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Page 2 of FreeSpirit Travel Blog Posts
September 30th 2011
Turquoise waters and fine white sand, historical buildings and narrow alleyways, busy markets and friendly people, this is the colorful spice islands. This is Zanzibar. On arriving in Stone Town you are met with a maze of winding alleyways and narrow streets, full of color and laughter. As you pass ancient buildings its easy to imagine a time of pirates and traders. A time when the Spice Islands were the ancient trading route to the world. A time when Royal Britannia ruled the seas. Being welcomed into the slums by the local Muslims and seeing how they live with religious dedication an honesty is an eye opening experience. Being woken up at 5am with a call to prayer an unwanted reminder to explore this colorful and fascinating island. As you weave in and out of the ... read more
Rivers Of Blood - The Serengeti
Published: October 16th 2011Africa » Tanzania » North » Serengeti National Park
September 16th 2011
You wake up in the early hours as an animal brushes against your tent. You lie still, trying not to breath, reaching for your flick knife and torch. As the moonlight casts a distinct shadow across the canvas, a Lion calls out, vibrating the ground on which you sleep. Your breathing stops, you begin to shake, preying, hoping, remaining motionless, ready to scream, ready to run! Hitch-hiking a lift in a private 4x4 on a self drive safari is about as lucky as one can get. Only paying entrance fee and camping in the Serengeti is a cost saving miracle. Becoming the envy of every other independent traveler, a self gratifying bonus. Being lucky enough to travel the entire length of the Serengeti becomes the highlight of any independent traveler’s tales, but venturing off road into ... read more
September 9th 2011
Hitch-hiking across Tanzania is an adventurous way to travel. Meeting Andrew and Mozza (a brand new 4x4) on a self drive adventure across Tanzania a lucky turn of events. Saving on expensive tours and set itineraries an off road adventure provides a unique and surreal experience right into the wild heart of Africa. Being lucky enough to travel into remote villages is the desire of any extreme traveler. Dealing with dirt tracks, potholes and the fear of being stranded or hijacked the reality. Cutting through central Tanzania from Iringa to Dodoma seemed a good idea at the time. Setting off along 215Km of 'A' road, you would expect to arrive in Dodoma before dark. As you leave Iringa the sealed road soon turns into dirt and dust. At every corner you hope for it to get ... read more
September 7th 2011
Like all border crossings in Africa, a feeling of apprehension and vulnerability takes over. You remain polite and smile, filling in the paperwork while handing over crisp new United States dollars. As you pass immigration, your eyes scan the local surroundings, watching for hawkers and money changers. Knowing boarders are crime hot spots, you secure your belongings and empty your pockets, preparing yourself for any eventuality. As you wait to be processed outside a small wooden shack, a local approaches asking where you are from. He asks why Mzungus come and take all the jobs. He asks why the English enslaved the Tanzanian people. He says the English aren’t welcome here. He asked how I would feel if he took out the slave trade on me, right here, right now! Surrounded and outnumbered, I felt intimidated, ... read more
August 30th 2011
Food diesel and soft drink shortages, riots and political unrest, Water issues and power cuts. Every day is a challenge; every problem is met with a smile. This is Malawi. Nothing surprises Malawians anymore, they battle on each day. Described as Africa for beginners, Malawi truly is the warm heart of Africa. Arriving at a chaotic bus station and waiting 3 hours for a 4 hour bus journey will test anyone’s patients, but witnessing Africans singing together during an uncomfortable bus journey provides a rollercoaster of emotion. Being the only white face in town attracts a lot of attention. Walking less than 10 minutes between inquisitive conversations is overwhelming, dealing with bus passengers taking it in turn to sit with you and chat is both monotonous and tiring. One minute you find yourself laughing with the ... read more
August 28th 2011
It’s the village cup final and MK60,000 is at stake. Everyone is excited as hundreds arrive in Cape McClear. It’s the biggest event of the year, and a real honor to be invited by the local village chief. The referee draws a line in the dust representing the half-way point while the entire village descends on the dusty landscape forming the human sideline of a football pitch. While the goal posts are made of bamboo, the lines men are armed with sticks to beat back the crowd in an effort to maintain the lines as the drama unfolds. As the start whistle is blown, supporters from both sides begin to sing and dance. During each tackle plumes of dust are thrown into the atmosphere while a fast game of football and skill unfolds. Neither side takes ... read more
August 17th 2011
As the kitten stalks the hippo, the dog chases the elephant while the stuffed lion looks over the bar. Guests get drunk while the hyena looks angry and the wild animal circus begins. With no fences or national park boundaries wild animals are free to wonder through the campsite. Elephants and hippos are a common sight while crocodiles eyeball you for dinner. Pitching your tent between hippo footprints and elephant dunn on the wildlife highway is an unnerving experience. Sitting back and relaxing at Warthogs bush camp overlooking lake Kariba truly is in a class of its own After an exhausting 7 hour chicken bus journey North West from Harare I found myself well and truly off the backpacker trail. With only a handful of travelers passing through, you are quickly welcomed into the local community. ... read more
August 10th 2011
You believe in fate and that everything happens for a reason. You remain in high spirits even though everything seems to be going wrong. You begin to feel trapped and wonder why you can’t escape the city. Traveling through Africa without a plan or set itinerary is the only way to travel a continent where political unrest, riots and problems can happen at any moment. But poor public transport, now that's another story. With exploding engines and wheels falling off the axle, transportation in Zimbabwe is both daring and chaotic. In a country where car and bus wrecks are a common site, they serve as a sharp reminder of the risks you take while traveling Africa. After failing to leave Harare over the last eight days due to bus breakdowns, you try again, not expecting to ... read more
July 24th 2011
With a recent cholera outbreak and shortage of mortuaries a truck loaded with dead bodies heads for mass burial while you nervously cross the boarder into one of the worlds most politically unstable countries - Zimbabwe. In a country where interest rates were in excess of 231 Million Percent and local currency denominations range from $1 to $100 Trillion dollars you will not be surprised to find a country under British sanctions struggling economically while desperately sustaining its people and infrastructure. On nervously crossing the boarder immigration requests brand new United States Dollar notes to pay for a 30 day visa. With local currency now worthless, Zimbabwe has attached its self to the United States Dollar in a attempt to stabilize the country. Unfortunately a stable country needs to start with a stable police force. Paying ... read more
July 16th 2011
As you approach the Zambia/Zimbabwe boarder you can see spray lifting into the atmosphere. The deafening sound of thunder echoes through the canyon as you glimpse the falls though the mist. As you reach for your camera an unexpected downpour causes it to malfunction. You try to run for cover as another downpour leaves you soaking wet. You soon realise dodging downpour’s is a fine art in Zambia as you visit the 7th Natural Wonder Of The World - The Victoria Falls. The falls are stunning, the sound is deafening, and the spray is cold. Rainbows form in the mist while baboons try to steal your belongings. Warthogs roll around in the mud as you carefully walk along the slippery pathways. For a moment the mist clears and you stand there in awe. You soon realise ... read more
"Darren has a desire to learn, but not just from books, he wants to touch, smell, taste, hear and see the world. He loves interacting with people from different backgrounds and cultures and likes the challenge of getting to remote and unusual places. He is an outgoing and confident traveler that is always looking to take a step beyond the norm, often leaving him to face bizarre and unusual situations. Darren's blog has proven to be a big hit on the Internet and many people have requested that he write a book about the places he has visited together with the bizarre and unusual situations th... full info
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