Blogs from Africa - page 2686

Tombés pour elle, l'Algérie Première expérience de voyage inchallah, nous débarquons dans la cohue du port d'Alger, pas un dinar en poche, à peine quelques centimes retrouvés en fond de sac et impossible d'utiliser nos cartes bancaires ... pas de panique c'est qu'on est débutants. Et pour se faire une expérience inch'Allah il n'est pas de pays plus propice que l'Algérie. Les voyageurs français ne courent pas les rues des quartier algérois d'el-Harrach ou d'Hussein-Dey et pourtant, on se sent attendus par un peuple d'inconnus qui ne veut que nous offrir le meilleur d'eux même, leur fierté, leur patriotisme, leur force et leur piété. Avec Alger, nous n'oublieront pas Fatih l'étudiant, premier contact inch'Allah, sa mère Farida et Hamza leur jeune voisin; nous nous souviendrons des parties de foot sur le vieux terrain du quartier de ... read more

by Mrs Plod I really wanted to get my blog up to date, so I sneaked into the study at about 7:15. About half way through the first enty, a little light started to sparkle in the middle of the page. Much to my dismay, I was experiencing the start of a migraine! I had already dealt with one 2 weeks ago, so I was not amused. Took my second (and final) sample pill. The aura continued, which made editing and typing a pain. Sandra convinced me to get off the computer and the headache came, possibly less than usual. We were destined for a drive around the Bay this morning, culminating in a much-anticipated high tea at 2:30 this afternoon. We stopped in Kalk bay, walked around the harbor, watched a couple of seals messing ... read more

Well after hitching a ride in the back of a truck for two hours, I arrived in Dahab, a quaint little town perched on the Red Sea Coast. West are the ominously stunning mountains of the Sinai, to the North is the small Jordanian border of Aqaba and directly East and just across the Gulf are the violently striking peaks of Saudi Arabia. A truly overwhelming panoramic view irrespective of which way you gaze. Dahab translates from Arabic to English as "Gold" and is reminiscent of what I imagine Ko Samui to have been before the massive tourist influx. It encompasses a smooth fusion of backpacker's mellowness and local's humorous and apathetic sales pitches, all set against a décor of craggy golden beaches under a rugged mountain backdrop and dark blue seas. Time could easily ... read more

In all my travels (because they’ve been so vast), I’ve found that one of the best ways to get your finger on the pulse of the indigenous culture is to really experience the food of the place. And often, the snack foods really clue you in to what people like wherever you are. First and foremost, I find it really important to mention that South Africans have a scary obsession with meat. All kinds of it, and in variant forms. Potato chips here come in flavors like smoked lamb, beef curry, and boerwors (a traditional South African sausage). I don’t think I’ve ever really experienced a meat flavored potato chip before, and I, one of the most carnivorous people you will meat (ha ha, get it? Meat? I’m so punny), am actually not a huge fan ... read more

I got up early this morning to attend to my poor little travel blog. Had a light breafast (good break after all the "full farm" mornings we've been having!) and showered up. We headed first to the Castle. Building of this fortress (rather than palace) began in 1666. It is a pentagon, with an extra triangle on each of its angles. Take a look on Google Earth! Had a great look-around. The military museum was excellent, and presented the military history of South Africa in a very fair and balanced way. We climbed up on 2 of the 5 bastions and took some pictures of the view. While we were up there, we noticed a "tablecloth" come rolling at a very fast pace over the Table. Sandra was not kidding when she says that weather ... read more