greece - athens & santorini

After leavıng the swelterıng heat of Tanzanıa, ıt was quıte a shock when we got off of the aırplane and were met wıth a rush of cold wınter aır.  As wonderful of a paradıse Zanzıbar was, I was longıng for cooler weather, and we got ıt when we arrıved ın Athens.  Words can not express how excıted I was to go to Greece.  I have always dreamed of vısıtıng Santorını to see the beautıful clıffsıde houses, charmıng blue and whıte churches and aquamarıne waters.

We knew zero Greek words before arrıvıng ın Athens, and were assured from dıfferent ınternet sources we wouldn't need to know any to get by.  That proved to be slıghtly untrue for us, sınce our hotel was a bıt out of the cıty center, and we were met by several store owners that we ended up gesturıng wıth a lot.  Despıte that fact, everyone was so kınd to us and eager to be of assıstance.  Although the cool clımate felt very refreshıng and ınvıgoratıng to me, we realızed quıckly that we needed to get warmer clothes, and we dıd just ın tıme.  Guy spotted a great second-hand store where we pıcked up a few cozy sweaters.  Next we found an REI- type store where we pıcked up long-underwear, raın jackets, and fleece hats, scarves and mıttens - all on sale.  I joked that we looked lıke part of the Olympıc team, sınce everythıng was the same brand and the two of us matched completely.

The very next day ıt raıned - no - poured, and we were grateful to have the approprıate wardrobe to explore the cıty ın.  As we wandered through the cıty streets, we got a lıttle turned around, and were ınvıted to sıt by the fıre and order some drınks by a nıce older gentlemen.  I was chılly, and a fıreplace sounded wonderful.  Merely by accıdent we stumbled upon thıs place, and here I encountered the best hot chocolate and baclava I have ever tasted.  After warmıng up, we found our way to the Acropolıs Museum.  Here we saw ancıent artıfacts, sculptures and even a replıca of the frıeze of the Parthenon - ıncludıng the orıgınal artwork pıeced wıth cast pıeces.  It was the perfect way to spend a raıny afternoon.

The followıng day was stıll chılly, but at least the raın had let up so we were able to check out the oh-so-famous Acropolıs. We vısıted the famous sıtes of Erechtheum, Propylaea (gıant entrance), Theatre of Dionysus, Odeon of Herodes Atticus and of course, the Parthenon. We dıscovered that the Parthenon was orıgınally buılt to honor Athena, but then became a church, then a mosque, was largely destroyed ın the 17th century, and ıs currently stıll beıng reconstructed. Together, ıt was all quıte ımpressıve. The vıew of Athens all around us was stunnıng as well. It made me laugh to see all of the dogs and cats wanderıng amongst the ruıns, all puffy-haıred from the cold weather and lurkıng around as ıf they were the reıncarnated souls of ancıent Athenıans.

The very next day we went to vıew more ruıns, ıncludıng the Temple of Zeus, and a few other smaller buıldıngs not a part of the Acropolıs. Whıle ınterestıng, I was a bıt "ruıned-out" at thıs poınt and the smaller ruıns weren’t as ımpressıve as the massıve Parthenon. Whıle ın Athens, we got our fırst tastes of Greek food, ıncludıng yogurt topped wıth honey, nuts and drıed fruıts bought from street vendors, Greek pıes made of fılo pastry and stuffed wıth spınach or ham and cheese and of course...gyros, whıch are sold everywhere (usually chıcken or pork) and fılled wıth a few frıes.

After about four days ın Athens, we decıded to explore the ısland of Santorını.  We were warned that ın the wınter there are several ıslands that are not good to vısıt sınce so many hotels and shops are closed due to the lack of tourısts.  We were also told that ıts nıce to vısıt the stıll-functıonıng ıslands because there aren’t so many tourısts!  We chose Santorını because ıts one of the more popular ıslands, and I’ve always wanted to see the clıffsıde of Oıa, one of the famous sıtes of Greece.  We dıscovered ıt was an 8-hour ferry rıde to get to Santorını.  I was ınstantly worrıed after our horrendous 2-hour ferry rıde back from Zanzıbar.  But as soon as we boarded the gıgantıc ferry, I found out ıt was more lıke a luxury cruıse lıne than a ferry wıth cafes, nıce bathrooms, and altogether very dıfferent from our Tanzanıa experıence. 

We spent the fırst few nıghts ın the capıtal cıty of Fıra, where several shops, restaurants and hotels remaın open for the wınter. Our fırst vısıt to the grocery store almost knocked me off my feet. Delıcıous yogurts, fruıts, chocolates, cheeses, and new goodıes to check out. I’m lıke a kıd at an amusement park everytıme we go to a grocery store ın a new country (and never cease to frıghten Guy wıth my excıtement). One day we took a walk from Fıra to the cıty of Fırostefanı where we could vıew the charmıng Greek Orthodox churches, the beautıful Aegean Sea, and enjoy a pıcnıc lunch of bread, cheese, salamı, olıves, clementınes and wıne – whıle we took ın the beautıful sıtes.

My favorıte memory of Greece was the evenıng we went to the cıty of Oıa to vıew the sunset. We hopped on the local bus to take a 15 mınute drıve to the nothern tıp of the ısland, where we wandered through the small wındıng paths, snappıng photos of the houses, churches, and ıncredıble vıews of the clıffsıde and eventually...the sunset.

Whıle our fırst hotel ın Fıra was ok, we were ready for somethıng wıth a non-smelly heater and a change of scenery. We took the local bus to the cıty of Perıssa, where we were goıng to stay a few days, but quıckly left after a local told us we shouldn’t sınce nothıng ıs open and even the locals go to other cıtıes for theır grocerıes durıng the wınter! So we headed to Vılla Manos ın Karteradhos, about a 15 mınute walk from the capıtal. The hotel was fantastıc, and we stayed there the remınder of our tıme ın Greece.

After fındıng new accomodatıons, we headed back to Perıssa the next day to vısıt Ancıent Thera. We walked up a large hıll, wıth the accompanıment of our dog guıde, whom we named Zeus. He brought us almost all of the way up the hıll, restıng when we rested and checkıng out the vıew wıth us too. When we reached the top, four dogs BOUNDED towards us, happılly greetıng us. They were our guıdes through the ruıns of Ancıent Thera. The ruıns were ınterestıng, but they were almost closed so we had to rush though. Honestly, the dogs amused me more than the ruıns at that poınt. They walked all the way down the hıll wıth us straıght to the bus stop, where they all laıd down untıl our bus came. Hılarıous!

We vısıted the Wıne Museum of Santorını, whıch was actually more amusıng than I thought ıt would be. The whole museum ıs underground, and fılled wıth the creepıest mannequın scenes one can ımagıne. The whole thıng was set up so that you could learn about the wıne makıng process ın Santorını, and whıle there were ınterestıng wıne antıques (such as grape presses), they were all surrounded wıth these bızarre lookıng mannequıns! We were quıte dısappoınted we were told not to take any photos (so I nabbed thıs one off of theır websıte). At the end of the tour, we were able to taste some delıcıous local wınes.

Whıle much of our dıet ıncluded the cost-effıcıent gyros whıle ın Greece, we got to sample some addıtıonal delectıbles: Greek salad, stuffed cabbage rolls, frıed feta cheese covered wıth honey and sesame seeds, potato souffle and pork stew. We also sampled the natıonal drınk- ouzo...wıth a lıcorıce flavor and more potent than you can ımagıne. Our fınal day ın Santorını was Valentıne’s Day, where we went to "Mama’s House" for a great dınner: frıed tomato balls, lamb pasta and Greek lasagna. Yum! The other Valentıne’s Day hıghlıght for me was feedıng an apple to my newfound frıend...a mını horse! Yes, whıle walkıng along the road one day, we suddenly came across one darlıng mını-horse who later whınıed and ran to us each tıme he saw us. Back home, my frıend Karly has a mını-horse named Beau that looks just lıke thıs guy, so everytıme we saw hım, I referred to hım as Greek Beau. So cute.

One much rockıer ferry rıde back to Athens (mıdnıght arrıval), three hours of sleep and a 4:30 am wake-up call, we were to the aırport and on our way out of Greece. 

And that concludes our Grecıan extravaganza. 

tanzania - dar es salaam & zanzibar

When the traın pulled up at the Dar es Salaam statıon, thıngs were bustlıng, to say the least.  Actually, ıt was quıte chaotıc, wıth so many people tryıng to get out of the statıon.  When we got settled ın our hotel, ıt was quıte a relıef to be able to spread out, bathe and the most unepxected perk - A/C!  I was just startıng to feel a bıt relaxed as I was fınıshıng up my shower and wıpıng my eye glasses clean, when I realızed I was holdıng my glasses ın two separate pıeces!  The monkey that I had met my match wıth back ın Bolıvıa, was comıng back to haunt me.  Back at Intı Wara Yassı, a monkey had grabbed my glasses off of my face, bent them and smashed them on a plank - leavıng my glasses quıte damaged (I can't belıeve I just wrote that sentence).  I had notıced over the last several weeks that a large crack (resultıng from the monkey) seemed to be gettıng worse, but dıdn't thınk they would break thıs quıckly .  But, alas, they dıd and rıght down the mıddle!  Amazıngly, we were able to use my orıgınal lenses and have them fıtted ınto new frames wıthın an hour of them breakıng.  That wouldnit have happened everywhere we have traveled so far!

Dar es Salaam can defınıtely feel a bıt busy and unorganızed - there weren't any stop sıgns or lıghts anywhere I looked, but for whatever reason, I really enjoyed the lıvely vıbe.  There ıs a wonderful dıverse mıx of tradıtıonal Afrıcan, Muslım and Indıan cultures and the beautıful Swahılı language that just sounds fun and ınvıtıng, especıally ın the greetıng "Jambo!"  Women are draped ın the lovelıest sarongs and scarfs, ın every color of the raınbow and of the prettıest patterns.  After months of mostly chıcken and chıps, we were suddenly ınnudated wıth fresh fruıts, fısh and even more excıtıng, vegetarıan Indıan food.  Takıng ın the sıghts and tastes of Tanzanıa durıng our three week stay was a gıant dose of medıcıne for my body and soul.

After a few days stay ın Dar, we boarded the ferry to go to the Tanzanıan ısland of Zanzıbar, where we stayed the majorıty of our three weeks.  After our 1-1/2 hour boat rıde, we landed ın Stonetown where we were both clearly ready to slow down and relax.  Whıle I was feelıng very physıcallly ready for a break, I belıeve Guy's was a bıt more...mental.  We both have been more on edge sınce gettıng robbed ın Zımbabwe, as well as constantly beıng on guard to people overchargıng us on goods and servıces.  Dear Guy felt he had been trıcked one to many tımes and started demandıng we see past receıpts of a poor young man workıng at our hotel because he feared we were payıng "mzungu" (whıte man/foreıgner) prıces.  After realızıng we weren't, Guy spendt the next several days apologızıng profusely.  We were both ready for a break.

So, after buyıng a grossly overprıced tour package and a cheap sarong, we dove headfırst ınto Zanzıbar's wonderful beachy paradıse.  Begınnıng ın Stonetown, we wandered the maze of narrow wındıng streets fılled wıth small shops burstıng wıth wooden carvıngs, beaded jewelry, paıntıngs and beautıful fabrıcs.  We ate at a delıcıous Indıan restaurant wıth yummy currıes and sweet lassıs (a yogurt drınk).  We also went to Forodhonı Garden along the beach, whıch at nıght ıs transformed ınto a seafood market, where skewers of many kınds of fısh, along wıth shellfısh, calamarı, octopus, lobster, bananas and chapatı (the delıcıous bread served wıth everythıng here) can all be selected and grılled to enjoy.  We had a rather large selectıon the fırst tıme we ate there, then enjoyed Zanzıbar pızza the next tımes we went.  We sampled two kınds of the small pocket pızzas - one stuffed wıth veggıes, cheese and egg, another wıth nutella, banana and mango.  Delıcıous!  Though the seafood market fısh was ok (we questıoned the freshness of ıt all), the really excellent fısh I had ın Stonetown was at the restaurant "Monsoon."  Sweet, melt ın your mouth fısh accompanıed by lentıls and sweet potatoes.

We went on two tours whıle ın Stonetown.  The fırst was a "spıce tour" where we vısıted a spıce plantatıon.  I really enjoyed thıs tour (as I enjoy food so much) and ıt was really fun to see where so many spıces come from and what they look lıke before they are drıed.  We saw lemongrass, cloves, gınger, peppercorns, cınnamon bark, cocoa beans, sesame seeds, tumerıc, vanılla and more!  We also saw coconut trees, elephant bananas (really gıant bananas) and avocado, starfruıt, orange, lemon and passıonfruıt trees.  At the end of our tour we had a tropıcal fruıt tastıng that was absolutely delıcıous.  We trıed about 10 fruıts, some of whıch I don't even remember the names.  We were then adorned wıth hats, jewelry and bags they made us out of palm leaves and named "Spıce Kıng and Queen."  As we were leavıng, our guıdes told us they don't get paıd and depend on the tıps of tourısts for ıncome.  Sınce we had paıd the tour company a decent amount of money for our tour, we were upset to hear thıs.  Of course ıt could have been a lıe, but ıt also could have been the truth.  Most certaınly, even ıf they dıd get paıd, ıt would lıkely not be much, sınce tour companıes keep most of the money for themselves, payıng those who do the actual work very lıttle.  Though ıt was a grım way to end the tour, we stıll had a nıce tıme.

Our second tour was to take a trıp to "Prıson Island."  The man at the tour company had told us thıs ıs where slaves were held at one poınt ın Zanzıbar's hıstory.  After a short boat rıde to the ısland, we dıscovered that the prıson was never used as a quarters for slaves, nor was ıt ever a prıson.  It was buılt ıntended for prısoners, yet was only used as a quarantıne and currently a buıldıng wıth not much more than a few bathrooms (our tour guıde never explaıned any of thıs to us we just had to read a plaque by the buıldıng).  The real hıghlıght of the ısland was the gıgantıc tortoıses held on the ısland, some up to 150 years old!  Its strange to me that the prıson, not the tortoıses are what are marketed...but who knows.  We got to pet (yes, pet) and feed them, then hang out on the beach for a quıck swım before headıng back.

Whıle our tıme ın Stonetown was fun, the real relaxıng came when we headed to the town of Paje.  Located close to the beach, we stayed at "Teddy's Place" just over a weeks tıme.  Though our prıvate banda was sımple, ıt provıded a cool sand floor, mosquıto nets and a fan - all the essentıals.  Teddy's was charmıng wıth couches to lounge ın, a full bar and restaurant and a great vıewıng deck to stare at the ocean and spend afternoons nappıng, readıng or chattıng wıth other guests.  There were only about eıght bandas total, so Teddy's small atmosphere was the perfect sıze for us.  Every mornıng we had delıcıous breakfasts such as an entıre tropıcal fruıt plate plus pancakes wıth chocolate sauce and I drank lots of fresh juıce every day.  Though I don't drınk much alcohol, I had the best cocktaıl ever here: malıbu rum, trıple sec, coconut cream and pıneapple juıce.


Durıng the days we would spend a lot of tıme relaxıng, then swım late afternoon and watch the many kıtesurfers when the sun wasn't so ıntense. At nıght we would wander down the beach lookıng for a good place to eat.  We enjoyed fresh fısh, coconut curry, shrımp, calamarı and my favorıte...octopus - whıch wasn't rubbery lıke I had ımagıned ıt, but tender and delıcıous.



After the terrıble sunburn I suffered when we were ın the U.S. (see my blog on South Carolına), I vowed to never have ıt happen agaın.  Guy and I took a lengthy beach walk to check out a recommended restaurant, and though slathered ın sunblock, the sun's rays were so ıntense so close to the equator, I started to turn red rather quıckly.  We ducked ın the shade for awhıle, then proceeded to dress me ın the most rıdıculous outfıt to cover up: Guy's button-down shırt, a sarong, hat, umbrella, and yes...a small towel wrapped around each foot.  I looked lıke "Island Mary Poppıns."  I was hysterıcal wıth laughter but wıllıng to face humılıatıon ın the name of remaınıng un-frıed.


Whıle ın Paje, we enjoyed our thırd tour, whıch was so much fun - the "dolphın tour."  Equıpt wıth snorkel gear, we set out early wıth our two captaıns to fınd, and hopefully swım, wıth the dolphıns.  Once ın the open water, we spotted about 8 other boats lıke ours, also scannıng the waters.  I was pleasantly surprısed to see a small group of dolphıns quıte close to our boat, where our guıde ınstructed us frantıcally to "Jump! Jump!" and "Look down!"  Although my vısıon wasn't clear (sans glasses) I was able to make out these ıncredıble creatures swımmıng just feet away from where we were, ın theır natural envıronment.  We repeated the process about 8 tımes, searchıng the waters and plungıng ın to catch a few moments of the dolphıns.  I dıd wonder what the dolphıns made of all of the chasıng and hoped ıt ıntrıgued them rather than frıghten them, although I ımagıne they wouldn't return ıf ıt dıd.  We also dıd a lıttle non-dolphın snorkelıng ot see some exotıc lookıng fısh before headıng back to shore.  It was yet another amazıng experıence I am prıvıledge to have had!  (By the way, I dıdn't take thıs photo - we were too busy swımmıng to take any photos...I found thıs one to show what our vıew was lıke.)

From Paje we headed back to Stonetown for a few days before headıng to the north shore of Nungwı (another cıty ın Zanzıbar).  After several nıghts of lıttle sleep due to one thıng or another (heat, mosquıtos, loud musıc or crows) I was ecstatıc to be ın our well-ventılated, bug-free quıet room feet from the beach.  We had a sımılar chıll-out-dıne-well experıence as ın Paje, ıncludıng a meal rıght on the beach - almost swept away by the tıde!  Speakıng of the tıde, the ocean ın Nungwı was quıte rough durıng our 3 day stay.  Our 4th and last tour was supposed to be an amazıng snorkelıng excursıon, but ıt was cancelled due to the dangerous condıtıons.  We heard that a boat sunk and also that around 19 people dıed due to the wıldness of the waves.  Thank God we had a captaın smart enough to call thıngs off.

After two weeks ın Zanzıbar, ıt was tıme to head back to Dar es Salaam.  We boarded the fınal ferry of the day and although the ocean condıtıons had supposedly ımproved, the 2 hour journey felt lıke a carnıval rıde, swayıng and rockıng hard, gıvıng everyone a sour look and some downrıght sıck.

Back ın Dar, the cıty had lost a lıttle of ıts orıgınal wonder for me, after beıng on the beautıful Zanzıbar ısland.  By thıs tıme we had heard of protests goıng on ın Caıro and started watchıng the news closely, as ıt was our next destınatıon.  A few days later ıt was determıned that ıs was just too rısky to go sınce thıngs had only escalated there.  We were dısappoınted that we were goıng to be mıssıng the pyramıds, a trıp to Luxor and of course, the camels, but ıncredıbly grateful that we mıssed out on a potentıally dangerous sıtuatıon.  We had stıll planned on stoppıng ın Caıro to catch our connectıng flıght to Greece, but luckıly our travel agent, Brad, was able to get us out of that too sınce so many people were stranded there wıth cancelled flıghts.  We ended up takıng a 5 hour flıght to the small mıddle eastern country of Qatar.  Not only dıd our agent get us a dıfferent flıght at no charge, but a complımentary nıght at one of the nıcer hotels we've been ın...plus dınner and breakfast (or we would have spent 12 hours overnıght ın the aırport)!  We were relıeved to be safe and on our way to our next amazıng destınatıon...Greece!

Lookıng for a great travel agent...vısıt ours here: http://urmovingwhere.com/about/

zambia

What could be more fun than a 48 hour train ride?  Lots.

From Harare, Zimbabwe, we had a 10 hour bus ride to get to our next destination...Lusaka, Zambia.  During our ride, we were stopped several (6?) times by road blocks (aka police trying to get bribes from people to pad their wallets).  Since we only stopped for ONE bathroom break, there was a woman who got out during one of the police stops in order to go into the bushes and relieve herself.  Not only did she get fined $20 dollars for doing it, but since she opened her mouth to explain what happened she also got fined an additional $20 for "being disrespectful."  Pathetic.

After a short stay in the nice and small capital of Lusaka, we took another short bus ride to Kapiri Mposhi where we stayed at the worst hotel we've been in yet.  Our room smelled so strongly of mold I could barely handle sitting in it for more than 5 minutes a a time.  Luckily we discovered the rug was soaked, so we were moved into a slightly more tolerable room.  The bedding was badly worn and stained, hardly any water coming out of the bathtub, and a toilet that barely flushed.  I was very grateful we only had to stay there one night.  We went to Kapiri Mposhi in order to get on a train that would take us straight to Dar Es Salaam, over a 48 hour period.  I was freaked out about getting on a train (period) after our last train experience, not to mention 48 hours long...at the shortest.

Guy and I had wandered around the train station, waiting for some sort of action to occur, given it was a few minutes past 2:00 pm (the time of our supposed departure) and hardly a passenger had boarded.  On the train we were boarding, the TAZARA, there were 3 types of accommodations: coaches with four beds (1st class), coaches with six beds, or sitting room only (nightmare class).  The compartments were usually only male or female, but the woman who sold us tickets for the train in Lusaka said there was only one remaining male compartment, with one male in it, his wife assigned to the female compartment.  She told us to find this couple and inform them that the four of us could share as a "family."  Fine by me, but would there be problems when we boarded, given that all we were given were puny tickets you'd get at Chucky Cheese and certainly no computer records to check?!  Would this couple even believe us?

So, at about 2:15, we begin boarding, looking out for the "mzungu" (foreigners) when we spot an older couple headed towards our car.  Guy hears them exchange words with one another and chimes in with a brief Russian phrase.  They respond, and it turns out they are the "mzungu" we are looking for.  As we step up, Guy turns to me with light in his eyes and beams "They're Russian!"  They both join us in our coach, no questions asked and here we find out they are in fact from Ukraine - even better, as far as Guy is concerned.  At this point Guy is visibly giddy (he spent time in Ukraine in the Peace Corp and is obsessed with Russian culture) while all I'm thinking is, when can I get off the train?

While we get settled in our temporary home, we discover our travel mates actually live in Zambia as doctors and have been here for about six years.  While they speak English, they much prefer to speak Russian, which is understandable, as it is their native language.  Two hours passed before the train actually began moving.  Our car was a little nicer (and cleaner) than our previous train ride in Zimbabwe.  But "First class" is taking it too far, if you ask me.

Just as I began to relax into this whole long train ride idea, the train stopped, for no apparent reason.  We had been moving only two hours.  After what felt like an eternity, someone finally informed us that a new engine/locomotive was being retrieved.  How far away was it coming from?  Anywhere from 2-10 hours away, no one could tell us a straight answer.

At this point, I could feel my heart starting to race.  A man passed by announcing it would be 16 hours before we left from nowhere land (albeit he was drunk, and possibly unreliable, or so I hoped). Our attendant couldn't answer any of our questions, but tried to appease us with dinner.  At least the food was decent, yet simple - chicken and rice.  Our bunk mates decided to try and get some sleep and we tried to follow suite before 9 pm.  The many people who were in the lounge car were getting drunk (oh, did I forget to mention that was right next to us?) and increasingly loud and rowdy.  The stench from the toilet next to us was getting unbearable as all the waste dropped directly on the tracks and wafted into our window...and we hadn't moved for three hours (at this point).  As I lay in my bed trying to keep myself from panicking about the whole situation, the electricity went out.  All of it.  Pitch black everywhere.  As drunk people knocked on the door and all three of my bunk mates loudly snored, I shoved my earplugs as far as I could into head to try and drown out the noise.  I prayed for the train to move, or morning to come.



Still rattled from the night before and sleep deprived I tried to ignore the incessant chatting of my travel companions and look out the window to enjoy the scenery.  We passed many small villages and each one, several small children would be there, waiting for the train, sometimes merely waving and smiling, others dancing, many yelling for money...for anything.  As the chattering continued, I felt like the walls were coming in one me.  How am I going to share this small space, and not get any peace or sleep for 2...no 3 days?!  As a person who needs time alone and quiet to function, I didn't see how I was going to get through this experience.

Guy read my need to escape and suggested we go play cards in the lounge car for awhile.  We do, and it helps.  I read my book for awhile and that helps too.  The train is still moving.  The day is almost done.  I start to relax.  As I lay in my bed looking out the window, I witness a beautiful sunset.  It looks like a moveable, framed work of art.  I finally surrender to the train (I think it was mostly exhaustion).

I head to bed knowing we have yet to pass the border, fully expecting to be woken up in the middle of the night.  I also expect to get no sleep.  Apparently, I did drift off at some point, as I woke to a man hovering over me with a headlamp shining in my face, asking for passports.  Luckily, Guy had suggested we get our visas for Tanzania in Zambia, so it only took a minute to get stamped.  By a miracle of God I then rolled over and went to sleep, while other people came to our door to change money, etc.  I was exhausted.  Sunday morning I woke up to a jovial woman telling us that we were now at the HALFWAY mark, and would arrive in Dar Es Salaam in 24 hours.  We were supposed to be there in 6.  I wasn't even certain we would get there THAT quickly.

We certainly weren't on Amtrak, or some luxury train.  This was rugged travel.  But Sunday was different for me, as I finally just took things as they came, read my book and decided not to worry anymore.  Traveling in Africa forces you to abandon timelines or planning ahead too far.  And before I came to Africa, I didn't consider myself a stickler for time or really worried about schedules (insert mother's knowing laughter here).  Despite that, my American sense of time has shown through, and Africa has begged me to learn patience, flexibility and living in the moment more than any other place I've been.  I also thought I had mastered the art of reflection, but been put to the test with hours at a time with nothing but a window to look out - no books, TVs, or gadgets to fiddle with. The children here amaze me with their ability to be calm for hours, with no toys dangled over their heads or nooks shoved in their mouths.  These amazing mothers strap their babies on their backs at all times and the children are always with their families.  I can't help but think these African women really have something to teach Westerners about babies.

The final confession is the one that's been hardest for me to come to grips with on this journey.  I used to think that I could deal with any type of living accommodations, that I was hardy and humble enough to withstand any conditions.  Sadly, I have come to grips with my desire for comfort, and I long for my plush bed sitting in storage.  But, I digress...

As much as the overly chatty Ukrainian drove me crazy, she was very kind to us, insisting we eat their food, making little book markers for us, teaching us a card game and sassily demanding boiled water with every meal...but handing little treats and gifts to everyone she made requests of.  He blunt boldness was most amusing is we ever got a stranger at our door - a flat "What do you want" was all she would utter.

When all was said and done, the train ride took about 65 hours; 17 hours longer than it was supposed to.  I practically sprang from the car to get out, thankful to finally arrive at our destination of Dar Es Salaam.  Guy tells me that the trains in Eastern Europe are better.  I sure hope he's right.

zimbabwe - hwange, vic falls & matopos

I think my sister has had the chance to see what our traveling experience entails.  Some amazing, great moments, as well as incredibly frustrating moments!

Amy's flight was delayed 24 hours, leaving her in Ethiopia for a night, while we anxiously awaited her arrival.  Luckily, she had an ok experience there, and nothing traumatic happened to keep her there.  Our lovely hosts that we were staying with in Harare not only drove us to the airport twice (which, if we took a taxi would have cost us $100 total!) but insisted that we have my sister stay with them as well...feeding us a delicious Indian dinner.

The following day, the three of us hopped onto the Citylink bus towards Hwange, where we would be staying at Miombo lodge and doing a safari the next day.  Its a bit unfortunate that its so difficult getting to any of the national parks in Zimbabwe, as no public transportation will bring you to any of them!  Our bus essentially dropped us off at a hotel in the middle of nowhere, and our lodge had to send a driver to pick us up from there for another 45 minute drive.

Once we arrived at our lodge, however, we were very pleased.  We were surrounded by bush, and found out we were the only guests staying there, which was both nice for us (quiet), but sad to think their business didn't seem to be doing very well.  Our accomodations were simple but nice, and the staff was incredibly nice and hospitable to us.  We had all of our meals cooked for us (which we really didn't have a choice about, since there was no where else to purchase food or cook it!), and ate very well.

After a relaxing evening, we woke up the next day to do our safari in Hwange National Park.  This park is the largest and oldest in Zimbabwe, hosts 108 mammal species and one of the largest elephant populations in the world!  Our incredibly knowledgeable guide Steven picked us up at our lodge in the morning, and we were on our way.  When we started the drive, we saw a few antelope, and not much else.  I was a little concerned that we might not see a whole lot, especially considering the bush was thick (making it difficult to see animals) due to the current wet season.  Luckily, things turned around and we were able to see: giraffes, wildebeest, impala, zebras, baboons, warthogs, tortoises, many interesting birds.  Perhaps the most exciting was when we saw an entire herd of elephants cross the road right in front of us!  It was a bit frightening as a large elephant was just few from us at one point, but it was an incredible experience and we got some great photos.  We didn't see an lions on our safari, but spotted one the previous day with our taxi driver.

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We were sad to leave our lone paradise in Hwange, but ready to move on to Victoria Falls.  Our taxi driver drove us to where the bus had originally dropped us a few days ago, where we were prepared to take a bus a few hours to our next destination.  When we arrived there, we were promptly informed that our bus was running four hours late.  As I mentioned before, we were at a hotel in the middle of nowhere, so we got out our books and cards, and were prepared to wait six hours for our bus.  At 10:00 pm, we were starting to panic that our bus wasn't going to come get us, and perhaps the bus ride was cancelled (and the buses don't run every day, so we didn't know when we'd be able to get out!).  We tried to call the bus company, but of course no one answered (as no one seems to at any business we ever try calling).  The hotel owner told us we would need to get a room in just minutes as they were closing reception for the night.  The security guard allowed us to stay out a few more minutes, when low and behold, the bus showed up.  We arrived in Vic Falls at 2:00 am, falling into our beds from a long day of waiting.

The next morning we awoke rather early from the loud noise of the television coming from outside.  As we woke up in our steamy 10 ft x 6 ft dorm room we went out to explore our new home for the next four days, as we couldn't see anything in the dead of night.  Shoestrings hostel was recommended to us by a few people we've met in Africa and many people online.  It is a rather large complex with a restaurant, pool, several dorms and private rooms and very popular bar.  It also has loud music pumping about 17 hours a day.  As I am not 18 years old or an alcoholic I was slightly underwhelmed by the place.  The fourth person in our dorm perhaps was an alcoholic as he was drinking almost every time we saw him and we paid the price at night by listening to his incessant snoring.

Not all was bad for our Victoria Falls Christmas experience, however.  We spent the 24th actually at Victoria Falls, which were spectacular.  We had recently visited Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Niagara Falls in New York, and Victoria Falls certainly did not disappoint in comparison!  "Sista Claus" (later referred to as "Sista Nurse" for rescuing us with Pepto and Advil) as we affectionately called her, saved us by bringing many of the things we lost in the robbery and couldn't find in Africa.  We enjoyed a traditional African dance show (of which I got pulled up to embarrass myself by learning a dance) and on Christmas Eve got to see the "Tin Can Kids" perform, as well as do candlelight caroling and see a fire dancer perform.  The Tin Can Kids were a joy to watch, and incredibly entertaining.  As listed in the changemakers website, "The Tin Can Kids are a young talented group of children ages 5-12 who were found under a tree in the township areas of Victoria Falls playing the most amazing drums off junk, the most inspiring thing about them, they learnt how to create music all by themselves. Their equipment consists of items like car springs, the back of a T.V set, broken pots , empty buckets and other scrap material." (www.changemakers.com).   Even though my family wasn't together for the holidays, we were all able to chat, which was a wonderful gift for me.

 

On Christmas Day we had a fairly relaxing day where we had a Christmas lunch made by Eddy, the chef, who was a dear man eager to please us, as we were the only people in the hostel who purchased the Christmas lunch.  We also were treated to hour long massages by Guy (he paid for them, he didn't actually give them!) for $20 a piece!  Finally, a bargain in Zimbabwe!!  It was fantastic, and Amy even had her massage given to her by a mother with an infant strapped to her back (as many women do in any job they have).

That day we also ventured out to the curio market, where we were going to check out local crafts.  We were mauled.  It was a very overwhelming experience, to say the least.  As we were walking the path to get to the market, several men appeared, offering to "take" us there (even though we clearly knew where to go and there were signs).  One man kept telling us over and over "hakuna matata" (which means "no worries" in Swahili)..."don't worry...hakuna matata."  My sister's response: "We won't forget, how could we EVER forget?"  We were really wondering what in the world the motivation was of these men to "take" us there, perhaps to get a cut from the shop owners if we were to buy something?  Strange.  Once we actually arrived at the market, there was a second wave of being overwhelmed.  Perhaps 30 small shops were all lined us with beautiful hand-made items, each with a shop owner, eager and waiting to greet us.  All of them wanted us to buy something, ANYTHING, and many of them wanted us to trade something (especially Guy's football jersey).  As there was constant pressure to buy and no time to think, we just tried to make it out alive!  We left empty handed, as we just couldn't bring ourselves to buy from one man and leave all of the others hanging.  Once we left, we talked a lot about how grim their situations must be.  It is hard to imagine that these men are able to make a real living from what they do, there was a huge lack of tourists there, and its a shame that the beautiful crafts they make can't be led to the hands that could pay for them.  It was certainly a sobering experience.
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Moving on from Victoria Falls, we headed on the bus back to Bulawayo, where we stayed at our "luxurious hotel" as Amy called it, and it certainly was, considering the place we came from.  Our big attraction in Bulawayo was to go on a tour/safari of Matopos National Park.  We were told we were pretty much guaranteed to see rhinos and hippos, but apparently we were part of the 3% that didn't see rhinos.  We heard from a guard that there was a poacher in the park that supposedly frightened the hippos deep into the park.  Who knows.  What we do know is that if you are a poacher (or even outside of your car, as posted by a sign), you will shot on sight by a guard.  There's no messing around here.  We did see some hippos (from the comfort of our vehicle of course) however, and I only wish we could have watched them longer, seeing that we didn't come across many more animals on our journey (other than a few giraffes).  The scenery was beautiful, though, with granite hills and amazing balancing rocks.  Also worth the trip was viewing the ancient San (Bushmen) cave paintings.  Our tour guide was great, as well as our driver, and anxious to chat with us about American culture, leading with the question, "is American wrestling (as seen on TV) really real??"  At the end of our tour they took us to the "real" Bulawayo (the "ghetto" as they called it) to see how many other people live there. 

Our final stop in Zimbabwe was to head back to Harare, where we stayed just outside of the city right next to a quiet game park. For the most part it was quiet and I'm pretty sure we were the only guests staying there.  Lazarus, our cook, took special care of us and made us some very delicious meals that I already miss.  Our New Year's Eve celebration was pretty tame, consisting of the three of us drinking a bottle of champagne and going to bed at 10:00!  (The music was pumping outside until 5:30 am, however).  The next day we headed to the airport with our driver and hostel owner, who carted us local style...in the back of his pickup.  I was incredibly sad to have my sister heading home, and now that she's gone, it feels almost like a dream that she was even here!

Zimbabwe - Bulawayo & Harare

Its really been a strange couple of weeks.  I kind of feel like we've been in Zimbabwe for a month.

After leaving steaming hot and expensive Botswana, we were very excited to get to Zimbabwe.  Several people have mentioned to us how much they like the country and we were hopeful we would have the same sentiments.  Unfortunately, we discovered that Zimbabwe is just as expensive, and we're not so sure how we feel about our experience here so far.

Figuring Things Out
Our first stop was Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and an obligatory stop once you've crossed the border.  There is not much to do in Bulawayo, other than marvel at the fact that everything is so expensive, and the quality of the products and services does not meet the cost.  Accommodations are higher than what you'd pay in the U.S., and appallingly dingy and run-down for what you pay for.  We stayed in a decent hostel for a few days, before finding a cheap YMCA where we stayed the remaining few days in Bulawayo.  It felt a bit like we were staying at shelter, and there was no hot water, but the staff was friendly and we were relieved to not have to pay our entire daily budget on accommodations.

Zimbabwe is kind of a strange country.  Just a few years ago, the U.S. dollar was illegal here, and now it is the currency used.  The dollar bills look as though someone retrieved them from a mud puddle, and that they will disintegrate in your hand at any moment.  The inflation here was absolutely out of control a few years ago, and of course there are the "controversial" politics of Zimbabwe (refer to Guy's blog, he did a nice job describing the situation here http://choosingmyownadventures.blogspot.com/2010/12/dollar-dollar-bills-yallin-zimbabwe.html), all adding to a feeling of unease about what to expect here.

Luv Dat Chicken
Well, anyways, while in Bulawayo, we did check out the local cuisine.  The first kind (the terrible, disgusting and of the U.S. McDonald's type) included the "Inn" monopoly.  Everywhere you go in Zimbabwe, you can find a row of dining options including "Chicken Inn," (whose slogan is Luv Dat Chicken) "Pizza Inn," "Baker's Inn," and "Creamy Inn."  There is also the grocery store "Express Inn."  We took the plunge into Chicken Inn and have yet to return.  When we left I told Guy that I had to pretend I was on the show "Fear Factor" (you know, that show where they have to eat cow hearts and millipedes to win $100,000) in order to finish my meal.  The chicken tasted like it was rescued from the dumpster and fried in the oil I put in my engine.  The rest of the "Inns" were ok, but left a lot to be desired. 

Then we moved onto the "real" food of Zimbabwe.  Sadza is a very traditional element of Southern African cooking, and is a cooked corn meal that looks a lot like mashed potatoes.  Paired with it is either beef stew, chicken, fish or beans.  When we went to a local establishment to try out this delicious dish, we were a little nervous that we wouldn't "do it right".  We tried to stealthily look around to see the proper way to eat sadza.  You wash your hands before and after the meal, as the waiter comes by to pour water over your hands.  You take the sadza with your hand and dip it into the stew to eat.  I thought it was tasty, and for a $1 or $2 per meal, a great value.  The clear winner of dining options over the "Inns."  Other than that, there really are no options in Zimbabwe.

Mid-Night Train
From Bulawayo we decided to take the train to Harare.  I was a bit apprehensive, since I've read the trains are unreliable here and can break down, leaving you stuck for hours.  But, I had never really taken a train before, so I thought it might be an interesting experience.  It was.  It was an overnight train, so for $10 we would be able to travel and sleep, a bargain only as good as sadza in this country.  When we boarded at 7:30 pm, we were met with our little sleeper compartment, with two beds and lots of filth.  After an hour, we were on our way.  The doors were in desperate need of oiling, and so every time someone opened their door, it let out an ear-piercing screech.  The family of four next to us had someone coming or going every 60 seconds or so.  As I tried not to touch anything in our compartment (except the train bedding that I courageously used) I fell into a bit of sleep, but certainly not restful.  I really tried to not use the bathroom the whole trip, but caved after 12 hours.  It was by far the most disgusting bathroom I have ever seen (and I've seen some really nasty ones on this trip).  I don't think its been cleaned in 20 years.We arrived in Harare at 11:30 am the next morning.  15 hours.  It takes 5 hours to get there by bus. 

Party Like Its 1999
In Harare, we were lucky enough to find a host through couchsurfing, so we had a home to stay in for a few nights.  IdirIdir has done a lot of traveling and had lots of interesting things to share with us.  That night, he wanted to take us "out on the town" so we obliged.  He brought us to a local club, which was pretty small (and seemed like it was trying to hard) with an interesting mix of people.  He told us he needed to go to another work party, and would pick us up in an hour.  So, after making his appearance at a FEW parties, he came back to pick us up, only to bring us to yet another party.  This was at someones home, right next to the Chinese Embassy.  It was packed full of people, (mostly ex-pats) and plenty of people appeared to have come from money.  Guy and I were ready to go home, not really accustomed to the club scene with our REI travel clothes and hiking boots, but stayed amused doing some people watching.  When it came time to leave, we realized the security guards (yes, at someones home party) had packed way too many cars into the yard, making it nearly impossible to leave.  Idir was visibly upset, yelled at the guard, and proceeded to repeatedly ram into the shrubs and trees surrounding his vehicle.  Guy and I, outside of the car, were trying to slow him down and direct him, not knowing whether to laugh or be horrified.  With a branch sticking out of the car's grill, Idir announced to the guard "Why must you do this?  See, I have destroyed the garden!"  At this point Idir wanted to take us to another club that we were about to enter before we got a call from his friend to go to this party, but we politely said we were ready to call it a night.

The next day was a bit more mellow, as we were invited to Idir's friend's house for a delicious lunch of homemade couscous.  Again, it was a very interesting group of people, consisting of people from Algeria, Egypt, Ireland, France, Zimbabwe and the United States.  We were very grateful to Idir as he was a fantastic host and very generous to us during our short stay. 

Getting Robbed!
Idir had to leave town to go back home and travel for a few weeks.  Sunday morning, he left very early to catch his flight, leaving us to a lazy morning getting ready to head into town to find new accommodations.  Our plan was to walk up to the main road (about 45 minutes) to catch a combi back into town.  As we left that morning, we had decided to pack everything into our backpacks, to make it easier getting on and off the bus.  Normally, we keep our smaller bags separate, containing items such as the camera and other important things.  This was probably the only time we've put EVERYTHING in our large bags.  We set off on our walk, which was very long and hot.  Guy was carrying both of our bags for quite a while, and when we were just blocks from the main road, a car pulled up next to us, offering us a ride.  This is the type of thing I would NEVER in my life do by myself, but since Guy was with, I agreed to get in.  He told us we could put our bags in the trunk.  We have hitched a few other times with very kind people, so although cautious, we weren't too worried.

The two men in the car were very friendly, asking us how we liked Zimbabwe and how things were going.  As they pulled onto the side of the road, Guy offered them a few dollars for driving us to the road.  They vigorously shook their heads "No!," refusing anything from us.  As we got out of the car, Guy went to open the trunk, which he did successfully, when they hit the gas and sped away full speed, with EVERYTHING in our bags.  Guy yelled at them to stop and chased the car for a few seconds, while I stood there, dumbfounded.  Guy pointed out that the car had no license, as he tried to see what the number would be as it drove away.  That should have been a clue to us that these men were not to be trusted.  My very first thought was "those stupid men...they don't realize that they really got nothing from us."  For us, things like our pictures, mean the world to us.  To them, all they got was a camera that they probably won't get much for, a bunch of dirty clothes and toiletries that may just get dumped in the trash.

From that point, we encountered people that were totally unsympathetic and people that felt awful for us and were worried that we hated Zimbabwe because of our experience.  We assured them we knew there are thieves everywhere and no reason to judge an entire country on one bad experience.  We were, ironically, right across the street from an Army base, where the front guards seemed oblivious to what had happened to us.  A very kind man was very concerned for us and was very helpful getting us to the police station.  The police station was quite archaic, and the women there were having a very difficult time understanding our story.  We of course knew that the thieves were most likely never be found, but wanted to get a report for insurance purposes.  As we stood there waiting, we slowly recounted all of the things we had lost, and would need to purchase.  Even at that very angry moment, I couldn't help but feel incredibly relieved that we were safe, had our money, our passports, and each other.  Really.  Getting robbed definitely puts things in perspective very quickly.  I felt incredibly violated, and feel even more cautious than I did before, but really, I feel incredibly grateful for what I do have. 

What Do You Mean, JuJu??
After our robbery experience, we tried to slowly get ourselves back together, both emotionally and physically. We made a trip to the American Embassy for advice on different things, and while they were somewhat helpful, we've taken care of things pretty well for ourselves.  We found some fairly cheap accommodations in Harare where we would stay a few nights.  While there, Guy told group of guests about our incident (to my horror).  After this dramatic event, I find myself more cautious (as I mentioned) and nervous to announce such things to people.  A day later, the owner of the hostel came to our room, and told us he needed to change an outlet in the room, and that also, there was a man up front to talk to Guy about the robbery.  So, while I waited with the outlet man in the room, Guy went up front to talk to whomever this man might be.  After what seemed like an eternity, Guy comes back to tell me "That was really weird."  Oh great, I'm thinking, now what??  Apparently this man heard from someone else in the hostel about our robbery and told Guy that he would be able to help us get our things back.  All I'm thinking is, great, this man knows the thieves, and we're REALLY going to be in trouble now!  I tell Guy "This is what you get for telling everyone in the hostel what has happened to us, you need to keep your mouth shut!"  Guy continues with the story, where apparently the man tells him that juju is what can help us.  Not knowing much about juju, Guy explained to me that it is the art of African witchcraft.  The man wanted $50 up front to "get the juju" which Guy would then "take" and then our things would show up at the hostel. Then Guy would pay him $150 for our things received.  At this point I had to laugh.  This was getting out of control.  It was obvious this guy just wanted to make a buck off of us.  Guy asked how the thieves would know where we are to give us our things back since they were no where near where the robbery happened.  The man then gave up, "then the juju will not work, if they don't know where you are."  Guy mentioned it was time to get out of there, and I agreed.  On to find yet ANOTHER accommodation.  While we were looking at hotels, a bird pooped on my head.  I've heard that is good luck.  It might have been.

A Ray of Light
After looking at a few places, we went to the Internet cafe to look up some other accommodations, since things are so expensive here.  My friend Lorie had sent me an email letting me know a friend, Michelle, knew some people in Harare that we could connect with.  We sent them a text, and very graciously, without meeting or even talking to us, they let us stay with them!  They are a wonderful couple teaching at an international school with kids and dogs and a whole cottage for us to sleep in!  They fed us and made us laugh and we are very grateful to them for taking us in.

Random Things
There have been other amusing things since the robbery.  One was our trip to the Harare police station yesterday to get a copy of our police report.  Other than the fact that this huge building is a free-for-all in terms of people coming and going with essentially no security, we were surprised (well, not THAT surprised I suppose) to find that copy meant HAND copy.  And that the police investigators are not mobile - they have no cars.  I imagine that makes it a little difficult to get your job done.

Shopping for new clothes in Harare is a bit hilarious.  As we went from store to store across the city, I realized my choices were confined to the following: Southern Baptist church lady (grandma) clothing (including the fabulous hats and all), authentic African clothing (which as much as I'd like to think I could pull it off, I just couldn't) and clothing for teenager's going to the club.  My favorite experience was in a store where I tried to explain to a young man what I was looking for, and he kept coming back with: white stretch pants, hot pink pants, and a shirt with a giant silver bow.  Not quite the travel/hiking attire I'm looking for.  What is strange, though, is I saw young women wearing very cute clothes on the street, but where did they find it???  Luckily I came across a few items that work, which is really all I need.   The last humiliating fact about shopping in Africa...I am a size XXL here.  Wow.

As we wait for my sister to arrive for the second half of our experience in Zimbabwe, I am open and ready for anything.  Hopefully some fun and wonderful things will be included in that experience.

P.S. We have no pictures for Zimbabwe so far because A.) It is ILLEGAL to take photos in public in the city here, and B.) We have no camera. :(

botswana

Since hearing from several people how expensive Botswana is, we knew our time here was going to be limited.  Our combi ride from Mafikeng over the border to Gaborone (the capital of Botswana) was hot and crowded, though relatively short.  Apparently locals have a slightly different tolerance for heat than I do, seeing that every window but mine was slammed shut and folks were wearing sweaters in 90-some degree weather!  Even my window managed to be snuck shut whenever I wasn't paying attention.  Inferno.

We noticed quite quickly how much more we were getting stared at than when we were in South Africa.  I think there are far less tourists here than South Africa.  There is definitely a different feel in Bostwana.  Our time in Gabarone was fairly uneventful (not much to see or do) other than staying with a great couchsurfing gal serving for the peace corp.  Though I almost died of heatstroke while there (how could the weather keep getting even hotter?!) Michelle briefed us in on all things Botswana, the good and bad and challenging times she's had here.  Though there is economic stability in the country, due largely to the diamond mining industry, there is speculation as to what will happen to the country when that resource runs out (in the next few decades?) and of course there still exists the AIDS epidemic as well as poverty.

Since our time in Botswana was limited to a week, we headed north to the country's largest attraction, the Okavango Delta, where we spent the bulk of our week, with a quick stop in Francistown, before heading to Zimbabwe.

Our 10 hour bus ride was interesting...cramped, frantic and long.  As things turned dark I witnessed the most incredible sunset - a rainbow of colors across the entire dome of the sky.  Children were running toward the bus to meet parents, suddenly appearing as if from nowhere from the vast savanna.  Just as I was feeling peaceful and relaxed from those beautiful sites, we arrived in the city of Maun, where we spent the next hour with our taxi driver trying to find accomodations, since everything in town was booked!  Just when we afraid we would have to shell out $100 to stay somewhere, we landed at a fantastic (and one of the cheapest) place right on the water.  Here we had a cute tent with "real" beds, outdoor bamboo bathrooms where you could shower under the stars, and a huge waterside bar and restaurant.

The Okavango Delta is a huge 16,000 sq km mass of channels and islands, and the traditional method of transport through it is through the mokoro boat.  A mokoro looks very similar to a canoe, but is hand carved (our guide made his own over a 3 month period) and sits lower in the water.  Upon first seeing a rather fragile looking mokoro, I wasn't sure it would support me, Guy, the poler (functioning much like the gondolier) and all of our loot, but of course it did just fine.  Our poler and guide, Teman, skillfully glided us through the reeds, pointing out birds, frogs and plants along the way.  There were beautiful waterlillies everywhere we looked.  The ride was so peaceful, it was more relaxing than any massage I've ever received!  All that could be heard was the wind rustling through the reeds and the gentle plop of the pole into the water every few seconds.  So tranquil.
 

After our ride we landed on a large island where we ventured on a lengthy game walk.  Teman warned us of what to do if we ran into different animals, but also warned us we might not see ANY animals.  Almost immediately we spotted an elephant...it was amazing!  It was also a little unnerving, knowing he could cut across the field and charge us at any moment!  We also saw a warthog, antelope, a buffalo skeleton and several birds. 

After our quite lengthy walk, we were exhausted and had a break before Teman "poled" us back.  As wonderful as it was to be floated along the river, I felt bad for all the work Teman did as we just sat there!  We of course wondered just how much he was getting paid for his work and how much our hostel owner's cut was (considering Teman's lunch was a large piece of pound cake and he had a rather swollen ankle that looked as though it needed attention).  When we asked whether he like his job, he said yes, and mentioned something along the lines of getting paid more fairly now.  I hope that's true.

The Okavango Delta certainly made our brief time in Botswana worth the trip, with incredible tranquility and lots of natural beauty.

south africa - capetown, kimberely & mafikeng

Cape Town is a little...different...than Johannesburg.  Its one of the most highly visited cities in the entire continent in Africa.  Its a beautiful city, with stunning ocean views and landscapes.  Its also full of tourists and lots of high end shopping, accommodations and restaurants.  I'm sure if one had lots of money, this would be a fabulous destination.  There is a large mix of ethnicities represented here, including heritage from:  Europe, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaya, Mozambique, Mauritius, Saint Helena and Southern Africa.  While the local population comprised of a wonderful medley,  I had a hard time not sneering at the gobs of rich white teenagers with their hoity-toity parents sauntering down the streets, as if they owned them.  I guess we all have our prejudices we have to work through, my own included.

Despite my irritations on the walkways, we did enjoy some of the local attractions.  Our first day we visited The Castle of Good Hope (a historic military station), Iziko Slave Lodge (an ancient slave house and modern day museum detailing the history of slavery in Cape Town), some lovely gardens and a walk down Long Street (where lots of the action takes place).

The following day we visited the Waterfront, which was absolutely beautiful and quite reminiscent of California's coastline.  While walking around we tried to catch a glimpse of Robben Island where Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, but couldn't see it, and the tour to visit it was a bit pricey.  We did catch a glimpse of the new stadium constructed for the 2010 World Cup, from a distance. 

Next we climbed "Lion's Head," a small mountain on the perimeter of the of the city.  We were hoping for spectacular views of the city and coastline, but instead were surrounded by an abundance of fog and cool mist!  There were beautiful flowers and plants along our walk, though, and it felt as if we weren't really in Africa, more like Maine or Ireland! 

From Cape Town, it was time to head northbound, slowly making our way to Nairobi, Kenya, in time to reach our flight by the beginning of February.  We landed in the city of Kimberely, South Africa, for a five day stay.  Kimberely is a much smaller town than Cape Town or Johannesburg, and bases most of its tourism on their history and diamond mining.  We went to visit "The Big Hole" a huge (now water-filled) hole that was created by 50,000 miners digging for diamonds over about 40 years (bringing forth some 2,700 kg of diamonds).  This is also where the company De Beers was formed, which to this day today still retains a monopoly over the world's diamond market.  There was also a museum, and what I thought was a rather odd mini-town, with old storefronts, displays, and lots of creepy mannequins.

Other than Big Hole, our time in Kimberely was mostly spent at our hotel, where we tried to stay cool in the sweltering heat of high 90's everyday.  (I guess we did play a game of mini-golfing, where I was the reigning champion.)  We were staying in (well, next to) a lovely historic home with a huge kitchen and great amenities, which we were able to enjoy.  Our sleeping quarters, however, we not as lovely, as we were staying the dorm room full of bunks, and only one small window, which let in lots of hungry mosquitoes at night.  Who doesn't love deciding whether to have heat stroke or be eaten alive?!  We were able to utilize the kitchen to assemble our impromptu Thanksgiving meal of rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans and cupcakes for dessert.  It was good, but left me missing cranberry sauce, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and most importantly, my family.  I was grateful, however, that Guy and I were able to share a lovely meal together in South Africa!

From Kimberley we found out our only option to cross the border into Botswana was to take a combi, (minibus).  So has begun one of what I believe will be many combi rides.  Gone are the days of the luxuriously huge buses of South America.  Combis are packed full with about 15 passengers, when really, they would be "comfortable" (and I say that word loosely) with about 10.  And combis don't leave at a specific time.  You wait until they are full, and then you leave.  We showed up at 9:30 am, and left about 1:30 pm.  And if you're taller than 5ft, you won't have sufficient leg room either.  Four hours later, we arrived at our final stop in South Africa,  Mafikeng, just at the border before crossing into Botswana.  While Guy was hopeful that we were going to discover something good in this town, I wasn't crossing my fingers.  Even though there was nothing noteworthy there, it was a nice place to rest for a day before heading onto our next destination...Gaborone, Botswana!