tnatravels

For the last 4 days we've been living large in Zanzibar - the Tanzanian equivalent of the Caribbean. In a bout of deja-vu we were forgotten at the airport by our tour group and had to make a few phone calls before we were eventually picked up. When we made it to the hotel there was only one room remaining which had a twin bed. Yay... After sorting out the room, we were free to explore Stone Town, which has remained relatively untouched since it's founding. The town is well named, as there isn't a wooden structure to be found - wood being used only for intricately carved doors to important buildings and landmarks. Another suitable name could have been 'Maze Town', as there isn't a rhyme or reason to the layout of the town - ... read more

We are in the village of Karatu for the last leg of our safari. So far our safari has been amazing! We've seen so many beautiful things. Snake Park -We started the safari by visiting a snake park. We saw a bunch of different snakes that are found in Tanzania and it really made us hope we wouldn't meet any of them in the wild. Specifically, we want to avoid the Black Mamba at all costs. It's a very agressive snake and its venom kills you quickly. They call it "One Cigarette Snake" because if you get bit, you won't have time to finish more than one cigarette before you die. -At the snake park we also saw a few birds, some crocodiles and some turtles. I got to hold a baby crocodile and also a ... read more

So we made it to Moshi, Tanzania after an 8 hour bus trip from Nairobi. The trip allowed us to see some interesting vistas and experience more of the local flavor. While travelling, the bus was stopped by herds of goats and cows which definitely confirmed a few Hollywood stereotypes. We also got to experience the Kenya-Tanzania border crossing which was less exciting than I had hoped. They barely glanced at my passport or half-filled out visa application form, took my money, stamped my passport and sent me on my way. I had so many witty responses prepared... When we first arrived in Moshi, Kili was a little shy and hidden behind some clouds (apparently a common occurrence). But as we were returning from town after exchanging currencies, Kilimanjaro decided to unveil herself (himself???) and we ... read more

The past two days have definitely been less than stellar - especially when compared to the amazing time we had tracking the gorillas. Yesterday started off decently enough with a two hour drive back to Kigali from Musanze. Since half of the drive was done in the dark on Monday, we definitely got a better look at the amazing landscapes Rwanda has to offer. The efficient use of space demonstrated by the locals rivals that of the Japanese and definitely puts Canadian urban planners to shame. After returning to the city we were given a brief tour, showcasing the under-construction downtown and some of the hotels being built to handle the new tourism industry. The tour ended with a stop at the Rwandan genocide memorial which I was both interested in seeing and dreading. I found ... read more

Today Anne climbed a volcano and I received an armed escort out of the park. After arriving at the Volcano National Park and conducting a brief meet-and-greet with the guides and 5 other hike-mates we set off to the base of Bisoke. On the way we were treated to an extensive Rwandan massage (getting repeatedly tossed out of our seats) and joked about how small the volcano was in relation to Kilimanjaro. We joined up with our armed escort (for protection from the 'wildlife') and set off at a rocket-like pace. After the first hill, I was breathing heavily and shortly thereafter regreted making fun of Bisoke's height. When we stopped for our first 'break' we had been climbing for about 1.5 - 2.0 hours with myself and another woman from the UK (coincidently another engineer) ... read more