http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/mrayner/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from mrayner en-us Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:53:05 +0000 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:53:05 +0000 The trip from Jo'Burg to Arusha was uneventful except that on my flight from Dar es Salaam to Arusha I had the plane all to myself. That doesn't happen too often anymore. Too bad there was too many clouds to see Mount Kilimanjaro the highest mountain in Africa at 5896 m my next goal. Kilimanjaro After spending a couple of days in Arusha just relaxing I met the group of climbers who would b http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/North/Mount-Kilimanjaro/blog-300738.html Well we crossed over to Zambia after visiting the Falls and met up with the truck and the rest of the group. We would be in Livingstone for two days and then the group would separate. Some would be continuing with the truck called Norris for Truck Norris up to Nairobi others would be ending their trip in Livingstone and a few including me would be heading back down to Jo'burg joining a http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zambia/Livingstone/blog-292296.html After Chobe some of us crossed into Zimbabwe to experience a lion walk. This was incredible. The African Lion Environmental Research Trust raises lions from cubs teaches them how to hunt and then releases them into a large area 10000 acres where these lions will form prides and raise their own cubs. These new cubs who do not see or come into contact with humans will then be relocated in ar http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Zimbabwe/Victoria-Falls/blog-292291.html Hi everyoneSorry for the delay in blogging. Turns out there's not a lot of computer cafe's in campsite and safari lodges. And where there is one they are invariably slow as molasses.I'm in Tanzania right now getting ready to climb Kilimanjaro wish me luck and this internet is not that fast either. Or reliable the power keeps cutting out. So you're going to get a rush entry for the next few http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Botswana/blog-292284.html Well it's the anniversary of DDay everyone so take a moment to thank the vets from 1944On a more lighthearted note having an awesome time on my overland tour. If you've been keeping up I met my group on May 30th and we loaded the truck up on May 31. There are 19 of us on the tour beside me and the guide from Zimbabwe and the driver from Kenya we've got two Canadians eight English http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Namibia/Swakopmund/blog-284418.html So arrived in Cape Town. Wow what a culture shock Cape Town is a modern western city and it's wet and cold in comparison. Of the 9 days there's been three days of great weather and 6 days of soso. It's about 16 degrees for the most part.While security is everywhere fences barbed wire armed response signs locked and barred storefronts with buzzers for entry the city itself is safe dur http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/South-Africa/Western-Cape/Cape-Town/blog-281767.html May 8 15 Well the rest of this week or rather the last four days as we left BV on the 12th was also science. Dives during the day and data entry on the computer at night. And we got everything we needed to do for the expedition done with a day to spareI was feeling better for most of this week but then on the last day of diving I was ill again. I dove but upchucked at the end. Ick. I http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-281764.html April 30 May 7 Well not too much in highlights for this week. The weather got better at the start of the week and I quickly passed my fish test and got on to do the science that I had come to do. Fish belts fish belts and more fish belts. It was great if a little tiring.I didn't feel much like reaching out to people and I was sick again not as badly but felt weak for most of the week. http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-281759.html April 23 29 Well this week would be great and sad all at the same time.First off the weather started to go sideways a bit. Strong winds for three consecutive days caused dives to be cancelled and then whole extra days off because the viz was so poor. Not great only so many days to pass my fish test and time was running out.Also this week there was an exorcism in the village. It seems that http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-281755.html April 16 22 The highlights this week included an overnight trip to a small village up north by pirogue. While there we would wait for the low tide at night and collect the sea cucumbers which were maturing in a pen count and weigh them.It was another beautiful day all told therersquod only be maybe three brief showers after that first bad rainstorm at night during the six weeks and we http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-281749.html So Irsquove been in Cape Town now for nine days and have only got the first week at BV blogged. Clearly I need to write a little less. The rest of the five weeks followed a similar pattern diving in the morning workshops in the afternoon teaching English to the Malagasy EcoGuides although I didnrsquot do much of that and learning Malagasy as well. Generally afternoons had some kind http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-281738.html April 3 April 8 Week One The Facilities Well I woke up with the sunrise the first day and man what a gorgeous place Just steps from our hut there is small cliff with steps leading down to a fine yellow sand beach HalfMoon Bay. It's pretty much a private beach just for the vols and the swimming there at high tide is fantastic. The water is warm but not too warm 27 degrees which http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-279656.html March 30 to April 1 So Kat Ralf and I were up at 5.30 getting ready for the transport which was supposed to be arriving at 6.00 am. Also at the guesthouse was Al the brand new just out of the box dive manager for the expedition. It was quite funny we were asking Al questions about Andava and his response was I don't know I just got here. Please let me wake up or something to that eff http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/Antananarivo/blog-278664.html March 25 March 28Time to get started to update you on what has happened for the past two months. With luck I can get at least one blog entry done before I have to sign off and get something to eat. So I left Canada on March the 25 starting with a snowing blowing and frankly awful drive to Pearson International from Grand Bend. There Mom and Dad can I get a collective aawwww here paid fo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/Antananarivo/blog-277527.html Well guessing by the volume of emails in my inbox everyone is wondering where I've been since the last post. The answer Madagascar Home to chamelons lemurs and baobobs the spiny forest and huge freaking spiders. For those of you who don't know for the last eight weeks I've been travelling and volunteers in a small village on the southwest coast of Madagascar called Andavadoaka Andava for s http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Madagascar/blog-276941.html Diving in the Galapagos Day 10 San Cristobal Island I had a pleasant time waiting for the crew and passengers of Sky Dancer a Peter Hughes Diving Inc. boat. While the sun was hot it was a nice change from the rain of a few days ago. Soon enough I saw the 737s from the mainland arrive at the airport and within an hour or so the bus arrived. I met Edwin the chief guide and divemaster for thi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos/blog-254465.html IntroductionWell the travels continue Just got back from two weeks in the Galapagos Islands. Computer access is a wee bit slow there so I figured I'd update you once I got back to the lovely warm brrrr Ontario heartland. So here goesFirst off this update will be in two parts. I spent the first week on a tour with Ecoventura on their boat called the Letty. This was primarily and island t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos/blog-252120.html Hey everyoneJust a quick entry to let everyone know that I'm back safely in Grand Bend. Wow what a trip My last day in Santiago on Monday was nothing special just visited the cemetary. Seemed fitting to finish with Santiago's cemetary since I started with Buenos Aires'. It wasn't quite as grand as Buenos Aires' was but it was certainly worth the visit.The flight home via Dallas was long b http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Ontario/London/blog-236593.html Well my last full day in Chile. And it's hot hot hotIt's a lovely balmy 32 degrees celsius in the bowl that is Santiago. You see it's built on a flat plain and surrounded by mountains all around. Tends to catch and hold the pollution. Which actually isn't too bad right now I'm told because like Paris Santiagoans leave the city in droves during their summer.Good thing too because I got so http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-235623.html Felipe and I left the park on December 29 and after a good meal and rest in Pto. Natales I headed to Punta Arenas on the 30th. Felipe came with me as he needed to get a new backpack and other gear. The 31st came around and as we were eating lunch just before he was to get on a bus back to Pto. Natales we started talking and I ended up going back with him to spend New Year's with friend i. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Magallanes/Isla-Navarino/blog-234998.html