few months of sundowners in Africa.

pres Lesotho do Kapskeho mesta

2009-11-30T00:46:00.000-08:00

Tak Vazeni pratele ano, uz je tomu tak, dneska odpoledne opoustime Afriku!!!! Bude Nam smutno, ale uz se samozrejme tesime domu. Byla to krasna cesta, i kdyz trochu precerpala nase finance a obcas byla jak psychicky tak fyzicky narocna, tak presto jsme si to naramne uzili.

Naposledy jsem psala z Maputa z Mozambiku, odkud jsme jeli do Johannesburgu, kde jsme stravili par hezkych dni s Allanovym strejdou (bratranec mamy) a jeho rodinou v luxusni vilce s bazenem a tenisovym kurtem, jeden den jsme zasli na kriket, hrala Anglie s Jihoafrickou republikou, zacalo prset a tak podle propoctu Anglie vyhrala.
Nase par denni zastavka na ceste do Kapskeho mesta, byla malinke kralovstvi Lesotho, hornata zemicka obklopena ze vsech stran Jihoafrickou republikou. Krasne hory, trochu nam to pripomelo Tibet nebo Mongolsko. Vsichni ve slamenych kloboukach, zabaleny v tlusty dece na ponikach. Krasny malinkly vesnicky s fajn lidma.

Podle informaci cesi potrebuji vizum, ale bylo mi receno, ze kdyz si zazadam predem tak to bude trvat 3 tydny a bude me to stat 100 euro a tak jsem to proste riskla bez viz. Vetsina narodnosti vizum nepotrebuje a stejne nikdo nevi na hranicnich prechodech, co vlastne Ceska republika je:):) no a tak to proslo, jenom mi dali razitko na 30 dni.
Meli jsme 5 dni a z toho 3 prselo a dokonce pres noc i nasnezilo, 2 dni jsme zustali v horach v Semonkongu a jeden den jsme meli hezky ve vesnicce Malealea. Ale doprava byla docela pomala a tak jsme skoro celej den ztravili cekanim nez se naplni autobus, nastesti v hlavnim meste Maseru byl autobusak plnej stanku s dobrotama a tak jsme se tam nenudili.
Zpet do Bloemfontein a nocnim autobusem do Kapskeho mesta, kde nam cely tyden svitilo krasne slunicko a vyslapli jsme si na Stolovou horu, to bylo docela narocny, ale vyhled stal za to.

Jeden den vylet na Robben Island, vezeni na ostrove asi pul hodinku od Kapskeho mesta, kde byli vezneni hlavne politicky vezni, co byli proti politice apartheidu, Nelson Mandela tu ztravil 18 let ze svych 27 let ve vezeni.
Vinice v okoli Kapskeho mesta s ochutnavkama vin a syru.

Celodenni kriket opet Anglie s Jihoafrickou republikou, docela narocny kdyz clovek zacne pit pivo uz rano a kriket byl az do 10 do vecera, takze hodne vykalencu a JAR tentokrat vyhrala.

Dneska jsme rano zabalili, vyhazeli prochozeny boty a vetsinu obleceni a jedem pres Dubaj domu.

Tak se vsichni mejte, omlouvam se za sve odflakle psani a dekujem za prizen.
zdravi monika a allan

Lesotho Tips

2009-11-27T01:43:00.000-08:00

The Kingdom in the Sky completely surrounded by South Africa and yet feeling more like Swaziland,Malawi or Zambia.

Visa: Free for most nationalities. Even nationalities requiring visas can risk it as the immigration officials are less than thorough!

Minibus from Maseru Bridge (border post) to Central Maseru - 4M
Plate of BBQ Pork with pap and greens at Maseru market - 20M
Bus from Maseru to Semonkong and v.v. - 30M, 4 hours, 130km. Very bad road. Duration does not include the up-to-5hours waiting time
Camping/Dorm at Semonkong Lodge, Semonkong - 60/100M p.p.p.n. Nice place set right in the mountains. Various walks and pony treks available as well as activities such as the worlds longest abseil (or something like that!). All weather permitting of course!
Dinner at Semonkong Lodge - 50-80M from choice of three mains plus starters and desserts.
S/M/L frankfurter from Maseru market - 1/2/2.5M
Apples, bananas, guavas, tomatoes, onions on Maseru market - 1L per piece.
Deep fried 'fishcakes' on Maseru market - 2.5M
Frozen guava juice on Maseru market - 2M
Minibus from Maseru to Malealea and v.v. - 30M, 2hours, 100km, good road. Again, not including waiting time.
Camping at Malealea Lodge, Malealea - 60M p.p.p.n (from 2010 will be 70M) Nice place with stunning views to the mountains. Trekking and pony trips available, table tennis and table football if it is raining. Nice bar.
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner at Malealea Lodge - 55/60/90M, from a set menu. Overpriced in my opinion.

Average Daily Budget - 160M p.p.

Exchange rate - 7.5M=$1USD, 12.5M=GBP1

Mozambique Hints

2009-11-27T01:23:00.002-08:00

Crossing from South Africa into Mozambique is like stepping back into steamy East Africa:

Camping at Fatimas Place, Maputo - 200M p.p.p.n. An OK place with nice yard but the staff are exceedingly lazy and inept and the campsite is on a flat roof with no shelter from the storms.
Internet at Twingos, Maputo - 45M per hour
Dos M beer - 40M per 440ml can
Cafe com leite at Twingos cafe - 28M. Cakes and Pastries from 15M
Tomatoes/Onions/Garlic from street stall - 15M per kg/5M piece/7M head
Bread - 5M loaf
Draft beer in local cafe, Maputo - around 17M small glass
Admission to Maputo Art Gallery - 20M (FREE for ISIC holders)
Admission to Maputo Fort - FREE
Bus from Maputo to Vilankulos - 600M, 10 hours, approx 700Km. Rough ride.
Camping/Dorm/Hut/Beachfront Hut w/bath at Baobab Beach Backpackers, Vilankulos - 150 p.p.p.n/200p.p.p.n/500 per room/1000M per room
Fruit smoothie at Baobab Beach Backpackers - 30M
Bananas/Bread on Vilankulos Market - 10M for 4
One day sailing trip to Magaruque island, Bazaruto archipelago inc. snorkelling and Seafood BBQ - from $40USD (around 1200M p.p.)
Minibus from Vilankulos to Maxixe - 180M, 5 hours, approx 300km
Ferry from Maxixe to Inhambane - 10M, 20 mins
Minibus (chapa) from Inhambane to Tofo - 25M, 22km, 1 hour
Camping at Fatimas Nest, Tofo - 200M p.p.p.n
Tasty meals of chicken, fish, squid or prawns with rice or chips w/salad at Black and White restaurant, Tofo - 50-110M
Local beers - 40M bottle
Ocean Safari with Tofo Scuba to try to snorkel with whale sharks, manta rays, turtles and other marine life - 1000M, 2 hour trip in rib including gear (with wet suit, useful if it takes time to spot anything). If not sightings then a repeat trip may be offered for 370m pp.
Delicious indulgent meals at Casa de Comer, Tofo - 160-180/260-300/150-200 (starters/mains/desserts). Commonly touted as Mozambiques best restaurant, I can agree. Highlights include the crab mayonnaise starter, the carappacio of fish and the prawn and crab curry.
Beer at Dinos Bar, Tofo - 40M, with access to big screen international sports!
Internet in Inhambane/Tofo - 0.5M/3M per MIN
Shuttle bus from Tofo to Maputo - 450M p.p
Ice cream from street vendor, Maputo - 15M
Translux bus from Maputo to Johannesburg (South Africa) - 198ZAR (approx 750M)

Average daily costs - 700M p.p. (This included the sailing trip to Bazaruto and the Ocean Safari with the repeat trip in Tofo).

Approx. Exchange rate - 28M=$USD, 45M=GBP1

Swaziland Costs

2009-11-27T01:12:00.000-08:00

Swaziland can be a welcome retreat from the stress and cost of travelling in more developed South Africa, however there are enough ways to spend your money if you have the urge!

Road tax (Compulsory for all cars crossing the border) - 50L
Cross border permit from Tempest Car Hire - 200ZAR
Entry to Mliliwane Nature Sanctuary - 25L p.p one-off fee
Camping at Sondzela Lodge, in Mliliwane Nature Sanctuary - 45L p.p.p.n. Very nice place with friendly staff, good kitchen and lounge area, patio and pool and resident ostriches and warthogs
Beer at Sondezela Lodge, Mliliwane - 6.5L 330ml can
Chicken and Chips at Shoprite - 36L
Groceries for 4 days (with spares) from Shoprite - 180L
Papaya - 10L per piece
Internet at Swazinet, Mbabane - 45L for 200min account
Oranges on Manzini market - 25L for 7kg
African fabrics on Manzini market - 25L per 2m
Entry to House on Fire gallery, Malkerns Valley - FREE
Entry to Kings Memorial Garden, Ezulwini Valley - 20/10L Adult/Concs. OK but not really worth it.
Sibebe beer at liquor store- 7.75L per bottle

Our trip also included our South African car hire which cost 187ZAR per day in addition to the 200ZAR cross border fee.

Average budget per day - 160L p.p. (plus the 187R car hire)

Exchange rates - 7.5L=$1USD, 12.5L=GBP1

Mozambik

2009-11-11T05:06:00.001-08:00

Tak uz se nam to krati a zitra opoustime Mozambik.
V Mozambiku jsme meli jen 14 dni a tak jsme se rozhodli uzit si plazi na jihu zeme, nez travit polovinu casu drncanim se v autobusech na prisernych silnicich na sever zeme. Myslim, ze uz nam to stacilo, to drncani...
V Maputu, hlavnim meste se nam libilo, prijemna atmosfera, hezka portugalska architektura a par peknych trzist a hodne kavaren. Pomerne zanedbany, ale ma to docela smrnc, hodne lidi co bylo na Kube, to prirovnava k Havane.

Kempovali jsme na betonovy strese hostelu a v noci zacalo prset a pekne nam prosakla podlazka ve stanu. Druhej den jsme vsechno ususili a v noci znova.

Vsechno mokry jsme zabalili a v 5 rano jsme nasedli na autobus do Vilankulos, snad nase posledni opravdu africka dlouha jizda autobusem. Lidi byli fajn a i jsme platili stejnou cenu jako mistni, ale celej den prselo a to ne jenom venku, ale i vevnitr autobusu, 12 hodin jizdy jsme meli reprak na plny pecky portugalsky disko nad hlavou a jen jednou jsme zastavili na zachod a to vsichni sli jen do krovi, ze nas z toho jeste 2 dny bolela hlava. Vilankulos prijemna rybarska vesnice, ubytovali jsme se v bambusovy chatce kousek od plaze, protoze jeste prselo a my jsme meli vsechno mokry.

Peknej sobotni trh a v nedeli jsme vyrazili na vylet do Narodniho parku souostrovi Bazaruto, ktery je znamy krasnyma plazema a podmorskou faunou. Jeli jsme jen na ostuvek Magaruque a protoze bylo po bource, viditelnost na snorchlovani nebyla nejlepsi a byl moc silnej proud a tak jsme se spokojili s bilyma plazickama a tyrkysovym morem a bajecnym obedem s krabama a kalamarama. Bylo by krasny na ostrovech Bazaruto zustat par dni, ale ubytovani je tam jen luxusni a vsechno stoji kolem 10 000kc na noc za osobu, a tak snad nekdy jindy:):)

Minibusem, za kterej nam zase nauctovali vic nez mistnim jsme dostali do Mixixe, pak trajektem do Inhambane a minibusem do vesnicky Tofo, kde je krasna nekonecna bila plaz, par hotelu a kempu, maly trziste a asi 200 obyvatel. Kde jsme kempovali jen par desitek metru od plaze a zustali jsme tam 8 dni, to jsme nezustali snad nikde jinde tak dlouho na tomhle vylete. Jeden den jsme jeli na organizovanej vylet, snorchlovani se zralokem velrybym, ale hodne foukalo a more bylo fakt divocina a nic jsme nevideli a ani by se nikomu nechtelo do takovejch vln skocit a tak nam nabidli, ze muzem ject znovu a to jen za cenu benzinu a tak jsme cekali na peknej den bez vetru. Nas posledni den jsme vyrazili a videli jsme 3, prvni asi 8 metru dlouhej, vsichni naskakali do vody a on si jen tak plul par metru od nas....uzasnej zazitek a dalsi byl jen asi 3-4metry a nekde v hloubce mel brachu. Je to nejvetsi paryba na svete a cloveku neni nebezpecna, ale stejne je to divnej pocit, vypada spis jako zralok nez velryba, sedivej s bilejma teckama a placatou hlavou. Opravdu nezapomenutelny zazitek!!! taky par delfinu a zelv jsme videli po ceste.
Jinak zbytek tydne jsme si uzivali slunicka a plaze, obcas jsme si varili morsky priserky z trziste, a ochutnali jsme par mistnich specialit, vyborny ohromny krevety, kalamari a uzasnou barakudu. Doprali jsme si a navstivili restauraci Casa de comer, prej nejlepsi v Mozambiku a verim tomu, bylo to luxusni.

Jeden den jsme navstivili mestecko Inhambane s krasnou architekturou a pohodovyma lidma.

A minibusem zpatky do Maputa, kde jsme ted.
Zitra odjizdime smer Johanesburg, navsteva Allanovych pribuznych, a jedna vecerni hra kriketu Anglie s Jihoafrickou republikou.

ahoj monika a allan

Upon the beach of sunny Mozambique

2009-11-11T04:09:00.000-08:00

Crossing the border from South Africa into Mozambique meant returning to Africa™. Long queues at the border, toilets dirty and flooded with water but strangely lacking running water, dozens of people selling food, drinks and of course cell-phone airtime. Across Africa it seems the second most important person in a town, after the police, is the guy selling phone vouchers. In every single small village, regardless of whether anyone has enough food to eat, there are guys in illuminous bibs calling ´voucher! voucher!`. The cell-phone revolution has also spawned ´charge shops` which have rows of phone chargers hooked up to car batteries or generators for those who have no access to electricity. Even if your whole village is without electricity you can still own a cell-phone. No food? No clothes? No worries. No mobile? Disaster. So, the moment we crossed over into Mozambique the entire population of our bus rushed to buy new SIM cards or airtime for their old cards and the rest of the bus journey to Maputo passed by in a crescendo of half-conversations!

Maputo generates predictable comparisons with other Latin cities such as Havana or San Salvador due to its faded colonial beauty, its decaying buildings and decrepit streets emitting a sense of charm and personality that has evaded most African cities. Coming from South Africa another facet that imposed itself on our senses was the exotic aromas, or odours, present, the heady mix of diesel, cooking oil and overripe tropical fruits, smells that took my mind back to Colombo of all places.

But it rained, all the time. Therefore we soon set off north to the coastal village of Vilankulos. The ´Junta` bus station in Maputo was quite a shock, identical to most Ethiopian bus ´stations` it is simply a dusty (or muddy) square on the corner of a busy intersection full of dilapidated buses preparing to head off to all corners of the country. Vendors were crowding around the open windows, selling bread, soft drinks and yet more airtime to the passengers, who risked soaking their seats by hanging out of the window making their purchases. Our bus was crammed with people and luggage, the luggage compartments underneath having already been filled with beer and wine to be delivered to hotels and restaurants along the way. Scrambling over the plastic guttering that lay in the aisle we grabbed two of the last seats that were not being soaked by the rain pouring in not just through the windows but through small holes in the roof as well. Many passengers spent the whole 10 hour journey holding plastic bags or empty Coke bottles to catch the rain. And 10 hours later in Vilankulos it was still raining.

After being cooped up in a hire car for the best part of the last month we were very pleased to be squashed back on a bus with everyone else, travelling on poor roads in crappy buses, disorganised and cramped and how long does it take Africans to disembark from a bus? In fairness however the buses, as in many African countries, have had an extra column of seats put in (a 2-3 seat configuration) and then an extra few rows squeezed in the back for good measure, increasing the capacity to well over a hundred people, plus luggage and at lest 40 kids on laps! Great to be back.

Vilankulos is a fishing village like any other in Africa, a crowded market selling fish, fruit and vegetables and other necessities as well as colourful Tanzanian fabrics and plastic Chinese crap. There were also women selling washing powder by weight from huge buckets and young guys offering services as a guide, dealer or gigolo. The beach itself is not suited for sunbathing as it is very much a working beach full of fishing boats, guys fixing their nets and large groups of people haggling over the price of fish. Vilankulos is however the jumping off point for visiting the Bazaruto archipelago, one of the most famous beach paradises in Mozambique. To visit means either a meeting with the bank manager or a one-day dhow trip to the closest island in the archipelago, Magaruque. Just 20km offshore, when the tide is out, and it goes way out, it seems as if it would almost be possible to walk there. That probably would not be advisable however so the one-day trip offered by Dolphin Dhow is the next best option, including some snorkelling time (although the bad weather during the previous days meant the visibility was very poor), sunbathing on the island and a delicious seafood braii on the beach. It is a tropical paradise – white sandy beaches lined with palm trees, turquoise waters and clear blue skies – but unfortunately we have seen too many beach paradises, and often in places with far better value for money than most of Africa. Still it was a nice day out though.

We were surprised by the warm and friendly welcome we met from most Mozambicans. We had been warned by many people throughout Africa that Mozambicans are “the most unfriendly people in Africa” and that we would be ripped off everywhere and even the vendors selling in bus stations would run off without paying change back. We experienced none of this, well apart from being ripped off for a couple of short bus rides, and even that for less than half a dollar each time. We received only friendly welcomes and sincere greetings. Perhaps this different experience is because for many people Mozambique is the first African country they visit after South Africa and they are not prepared for the Africa™ lifestyle. Our introduction to Africa came in Ghana and our impressions of Ghana were very similar to those that people have developed regarding Mozambique. And in a very similar fashion most people we have met who have also been to Ghana are very shocked at our opinions.

Heading back south we wanted to stop in Morrungulo but in the end headed straight through to Tofo beach, one of the most famous beach resorts in Southern Africa. We were pleasantly surprised to find it very low-key, we expected to be stuck between big resorts but actually most of the options are still small, intimate places in secluded settings. The beach is very wide and clean with accommodation options perched on the dunes above. The water however is exposed and therefore quite rough, more suitable for surfing rather than swimming, and there are barely any palm trees, evidence of the fact that we had once again crossed the Tropic of Capricorn on the road from Vilankulos.

Close to Tofo is the quaint old town of Inhambane. Full of colourful colonial architecture and remnants of the religious fervour of both the Arabic and Portuguese influences it made a perfect break from the rigours of lying on the beach. A busy market, a clutch of very Mediterranean cafes, hot sun and a laid-back atmosphere combine to make wandering around the town both invigorating and enervating at the same time!

Mozambican cuisine is hailed as some of Africa’s best. Consisting of seafood, seafood, seafood and peri-peri chicken it does not take long to work out why. Delicious plates of prawns in garlic, grilled fish, slabs of tuna steak, calamari curry and steamed crabs cooked to perfection whether in a cheap local shack such as Black and White in Tofo (probably the best value meals we have eaten since Tanzania) or in a lavish restaurant like Casa de Comer, also in Tofo and touted as Mozambiques best restaurant their menu of French-Mozambican fusion is quite exquisite - the crab mayonnaise starter, the carpaccio of fish, and the prawn and crab curry being some of the highlights. If this gorging on seafood becomes monotonous then there are plenty of places to sample peri-peri chicken, Mozambiques national dish, stolen and made famous by Nando´s, the South African chain of restaurants. And even when moving from place to place it is impossible to go hungry, vendors selling fresh fruit and freshly picked and roasted cashew nuts by the half-kilo!

Tofo is justly famous for its underwater attractions, one of the most impressive being the chance to snorkel with whale sharks. On our first trip we were unsuccessful, spending two hours being chucked around in a small speedboat searching for something, anything, to look at under water. Our second attempt made up for it however. We had two opportunities to swim with whale sharks. What is most shocking is the first sight of this giant fish (they can grow up to 20m in length) swimming towards you. It is very important to remain calm as any sudden movements, air bubbles or splashing can cause the shark to dive down but these reactions are very hard to suppress, especially when there is a group of large remora eels swimming around just below! Whale sharks feed on plankton so are no danger to humans but the fact that it is A SHARK is enough to put the wind up most people on their first encounter. Some how I was lucky enough to be at the front of the group of snorkellers and managed a full minute or so snorkelling alone with the whale shark before the rest of the group caught up, inevitably soon after that he dived away out of sight. The second encounter was of a smaller, 4m, whale shark and again he dropped out of sight soon after we had entered the water, following what I thought was his shadow down below I looked up to see that the rest of the group were heading off in a different direction. There were two down there! Like the No. 49 bus, waiting for days and then two come along at once!

After more than a week lying on the beach at Tofo (the longest time we have spent anywhere on this trip) it was time to head back to Maputo. The ´shuttle` bus is scheduled to leave Tofo at 4am daily. Normally this would mean everyone getting ready for 3:45am and the bus sauntering along sometime after 6am. However, on this occasion the driver was beeping frantically from 3:40am onwards. An African bus driver in a hurry, surely not?

Walking around Maputo on our return we were surprised to see all shops, travel agents, internet cafes and other services closed. Has there been a national strike? No, Maputo City celebrated the 122nd anniversary of its elevation to city status on 10th November!

Mozambique by Bob Dylan (from Desire, 1976)

I like to spend some time in Mozambique
The sunny sky is aqua blue
And all the couples dancing cheek to cheek.
It's very nice to stay a week or two.
And maybe fall in love just me and you.

There's lots of pretty girls in Mozambique
And plenty time for good romance
And everybody likes to stop and speak
To give the special one you seek a chance
Or maybe say hello with just a glance.

Lying next to her by the ocean
Reaching out and touching her hand,
Whispering your secret emotion
Magic in a magical land.

And when it's time for leaving Mozambique,
To say goodbye to sand and sea,
You turn around to take a final peek
And you see why it's so unique to be
Among the lovely people living free
Upon the beach of sunny Mozambique.

Namibia notes and hints

2009-11-06T02:34:00.000-08:00

Entering Namibia from Botswana is a further step towards development and Westernisation. To further complicate matters regarding costs Namibia has a non-existent public transport system and barely any sealed roads on which to hitch from place to place.

Visa - if needed it costs $50 (payable in USD$ only) from any Namibian embassy. The embassy in Lusaka will accept/return applications on Tuesdays and Thursdays only.

Lift from Buitepos (border town) to Windhoek - 100ND in a truck
Camping at CardboardBox Backpackers, Windhoek - 65ND per person per night. Including free pancakes w/ tea or coffee for breakfast.
CardboardBox was OK but very loud. At the time I was staying there they had a whole rugby team and full entourage (Around 50 people all in) who made a 48 braii party, drinking throughout the night and basically keeping the whole place awake with no respect for other guests. They also left the bathrooms and kitchen in a filthy state. If they had not have been there we may not have noticed the scant regard that the FHM reading, fat chav owner gave his guests, using the place simply to fund the daily drinking, braii and weed smoking habits of him and his friends, who treated the guests with more rudeness, dominating the bar and choice of TV/music. Quite poor really considering how popular it is (or used to be).

Beer/Wine at CardboardBox - 10ND bottle/ 13ND very full glass
Tasty Boerwors hot dog at MK fast food , Windhoek - 10ND
Internet - 10ND for 30-40 mins depending on place.
Car hire from Europcar for Hyundai Atos(booked through rentalcargroup.com) - advertised as USD$228 for 7 days but terrible exchange rate meant we were charged USD$310, later reduced to around $270.
Petrol - 7-7.5ND per litre. Hyundai Atos full tank cost around 220ND.
Groceries for 7 days self-catering camping - around 400ND
Entry fee for Nauklauft mountains National Park - 40ND p.p. plus 10ND per car.
Camping at Nauklauft mountain National Park - 200ND per site.
Delicious cakes at Mooses bakery, Solitaire - 18ND each, coffee 8ND
Entrance to Sossusvlei - 80ND per person plus 10ND per car.
Breakfast at Wimpy, Mariethal - 30-40ND per order. Wimpy MegaCoffee - 12ND
Entrance to Fish River Canyon - 80ND per person, 10ND per car.
Camping at Chameleon Backpackers, Windhoek - 70ND per person. Excellent place, friendly staff, nice bar and pool, fairly quiet (bar closes at 10pm), amazing free buffet breakfast, free tea and coffee all day. Only problem is severly limited camping space. Rooms and Dorms available at higher prices.
Beer at Chameleon - 10ND
330ml can of 100% pure tasty fruit juices from LiquiFruit - 5ND
Intercape Sleepliner coach from Windhoek to Cape Town - 620ND p.p.

Ave cost per person per day (inc car hire for 7 days with 4 full tanks but sleeping in the car 5 nights) - 340ND
Without car hire the cost would be around 200ND but you would not get anywhere and hitchers are generally requested to pay the equivalent of a bus fare.

Approx Exchange rate - USD$1=7.5ND (pegged to South African Rand), GBP1=12

Botswana tips and costs

2009-11-06T01:35:00.000-08:00

Botswana is considered to be just about THE most expensive country for a tourist to visit in Africa. There are however ways to keep the costs down to a reasonable level, albeit losing a bit of the exclusive nature of their 'high income-low impact' tourism strategy.

Visa (if needed, citizens of most Western countries do not require visas, those from Eastern Europe, Israel etc may do) - USD$75, the application can take up to two weeks and may be rejected without refund. A hotel booking, proof of sufficient funds and an onward/return flight may be required. Pretoria seems to be the best and fastest place to apply. Monika applied in Lusaka, it took 5 days.

To enter Botswana from Zambia requires a short ferry across the Zambezi to the town of Kazangula. This costs around 2000Kwa, or $0.50USD

Taxi from Kazangula to Kasane - 30P, 5km
Camping at Chobe Safari Lodge, Kasane - 60P p.p. Really luxury lodge with nice pool and bar overlooking the river. Campsite hidden behind the chalets, warthogs wandering around the gardens.
Info at Botswana Tourism Board, Kasane - good, friendly and free
Meal of rice and beans with salad at Spar or Chappies supermarkets, Kasane - 15P per tray. Good value.
Internet in Kasane - from 4P per 10 mins!!! Horrifically expensive.
Beer at Chobe Safari Lodge - 16P (we only had one!)
Afternoon boat cruise in Chobe NP - 235P p.p. inc 70P park fee. From WaterLily Lodge. All lodges offer the tour but many are in 55 seater ferries, WaterLily has a 12-seater which allows exploration much further into the park and also much closer to the animals.
Bus/Hitching from Kasane to Nata - 55P p.p. 5 hours, 300km, shit road.
Meal of rice and beef stew at Crossroads Cafe, Nata - 18P
Groceries in Nata - only tomatoes, onions, bread and other basics available! Toms/Onion - 1-2P each, Bread - 7P loaf, Water - 7P 1.5l
Bus from Nata to Planet Baobab - 15P p.p. 1hour, 70km
Camping at Planet Baobab - 65P p.p. Great experience, like camping in a fairy tale. Excellent secluded location, fantastic design and construction, friendly staff and good trips.
Trips to Makgadikgadi salt pans from Planet Baobab - from 750P p.p. inc lunch, game drive, quad biking and visit to meerkat family. If you are lucky you may get offered a good deal to join an existing trip.
St. Louis beer at Planet Baobab - 11.5P
Bus from Planet Baobab to Maun - 37-40P p.p. approx 200km, 2.5 hours
Private/Shared taxi/minibus from Maun to The Old Bridge Backpackers - 20P/3.8P/2.75P, 7km, 15 mins
Camping at The Old Bridge - 33P p.p. Nice place by the river, friendly atmosphere, good music, well run. Many local ex-pats frequent the bar.
Internet in Maun - from 15P per hour.
Groceries in Maun - everything around 6P per kg/packet
Mokoro trip to Okavango Delta from The Old Bridge - 605P/770P for 1/2 days trip (pick-up and speedboat transfer and mokoro with poler only, self-catered)
Beer at The Old Bridge - 11-15P depending on brand.
Birthday cake at Chappies - 30P
Cheeses - from 15P per 200gr.
Hitching from Maun to Windhoek (Namibia) - 900km. No public transport. Can take two days, we did it in 14 hours. It cost us around 100P plus 100ND each but could cost more or less depending on your luck.

Ave budget per person per day - 240P.

Approx exchange rate - 6P=USD$1, 10P=GBP1

ze Swajzijska do Krugeru

2009-10-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

Zdravime,
Tentokrat trocha z nasi kratke zastavky v malinkem kralovstvi Swajzijsko. Swaijzijsko je jednou z nejmensich zemi Afriky a je obklopeno Jihoafrickou republikou. Bylo tam krasne zeleno, kopcovita krajinka a pratelsti a usmevavi lide. Ztravili jsme tam jenom par dni, kempovali jsme v prirodni rezervaci Milwane, kde se nam prochazeli po kempu zebry, pstrosi a prasata bradavicnata (to jsou moji favoriti). Jeden den jsme si zarizovali viza do Mozambiku a bylo to prekvapive jednoduche a levne. Dalsi den jsme navstivili trziste v Manzini, ktery bylo docela zajimavy, prodavali tam hodne rucne vyrobenych veci a oproti vetsine Africkych trzist, kde se prodavaji plastovy veci z Ciny, kteryma je Afrika zaplavena, to bylo docela prijemny prekvapeni.

Tak jsme si tam krasne odpocinuli, dokud nas zase nedohnal dest a vyhnal nas z hor zpet do JAR.V Nelspruitu jsme prespali pred cestou do Blyde River Canyon a okoli, na prespani jsme nasli krasnej kemp.

A cekalo nas nase posledni Safari v Africe a to ve snad nejznamejsim Narodnim Parku Afriky, Kruger. Je parada, ze tam muzes svym autem a zvirata si hledas sam. I kdyz nas vsichni strasili abysme nejezdili o vikendu, nakonec to nejak tak vyslo a tak jsme videli jak si jihoafricani uzivaji vikend. Jako my jezdime na chatu o vikendu, oni jedou kempovat s karavanem do parku, pres den s pivkama pozorujou zvirata a vecer s pivkama rozzhavej ohne a ogrilujou nejaky masaky. Kempy jsou neuveritelne vybaveny, muzes tam nakoupit nalozeny maso, vsechny druhy piv a to studeny a v koupelnach jsou i vany a kdyz nestaci vana, je tam vzdycky bazen. No a tak v sobotu po horkym dni jsme nechteli byt vyjimkou a nakoupili jsme basu piv a asi kilo masa a grilovali jsme taky.Stravili jsme tam 3 dni a 2 noci, videli jsme opravdu hodne zvirat, hodne ziraf, zeber, slonu (kteri jsou tam momentalne premnozeny a vsechno nicej, tak se resi co se bude delat s tolika slonama), buvolu, pakonu, hrochu, nosorozcu bilych a dokonce i cernych, jednu osklivou hyenu, par bandicek lvu (bohuzel vetsinou z dalky) a posledni rano jen par metru od cesty leoparda s dvouma leopardatkama a to bylo uplne super.

Krajinaka tam byla taky moc krasna a kazdy den se to menilo a tak to byl peknej zaver nasich africkych Safari.Vratili jsme se do Nelspruit, oslavili narozky dalsi grilovackou a hodne alkoholem, vybalili auto po mesici a vsechno to zase zabalili do batohu a zpatky na zada. A z Nelspruitu uz jsme zase pokracovali mistni dopravou, rozloucili jsme se na chvili s JAR a vyrazili do Maputa, Mozambik. Teda nase prvni jizda autobusem byla neco, autobus byl plnej mozambicanu a vsichni prevazeli cerstvi maso z JAR do Mozambiku, takze vsude po autobuse tekla krev z igelitek, no a nejhorsi to bylo v prostoru na bagaz a samozrejme muj batoh se v tom celej vyvalel a nasaknul pekne tou krvi...proste mnamka!!!!

tak se vsichni mejte krasne, my jdem uzivat plazi, slunicka a krevet!!!!
monika a allan

Into The Wild

2009-10-28T03:57:00.000-07:00

We fled the Eastern Cape due to the bad weather but as we entered KwaZulu-Natal the weather took a dramatic turn for the worse. By the time we approached Durban the motorways were several inches underwater and so not only did 'motorway' driving entail the challenges of avoiding the cows and other animals, the old women crossing and the boys cycling in the hard shoulder but also avoiding the cars that were still speeding past, aquaplaning along as though it were a fine, sunshiny day. By the time we arrived in Durban I was convinced that we were on the verge of a natural disaster and that we would wake up in the morning and find ourselves floating half-way to Antartica. Actually in the morning we awoke to bright blue skies and all the water had vanished. Which I guess proves the point of all the locals who claim they are desperate for the rains.

Durban does not have the greatest reputation among travellers, particularly regarding safety, so we restricted ourselves to exploring just the Indian quarter around the Victoria Street market. The market itself is housed in a large building which manages to contain all the the colour and aroma of India, souvenir sellers vying with the spice merchants for business. There are also several cafes selling curries and other Indian foods including the Durban speciality 'bunny chow', a hollowed out loaf of bread filled with a curry of choice. In the surrounding area, amongst more trade and commerce is a mosque and madrassa (and a rather out-of-place Cathedral!). People are surprised that the Hindu temple, the largest in South Africa, is way across town from this area. It did not surprise me as it is convenient located just behind the Kingsmead cricket ground. Indians using one religion to follow another! Experiencing the Indian culture in Durban offers another viewpoint of South African society. Although they obviously live within their own huge network of family and contacts the Indian population seems far more liberal and modern in Durban than in Delhi. Despite this Durban does feel like a big Indian city. Perhaps that is why it was never the state capital?

Durban is also famous within South Africa for its beaches, although some have become crime-ridden no-go areas. The most famous is probably Umhlanga, just a few kilometres north of the centre, where luxury resorts and giant shopping malls hem the beachfront. We only visited for a short while and by then the skies had clouded over once more so unfortunately we did not have the quintessential South African beach experience!

We drove inland up into the Drakensburg mountains. Amazingly the higher we got the better the weather became and we enjoyed a few days of trekking under cloudless African skies. The Drakensburg is separated into several protected areas and it would require a long time to visit all of them. We decided to just visit two areas, the Monks Cowl and Royal Natal national parks. Although both were beautiful, Royal Natal was the highlight, trekking past beautiful rock formations and through lush green valleys to amazing viewpoints. Just a few kilometres away is the town of Ladysmith, home of the famous musical group the Ladysmith Black Mambazo. This proximity was fitting as whilst trekking through Royal Natal it seemed as if these African rhythms were being carried on the wind. Also we had a copy of Paul Simon's 'Graceland' in the car, a more tangible connection!

Throughout South Africa we have been staying in a variety of accommodations, mostly either 'backpackers' (as they are known here) or at one of South Africa's many, well-run, municipal camp sites. These provide a relaxing refuge from the rigors of the backpackers. The campsites are always full of South African families, keeping themselves to themselves, having a braii in the evening but otherwise peaceful and quiet. One of the best campsites we have stayed in was Mahai camp situated in Royal Natal. It seems that families come to camp for the weekend without even considering trekking, they just come for the views from the camp and the excellent facilities. Whilst not many have a fully equipped kitchen they generally have a space where you can prepare food and wash up afterwards and the bathrooms always, always, have big bathtubs and plenty of hot water.

Soon enough the rain returned and we headed back to the sea, along the Elephant coast up to St. Lucia. The drive from Drakensburg was a long, dull and dreary 400km, the only bright side coming from some of the stranger road signs. My favourites include 'ABNORMAL', which is always hung on the back of wide-load or 'long' vehicles or displayed by their car escort and 'ROBOT AHEAD' which is not a derogatory term for a traffic cop but actually the South African term for a set of traffic lights. Not quite so amusing are the antics of South African drivers, who must be amongst the most aggressive in the world. Worst are the minibus drivers (who apparently have such strong unions that they would never ever be convicted of any traffic offence), rich Pretoria businessmen in blacked out Mercs and the old Afrikaans farmers. These guys always loom large in the rear view mirror, beeping and flashing before over-taking and giving you the finger as they pass. I was shocked, they are the age of my grandad, with their wives in the passenger seat, and they cut me so close as to almost cause an accident. What makes it worse is that drink-driving almost seems compulsory in South Africa (to the point where it is quite common to see guys drinking a beer whilst they are actually driving) so it begs the question, how many beers did they have for breakfast? After a while I realised the cause of their frustration. In South Africa it is customary for slow drivers to pull into the hard shoulder to let others past, even if the road is clear for a normal overtaking manoeuvre. Once I started to yield to these speed demons I received far fewer fingers! As well as the drink-driving it seems that speed limits are totally disregarded by all South Africans, despite the limits being very generous, in fact the normal limit for a single lane highway in South Africa is higher than that on a motorway in the UK.

Thankfully we arrived in St. Lucia safe and sound, just a few frayed nerves that a beer or two would fix. St. Lucia became one of my favourite places in South Africa. A small town surrounded by jungle on an estuary full of crocs and hippos. It is a fairly touristic town, with reminders of a Floridian retirement village, and the main drag is packed with bars, restaurants and hotels but behind that are dirt tracks on which hippos roam free at night. It feels like jungle wilderness and it is, right down to the regular afternoon rains. Along the coast north of the town runs the St Lucia Wetlands protected area, and at the tip, Cape Vidal, a beautiful stretch of beach popular with weekenders. As a bonus the route to the beach doubles as a game drive, with rhinos crashing out of the bushes and onto the road, kudu and buffalo grazing and the constant threat of lions should you risk alighting from your vehicle. We had only seen three rhinos in Africa, all lazing about by Lake Nakuru in Kenya, here we saw 5 just driving to the beach and back!

Just 40km further away is the entrance to Hluhluwe national park, the first protected area in South Africa and an alternative to Kruger for spotting the Big 5. The park is set in a stunning landscape of rolling hills and thick foliage. We were not so lucky with the animals, spotting just a few more rhino, zebra, warthogs, wildebeest and giraffe. And the top of a lions head from about 100 yards!

Some of my personal highlights of countries appear mundane, selfish and whimsical when compared to the greater impressions. For example in India I enjoy going to the barbers for a shave (and paying about 20p for it) just as much as I admire the freedom and democracy. In South Africa I love being able to have a hot, high pressure, shower on a daily basis. After several months washing under trickles of cold water throughout Africa this has become one of my personal highlights, especially during these rainy days. Hot showers for me are up there with equality and development in South Africa!

It was time for a brief break from South Africa so we drove into the small kingdom of Swaziland. I assumed it would be vastly different, more rural and less densely populated than South Africa. Wrong. In fact because it is such a small country the people are quite crowded together. Despite this however we found the people to be very warm and welcoming, much more so than in South Africa. No question was too much trouble to answer and everyone behaved in a friendly manner. We camped at a guesthouse within the Mliliwane Nature Sanctuary, sharing the campsite and the splendid views with ostrich and warthogs. Mliliwane is situated in the Ezulwini valley between the two major towns of Manzini and Mbabane and very close to the Kings former residence at Lobamba. The highlight of Manzini for us was the market, Mbabane we found to be a pleasant city but without any distinctive highlights. The Ezulwini valley is a beautiful stretch of winding roads, hills and farmland which serves as the base for tourism within the country. Whilst we were there the sky was clear and the sun blistering hot. Unfortunately we were not able to visit the Royal Palace as it is off-limits but we did visit the memorial gardens of the previous king, albeit on our last day as the rains returned. The King is not so popular in neighbouring countries these days due to his policy of selecting very young girls to become his next wife. This feeling did not seem to be prevalent within Swaziland however as every hotel, shop or other establishment has at least one photo of his majesty hanging prominently.

On our last day the bad weather forced us to leave straight for South Africa rather than taking the scenic route via Piggs Peak. We arrived in the town of Nelspruit, a pleasant town set int he hills with a very secure feel. As with the whole of South Africa the entire town is obsessed with the 2010 World Cup. Nelspruit is one of the host cities, as is Durban, and in both cities shiny, new, very impressive stadia have been built and the entire road network is being totally overhauled in preparation. South Africa resembles a country of total development with people even renting out their spare rooms or whole houses to desperate visitors who were unable to snap up hotel beds on time. It is just a shame that Bafana Bafana, the South African national team, cannot live up to this mania. Their Brazilian coach, Joel Santana quite just a few days ago after a string of poor performances, the most recent of which came up in Reykjavik. I suspect communication played a massive part on his lack of success, in TV interviews his poor grasp of English is openly ridiculed by the interviewers and pundits and one wonders how he communicates with the players? Still, Fabio Capello doesn't seem hampered by a lack of English so who knows?

Nelspruit is conveniently located close to Blyde River Canyon and Kruger National Park so we set off for a tour of the region. In good weather a visit to Blyde River Canyon is a excellent day trip with stops at various sites and viewpoints along the way watching the colours on the rock escarpment change as the sun moves across the sky. Perhaps the best views are those overlooking the 'Three Rondavels' formation. There are a couple of nice campsites close by, offering swimming pools and other amenities in addition to the usual services.

And on to Kruger park, one of the most famous places in Africa. Not only was it our last chance for game viewing in South Africa but also of our whole trip. Thankfully the visit lived up to these expectations, especially due to the thrill of seeking out the big game independently. Our only disappointment was that we only saw two prides of lions, and both from several hundred yards away. For some reason I expected at Kurger there would be so many lions laying around I would be tripping over them. We did see more giraffe here than in the rest of Africa combined as well as herds and herds of elephants. Our main highlights were seeing a hyena close by the road with no-one else around, being held up by a herd of around 200 buffalo crossing the road and spending the night next to our campsite, stumbling upon a black rhino (just about the most endangered animal in Africa) munching away at leaves by the side of the road, and spotting a leopard with cubs wandering around in the undergrowth just metres from our car. We also saw a jackal for the third time in Africa, but again were unable to get a good photo! The weather was scorching for the first two days which made all the animals lazy, lying in any available shade, on the third day it cooled and we were able to see a little more action!

Everyone told us to avoid the weekend in the park but we wanted a true Kruger experience and so we visited on a weekend. Brits go to the seaside for the weekend, the Swiss to mountains and Czechs to their cottages whilst South Africans go to game parks to relax! The campsites were full of families, the swimming pools full, the bars running out of beer and everyone having a braii by their caravan. To complete our Kruger experience, and to celebrate Monikas birthday, we joined in and fired up our own braii. A true South African religion is the braii (or barbeque). By Saturday afternoon all towns have ground to a halt and barely anyone is on the streets until Monday morning. The time is spent in the garden, or at a campsite, cooking vast amounts of meat and eating them with garlic bread, salads, beer and wine. It is a traditional that truly unifies South Africa (luckily there are hardly any vegetarians here). There are certain rules and etiquette however, the most important being - never touch someone else's braii and never advise them on their meat!

trocha Jihoafricke republiky

2009-10-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

Uzasnej pocit, prvni zeme, kam nepotrebujem viza, takze jenom razitko do pasu. Dopoledne jsme prijeli do Kapskeho mesta, tmave modra obloha, krasnej morskej vzdousek a Stolova hora za hlavou. Jedinej kemp v centru, museli jsme trochu preorganizovat stany, abysme se tam vubec vmackli a vyrazili jsme na obdivovany tohohle prijemne krasnyho mesta a byli jsme uplne uneseny.

Rozhodli jsme se pro pronajmuti auta, prej Jihoafricka republika ma nejlevnejsi pronajem aut a to za 350kc na den, coz nam prisla paradni cena a opustili jsme Kapske mesto luxusnim golfem. Prirodni rezervace Cape of Good Hope (Mys dobre nadeje) i kdyz to neni nejjiznejsi bod Afriky je tim nejznamejsim.

A poprve jsme vyzkouseli takzvanou Wild Card, ktera plati na skoro vsechny parky v JAR a je normalne pekne draha, daroval nam ji starsi francouzky par v Malawi a nebyli prvni, kdo ji pouzival. Akorat jsem predstirala, ze jsem Britta z Nemecka a nikdo se na nic neptal. Platilo nam to na vsechny Narodni parky, ktere jsme navstivili v Jihoafricke republice. Pokracovali jsme po pobrezi a videli jsme hodne tucnaku, neuveritelny mnozstvi verlyb v Hermanus jen nekolik desitek metru od brehu, na zacatku Garden Route jsme navstivili Allanovyho strejdu, ktery zije v Johanesburgu, ale v Knysne byl s manzelkou na dovoleny. Dali nam adresu a at se stavime na par dni, prijeli jsme tam spinavym golfem, v zadu jsme susili pradlo na snuze a v tricku a kratasech. Byl to ten nejluxusnejsi rezort, co si umim predstavit Ken a Marie tam vlastni takovou vilku na kopci, s horkou vyrivkou na balkone, vyhledem na more a golfovym hristem. Ukazali nam okoli a zustali jsme tam 2 noci a navstivime je jeste jednou doma v Johanesburgu a pujdem spolecne na kriket!!!Se zastavkou v Tsitsikammma narodnim parku

jsme pokracovali smer Wild Coast, pocasi se zacalo zhorsovat a my jsme se snazili dostat do prirodni rezervace Dwesa, ale cesty zacali byt bahnity, nikdo nic nevedel koho jsme se zeptali a nase mapa nebyla dostatecne podrobna a tak jsme zabloudili. Zacalo pekne prset a my jsme kouzali po bahnitejch cestach dokud jsme nepichly. Vzali jsme nejaky stoparky a kdyz uz se zacalo stmivat konecne jsme se dostali zpet na asfalt. Dostat se do Coffee Bay bylo jeste par hodin cesty a i kdyz se snazime vyhnout rizeni v noci, nic jineho nam nezbyvalo. Vsechno dobre dopadlo az na to, ze byla nedele druhej den a nemohli jsme vymenit rezervu a tak jsme se zasekli v ne moc zajimavym mestecku Mhatha. Dlouhej destivej den do Durbanu, kde jsme si uzili trochu Indie. Je to mesto s nejvetsi populaci indu mimo Indii. Nenechali jsme si ujit mistni specialitu Banu Chow, indicky curry ve vydlabanym chlebu. Verim, ze Wild Coast by se nam moc libilo, kdyby bylo hezky, ale protoze nam prselo 3 dny v kuse moc jsme toho nevideli.

Ale v Draccich horach se na nas slunicko usmalo a 2 dny nas hralo v kopcich. Sli jsme 2 treky, jeden ve strednim Dragensbergu a druhej v Royal Natal N.P. a kempovali jsme v krasnych mistnich kempech.

Dalsi dlouhy den na silnici do St. Lucia, prselo tak, ze ani kempovat jsme nemohli, ale okoli bylo krasny, videli jsme hodne vzacnych nosorozcu, kterych jsme se doposud tolik nenanbazili, hodne hrochu a krasne divoke plaze.

Navstivili jsme take Huhluwe N.P., kde jsme ocekavali, ze uvidime trochu vic, ale hodne nosorozcu a to i nosorozec cerny, ale priroda byla tak krasna, ze nam nestacilo 9 hodin a druhej den jsme se tam jeste vratili.

Vsechno se tu toci kolem Mistrovstvi sveta ve fotbale 2010, vsude se stavi stadiony a opravuji silnici a je dobry, ze hodne lidi ma praci, jinak je to 25% nezamestnanost, ale to se nevi co bude potom. Skoda, ze Jihoafricka republika neni dobra ve fotbale, naposledy prohrali s Islandem tak nevim, kam to dotahnou na mistrostvi. Taky bude velky problem s bezpecnosti, je tu hodne velka kriminalita a tak nevim, jak to dopadne.

Rizeni v JAR je docela hruza, je tu hrozne moc autonehod a vsichni jezdi jak blazni, hlavne ridici minibusu. Ty jsou vzdycky a vsude v Africe ti nejhorsi hazarderi, ale v ostatnich zemich neni tolik osobnich aut.Na normalni jednoproudovy silnici je povolena rychlost 120km/h, takze kdyz jedem 100km, tak na nas vsichni troubej jestli jsme normalni!! Alkohol a rizeni je tu naprosto normalni a kazdej to bere jako samozejmost.

Narodni jidlo " BRAI" grilovani, proste ugrilovat nejakej kus masa. A nebo "BILTONG" suseny kousky masa vetsinou hovezi, ale i nejaka zverina a to musim rict je moc dobry k pivu.

Tak to zatim asi vse, momentalne jsme ve Swaizilandu a pokracujem do JAR a Mozambiku pote.mejte se vsichni krasnemonika a allan

Cape Crusaders

2009-10-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

As we arrived in Cape Town on the overnight bus from Windhoek we were aware of two facts, the first is that Cape Town is commonly touted as being one of the worlds top cities and the second being that South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world. Should we be amazed or petrified?

The main centre of Cape Town, at least as far as backpackers are concerned, is around Long Street, which can be roughly described as 2 parts Khao Sanh Road, 1 part Camden Town and 1 part Laugarvegur (the main street in Reykjavik). From here it is possible to walk to the shiny, and very tacky, V+A Waterfront (where we lasted about 15 minutes!) as well as to the older parts of town including the castle, which is one of the oldest buildings in South Africa. We camped at a lodge in the Gardens suburb of Cape Town, situated right at the foot of Table mountain. The lodge has a bar terrace from which it feels as if you could almost reach out and touch the side of the mountain. Or at least it would had it not been so bloody windy during our entire stay that we were actually blown out of the campsite and into the safety of a room! The sky was absolutely clear and the weather perfect apart from the wind, which prevented us from climbing the mountain. It seems that clear days do not come by too often on the Cape of Good Hope and when they do it’s too windy to climb! Nevermind, we consoled ourselves with pints of Pilsner Urquell (on draft!) from a pub on Long Street. An Irish pub ironically, but I suppose Prague is closer to Dublin than to Cape Town!

After a few days soaking up the culture of Cape Town we hopped in a hire car and headed off to explore more of South Africa. Why another hire car? Sure, there is more public transport here than in Namibia but we have been put off public transport by about 600 South Africans who have warned us as we have come down through Africa that if we even set foot in a minibus here we will certainly be mugged, raped and murdered. Of course I am sure it is not as bad as that but then we found a car hire firm with rates lower than the costs of the buses we would take over the same amount of time. So, in the end it was cheap and best to take a car! What was the first thing we did with our car? Visited Canal Walk shopping centre, claimed as the biggest in Africa or something. Why? I still don’t know, I think to buy a road atlas and Monika needed a new pair of hiking trainers but inevitably we got stuck there for hours, mostly because it really is so huge that its easy to get lost the instant you walk through the revolving doors!

The Cape peninsular has been the site of so much history that it felt quite eerie to be standing there, under the lighthouse that has witnessed a thousand wrecks. Driving back through the Cape of Good Hope Reserve we experienced one of those amazing collisions of history and nature as we passed ostriches and kudu wandering around by the side of the road, stepping in between the beautiful flora of the peninsular, albeit without the protea flower that was yet to bloom. Cruising around the peninsular feels like a perpetual television advert for a sports car, winding around the bends that hug the sides of the cliffs with stunning views of the ocean under a clear sky. Heading back through the peninsular we passed the penguin colony at Seaforth, battled through the legions of Japanese tourists (who were all trying their hardest to get bitten by a penguin!) and gazed at the large groups of penguins hanging around. We were glad we hadn’t paid for the spectacle but that’s another story! At St. James we stopped so look at the famous, colourful beach huts, only to find that on the weekend they can barely be seen through the hordes of sun worshippers!

We headed off of the peninsular and along the coast to the town of Hermanus, famous for its whale watching. We had not even parked our car and we had spotted six whales just off shore. Needless-to-say, if you like whales but you don’t fancy stumping up the cash for a boat trip, this is the place to come. OK, not much of the whales is visible at any one time but the really impressive facet is the sheer proximity to the shore.

Heading further along the coast we came to Cape Agulhas, the southern-most point of Africa. It is a nice picnic spot but there is no real reason to come other than the “most southerly point” thing. This seemed enough for many people but in reality it is just a piece of strong marketing from the tourism board. It is in no way comparable with the Cape of Good Hope, being further south is not enough!

By this time we had developed a fair idea of the popular foods in South Africa. In a nutshell its meat, meat and more meat, but eaten in a variety of tasty ways. A great snack (forget the chewy sweets!) is biltong. Biltong is dried meat, usually beef but often kudu or some other type of game, which is chewy, tasty and ideal either for long car journeys or with a beer after a hard days sightseeing. If you like your meat warm however the steaks and various boerewors (sausages) available are top quality and relatively cheap. South Africa also produces a whole host of great cheeses, so basically the most popular food here is anything that goes well with beer or wine! And the wine is very good and very cheap also!

From Cape Agulhas we headed on towards the Garden Route. Most guidebooks and brochures would describe it as one of the highlights of a trip to South Africa, right up there with Cape Town, Kruger park and the Drakensburg. Unfortunately we were about 20 years too late I think! It is no longer the pristine wilderness from which it got its name. There are resorts, golf courses and shopping malls all along the length of the Garden Route from Mossel Bay to Storms River, it could be described as South Africas Costa Del Sol. Our first stop was Mossel Bay, which is the Benidorm of the Garden Route, all high-rises and concrete monstrosities looming over the beach. We only camped overnight and perhaps the best thing about Mossel Bay is its spacious and clean municipal campsite. The next day a mist descended so we passed through George and Wilderness without seeing a whole lot at all. We stopped in Knysna which is far more pleasant than Mossel Bay, a mixture of local streets and resort plazas. We were lucky enough to be the guests of some relatives of mine at Pezula Golf and Spa resort on the outskirts of Knysna, the kind of place that has its own TV channel advertising itself and that gets listed in ‘Worlds Greatest Spas’ and then leaves magazines around so the guests are constantly reminded of how lucky they are to be staying there. It is a fantastic place and deserves its accolades and we were very grateful to have been able to stay there. As guests of Ken and Marie we were shown the sights of Knysna and the rest of the Garden Route along to Plettenberg Bay, commonly referred to as ‘Plett’, where we ate at one of the best restaurants we have visited in Africa, The Lookout, which served up giant portions of seafood and other delicacies at very reasonable prices.

Trying to understand South African society is an exercise in getting a headache however. No matter how hard everyone tries race seems to permeate every aspect of society, from where people live, where t hey shop (even which supermarket they visit), which beaches, hotels, restaurants and bars they frequent and even which sports they follow. Whilst almost all South Africans we have met, regardless of their colour, have been liberal and open-minded it does seem as if they prefer to live in their own groups, almost like a natural apartheid. I know that sounds strange and I may be wide of the mark but that’s the impression we have received.

Heading on from the Garden Route we stopped at Tsitsikamma National Park close to Storms River. A small park with some nice, well-marked trails and an abundance of monkeys, it reminded us of many of the national parks in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. We stopped for a half-day trek through the jungle to a viewpoint with stunning views over the coastline. Our next stop was at Jeffreys Bay, one of the surfing capitals of the world. There were lots of surfers there (blond hair, bare chests, board shorts) but no-one was surfing, apart from the streetkids that show up on Wednesdays for free lessons! Perhaps the wind was wrong or something or perhaps these days its enough to simply laze around watching surfing DVD’s and talking about surfing that you don’t need to actually bother getting wet!

Jeffreys Bay is close to Port Elizabeth, or PE as it is almost always known as. A large, yet non-descript, city we stopped only to visit the excellent Red Location, an apartheid museum in the New Brighton township. Built in an old factory with the exhibits housed in up-ended red shipping containers inside it is visually stunning and emotionally shocking, everyone should be made to visit. A slightly more pleasurable experience was Addo National Park, just inland from PE. Whilst we did not see any cats we did see quite a lot of wildlife (herds of buffalo and elephants, some warthogs, many tortoises, hundreds of dung beetles and several zebra, kudu and other antelope species), which was quite satisfying considering it was the first time we had driven ‘on safari’ by ourselves and that Addo consists of large areas of thick scrub and bush.

The coastal areas of the Western Cape are covered with shiny buildings, immaculate harbour developments and modern industrial and retail parks, all linked by good roads which are being improved all the time in readiness for 2010. As you enter the Eastern Cape however things deteriorate rapidly. At the same time you see more black South Africans whereas in the Western Cape many people are ‘Cape coloured’, descendants of slaves imported by the Dutch from Malaysia, Indonesia, Madagascar and Mozambique. They speak a strange dialect of Afrikaans and most have lost their specific ancestry due to generations of racial mixture. Travelling up the coast into the Eastern Cape is a reminder that this is Africa. In a small town called Butterworth that we passed through we suddenly realised this. There was more life on the streets but at the same time the roads deteriorated and there was more trash strewn around. One of the sad facets of South Africa is that even now, after years of an ANC government, the people in the old ‘homeland’ areas are still living in tumble down huts with no water or electricity supplies, the potholed streets littered with rubbish and with stray animals roaming around looking for food. The sides of the roads are covered with carcasses of animals that have been attracted to the road by the discarded fast food containers, whilst they were rooting through the remnants of someone’s Bargain Bucket, they looked out to see the headlights just a moment too late. A very real and depressing effect of littering.

Driving in the Eastern Cape involves not only conquering the potholes and dogs but also herds of cows and goats that have been left to graze freely, making night driving especially daunting, especially considering the amount of wrecked vehicles lying up-turned on the small roads of the Eastern Cape, along the worst stretches three or four can be counted every kilometre! During the journey from Addo to East London we had an overnight stop in Port Alfred, a nice little town along the way, before heading on the next day. Our first stop along the Wild Coast was at Chintsa, a nice secluded place with a stunning setting on the beach and an excellent backpackers lodge, Bucaneers, perched in the cliffs. It would have been perfect but it started to rain. It rained all night and all the next day as we searched for Dwesa Nature Reserve. This was probably the worst day of our whole trip. We got lost on dirt roads that were rapidly turning into mud-baths and we got a puncture during the worst of the rain storms. Actually we didn’t just get a puncture, we destroyed a whole tyre. And we never found Dwesa. We limped into Coffee Bay, touted as a ‘backpackers mecca’ by everyone who has ever been there. I thought it was over-rated. Maybe if you like the smell of marijuana (personally the smell makes me nauseous) you might enjoy it. It seemed to be one of those ‘cool’ places to hangout for weeks, full of dreadlocked tourists in fishermans pants. But, the weather was still terrible so maybe if it had been sunny I would have had a better impression.

In the end we missed Port St. Johns, our planned last stop on the Wild Coast. Why? The reasons are three-fold; firstly we were a bit fed-up of ‘backpackers hotspots’ and all that they entail, secondly the weather showed no signs of improvement and we did not fancy another night at the beach in the rain with nothing to do and thirdly, and most importantly, we did not fancy the 180km round trip from Mthatha on potholed roads with no spare tyre. Why no spare tyre? Because in South Africa nobody is allowed to make Baby Jesus cry by opening on a Sunday! The only option was to overnight in Mthatha, which was not the most interesting of places but in hindsight it was probably better than Port St. Johns would have been, although there was nothing in the way of budget accommodation. We consoled ourselves with pizza and trashy TV in our swanky B+B and as soon as we had the tyre fixed the next morning, (and found a wheel stud to replace then one I managed to snap) we fled towards Kwa-Zulu Natal!

The Story of the Gap Year

2009-10-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

5 travel execs sit in a boardroom, brainstorming, seeking an idea for a new niche market. The green glow from the screens reflecting in their spectacle lens and the hum of the grey Olivetti PC's around them breaking the silence.

"We need a market that has lots of disposable income and lots of time to spend it"
"And it would be best if they didn't analyse the cost-value of their spending"
"We should find a market with more spare time"
"As we are a student-orientated agency shouldn't we target students? They have spare time... but never enough, and they have money.... but never, ever enough... hang on, why are we in this market?"
"What about students before they are students? We could encourage them to defer studying for a year..... a whole year of profit...."
"Plus it would be a last chance to get them when they still have mummy and daddy's money to spend, then they really won't care what they spend it on"
"We can market as a life-changing experience, without which further education would be useless wasted"
"Yes, let's go for the 'something to put on the CV' route, insinuating that the costs will be dwarfed by higher salaries a few years down the line!"
"Er, hang on guys, legions of teenage, public school brats with no life experience and no concept of respect for other cultures.... won't that destroy the reputation of the normal British backpackers? The very market that has got us where we are, the market that we have built our entire firm upon?" the fifth, and until now silent, member states.
The rest give him a wearied, withered grimace, a 'What's your point?' look. Why didn't he get it?

And so the Gap Year was born.

Nobody could have predicted what a runaway success such a cynical marketing plan could be. Overland tour companies saw their dwindling profits boost phenomenally - after years of 'doing it for themselves' the kids wanted to be looked after again, ironically at the same time putting another barrier between them and the life experience their parents thought they were getting. A whole host of spin-off start-ups were spawned in the wake of the Gap wave. Not in the least were the 'very-much-for-profit volunteer organisations that charged an arm and a leg to send kids to volunteer in places they really were not needed (teaching in capital cities for example), and did any money trickle down to these communities? Don't be silly. What a great idea, instead of paying people to work you charge them for it, and through the nose at that and you keep all the money.

Once they have 'dome their bit' of course the brats can move on to dreadlocks and banana pancakes on the Khao Sanh road, to collapsing under a full moon on Ko-Phan-Ngan and on to the annual 'Australia East Coast Brit-Brat Shagathon'.

All this from one stuffy board meeting. If only they could have seen the future.

5 worst things in Africa

2009-10-13T22:51:00.001-07:00

1. Overland trucks
2. Overland tours
3. Overlanders
4. Overlanding
5. People in a group on an organised tour in a big truck

Why? Because they are generally rude and obnoxious with little or no respect for the locals and the customs of the country they are in, if they even know which country it is. Nor do they respect all the other, independent tourists that they meet. Every time a truck from one of these companies rolls up in a campsite you can hear a collective groan. They always party noisily into the night, drinking, shouting and screaming. In this way they are similar to the Brit-trash that ruin our reputation abroad on the various islands of the Med. These tours are promoted as 'something for the adventurous traveller', but they are no more than 18-30 holidays on wheels.

The worst part must be the experience for the people on the trips. They drive from site to sight, stopping for a bare minimum of time before heading off again. It's amazing they have time to drink so much. Heaven forbid anyone would actually want to stay anywhere a little longer. But would they be capable of such thoughts anyway? They never come into contact with local people, instead prefer to gawp from behind the safety of the reinforced windows of their truck. I remember seeing such a truck in Ghana stop in the middle of a street and one member jumped out, the others looking on in awe as he entered the realm of 'the natives' in order to buy some water. I bet he got a round of applause as he boarded the bus! Even worse is perhaps the effect they have on local populations. How would you feel if big trucks came past you everyday with people staring out and taking photos but not stopping to greet you? Wouldn't you feel like an animal in a zoo?

One of the most important features of travel for me is the food, so the idea of eating soggy pasta every night around the camp is total anathema.

I imagine that those that use overland trucks are those that believe they could not travel in Africa (or wherever) by themselves. This is due to the many misconceptions about travelling in Africa, many more than any other area of the world. And if you don't try, how do you know? Or perhaps it would be better to stick to Tenerife next time!

Dune Buggy

2009-10-01T05:10:00.001-07:00

It took us 14 hours to hitch-hike from Maun to Windhoek, a journey of around 800km with little or no public transport along the way. We arrived after dark, therefore the culture shock that is Namibia was delayed until the following morning. Part of the shock is generated by the sheer weirdness of Namibia, Windhoek being one of the most bizarre examples. Its a city crammed with German colonial architecture in the middle of dry and barren desert. The spires from the cities churches puncture the deep blue sky and the surrounding mountains add to the feeling that this city is in the wrong place at the wrong time. The other part of the shock comes from the fact that Namibia is a developed country, at least much more developed than any other country we have visited since arriving in Africa. Botswana gave us a few hints of what was to come but still the streets were dusty and the pavements potholed, buildings looking on the verge of falling down wedged between luxury lodges and on every street corner a rusted, abandoned minibus. Once in Namibia all of this was replaced by a glossy veneer, shining in the sun.

Due to Namibia having an even lower population density than Botswana there are next to no public transport options in Namibia. We realised that trying to hitch to the isolated spots of natural beauty the country is famous for would result in heat stroke, hypothermia and massive dust inhalation. We decided to hire a car for a week. The advantage of this is the ease with which we could travel between the sights and sites and also the freedom to stop whenever we wanted to take a photo, eat a sandwich or go to the toilet. The disadvantage of course is that the opportunity to observe peoples way of life at close hand is lost. However we suspected that Namibia (and South Africa) would less revealing and rewarding in any case. Hiring a car may also have affected what we looked for, and found, and as a result the composition of this post might also be different from usual.

We left Windhoek along one of Namibias half-a-dozen tarmac roads and headed for the Atlantic coast town of Swakopmund. In under two months we had travelled from Africa's Indian Ocean coast to the Atlantic Ocean coast, a small trip hidden within a much larger journey. We drove through nothing, but unlike in Botswana this nothingness was fascinating, the scenes and colours changing every few kilometres. We arrived in Swakopmund and headed along the hard, salt, coastal road and found a place to camp by a fisherman's hut on the beach.

The next day we returned to explore Swakopmund. One of the former 'German South West Africa' strongholds, the influence is still very much evident today. Walking between the opulent German colonial buildings and passing schools full of blonde haired, blue eyed kids made me feel a bit sick. It didn't feel like a German town but rather like the town a group of Germans would build trying to recreate a German town. I imagined that Margate or Great Yarmouth could have looked like this had Hitler had his way (of course they wouldn't as both were very much in existence by then but you get my point). I should add that I have no issue with Germany or Germans at all, in fact I would much rather spend my time with Germans than a bunch of boorish Brits. That is the point however, the people living in Swakopmund speaking, eating, drinking, living German, listening to German radio, with their kids learning in German are not German! The question is.. what are they?

Immediately after leaving Swakopmund our spirits lifted. The road between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay is lined with sand dunes that seem to crumble straight into the sea. It took ages to cover the 35km because we kept stopping to take photos and climb dunes. Walvis Bay was a British trading port before the Germans arrived so was spared the architecture overhaul by general British disinterest and is just something resembling a caravan park, but no weird feelings either. The most interesting part of Walvis Bay was around the salt mine, out on the Pelican Point sand spit. The presence of high levels of sodium has created a spectacularly coloured landscape and attracted huge flocks of pelicans and flamingoes.

Leaving Walvis Bay meant a 200km drive along gravel roads in the arresting deserted landscape of the Namib-Nauklauft National Park, the views constantly changing, from desert to mountains to canyons and back to desert and mountains again. Hmm, driving a small Hyundai around a sparsely populated yet stunningly beautiful country on poorly maintained gravel roads. Sound familiar? You could be forgiven for thinking we were back in Iceland again, in fact there are many similarities between the countries and I reckon if Iceland had 40°C summers then it would end up looking like Namibia sooner or later. We camped on the edge of the Kuiseb canyon, technically illegal but we hadn't seen a park official, or anyone else, for over four hours to direct us to a camp site.

Almost as essential a stop when visiting Namibia as Sossusvlei is Moose's Bakery in the isolated one-horse town of Solitaire, aptly named! Moose looks more like he should be tearing up Namibia's dirt trails on a Harley rather than baking exquisite apple strudels and cheese-cakes, but that's exactly what he is doing, to the delight of all visitors, most of whom made a significant detour just to pass by.

Part of the Namib-Nauklauft National Park are the Nauklauft Moutains. There are two one-day treks within the park and we hiked both of them. The entrance to the park and the camping fees were very good value, further proof that the more developed a country, the better value it becomes.

The 10km 'Olive Trail' afforded amazing views of the surrounding landscape before descending into an orange canyon where the beauty was brought much closer. No evidence of olives though so the origin of the name remains a mystery. The canyon was teeming with Rock Hyrax, also known as Dassies, small animals that are supposedly the closest living mammal to elephants but resemble more a rabbits distant cousin.

The 17km 'Waterkloof Trail was less rewarding as much of it involved stumbling over a rocky dry river bed with just a few crystal clear pools for distraction before climbing up over a cacti-laden pass. This provided our soles (and souls) a brief respite from the rocks before descending back to the river and to the camp-site.

Probably the most famous image of Namibia for many people is the orange sea of sand dunes at Sossusvlei, and this was our next stop. All of a sudden we were surrounded by other tourists and, after struggling along over the gravel roads the last 65km to the dunes was pristine tarmac. The popularity of Sossusvlei is more than justified, the towering dunes (some up to 350m high) look postcard perfect especially in the early morning when one half is still covered in shade. So perfect in fact that they do not look natural. The Oryx grazing under the dunes amidst the leafless trees provide the scene for a thousand photos.

We managed to get a lift the last 5km from the car park to the dunes themselves before walking into, around and all over them. Although Sossusvlei is highly visited, at least by Namibian standards, there is enough room for everyone and the shape of the landscape manages to create a feeling of isolation. And, almost as importantly, it was possible to take photos that looked 'untouched'.

There is only so much time that can be spent in the desert in the heat of the day however. The sensation of the sand searing the soles of your feet whilst the sun slowly boils your brain sends everyone scuttling for the shade eventually. Back at our car we realised we still had over two days of car hire left to use and nowhere to go. We decided to head further south to Fish River Canyon. We had intended to stop here on the way to Cape Town but now we decided to drive there instead.

It took us a few hours to reach tarmac again and a few hours more heading along dead straight roads south to Keetmanshop. Close to Keetmanshop are several large 'stands' of kokorboom, Namibias most famous tree, also known as the quiver tree. The English name derived from the use of the wood by San hunters. Also close by is a field of weird and wonderful rock formations called 'Giants Playground'. These provided us with an excuse to stop and stretch our legs for a while before heading on through some more flyblown one-horse towns to Fish River Canyon. The facts themselves are fairly impressive – one of the largest canyons in the world (guess what the largest is... wrong, it's not the Grand Canyon), the second most visited tourist site in Namibia and the largest canyon in Africa. The view are even more incredible – you cannot see any evidence of the canyon until you are right on top of it and then it seems to extend into the distance and over the edge of the world. Fish River Canyon is the location for one of Africa's most famous treks, the 5 day trip from end to end, although (un)fortunately the trek is off-limits during the summer months due to the lack of water en route and the danger of flash flooding. So we couldn't walk through it.

Travelling through rural Namibia it became evident the effect of such a limited gene pool, I harboured suspicions of inbreeding, although this is always a hazard in such sparsely populated places, you only have to wander around Great Yarmouth on a market day to work that out! I would add however that the local people seemed less friendly, but less lazy, than in Botswana, which is perhaps a legacy of years of South African rule. With Cape Town our next destination we are bound to find out.

All that remained was a 500km drive back to Windhoek to drop the car off and prepare to catch a bus a few days back down that same long, and never winding, road.

Namibie

2009-10-01T04:58:00.000-07:00

Namibie je jeste vetsi a mene zalidnenejsi nez Botswana. Na svych 825 000km ctverecnich ma necele 2 miliony obyvatel. Byla kolonizovana Nemci, ale na zacatku 1.Svetove valky nad Namibii prevzala kontrolu Jihoafricka republika az do sve nezavislosti v roce 1988. Je to vyspela zeme a vsechno funguje docela dobre, az teda na tu dopravu, neni se cemu divit nemeli by koho prevazet a tak lidi co se potrebujou nekam dostat, vetsinou musi na stopa. My jsme si stopovani uzili v Botswane a v 40stupnich stat na silnici a cekat 3 hodiny nez projede prvni auto se nam nechtelo a tak jsme se rozhodli pujcit si auto, to nejmensi a nejlevnejsi, ale stejne trochu pres rozpocet.

Uzili jsme si to tak trochu jinak, kochali jsme se krasnou prirodou a mohli jsme si zastavit kde jsme chteli, ale neprisli jsme do kontaktu s moc lidma. Vzali jsme par mistnich stoparu a nabrali benzin na par benzinkach, ale jinak jsme potkali asi 20 aut za cely tyden.
Z Windhoeku jsme vyrazili na pobrezi a pres krasnou poust do Narodniho parku Namib-Naukluft. V Naukluftskych horach jsme si protahly kosti dvouma jednodennima trekama a pak do krasnych rudych dun v Sossusvlei. V okoli Keetmanshoop jsme obdivovali zajimave Kokerbooms stromy (druh Aloe) a vyhled na nadherny Fish River Kanyon na konec.

Vetsina silnic byla jen sterkovych a tak rizeni bylo docela vysilujici, trochu se nam podarilo skrabnout auto, ale nikdo si toho nevsiml:)
Jeden den jsme zustali ve Windhoeku a nasedli na luxusni autobus primo do Kapskeho mesta.

Kde jsme prave ted, strasne nam tu fouka a vcera nam malem odlitnul stan.

zdravi monika

Planet Baobab

2009-09-30T03:04:00.000-07:00

"Makgadikgadi? I asked what was out there, and they said 'Nothing - only idiots go there.' I thought fine, that's the place for me."

Jack Bousfield, 1963

Luckily these days there is something out there. One of the most unique lodges in Africa in fact. Planet Baobab is a lodge and campsite designed in the style of a traditional Bakalanga village. It is situated just a few kilometres from Gweta on the Nata-Maun road in northern Botswana. Although it is just a few hundred metres from the main road it is completely hidden, and the advantage is that once you are there you too are completely hidden! The only way you can tell when to get off the bus or turn off the road is because of the presence of a whopping great pink aardvark on the side of the road!

On arrival the lodge reveals itself to be situated in, under and around 17 baobab trees which the stylish huts compliment with their authentic designs. The campsite is hidden at the back of the complex (perhaps the tents and 4x4's would ruin the look!) but is not neglected, campers enjoying the roofless shower blocks and shaded sites. The huge bar is like some temporary open-air aircraft hanger and is crammed full of retro photos of African life and other cool artifacts. The restaurant is quite expensive (but campers are free to self-cater) but offers a wide range of dishes from across the continent. They also offer tours onto the salt pans, which include wildlife safaris, quad bike expeditions, meerkat visits, local village tours and overnight bush camping trips. Uncharted Africa, who run Planet Baobab, also own the luxury Jacks Camp, San camp and the beautifully isloated Camp Kalahari, right in the middle of the pans.

All in all a visit is a unique experience and one of Africa's highlights in terms of accommodation options!

Zambia Travel Costs

2009-09-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

Zambia is widely regarded these days as one of the more expensive countries in Africa in which to travel. The fact that they export petrol to Zimbabwe who are then able to sell it at lower costs hints to part of the problem. It does not affect travellers as much as Zambians and here are some ways to get by:

Visa - $50, available at the border or beforehand at a Zambian embassy. Valid for 1 months entry, to be used within 3M of issue

Shared taxi from border to Chipata - 10,000Kwa (Zambian Kwacha) p.p, 30 mins
Tomatoes/Onions at Chipata market - 1000/2000Kwa per pile
African Polony in Chipata - 500Kwa per portion
Minibus from Chipata to Mfuwe - 50,000Kwa p.p. up to 5 hours waiting plus 4-5 hours for the journey. Add 5-10,000Kwa for a private transfer from Mfuwe to a camp or lodge.
Camping at Croc Valley, Mfuwe - 35,000Kwa p.p. Includes free visit from hippos and elephants, and maybe a leopard, during the night.
Beer at Croc Vallet - 10,000Kwa. Meals here very overpriced but there is a self-catering kitchen available.
Game drive - 125,000Kwa park fees plus 200,000Kwa for 4 hours game drive.
Bus from Chipata to Lusaka - 115,000Kwa, 6-20 hours. Good road, good buses, nice scenery.
Dorm at Ku-omboka Backackers, Lusaka - 45,000Kwa p.p. Nice restaurant (mains around 23,000Kwa) and bar.
***AVOID CHACHACHA BACKPACKERS IN LUSAKA - RUDE AND UNFRIENDLY STAFF AND POOR SECURITY ISSUES***
Fast food at LA Fast Foods - 12-20,000Kwa for kebab, chips, burgers, fried chicken etc
Proper meal (i.e. nsima with chicken or fish) at Fajemas - 15,000Kwa
Internet - from 9-12,000Kwa per hour. Fastest and best is at Arcades.
Fruit and vegetables on Soweto market in Lusaka - usually 1500-2000Kwa per kilo.
Minibus from centre to Arcades or Manda Hill - 2000Kwa p.p.
Taxi around town - around 15,000Kwa
Bus from Lusaka to Livingstone - 80,000Kwa, 6-10 hours.
Camping at Jollyboys, Livingstone - 30,000Kwa p.p. Nice place, well run, pool and bar, internet, book swap, info desk, craft shop and excellent self-catering kitchen.
Meal at Chinese restaurant, Livingstone - from 12-20,000Kwa
Minibus to Victoria Falls NP - 2500Kwa
Entrance to Victoria Falls NP - 48,000Kwa (or $10USD at current rate)
Guide to walk along the top of the falls - 20,000Kwa (after bargaining)
Beer at Jollyboys - 8000Kwa
Shared taxi to Kazangula (Botswana border) - 25,000Kwa each
Ferry across Zambezi to Botswana - 2000Kwa

Average cost per person per day - 125,000Kwa

Exchange rate - USD$1=4800Kwa, GBP1=7600Kwa

Travel Tips for Malawi

2009-09-28T04:41:00.000-07:00

Malawi turned out to be more expensive than we anticipated, but it is possible to keep your costs down, here are some ways to do it:

Visa - for those who need a visa they cost $70-100, valid for 30 days within Malawi, takes 4 days to issue in Dar Es Sallaam. Check before arriving at the border as none should be issued there, although we have heard from various people that in emergencies it is possible.

Taxi from Songwe Bridge (Tanzanian border) to Nkhata Bay - 15,000MK after bargaining (300km+). A minibus should cost around 1000MK, but will require at least two changes and probably an overnight in Karonga or Mzuzu.
Camping at Kupenja Lodge, Nkhata Bay - 400MK p.p.
Basic meal at Kupenja Lodge (i.e. Rice and Veg or beans / fish or meat) - 400/600MK
Beer (Carlsberg 'Green'/'Stout') at Kupenja Lodge - 150/180MK
Soft drinks in a shop/bar - 50/100MK
Meal in local cafe - around 200MK
Internet - 5-8MK per min.
2l bottle of mineral water - 200MK
200ml bottle of WaterGuard purifier - 30MK
Bag of chips (with cabbage) - 100MK
Minibus from Nkhata Bay to Mzuzu - 350MK, 1 hour, 50km
Scone from street vendor - 50MK
Bus/Minibus from Mzuzu to Chikangawa (Viphya Plateau) and v.v. - 300/400MK, 1 hour, 55km
Camping at Kasito Lodge, Viphya Plateau - 750MK per site
Eggs/tomato/onion per piece on market - 30/10/30-50MK
Roast corn on the cob - 50-100MK
1st/2nd/Economy class ticket on Ilala from Nkhata Bay to Chizimulu island - 2600/960/590MK, 4 hours, totally packed, we took 1st class for this sector.
Camping at Wakwenda Retreat, Chizimulu island - 500MK p.p. But it is a priceless experience. Stunning location, excellent design and set-up. Only downside was the useless staff!
Beer at Wakwenda (Foreigner/Local) - 200/150MK. Hmmmm......
Meals at Wakwenda - from 400MK, slightly overpriced. Dinners usually 800MK per person, which is normal for backpackers in Malawi.
Snorkelling at Wakwenda - FREE
Meal at Joyces restaurant (next door to Wakwenda) - around 300MK for rice or nsima with egg, veg and beans. A little more for fish.
Dhow ride from Chizimulu to Likoma - 150MK p.p. From 1.5-5 hours depending on weather.
Camping at Mango Drift, Likoma - 500MK p.p. Nice beach and well organised.
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner at Mango Drift - 200-600/200-900/800MK
Beer/G'and'T and Mango Drift - 200/250MK
Firewood - 100MK per bunch (imported from Mozambique!)
Sunday service at Likoma Cathedral - FREE, includes spiritual blessing
Self-catering dinner for 7 on a fire - 120MK per person for 3 plates each of a stew of rice, beans, soya mince, potatoes and 4 types of vegetables.
Soya pieces - 65-80MK per packet.
1st/2nd class ticket on Ilala from Likoma to Monkey Bay - 9600/2800MK
Breakfast, lunch or dinner on Ilala in 1st class restaurant - 400-600MK
Coffee on Ilala - 100MK per cup. NO REFILLS!
'Green' beer on Ilala - 180MK
Coca-cola on Ilala - 80 in 2nd class, 100MK in 1st!
Meal from Economy galley (something like nsima and beef stew) - 150-200MK
Night in Luxury cabin on Ilala if arriving in Monkey Bay after dark - FREE for tourists, after consultation with the captain.
Ride on pick-up from Monkey Bay to Mangochi - 350MK
Bus from Mangochi to Blantyre - 700MK
Camping at Doogles, Blantyre - 600MK p.p.
Beer at Doogles - 180MK, if you can get through the crowds to the bar!
Sports on TV (5th Ashes for instance) - FREE
Meal at Temptations Cafe, Blantyre - 400MK
Minibus from Blantyre to Limbe - 50MK
Minibus from Limbe to Mulanje (Chitikale) - 400MK
100g bag of Macadamia Nuts from vendor enroute - 10MK!!!!! Deal of the Century!
Minibus/Pick-up from Chitikale to Likubula Forest Office and v.v. - 150MK, but they will ask for 250MK
Mt Mulanje park entrance fee - 100MK per visit
Left luggage storage charge - 500MK per group
Camping at CCAP Lodge, Likhubula - 360MK p.p.
Sleeping in mountain huts on Mulanje - 700MK p.p. Nice huts, albeit empty, you sleep on the floor or on one of a few matresses but there are wardens to supply water and firewood and all have nice fireplaces.
Minibus from Thuchila to Likhubula - 200MK
Bus from Blantyre to Lilongwe - 700MK, min 5 hours, 320km
Taxi from bus station to Mabuya Camp - 800MK
Camping at Mabuya Camp - 700MK p.p. Brilliantly run, one of the best places we have stayed so far. Staff were friendly and helpful and nothing was too much trouble. They have a pool, internet, book swap, laundry facilities, many braii pits, hot showers and a nice relaxed bar. The staff are a mine of information about onward trips you may have planned.
'Green'/Stout/Coffee at Mabuya Camp - 175/200/75MK
Set dinners at Mabuya Camp - from 550-800MK
Internet at Mabuya Camp - 10MK per min. Ouch!
Internet in Lilongwe - from 5MK per min.
Self-caterers can make use of the PTC, Shoprite and Metro stores all close to each other in the centre.
Minibus from Lilongwe to Mchinji (Malawi/Zambia border) - 600MK, 2 hours
Shared taxi from Mchinji to the actual border post - around 200MK p.p.

Budget - 3000MK per person per day based on two people camping every night and self-catering for at least half of the meals.

Exchange rate - 141MK=$1USD at the official rate. If you have greenbacks then you can change them for up to 180MK on the black market. Therefore it is better to bring cash into Malawi, not rely on ATM's like us and get the official rate!

South Saturn Delta

2009-09-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

Botswana is not an easy country to visit. The visa system is very restrictive and once you get into the country you realise the full extent to which they are dedicated to “high revenue – low impact” tourism. What this means is that unless you are willing to pay upwards of $300USD per night to sleep in a luxury lodge only accessible by air transfer then the Botswana government are not interested in you! Whilst this model has sound environmental strengths, less people means less pollution, overcrowding and threat to the wildlife I am not so sure about the social implications. Surely Botswanans will develop a skewed image of foreign tourists if the only ones they meet are the uber-rich? Rather amusing was the fact that after jumping through hoops to get a visa the border guard was about to absent-mindedly stamp Monika in without even checking her nationality! More frustrating was that the visa was valid only for 14 days, and this was reduced further to only 10 days by immigration. We had had to rush out of Zambia due to the conditions of both the Botswana and Namibia visas and now we encountered more restrictions!

In Kasane we realised the campsite we had booked did not exist but we found an alternative place tacked on to a luxury lodge full of holidaying South Africans. Kasane itself is a strange dusty town full of warthogs wandering the streets, holding up the fleets of 4x4’s. The town is still and silent, with no life from the locals. The markets are quiet and staid and when we wanted to do a boat trip into the Chobe national park we could not find anyone to take us. Anywhere else in Africa you would have people clambering over each other to offer you a tour of some sorts. We had to resort to visiting the tourism board for help finding a suitable boat!

It was worth the search however. The boat trips take place in the afternoon, just before sunset. We found a lodge with a small boat, only 12 seats, rather than the 56 seaters owned by the big lodges. This small boat was able to get us closer to the crocs and hippos than we wanted and to good views of elephants, buffalo, giraffe and even a sable antelope. The highlight for many people is viewing elephants crossing the river, something we witnessed just after sunset. An elephant population of over 120,000 in northern Botswana alone makes any boat cruise exciting.

Botswana is one of the few African success stories. Despite being neglected during the colonial era, only protected by the Brits to stop any incursions from either the Boers or the Germans (who had just arrived in Namibia). At independence in 1966 there was only one 12km paved road in the entire country. All of a sudden they found diamonds and the economy boomed. The real reason for the success (one of the highest GDP per capita in Africa and the fastest growing economy in the world since independence) is that the government did not spend the new found wealth on personal excess, there were no mansions being built, spending sprees abroad or limousines cruising through Gabarone. Other African nations should have taken note. At one point during this time the average lifespan even hit 70 in Botswana. Unfortunately nowadays this figure has dropped to below 30, a sad reflection of how AIDS has ravaged a country with a population of under 2 million, and even that number is shrinking according to some counts.

This small population is probably why there is barely any public transport infrastructure in Botswana. Hitch-hiking is considered the easiest way to get around and just outside each ‘town’ there will be a ‘hiking spot’ under a tree where potential travellers can wait for a lift. Getting away from the main centres is pretty much impossible, unless you are cheeky enough to approach some of the South African families in the campsites, which we weren’t!

We did manage to get a ride from Kasane to Nata where we waited a couple of hours over a plate of rice and beef stew before catching a Maun-bound bus and getting dropped off at Planet Baobab. An amazing lodge, known by all and worthy of its own bus stop in the middle of nowhere, staying at Planet Baobab is like camping in a fairy tale. The lodge is an exquisitely designed collection of huts around a pool, restaurant and bar with a campsite around the back, complete with open-air showers. It is situated right on the edge of the Makgadikgadi salt pans. When we asked if we could walk to the pans the owner laughed (its 32km in blistering heat through lion-populated forest!) but kindly offered us a significant discount off of the tour rates. It was still expensive enough to take us all night to decide whether to go or not however! The tour consisted of a picnic ‘in the bush’, a game drive through herds of zebra and wildebeest and a trip on quad-bikes across the pans. Although we are not usually excited about this type of excursion it was a lot of fun, although I was slightly scared when Monika was driving as she spent the whole time cackling like a witch and imitating the sound of the engine! The highlight of the whole tour for me however was visiting a family of meerkats on our way home, such strange and inquisitive creatures we were able to get very close to them without distressing them at all.

Travelling through rural Zambia felt like travelling through a BBC documentary on Africa – the quintessential golden colours, plains dotted with baobab trees and mud huts and women walking to and fro with giant pales of water on their heads – the first time we have felt like that perhaps since we were in West Africa over two years ago! In contrast, travelling in Botswana the scenery is at best an image of an outback ghost town in Australia and at worst travelling in a post-apocalyptic world. The dusty, sparse landscape dotted with discarded car tyres and ugly tin shacks behind wire fences. There are barely any people around (Botswana ranks 228th out of 238 in the world by population density, beating countries such as Namibia, Mongolia, Iceland and Australia) and therefore the land feels lifeless. Even the dust is dull, more grey than red and like walking through a spillage of white pepper. The markets are small and few and far between and very sterile when compared with those in other African countries, it seems as if most people shop in the giant supermarkets found in the larger towns, of which there obviously are not many.

Finally we made it to Maun, the gateway to the famous Okavango Delta. Although we could not afford to fly into, let alone stay in, the Inner Delta we were able to take a two-day Mokoro trip along the Boro river in the Eastern Delta. The scenery here is probably more Norfolk Broads than classic Okavango Delta but it was quite pleasant meandering through the reeds in the mokoro (traditional canoe dug-out of sausage tree wood) being propelled by the poler standing at the back. We spotted the odd hippo and elephant during a game ‘cruise’ and listened to the baboons and abundant bird life. We also encountered zebra, wildebeest, giraffes and various types of antelope (including the red lechwe, endemic to the region) on a walking safari. All in all however I did not feel that the trip was great value, it was still quite expensive and anywhere else in the world would probably be unacceptable. However, the only other option for backpackers to see any of the delta is to hang around the airport and wait for standby seats on the scenic flights, but this is too much a hit-and-miss option and doesn’t get you up close and personal to the wildlife. It would however protect you from the squillions of flying insects that spend the whole mokoro journeys trying to insert themselves in your ears, nostrils or any other orifice they can access!

Someone told us they thought Botswanans are the laziest people in Africa. Whilst I could not make such a statement it is true that they are so laid-back they are almost horizontal! In most countries in the world on arrival at a bus station you would be met by several guys all trying to get you and your luggage onto a bus, even in Indonesia they can manage this, where the scent of tourist dollars outweighs their innate laziness! Here on arrival no-one stirs, they all sit in the minibus, we even had to open the door ourselves! Heaven forbid trying to travel with your backpacks, they will tell you to take the next bus. Sometimes the drivers are too lazy even to stop, I cannot imagine another country in this part of the world where a half-empty bus would fail to stop to pick up passengers! Possibly the most frustrating example is asking anybody a question, especially directions. I am sure my beard grew an inch or so just waiting for the answer, often just a couple of words and a brief hand signal!

Independent travel in Botswana is expensive but possible, food and park entry fees are relatively cheap and transport, once you can find it, is not unreasonably priced. Camping is slightly more expensive than in neighbouring countries but is easy to find. The problem is the price of any organised tour or activity blows all other costs away, but who would come to Botswana and not visit the Okavango Delta, let alone Chobe National Park (which is fairly cheap to visit) or the salt pans?

Botswana

2009-09-19T05:07:00.000-07:00

Zasilame pozdravy vsem tentokrat uz z Namibie,

Tak trocha Botswany. Botswana je ohromna zeme v jizni Africe s jen 1,6 milionovou populaci. Byla jednou z nejchudsich zemi sveta, dokud nenasli diamanty, jen nekolik let po sve nezavislosti. A penize sly dobrym smerem a to na zdravotnictvi a skolstvi, kam penize vetsinou nejdou v Africe a jsou nejvic potreba. A hlavne penize neskoncili v kapsach politiku, jak to vetsinou byva a to ne jen v Africe. No a tak Botswana je vyjimkou a ekonomika je jednou z nejrychleji stopupajicich za poslednich 40 let.
Je to zeme vyspela a turismus je tu na vysoke urovni. Vetsina ubytovani se pohybuje okolo 6000 kc na noc na osobu. Neni to moc pro batuzkare a s nizkym rozpoctem, ale presto jsme se pokusili. Snaha je mene turistu s vice financema. Mistni doprava moc nefunguje, neni dostatek lidi, aby se autobusy vyplatili, hodne lidi ma auto a zbytek stopuje.
Ale tak trochu nam chybela v Botswane takova opravdova Afika, nejakej zivot v ulicich, prazdny autobusaky a nikdo se jen tak nezacne bavit na ulci.

Zacali jsme v Kasane, na hranicich se ani nepodivali jakej mam pas a malem tam dal razitko na 30dni, tak jsem ho musela upozornit, ze mam viza a ze jsem stravila tyden a hodne penez, abych tyhle viza dostala, ale on ani nemel paru, kde Ceska republika je.
Museli jsme mit zarezervovany ubytovani, ale jak jsme zjistili, tak ten kemp, co sme si zarezervovali, jeste vubec neexistuje a bude otevreny az pristi rok, tak jsme skoncili v kempu s podobnym jmenem. Kemp byl plny jihoafrickych rodin, kteri meli uplne vsechno a proti nam takovy trochu cyber kempari a nas hrozne litovli, jaky jsme chudaci bez auta a musime to vsechno nosit na zadech.
Na odpoledni projizdku na lodce jsme vyrazili do Chobe N.P., znamy svou 120 000 populaci slonu. A bylo to krasny, vsechny zvirata prisli na vecer pit k rece a bylo skvely to videt z reky. Par hrochu se tam rochnilo, ke krokodlum jsme si zajeli asi na 2 metry daleko, zirafa se prisla napit a sloni se rozhodovali jestli preplavou reku.

Pak uz ns cekalo stopovani do Naty, stopem tu jezdi hodne mistnich a tak nas tam bylo asi 30 lidi a vetsinou se za stopa plati, stopovat se muze jen na urcitych mistech, kvuli slonum, kteri se jen tam promenadujou po silnicich a muze to byt nebezpecny. Nakonec jsme skoncili v minibusu s 20 ti jeptiskama az do Naty a odtamtud jeden autobus preci jel a vzal nas asi 100km do Quety, kde je uprostre niceho 17 baobab stromu a pod nima neuveritelne krasnej kemp.

A je to nedaleko od solnych panvi, protoze se nam nechtelo platit tolik penez za organzovany vylet, tak nam pak majitel nabidl cenu jednoho za oba, protoze uz mel nejaky lidi a takova nabidka se neodmita. Takze jsme vyrazili s dvouma holandanama na vylet a tam jsme si pujcili 4koly motorkary a zaridili jsme si do prosted solnych panv a po ceste zpet jsme navstivili meerkats family (nevim jak se jmenujou tyhle roztomily zviratka cesky).

V Maunu jsme zakotvili na par dni a trochu prozkoumali znamou Okawango Deltu, z letadla by mozna byl lepsi vyhled, ale mi jsme si vybrali Mokoro lodku (lodka vytesana z kmene) a 2dny jsme se prodirali rakosim ve vychodni delte a kempovali jsme na nejakym osruvku uprosted niceho. Zajimavy to bylo, az na ten vsechen hmyz, kterym hrozne chutnal nas krem na opalovani.

Taky jsme oslavili Allanovu tricitku a odpocivali jsme par dni u reky v prijemnym hostelu Stary Most.

Z Botswany do Namibie to bylo asi 500km a zadna verejna doprava, takze rano na stopa, prvnich 100km za prispevek na benzin, dalsich 200km na korbe zadara, autobusem na hranice a jeste pred 6 odpoledne nam zastavil nakladak az do Winhoeku. Takze jsme tech 850 km zvladli za den, ale bylo to docela narocny a rozhodli jsme se, ze si v Namibii pujcime auto na par dni, protoze stopem do pouste, to bysme tam mohli stat tyden a v Namibii je jeste mene lidi nez v Botswane a to si ani neumim predstavit.
Botswana byla pro nas uplne mrtva zeme, nikdo nikde, nic se nedeje...

zdravi monika a allan

The Bottom Billion

2009-09-16T03:47:00.000-07:00

Who wants to be a billionaire?

In Livingstone you will be met on every corner by guys selling worthless Zimbabwean dollars as souvenirs. Why? Because they are in denominations from 500 milion to 5 billion to 100 trillion dollars, due to the incredible, uncontrolled inflation they endured in recent years. The row of zero's covers the entire length of the note. Now of course they are n longer in circulation, at least not for foreign visitors, Mugabe preferring them to spend hard currencies like South African Rand or US dollars to fill his coffers.

On a serious 'note' this is just another sad example of how Zimbabwe went from being the bread basket of Africa to its basket case in just a few years. The atrocities Mugabe and his cronies have committed on their own people, both white and black, have crippled the entire country, destroying the lives of millions, but at all times improving the bank balances of the select few.

Zimbabwe is the first country in our path that we have avoided. OK, we didn't visit Eritrea and Djibouti or Rwanda and Burundi but visiting any of these countries would have required a slight detour. Why avoid Zimbabwe? The answer is above, simply because of the government. Many people have pointed out to us that we have visited, and would visit again, countries such as Burma and China, countries with equally evil leaders that we openly despise. I never said or morals were consistent! Perhaps what makes Zimbabwe worse for us is that Mugabe still claims (and might actually believe) that he is doing the best for the country, and that the Western world, and closer to home Morgan Tsvangerai and the MDC, are the evil ones trying to ruin his country. The governments of those other countries do not bother to make such claims. Mugabe even sends Tsvangerai out on donor gaining missions because he believes that the MDC is responsible for the sanctions in the first lace, rather than admit that the sanctions are there for a reason! The argument is that the people need tourism money more than ever, and again this is true in Burma for instance, but for me this is not a good enough reason to visit. OK my money may have helped, but by now the people of Zimbabwe could be helping themselves. Its a sad fact that the countries that most need help from the Western powers will never be treated the same as Iraq or Afghanistan because there is nothing (i.e. no oil) there for the US, UK etc to take in return for military incursions.

A second, less important reason is that across African borders history and culture do not change as much as they do across borders in other continents. This is because Africa was carved up by European leaders who had never set foot there. Often you witness a much stronger change from region to region rather than across the political boundaries. Therefore there needs to be a good reason to visit. Zimbabwe used to be a very popular destination but it seems nowadays Zambia and Malawi have taken the tourists and offer similar attractions to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe however seems to be coming back into vogue, many backpackers seem to be heading that way, changing plans as the news travels along the thorn tree. However when I have asked these guys why we should go there the answers have included the following:
"Just to be in Zimbabwe", "Being the only tourist in a country", "It's the cool, new place to be" and "Just to see it". Unfortunately none of these reasons satisfy our curiosity so we headed to Botswana instead. But not before becoming trillionaires!

Bread and BlueBand

2009-09-16T03:26:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember BlueBand, the Unilever brand of margarine. It was popular in the UK in the days before people cared about both taste and nutrition, when all that mattered was filling the stomach. Blue Band is a margarine that is so 'natural' it does not even need to be refrigerated. With a consistency roughly similar to wax it is arguably even more tasteless and useless than other such spreads as Flora and "I can't believe its not artificial!".

Whilst it has disappeared from the shelves in the UK it is stil very strong over here in Africa, advising parents that the vitamins and fats help their children to grow, it does not state whether outwards or upwards however! The advertising campaigns would be amusing were they not so scary, like a less evil version of Nestles babymilk campaign. The strongest advertising campaign runs with the slogan "Theres no B without BB". They even advertise in schools, through 'storytelling' sessions in class about Captain BlueBand. These became so popular there is now a BlueBand computer game. Really, this is not a joke!

BlueBand is present in every small village across most of East and Southern Africa and they even sell it in small sachets so you can still use it on the road! It is so much a part of the diet here that menus even use the brand name as a description, for example instead of writing 'chapati/bread and butter' you will see 'chapati/bread and BlueBand". Sad.

What is even sadder is that after a while we have actually gotten used to the taste. Many of you will know that at home I only eat proper best butter and silver top (full fat) milk. If I was worried about my weight I am sure there would be a hundred other things that I was eating or drinking that have more an effect than the difference between proper butter and some tasteless spread. As for milk, if I have to use semi-skimmed in tea or coffee then I end up using twice as much, which defeats the object! So I am quite disgusted when I find myself slathering thick wads of BlueBand over my scone!

Zambie

2009-09-09T03:07:00.001-07:00

Vcera jsme opustili Zambii a uz se mi stejzka, trochu skoda, ze jsme neprozkoumali vic koutu tyhle krasny zeme. Kdyz jsme prejeli hranice z Malawi, tak se toho vlastne moc nezmenilo, jazyk v okoli Chipaty je velice podobny a lidi stejne pratelsti a mili. Ale po dlouhy dobe vsechno vypadalo tak tradicne africky, krasny hlineny pomalovany domky s travnatyma strechama, zadny beton a plech.
Ani jsme necekali, ze se dostanem jeste ten samy den do Mfuwe, South Luangwa Narodni Park, ale meli jsme stesti, minibus se plnil od rana a odjel az v 5 odpoledne, my jsme stravili cekanim v zaparenym minibusu jenom 4 hodiny a kdyz jsme byli uplne nacpany, tak se vyrazilo. Jenom asi 4 hodiny jizdy, ale strasne boulovata prasna jizda. Stan jsme postavili u reky v kempu jmenem Udoli krokodylu a jak stavime stan, tak se po kempu prochazi slon a hrosi chrochtaji par metru od nas, ale pan majitel nas uklidnil, ze za 25 let, co tam ten kemp je, tak se nikdy nic nestalo a pokud nevylezes v noci ze stanu, tak by se ti nic stat nemelo. To se opakovalo kazdou noc, trochu divnej pocit:):) A prej leopard chodi obcas pit z bazenu. Kemp mel krasnou travu a tak se tam v noci chodila past zver z parku, kterej byl jen pres reku. Takze clovek ani nemusel jit do parku videt vsechnu tu divocinu, ona se prisla podivat za nama. Ale presto jsme do parku vyrazili na odpoledni 4 hodinovou projizdku, park je znamy velkym mnozstvim leopardu a leoparda jsme videli jen jednou v Serengeti a ten z nas byl pekne otravenej. A opravdu jsme videli leoparda po lovu, oni si korist vzdycky vytahnou na strom, kde si to muzou v klidu sezrat, ale tenhle to nestihl, protoze mu to ukradla hyena, hyeny akorat cekaj, az nekdo neco ulovi a pak mu to ukradnou, hrozny mrchy ty hyeny!! No a on se bal si tu impalu vzit zpet, parkrat se o to pokusil, ale hyena ho vzdycky zahnala.

A dalsi kousek, cela lvi rodinka, 11lvu najednou, prej pred par dnemi zabili 3 buvoly a tak vsichni vypadali docela line a prezrane.

Jizda zpet do Chipaty byl dobrej zazitek, domluvili jsme se s ridicem minibusu, ze nas vyznedne v 9 vecer, z kempu do vesnice se nedalo jit pesky, protoze tam byla vseljaka zver a majitel kempu nechtel, aby nas vyzvedavali az ve 3 rano, ze vzbudi hosty. Tak jsme vyrazili v 9 do vesnice, prvni pivko s ridicem v mistni hospode, byla sobota a tak jsme se presunuli do nocniho klubu, pak jsme v dalsi hospode koukali na fotbal, byla sranda, ale kdyz ridic mel uz 5.pivko a stipac listku byl uplne zkourenej, tak jsme zacali byt tak trochu nervozni, jestli vubec pojedem, jeli jsme vyzvednout par pasanzeru asi v 1 rano, pak 2 hodinky spanku na parkovisti a ve 3 rano jsme pokracovali nabirat dalsich par lidi a do Chipaty. Ridic to dal, tech pivek mel urcite mnohem vic a my jsme to prezili. V Chipate uz byl autobus do Lusaky, byla nedele a tak to zabralo asi 4 hodinky ho naplnit a byl to pomerne luxusni autobus, uz ani nepamatuju, kdy jsme naposledy jeli takovymhle peknym autobusem a kazdej mel svoji sedacku!
V Lusace toho moc zajimavyho neni, ale ja jsem musela zazadat o viza do Botswany, uz jsem byla pripravena, ze to nebude zadnej med. Na ambasadu jsme sli spolecne s polakem Alexem, kteryho jsme potkali v autobuse a tomu rekli, ze uz ani polaci nepotrebujou viza, skoro zadne zeme evropske unie viza nepotrebujou, tak nechapu proc my je potrebujem. No rekli mi, ze to 75$ a bude to trvat -7+ dni a jsou i pripady, kdy to trvalo 2 mesice, potrebovali rezervace hotelu a letenku z Botswany a pokud mi viza zamitnou, tech 75$ mi nevratej. Pak jsem sla na pohovor k nejakymu chytrolinovi do kancelare, byl to docela idiot, ale nastesti mel dobrou naladu a rekl mi, ze si je muzu vyzvednout za 5 dni. Mezitim jsem zazadala o viza do Namibie, ty probehli bez problemu a tak jsme cely tyden pendlovali mezi ambasadama. Opravdu v patek byli viza hotovy a tak jsme mohli vyrazit do Livingstonu na Viktoriny vodopady. A museli jsme zacit trochu planovat, ne ze moje viza do Botswany jsou jen na 14 dni, ale do Namibie musim vztoupit do 20dni, od datumu, kdy jsem je dostala.
Livingstone je ne moc africky vypadajici mesto a hlavni atrakci jsou vodopady, je obdobi sucha a tak tam neni tolik vody, ale zas je dobry, ze je mozny jit po vrchu vodopadu a to je dobrej pocit.

Prej mnohem lepsi vyhled je ze starny Zimbabwe, ale to bysme potrebovali viza a na jeden den 50$, do toho se nam moc nechtelo.
Vsechny kempy a hostely v Livingstone maji bazeny a kuchyne a bary a vsechno mozny a o vikendech je tam zivo, hromady mladejch anglanu co si prijedou skocit bungee jumping a pak jdou kalit.

Jinak jidlo v Zambii nebylo nic uzasnyho, Nsima- kejda z kukuricny mouky bez chuti s kuretem, jinak jenom hronolky s klobasou a nebo fast food, vetsinou jsme si varili, zeleninu z trziste a ryzi. V Zambii je nejdrazsi benzin zatim v Africe skoro 30Kc za litr a tim padem je vsechno drazsi a nechapu jak si mistni lidi muzou neco dovolit.

Below the (Copper)belt

2009-09-09T02:26:00.000-07:00

Arriving in Zambia we received a very friendly welcome. After reaching the town of Chipata we waited for the minibus to South Luangwa National Park to leave. Whilst waiting we had a chance to try some Zambian foods, namely ‘African Polony’ (a luncheon meat type snack mixed with mashed peanuts) and a re-introduction of Chips Mayai – the Swahili dish of chips cooked in an omelette!

By the time the minibus left it was almost dark and the road to Mfuwe being in very bad condition it made the ride quite nerve-wracking, especially when we hit a pile of rocks that had been placed in the road by some villagers. We arrived at Croc Valley camp quite late, only to find an elephant wandering through the campsite! This was just the introduction, over the next few nights we were regularly visited by hippos, elephants and even crocodiles, wandering around outside our tent, which was pitched just on top of a ridge overlooking the Zambezi river. There was also a leopard that regularly came to drink from the pool, although we never saw it.

We took one game drive into South Luangwa NP. It started off quite disappointingly until we witnessed a leopard and a hyena fighting over a dead impala and then a pride of sixteen lions holding traffic up on one of the main tracks. We had a cup of tea by a stretch of the river teeming with more hippos and crocs before returning to the relative safety of the camp, in the end it was probably worth the money!

Leaving Mfuwe, the town at the park gate, was even more difficult than getting there. Because the minibus leaves around 3am, in order to get to Chipata for the buses to Lusaka and Lilongwe, we had to leave the campsite at 9pm. Like many places in Africa it is unsafe to walk around at night, but here the danger is from lions, hippos and elephants rather than muggers! We were treated to a tour of the various pubs and clubs by the minibus driver and conductor before grabbing an hour or so of sleep in the bus.

The Lonely Planet states that it is better to fly around Zambia than take the bus. Clearly the researchers have never been to East Africa, or worse, Ethiopia. The buses in Zambia are on a par with those in most European companies and the roads mostly in very good condition, with the exception of the road from Chipata to Mfuwe!

We found Zambians to be very friendly and welcoming, similar in this respect to Malawians. The main difference we noticed about Zambians is their awareness of current affairs, both within Zambia and in the rest of the world. It was very easy to have a conversation with a guy in a bus station selling hats or lollipops about politics, something that would never happen in most African countries.

So, we arrived in Lusaka anticipating a long stay. Whilst Brits do not require visas to enter Botswana or Namibia, Czech citizens do, and the Botswana application in particular is notorious for taking a long time, up to 2 months, and once the application has been submitted the payment is non-refundable. Luckily in the end we only had to wait 2 days for the Namibian visa, through virtue of being there on exactly the right day, had we come the next day it would have been a 6 day wait, and four days for the Botswanan visa, through virtue of sucking up to the ambassador and making some (very flexible) bookings to support our application.

Whilst there is not much in the way of sights, Lusaka is not such a bad place to be stuck for a week or so. There are many markets selling the usual fruit and veg, African fabrics and imported Chinese crap to while away some time and there is a 50m ‘Olympic pool’ that has been there since 1964, the changing rooms are showing their ages somewhat but the pool is immaculate. There are also two very modern shopping malls, where everything is available. My grandmother always told me the shops in Zambia were empty, here is proof of how things have changed over the years! We also felt very safe in Lusaka, it did not have the hard edge that many African capitals have. Although perhaps it was the time we were there as suggested in the Lonely Planet – “incidences of armed carjacking are on the rise in Lusaka, especially around Christmas and Easter.” What? Why? Is there some religious motivation?

Zambia’s President Banda is shaping up to be Africa’s next ‘big man’ – silencing the opposition, squandering aid money on the private excess of himself and his cronies and showing a total disregard for his own people. I found particularly amusing the way in which he insists that all donor money comes in the form of hard currency, not in projects or other forms which he could not exploit!

If we didn’t have to visit various embassies on 4 out of 5 days of the week we would have made a trip up to the Copperbelt (to Kitwe or Ndola), or to Lake Kariba or the Lower Zambezi National Park. As it was we spent the whole week in Lusaka and when we received the two visas were ready to press on towards Victoria Falls.

The main food in Zambia is Nshima, just as tasteless and lacking in nutrition as Malawian Nsima, but with an extra letter. Apart from this all that is available is fast food. Zambians live for chickenandchipssausageandchipspieandchips for breakfast, lunch and dinner! It is far tastier and healthier just to self-cater where possible.

We left for Livingstone on a Saturday so all the buses were full of weekenders, which is not suprising given its next door to one of the highlights of the world! On arrival we were met at the hostel by a sight more akin to Lanzarote than Livingstone! For some reason the Victoria Falls area, both on the Zambian and Zimbabwe side, has become one of the worlds extreme sports capitals, so the bars and hostels are full of gap-yearers discussing their bungee jumps or white-water experiences. Which was not so nice. We were happy to see Ruben (from Spain) arrive after a couple of days. We had met him in Lusaka just before he set off for Livingstone by bicycle, a journey of over 500km with no previous experience. We were worried about him and relieved to see that he made it!

We were slightly underwhelmed by Victoria Falls as it is now the dry season and the flow is much lower than just a few weeks ago, some say it is less than 5% of the highest flow. This also means that, eve though we visited during a full moon, there is no chance to see the lunar rainbow either. What we missed due to it being dry we gained in the fact that we could wade along the top of the falls, often less than three feet from the edge. It was quite treacherous in places so we paid a guy $4 to guide us through to Livingstone island and back again! Monika waded through comfortably but I was less composed, needing to grab the guides hand several times per minute!

Suddenly it was time for us to leave Zambia. No time to regret not making more detours we headed for the ferry crossing the Zambezi to take us to Botswana.

Lake Of Stars

2009-09-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

In Dark Star Safari Paul Theroux had an atrocious time crossing into Malawi from the Tanzanian city of Mbeya via the Songwe Bridge. Luckily we did not have any problems, other than the usual changing minibus three times during the journey! At the border they were pleased to see that Monika had actually done her homework and applied for a visa in advance, unlike an Austrian girl who was part of an overland tour that was crossing at the same time. What I found really annoying was the attitude of the tour leader who behaved really impolitely to the immigration officials, seemingly blaming them, even though they bent the rules to let her client through and it was her fault for overlooking this slightly major detail in the first place. Yet another reason to hate overland tours. And she was wearing a t-shirt with ‘Mzungu’ written on the front which just about took the biscuit!

Somehow we ended up taking a taxi the 300km to Nkhata Bay with a French guy called Gerard. We passed under Livingstonia, unsurprisingly Livingstones first mission, and stopped for lunch at the lakeside resort of Chitimba before pressing on. It was our first glance of Lake Malawi and it lived up to all the hype. Bright turquoise water stretching for miles, it was hard to believe it wasn’t the ocean.

Nkhata Bay is considered to be one of the nicest places on the lake, however we arrived after dark so our first real impression of Malawi came at breakfast the next day. Not a good start. The entire male population of the town seemed to be drunk, really paralytic, at 8:30am. OK, it is a fishing town and most of these guys had been out all night but still, not a pretty sight and the first time we had seen behaviour like this anywhere in Africa, although the previous night in Mbeya should of acted as a warning. Trying to put this spectacle out of my mind I immersed myself in the daily newspaper. There were three noteworthy stories inside. The first had the headlines “Dog found on roof. Witchcraft suspected. Woman taken to hospital”. The story of a woman who found a dog on her roof. Apparently it must have been a human that was turned into a dog because how else could it have got there? The presence of a low ledge on a neighbouring house offering easy access was dismissed. And why didn’t it bark when stones were thrown at it? Well, it must have been witchcraft then. This claim was further strengthened by the fact that the woman fainted and had to be taken to hospital! The second story involved a man who had been lynched for throwing dead....... chickens in a river. Apparently it is a ritual to throw ten dead chickens, some black ribbon and some sliced lemons into a river in south Malawi, in order to pacify some god or the other. The locals are annoyed at these actions as they claim that incidents of road accidents increase significantly on the days following this ritual. The final story was of a woman who gave birth to a stone. Worryingly a woman who had inserted a rather large rock into her vagina and claimed she was pregnant was able to pass all the hospital tests until her due date whereupon doctors were shocked to find the rock protruding. Of course she claimed her baby had been turned into a stone by witchcraft. The more serious reports asked how she was able to conceal this fact for 9 months, others wondered what she had done to deserve this hex!

We had enquired about the possibility of volunteer work in Malawi, in Nkhata Bay to be precise, but after this experience we started to have second thoughts. We had received a positive response to our emails but no specific details. When we enquired in town we were told that the British director had been deported for drug possession. We decided to spend some time on the islands of Chizimulu and Likoma instead. Would you volunteer yourself for a month in a town where all the guys are pissed and cannot help themselves and the organisation is headed by a deported drug addict?

The Ilala ferry is the only mode of transport between Nkhata Bay and the islands but it only passes through in that direction once a week. Since we had a few days to wait and we did not want to spend them in Nkhata Bay we decided to head up on to the Viphya Plateau to cool off whilst we waited.

I should add that we did have some good experiences in Nkhata Bay. The beach at Chikale is very nice and the welcome we received from the guys at Kupenja Lodge was extremely friendly, in fact they offered us free camping on our return to Nkhata Bay from Viphya!

Viphya Plateau is all above 2000m a.s.l and as we were camping it meant we had to wrap up warm at night. We stayed at Kasito Lodge, a beautiful old colonial house set in the forest. The area was very deserted and as we went for walks in the surrounding forest it felt like being back in Klanovice! It was incredibly quiet and serene, the perfect foil to the hustle of Nkhata Bay, and it allowed us to stop and catch our breath before descending back into the melee.

As the sector between Nkhata Bay and the islands is by far the busiest on the Ilala schedule we decided to splurge on first class deck tickets, which meant we got a bench to sit on close to the bar. Unfortunately the bar was full of fishermen who had probably been drinking since the morning, the alternative however was to squeeze into any vacant cubic inch of space down below, caught between a rock and a hard place! The ferry was so full they even left people behind. Trust me, no-one wants to be on any mode of transport in Africa when they decide it’s actually too full! When I had to descend to pop to the loo I am sure I crushed three babies’ heads and the ankles of two old women as I tried to hop, skip and jump my way through! The Ilala is an old Scottish steamer which was assembled on the lake and has been chugging up and down the lake from its home port of Monkey Bay via various stops until it turns around in the far north of the lake and returns by the same route. It has been in service now for 60 years and for about the past 5 years the government have been trying to put it out of service. It si true that nowadays it is faster to move around Malawi by road, even to cross between Malawi and Mozambique by road but for the people of Likoma and Chizimulu islands it is a lifeline, their only source of supplies.

In the middle of the night we arrived at Chizimulu island. There is no jetty so we were ferried ashore in the Ilala’s lifeboats. It felt like an horrific mixture of Titanic and Apocalypse Now as we squeezed and pushed to get off the ship and drop into the lifeboats, with small private canoes swarming around he ferry, just rows of white teeth floating in the moonlight. We fought to get off but several hours later, after a well earned beer and a short sleep in our tent, we awoke to see the Ilala disappearing around the corner, it had been sitting there, ferrying people and goods to and fro for over 6 hours!

Chizimulu is a very small island, about 3x5km are its largest dimensions with a population of just a couple of thousand. The interior has a very Mediterranean flavour with small fields of corn and clusters of silver birch. From the small hill that marks the islands highest point you can see a full panorama all the way to the crystal clear lake teeming with fish down below. For a closer look at the fish all that is needed is a mask and snorkel and time to adjust to snorkelling in fresh water, not salty, every time I got in it surprised me as I naturally anticipated a salty taste in my mouth. It is well worth it, they don’t call it ‘The Aquarium’ for nothing.

There is only one place to stay on Chizimulu, Wakwenda Retreat, A 15-year labour of love of an English guy called Nick. Unfortunately Nick was away on the mainland during our visit but it is obvious that all his time and effort has not been wasted, staying here makes campers feel like they are in a luxury spa! Luckily Nick had left the place in the capable hands of Peter and Astrid, a Norwegian couple who were doing a fine job in his absence. Spending time on Chizimulu cannot fail to be relaxing, apart from hiking up the hill, swimming or snorkelling and a spot of beach volleyball there is nothing much to do other than watch the sunset whilst listening to the washerwomen singing in lilting Chichewa by the lake.

We encountered more singing as we took a dhow across to the Likoma, the larger of the islands. The wind was slightly blowing and the gaggle of gospel singers onboard decided we might need a bit of divine intervention. Regardless of any spiritual involvement it did manage to calm my nerves at least.

Likoma is home to about 6000 people and is also the sight of a rather large Anglican cathedral. Some claim that it is the largest in Central Africa, whilst I doubt there is a larger one, it remains to be seen whether Malawi can be classed as part of Central Africa! Nevertheless we attended the Sunday service, which somehow ended with the entire congregation coming up to shake our hands. All I felt was embarrassment, and scorn at the misguided, mental missionaries who encouraged this kind of behaviour. Christianity in Africa is definitely not one of my favourite things!

After more relaxation by the lake it was time for the Ilala to arrive and whisk us further south. I had been dreading getting back on the ferry, trying to put it to the back of my mind the whole week but in the end it was not such a harrowing experience. The ferry was almost empty in fact so we were able to travel in comfort in 2nd class, even Economy, the lowest class, for a short sector. After 30 hours or so, several meals and a couple of beers and after stopping on both the Mozambican and Malawian sides of the lake we finally arrived in the home port of Monkey Bay. As it was after dark the captain invited us to spend the evening in a cabin, free of charge, until the morning!

We travelled in the back of a pick-up from Monkey Bay to Mangochi and from there in a bus to Blantyre. The bus TV was showing ‘Favourite Biblical Characters’ which only made the journey seem longer and longer. I didn’t think there was anything worse than African R’n’B videos ad infinitum, but apparently there is!

Blantyre is Malawi’s commercial centre and is a very developed city. It is nice enough but pretty faceless. We camped at one of the cities prime meeting places, Doogles, where the bar seems to fill nightly with South African expats and Malawian whores in equal measure, plus a smattering of backpackers!

We were only passing through on the way to Mount Mulanje, Malawi’s highest and our next destination. We embarked on a three day trek along with a Korean girl, Jinhyeon. Although our trek was mostly over 2500m we chose not to attempt the summit, whose name in Chichewa ‘Sapitwa’ means ‘don’t go’! We were put off by another newspaper article we read on arrival in Malawi regarding a Brazilian trekker, Gabriel Bushman, who got lost on his way to the summit and was found dead over two weeks later. Apparently he had wanted to reach the summit and back in a single day, a stupidly dangerous idea bearing in mind it takes 6 hours just to reach the base of Sapitwa, and had sent his guide back. This was not the first instance of foreign trekkers perishing on a summit push, a similar incident occurred a few years ago with a Dutch volunteer who had been working in the region. Despite these incidences being brought about by naivety we still preferred to stick to the lower paths, especially as the views and scenery were simply stunning and the weather perfect. The temperature plummeted at night but that made sitting by the fire in the mountain huts all the more enjoyable.

It surprised us just how expensive a country Malawi is to travel in. Throughout our whole stay the only nights that we did not spend in our tents were those on the mountain and the one night in the cabin on the Ilala, and sleeping in the mountain huts is basically the same as camping, even if it costs slightly more. Transport too is not cheap, working out at almost $3 per 100km. Food is really expensive, relative to the economy, even the cheapest local stalls charge upwards of $2 for a basic meal of nsima (similar to ugali, fufu or mealie meal) and relish. I am not sure how the locals survive. Strangely, despite being next to a massive lake fish was even hard to come by! On the way from the mountain we did pass a guy selling roasted mice on a stick, a local delicacy. Unfortunately we did not have time to try them! One item that is much cheaper than elsewhere is Macadamia nuts and we took the chance to stock up with packets of them! But apart from that I cannot see how the people can afford to eat. Maybe that’s why Malawian men turn to a liquid diet, the local motto seeming to be ‘Save water, drink beer’ proudly written on the outside of pubs. A small 35ml sachet of gin or other spirit in a shop costs less than 10 cents and a litre of Chibuku Shake-Shake (a local ‘beer’ not dissimilar to Tibetan Chang, tasting like a vinegar milkshake) costs just half a dollar. Chibuku is probably more nutritious than nsima as well!

And so we headed to Lilongwe, capital of Malawi, another entirely pleasant yet faceless city. Although both Lilongwe and Blantyre were nice enough it speaks volumes that I did not take a single photograph of either. One highlight was our choice of accommodation, Mabuya Camp, which is one of, if not THE, best place we have stayed so far. The camp ground is spacious and shaded, there is a pool surrounded by several BBQ’s, and a relaxing bar and lounge area. The staff were warm and friendly and nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them. Perhaps this is just a taste of what we can expect from Southern Africa?

This installment might seem less like an insight into the country and more simply a personal account of our journey and for that I apologise. Perhaps the reason is because even after over 3 weeks I have no clear impression of Malawi. The initial horror in Nkhata Bay was soon eclipsed by the serenity of Viphya and sheer beauty of the islands (definitely the highlight of Malawi), neither of these could be classed as representative of Malawi. Whilst stunning, Mount Mulanje could have been any mountain anywhere and that only leaves the big cities, and since when are they ever representative of the country as a whole? What I can say is that, in general, Malawians are the friendliest people we have met since Sudan. But is this as much a positive comment on Malawi or a realisation to the extent to which the other countries fell short? I mean, why shouldn’t people welcome visitors in this manner? The only negative aspect we encountered was in the drunken displays 24-7. We have been trying to ascertain whether we can expect this behaviour in other Southern African countries or whether it is purely a Malawian problem, no doubt stimulated but the prevalence of the fishing industry, lets wait and see.

Malawi

2009-09-02T03:59:00.000-07:00

Zdravime vsechny,

Tentokrat trochu z cesty po Malawi, Malawi je malinka krasna zeme ve vnitrozemi jihovychodni Afriky, petinu zeme tvori jezero Malawi, ktere nabizi dostatek ryb pro celou zemi a je hlavni turistickou atrakci.

Hranice s Tanzanii probehli hladce, akorat jsme se trochu nechali napalit a penize jsme vymenili za docela blbej kurs, ale mohlo to byt horsi. Ten den jsme cestovali spolecne s francouzem Gerardem a tak jsme se podelili o dopravu do Nkhatha Bay.
Tak trochu predbezne jsme meli domluvenou vypomoc v jedne organizaci, ktera vypomaha mistni komunite, ale prvni vecer jsme se dozvedeli, ze majitel byl vyhosten ze zeme za drzeni nelegalnich drog a pulka vesnice byla non stop vylita. Rano v 8 to bylo nejhorsi, kdyz se rybari vratili, prodali ryby a hned to sli prochlastat, vetsinou ginem s igelitovyho pytliku za 2 kc panak a vecer byla ozrala ta druha pulka chlapu, kteri nebyli rybari. Takze za prvni 2 dny se vyparil pocit, ze bysme radi pomahali mistni komunite, to by mistni komunita musela chtit:(:( kdyby chteli skolu nebo cokoliv, tak ty penize co prochlastaj a ten cas co prosedej v hospode nebo protanci v nocnim klubu, tak uz by meli 10 skol ve vesnici. No proste jsme se rozhodli pokracovat v cestovani, stejne Malawi ma hodne dobrovolniku z Anglie a Ameriky, kteri za to dobrovolniceni dokonce i plati (teda spis jejich rodice, protoze jsou to vetsinou 17ti lety deti)!!!
Ale krome par vykalencu na ulicich se nam Malawi hrozne libilo. Meli jsme par dni nazbyt, protoze trajekt na ostrovy Chizimulu a Likoma odjizdi z Nkhata Bay jenom jednou tydne a tak jsme vyrazili kempovat na par dni do mistnich lesu a kopcu ve Viphya plateau, moc turistu tam nejezdi, lidi v okoli byli skvely, ale ty lesy nevypadali moc africky. Do Nkhata Bay jsme se vratili den pred odjezdem trajektu, resili jsme celou dobu jestli si koupime listek do prvni nebo druhy tridy, slyseli jsme, ze na tyhle trase se turistum ztraci batohy a penezenky a kdyz jsme videli jak se trajekt plni asi 6hodin pred odjezdem, rozhodli jsme se pro prvni tridu. Byl to neuveritelnej brutal, jenom se do ty lode dostat bylo skoro nemozny, nikdy jsem nevidela neco tak preplnenyho a to jsme nechali i lidi na brehu, protoze to bylo totalne preplneny i podle africkych standartu!!!!!a to je co rict.

Prvni trida mela misto, ale nedalo se tam dostat a kdyz nekdo potreboval na zachod, tak se muselo ruckovat po strope, nebo zabradli, nebyl videt ani centimetr paluby. A k tomu jeste tenhle trajekt Ilala uz jezdi 60 let po jezere Malawi, ma 2 zachrany cluny pro 46 lidi, ktery se pouzivaj na prevazeni pasanzeru na breh, molo a dostatecna hloubka je jen ve 2 pristavech a kdyby se neco stalo,ze druhe a treti tridy se skoro neda dostat ven.

Cesta na Chizimulu ostrov trvala neco pres 4 hodiny a za tu dobu se hodne chlapku na baru stacilo totalne ozrat, dostat se ven z lodi bylo skoro nemozny a trvalo to pres 5 hodin, nez se lidi dostali ven, co potrebovali vystoupit. Vsichni museli naskakat do tech zachranejch clunu, asi ze 3 metru, byly 2 hodiny rano a pomerne velky vlny. Vetsina turistu mela trauma z predstavy, ze se na tu lod musime vsichni vratit a neda se tomu vyhnout.
Chizimulu ostrov byl malinkej asi 5km na 2km, byl tam jeden krasnej kemp, uzasny plaze a pruzracna voda se snorchlovanim. Prijemna vesnice, kde susili ryby, bylo tam par bao bab stromu a pohoda. Ztravili jsme tam 5 dnim, jak tam bylo dobre.

Pak jsme se preplachtili na Likoma ostrov asi 12km, na lodce nas bylo asi 30 ebyl motor a 2 prosteradla, ale docela foukalo, takze 2 hodky a byli jsme na druhy strane. Kdyz nefouka, tak to trva az 5 hodin.

Likoma ostrov o neco vetsi, taky s jednim kempem na plazi, vesnice o neco vetsi, trziste a nejvetsi katedrala ve stredni Africe. Jenom 7 km od Mozambiku.

Meli jsme tam jeste 3dny do odjezdu Ilala trajektu, zasli jsme na nedelni msi do katedraly, vsichni zpivali a tancili a podekovali nam za navstevu, bylo to skvely.
Hodne lidi rikalo, ze trakejt je plnej jenom kdyz jede timhle smerem a byla to pravda, my jsme tentokrat pokracovali na jih a lod byla poloprazdna a tak jsme tentokrat ozkouseli druhou tridu, v noci jsme moc nevyspali, ale pres den to byla pohoda. A na posledni cast cesty jsme si koupili treti tridu. Do Monkey Bay jsme dorazili vecer jeste s jednim anglickym parem a od kapitana nam bylo nabidnuto, jestli nechcem prespat v kabinach a tak jsme zustali na lodi uplne sami a poprve v Malawi jsme spali na posteli. Akorat tam zustala privazana koza a celou noc mecela a pekne se to rozlejhalo na ty prazdny lodi a tak jsme se stejne moc nevyspali.

Zabalili jsme se a chytli nakladak do Mangochi, odkud nas uz moc peknej autobus odvezl do Blantyre. V kempu jsme potkali nasi korejskou kamaradku, s kterou jsme se predbezne domluvili, ze pujdem spolecne na trek do Mulanje hor a tak jsme nakoupili jidlo a druhej den vyrazili do magickejch hor Mulanje, okoli hor je plny cajovych plantazi a povidaj se docela strasidelny historky o tehlech horach. Pred mesicem tam nasli mrtvyho brazilce v jeskyni a nekolik lidi je par let pohresovanych. Vsichni se zenou na nejvyssi vrchol Sapitwa 3001m, my jsme si dali 3 denni okruh, prvni den byl narocny 1500m stoupani, ale pak bylo krasne, krasny chaty k prespani se drevem a vodou. Radsi jsme si vzali pruvodce, i kdyz nam akorat ukazal cestu, jinak nam toho moc nerekl , akorat na konci nam rekl, ze by bylo dobry kdybysme mu dali vic nez jsme se domluvili, ze je student:):)

Za jeden dlouhy den jsme se dostali z Mulanje do Lilongwe, kde jsme byli v super kempu Mabuya, vyprali jsme, nakoupily, nacerpali trochu sil pred cestou do Zambie.

I kdyz jsme v Malawi byli pres 3 tydny, tak nevim co si o Malawi myslim, je pravda, ze tyden na ostrovech byl uplne jiny zazitek nez na pevnine, uplne jiny lidi, absolutne zadna kriminalita. Pak nekolik dni na trajektu a par dni v horach, kde jsme nikoho nepotkali celou cestu. Vetsina kempu, hotelu, rastauraci a byznysu je vlastnena cizincema a pripada mi, ze mistni moc velky ambice nemaji a o moc se nesnazi. Ale vsichni jsou hrozne pratelsti a radi si pokecaji v autobuse nebo na ulici.

mejte se krasne
uz jsme v Zambii a akorat cekam na viza do Botswany, nevim co ceska vlada komu udelala, ale uz ani polaci nepotrebujou viza!!!!

zdravi monika a allan

Tanzanian Trip Tips

2009-09-01T04:35:00.000-07:00

Visa - $50. Available on border. Single entry, valid for 3 months.

Dbl room at Meru House Inn, Arusha - 10,000Tsh. Great value, very safe and friendly and a much better option than the campsite out of town.
Internet in Arusha - 1000Tsh per hour
Decent meal (e.g. Pepper Steak) at Meru House Inn - 4500Tsh
Breakfast at Dollies/Harrys Quickbite (chapatis, omelettes etc with tea/coffee) - 800-2000Tsh

Safari to Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP and Ngorongoro CA with Forsters Safaris - $150 per day. This is at the cheap end of the scale but the service was excellent. We spent 1 day at Tarangire, 2 days in the Serengeti and 1 day down in the Ngorongoro crater. Very good value and highly recommended.

Onions/Tomatoes/Lemons at the market in Arusha - 200-300Tsh per pile (3-4 pieces)
Avocados at the market - 200Tsh per piece.
Baguette at Dollies Patisserie - 1000Tsh
Bus from Arusha to Moshi - 3500Tsh, 1 - 2 hours
Dbl room at A+A Hill Street Accommodation, Moshi - 12,000Tsh after bargaining. Very clean and modern place, nice balcony and the interiors are excellent. Luxury for the price, one of the best on our trip.
Indian meal at Deli Chez, Moshi - Priceless! Again one of the highlights of our trip. The paneer was great and the chicken dish was almost as good. In monetary terms it cost around 20,000Tsh with juice and a lassi. No alcohol is served.
Lunch in a local cafe in Moshi - 1200Tsh
Internet in Moshi - 1500Tsh per hour.
Evening street food in Moshi - 500Tsh for a Zanzibar pizza, 1000Tsh for Tandoori chicken.
'Shuttle' bus from Moshi to Nairobi (via Arusha) - 35,000Tsh!!!!! 8 hours.

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Minibus from Mutukula (border with Uganda) to Bukoba - 4000Tsh

3rd class ticket on MV Victoria ferry from Bukoba to Mwanza - 15,600Tsh, around 12 hours. Leaves Bukoba on Mon/Wed/Fri at 9pm, leaves Mwanza on Tue/Thu/Sat at 10pm. 1st/2nd class cabins available but limited. Paying a crew member for their berth is possible at around 15,000Tsh per berth, which also allows access to the first class restaurant and bar. Very nice.
Tasty meal in 1st class restaurant aboard the MV Victoria - 3000Tsh! Wow!
Beer in 1st class lounge - 1600Tsh!

Dbl room w/bath at the Lake Hotel, Mwanza - 15,000Tsh. (Suites are 20,000Tsh)
Breakfast at Kuleana Pizzeria - around 2000Tsh with coffee. They do allsorts not just pizza. Profits go to a childrens charity.
Lunch in a cafe in Mwanza -around 2000 Tsh for chicken pilau.
4m kanga fabrics in Mwanza - 4000Tsh
Delicious fish/chicken tikka with chips on Kenyatta Rd (near Karibu internet cafe) - 3500/4500Tsh
Bus from Mwanza to Dar Es Salaam - 35,000Tsh, 1200km, 13 hours. It is the same fare to Dodoma.
***Note that no buses in Tanzania are allowed to travel at night so they leave really early. If you get delayed the driver may risk the wrath of the polcie if you are lucky!***
Taxi from Ubongo bus station to downtown Dar Es Salaam - 5000Tsh (7000Tsh inside the station)
Kigamboni ferry - 100Tsh, p.p. 3mins
Dala-dala from port to Kipepeo village - 250Tsh p.p.
Camping at Kipipeo Village - 6500Tsh p.p. Beautiful setting and well run, the menu is atrociously expensive however. Bring your own food if you are camping. If you are staying in the rooms you are probably rich enough not to notice!
Room at Kilimanjaro Kempinsky Hotel, Dar Es Salaam - $250 per night. If you have friends staying there though....... Very nice, breakfast buffet is luxurious and delicious, it would cost 25,000Tsh for non-guests and really would be worth the splurge!
Ferry from Dar Es Salaam to Zanzibar v.v.- $35/20 fast/slow inc $5 port tax. 1 1/2/4 hours. Several daily. The slow boat leaves Zanzibar at 10pm, waits offshore and then arrives in Dar early in the morning, meaning you save a nights accommodation. Also on the slow boat you get access to 1st class for your foreigner priced ticket, on the fast boats you are crammed with everyone else.
Room w/bath at Flamingo Guest House, Stone Town - 13,000Tsh p.p.p.n.
Spice tour from 9am till 3pm - 15,000Tsh per person inc lunch, spice tour and stop on beach. To visit the slave cave costs 1000Tsh extra.
Evening food market near Forodhani Gardens - Fish kebabs (various inc kingfish, tuna, shark, barracuda) - 1000Tsh, Prawn/Calimari/Lobster skewers - 3000Tsh, Coconut bread, chapati, fish cakes - 500Tsh, Zanzibar pizzas from 1500Tsh and chips around 800Tsh. Amazing sight and experience, everyone must go.
Burger in small cafe in Stone Town - 800Tsh
Kanga - 7000Tsh for 4m
Chicken tikka on the street - 4000Tsh
Sugar cane juice - 300Tsh
Delicious natural yoghurt/date juice - 500/800Tsh per glass.
Nice postcards at Zawari Chest, Stone Town - 400Tsh each. They also have a great selection of African themed CD's and books.
Large selection of Fruit and Veg at Darajani market in Stone Town - all between 1000-2000Tsh per kilo.

Old style dala-dala from Stone Town to Jambiani - 1500Tsh p.p.
Clean hut with shower (sometimes hot) at Shehe Bungalows, Jambiani - $30 per night. All places on the beach quote in dollars and charge around 3 times the rate on the mainland. Dhow Village is another good option at a simialr price but the huts are further back from the beach. Kimte has rooms way back and may appeal to solo travellers but the staff were not the friendliest and Red Monkey is over-priced and again not so friendly, in fact the owner greeted me with "Mzungu". Grrr.
Meals at various restaurants in Jambiani - 5-8000Tsh, standard dishes of rice or chips with grilled fish. Beer usually cost 3000Tsh, at One Stone it was 2000Tsh.
Spicey rice or chips in the one cheap stall in Jambiani - 1500Tsh each
Half-day Dolphin tour, including transport, snorkel gear, boat and lunch - $30 per
person.

Bus from Dar Es Salaam to Mbeya - 23,000Tsh, around 800km, 12 hours
Dbl room w/bath and TV at Sombrero Hotel, Mbeya - 25,000Tsh
There are many cheap hotels in Mbeya but they are all often full as it is the access town for both the Malawian and Zambian borders. Booking is recommended.
Meal at Sombrero Restaurant, Mbeya - around 5000Tsh
Minibus from Mbeya to Songwe Bridge (the Malawian border) - in total 3500Tsh p.p., around 120km, it could involve several changes in buses!

Average daily budget (including a 4 day safari at $150 per day and a week on Zanzibar!) - 50,000Tsh per person (approx $40)

Exchange rate - 1300Tsh=$1, 2200Tsh=GBP1

Uganda Hints and Tips

2009-09-01T03:23:00.000-07:00

Some advice for travelling across Uganda:

Visa - $50 available at land border. Single entry, valid for 3 months. Part of the East African Community Visa Agreement.

Minibus from Busia to Tororo - 2000Ush
Minibus from Tororo to Mbale - 3000Ush
Dbl room at Mt Elgon View Hotel, Mbale - 20,000USh
Good Indian meal at Nuralis cafe, Mbale - 20,000Ush (inc beer)
Shared taxi from Mbale to Sipi Falls and v.v. - 5000Ush p.p.
Camping at Twalight Lodge, Sipi Falls - 5000Ush p.p
Meals at Twalight Lodge, Sipi Falls - 5000Ush
Beer at Twalight Lodge, Sipi Falls - 2000Ush
Views from Twalight Lodge, Sipi Falls - Priceless. Very nice place.
Meal at cheap cafe in Sipi village - under 1000Ush! (Cup of tea - 200Ush!)
Bus from Mbale to Jinja - 8000Ush
Camping at Explorers Backpackers, Jinja - 11,000Ush. Overpriced, the showers were dirty and dangerously erratic and the staff were incompetent. They do offer free, albeit slow, internet however.
Average meal at Explorers, Jinja - 4000Ush
Beer at Explorers, Jinja - 2000Ush
Boda-boda around Jinja - 1-2000Ush
Minibus from Jinja to Kampala - 5000Ush
Camping at Red Chilli Hideaway, Kampala - 7000Ush p.p. Well run, with swimming pool and free internet.
Meal at Red Chilli Hideaway - from 6000Ush. Beer - 2500Ush. Sunday BBQ - 8000Ush
Snack outside Red Chilli (egg roll, kebab etc) - 500-1000Ush
Minibus between Red Chilli Hideaway and central Kampala - 500Ush
Masala Dosai at Masala Chaat House, Kampala - 8000Ush. But well worth it, the best dosai this side of Chennai!
Internet in Kampala - 1500-3500Ush per hour.
Jam session outside National Theatre in Kampala on Monday nights - FREE. Starting around 7pm, beers and snacks available.
Bus from Kampala to Fort Portal - 12,000Ush, around 5 hours
Shared taxi from Fort Portal to Lake Nkuruba Community Camp - 4000Ush p.p.
Camping at Lake Nkuruba Community Camp - 6000Ush p.p. Great place, well run and very friendly. Amazing location.
Meal at Lake Nkuruba Community Camp - around 5000Ush
Organised forest walk - 10,000Ush p.p, 3-4 hours.
'Special' hire taxi from Fort Portal to Ruboni Community Campsite (in the Rwenzori mountains) - 60,000Ush. We paid the driver 70,000Ush because the road was terrible and he was very nice.
Camping at Ruboni Community Camp - 3000Ush p.p Even better than LAke Nkuruba, stunning views over the mountains and a peaceful, secluded location on the hillside.
Meals at Ruboni Community Camp - between 4000-7000Ush
Beer at Ruboni Community Camp - only 1800Ush!
Guided hill climb from Ruboni CC (staying just outside the NP boundaries) - 15,000Ush p.p. A steep, quite tough climb with more great views. In comparison, a full trek inside the park costs around $560. So good value.
Boda-boda from Ruboni CC to main road junction - 7000Ush p.p.
Shared taxi from junction to Kasese - 2000Ush.
'Special' from Kasese to Kalinzu Forest - 20,000Ush. However Kalinzu Forest Reserve office was deserted so it was a wasted trip, find out beforehand.
Minibus from Butare to Mbarara - 5000Ush p.p.
Minibus from Mbarara to Masaka - 8000Ush.
Dbl room w/bath at Vienna Hotel, Masaka - 21,000Ush.
Fish n Chips at Vienna Hotel - 5000Ush
Boda-boda from Masaka to Nyendo (the biggest shithole in Uganda!) - 1000Ush. v.v.
Minibus to Kalangala, Ssese islands - 10,000Ush inc ferry crossing. (They wanted 15,000Ush and were very rude and uncivilised about it, for a more relaxed trip go straight to Ssese from Entebbe!)
Camping at Hornbill Camp, Ssese islands - 7000Ush p.p.
Buffet dinner at Hornbill Camp - 8000Ush
Other meals overpriced and coffee and tea were too weak to make them worthwhile. Cheap supplies available at the port close by.
Beer at Hornbill Camp - 2500Ush, including free bizarre conversations with Diker and Daniel!
Shared taxi from Masaka to Mutukulu (the border crossing into Tanzania) - 8000Ush

Average daily budget - 40,000Ush per person (approx $18).
But we did not visit any national parks and did not partake in rhino, chimp or gorilla tracking. This would increase this budget exponentially. The reason we did not do these activities was because we had just come from safaris in Kenya and Tanzania, if not we would probably have done a safari at Murchison Falls at least.

Exchange rate - $1=2200USH, GBP1=3600Ush

Tips for Kenya

2009-09-01T01:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a breakdown of the various costs and other info from our three weeks in Kenya:

Visa - $25 per person. 3 month, single entry visas available at land borders, all others at embassies. There is also the East African Community agreement which means with separate single entry visas from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania you are able to travel between the three countries as often as you like. If you leave these three countries then you will be required to buy new visas. Note, you still need separate visas for each country.

A bed at any of the filthy guesthouses in Moyale - 150Ksh
Ride on the back of a truck to Marsabit/Isiolo - 600/1000 Ksh, 9/18 hours
Cheap meal of Githeri (maize and beans) or Pilau - 70-100Ksh
Glass bottle of soda drinks - from 20Ksh (50-100Ksh in restaurants)
Dbl room at Lodge in Isiolo - 500Ksh
Minibus from Isiolo to Nanyuki - 150Ksh
Daily Nation newspaper - 35Ksh (40Ksh on Sat/Sun)
Sausage on the street - 20Ksh
Punnet of strawberries in Nanyuki - 100Ksh
500ml fresh Mt Kenya yoghurt - 35Ksh
Matatu (minibus) from Nanyuki to Naro Moro - 100Ksh
Camping at Mt Kenya hostel - 300Ksh p.p
Entrance fee to Mt Kenya National Park - $55 PER DAY!! Up from $15. We did not bother trekking in response to this increase.
Matatu from Hostel to Naro Moro -50Ksh
Matatu from Naro Moro to Nairobi - 400Ksh
Dbl room w/breakfast at Africana Hotel, Nairobi - 1200Ksh. It is a clean and safe hotel and the breakfast is excellent, however the noise from the surrounding bars goes on 24 hours.
Internet access in Nairobi - 0.5Ksh per minute. Reasonable connection.
Akamba bus from Nairobi to Mombasa - 1000Ksh, 9 hours
Dbl room w/bath at New Peoples Hotel, Mombasa - 700Ksh
Delicious meals at New Peoples Hotel, Mombasa - 80-180Ksh
Entrance to Fort Jesus, Mombasa - 800Ksh (we didnt bother!)
Walking around Mombasa old town - FREE
T.S.S. bus from Mombasa to Mokowe (Lamu) and v.v. - 400Ksh, 5-6 hours
Ferry from Mokowe to Lamu - 50Ksh, 30 mins
Dbl room w/bath at Bahari Hotel, Lamu - 700Ksh
Dhow trip from 9am to 3pm - 500Ksh p.p after bargaining. Including fishing, lunch and a trip to Manda beach.
6l tank of water - 120Ksh
Giant mango - 15-20Ksh
Fried sweet potato - 10Ksh
Delicious indulgent meal at Olympic restaurant, Lamu - 500Ksh p.p. Including fish, chips, rice, chapatis, dips, fruit and a fresh juice.
Maslah bus from Mombasa to Nairobi - 600Ksh, 7 hours
3 day safari with Big Time Safaris, 2D Masai Mara, 1D Lake Nakuru NP - $290 ($90 per day Masai Mara, $110 Nakuru). Although from July 2009 should be around $110 for Masai Mara as well due to increased fees. Included all meals, 1N in safari tent at Masai Mara, 1N in hotel in Nakuru, 2 game drives in Masai Mara and 1 drive in Nakuru (each around 4 hours) and drop off at Fishermans Camp, Lake Naivasha.
Camping at Fishermans Camp, Lake Naivasha - 500Ksh p.p. Nice place and has the attraction that Hippos visit in the night to eat the grass. Don't worry, you are protected by an electric fence. The restaurant is slightly expensive however so self-catering is the most economical option.
Bicycle hire at Fishermans Camp - 500Ksh per day.
Entrance to Hells Gate NP - $25 per day, up from $10.

***KWS, which controls Kenyas wildlife parks (except for the Masai Mara) have become very greedy. Most of the top parks now cost $60 per day, others $25 and as noted before, Mt Kenya costs $55. They do offer student discounts BUT you MUST have a letter from your institution stating the purpose (tourism is not valid), must be under 23, in a group of 10 or more and give two weeks notice. So they might as well not bother!***

Cup of tea at a cafe - 15-20Ksh
Tusker beer in touristic bar - 150Ksh
Sausage and chips from chip shop - 100Ksh
Tusker Lager T-shirt - 600Ksh
Akamba bus from Nairobi to Aruska (Tanzania) - 1000Ksh, 5 hours
Dbl at New Kenya Lodge, Nairobi - 1000Ksh. Terrible place, filthy dirty, no water, loud, shithole!
Akamba bus from Nairobi to Busia (Uganda) - 1250Ksh

Average daily costs per person - 1600Ksh (excluding the $100 per day safari. Our average per person for 21 days including the safari was 2400Ksh (about $30)

Exchange rate - 78Ksh=$1, 113Ksh=1GBP

MV Ilala

2009-08-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

The MV Ilala is an infamous steamer plying the waters of Lake Malawi. It is over 60 years old and is showing signs of its age. The ship no longer conforms to international safety standards and as a result the Malawian government have been trying to have it de-commissioned for over 5 years. Which means there is no time like the present to clamber on and go for a ride! Apparently the government are looking into building a replacement but these things take time.

It leaves its home port of Monkey Bay on the southern shore every Friday, travelling northbound via Chipoka and Nkhotakota to Metangula in Mozambique, from there to the isolated islands Likoma and Chizimulu and on to the bustling fishing port of Nkhata Bay. It then continues north via several small villages to Chilumba where it should arrive on Sunday evening before leaving again early Monday morning and starting the return journey, arriving back in Monkey Bay by Wednesday, scheduled around lunchtime but more often than not sometime in the evening. Many of the stops do not have a harbour or jetty and so the passengers, and all their worldly goods, are ferried ashore, or as close as they can get, via the Ilalas two lifeboats. This means a stop at one of these places can last up to 8 hours as they fill each lifeboat and over in both directions. Just a couple of weeks ago one of the lifeboats capsized doing a run from the Ilala to Chizimulu, a distance of just a couple of hundred yards. I cannot imagine the frustration and fury, having almost survived the experience, only to be thrown in the drink within spitting distance of dry land!

The most common use of the Ilala by foreign tourists is to visit the beautiful islands of Likoma and Chizimulu. To do this and continue in the same direction means to spend a week on these two very small islands, although this is hardly a bad thing. If you don’t mind backtracking then you could make a visit of 4 days. A visit to the islands is a highlight of Malawi for many tourists.

Lake Malawi is stunning and at times you can be forgiven for thinking you are out at open seas. Come sunset most tourists, both foreign and local, find themselves up on the top deck, enjoying a sundowner at the bar.

Officially the passenger capacity is 460 and the cargo capacity is 100 tonnes, plus 10 tonnes for “personal luggage” although, naturally, these figures are often ignored. When we recently boarded at Nkhata Bay the ship was full to bursting point, to the extent that some passengers were denied boarding, meaning a whole week until the next departure! Trust me, it’s an experience being on a ferry (or any form of transport) in Africa when they decide there is not even space for one more person, or sack of rice!

There are four classes on board the Ilala:

- Economy, which is a few municipal-baths style benches on the lowest deck, plus any cubic inch of space anywhere on the deck. This is often packed to the extent that we were unaware that there were any benches as all we could see were a mass of people sitting on bags of rice and corn flour and the piles of flattened cardboard boxes that people seem to be dragging everywhere.
- 2nd class, a small cabin at the front of the lowest deck, in between the economy section and the cargo on the bow. There are roughly 10 sets of tables with bench seats. If it is quiet this can be quite comfortable as you can stretch out.
- 1st class deck is the next step up, free reign of the top deck, which is also where the bar is situated. Sounds great for that sundowner but not so good on the busy sectors to/from Nkhata Bay where it is bound to be packed with paralytic fishermen. These sectors are also the worst for theft on the top deck, funnily enough.
- Finally Cabin class. Nice two-bed cabins with basin and table inside. There is also an owners cabin which has an ensuite bathroom.

On the second deck, where the cabins are situated you will find two hot(!) showers and clean toilets, although when the ship is packed to the gills it can be difficult making your way to the toilet. When I had to go I think I crushed three babies’ heads and several old women’s ankles, whilst searching for a small gap to plant my feet as I swung from the overhead pipes monkey style. There is also a nice restaurant with an impressive menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Highlights include the grilled chambo (Lake Malawis most popular fish), the shredded beef and rice, and the vegetable curry. Breakfast offers a variety of options including a Full English, the Middle Eastern Shakshuka or just a fried egg sarnie. Down in the Economy class there is a galley serving cheaper and simpler but no less tasty meals if you are trying to save the pennies. There is also a small shop selling essentials such as biscuits, crisps and beer.

It can be quite an expensive trip. From Monkey Bay to Likoma Island in a cabin will cost more than 15000MK, which is over $100, 1st class for the same sector will run to around 9000MK (around $65) and 2nd class will be just under 3000 ($20). We travelled 1st class from Nkhata Bay to Chizimulu, which cost us 2600MK each, and then 2nd class from Likoma Island to Chipoka (having got a small dhow between the islands). We then decided to continue to Monkey Bay so bought an economy ticket for the final sector. As we arrived in Monkey Bay during the night the captain invited us to sleep in a cabin, free of charge, and disembark in the morning so Monika and I are in the unique position of having tried every class on the Ilala!

All in all it can only be described as an ‘experience’. This is the third such ferry we have travelled on in Africa (not including the fast ferries between Jordan and Egypt and between Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar) but by far least comfortable. Whilst the ferry across Lake Nasser was packed there was still room to move and in contrast to the Ilala the Lake Victoria ferry was a luxurious experience!

Blind Date

2009-08-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

One of Zanzibars lesser known highlights, at least lesser known amongst foreign visitors, is a small duka (shop) just a few doors down from Flamingo Guesthouse which sells fresh natural yoghurt and fresh date 'juice' by the glass. The natural yoghurt has the tell-tale delicious crust on top, whilst the date juice comes topped with honey, peanuts and poppy seeds. Mmmmm. I have one blurred photo but at the moment I have no way to upload it! I will attach it as soon as I can!

The Spice Of Life

2009-08-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Just as I was happy to escape the tourism industries of Kenya and Tanzania into Uganda I was equally relieved to escape the attitudes of many of the people of South-western Uganda and return to Tanzania, attitudes which ironically are probably due to their lack of communication with the outside world, be it Europe, the rest of Africa or even just Kampala. In any case, after crossing the border (again hassle-free!) and jumping in a Bukoba-bound minibus I suddenly felt ten-feet tall. Not just because I was the tallest person in the bus and my knees were squashed into seat in front but it also felt great to be back in Tanzania, despite not having held Arusha or Moshi in very high regard. Sure the people there were friendly, if a little insincere, but the cities themselves were very dull and grey and would be ignored by tourists were they not right next to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater and Mount Kilimanjaro!

Why did I feel so happy? Perhaps because I could see how friendly Tanzanians are to each other. Perhaps just because in Tanzania they only fill each seat once!
We arrived in the town of Bukoba just one hour before the thrice-weekly ferry was due to leave so we could only get 3rd class deck tickets. But we managed to buy two crews berths. We had a meal in the 1st class restaurant then retired to the lounge for a beer before bed, waking up to blue skies over beautiful Lake Victoria as we arrived in Mwanza. Sounds great doesn’t it? - I just haven’t mentioned the approx 3 million bananas on board (Ugandas biggest export) nor the 3 trillion insects they attracted, nor that 1st class is a relative term!!!!

Mwanza is a modern, clean and spacious city with very friendly people. The lake side is home to some very posh houses perched on cliffs that have the appearance of some sort of Mediterranean resort. The air is pleasant and it is nice to wander around, even if there is little to actually do. The Indian traders selling everything from shampoo to fabrics kept us occupied and the street food was surprisingly tasty – especially the chicken and fish tikka with chips.

We bought bus tickets from Mwanza to Dar Es Salaam, a trip of over 1200km! Surprisingly, Tanzanian buses cannot travel at night, a safety law, so they leave at dawn and go like the clappers, covering the 1200km in 13 hours! It used to take 5 days but the road has been improved so it left us with a hole in our plans! The journey started alright but after about 300km our back axle buckled completely. No worries, jack it up, get a wrench and half the men on the bus and pull it back into place! And off we went, except we are leaking water by the gallon. After two stops of an hour each refilling it got to the point where a guy was sitting at the front of the bus pouring water in as we went along!! Finally at 3pm they gave up and we got in a new bus. This one did about 300km as well before we stopped. I had thought the brakes were bad and then I found out why. There were no brakes on the rear nearside, nothing. They stopped and put blocks under the bus (no jack) and installed new brake shoes and a drum in about 10 minutes, just wedging the wheel on and off using another wrench! We arrived in Dodoma, Tanzania’s quiet capital (and capital only in name), after dark but somehow were able to continue. We raced along, brakes squeaking, just 450km to go, until suddenly there was an almighty explosion and we skidded to a halt! Both tires on the rear offside had just exploded completely; I have never seen anything like it, there was nothing left!!!! Being the only person on board with a fully functioning torch I had to stand out in the middle of the road observing the quick change whilst we could hear the drums of a Masai village nearby and we did the final 450km slower, with a long rest stop in the middle, arriving safely in Dar at 6am, only 11 hours late! At least we saved on a nights accommodation costs!!!! That is why I am never again going on a long (over 4 month) trip anywhere where they don’t have tarmac, its damaging for body and mind - not just all the bumping but the heightened nerves and the extra beers you have to drink to calm down!!!!!!

Dar Es Salaam is another nice city, so refreshing to find two in Tanzania after drab, ugly Arusha and Moshi! Again the Indian quarter was the highlight, the aroma of spice and curries and the colourful fabrics on display. Adjacent, the CBD is very clean and modern and the port area along the front looks like a picture in a book. We camped on Kipipeo beach, just 8km from the centre, but worlds away. Once you cross the Kigamboni ferry the city turns into a fishing village and fades away into nothing but a pristine sandy beach. It was not a bad place to wait for a week, both for our visa applications and for Stepan to visit on a one-night layover, where we were able to join him for an ‘all expenses paid’ night in the luxury 5*Hotel Kilimanajro Kempinsky, complete with outdoor swimming pool on the second floor terrace, rooftop bar with spectacular views and of course the famous Kempinsky breakfast buffet!

As we are just over half through this trip we viewed these two weeks as a half-time break – a week in Dar, a night in the Kempinsky and a week on Zanzibar. The spice island is only 1½ hours by fast ferry from Dar Es Salaam but of course foreign tourists pay a special fare of $35.

Zanzibar seems like a backpackers paradise but that ferry ticket should be your first clue that this is not the case. It is expensive, much more so than any tropical island in South East Asia let alone the beaches of Goa or Sinai. Nevertheless it is also probably much nicer than any of those options. The only negative point is probably the first one most people encounter when stepping off the ferry – the papasi. Papasi is Swahili for tick and is used to describe the ‘beach boys’ that hang around offering services to tourists – anything from ferry tickets to souvenirs to their bodies or illegal drugs. I can think of a word that rhymes with ‘tick’ that is a far more accurate description, although if you decline politely, after the third or fourth time they usually get the message and move on to someone else.

Apparently the Swahili spoken in Tanzania, especially that on the Zanzibar archipelago, is the most pure of all the various Swahili groups in Africa, not that I would know. It does sound somehow ‘smoother’ than that spoken in Kenya, where for instance it is diluted by the use of many English words interspersed within the sentences.

The main town on Zanzibar is Stone Town, a beautiful mix of winding alleys and coral buildings, interspersed with the odd relic of colonial charm such as the stately courthouse or the functional fort. Within the labyrinth is hidden a beautiful local market of colourful fruit and vegetables, the islands famous aromatic spices as well as stinky fish and smelly meat.

Forodhani Gardens is the place to sample all this local fare cooked to perfection. A fantastic night market where chefs grill skewers of tandoori octopus, prawns, lobster or squid as well as other fish such as tuna and shark and more mundane options such as chicken and beef skewers. There are bigger portions available for the hungry or greedy as well as tasty sides of coconut bread or the Zanzibar Pizza – a type of pancake within which they fry beef and vegetables with cheese and salad. To add to the experience the chefs are immaculately dressed in white with their hats standing out against the velvet black sky.

Forodhani Gardens is great but is only the start of the Swahili cuisine. Perhaps the most famous dish is the fish in coconut sauce (often flavoured with ginger) which is the signature of many Swahili chefs amongst their takes on curries, stews and other dishes. Spicy rice is another famous Swahili dish, although a more down-to-earth filler, pilau rice with potatoes and salad flavoured strongly with cinnamon and cardamom.

After all this eating it is almost obligatory to take the famous ‘spice tour’. It was actually very fun and interesting as we discovered the origins of all these spices and answered many questions – i.e. that black, white, green and red pepper all comes from the same corn but green and white cardamom come from two completely different plants. We also saw how they farm ginger and turmeric and where the colour of tandoori comes from, how cloves are picked and how cinnamon is just a tree bark that curls naturally in the sun. To stretch the tour out we also stopped for a ‘traditional meal’ before visiting an old bath-house, a former slave cave and the picturesque Mangapwani beach.

It was time to leave Stone Town and relocate to one of Zanzibar’s famous beaches. We chose Jambiani beach on the east coast, quiet and serene and away from the party atmosphere of the north. Picture the most kitsch tropical island postcard – swaying palms over white sand and turquoise water lapping at the shore. Every moment five different shades of blue. The extreme tide at Jambiani made the scene even more beautiful. For several hours each day during low tide it would be possible to walk over two miles out to see with the sea reaching knee-height. This left the most remarkable views both from afar and up close as small rock pools full of peculiar creatures formed around the white rocks. The location is everything and so, even though it was the cheapest on the beach, our chalet, not five steps from the beach cost around three times our normal amount. Our only disturbance during five days there were from the laid-back papasi and the more energetic groups of kids begging for money when they should have been in school!

We did manage to embark on a dolphin tour. Whilst not exactly ‘dolphin friendly’ it was exciting, we chased two pods of about 20 dolphins before jumping in to snorkel with them, they were so close we could almost reach out and touch them! We had four ‘swims’ with the dolphins before a short spell of snorkeling over the, disappointing, corals and finally a nice lunch of grilled fish, snorkeling always gives me the taste for fish!

I wanted to hold on to the relaxed attitude that we had spent our five nights at Jambiani in but we didn’t even get back to Stone Town before it had started to crack, on the dala-dala (converted pick-up) a big African woman talked loudly incessantly without pausing even to breathe to anyone who would listen for the entire 2 hour journey! It cheered me up somewhat to return for a last taste of Forodhani Gardens before catching the slow overnight ferry back to Dar Es Salaam. At least this time we got something for the extra we had to pay - access to the first class seating, where we were able to lounge across three chairs whilst watching Gladiator on the overhead TV!

There was still time for a last insult before leaving Tanzania, Upon arrival in Dar we raced straight to the bus station and jumped on a bus to Mbeya, a town in the south close to the Malawi border. Three times someone tried to rip us off for the bus ticket and then, when we finally ascertained the correct price we did not receive our change, as it had been ‘dropped’. Then at the lunch stop the driver left four of us, Monika and I and two local men, sat eating our food. We ran down the road after them and told them to return and wait, only to find that our food had been cleared away!

The trip to Mbeya is around 700km so we arrived at dusk. We planned to stay at one of the lodges opposite the bus station but to our dismay found them all full. We tried another four or five places in town before finally finding a room. It was one of the more expensive in town but still there was no hot water and the shower flooded the whole room! We were just glad to get off the streets as Mbeya was probably the worst place we had visited in Africa. The town was full of drunks, junkies and prostitutes all wandering around the streets. We had never seen anything like it and it was nerve-wracking walking the streets with all our worldly possessions strapped to our back. The restaurant opposite the hotel reinforced this image of a run-down transient town with its American diner décor, straight out of a Coen brothers movie!

So, we are leaving the East Africa Community after two months and heading into the Southern Africa Development Community. The one thing I certainly won’t miss is the speed-bumps, something the governments of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have adopted with great gusto. There are many different styles but all are spine-wrenching. Take the road from Dar Es Salaam to Mbeya for instance, not a single hut in sight, just acres of burnt (by fire not sun) grass and baobab trees…. and speed-bumps. I also hope for a return to the more traditional style of African hut building with mud walls and thatched roofs. Since leaving Ethiopia the land has been dotted with ugly cement huts with shining corrugated iron roofs which I imagine must be less durable and more heat conducive as well as being incredibly unsightly.

opet v Tanzanii

2009-08-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

Z Ugandy zpet v Tanzanii, meli jsme stesti a nocni trajekt z Bukoby do Mwanzy odplouval prave ten den. Bohuzel listky jen pro treti tridu, kde bylo par hromad bananu a natom nekolik vrstev lidi, moc se nam tam nechtelo, ale hned jak jsme nalezli na lod kapitan si nas zavolal a nabidl nam svoji kajutu za maly poplatek a musim rict, ze jsme za to byli radi. Podzemi lodi vypadalo docela drsne a myslim, ze bysme se rano probudili bez batohu nebo minimalne bez penezenky.

Vubec nevim, co jsme si predstavovali od tehle casti Tanzanie, ale v Mwanze a okoli se nam hrozne libilo. Asi proto, ze je tam velka indicka komunita a tak hodne indickyho jidla!! Podle naseho par let staryho pruvodce, dostat se do Dar es Salaamu bude trvat nekolik dni, ale v Mwanze nas mile prekvapil autobus 13hodin jizdy 1200km. Bylo tam nekolik spolecnosti a tak jsme si jednu vybrali (ne tu nejlepsi).
Verim, ze cist o nasich autobusovych zazitcich musi byt nekdy fakt nuda, ale nekdy jizda rozbitym autobusem je naplni celych nasich dni, tak tentokrat to byla opravdu perla!!
V Tanzanii je zakon, ze zadna verejna doprava nesmi jezdit v noci, asi kvuli bezpecnosti a spatnymu stavu silnic, takze vsechny autobusy vyrazi brzy rano a kalej to co to da, ale samozrejme technicky stav autobusu je sileny a tak to vetsinou nevydrzi. My jsme vyrazili v 6 rano a 2 hodiny to kalik 120km/h a pohoda, pak nam zacala vytejkat voda z motoru, tak jsme zacali zastavovat a dolejvat, pak jsme meli kanistry s vodou v autobuse a dolejvali vodu za jizdy. Pak se nam nejak vykloubilo zadni kolo, tak hodinka pod kolama a jeli jsme dal. Nekdy po obede jsme totalne dojeli, motor proste dodelal, dobry!!!tak se cekalo na dalsi autobus, vsichni si presedli a az na to, ze nam nefungovali brzdy, jsme jeli 100km/h, zastavili jsme a ridic za pul hodky sam nasadil brzdovy desticky na zadni kola, ne, ze by se to zlepsilo, ale alespon jsme ty brzdy meli:):)
Uz bylo pozde a vsichni vedeli, ze do Dar es Salaamu to dneska nedame a ze uz porusujem zakon, ale presto jsme to valili 120ti kilometrovou rychlosti a nekde pred Dodomou (hlavnim mesto Tanzanie) se nam proste za jizdy roztrhly 2 zadni kola, brzdna draha byla dlouha, ale nastesti jsme zustakli na silnici. Jediny my jsme meli baterku, takze jsme asistovali pri vymene jednoho kola (rezervu jsme meli jen jednu) a tak jsme pokracovali na trech zadnich. Nekde jsme se vyspali a do Dar es Salaamu jsme dorazili rano, takze misto 13ti hodin 24, ale zdravi a zivi!!!!!!!!!!!
V Dar es Salaamu jsme kempovali na moc pekny plazi asi 10km od mesta, ztravili jsme tam skoro tyden,

vyrizovanim viz do Malawi a Zambie a cekanim na Stepana a jednu noc v raji v hotelu Kempinsky 5ti hvezdickovy luxus. A musim rict, ze zatim pro nas jedno z nejprijemnejsich velkomest Afriky. Stepan priletel s celou posadkou a vzal si nas jako pribuzny do hotelu, po tolika nocech kempovani to bylo neco uzasnyho. Privezl nam vsechny dobroty, po kterych se nam stejzka, sli jsme si zaplavcit na strechu a do baru s vyhledem na mesto. No bylo to jak jedna noc v raji, vice fotek na nasem blogu.
A pak nas cekal Zanzibar, dalsi raj!!! more bylo docela divocina.
Stone Town je uzasny mesto s krasnou Swahilskou architekturou a kulturou ( mix Africanu, Arabu a Indu) zustali jsme tam dele, nez jsme planovali, nevedeli jsme co driv, bloudeni po uzkych ulickach a barevnych trzistich,

ochutnavani vsech mistnich dobrot, treba jako dzus z datlu napul s jogurtem, nebo navsteva nocniho trziste plnyho vsech moznejch morskejch potvor,

vylet do vnitrozemi za poznavanim vseho mozneho koreni, ktere se na Zanzibaru pestuje, hlavnim je hrebicek, zazvor, cumin, vanilka, pepr.....moc zajimavy, vubec videt jak vlastne vsechny rostou.

A pak jsme si vybrali krasnou plaz na vychodnim pobrezi, vesnici Jambiani, kde jsme si 5 dni uzivali jenom barev more a slunicka a jeden den vyletem na jih, kde jsme si zasnorchlovali pronasledovani delfinama.

Proste parada, snaha byla nacerpat co nejvic energie na dalsi 4 mesice cestovani.

Naposledy jsme se nadlabli na nocni zradelne ve Stone Town a nocnim trajektem zpet do Dar es Salaamu a rovnou autobusem do Mbeya, ale v autobuse nam nauctovali vic nez ostatnim, jako obvykle, pak nam nevratili drobny asi 3$, pak nam ujeli s batohama na obede, ze Allan musel bezet aby zastavili, autobus byl silenej a cesta trvala 15hodin a v Mbeya, nejhorsi mesto plny ozralu a zadny volny ubytovani, tak bohuzel vsechna ta enrgie, co jsme nacerpali na Zanzibaru byla fuc!!

Ale uz je zase dobre, jsme v Malawi.

zdravime monika a allan

One Night In Heaven

2009-08-06T04:22:00.000-07:00

We spent 6 days camping at Kipepeo Beach lodge, in Kipepeo village just 8km south of the centre of Dar Es Salaam. We were waiting on Monikas Malawi visa application, which is a whole other story, but also waiting for Stepan to visit from Dubai. He was on a one-night layover. Apart from the fact that it was great to see him again we were also excited as we were able to stay with him, as his guests, and take advantage of the facilities and the heavenly breakfast buffet at the exclusive Kilimanjaro Kempinski hotel in Dar Es Salaam. The rack rate is around $250 per night, so roughly 25 times our normal budget and somewhere we would never be able to afford to stay ourselves! The hotel is perfectly located on the seafront drive overlooking the harbour.

Not only were we able to use the 'Infinity swimming pool, which is perched on the roof of the reception but we also frequented the 8th floor terrace bar with its fantastic views over Dar.

The rooms are described as "ultra-chic" and "without a doubt the most luxurious in the city with designer bathrooms and modern decor". Apart from the fact that Monika and myself cut our feet on the sharp shower doors (design over safety I suspect) we could not fault them in any way, and if we had then I am sure there would have been a legion of bell-boys at the door within seconds!

Perhaps the most exciting point for me was the big bag of goodies Stepan brought with him for us to feast on. Fresh bread, proper butter, all kinds of cheeses (including ripe and squidgy camembert and brie), olives, pesto, Salt and Vinegar crisps and two bottles of Californian wine as well as a big bag of Swiss chocolates, straight from the Lindt factory in Zurich! This may sound mundane to some of you, who are probably able to construct the same platter by simply walking to your kitchen and opening your fridge, but after 5 months on the road it was like heaven!

The breakfast buffet was no less impressive, it was so big I could not see one end of it from the other! I had a starter of muesli topped with berry smoothie and a juice, followed by a cold plate of smoked fish with capers, olives, pickles and rocket. After a small rest I tackled a mammoth Full English with real HP on the side. Finally, almost bursting, I squeezed in a plate of croissants and donuts, washed down with rich, Tanzanian coffee.

The whole experience was so exciting that we forgot to even take one photo of us all there! But here are some of their official photos:

Uganda

2009-07-24T05:34:00.000-07:00

Musim rict, ze Ugandu jsme si uzili, i kdyz tam nebyli takovy velky veci jako safari, more a kilamandzara...(teda byli, ale ne tak velky,aby za ne clovek platil stovky dolaru a pak videl jednoho slona) presto ma turistum co nabidnout. Je krasne zelena, pratelsti lide, raj pro kempare a mistni dopravou se da dostat skoro do vsech koutu Ugandy a taky je jedna z nejlevnejsich zemi vychodni Afriky.
Rozloucili jsme se s Nairobi, kde se nam dokonce zacalo libit, i kdyz jsme se hodne obavali bezpecnosti v Nairobi nakonec jsme se tam vzdycky radi vraceli, pro svou nabitou atmosferu melo svuj sarm, ale bezpecno tam nebylo.
Autobusem jsme se za den dostali na hranice s Ugandou, viza byli bez problemu, jen razitko na hranicich za 50 $ a minibusama (matatu) jsme pokracovali do Mbale, kde jsme prespali pred navstevou krasnych Sipi Falls, nadherny kempovani s vyhledem do udoli a vodopady. Stravili jsme tam 2 dny chozenim po kopcich.

Dalsi jizda do Jinja byla docela hruzostrasna, protoze autobus mel docela velkou prasklinu v zadu a kdyz jsme jeli pres 50km/h zadni kola zacali divne cukat a po ceste jsme si uvedomili jaky jsme meli stesti, ze jsme se od Sudanu nemuseli delit s nikym o sedacku v mistni doprave a vetsinou jsme meli kazdej svoje sedadlo, to v Ugande absolutne neplati, vetsinou se snazi nacpat na jedno sedadlo 3 lidi, takze v matatu, kde je asi 12 sedacek, tak se podarilo tam nacpat az 35 lidi!!!a to jsou ty vsechny vozidla v uplne prisernym stavu.
Jinja docela zajimavy mestecko, jak z divokyho zapadu, hlavni atrakci je, ze tam pry prameni Bily Nil z Viktorina jezera a taky je tam rozprasena cast Gandiho popela.

Samozrejme jsme se museli s Nilem rozloucit, protoze ho pronasledujeme celou cestu, soutok Bileho a Modreho Nilu jsme uz videli v Khartoumu, pramen modreho Nilu jsme videli z jezera Tana v Etiopii a tak tohle bylo naposledy. Urcite stalo za navstevu.
Pak uz nas cekalo hlavni mesto Kampala, kempovali jsme trochu z mesta v takovy krasny zahrade s bazenem a tak jsme nam ani do centra nechtelo, ale Kampala je vyhlasena indickym jidlem a tak jsme si nemohli nechat ujit Masalu Dosa k snidani a vecer se konala Jam Sesson na zahrade narodniho divadla a sesli se mistni muzikanti a prodavalo se studeny pivko.
V Ugande se docela dobre rozviji ekoturismus a vzniklo nekolik kempu, ktery jsou vedeny mistni komunitou a penize co tam clovek necha za jidlo a kempovani jdou dobrym smerem.
Zacali jsme navstevou jezera Nkuruba a bylo to tam krasny, vyborne vedeny kemp, moc dobre tam varili a organizovali ruzny vylety po okoli a 80% penez slo do mistni komunity. Okoli plne kraterovych jezer a super trziste v nedaleke vesnici. Seznamili jsme se tam s americkym parem ucitelu , zijicich v Nemecku, s kterymi jsme stravili spolecne dalsich par dni cestovani.
Dalsi podobny kemp Ruboni byl pred vstupem do Rwenzori Narodniho parku, nejvetsi pohori v Africe a z terasy jsme meli nadherny vyhled na cele pohori a podnikly jsme par treku v okoli podel hranice parku, abysme se vyhnuli placeni vstupnyho.

Den odjezdu byl nas smolnej den a proste nase plany vubec nevysli, snazili jsme se dostat do Kalinzu Forest prirodni rezervace, kde se Allan nekde docetl, ze tam muzem videt simpanze, kdyz budem mit stesti a ze tam ma byt nejaky kemp. Vubec nebylo jednoduchy se tam dostat a nakonec tam nic takovy nebylo a museli jsme se vracet a v noci jsme se dostali do Masaky. Vzdycky se snazime vyhnout nocnimu cestovani, ale tentokrat to proste nevyslo a ridici v noci ridej jeste silenejc nez ve dne a silnice jsou plny der a je to proste o nervy...No prezili jsme to a kolem 10 vecer jsme dojeli do Masaky.
Dostat se na Ssese Islands na Viktorinu jezeru bylo pomerne narocny, na to ze to bylo necelych 60km a zabralo to 4hodiny, museli jsme se hadat o cenach a malem se nam rozpadl minibus a nakonec jsme to zakoncili hadkou s ridicem, kterej chtel vic nez jsme se domluvili a byl agresivni a nikdo se nas nezastal. Tak tady na ostrove byli lidi trochu zaostalejsi nez na pevnine, musim rict, ze docela burani. Uklidnili jsme se kempovanim u krasne bile plaze s blaznivym majitelem.

Viktorino jezero je krasne pruzracne, ale bohuzel ma docela smutnou historii a koupani je na vlastni nebezpeci, protoze je tam bilharzia, docela neprijemna nemoc, pro lidi co jedou pak domu a zajdou si k doktorovi a ten jim to vyleci ,se koupani asi vyplati, my jsme to ale neriskovali, kdyz uz to budem riskovat bude to jezero v Malawi. Jeste zpet k te historii jezera, misionari tam nasadili druh ryby Nile Perch (nevim cesky) a ta sezrala vsechny ostatni ryby a tyhle uz jsou skoro vychytany a jako druhy nejvetsi jezero na svete nema dostatek ryb pro obyvatele okolo a tak se hodne rybaru zacalo venovat alkoholu!!!

Pak uz jsme se rozloucili s Ugandou a prejeli hranice v Mutukula do Tanzanie.
Uganda je asi kazdemu znama diky Idi Amin, ale o nem se zminovat nechci. Ugande trvalo dlouho se postavit na nohy a zacit fungovat, klicem k uspechu, bylo pozvat zpet do Ugandy vsechny Asiaty, kteri byli vyhnani Idi Aminem v 70.letech ( asi 70 000 Asiatu dostalo ultimatum 90 dni vystehovat se ze zeme).
V cele vychodni Africe zije velke procento Asiatu a vsichni jsou velice uspesni obchodnici a dobre prosperuji, asi to bude tim, ze africka konkurence neni tak silna:):)

Velkym problemem severni Ugandy je LRA ( Lords resistence Army), ktera poslednich 20 let ztratila ucel sve existence a napada vesnice, bere deti do armady, znasilnuji, zabiji a urezavaji usi, nosy a rty mistnim. Az do roku 2002 byla tato krestanska armada podporovana islamskou Sudanskou vladou, jen proto, ze Uganda podporovala rebely jizniho Sudanu bojujici proti islamskemu severu.

Priste trocha rozkouskovany Tanzanie a ne jen, ze si pozitri jedem valet sunky na tyden na Zanzibar, ale zitra nas ceka luxusni prespani v 5*****hotelu, jako pribuzni Stepana, kterej leti Dar Es Salaam !!!!!
tak to si dame vanu a prej bude chleba se syrem!!!

zdravi monika

Marabou Stork Nightmares

2009-07-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

The only thing anyone seems to know about Uganda is Idi Amin, and that's not a good thing to know about so I went around the country paraphrasing Fawlty Towers in my head - "Don't mention Idi Amin, Don't mention Idi Amin".

As it was I never did, and nor did anyone else, it seems they have a lot more going on in Uganda than that after all! As we arrived from Kenya we were stunned by the friendly welcome we received, and a warm, sincere friendly welcome as well. In Kenya and Tanzania we were always treated in a friendly manner too but the sincerity was sadly lacking. Guidebooks always stress the importance of greetings but in my experience many locals forget their own greetings when faced with a white tourist. For example in Mali the greetings between two Malians can go on for several minutes but many greeted us with "Toubab, cadeau!" and an outstretched palm, which basically means "white man, give me something!" Not here however, everyone greets each other with "Hello, how are you?" and if you forget and launch straight into a question you are gently reminded with a "I'm fine, and you?"

It took us three crammed minibus rides from the Kenya-Uganda border to get to the town of Mbale, trying not to stand on the goats under the seats along the way. This was an introduction to Ugandan public transport. Whilst in Kenya and Tanzania they only sell each seat once in buses, shared taxis etc, here they sell each one at least twice. We normally squeezed at least 10 people into a normal saloon car, with the boot wide open and crammed full of luggage as well. The wheel arches would be scraping on the tires and before every police checkpoint the driver would order some people out and pay a boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) to take them across the checkpoint. Minibuses normally seat about 28, plus the driver and conductor but they are happy to forego the bribe they will have to pay the police, a sign of how lucrative those extra few seats are! And how far can you ride on a boda-boda, especially with 20kg strapped on your back? We tried to avoid them but sometimes they were the only option, sometimes up to 20km, and believe me each kilometre feels like four times the distance!

With Mt Elgon looming over Mbale we introduced ourselves to Ugandan beer, which thankfully they serve chilled, unlike in Kenya and Tanzania! Nile Special immediately became my favourite beer so far in Africa. We also introduced ourselves to the fine Indian cuisine available in Uganda. All in all a very pleasant introduction.

The next day we continued up to Sipi Falls, close to the base of Mt Elgon. There are some small campsites on the opposite side of the valley from the falls, offering stunning views. It was a refreshingly low-key place to stay after the big places we had visited in Tanzania and Kenya! There are many trails around the area that offer views of the falls from different angles and it was great to just relax there. If it was at the end of our visit to Uganda we would probably have stayed much longer but as we were just beginning we were eager to keep on moving.

We passed through Jinja on the way to Kampala. Jinja is the adventure capital of East Africa and also the source of the White Nile river. After follwing the Nile south from Cairo to Khartoum and seeing the confluence of the White Nile and Blue Nile then visiting the Blue Nile source in Ethiopia this was our final farewell to this mighty river. Interestingly some of Gandhi's ashes were spread here when he died so we made a pilgrimage to the Gandhi memorial. I found this more appealing than the range of white-water rafting trips and other daredevil sports on offer. Jinja itself is quite a pleasant town, spread out and very green, with some retro-chic art deco buildings in the centre, strange but beautiful.

And on to Kampala. This is a city that defies description. Its built on seven hills but it is nothing like Rome and it can be very windy but that's where the comparisons with Chicago end. It is dusty, crowded and prone to poorly planned development but it is not quite like other African cities, it is far more livable in. We attended the 'Jam Session' outside the National Theatre, held every Monday. A Kampala institution, the budding musicians of the city get together and take turns to play, whilst enterprising hawkers sell cold beer to the bystanders. A fun evening, and only possible because Kampala is one African city where its not exactly suicide to go out after dark! The legions of marabou storks perched on roofs and trees across the city give a sinister air (and they are ugly creatures!) but actually Kampala felt very safe, by African standards!

Kampala also has a vague Asian feel, not surprising given the strong Asian influence over the years and we were even able to find a cafe offering Masala Dosai, possibly South India's greatest creation!

You may be surprised to hear that such good Indian food is available in Uganda after Idi Amin expelled all the Asians back in the early-70's, giving them 90 days to leave with nothing. Well, the problem was, as soon as they left the whole economy collapsed, they had such a stronghold on trade, import/export and industry and the Africans were not able to manage it themselves. So the current incumbent, President Musaveni invited them back, even offering them, or their descendants, the land that was taken from them. of course many were hesitant at first but the economy received the kickstart it needed and more and more are returning.

It must sound as though the only good food in Uganda is Indian food, but this is not the case. They also have some tasty local dishes. Beans are very common, cooked in tangy sauces and eaten with staples such as matoke - a stodgy but delicious mash of plantains, "Irish" potatoes, rice, chapatis, cassava or yams. They also have the same addiction chips as Kenya and Tanzania and of course chicken and goat are available for the rich people. Another favourite of mine is 'egg chop' - a hard boiled egg covered in mashed potato and lightly fried. However, the tea is not so good, brewed from bags rather than loose and they seem to use each bag at least three times! Its a good job that beer is good and available everywhere!

A girl on the bus from Kampala to Fort Portal told us that south-western Ugandans are different from those in the east. That they are less friendly. I did not know whether to believe her as there are plenty of tribal divides in Uganda, amplified by the favouring of certain tribes by every post-colonial President. Certainly it did not seem to be the case at our first stop in the south-west, Lake Nkuruba Community campsite. These community projects are common across the country, the organisers giving up to 80% of their profits back to the community, which means they are received in a more friendly way, and their guests are too. This is a great place to stay, perched on a rim overlooking the lake and with plenty of walking trails in the surrounding area. There is also a twice-weekly vibrant market in a village just 2km away. They serve delicious food and are able to organise many trips and transport options. It was also great to be surrounded by such peace and quiet, a million miles away from the campsite in Kampala crowded with overland trucks and gap-year brats!

We met an American couple at Lake Nkuruba, Adam and Yarrow,and together we headed on to the next community campsite, Ruboni campsite, in the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains, Africas highest mountain range. To trek in the Rwenzori National Park costs $567 for a 7-day trek but at the campsite they offer a day climb just outside the park, with stunning views, for about $7.50. It was so good my legs ached for days. The mountains are almost always covered in thick cloud but each day they would peep out just for a short while. I could have sat for days on the restaurant balcony at the campsite, eating their amazing food and gazing at the fine surroundings. Monika and I have been looking forward to getting to Zanzibar for some quality R+R time but these two campsites worked just as well!

After Kenya and Tanzania we did not want to spend a lot of money visiting the big game parks in Uganda as well, such as Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth, preferring to travel in a more off-the-beaten-track manner. We were not interested in tracking mountain gorillas either. At about $800 per hour, along with climbing Kilimanjaro, tracking the gorillas is just about the most expensive activity in Africa but for once I agree with the high cost. They have to limit the numbers somehow and they might as well make money to help with the preservation of the last remaining gorillas at the same time. That is if the money really goes back into the project. I would have liked to see some chimpanzees however but when we spent considerable time, effort and, not to mention, money to get to Kalinzu Forest Reserve we found the whole place deserted. Someone had been there recently because I saw a list of 2009/10 Premier League fixtures on the wall and they were only recently published, but there was no signs of life.

Now we found out why the girl on the bus had warned us about south west Uganda. Throughout two days of travel from the Rwenzoris to the Ssese islands on Lake Victoria all we got were lies, damn lies and more lies from every bus or taxi driver, non-existent service from hotel and restaurant staff and looks of hatred and resentment from everyone else. The final straw was someone jumping in my seat as I waited to be served food in a bar! By the time we got to Hornbill camp on the Ssese islands we were mentally bruised and battered! We needed a few days to recover before making the horror journey by minibus and boat back to Masaka and on to Tanzania! On the radio during this time we heard reports of two men being expelled from a village in the region due to them practising witchcraft, the evidence of which was that another villagers had trouble sleeping and heard strange noises and that someone else was having trouble with three of his goats. There was also the story of the ten pregnant pupils in one school, all impregnated by the same teacher. Most worrying were the reports we heard that up until just 10 or 12 years ago cannibalism was still rife across the south west, especially when the main course was a 'mzungu' (white man). They used to lure them into traps - such as covered pits with spikes poking up from the floor - and then pour boiling water on them. To me it sounded like some old VC booby traps, not Delias latest recipe.

This word 'mzungu' though. It is used across East Africa but especially in Uganda, and especially in the south west where they seem unaware that it is quite offensive to refer to someone by the colour of their skin. Several times I told someone my name, only for them to continue referring to me as 'mzungu' (to rhyme with 'shit'). Many tourists refer to each other as 'mzungu' thinking it is a friendly gesture. This I find absurd, amusing but also worrying in equal measures. How can it be friendly?

The Ssese islands have always enjoyed a very seperate life and culture from that of the mainland and they were lucky enough to avoid most of the madness during the reigns of Amin and Obote. The community is very close-knit, a facet we witnessed in the search for a missing camera in the main town of Kalangala. No-one could get away with any crime there as everyone knows everyone, a fact that the thief, a local worker, somehow overlooked. During the search we had a brief but bizarre conversation with Major Kaka, a local businessman with a military past. He told us that western employers must treat their staff worse, they should beat them to work harder, that is why they start to become thieves and the like. He was already drunk when he arrived at our campsite and we heard that later he forced his way into various homes in search of the camera. Maybe someone should have forced themselves into his home and 'beat' him!

Sadly Lake Victoria is dying. There are barely any fish left due to the lack of regulative measures that should have been put in place twenty years ago. The source of the main problem is the dreaded Nile Perch, a fish that is tasty when cooked but a devil in the water as it kills all the other fish. Added to this is the problem of pollution and over-fishing, which would be destructive enough in their own right. The Nowadays the fishing industry is grinding to a halt and many of the fisherman are turning to drink in their frustration. And early in the morning we awoke from our slumber in our tent to the sound of desperation setting in - dynamite fishing.

Tips for Ethiopia

2009-07-18T03:21:00.000-07:00

Want to travel in Ethiopia, this might help you:

Visa - $20 for same day service at the Embassy of Ethiopia in Khartoum, Sudan. That is if the embassy is not on a week long holiday! (It costs $30 for the same service in Cairo, Egypt)

Bus from Metema to Shihedi – 10 birr p.p, or overnight in Metema, plenty of “guesthouses with red light bulbs!
1.5l mineral water – 7-8 birr
Bus from Shihedi to Gonder – 40 birr, but the bus doesn’t always make it to Gonder, you may be thrown out in a small village 60km short and receive a 10 birr refund.
Ride on truck the final 60km to Gonder – 50 birr, negotiable
Dbl room w/ bathroom at Queen Taitu Hotel, Gonder – 100 birr
Macchiato coffee/cream cake in posh café – 3/7 birr
Tasty meal for 2 plus soft drinks at Demera Cultural Restaurant, Gonder – 50 birr
Lentil samosa or donut from street stall – 2 birr each
Draft beer in Gonder – from 3 birr per glass
330ml Ethiopian red wine in a beer bottle – 17 birr
Map and great info at the Tourist Centre in Gonder – FREE, and you might get tea and biscuits as well. And please donate to their library!
Entrance to Gonder Royal Enclosure – 50 birr
Entrance to Debre Selassie church – 25 birr
All other ‘sights’ in Gonder are 25 birr entrance.
There is a decent, if slightly pricey supermarket in Gonder – Dashen Supermarket on Piazza. Worth visiting for Simien trekking supplies, but better is to bring them from home/Egypt.
Bus from Gonder to Debark – 21.5 birr, 3 hours
Dbl room at Simien Park Hotel, Debark – 70 birr (180 birr w/bath)
Meal at Simien Park Hotel – 15-30 birr
Draft beer at Simien Park Hotel – 4/8 birr normal/jumbo
1kg mangoes/tomatoes/bananas – 8/6/7 birr
Simien mountains trekking – from $8 per person per day (to over $100 per day depending on luxury required!)
Bus/minibus from Gonder to Bahir Dar – 25/35 birr (around 3 hours)
Non-lake facing double room w/bath at Ghion Hotel, Bahir Dar – 100 birr after negotiations
Breakfast/Dinner/Beer at Ghion Hotel, Bahir Dar – 18/15-40/9 birr
Meal/Beer at Bahir Dar Hotel, Bahir Dar – 12-20/7 birr
Boat trip on Lake Tana from Ghion Hotel – 100birr per person
Entrance fee to monasteries on Lake Tana – generally 30 birr per monastery
Entrance to Lakeside restaurant with pelican viewing – 3 birr plus 2 birr per camera
Internet – 12 birr per hour – VERY SLOW!
Fresh mixed juice – 6 birr
Bus to Gashena – 70birr, 8 hours
Bus from Gashena to Lalibela – 15 birr, 2 hours
Dbl room at Asheton Hotel, Lalibela – 100 birr
Avocado juice – 10 birr
Meal at Blue Lal restaurant, Lalibela – fom 20 birr, poor value
Breakfast or Dinner at Unique Restaurant, Lalibela – 15-20 birr – Excellent value, the fasting food option is delicious
Entrance fees to Lalibela churches – 200 birr, soon to be 300 birr
Bus from Lalibela to Dessie – 45 birr, 10 hours
Dinner at Blue Nile Restaurant, Dessie – 15-20 birr
Dbl room w/bath at ‘Bedroom’, Dessie – 80 birr
Bus from Dessie to Addis Ababa – 65birr (up from 52birr) 10hours.
Dbl room w/bath at Wanza Hotel, Addis Ababa – 120 birr
Meal/beer/Breakfast at Wanza Hotel – around 20 birr/8birr/12birr
Minibus around Addis Ababa – 0.7-1.5birr
Entrance to National Museum – 10 birr
Internet in Addis Ababa – 0.25birr per minute
Coffee and cake in café – 10birr
Haircut on Bole Road, Addis Ababa – 30 birr
Bus from Addis Ababa to Dila/Moyale – 47/99 birr, 1/2 days
Room at Zeleke Hotel, Dila – 70birr
Large draft beer at Zekele Hotel – 6.5birr
Meal at Zekele Hotel – 15-40 birr
Bus from Dila to Moyale – 60 birr
Papaya/Avocado – 8birr per kilo
Pineapple – 5 birr each

Average budget in Ethiopia – 190 birr per day (approx $15)
Exchange rate at 31/05/09 - $1=12.5 birr, 1GBP=20 birr

The Hour Of Bewilderbeest

2009-07-07T03:54:00.000-07:00

We spent three days in cold, dull and grey Arusha waiting for Stepan and Thomas to join us from Europe for a four-day safari to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. The sky was covered by a layer of grey, brooding clouds which parted only occasionally to reveal the hulking mass of Mount Meru looming over the city.

Despite being bumped from his flight the previous day Stepan managed to make it to Arusha just 3 hours late for the safari and within a few minutes we were all aboard our safari jeep and on the way.

Going on Safari in Tanzania, and Kenya, has become a very expensive business. Despite taking our own camping equipment and shopping around for the best deal we still ended up paying $150 per person per day. Even though this is about 7 times the amount we normally spend per day in Africa we were still travelling at the low end of the budget scale. So we were amazed by the service we received from Forsters Safaris.

Leaving Arusha we headed first for Tarangire National Park. Although not one of the premier parks all safaris start at either Tarangire or Lake Manyara National Park to reduce the amount of travel time on the first day. It is also a nice taster in anticipation of the main event at the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. We chose Tarangire over the more popular Lake Manyara for several reasons. The first is that it is less popular, so more chance of having the animals to ourselves, and also we had just come from a couple of National Parks with lakes in Kenya. The main reason however was that Tarangire has the highest concentration of wild elephants in the world. The baobab studded landscape is literally crammed with elephants, along with wildebeest, zebra, a few buffalo, baboons and giraffes. The two highlights of the visit for me were seeing the elephants drinking from the river as we watched from the picnic site on the escarpment above and witnessing three giraffes drinking one-by-one from the river as the other two stood guard, creating a 360 degree vision against the threat of a lion ambush.

The next day we passed Lake Manyara and drove through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the gates of the Serengeti National Park. Passing through the crater highlands the scenery changed to one of thick jungle and deep red earth and the view down into the crater felt as if we were looking back in time to the dawn of mankind. Back on the plains we visited a Masai village. This was nothing more than a commercial venture. We paid $20 per person to enter the village, see inside a hut, view the ‘school’ and take as many photos as we wanted. It was a truly artificial experience, just like a Masai theme park, this is the reason we did not visit the Omo Valley in Ethiopia, lest it should speed the transformation into this monster.

Serengeti is a Masai word which means ‘endless plains’, and from the view from Naabi Hill at the entrance gate (or the border between the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area) you can see why, just a few dusty tracks going off in various directions, disappearing over the horizon.

Within 45 minutes of entering the Serengeti we stumbled across a cheetah and two cubs, visibly exhausted as they guarded their kill from the baying crowd of vultures.

Further highlights on this first game drive included two lions resting in a tree as well as a leopard, usually so elusive, lying in an acacia tree just by the side of the ‘road’. We also saw more elephants, though I never feel jaded at the sight of them, nor of the 1m zebra or 2m wildebeest that live in the Serengeti-Masai Mara ecosystem. We tracked one of the lesser-spotted serval cats, trying to eke out a living amongst its bigger cousins, amongst the large supporting cast of various antelopes and birds. That evening in the open campsite at Seronera slap-bang in the middle of the Serengeti we all lay awake wondering if the sounds we heard were other campers snoring, the cooks cleaning up after dinner or a lion slowly encroaching in the darkness?

Apparently the lions did not pay us a visit as we all awoke safe and sound and were welcomed on leaving the campsite by a visit from a large herd of wildebeest and zebra and we soon found ourselves right in the middle of the annual migration. It was by accident that we were in the region just as the migration was taking place but a very happy accident indeed. Indeed, despite the BBC documentaries we have all seen, the migration is something that cannot be explained without witnessing it first hand. The animals do not simply up and leave, like migrating birds, they wander back and forth, moving one way then be driven back by a change in weather, then shifting in another direction, then hanging around a river for a couple of weeks, then finding a new corridor north to the Masai Mara…… that’s why it takes them so bloody long to get there! The symbiotic relationship between the wildebeest and zebra is something amazing to watch. The wildebeest leave a scent though glands in their hooves for their friends to follow, the zebra, which have no such navigational powers, tag along with the wildebeest and protect them from the lions with their superior senses. This is how they find their way along whilst also protecting themselves against the lions that stalk them incessantly, picking out the old, young or infirm which resemble fast food. We watched a lioness slowly creep up on one of these groups that was crossing a river until she was close enough to pounce. My heart was beating in a way that it hasn’t since those few minutes during extra time in the play-off final of 2002! In the event the lioness failed, she could have turned her head, opened her mouth and had it stuffed by the wildebeest that had stumbled onto her but she was too focused and went for the group in the river. I bet the male lion was annoyed that she messed up his breakfast! It is whilst they are drinking, or even just crossing water that all these animals are most vulnerable, which is why they are most nervous around water, always on the lookout for cats or crocs.

As we left the Serengeti we were given a send off by a lion, standing sentry guard on one of the ‘Lion rocks’ that dot the Serengeti landscape. We passed again through the NCA and up into the crater highlands. The only campsite in the area is ‘Simba A’, located right on the crater rim. The campsite was populated by as many zebra as campers and is apparently visited by buffalo and other animals during the evenings. In any case, the sensation of waking up and hearing a zebra munching the grass just outside your tent was excitement enough for me.

The next day we descended into the crater, another hot bed of high animal concentration. Again, within just a few minutes we had spotted a cheetah, and then a spotted hyena amongst the other animals and birds. Later we watched an eagle devour a rabbit before we stopped by a pride of 7 lions, sitting lazily in the midday sun. The hippos had got out of the sun, they get easily sunburnt, and were wallowing in the lakes, by one of which we stopped for a picnic. As we made to ascend from the crater, vehicles being restricted to just 6 hours inside, we stumbled first upon a hippo out of the water (a rare sight during the day!) and then upon two male cheetahs wandering along, looking for a snack. We were totally alone, no other vehicles nearby, as we watched them catch the scent of the family of warthogs by the side of our jeep. Again I thought we were on the verge of witnessing a kill until the warthogs wandered off, up wind of the cheetahs who stood bemused in the long grass. In the end the simply wandered up to our jeep, passed under the spare tires at the back and continued on their way. We all held our breath for a moment as we thought they were going to jump on the bonnet for a better view around!

Perhaps the most amazing part of being on safari, whether in Tanzania or Kenya, is seeing how all these different animals, birds and plants live, and die, together. Everyone is connected to the system and therefore the actions of each animal affect all others. The way in which the wildebeest and zebra live together, the way the zebra rest in pairs, facing each other, to give them a 360 degree vision. The way the lions hunt these bigger prey, mostly leaving the smaller antelope and warthogs to the leopards and cheetahs. The leopards only hunt prey up to 60kg as they like to drag their kills up into the trees, their preferred habitat, the cheetahs meanwhile like to hunt on the plains where they can unleash their incredible speed. They usually hunt the grazing species of antelope, the leopards prefer the browsers, and will only hunt larger prey in groups. Leopards also like to hunt baboons, so if you see a lot of baboons around you know there are no leopards, the primates are smarter than that! The vultures follow the cats, as do the hyenas, to scavenge the scraps left over. Nothing is left to waste, these lands being littered by remains of animal skeletons stripped right to the bone. The lions will even attack buffalo but this is risky as the buffalo can, and will, fight back. Even the various antelope do not compete for food, they are spread out, split into groups of browsers and grazers, meanwhile the giraffes and elephants eat the fruits the other animals cannot reach. The plants affect the system in other ways too, the elephants are always rubbing up against the trees, especially the baobabs, breaking off the bark and releasing sap, but in response the trees grow back a much tougher skin of bark. Then the birds get involved, feeding off the backs of the larger animals such as elephants, hippos, giraffes and buffalo or waiting for the animals to disturb the fish in the water or the insects in the ground so they can swoop down and carry them away. Even the two species of flamingo can co-exist in peaceful harmony as the greater flamingo feed on larvae found in the submerged lake-beds whilst the lesser flamingo feeds on the carotene-rich algae which give them their rick pink hue!

Just being on safari revealed all these traits and more, made especially possible by the excellent, professional service we received from Roger, our driver-guide, and Amani, our cook/assistant guide!

Our trip was entitled ‘Big Five Game Drive’, after the ‘Big 5’ animals that were grouped during the old days as being the hardest to hunt. Of course I could not comment on this one way or the other but these five are – Lion, Leopard, Cape Buffalo, Rhinoceros, and Elephant. For me the buffalo always seems to be the odd one out, why not a cheetah or hippo, surely they are more dangerous? I imagine its due to the buffaloes tendency to fight back, and to stick up for each other. Incidentally, for those more interested in viewing the more minute side of wildlife there is a ‘Little 5’ – elephant shrew, ant lions, leopard tortoise, buffalo weaver and rhino beetles. Spotting those might be just as fun as their larger namesakes! For the purpose of modern wildlife viewing I would add a ‘Medium 5’, those animals that continually keep one in awe whilst not being perhaps such a challenge to kill – zebra, giraffe, hippo, cheetah and blue wilderbeest! Maybe the zebra and wildebeest are too commonplace to be on such a list but they are both such strange and beautiful creatures!

After our safari was over we spent two days in Moshi, our plan was to swim at the outdoor pool there and gaze up at Mt. Kilimajaro overhead, perhaps at the same time. This however was not possible as the sky remained cloudy through our stay in Moshi, bar one short period when Africas highest point briefly revealed itself, and the pool was anyway closed for renovations! So all that was left was a two day trip via Nairobi to Uganda. The highlight of this trip was watching the two nuns in the seats in front of us devour bags of sausages and chips and several bottles of Sprite along the way!

Safari, Tanzanie

2009-07-07T03:27:00.000-07:00

Tak my jsme se rozhodli, ze 600 $ USD utratime za 4 denni safari,prvni den navsteva Tangarire Narodni Park,znamy Bao-Bab stromy a stovky slonu, ale videli jsme mnohem vic.

Dalsi den jsme pokracovali do Serengeti Narodniho Parku, prvni 2hodiny vparku jsme videli gepardici s malejma po lovu, leoparda na strome a par lvu.

Ranni jizda po Serengeti, jsme byli uprosted migrace pakonu a zeber a mhohem vic

A 4.den jsme navstivili Ngorongoro prirodni rezervaci a krater.

tak trocha severni Tanzanie v obrazech.

10 things you could do with $600...

2009-06-30T00:59:00.000-07:00

If you had a spare $600 lying around, what could you spend it on?

1. You could buy a new computer, stereo, TV or other consumer durable black good.
2. You could drink 600 pints of beer in a Czech pub.
3. You could buy a season ticket at Carrow Road.
4. You could enjoy a lobster meal for 4 at Humerbar Restaurant in Zurich.
5. You could spend 2 months travelling in relative luxury in South East Asia or on the Indian Subcontinent.
6. You could visit Petra 20 times.
7. You could book two return flight tickets from London to New York.
8. You could buy an annual pass for 10 families to Prague zoo. (That is 10 lots of 2 adults and 2 children).
9. You could pay just the park entrance fees to Kilimanjaro National Park. If you wanted to climb it, you would need another $400 minimum.
10. Or, you could take a four-day camping safari (with your own equipment) in Tanzania, visiting Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Thats what we did!

What would you do?

Kdyz mate prebytecnych 600$USD, 10 moznosti jak s nimi nalozit.....

1. Koupit si novy pocitac, stero nebo TV.
2. Vypit 600 piv v ceske hospode.
3. Koupit si sezonni listek na fotbalovy tym Norwich City.
4. Zajit si na poradnyho humra pro 4 lidi v Humrbaru v Curychu.
5. Ztravit 2 mesice cestovani v pomernem luxusu v jihovychodni Asii nebo na Indickem subkontinentu.
6. Navstivit Petru dvacetkrat. (skalni mesto v Jordansko).
7. Koupit zpatecni letenka pro dva lidi z Londyna do New Yorku
8. Rocni vstupenka pro deset rodin do Prazske Zoo.
9. Zaplatit jen vstup do Narodniho Parku Kilimandzaro (pokud si chcete vylezt nahoru takze pridejte dalsi 400$USD!)
10. Nebo 4 denni safari se svym vlastnim stanem v Tanzanii do Tarangire Narodni Parku, Serengeti Narodni Parku a Ngorongoro prirodni rezervace.

Tak jsme nalozili s 600$ my.
Co byste udelali vy?

KENA

2009-06-23T03:33:00.000-07:00

Zdravime,
Nakonec jsem psala z Addis Ababa
Jeste 2 dny jizni Etiopii nez jsme se dostali na hranice s Kenou, jih Etiopie byl krasne zeleny a plny huste dzungle. Na hranicich v Moyale jsme dostali viza a ubytovali jsme se v takovy spinavy dire, bylo to hrozny mesto, asi jako vsechny pohranicni. Celou jizni Etiopii a severni Kenu jsme se setkavali s ‘qatem’ coz jsou listky nejakyho stromu, ktery vsichni zvykaji a jsou pekne zmasteny, protoze se cpou plnyma igelitovyma taskama a sezvykaji az pul kila denne. V Jemenu, Somalsku, Etiopii a Keni je to legalni. Takze v Moyale byli vsichni pekne vymeteny a bylo docela komplikovany zjistit, jak se odtamtud dostanem. Jedina nase moznost byla, podelit se o korbu nakladaku s dalsimi asi 50ti lidma, nastesti nakladak prevazel fazole a tak to nebylo na tvrdym. Tahle jizda z Moyale do Isiolo ma byt jedna z nejhorsich v Africe, je to uplny voraniste plny der a taky to byvalo nebezpecny kvuli banditum. Ale musim rict, ze jsme byli pripraveny na nejhorsi, ze to bude neco strasnyho, ale dalo se to prezit, delili jsme se o jeden pytel fazoli a bylo nas tam hodne, ale nakladak mel velky kola a tak hrboly a diry po ceste nebyli tak bolestivy jako by to bylo v autobuse. Taky to trvalo jen 17hodin.
Meli jsme docela starch z Keni, slyseli jsme hrozny historky o vrazdach a prepadavani, znasilnovani a nevim co vsechno, to vsechno se opravdu deje, ale vetsinou za tmy, kdyz my spime a pres den se clovek citi docela bezpecne.
Prvni zastavkou mel byt Narodni park Mt. Kena, druhou nejvyssi horu Afriky jsme si chteli vyslapnout mistio Kilimanzara (ktery stoji kolem 800$ za vyslap za cloveka), nakoupili jsme si na 4 denni trek a stopem-pesky jsme se dostali pred branu parku, kde postavili stan v krasnym kempu.

Bohuzel, se od ledna tohoto roku ceny parku v Keni zmenili a tenhle park stal 15$ na den, tak ted ho zdrazili na 60$ denne + kempovani v parku+ pruvodce, takze to utrpeni vyskrabat se na horu by nas jeste stalo nejakych 300$, tak jsme se nastvali a zustali v kempu 2dny abysme alespon sporadali vsechno to jidlo, co jsme nakoupili. Kemp byl krasnej se super spravcem a vyhled na hour Kena jsme meli ze stanu.

Jidlo a piti se uplne zmenili, vyborny mlecny caj s kourovou prichuti, takovy nafoukly koblihy k snidani a jogurty. V Keni zije hodne Indu a tak ryze a curry a chapatti je na kazdem menu. Mistni specialitou je ugali, takova lepkava nakysla hmota s masem, ale nastesti se tomu skoro vzdycky da vyhnout. Protoze Kena byla britskou kolonii, hranolky se smazenou rybou nebo kuretem jsou vsude k dostani. My jsme si oblibili v mistnich jidelnach pilau ryzi(ryze ochucena kardamonem s vodovym curry) a githeri( 3 druhy fazoli v trochu palive omacce) a to jsme si dali na pul. Vetsinou byli k dostani i cerstvy dzusy na ulici mango, avocado, papaya

Mistni dopravou jsou hlavne MATATU minibusy, ktery jezdi vsude a porad a strasne rychle. Tak jednim z nich jsme se dostali z Nanuyki do Nairobi, hlavni mesto z kteryho jsme meli opravdu starch, ale pres den je to ok, ale jak zavrou kramy, tak se ulice vyprazdni a po 7 vecer uz moc lidi ven nechodi. Prezdivka NIGHTROBBERY docela sedi a i kdyz bysme se nejradsi Nairobi vyhnuli uplne, tak to neni mozny a uz jsme tam byli 3krat a az na strasnej hluk a hodne lidi to bylo fajn.

Pak jsme vyrazili na pobrazi, autobusem do Mombasy, kde jsme stravili den, moc prijemna atmosfera, dobrej mix africanu, indu a arabu. Opravdu jsme tam uzili jak jidlo tak lidi, architekturu a swahilskou kulturu.

Nasi hlavni destinaci v Keni byl, ale ostruvek Lamu, ktery jsme meli nekolikrat doporuceny. Jen 7 hodin jizdy po pobrezi na sever od Mombasy, taky jedna z nebezpecnych silnic a tak kazdy autobus ma chlapka s kalasnikovem, nastesti jsme nemeli zadne problemy, ridic to valil 130km v hodine a tak nevim jestli by se vubec nejakym banditum podarilo nas zastavit!!

Lamu byl raj, prevazne muslimsky ostruvek s krasnou swahilskou architekturou, uzounkymi ulickami a hlavnim dopravnim prostredkem jsou oslici, nasli jsme si krasny ubytovani a bylo nam tam tak dobre, ze misto 3 planovanych dnu jsme tam zustali 5 dni, docela prselo. Vyrazili jsme celodenni vylet mistni plachetnici, strasne foukalo a tak jsme se malem prevratili, nastesti se nam to nestalo, ale potkali jsme jednu, ktere se to podarilo.

Zarybarili jsme si a ulovek jsme si ogrilovali na plazi, taky jsme se pekne spalili.

Meli jsme kuchyn k dispozici a tak jsme si obcas varili, I kdyz to cenove vyjde o neco draz nez jist v nejake mistni restauraci, tak si clovek muze udelat hromadu zeleniny s testovinama. Proste se nam tam hrozne libilo a i po 5ti dnech se nam nechtelo ostrov opustit.

Cestou zpet do Nairobi jsme si rikali, ze jsme v Keni 14 dni a jeste jsme nevideli ani jedno divoke zvire, dostat se do Narodnich parku po svych je skoro nemozny a mistni doprava tam nejezdi. Skoro vsechny vstupy narodnich parku se zdrazili na 60 $ denne a tak jsme muesli byt opatrni pri vyberu. Nakonec jsme si zorganizovali Safari z Nairobi za 290$ na 3 dny s navstevou 2 parku. Prvni Masai Mara, nejznamejsi a nejnavstevovanejsi park v Keni, kde jsme se projeli 2 hodiny vecer a 2 hodiny rano a neverili vlastnim ocim, kolik jsme toho videli za tak kratkou dobu, zacalo to zebrama, zirafama a pak jsme videli stovky buvolu, slony, jednu lvici a 2 lvy, no byla to nadhera,

vecer jsme se prezrali a rano jsme pokracovali do narodniho parku Lake Nakuru, kde jsme meli asi 4 hodiny u jezera a to byla nadhera, uplnej koberec z Flamengos, do toho pelikani a mezi tim se prochazeli zebry a videli jsme 3 bily nosorozce a zahlidli jsme hyenu a do toho ruzny druhy antilop a gazel.

No krasny to bylo po ceste do Nairobi jsme si vyzkocili u jezera Naivasha, kde jsme 2 dny kempovali u jezera a kousek od stanu se nam v noci prochazeli hrosi, teda nastesti za plotem, vydavali hrozny zvuky a docela jsem se jich bala, je to v Africe nejnebezpecnejsi zvire, napadnou vic lidi nez jake koliv jine zvire!!!!
Hell s gate narodni park je par kilometru od jezera a je to jediny park v Keni, kde se muze clovek prochazet nebo projizdet na kole. A tak jsme vyrazili na kolech, byl to uzasnej zazitek, jen na kole mezi zebrama a zirafama a taky buvolama(z tech jedinejch jsme meli trochu starch), divocaku a antilop.

Pak nas mistni Masai vzal do lomu a odpoledne jsme se vratili a udelai hromadu salatu s avokadem, ktery je momentalne v sezone a stoji 2kc kus!!!!
Navrat do Nairobi a rychle do Tanzanie, nase plany se tak trochu zmenili, protoze kamarad Stepan nas opet prijede navstivit a to na severu Tanzanie a tak zajedem do Tanzanie a Ugandu nechame az na potom.

Celkove jsme nevedeli, co ocekavat od Keni, spis jsme byli negativne naladeni, ale vsechno nas mile prekvapilo, jak lide, tak priroda, tak krasni Masaiove, tak jidlo a maji taky vyborny pivo Tusker. Vsichni mluvi plyne anglicky a vetsina tisku je v anglictine, skoro denne jsme si kupovali noviny a musim rict, je to hruza co se deje v tyhle zemi, vrazdy, znasilneni, kolik lidi je HIV pozitivnich, kmeny, kteri se vrazdi vzajemne, korupce a jak je nebezpecno na silnicich, vsichni jezdi 100km/h a predjizdi zasadne bez koukani.
Ale libilo se nam v Keni.

tak vas vsechny zdravime a mejte se krasne

monika

Hakuna Matata

2009-06-23T03:21:00.000-07:00

We had a nice introduction to Kenya, one of the powerhouses of African tourism. The immigration officer on the border between Ethiopia and Kenya was very friendly and taught us some Swahili and gave us some advice on travelling in Kenya. This positive start was soon counter-balanced by Moyale being possibly the most typical example of a border town this side of Tijuana! Guys chewing chat sat around the filthy hotels prone and unable and it was impossible to find any useful information on how to get out of the town! In fact the only way out was south towards Isiolo. Possibly the most infamous road on the trip from Cairo to Cape Town this road sends shivers down the spine of overlanders, many of whom loose their shocks enroute. Our only option was on the back of a truck full of sacks of beans, along with about 100 other people. We had heard stories of trucks turning over so we were happy to be so well weighed down! Not only is the road known for its poor, bordering on non-existent condition (there is no tarmac between Moyale and Isiolo) but it is also the territory of many bandits, which live on looting trucks passing through. The trip should take around 8 hours to Marsabit and then a further 9 hours to Isiolo. We were lucky in that our truck did it in that exact time, and we rolled into Isiolo at 3am the next morning.

Isiolo was nothing more than a place to stop and recuperate before heading on via Nanyuki to Naro Moro, at the base of Mount Kenya. Not only is Mt Kenya famous for being the second highest in Africa but also for being a cheap alternative to Kilamanjaro and Meru for trekking. Or at least it was. In our first encounter with KWS (Kenyan Wildlife Services) we realised that in January they had increased the fee from $15 per day to $55 per day, which is quite an increase! It still pales in comparison to the $1000 you would need to climb Kili, but still it put it out of our budget. Instead we relaxed in solitude at the campsite at the Mt Kenya hostel and contented ourselves with views of Mt Kenya from below.

Fully rested we headed to Nairobi, hoping just to pass through. Who is afraid of big bad Nairobi? We were actually, I mean, its not called Nairobbery for nothing! In the end we found that it was not so bad as the hype, that we were able to wander around without being robbed, raped and murdered. We ended up stopping over in Nairobi three times, and each time was fine. However on our first night we did get back to our hotel before 6pm and soon after heard two violent fights and gunshots from our room!

The next leg of our journey was to visit the Swahili homeland along the coast of Kenya. Frustratingly, the road between two of East Africa's biggest cities, Nairobi and Mombasa, was probably the worst road in Kenya but we got there eventually. Next time, and with a bigger wallet I am going to take the old Rift Valley railway that still operates with full service between the two cities. The history of Mombasa is like the history of Swahili in microcosm, a melting pot of African, Asian and Arabic cultures, with smatterings of Portuguese and British colonial influences thrown in fir good measure. Just Fort Jesus (which we didn't enter due to the also exorbitant entrance fees) managed to change hands between the Kenyans, Omanis, Portuguese and British during its operating history. The old town surrounding the fort revealed similar examples of this chequered past. We heard stories of anti-Western sentiment and Osama Bin Laden graffiti but all we received was a warm and friendly welcome. All in all it was one of my highlights of Kenya. I have to say as well that it is amazing how much one man has influenced millions of peoples opinion of 'the West'. Since his historic election victory the sheer presence of Obama has turned everything around. No longer are Americans treated as some sort of pariahs, with both locals and fellow travellers alike turning away from them. They are now being welcomed everywhere. At the same time in the UK we are electing far-right anti-social fascist scum like the BNP and the UKIP ('the BNP in blazers'). Now who is going to be shunned?

Just as beautiful is the old Swahili town on the island of Lamu, 6 hours north of Mombasa. Because this road is another hotspot for bandits we had a military escort on our bus for part of the journey. The island is half an hours boat trip through the mangroves. Another beautiful old Islamic Swahili town this is a seaside resort with a difference. Here the beaches take a back seat to the old town and cups of steaming milky tea and thick mango juices take the place of cold beers. We took the almost compulsory dhow trip through the mangroves. Although the trip was quite scary, the wind was high and we passed an overturned dhow on the way, it was a nice day, we went fishing but only Monika caught anything so she had to share her catch with us (Along from Korea, Neil from the Philippines and I) as we had barbequed fish on Manda beach for lunch. Lamu was so quiet and serene that we spend several days there, in a state of almost total inertia. On one of our last nights we indulged in a deluxe meal of fresh grilled fish with such a plethora of side dishes I was at a loss as to which to eat next.

Which brings me to the subject of Kenyan food. Almost every country we enter I fear the worst. Since my introduction to African food in Ghana I am very pessimistic about the offerings. Kenya has been just as impressive as almost all the African countries I have visited since Ghana. Chapatis, fish and chips (with salt and vinegar), fried chicken, sausages, all manner of egg dishes and a smattering of Indian cuisine all washed down with strong, milky chai or, away from the coast, refreshing Tusker lager means that I never once had to try the national dish,Ugali, a meal pulp that resembles the worst of African cooking!

Having spent about two weeks in Kenya and not having seen a wild animal we decided it was time to return to the interior. Back in Nairobi we organised, after much deliberation, a 3-day safari to the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru national parks. At $100 per day it is not a cheap undertaking, although still only 60% of the cost of a Tanzanian safari. Its still a shock, especially when you a reused to $20 per day Asian tours! It was however, worth the money. The Masai Mara can't really be described without slipping into all sorts of clichés so suffice to say we bounced around in a safari van (with a pop-up roof) and spotted all sorts of wildlife lying under acacia trees such as lions, elephants and buffalo (3 of the 'Big 5' in about an hour) as well as giraffes, ostriches, all sorts of antelope and wildebeest, and squillions of zebra. I was so excited upon spotting my first zebra and then I realised they are more common than cows here and spend most of their time grazing by the side of motorways!

Lake Nakuru was possibly even more beautiful. An alkaline lake populated by about 16,000 flamingos, with marabou storks and pelicans mingled in and white rhino, buffalo and more zebra wandering around the shore. We also saw a jackal and a hyena, two of the more nefarious species on display. I must also add that I was very pleasantly surprised that tourism hasn't had a greater impact, it has been really well managed. Even at Masai Mara the camps appear very low-key from the outside and, whilst Masai village tours are offered, they are not forced, nor are any other 'extras', and there was a marked absence of hawkers, although our van did manage to stop at a souvenir shop enroute both to and from the park!

We arranged to be dropped off from the safari at Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake with several campsites dotted around its shore. We were lucky enough to be visited by a herd of hippo during the nights, who came to graze on our campsite. I say 'lucky' as there was an electric fence separating our tent from these surprisingly dangerous animals. Close by is Hells Gate national park, the only park in Kenya which you can cycle through, apparently there are no wild cats there. We hired bicycles for the day and set off, cycling under beautiful rock formations and between herds of zebra, antelope, giraffes and buffalos, which apparently aren't dangerous as long as they are in a group. Again we had a run-in with KWS here as the entrance fee to Hells Gate was also increased. A warning to any students attempting to take advantage of the concessionary rate it will only be offered to students under the age of 23, in groups of 10 or more on an organised, official visit. Individual students on holiday will not enjoy the reduced rates. Personally I don't see the point of offering them to non-residents in that case.

And from Naivasha back to Nairobi, again, from where we left for Arusha in Tanzania, where we are now. We had planned to travel through Uganda to Tanzania but we had an email from Stepan as we arrived in Kenya who told us he would meet us in Arusha with his friend Tomas and we could go on safari together. So we changed our plans and headed down into Tanzania. Luckily these three countries in East Africa allow visitors to travel between them on single entry visas as long as we stay with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania so hopefully we can just go back through Kenya to Uganda and continue through back to Tanzania.

Sometimes Kenya seems to be very developed, especially when you are speeding along a dual-carriageway in the central highlands, with pristine farmland on either side. Inevitably however, just around the corner it will all fall apart and you will be bouncing in and out of pot-holes again. I get the same feeling from reading the Daily Nation, the English-language newspaper that was my source for all the dirt, crime and corruption happening in Kenya. Take the minister who, in response to a new law restricting ministers to cars sized 1.8l or less stated that he 'could not arrive at official functions in a teenagers car'. Or the government and police officials who were intrinsically involed in the post-election violence and yet are being protected by the dragging -heels investigation. Or even the Mungiki, the gangster sect that controls much of the Rift Valley and Central Highlands, with 'red spots' including Nanyuki, Nakuru and Naivasha, the government does nothing, why? There are more connections than anyone wants to know. A young girl was recently shot by police who were using live rounds to disperse street hawkers, she was working as a waitress when she was killed. And every day there are new reports of rape and child abuse, of priests abusing their position, of young men taking their fathers to court to try to gain possession of the land their fathers worked so hard to gain. They don't want to give it up and see the money squandered. Perhaps the most poignant pages in each edition are the funeral notices. Almost half the deaths are explained away as a 'long illness', read AIDS, and the other half as a result of traffic accidents. In the lonely hearts column posters are less cryptic, demanding HIV tests as a must, or openly admitting to being 'HIV+'. After reading the paper one can be left feeling hollow and without hope, however we met some people in Kenya that renewed our faith in humanity. One of them, Orfan, works as a tour guide by day, spends his spare time running an orphanage for street children in Western Kenya and often goes out in the evenings to meet young prostitutes and try to talk them out of their life on the streets. He was lucky to survive the post-election violence last year, managing to run away from a bus in which more than half of the passengers were slaughtered to death. Whilst people like Orfan are still able to help there is hope for everybody.

Despite, or perhaps because of, the high level of tourism, Kenya has left me feeling a little cold. I thoroughly enjoyed travelling in Kenya but I see no reason why I would return. It just doesn't evoke the same blast of sensations as visiting, say Ethiopia, does. We had no bad experiences, just no unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Even though the safari was amazing, we still shared it with enough people to dilute the moment.

By truck from Moyale to Isiolo

2009-06-14T06:17:00.001-07:00

The road from the border town of Moyale to Isiolo in Kenya is probably the most infamous along the whole Cairo-to-Cape Town route. Not only do the dirt tracks eat 4x4s for breakfast but there is also the added risk from the bandits that run amok across Northern Kenya. If you are travelling by public transport the choice is a twice (or perhaps thrice) weekly bus or jumping on the back of one of the trucks passing through daily. The journey takes around 18 hours if you are lucky. We were lucky. Our truck was full of bags of maize, which was good as they made comfortable seats and are heavy enough to stuck worrying about overturning, which a worrying number of the trucks are prone to doing. We left Moyale around 10:30am, stopped in Marsabit around 7:30pm and finally arrived in Isiolo at around 3:30am.

Here is a brief taste of this journey:

DISGRACEFUL!

2009-06-06T03:56:00.000-07:00

No, I am not talking about the cricket! Something more important. How can anyone in Britain vote for the BNP? It's pathetic and makes me feel sick, and glad I am not there. How can we still have Nazis in Britain in this day and age, dont these people realise that multiculturalism is what makes Britain Great? Do these ignorant oafs realise that by voting for the BNP they are basically saying "You know Hitler, he wasn't bad, his heart was in the right place". If you vote BNP you are disgracing the actions of the brave souls that fought for freedom during WWII. People claim that they should be allowed due to freedom of speech, well, freedom of speech is only valid until you start abusing other peoples human rights, which seems to be the basic premise of the BNP. Parties such as the BNP and the UKIP (wake up guys, we have been part of the EU for years, and it has benefitted us greatly) should be forcibly disbanded and their leaders jailed under the terrorism act. Bastards.

Trekking in the Simien Mountains

2009-06-06T03:23:00.000-07:00

Everything in Africa seems to cost a lot more than it should do, especially tourist activities like trekking, safaris etc. The Simien mountains in Ethiopia are the exception. Amazing trekking can be arranged at prices that don't break the bank. You can pay much more for organised treks with cooks, beer and wine, and other luxury personal services. We saw a lot of these and they do look nice. If however you want to do it the independent way, here is how:

We did a four day trek. The bus from Gonder costs 21.50 birr and leaves quite often, not only at 5:30am which is a rarity. Dont listen to any of the touts in Gonder or the bored guys in Debark who want to be your guide and folow you around ad nauseum.

Simien Park Hotel (good place, rooms without/with private bath 70/180) is THE place to stay in Debark and they do good food and good draft beer.

If you head straight for the park office in Debark (about 500m back along the road away from town from then Simien Park Hotel) they can organise everything. The mandatory scout is 40birr per day and park fees are 70 birr for two days (inc. camping). If you want an official guide he will cost 120 birr per day. We intended to take a guide but in the office they told us the scout knows the way and where the water is (there are actually showers at the campsites!) so unless we wanted more info we didnt need a guide, but they recommend. Cooks are 75 and mules/muleteers are 35 each. The equipment costs are 15 birr for a sleeping bag, matress or raincoat, 30/40 birr for a 2man/3man tent and 30-40 birr for cooking materials. If you hire equipment there you will need a mule and handler as their equipment is very old and heavy, especially the cookers. If you have your own equipment, like us, then you can carry it yourself. It may be stubborn but I couldn't help feeling like some sort of colonial lord if I were to use a porter/mule and if I cant make a trek with my own gear I would rather not go.

You dont have to feed your staff but we shared tea/coffee, bread, dates and 'kolo' with our scout.

We trekked to Imet Gogo and back over four days, like this:

Day 1 - Debark to Sankaber, about 30km, 9 hours, nice views over the escarpment and lots of baboons
Day 2 - Sankaber to Geech - 12km - 5 hours, more amazing views including one precipice.
Day 3 - Geech to Imet Gogo and Imet Gogo to Sankaber - 22km - 7hours, amazing views from Imet Gogo, well worth it. More baboons on the return to Geech.
Day 4 - Sankaber to Debark - slightly more direct route, no views but quicker, 6-7 hours

In total our fees cost 140birr per person and the scout 40 per day. Split between two of us it came to 440birr plus about 300birr for food and supplies (best bought in Gonder). Because he had done what we expected a guide to do we tipped our scout quite well (100birr, although the average is 1days wage for every 3 worked). So 840birr between two people over four days works out at 105 birr or just under $10 per person per day. Of course if you want a guide etc it soon adds up. Also, we did not meet anyone else who walked out of Debark, most take some transport to Sankaber at least, and the charge for a one way trip is 800birr! I thought the walk was amazing although in the office they will tell you it is boring.

The trekking is not hard but carrying your own gear and food makes it slow going. If you are not at least used to some trekking you might find it tough. However these guys are used to taking out-of-shape tourists into the hills, they know we need to stop and rest and eat something. Just because they don't stop, doesnt mean you can't stop. Just call out that you need a rest, or just sit down. I know it sounds obvious but apparantly some people didnt think so, they were waiting for someone to tell them what to do, you have paid so you are in charge. Even at this altitude it leave one short of breath so we had at least two 10-15min breaks in addition to our lunch break.

Oh, and you can buy water purification liquid in Goha Pharmacy in Gonder for 4birr, just one drop per litre. The water from the taps at the camps looks crystal clear but you wouldnt want a dose of the trots three days walk from Debark so it makes sense to take this with you, the Amheric name is 'Wuha Agar'.

We had rain on two evenings but nothing too heavy, I suppose it will get worse as the rains draw in more.

How to travel through Sudan

2009-06-06T03:09:00.000-07:00

Here is our recipe for travelling in Sudan:

The visa application in Cairo was relatively simple (if you can get the letter of introduction from your embassy, Czech nationals will have to write their own letter and ask for a proof of signature instead, Brits will pay around $50 for the letter but ti will be issued within 5 minutes). The visa cost $100, required two photos, the form written in duplicate and photocopies of the passport and Egypt visa. There is a guy with a photocopier in the embassy who charges 1LE per copy.

The fare for the Aswan to Wadi Halfa ferry is 306LE for seat class and can be bought in Cairo, in a small office at Ramses train station.

We arrived at the port at 10am on Monday. Immigration and customs are fairly painless (unless, like most of the Sudanese passengers, you have boxes and boxes of luggage!) and you should be onboard by 12ish. You are given a meal ticket before boarding which entitles you to one meal, which was very nice - chicken, rice, bread, vegetable dish, salad and fruit. Most people used their ticket before we left. Further meals cost 14LE and a small packet of biscuits int he 1st class restaurant cost 1LE. Water and soft drinks cost 2.5LE. If you have any problems on the ferry you can look for Mr Mutaba, the chief engineer, his english is great and he can translate any questions to the immigration officials or anyone else you need to speak to.

The ferry should depart around 6pm but we were delayed due to high winds on the lake and left around 2:30am, I was happy to see such safety measures in place. During the journey we submitted our passports to the immigration officials in a cabin behind the 1st class restaurant. We passed Abu Simbel around 4pm and the captain came in very close so people could take photos, many people crowded to do so, not just the four western tourists on board. Later we stopped on the 22 parallel to swap the Egyptian guard for a Sudanese one and around 9pm we reached Wadi Halfa. Before we arrived we were ushered into the 1st class restaurant where the immigration procedure began. Once the officials arrived we had to fill three separate forms of our details and were required to have our temperature taken (we were not sure whether this was normal procedure or a result of the swine flu epidemic). It took about half an hour and we were able to disembark. Customs were very friendly and waved us through without even a cursory glance. Boksi (converted pick-ups) wait outside and charge 5SD to get to town.

In Wadi Halfa we stayed at the Nile Hotel, they charged 7SD for a bed. There is a separate section for females although they will allow foreigners to share a room mixed. Close by are restaurants where you can eat fuul, falafel or meat, prices are from 2-8SD. Bottled water costs 1SD for a small (500/600ml) bottle and 2SD for a 1.5l bottle, soft drinks Pepsi/Stim (something like Appletize) are 1SD. The registration office is on the main road close to the bus stand. It should cost 103SD (Around $40) per person but there is a guy who will help you register and take care of the toing and froing from several offices and will charge $50, worth the extra $10 I thought. YOU ONLY HAVE TO REGISTER ONCE IN SUDAN. Many travellers told us we need to register again in Khartoum, and pay again, but all officials were very explicit in telling us not to. Buses south only leave on Wednesday so dont hang around unless you want to wait a week! We paid 30SD each for a space in a boksi to Abri. A bus ticket to Dongola cost 45SD but they fill up quickly. In any case we wanted to take our time. I think jeeps to Dongola cost 70SD per person.

The ride to Abri took between 5-6 hours and the road is paved most of the way. In Abri there is only one lokanda and they let us camp on their yard for 5SD per person. If you need a room they will most likely want you to pay for four beds in it. There is a friendly restautant near where the boksi leave and they do falafel, fuul and fried fish, from 2-5SD per plate. The market here is quite lively in the mornings. A boksi leaves for Kerma around 9am, but you should get there at 8am, it takes over 6 hours and the road is not so good here. They should stop at least every two hours to get a drink and stretch your legs. In kerma there is only one lokanda and it is not so nice, but OK. We paid 10SD for the room as they would not allow camping but I think 20SD for the room is the norm. All of these lokandas have running water so showering is easy, although in Wadi Halfa you may need to fill a bucket and take it to a cubicle. There is not much food available in Kerma but there is one restaurant opposite the river that does some sort of stew for 3SD a plate. The boksi to Dongola leave in the morning. It is less than 2 hours, paved 90% of the way and costs 10SD each.

In Dongola we stayed at Lord Hotel, I think most foreigners stay here. The manager is helpful but he will try to sell you a room with private bath. We got a room with shared bath for 20SD. Beds are available for men at 7SD. Either side of the hotel are restaurants selling fuul, falafel and delicious fried fish., the fish is 5SD for a plate, the fuul and falafel 2SD each (I think).

You must register with the police in Dongola, this is free and takes two minutes but is quite far out of town so you might want to take a rickshaw, they will take you, wait and bring you back for 4SD. We planned to go to Karima but changed our mind, although if you do go you should ask in the office for a 'permission to cross the river' this is also free and seemingly pointless as you must come from that side from the north anyway! From Dongola there should be regular AC coaches to Khartoum. However they were all full when we went so we paid 30SD to ride in the back of a pick-up. the buses i think cost 30-35SD. The road is sealed all the way and the 440km journey takes under 6 hours.

Everyone knows about the Blue Nile Sailing Club in Khartoum. You can camp for 12SD per person, there are showers and a place to wash your dusty clothes. The small kiosk by the camping area sells water and soda for 1SD each and burgers (with egg) for 5SD. In town there are better, bigger burgers for 4SD. There is a juice stall that opens onto the car park of the BNSC, tasty juices cost 4/5SD (small/large) and the kiosk next door sells drinks and snacks. It is better to buy water here than at the 'camping' kiosk because the camping kiosk sells Crystal water which has a strange sweet aftertaste. All other brands taste normal.

In Khartoum it seems almost the only food available cheaply is burgers, they are everywhere. Normally with an egg on top as well, and sometimes cheese, they cost 4-5SD each. Fuul, fish and falafel are also available, as are shwarma but you have to look for them. At the 'Sea Scout meal' next to Blue Nile sailing club they do excellent BBQ chicken, for around 10SD.

Internet access in Khartoum is fast and cheap, normally 1 or 2SD per hour, the big one near the mosque (Netgate?) is 1SD but they have about 40 PC's of which at least 10 will be guys watching HD porn and slowing things up for the rest of us. A nice place is on Atbara road, or the fastest is Flower Net, part of a florists on the corner near the ethiopian embassy, they charge 2SD.

We visited the Al-Mogran park, entry 3SD, which was OK. The confluence of the two Niles is fairly unspectacular however.

There was a massive dust storm whilst we were there which made things cooler, we even had some rain in Dongola. It was dangerous however and there were many accidents because of it. From the campground you can hear ambulances wailing all night.

The Ethiopian embassy was closed for a week, an important meeting in Kassala apparently, but once it re-opened you cam submit your application in the morning and receive it at 3pm the same day. The cashier did offer to try to fast-track our application but it was so busy after the closure, maybe 200 people there, that it was not possible. There are several women in neighbouring streets selling tea and coffee, the highlight for us through Sudan has been jebbana (the coffee spiced with ginger, cardamom and sometimes cinnamon), they normally cost 0.5SD in the villages, 1SD in khartoum.

We did not visit any of the ancient sites as we had just come through Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt so we were more excited about the villages and life here. I would imagine they are quite hard to visit without your own transport but I have no evidence to back this theory up.

From Khartoum we took a bus to Gedaref, which cost 26SD (36SD for A/C we were on an AC coach but got downgrdaed and issued with a partial refund). If you get to Mira Bary (the main Khartoum long distance coach station) early you can get a bus all the way to the border at Gallabat. We arrived in Gedaref after midnight and were taken to a cheap, but dirty, lokanda, for 15SD for the room. Any rickshaw driver will know where to take you.

To get from Gedaref to Gallabat minibuses leave in the morning and charge 10SD per person. The trip takes around 1.5-2 hours. Once at the border there are three offices on the Sudanese side, the whole immigration process should take around 20 minutes. On the Ethiopian side look for the brand new immigration building. This is still not open so walk behind it, through the small farmyard to the shack where current immigration procedures take place, again, it shouldn't take too long.

Hope this helps. Just be prepared to drink a lot of soft drinks and jebbana and eat a lot of fuul, fried fish and burgers!

Average daily budget - 40SD (without any sightseeing outside of the towns and cities)
(USD$1=2.4SD, GBP1=3.9SD)

Egyptips

2009-06-06T02:33:00.000-07:00

Here are our travel tips for a nice visit to Egypt:

Visa - valid for 30days, issued at Nuweiba port or at airports - USD$15
Taxi between Nuweiba port and Tarabin beach and v.v. - 20LE (after bargaining, in fact everything in Egypt is after bargaining!)
Soft Beach Hotel - 30LE p.p.p.n in beach hut with choice from good breakfast menu
Ave. price of meal at Soft Beach - 25LE
Snorkel gear hire at Soft Beach - 30LE !!!!
Beer - 15LE (this is very expensive!)
Bus from Nuweiba to Dahab - 11LE (2 hours)

Dbl/Trp room at Auski beach camp, Dahab - 40/50LE (Avoid Penguin Camp, they have gone upmarket and their staff are very unfriendly!)
Meal (Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner) at a restaurant/cafe off the beachfront - 5-23LE
Meal at a beachside restaurant - 30-150LE
Beer in a shop/in a bar or restaurant - 6.5LE / 10LE
Bottle of Egyptian wine in a shop - 38LE (the red is OK, apparantly the white is not so good!)
- Many restaurants in Dahab are unlicenced but allow you to bring your own bottles with you, which is good as you pay the shop prices, the restaurant keeps the bottles and returns them, everyones a winner! -
Snorkel gear hire in Dahab - 5LE for mask and snorkel plus 4LE for fins
Internet in Dahab - 5-8LE per hour
Tour to Blue Hole + snorkel gear hire - 20LE + 5LE
Overnight tout to Mt Sinai (inc. bus transfer, guide and entrance fee) - 75LE (90LE with return to Dahab) - leave at 11pm, arrive St Katherine at 1:30am, start trekking around 2am, on top for sunrise. Descend by 9am, visit monastery and leave for Dahab at 10am.

Shared Taxi from St Katherines to junction for Suez - 100LE (2 hours)
Bus from jucntion to Suez - 42LE (expensive!)
Minibuses around Suez and Port Tawfiq - 0.5LE
Room at Arafat Hotel, Suez - 25LE per person.
Macaroni meal on street - 6LE
Coffee and cream cake by the canal - 10LE
Bus from Suez to Cairo - 10LE

Dorm bed at Sultan Hostel, Cairo - 15LE
Cairo Metro ticket - 1LE
Internet in Cairo - 3LE per hour
Bus to Pyramids of Giza from close to Sadat metro station- 0.5LE
Pyramids of Giza entrance ticket - 60LE
Egyptian museum entrance ticket - 60LE (plus 100LE extra for the Mummy Rooms)
Walking around Coptic cairo or Islamic cairo - FREE
Koshari/macaroni/Shwarma/Sandwich - 5LE
Fresh Juice - 2-5LE
Overnight bus to Luxor - 100LE, leaving 9pm from Cairo gateway, 12hours
- Overnight train to Luxor - 160LE 1st class (refuse to sell foreigners 2nd class) from Ramses station -

Dbl room w/fan at Oasis Hotel, Luxor - 30LE (inc. free sunset tea on the roof terrace)
Shwarma near the train station - 4.5LE (but they will ask for 9LE!)
Minibus around town - 1LE
Entrance to Karnak temple - 70LE
Entrance to Luxor temple - 40LE (not sure if worth it, we just looked from outside)

Ferry from East to West bank - 1LE
Taxi around West Bank - 80LE after hard bargaining for a trip to Valley of the Kings, then pick-up at Deir-al-Bahri temple and visit to Seti temple, Ramesseum and Habu temple (Valley of the Queens also possible)
Valley of the KIngs entrance - 80LE (includes 3 tombs, but not Tutankhamun or Ramses 6 they have extra charges, our tip would be Tuthmosis III for one of them)
Entrance to most other sites (Deir-al-Bahri, Ramesseum, Seti, Habu temple etc - 30LE per site
****** - ALL ENTRANCE FEES ARE 1/2 PRICE WITH ISIC CARD - ******

Day entrance to Rezeiky camp (with pool) - 15LE
Train from Luxor to Aswan - 25LE (31LE if bought onboard)

Dbl room w/bathroom and poor breakfast at Yassien Hotel - 40LE
Trip to High Dam, Philae and Abu Simbel - 80LE plus entrance fees, leaving at 3am (We didn't go)
Nice meal w/soft drinks at Panorama on the riverbank - 40LE
Tasty Kofta at Abeer restaurant - 7LE
Internet - 6LE per hour
Shared Taxi to High Dam port - 10LE p.p.

Ave daily budget - 80LE for general travelling plus 60LE for site entrances (USD$1=5.6LE, GBP1=9.2LE)

Ethiopiques

2009-05-30T00:47:00.000-07:00

Before we reached the Ethiopian border with Sudan we could feel the final evidence of the Middle East slipping away, minarets towering over flat-roofed towns and camels wandering the streets petered out, to be replaced with villages of round African mud huts and herds of cattle and goats surrounding waterholes.

We almost got stuck at the Ethiopian border town of Metema, until we convinced a bus driver we did want to go to Shihedi. From there we found a bus to Gonder, a slow going ride as we weaved up and down the various mountain passes. This bus however stopped at a village just 60km before Gonder and everyone was given a refund of the difference. From here we finally managed to persuade a truck driver to let us ride in the back, relaxing on his cargo of rice. By now it was already dark and as we bounced over yet more mountains and lay gazing up to the clear night sky I realised this is the reason why we travel, for moments like those. Suddenly however the truck stopped and cut it lights. We looked towards the road and when the driver put the lights back on they illuminated a line of guys standing across the road, carrying AK-47’s. Thinking they were bandits we lay flat on the rice, wondering what would happen next. Luckily they were just farmers and wanted a lift to the next village. We soon got used to the idea of people carrying guns around everywhere in Ethiopia, like a sign of wealth or something.

For most people in the West the only images they know of Ethiopia are those from Live Aid and other charity events organised by rich rock stars looking for a bit of free publicity, i.e. Bob Geldof and Bono, images of drought and famine. The reality is somewhat different, the highland plateau of Ethiopia is one of the most fertile in Africa and much of the land is taken up by farming. The more arid, desert areas of Ethiopia are very sparsely populated and, in the event of another drought the people would be able to reach more hospitable land easily. In fact the only effects of the aid organisations I have witnessed are severely negative ones, money simply being thrown at the people, removing from them the ambition to work, robbing them of their independence and diluting their culture. Well done lads, but stick to the radio-friendly rock next time.

Talking of music, Ethiopian music is probably some of the best in Africa. The range of styles leads to comparisons with jazz, reggae and even Cambodian pop. Monika and I are huge fans of Mulatu Astatke and I urge you all to get hold of some of his music, in particular 'Ethiopiques Vol. 4'.

Soon the town of Gonder appeared across the valley. We asked a local guy to point us out a hotel and soon we were being followed by a tribe of hangers-on, something you must get used to quickly in Ethiopia, young guys who would rather follow tourists around in the hope of scrounging a few birr rather than get a job. Nevermind. We went out to experience our first tastes of Ethiopian food and drink. Virtually every meal here revolves around injera, a massive, slightly sour, grey pancake which acts as a plate, cutlery and the staple food all at once. On top of this is poured a stew or gravy, usually with chicken or goat meat and always spicy. It may look like a used tea towel but it is delicious, I have had it every day. Ethiopia is also a good place to have a beer, especially if you have just come from Sudan! Draft beer is widely available and although it is only lager it is not so sweet as the English piss, more like a Pilsner. So, by night injera and beer, by day coffee and cream cakes. Being the original home of coffee, and more infamously being occupied by Italy during WWII, it should come as no surprise that coffee is the national morning pick-me-up. It is mostly drunk macchiato, which means an espresso with steamed milk, very tasty and cheap too, a cup with a piece of cake costs less than a dollar even in the shiny plush cafes whilst in the street vendors sell tasty lentil samosas and greasy donuts.

Gonder was the former home of the Emporer Fasilas and his castle overlooks the town today. It’s like a step back in time to wander through these ruins. Also in Gonder is the Debre Birhan Selassie church, with its amazing painted ceilings, the many faces of the messiah look down with the smile of the Mona Lisa, an amazing example of the vibrant, albeit garish Ethiopian version of Christianity . I also saw a chained off car park where aspiring motorists were being taught to ride motorcycles? This might not sound unusual but bear in mind that in most countries in Africa, and indeed Asia, kids as young as 7 or 8 years old generally scoot around town on a moped. What made Ethiopians adhere to road traffic regulations?

In Gonder we loaded up with supplies and headed to the town of Debark in the Simien mountains. From here we undertook a four day trek to the viewpoint of Imet Gogo (3926m asl) and back. At the park office we had to arrange our mandatory ‘scout’ carrying an ancient rifle with which to protect us. He had to point it at two angry dogs but apart from that I think it is a deterrent against the young children ho have learnt to put their hand out and say “Givememoneypenssweets” ad nauseum which means that some demented tourist has already turned these kids into beggars by doing so, simply to make themselves feel good. Our route took us along an escarpment with amazing views over the mountain range as well as through several groups of baboons. There are also many small villages along the way where you can sometimes buy eggs, or perhaps a chicken or goat to skin and roast. At the small campsites there is running water and showers. It is ironic that they have constant running water here and yet in any town or city, including Addis Ababa, running water is often dependent on the electricity. No electricity, no power to pump the water through! Here in the mountains I watched a young girl wash her shoes for about 15 minutes, letting the water drain away.

After walking up to 32km each day we stumbled into Debark tired and aching. After getting a refund for the two packets of rock-hard Dairylea triangles (they cost about $2.50 each!) we spent the evening eating and drinking in the hotel.

Things take time in Ethiopia, the roads are fairly bad and the buses are slow and prone to breakdowns. Where there is a half-decent road there is normally only one, meaning circuits are not really possible and one must be continually backtracking. For these reasons we culled some stops from our original plan, realising we would spend most of the time on buses. We decided not to visit Aksum, 12 hours by bus north of Debark, the home of one of Ethiopia’s ancient civilisations who erected some tall stelae and also the alleged home of the Ark of the Covenant, in the St Mary of Zion cathedral. However, as anyone who views the Ark supposedly bursts into flames, I didn’t think it was worth the risk! Similarly we decided against visiting the walled city of Harar, 10 hours east of Addis Ababa (and back again). Apart from the wall the other highlight is that hyenas come to town at night to scavenge from the bins. Lonely Planet describes Harar as ‘a bit like Zanzibar’. As Harar is a dusty town in a landlocked country I presume this is their idea of a joke! We also planned to visit the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia, but decided against it for different reasons. This is the home of many of the tribes that you would have seen in coffee table books, the National Geographic and ‘Ripley’s Believe It or Not’ such as the lip-plated Mursi, the hair-braded Hamer or the white painted Konso. We could have detoured here enroute to Kenya but decided against it due to the many stories we have heard of how much damage tourism has caused, with tribesmen now demanding several dollars per photo and giving drivers bad directions and then demanding hundreds of dollars to help pull them out of the swamps. They then spend all the money on homebrewed alcohol. Meanwhile the kids pelt visitors with stones if they refuse to give them pens, money or sweets. Unfortunately it is not the first time we have seen the negative effects of uncontrolled tourism, especially alcohol addiction which the government seems to encourage. So in order to protect both us and the tribes we have decided to give it a miss.

So, from the mountains we headed south to Bahir Dar, on the shores of Lake Tana. We found a hotel that looked right over the lake, the perfect place to ease our tired muscles. We took a boat trip across the lake to islands and a peninsular to visit some of the colourful monasteries hidden within. Each one has a variety of the brightly coloured murals, looking more Hindu than Christian, something like a comic book of Bible stories! If only all Christianity was like this, instead of the dour gothic art of European churches. The lake is also home to hundreds of pelicans and hours can be passed sitting on a lakeside restaurant watching them skim the lake like German bombers or just hang out on the rocky islands just offshore.

Ethiopians pride themselves on their history, culture and language and the fact that they were the only African country never to have succumbed to colonisation. In addition they are also proud of their unique calendar and clock. They refer to 6am as 12 o’clock, 7am is 1 o’clock etc. International businesses generally use the universal time but most Ethiopians use this method. When asking the time, or asking when a bus leaves you must also check whether the answer is ‘Ethiopian or foreign time?’ The calendar is also different, based on the Coptic calendar. We are currently in the year 2001 and will be until they celebrate New Year on September 11th. Luckily my passport was stamped 2009!

The influence of China is also apparent in Ethiopia. Groups of Chinese developers are building all the roads and bridges here, including the road from Bahir Dar to Lalibella and on to Dessie. They bring their own foremen and some workers with them. Many Ethiopians aspire to work on a ‘Chinese project’. My question is, what are they getting in return? We know that in Sudan they trade guns and military equipment for oil what is Ethiopia giving them? We know they are not doing it out of the kindness of their hearts!

The rock hewn churches of Lalibela are one the ‘highlights’ of Ethiopia and it is possible to visit them between Bahir Dar and Addis Ababa by taking the scenic route. This means one full day to cover the 160km to Lalibela and two days to cover the 560km on to Addis. The churches have been referred to as ‘Africa’s Petra’ although the only similarity I could see was in the ridiculous entrance fee. The churches have been ‘sheltered’ under some ugly constructions. I first thought we were in the wrong place. There are metal pillars and electric wires everywhere. It must be a Chinese project as no-one else in the world could disregard aesthetics so terribly. The one saving grace was that the St George church, in the shape of a cross, had been left uncovered. The scrappy nearby market drew as much attention from us as the churches. It was nice, but was it worth the three days of bus rides?

The reason I ask is because Ethiopian bus rides are really an experience in themselves. They all leave at 5:30am, or 11:30 their time. I am not sure of the reason why but perhaps in case of breakdown along the way? Just before 5am a crowd gathers outside the gates of the bus station and as soon as the gates open everyone rushes to get a good seat. Once the bags have been loaded on the roofs and the last few seats have been filled the bus sets off. The first hour or so is OK, until people start calling for plastic bags, which each bus supplies in abundance. Soon the sour stench of vomit swirls around the bus. Those that miss the bag will incur the wrath of the conductor as he throws dust from the road over the pile to dry it up. Although the percentage of travelsick-afflicted is lower than, say, India, Laos or Indonesia, there is one factor that makes it worse. No windows are allowed to be opened whilst the bus is in transit. Why? Answers range from ‘to stop ghosts getting in’ to ‘for health’. Whatever the reason it means that by midday the pungent mix of puke and perspiration is preferred to a breath of fresh air. So, not only can no air get in, but no-one can be sick out of the window. Personally I think this is the reason. The drivers are too protective. Once, when I replied indifferently as to whether I would rather my bag went up on top or ‘in the hold’ I was told it is better on top, as inside there are ‘dust particles present’. It wasn’t ‘dirty’, or ‘dusty’, no, there were dust particles present. The journey from Lalibela to Addis Ababa was no different, the first bus died just 60km from Dessie, where we would make our night halt. The driver jumped in a passing truck, one of the conductors in a minibus (supposedly to go for parts) and left one guy to sort out a bus load of angry passengers. After a sleepless night in a hotel in Dessie (it was very clean but there were mice everywhere and they kept running about under the bed!), we were delayed leaving because everyone protested about a price rise. We were worried as we had less than $10 to get to Addis. In the end we relied on the kindness of strangers to get there, and introduced a taxi driver to the wonders of an ATM, newly installed in Addis Ababa! Along the way a vehicle flagged us down. We were leaking from behind. Someone had brought a bag of 25kg of butter and put it in the back. An argument ensued as to who would clear the mess up. Eventually the owner of the - now liquid – butter agreed to do it and the mess was fed to a stray dog!

Addis Ababa is a typical African city, sprawling, crowded and dusty, and prone to ugly development. But they are a good place to get organised, eat some good food and do chores such as visiting the barbers. The central Piazza is quite ugly and full of annoying touts following tourists around. The national museum is a highlight, the home of the oldest early ‘human’ Lucy. There are a couple of nice churches, including the home of the ‘King of Kings’ Haile Selassie, not to be confused with Ethiopias other favourite son, the very much still ‘up and running’ Haile Gabreselassie. Unfortunately we did not visit his tomb as they wanted an entrance fee. Not a large one but I refused to pay. There are donation boxes in every corner of every church, we always leave something, and on every bus ride there is a collection for some church or another, again we always contribute. So why should we have to pay a set fee here? Is it only Christianity that charges admission?

So, from Addis Ababa we will head south to the Kenyan border. Apparently the road is quite good, the best in Ethiopia. Unfortunately the road on the other side is touted as the ‘worst in Africa’ and it is a bone-crunching 17 hours until Isiolo and reunite ourselves with tarmac once again. This road is also infamous for bandits and tribal warfare, however it seems to have calmed down in the past couple of years and we have met many people coming the other way with no problems.

My last observation on Ethiopia is the wholehearted way in which they have embraced President Obama. Everywhere are buses, cafes, restaurants and hotels named in his honour and people walk the streets in Obama t-shirts with ‘Change!’ and ‘Yes We Can’ translated into Amheric. I wonder if this trend will continue in Kenya. Although it is the home of part of Obamas family it has traditionally been a place where it would be more likely to see an ‘Osama’ t-shirt than an Obama one. Now that there are already tours of his grandparents village I wonder if things have changed? We shall see.

Etiopie

2009-05-30T00:40:00.000-07:00

Tak nevim kde zacit Etiopii, vim ze opravdova Afrika pro nas zacala uz cestou jiznim Sudanem, kde se hlineny domky s rovnyma strechama zacaly menit ve slameny chatrcky, okoli se zacalo zelenat. Atmosfera arabskeho sveta s ranni modlitbou z mesit se zmenila v krize a kostely. Vzduch se ochladil a z rozpalenyho Sudanu jsme zacali stoupat do hor severni Etiopie. Hranice vubec nebyl hezkej zazitek, mestecko Metema, prasna cesta lemovana bordely a bary s levnym pivem, I kdyz jsme meli neuveritelnou zizen a o pive jsme basnili poslednich pare mesicu, v Meteme jsme na nej chut nemeli. Ne jenom, ze jsme tam zahadnym zpusobem prisli o 20$ pri vymnene sudanskych liber na etiopske biry, vzdycky si davame pozor a I jsme to prepocitali, bylo tam hodne mladochu a vsichni se toho chteli ucastnit a tak to byl asi hodne dobrej trik. Druha vec, ktera nas taky nepotesila, ze vsechny autobusy v Etiopii odjizdi pred 6 ranni a vetsinou jezdi jen jeden a to bylo kolem obeda. Jeden tam prece byl, I kdyz jel jen do vesnice Shihedi, pak uz jsme se pomalu presouvali, az jsme skoncili 60km pred cilem, coz bylo mesto Gonder, jeste nebylo tak pozde a jeste 2 mistni se opravdu za kazdou cenu chteli dostat do Gonderu ten den. Nakonec nas nabral nakladak s ryzi a na pytlich ryze bylo mnohem pohodlneji nez v autobuse, uz byla tma a tak jsme lezeli nahore a koukali na hvezdy a uzivali chladnyho vetru, najednou jsme zastavili a zasla svetla, zvedli jsme hlavy a kdyz zpatky rosvitil svetla, pres silnici stalo asi 7 chlapku s kalasnikovama, tak jsem si rikala, ze jsme se moc daleko nedostali a byla jsem si jista, ze jsou to banditi, ale chteli jen svezt do dalsi vesnice, na to uz si zvykame, ze kazdej nosi pusku a nebo alespon peknej klacek pres rameno.
V Gonderu zrovna nebyla elektrika, jako vsude minimalne 3 krat tydne, dokonce I v hlavnim meste Addis Ababa se stridaji o elekriku urcite casti mesta. Prvni tyden jsme meli fakt smulu a vsude kam jsme prijeli tam nebyl zrovna proud.
Ale jeste ten vecer jsme stacili pri svickach ochutnat etiopskou klasiku a to INJERA- unikatni slano- nakysla palacinka obrich rozmeru s masovou pikantni omackou ruznych chuti a druhu. Za 14dni jsme jeste nestacili ochutnat vsechny.
Mistni koreni BEBERE je hlavni prisadou a pekelne pali!!

Dalsi specialitou Etiopie je kava, na kazdym rohu maji ohromny espressovace a vsichni popijeji vynikajici macchiato,ale bohuzel kdyz neni elektrika, neni ani kava!!
A mistni pivo je levny a kdyz je vychlazeny je I moc dobry, za 15kc pul litr tocenyho piva, po 3 mesicnim cestovani muslimskymi zememi se ho nemuzeme nabazit.

Etiopie nikdy nebyla kolonizovana, a taky je na to hrda, akorat byla 4 roky okupovana Italama behem 2.svetove valky.

Etiopie ma svuj cas, pri vychodu slunce je 12 a pri zapadu slunce je 12 a tak je troche matouci, kolik vlastne je!!!a rok, ten ma taky jinej, podle jejich kalendare je rok 2001, minuly rok 11.zari slavili millennium!!

Bohuzel jedna z ne tak pozitivnich zprav je, ze hodne lidi zebra a z toho 80% deti, a samozrejme kdyz vidi FARANJI cizince, tak zebraji mnohem dele a vice usilovneji. Etiopie je zvykla dostavat, je tu neuveritelne mnozstvi organizaci, ktere nejakym zpusobem pomahaji, vsichni jezdi v nobl dzipech a maji hodne dobre platy, tak ne uplne vsechny ty penize jsou pro chudou Afriku. Samozrejme je dobre pomahat Africe, ale myslim, ze by se vic melo resit jakym zpusobem pomahat, ne jenom davat. Na to se dobre zvyka!!!
A tak se lidi ptali, dej mi penize, tak reknes ne nedam ti penize, tak mi dej boty, nebo kalhoty, proste mi neco dej a kdyz to ani nefunguje, tak reknou ja jsem student, dej mi penize, ja jsem student!! Ti, co umi lepe anglicky nato jdou troche obklikou a nejdriv zacnou odkud jses a jak se vede a chvili te pronasledujou a pak reknou, tak ja jsem tvuj pruvodce a zaplat mi neco, ze jsem sel s tebou, kdyz odmitnes, taka z pak zacnou ze jsou student. Studium to prej plati na cizince, nam jednou rekl jeden mladoch. Ale musim rict, ze jsme byli pripraveni na horsi, sice to byl tak trochu sok po Sudanu, kde nam o penize nikdo nikdy nerekl, ale vsichni cestovatele, ktere jsme potkali a jeli z Etiopie nas pripravovali na nejhorsi.
Z Gonderu jsme vyrazili do Debarku, kde jsme si zorganizovali vstup a Scouta (chlapek s puskou, ktery je nutnosti vstupu do narodniho parku) a zacali 4 denni trek do Simien Mountains, tahli jsme vsechno na zadech a tak ten prvni den stoupani byl hodne narocnej, taky to bylo 28km do kopce. Kempy po ceste byly na krasnych mistech a s pramenem vody a prirodni sprchou. I kdyz nebylo nasi povinosti naseho Scauta jmenem Delasi krmit, tak nam ho bylo lito, jak byl malinkej a mel jenom jednu deku a v noci lezel venku pri 6 stupnich a k jidlu mel pytlik prazenyho jecmene a kousek chleba. A tak jsme se snim delili o vsechno a ty ostatni scauti mu jenom zavideli. Byl to krasnej trek, vydrapali jsme se na vrchol Imet Gogo 3926m. Po ceste bylo hodne Baboonu ( chlupatejch opic s cervenyma pupkama) a videli jsme divokou kocku, bohuzel jsme nevideli vlka.
Zvladli jsme se presunout za jeden den do Bahir Daru k jezeru Tana, cesta narocna!!odjezd autobusu opet pred 6 ranni a jeden prestup v Gonderu, I kdyz jen 150 km zabralo to cely den. Bahir Dar bylo opravdove misto k odpocinku, ubytovali jsme na brehu jezera a z okna pozorovali pelikany jak pristavaji na hladine jezera. Ztravili jsme tam dele nez jsme planovali, nacerpali novych sil. Ochutnali dalsi varianty Injery a jako desert jsme stridali mango, papaju a avokado. Nejlepsi sezona!!!!
Dalsi brzky presun byl do Lalibely, odjezd byl v 5 rano a 5minut po pate byl autobus k prasknuti plny, cesta byla neuveritelne dlouha a bolestiva, pres hory a doly, serpentiny a bohuzel jen takovej hrubsi sterk, po par hodinach pulka autobusu zvracela a tak to resili tak, ze ty zvratky jen zasypaly sterkem nebo piskem. Jeli jsme minimalne 10 hodin s jednim prestupem, co me celou dobu vrtalo hlavou, proc nekdo po ceste neprodava neco k jidlu???jako v Asii, kdyz autobus zastavi, tak se cela vesnice sebehne a prodava neco na zub, treba muzou uvarit vajicka, nebo vsude maji prazenej jecmen nebo hrach, ale jim to jedno. A nakonec jsme nasli prazenej hrach a to jsme jedli celej den.

Lalibela je znama svymi skalnimi chramy, je tam krasne okoli, a byly to prijemne stravene 2 dny, hlavne diky mistni restauraci, kde jsme objevili vegetarianskou Injeru s ruznymi hromadkami varene palive zeleniny, bohuzel uz jsme takovou nenasli, pani nas I pustila do kuchyne a naucila nas delt Injeru.

Dalsi presun byl opet pred patou ranni, uz jsme z toho vztavani ve 4 rano docela vycerpani a to do Dessie, asi jeden z nejhorsich autobusu, samozrejme byla cesta neuveritelne dlouha, ale za to krasna priroda a tak pri 30km v hodine ma clovek cas vychutnavat krasu okoli. Dalsich 12 hodin jak na horsky draze, omlaceny kolena, ale bohuzel tenhle autobus se rozbil pred cilem a tak jsme museli pokracovat po svych az nas nabral nejaky minibus, nastesti se to stalo jen 30km pred Dessie. Dessie byla jen zastavka na prespani, v 5 rano jsme pokracovali smer Addis Ababa. Po ceste v mistni doprave clovek pozna opravdove etiopiany, ne ze jsou hodne vybusni a radi se hadaji, jsou k sobe navzajem hodne ohleduplni a podeli se o to, co maji. Protoze jsme nepotkali bankomat uz od Egypta, tak nam dochazeli penize akorat pred hlavnim mestem. Ten den se jeste zdrazil autobus o 15 birru a tak tech 30 birru nam cely den chybelo, meli jsme necely 1$ na cely den. Nastesti se s nami lidi podelili a meli jsme penize na jeden chleba a flasku vody. Kdyz jsme prijeli do Addis nase 2 posledni 2birry jsme museli zaplatit chlapkum za sundani batohu, i kdyz se jim to moc nelibilo (normalne se plati 2 birry za batoh) a pak jsme museli najit takovyho taxikare, ktery pochopi, ze nemame penize a ze mu zaplatime, jen kdyz najde fungujici bankomat. A meli jsme stesti!!!i kdyz taxikar nevedel co to bankomat je, tak jsme jeden fungujici potkali po ceste do hotelu Wanza.

Addis Ababa znamena v mistnim jazyce (Amharic) nova kvetina a je to hlavni mesto Etiopie. Navstivili jsme Narodni Muzeum, kde jsou kosterni pozustatky zeny (pojmenovanou Lucy). Etiopie je jednou z nejstarsich osidlenych zemi na svete, zde byly nalezeny fosilie nejstarsiho hominida asi 3a pul milionu let stare. A pak si tu uzivame takovych vymozenosti jako je internet a kazdodenni macchiato, I kdyz velmi pomaly, nevim jestli se mi podari vas potesit fotkami.
Nase plany se trochu zmenili, planovali jsme mnohem vic v Etiopii, ale to by clovek potreboval tak 2mesice, chteli jsme ject na jih do narodniho Parku Omo Valley, navstivit kmen Mursi, ale hodne lidi bylo zklamano z navstevy, I kdyz bych hrozne rada mela nejakou fotku Mursi lidi, tak si asi koupim knizku a necham je tam na pokoji.
Tak budem pokracovat do Keni, z Moyale nas ceka jedna z nejhorsich Africkych cest , 17ti hodinove peklo a jeste tam jsou banditi, tak doufam, ze se nam nic nestane a priste se ozvem z Keni.
Zdarvi monika a allan