So, the last time I wrote in my blog, it was roughly the halfway point of my trip. It's so hard to believe that I will be heading home shortly... really I haven't had the time to think about it much, which is the scary part. I know that this trip is going to be over before I know it! But that being said, I am excited to be home for Christmas and it will be really nice to have some of the luxuries of home- like my own bed and a hot shower in the morning!
The past 10 days have been spent in Kenya and Tanzania... with a lot of animals. I can't tell you how many times in the past week and a half I have thought... "Am I really seeing this right now?" It's been like an episode of National Geographic.
The start of this trip was in Nairobi, which is kind of a big, dirty city. It's not classifed as a "safe" city, so I didn't do too much wandering outside of the hotel, but we did go out as part of the tour here and so I was able to see parts of the city that I wouldn't have otherwise. There are definitely no traffic laws here... at least none that are followed... and so driving around the city has been interesting. One of the main attractions that we visited in Nairobi, and the one that I enjoyed the most, was the Giraffe Center. There are three main types of giraffes in Africa- the Masai, the Reticulated and the Rothschild. The Rothschild Giraffe is endangered, and the Giraffe Center in Nairobi is attempting to breed them and release more into the wild. We were able to get really close to these amazing creatures... feed them, pet their noses, and even give them a kiss. I was able to get some great photos that I'll post as soon as I get home.
Left Nairobi after a couple of days there, and headed into Arusha, Tanzania. Arusha is much more lush and green than I thought it would be, considering the Serengti plains are not too far away. This place defnitely has an interesting mix of lush green and arid plains.
From Arusha, we set out on basically 7 days of game drives. Our first stop was to Lake Manyara National Park, which is the only place in teh world where you will find lions climing trees. The lake itself is huge and there are underground springs that come out of the mountains surrounding the lake and provide this park with the majority of its water. The vast amounts of water here make this place a very lush, green place and it felt like a tropical jungle. Aparently this is why the lions here climb trees... so that they can get a better view of potential prey.
The lake was amazing and supported vast amounts of birds- and a ton of flamingos. Unfortunately a few years ago, someone wanted to get rid of all of the flamingo in the area and introduced an algeae into the lake which killed most of the birds. THey are slowly making a comeback in the area and already their numbers are so vast, it's hard to imagine what it was like before they were chased away.
We saw a ton of zebra, giraffe, elephant and gazelle in the park and we even saw a dikdik... which is a small deer-like animal that is apparently very shy and rare to see. No tree climbing lion, but it's okay... maybe next time!
Next it was off to the Serengeti Plains, and the really amazing part of the trip. For three days and two nights, we were surrounded by all kinds of amazing wildlife. We were there during the annual zebra and wildebeast migration, so we saw literally thousands of them. We also saw a ton of lions, hiyena, jackel, and giraffe. We saw so much in those days, so again I will just stick to the highlights.
The Serengeti plains and the Savanah are more what I pictured Africa to look like- arid, dry, with acacia trees everywhere. It was very picturesque and the perfect backdrop to the wildlife that we saw there. So, here are the highlights....
Like I said there were thousands of zebra there, and not too many places for them to get water. We came acros a watering hole where you could see zebra everywhere around you. You could tell that they were very thirsty, but you could also hear warning calls coming from many of the zebra next to the water. They would get close to the water's edge and look like they were going in for a drink, then they would suddenly dart away, barking a warning. The reason for this became aparent as we got closer to the water and saw a pair of eyes staring back at us, and the back of a massive crocodile about 15 feet from the water's edge where the zebra were trying to take a drink. It was fascinating to watch the few brave zebra who would go in for a drink, just to be driven back as soon as they sensed danger.
We waited there for a while until all of a sudden about 30 zebra came running wildly towards us from a road not too far from the watering hole. Our driver sped away and as we came around the corner of the road where the zebra had come running we saw the reason why they were so frantic. Right next to us on the road stood a young male lion with a baby zebra in its mouth. It was really sad to see, but fascinating at the same time. The lion would throw the zebra up in the air and let it flop down then shake it in its mouth, just to make sure it wasn't still alive. It would then pick it up again and we watched as it repeated this a couple of times and dragged it off into the acacia forest. It was one of those moments... the "holy crap, did that just happen?" moment.
A bit later on that day, we had another crazy encounter with lions. This time, we were out at sunset and came across a pride of lionesses. We followed them around for a while until they found a log where they decided to plop down for a rest and some play-time. It was so cute to see how they interacted. They were very affectionate with one another, and looked just like house cats playing and biting eachother. Pretty soon they were joined by more lions... they looked like they were coming from all directions. Three groups of lions came up and joined them and then they all were on the move. We followed them in our truck towards another watering hole where they decided to stop. We stopped our van there, and before we knew it, we were surrounded by lions. There must have been 15-20 lions- young males, lionesses, and cubs- all around our vehicle. This gave me a whole new appreciation for the cute animals we had just seen playing by the log. They looked so innocent from far away, but when they looked at you, you got this feeling that they just wanted to eat you. It was crazy.
On the next day, our morning game drive took us way out in to the savanah where there aren't many trees. Our guides spotted a whole group of vultures circling in the air in front of us and below it they saw three cheetah in the grass. We followed the cheetah until they crossed the road right in front of us. There was a group of gazelle just across the road, downwind of the cheetah. We watched as one of the cheetah pulled out in front of the other two, eyeing the gazelle. As she got closer, she started crouching down in the grass. I couldn't believe how close she was able to get before one of the gazelle noticed and started alerting the rest. This was the moment that she popped out of the grass and went sprinting after one of them. It was so incredible to watch her speet as she fully stretched out. She didn't make much of an effort, and didn't catch anything, but it was still absolutely amazing to witness. Our guides told us later that they thought it was a female with two cubs and she was teaching them how to hunt. The vultures in they sky probably meant that they had already killed something and were not very hungry, so what we saw was just a hunting lessn for the cubs. We were incredibly lucky to see that, and it's not something that I will forget. It was absolutely amazing.
Those were kind of the big moments of the Serengeti. Other than that, we spotted a leopard up in a tree with two very small baby cubs, we saw a pair of lions mating, and we saw several more cheetah.
After the Serengeti, we moved on to Ngorongoro Crater, which is the largest fully enclosed crater/caldera in the world. Much more wildlife there, including a black rhino with a baby- which meant that I saw the Big 5 again! :) Many more flamingo in the crater, although the same guy who killed the flamingo at Lake Manyara did the same at Ngorongoro so there weren't as many as there were 5 years ago. Still it was amazing to see.
Another great highlight of this trip was that we were able to visit a Masai village, which are the nomadic people of Tanzania. It was fascinating to see how they live- in little mud huts, relying on their herds of cows and goats. We were shown around by the son of the chief (we actually visited the chief's house, but he was sleeping... we saw his feet sticking out of his bed). They did their traditional welcome dance, which was really cool. It was mostly performed by the men, but the women and childredn sang along with them. They are poligamous and woud traditionally travel around following the rains. Now that they are ablet o buy water, they are able to stay in one place for longer periods of time, although they will still move when necessary. Again, I have some cool pics that I will post as soon as I get home.
So, now I've moved on to the last part of my trip. Currently I'm in Egypt, and am really loving it here. I'll write more about Egypt shortly. Hope all is well with you!!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Bungee Jumping, Shark Diving, and Saying Goodbye
So, a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks. I feel like every time I sit down to update my blog the same problem comes up... there's so much that I could write about, I feel like it would take me days to say everything that I want to say. But again, I will just stick to the highlights and save the rest for later.
When I last updated my blog, we have gone to several different places, including the Drakensburg Mountains, which contain the 2nd largest mountain in Africa (2nd to Kilimanjaro). They were absolutely beautiful- lush green valleys with mist-covered mountain peaks. Absolutely gorgeous! We went on a huge 6 hour hike through these mountains, and visited a cave which was used by the first civilizations to settle in the mountains. There were cave paintings that were over 8,000 years old. It was pretty amazing to see something still in tact from that long ago, but the even more amazing thing to me is that our guide told us that the caves were still used for spiritual ceremonies today by the ancestors of those first settlers. That is definitely one thing that I am coming to learn about many of the cultures throughout Africa. It seems like there is a strong connection to the past and ancient customs that have been in practice for thousands of years. I think it's pretty cool, and I consider myself lucky to be learning about it from the people who live it.
From the Drakensburgs, we went through Addo Elephant Park where we saw TONS of elephants- big and small, male and female... I got some great photos that I'll download when I get home (I've given up trying on these computers!). Once outside of Addo , we headed towards to coast to a place called Tsitsikama National Park. We were really fortunate to make it there, as they had been experiencing heavy flooding which had shut down many of the roads in and out of the park. But, we lucked out and made it there. The campsite was right on the beach, which was awesome!
Just outside of Tsitsikama is a gigantic gorge with a bridge from one side to the other... this is home to the largest bungee jump in the world (216 meters) AND where I did my first bungee jump ever! (although I don't think it ill be my last!) I was surprised that there were only two other people who wanted to do the jump- Johan and Ben. I was glad though, because they are two of my closest friends on the trip, so it was really cool to have them there.
I really didn't think that I would have the guts to do the jump myself- I thought that the staff would have to give me a little nudge, but I surprised myself and when it came time to take the plunge, I didn't hesitate at all. The feeling of my feet leaving the platform is one that I will never forget as long as I live. The adrenaline rush was definitely on par with sky diving... even a bit scarier because it was just me- I didn't have the comfort of being strapped to someone who knew what they were doing. The freefall only lasted about 5 seconds, but according to our bungee guides we reached a speed of 12o mph! Pretty crazy. After the initial fall, the rest of the experience was so peaceful... just hanging mid-air in the most beautiful gorge, facing the ocean. It was truly amazing.
We all made it safely through the bungee experience, and were on the road again before we knew it. We headed through the wine country of South Africa, which was again SOOO beautiful, and were in Cape Town within a few days. On our first day in Cape Town, we climbed Table Mountain, which was an experience. Apparently we there is more than one trail to get to the top, and we took the most difficult route... there were points at which we were basically clinging to the sides of rocks, just trying to find any way up the mountain that we could. It was difficult, but a lot of fun, and the views from the top were totally worth it.
The second day in Cape Town wasn't really spent in Cape Town, it was spent with Great Whites! Four of us from the group wanted to go shark diving, so we hired a guide to take us out to "Shark Alley." The guide picked us up early in the morning and drove us from Cape Town out onto the peninsula, where we were dropped off at Ultimate Shark Diving, a company along the coast in Shark Alley. There, we had a bit of breakfast and went through a briefing on what to do when we got out to the sharks. After a 30 minute boat ride, we were in prime Great White territory. Our guides baited the water with fish blood to attract the sharks. Within about 10 minutes of the bait being in the water, we caught our first glimpse of a Great White. It was a fairly small one, but it came right up to the boat and we all got a good look before it was off again into the deep.
Shortly after that, the first group of divers were fitted with a wetsuit and were in the water. There were about 3 or 4 sharks that came swimming up, and we all got a good look at them from the boat. Then it was our turn to get in the water. We waited for what seemed like forever in the freezing cold water before we saw our first shark. There were a couple that swam fairly close, but the visibility wasn't great under the water, so we didn't get a good view. But we didn't have to wait long. Another shark came swimming up about 10 minutes later and took the bait right in front of our faces. It was huge and swam right past my head. I was amazed by how quickly it came and went. I didn't see it for long, but it was enough to make me realize what powerful and graceful creatures they are. The next shark that came along also got right up to our cage, although this time it grabbed the bait and the cage that we were in along with it. It grabbed the cage not 3 feet from me and came right out of the water. It shook the cage quite a bit, which was pretty scary, but it was over about as quickly as it began. It was an awesome thing to see an experience- again one of those things that will stick in my memory forever.
After a few more sharks came and went, we hauled our boat back into shore and headed back to Cape Town. We said our goodbyes, as our tour was over. It was a lot more difficult to say goodbye than I thought it would be. I have made some great friends on this trip. It's funny how much you get to know about someone when you spend every waking minute with them for 25 days!
My flight took off the next morning, and I am now writing to you from Nairobi, Kenya where I will be leaving for a safari in the Serengeti tomorrow. I am excited for my next adventure, and will keep you all posted.
I hope that you all are enjoying the holidays! Take care!
PS- I was sitting in a cafe in Cape Town and they were playing CNN. A story came on about how much snow Snoqualmie Pass is getting- I couldn't believe it! I was sitting in Cape Town seeing a story about home! I got really excited, and it made me excited about the ski season! Save some powder for me!!
When I last updated my blog, we have gone to several different places, including the Drakensburg Mountains, which contain the 2nd largest mountain in Africa (2nd to Kilimanjaro). They were absolutely beautiful- lush green valleys with mist-covered mountain peaks. Absolutely gorgeous! We went on a huge 6 hour hike through these mountains, and visited a cave which was used by the first civilizations to settle in the mountains. There were cave paintings that were over 8,000 years old. It was pretty amazing to see something still in tact from that long ago, but the even more amazing thing to me is that our guide told us that the caves were still used for spiritual ceremonies today by the ancestors of those first settlers. That is definitely one thing that I am coming to learn about many of the cultures throughout Africa. It seems like there is a strong connection to the past and ancient customs that have been in practice for thousands of years. I think it's pretty cool, and I consider myself lucky to be learning about it from the people who live it.
From the Drakensburgs, we went through Addo Elephant Park where we saw TONS of elephants- big and small, male and female... I got some great photos that I'll download when I get home (I've given up trying on these computers!). Once outside of Addo , we headed towards to coast to a place called Tsitsikama National Park. We were really fortunate to make it there, as they had been experiencing heavy flooding which had shut down many of the roads in and out of the park. But, we lucked out and made it there. The campsite was right on the beach, which was awesome!
Just outside of Tsitsikama is a gigantic gorge with a bridge from one side to the other... this is home to the largest bungee jump in the world (216 meters) AND where I did my first bungee jump ever! (although I don't think it ill be my last!) I was surprised that there were only two other people who wanted to do the jump- Johan and Ben. I was glad though, because they are two of my closest friends on the trip, so it was really cool to have them there.
I really didn't think that I would have the guts to do the jump myself- I thought that the staff would have to give me a little nudge, but I surprised myself and when it came time to take the plunge, I didn't hesitate at all. The feeling of my feet leaving the platform is one that I will never forget as long as I live. The adrenaline rush was definitely on par with sky diving... even a bit scarier because it was just me- I didn't have the comfort of being strapped to someone who knew what they were doing. The freefall only lasted about 5 seconds, but according to our bungee guides we reached a speed of 12o mph! Pretty crazy. After the initial fall, the rest of the experience was so peaceful... just hanging mid-air in the most beautiful gorge, facing the ocean. It was truly amazing.
We all made it safely through the bungee experience, and were on the road again before we knew it. We headed through the wine country of South Africa, which was again SOOO beautiful, and were in Cape Town within a few days. On our first day in Cape Town, we climbed Table Mountain, which was an experience. Apparently we there is more than one trail to get to the top, and we took the most difficult route... there were points at which we were basically clinging to the sides of rocks, just trying to find any way up the mountain that we could. It was difficult, but a lot of fun, and the views from the top were totally worth it.
The second day in Cape Town wasn't really spent in Cape Town, it was spent with Great Whites! Four of us from the group wanted to go shark diving, so we hired a guide to take us out to "Shark Alley." The guide picked us up early in the morning and drove us from Cape Town out onto the peninsula, where we were dropped off at Ultimate Shark Diving, a company along the coast in Shark Alley. There, we had a bit of breakfast and went through a briefing on what to do when we got out to the sharks. After a 30 minute boat ride, we were in prime Great White territory. Our guides baited the water with fish blood to attract the sharks. Within about 10 minutes of the bait being in the water, we caught our first glimpse of a Great White. It was a fairly small one, but it came right up to the boat and we all got a good look before it was off again into the deep.
Shortly after that, the first group of divers were fitted with a wetsuit and were in the water. There were about 3 or 4 sharks that came swimming up, and we all got a good look at them from the boat. Then it was our turn to get in the water. We waited for what seemed like forever in the freezing cold water before we saw our first shark. There were a couple that swam fairly close, but the visibility wasn't great under the water, so we didn't get a good view. But we didn't have to wait long. Another shark came swimming up about 10 minutes later and took the bait right in front of our faces. It was huge and swam right past my head. I was amazed by how quickly it came and went. I didn't see it for long, but it was enough to make me realize what powerful and graceful creatures they are. The next shark that came along also got right up to our cage, although this time it grabbed the bait and the cage that we were in along with it. It grabbed the cage not 3 feet from me and came right out of the water. It shook the cage quite a bit, which was pretty scary, but it was over about as quickly as it began. It was an awesome thing to see an experience- again one of those things that will stick in my memory forever.
After a few more sharks came and went, we hauled our boat back into shore and headed back to Cape Town. We said our goodbyes, as our tour was over. It was a lot more difficult to say goodbye than I thought it would be. I have made some great friends on this trip. It's funny how much you get to know about someone when you spend every waking minute with them for 25 days!
My flight took off the next morning, and I am now writing to you from Nairobi, Kenya where I will be leaving for a safari in the Serengeti tomorrow. I am excited for my next adventure, and will keep you all posted.
I hope that you all are enjoying the holidays! Take care!
PS- I was sitting in a cafe in Cape Town and they were playing CNN. A story came on about how much snow Snoqualmie Pass is getting- I couldn't believe it! I was sitting in Cape Town seeing a story about home! I got really excited, and it made me excited about the ski season! Save some powder for me!!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Pictures...
This is the picture of the leopard that we saw eating the impala up in the tree- pretty cool hey? :)
Kruger, the Big 5, and the Beach!
Okay, it's been a long time since I've posted anything... the internet connection here is very sketchy- if available at all- so it's been a bit difficult to update my blog.
Since Johannesburg, we have been incredibly busy... I feel like I could write a novel about all the experiences we have had so far, but I will try to keep this one short!
From Jo'burg, we all hopped on the truck (a place that I have come to know well since we have been averaging over 200 km per day in travel time!) and headed out to Kruger National Park in the Southeast part of South Africa. It is a huge game park- roughly the size of Nigeria. We were incredibly lucky there, and were able to spot all of the "Big 5" animals- Lion, Leopard, Water Buffalo, Black Rhino, and Elephant. In addition to these animals, we saw tons of others... giraffe, white rhino, impala, kudu, zebra... and tons more. It was awesome!
Probably the coolest thing that we saw in the park was the leopard. We were amazingly lucky to spot on up in a tree. It had killed an impala and dragged it up into a tree. We actually were able to see it up in the tree, eating its dinner. It couldn't have been more than 10 feet away. The tree was directly on the roadside. There were also two hiyena waiting at the base of the tree for scraps to fall. I felt like I was in a National Geographic special... it was so crazy!
I've been really surprised at how close we are able to get to the animals when we're in the trucks. According to our guides, this is because the animal's can't see us- they can smell and hear us, but as long as they only see the truck, they don't consider us a threat. Quite a different experience from our walk through the park. We happened on to several animals- giraffe, zebra, wildabeast- on a walk that we did through the park, but the animals definitely kept their distance. They could see us well before we could see them which is probably why our guides both carried big elephant guns... just in case we should see some hungry lions who wanted to make us their breakfast.
In any case, Kruger was an amazing experience and definitely made me feel like I was in Africa! :)
From Kruger, we crossed the border in to Mozambique. Mozambique is a country that is still trying to get on its feet. It has been through over 30 years of war. They War of Independence (independence from Portugal) was fought from 1960-1975, then Civil War broke out and was fought from 1975-1992. The affects of these wars have taken their toll on the country, and the majority of buildings in the country are in uninhabitable. Instead, there are little huts, made from sticks and grass (the nice ones have metal siding for roofs) that are erected next to the decaying buildings. The result is the look of poverty in a way that I have never seen before. It's hard to describe in words, and it's very hard to see in person.
War has taken its toll in other ways too. It's estimated that there are over 1 million unexpolded land mines still in the country. The result is that there aren't many grazing animals, as they cannot wanter from the road too far or else they risk stepping on a land mine. People run in to this same problem and there are many people in Mozambique who are missing limbs as a result. The water isn't drinkable in Mozambique, as the Portuguese government essentially got pissed when Mozambique won its independence, and poured cement into virtually all of the sewage systems in the country. Therefore, it's rare that you find a toilet that flushes and most people "do their business" behind bushes and trees. This contaminates their drinking water whenever it rains, and causes cholera, which can be life threatening for people who aren't treated.
There are many other problems and issues that face this country... like I said, I could write a novel... but these are some of the big ones. Despite all this, however, it was an amazing country to visit. It is so beautiful, and the people seem peaceful, warm, and welcoming. I think that they are feeling the benefits of a country at peace for the first time in over 30 years and it makes for a relaxing, and pleasent atmosphere. I definitely feel safer in Mozambique than I do in South Africa.
So, in Mozambique we went to the beach. It was one of the most beautiful, pristine beaches I have ever been to. Turquoise water, white sand, friendly locals and no tourists! It was amazing. I kept having to pinch myself, because I didn't think that places like this still existed in the world. Definitely a place that I would like to visit again.
At this beach, we went on an "ocean safari" looking for whale sharks. They are the largest fish in the world and can reach lenths of 50 feet long. They are actually a shark, but they feed on krill and small fish. After riding on a boat for about 30 minutes, looking for these sharks, we finally spotted one. Then we threw on our snorkel gear and hopped in to the water, practically on top of this massive shark. There were about 10 of us on the boat and I ended up being the only one who could keep up with the shark so for the majority of the time (about 20 minutes or so) it was just me, swimming next to this gigantic whale shark. At one point I actually got up the nerve to swim up to its head, and it turned around to look at me... the whole time I was thinking "oh crap, please don't get any closer!" It was one of the scariest experiences of my life, and definitely ranked up there as one of the coolest things I have ever done.
So, those are pretty much the highlights of the trip so far... again, I could write a novel, but I'm sure you're sick of reading this by now, so I'll wait until I have some more cool adventures to write about!
Hope all is well!
Since Johannesburg, we have been incredibly busy... I feel like I could write a novel about all the experiences we have had so far, but I will try to keep this one short!
From Jo'burg, we all hopped on the truck (a place that I have come to know well since we have been averaging over 200 km per day in travel time!) and headed out to Kruger National Park in the Southeast part of South Africa. It is a huge game park- roughly the size of Nigeria. We were incredibly lucky there, and were able to spot all of the "Big 5" animals- Lion, Leopard, Water Buffalo, Black Rhino, and Elephant. In addition to these animals, we saw tons of others... giraffe, white rhino, impala, kudu, zebra... and tons more. It was awesome!
Probably the coolest thing that we saw in the park was the leopard. We were amazingly lucky to spot on up in a tree. It had killed an impala and dragged it up into a tree. We actually were able to see it up in the tree, eating its dinner. It couldn't have been more than 10 feet away. The tree was directly on the roadside. There were also two hiyena waiting at the base of the tree for scraps to fall. I felt like I was in a National Geographic special... it was so crazy!
I've been really surprised at how close we are able to get to the animals when we're in the trucks. According to our guides, this is because the animal's can't see us- they can smell and hear us, but as long as they only see the truck, they don't consider us a threat. Quite a different experience from our walk through the park. We happened on to several animals- giraffe, zebra, wildabeast- on a walk that we did through the park, but the animals definitely kept their distance. They could see us well before we could see them which is probably why our guides both carried big elephant guns... just in case we should see some hungry lions who wanted to make us their breakfast.
In any case, Kruger was an amazing experience and definitely made me feel like I was in Africa! :)
From Kruger, we crossed the border in to Mozambique. Mozambique is a country that is still trying to get on its feet. It has been through over 30 years of war. They War of Independence (independence from Portugal) was fought from 1960-1975, then Civil War broke out and was fought from 1975-1992. The affects of these wars have taken their toll on the country, and the majority of buildings in the country are in uninhabitable. Instead, there are little huts, made from sticks and grass (the nice ones have metal siding for roofs) that are erected next to the decaying buildings. The result is the look of poverty in a way that I have never seen before. It's hard to describe in words, and it's very hard to see in person.
War has taken its toll in other ways too. It's estimated that there are over 1 million unexpolded land mines still in the country. The result is that there aren't many grazing animals, as they cannot wanter from the road too far or else they risk stepping on a land mine. People run in to this same problem and there are many people in Mozambique who are missing limbs as a result. The water isn't drinkable in Mozambique, as the Portuguese government essentially got pissed when Mozambique won its independence, and poured cement into virtually all of the sewage systems in the country. Therefore, it's rare that you find a toilet that flushes and most people "do their business" behind bushes and trees. This contaminates their drinking water whenever it rains, and causes cholera, which can be life threatening for people who aren't treated.
There are many other problems and issues that face this country... like I said, I could write a novel... but these are some of the big ones. Despite all this, however, it was an amazing country to visit. It is so beautiful, and the people seem peaceful, warm, and welcoming. I think that they are feeling the benefits of a country at peace for the first time in over 30 years and it makes for a relaxing, and pleasent atmosphere. I definitely feel safer in Mozambique than I do in South Africa.
So, in Mozambique we went to the beach. It was one of the most beautiful, pristine beaches I have ever been to. Turquoise water, white sand, friendly locals and no tourists! It was amazing. I kept having to pinch myself, because I didn't think that places like this still existed in the world. Definitely a place that I would like to visit again.
At this beach, we went on an "ocean safari" looking for whale sharks. They are the largest fish in the world and can reach lenths of 50 feet long. They are actually a shark, but they feed on krill and small fish. After riding on a boat for about 30 minutes, looking for these sharks, we finally spotted one. Then we threw on our snorkel gear and hopped in to the water, practically on top of this massive shark. There were about 10 of us on the boat and I ended up being the only one who could keep up with the shark so for the majority of the time (about 20 minutes or so) it was just me, swimming next to this gigantic whale shark. At one point I actually got up the nerve to swim up to its head, and it turned around to look at me... the whole time I was thinking "oh crap, please don't get any closer!" It was one of the scariest experiences of my life, and definitely ranked up there as one of the coolest things I have ever done.
So, those are pretty much the highlights of the trip so far... again, I could write a novel, but I'm sure you're sick of reading this by now, so I'll wait until I have some more cool adventures to write about!
Hope all is well!
Monday, November 5, 2007
I'm Here!
After months of planning, and over 24 hours of travel time, I finally arrived in Johannesburg last night! :)
The airplane rides were pretty heinous- it was a LONG time to sit- but I made it through! One really amazing thing did happen on the flight from Paris to Johannesburg... we flew directly next to a huge lightning storm for about 30 minutes. It was so surreal. It felt like we could just reach out and touch the clouds... and the lightning was going off constantly. There were a couple of times where I thought it was going to hit the airplane, but it never did. I really cannot describe the enormity of this storm... it must have been at least 100 miles radius. It was just amazing to see the clouds lit from within, and to see the forks of lightning shooting across them. There was even lighting forks that shot up from the top of the clouds... it was so cool!
I haven't seen a whole lot of the city yet, mostly just my hotel and the surrounding shops, so I don't have a whole lot to write about. I'm sure there will be more interesting things to report in the upcoming days. I have just been trying to soak it all in.
I was really surprised by how nice the airport is (at least the wing of the airport that we landed in). Everything looked like it was brand new, and meticulously cared for... the floors were polished marble and there was fresh paint on all the walls... I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but I definitely wasn't expecting the airport to be so nice.
Also, I'm definitely still used to being in the minority as far as race goes. There are a lot of Europeans in the hotel that I'm staying at, but outside the hotel, I have been pretty much the only white person- at least the only white person without a car! That's something that I'm sure I'll get used to pretty quickly, but for now it's a bit of an adjustment.
Well, that's about it for now! Sorry for not posting any pictures... I'll try to get some on the next post! :)
The airplane rides were pretty heinous- it was a LONG time to sit- but I made it through! One really amazing thing did happen on the flight from Paris to Johannesburg... we flew directly next to a huge lightning storm for about 30 minutes. It was so surreal. It felt like we could just reach out and touch the clouds... and the lightning was going off constantly. There were a couple of times where I thought it was going to hit the airplane, but it never did. I really cannot describe the enormity of this storm... it must have been at least 100 miles radius. It was just amazing to see the clouds lit from within, and to see the forks of lightning shooting across them. There was even lighting forks that shot up from the top of the clouds... it was so cool!
I haven't seen a whole lot of the city yet, mostly just my hotel and the surrounding shops, so I don't have a whole lot to write about. I'm sure there will be more interesting things to report in the upcoming days. I have just been trying to soak it all in.
I was really surprised by how nice the airport is (at least the wing of the airport that we landed in). Everything looked like it was brand new, and meticulously cared for... the floors were polished marble and there was fresh paint on all the walls... I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but I definitely wasn't expecting the airport to be so nice.
Also, I'm definitely still used to being in the minority as far as race goes. There are a lot of Europeans in the hotel that I'm staying at, but outside the hotel, I have been pretty much the only white person- at least the only white person without a car! That's something that I'm sure I'll get used to pretty quickly, but for now it's a bit of an adjustment.
Well, that's about it for now! Sorry for not posting any pictures... I'll try to get some on the next post! :)
Saturday, October 13, 2007
The Plan...
Okay... so here's the plan.
I'm taking off for a couple of months to travel around Africa. Now, the first reaction when I tell people this is usually, "are you doing some kind of humanitarian work?" and the answer is... no. At least not on this trip.
The next question is usually "why Africa?" There are a lot of answers to this question, but there are a couple that stick out in my mind as the main reasons.
The first reason is that it has been a dream of mine to visit South Africa for a while... and I figure, why travel half way across the world if you're not going to stay and check out the scenery. So, I'm visiting a few more countries while I'm in the neighborhood.
The second reason gets more at the heart of the trip. The longer I'm here on earth, the more I realize that there's a whole lot more to life, and life on earth, than what's in my "bubble." We live in a time where there is so much at our fingertips... so many possibilities to experience life in ways that seemed impossible not long ago. I don't want to look back on life and regret not taking advantage of the opportunities that I have. I also don't want to look back on life and regret not following my instincts, and right now, my instincts are telling me to go to Africa.
I guess what the whole trip boils down to is this- Life is short. Good things won't always let you wait. Sometimes you just have to cannonball into the deep end, and trust that everything will work out for the best.
So, where am I going on this trip? Well, I'm starting out in South Africa and Mozambique. I will be there for 25 days, mostly camping but sometimes staying in hotels and hostels. Some of the trip highlights include: Blyde River Canyon -with the biggest bungee jump in the world :) - God's Window, Kruger National Park, Milwane Game Reserve, Swaziland and Zululand, Drakensberg Mountains, Addo Elephant Park, Umfolozi Cango Caves, Wine Tasting, Beaches, and tons more. Here is a map of this trip...
Next on the list is Kenya and Tanzania. I'll be there for 9 days, mostly being outside and experiencing the Serengeti wildlife. However, there is a chance that we will also be able to meet some of the local tribes in the area... something that I am praying will happen. I guess it just depends on if we run in to them (my understanding is that many of them are nomadic), and if they are willing to talk to us. We'll see...
The map of this trip is below...
The final stop on this trip will be Egypt, where I'm meeting up with one of my best friends, Brittany and her brother Jason. Some of the highlights of this trip are: The Valley of Kings, the Pyramids, sailing on a Felucca down the Nile, Alexandria, Luxor, and Mt. Sinai where we can climb Moses Mountain.
Here's the map of this trip...
So, I almost have all the visas that I need, I've bought new equipment for camping, I've been reading every book on Africa that I can get my hands on... now all that's left to do is take a deep breath and go for it.
Wish me luck!
I'm taking off for a couple of months to travel around Africa. Now, the first reaction when I tell people this is usually, "are you doing some kind of humanitarian work?" and the answer is... no. At least not on this trip.
The next question is usually "why Africa?" There are a lot of answers to this question, but there are a couple that stick out in my mind as the main reasons.
The first reason is that it has been a dream of mine to visit South Africa for a while... and I figure, why travel half way across the world if you're not going to stay and check out the scenery. So, I'm visiting a few more countries while I'm in the neighborhood.
The second reason gets more at the heart of the trip. The longer I'm here on earth, the more I realize that there's a whole lot more to life, and life on earth, than what's in my "bubble." We live in a time where there is so much at our fingertips... so many possibilities to experience life in ways that seemed impossible not long ago. I don't want to look back on life and regret not taking advantage of the opportunities that I have. I also don't want to look back on life and regret not following my instincts, and right now, my instincts are telling me to go to Africa.
I guess what the whole trip boils down to is this- Life is short. Good things won't always let you wait. Sometimes you just have to cannonball into the deep end, and trust that everything will work out for the best.
So, where am I going on this trip? Well, I'm starting out in South Africa and Mozambique. I will be there for 25 days, mostly camping but sometimes staying in hotels and hostels. Some of the trip highlights include: Blyde River Canyon -with the biggest bungee jump in the world :) - God's Window, Kruger National Park, Milwane Game Reserve, Swaziland and Zululand, Drakensberg Mountains, Addo Elephant Park, Umfolozi Cango Caves, Wine Tasting, Beaches, and tons more. Here is a map of this trip...
Next on the list is Kenya and Tanzania. I'll be there for 9 days, mostly being outside and experiencing the Serengeti wildlife. However, there is a chance that we will also be able to meet some of the local tribes in the area... something that I am praying will happen. I guess it just depends on if we run in to them (my understanding is that many of them are nomadic), and if they are willing to talk to us. We'll see...The map of this trip is below...
The final stop on this trip will be Egypt, where I'm meeting up with one of my best friends, Brittany and her brother Jason. Some of the highlights of this trip are: The Valley of Kings, the Pyramids, sailing on a Felucca down the Nile, Alexandria, Luxor, and Mt. Sinai where we can climb Moses Mountain.
Here's the map of this trip...
So, I almost have all the visas that I need, I've bought new equipment for camping, I've been reading every book on Africa that I can get my hands on... now all that's left to do is take a deep breath and go for it.
Wish me luck!
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