Africa!

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Well technically we are in Moranbah (or as my bro calls it Butt Fcuk Junction) Queensland, but due to a lack of reliable Internet access in Africa we were unable to keep the travel blog going. So instead here is the lowdown of our African adventure....and what an adventure it was!

Tanzania
It all kicked off with a very dodgy taxi from the airport in Dar Es Salaam. The windscreen was taped on and the wheels must have been bald as everytime we braked or rounded a corner the squealing noise and fishtailing was very scary. Alysha's introduction to Africa was a little rough and she would have been justified in feeling more than a little concerned. However, she took it all in her stride and once we reached our beachside accommodation we were able to relax in the knowledge that one security guard was sporting a kalashnakof (sic) and the other one had a baton...(must have been newbie).

Our overland safari was not due to commence until the next evening so we relaxed on the beach, swam, sunk a few Killamanjaros (the local beer), and enjoyed some local food.

The next evening we were introduced to our guides (Amy and Zak) who were a very cool couple from the Cape. Much to our surprise we were joining an existing group who had kicked off their overland trip in Nairobi and were going all the way through to Cape Town. Despite our initial reservations about being the new kids, we were welcomed into the group with open arms, and whilst we did not know this at the time the biggest disappointment of the trip would be leaving this group after Livingstone.

We were going to be travelling on an overland truck called Chobe (named after the river). The truck was really well designed and held everything the group of 22 people would need for the next couple of weeks.

The first 3 nights were spent on the island of Zanzibar. After a couple of hairy ferry rides (we left Chobe back in Dar) we arrived on the island and settled into our accommodation before enjoying a Spice Tour (which was much cooler than it sounds). It kicked off with a traditional meal in the backyard of a local family. No heirs and graces here, eating off mats on the backlawn! And it was fantastic, local food, being prepared by local people who were otherwise going about there daily business. Once we arrived at the spice farm we were shown many different spices in their 'natural' form still on the tree, followed by afternoon tea in a tropical downpour.

The next 2 days were spent in a resort at the northern end of the island. Whilst a lot more 'touristy' it was still very nice and we had some great fun soaking up the sun and chilling out. I was lucky enough to go snorkelling on a coral reef and with a pod of dolphins. Lysh took a more leisurely approach having a massage and pedicure on the beach. The finale of Zanzibar was yours truly getting himself a tatoo. It is very 'arty' and on the back of my calf as the picture attached will show.

After Zanzibar we had one more night back in Dar before heading inland towards the border with Malawi.

Malawi
I knew this place was famous for its lake, but OMG this is what you call A LAKE!!!! It is 900km long, full off the bluest water housing hundreds of fish and is surrounded by white sand beaches. The campsites were practically on the water's edge and within walking distance from a funky little bar...this camping thing is thirsty work!

The group entertained themselves by partaking in numerous activities such as, horse trekking, swimming, visiting the local orphanage to play with the children and just generally hanging out in the bar. The guides advised us that tradition states that we must go to town and buy a fellow tour member an outfit from the locals...with the princely amount of 500 kwotcha (just a few dollars) - men's clothing was limited so Kibby was a little anxious, expecially after the outfit he chose for one of the other guys....anyway, lets just say there must be some big women in Africa and Kibby looks lovely in baby blue (pity about the mo)

Zambia
After heading through some of the bigger cities of Zambia we arrived in Livingstone, famous for the Victoria Falls and all the attractions that come with it. Unfortunately my health took a turn for the worse on the drive there and what started as a sore back in the morning, became vomiting by lunchtime and ended up with the squirts and a fever by the evening. I was feeling like death warmed up and not in a position to take in the sites of Livingstone. 24hrs later there was no major improvement and I had developed a rash on my legs. Nevertheless, we went on a sunset cruise with the tour group. Free alcohol and a meal, but yours truly was having none of it....gutted. Alysha managed to indulge but to be fair she was not feeling the greatest either.

The next morning we took a walk out to Livingstone Island, which had to be one of the highlights of the trip. Since the Vic Falls are not in full flow at the moment we walked across the top of the falls to the island, before jumping into the Devil's Pool. This pool is right on the edge of the Falls as the attached picture shows. Naturally we were all pooping ourselves before diving in, but soon realised that it would actually be very hard to go over the top due to a rather large ledge just under the waterline!

The next morning I was still feeling rough as guts so took a trip to the local Dr. for a check up. He decided that a malaria test was in order just to be sure, and as he suspected it came back all clear. I have to say that the dude who took the blood sample was a little rough. Without warning he stabbed my index finger with a scalple from some distance and let it bleed all over the place. It was bloody painfall and did little to calm my nerves! After paying for the consultation and the malaria test I was soon running out of cash in the hand, so when I got the bill for the medication I had to take a walk into town and withdraw some more money before I could collect it. The heat was oppressive and still feeling like shit a walk in the midday sun was the last thing I needed! Still, before long I was back at the camp taking my medication (some of which the British Dr. on our trip would tell me was banned in the UK!) and starting to feel a lot better. By the next day I was able to eat again and even have a cheeky beer. Unfortunately the squirts would stay with me (and Alysha) for a number of weeks. In fact, they did not end until we arrived here in Moranbah. Must be something in the name Butt Fcuk Junction that made my bowels decide it was time to smarten up!

Sadly this was the end of our trip on Chobe and we said farewell to our fellow travellers and joined the truck heading to Jo'burg. We made some wonderful friendships on Chobe and meet some really amazing people.

Botswana
The border crossing into Botswana was interesting to say the least. The river is about 300m wide at this point and could easily accommodate a modest 2 lane bridge. However, the centre of the river is the border between 4 different countries; Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana. Each country argues that the other should pay for the bridge and as a result nothing has been built. The vehicle ferry is primitive and on the Botswana side the ferry literally lands on a beach and the vehicles drive off. Due to a lack of tarmac giant ruts are created by the trucks which swallow the smaller vehicles whole, causing chaos and delays (all part of the African experience). Furthermore, there is 100s of trucks backed up on each side of the river waiting to cross. I quizzed our driver as to why we were able to pass all these trucks and drive straight onto waiting ferry? He simply replied that sometimes you need to pay a little extra if you want to cross in a reasonable time. Some of the trucks would be waiting for up to a month to cross this stretch of water!

The highlight of Botswana was the river cruise on the Chobe River where we would see hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, water buck, and the largest herd of elephants I have ever seen. They came down to the riverbank to drink before spraying themselves with mud to protect their skin from insects and the sun. There was a total of 27 elephants all ranging in size. One elephant decided to show us all his second trunk and at 38kg in weight (so we were told) and dragging on the ground between his hind legs, little was left for the imagination!

The riverboat cruise was great fun and we managed to have a few cheeky drinks along the way from our well stocked chilli bin. Myself and a fellow tour member (Santiago) were carrying the chilli bin off the boat and Alysha was right behind me. There was quite a drop between the jetty and stepping onto dryland. Unbeknown to me Alysha had one hand on my shoulder to steady herself for the drop. However, I simply stepped off and walked away with the result being that Alysha fell from the jetty crashing to the ground and banging her head on a rock. To be honest she took it pretty well and gathered herself and walked to the truck. It was not until the next day that we turned our camera on only to discover that it had taken the impact of the full. Whilst the camera still worked the LCD screen was cracked and as such we were unable to use it. Fortunately Santiago and his wife Meg had a spare camera that they lent to us for the next week. We were able to take the memory stick out and use it in the camera provided, which was a huge relief given that we were heading towards the Kruger National Park to see the Big 5, amongst other amazing animals.

South Africa
After a couple of very long driving days we finally arrived at the edge of the Kruger National Park. We were staying for 2 nights in a private camp and on the first evening we were all going on a night drive through an adjacent property. In terms of seeing wildlife this was the highlight of the trip. We were lucky enough to see giraffe, rhino, elephants, lions, antelope, buffalo and even a chameleon, the little creature made famous by a Boy George song. It was pitch black and the spotter on front of the truck was scanning the horizon with his spotlight. Suddenly he told the driver to stop and reverse back about 20m. We were not sure what he had seen and next minute he jumps off the truck walks up to a bush and plucks the chameleon from the bush. To this day we have no idea how he spotted such a small animal, but we were duly impressed.

The next morning we were up at the crack of dawn for another game drive through the National Park. This game drive would be a 'government iniative' whilst the drive the previous evening was private. The difference in the experience was quite obvious and to be honest I had wished that we had done the private drive after the government one as the drive through Kruger was a bit of a let down after what we had seen the night before. To be fair you are not allowed inside the Kruger after nightfall which is when the animals are most active so perhaps it is a little harsh to compare the 2 drives.

For our last night in the bush we would be entertained by children from a nearby village. Naturally they were very poor and they visited the camp to dance and sing and make a little pocket money. Culturally, it was the highlight of the trip for us as these little kids sung and danced their hearts out.

The next morning we headed for Jo'burg and the rough roads and open countryside gave way to motorways, cultivated land and cities. It soon dawned on us that our African adventure was coming to an end, and what a trip it had been.

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Comments

[Margaret]

Tats!
Now you two little boys can compare your tats!!!!...but I will be speaking to you both in the near future.