Blogs from Africa - page 2682

Hey everyone! Let me start by a quick intro to the group that I am traveling with. Stephen is our guide, Cassidy is our cook- both from Zimbabwe. Then there are my fellow travelers: Erin and Melissa are sisters from the USA. Madeline and Rafiel are a young couple from SWitzerland, Eddy and Trudy are an older couple from Swizterland, Lorien is a young man from Leeds UK traveling on his own and Kathrin is another single traveler from Switzerland also. Now on with the happenings: I am now in Swakopmund and a about 6 days have passed since we left Cape Town. So far we have traveled northwest through Cedarburg where we went on an amazing guided walk through the hills behind Geckos, the camp we were staying at. We had the best guide ... read more

Hello from Thoyondou in the northern Limpopo province. Our research has finished well and it seems that we ought to be able to produce some publications from the wealth of data we have collected. Now it will just take a little effort to analyze all of the data on the tail end on the home front. Currently I am visiting with the various student groups in this area from UVA seeing what their summer long projects have produced and assisting in any way possible. I personally hope to come back next summer to study traditional medicines with the University of Venda students and ideally test them using the same methods that I have used in the lab this past spring at home for my Capstone research project. Everything is quite exciting for me right now because ... read more

Mossel Bay aka Boring Bay We continued along the Garden Route, stopping overnight at Mossel Bay on route to Gansbaai. It was a Saturday night and as the lovely, elegant Park View Backpackers was only around the corner from the town, we thought we would walk down for a few beers. Thinking it would be busy on a weekend, we were sorely mistaken! Everywhere seemed so dead. We had a huge delicious meal at the Red Rooster restaurant and asked our waitress where to drink. Unfortunately she was new in town so she asked the kitchen, who suggested we go to Shockwave nightclub. Err...no thanks! No real pubs or bars?? So forevermore, Mossel Bay will be known as Boring Bay. Kleinsbaai We drove from Mossel Bay down to Gansbaai the next morning. Our mate Gav, from ... read more

Sad to say, the hard drive has gone out on my laptop.... With our fingers crossed tightly, maybe I will be able to get the data before it is replaced..... But that said, it's going to be difficult to continue putting pictures on the blog without the laptop! Not to mention with the three Swahili reports, three presentations, and final exam coming up in the next few days... So, if I am unable to add pics, or even to add entries for the next week, I will finish out the blog, complete with pictures, when I return to the states! I hope all is well with everyone and I will see you very, very soon... only 10 more days!!! =)... read more

Clare and I moved in David and Nadia’s old house in Addis Ababa. We are both working in the capital over the summer and VSO have given us a very nice house to live in. My summer job is working for the National Road Safety Coordination Office. The organisation of road safety in Ethiopia is excellent and they are doing much of what is recommended to improve road safety in a developing country. So far, I have been very impressed. There are many benefits to living in Addis Ababa (or Finfinne - the Oromo name) - nice restaurants (Indian, pizza, croissants …), supermarkets that sell essential items, such as ground coffee, chocolate, cheese and imported wine, and leisure activities. Last weekend, Clare and I spent much of the weekend shopping - buying those necessary household ... read more