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!
