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!