In the last month of my African adventure I had a change of heart about many things - including writing blog posts. I stopped spending time recording things in general - stopped taking pictures, stopped writing in my journal. I was just sitting back soaking it all in:) It has been a spectacular month. I visited Nairobi (and didn't get robbed!), went on a balloon safari over the Masai Mara and was lucky enough to witness the great migration, experienced the north coast of Kenya (Mombassa, Malindi, Lamu), and took an unexpected trip to Zanzibar.
I am in Nairobi now after a long trip from Dar Es Salaam and am preparing for my flight home early tomorrow morning. I have mixed feelings about returning home...
Upon my triumphant return I will write a proper post covering in more detail the last month of the trip. And if you thought I was finished with my travels - guess again. I am currently trying to decide where the wind will take me in August and September. Las Vegas, Vancouver, Kamloops, Seattle, Iceland, Netherlands and Germany are all on the list. Any recommendations are welcome!
See everyone at home very very soon!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
More Waterfalls and Discovering Abseiling
Uganda has been a blast. There is too much to do and see and too little time! We decided to give the "safari experience" another chance - and it's a good thing we did because it was more than worth it. We went on a three day trip to Murchison Falls National Park where we went on a four hour game drive - perfect amount of time - any longer than that trapped in a hot sticky vehicle makes you go stir crazy. On this drive we saw an entire pride of lions lying right on the road! There was seven of them - just chillin' out lying in the sun and looking pretty. We also visited the impressive falls on foot, and went on a boat trip up to the falls along the Nile observing loads of hippos and crocodiles. The crocs hang out at the bottom of the falls to get the dead fish that have fallen over the falls - easy food! We also went to a rhino sanctuary. Rhinos were poached to extinction in Uganda in the early 80s and this sanctuary is attempting to breed rhinos for eventual release into the wild starting with just six donated animals. Their first live baby (after a still born last year) was born about a week before we arrived - named "Obama". We didn't get to see the baby as the mother is too aggressive for public contact but we did get to see three rhinos - and they are much bigger and much more frightening than they look in pictures. A young male had a bit of a fit in our presence, the rangers were panicking - yelling at the rhino to stop and telling us to run in the other direction. Great fun:)
Next was Sipi Falls - we had debated about whether or not we should go there - we had after all seen a lot of water falls. The thing that changed my mind was finding out that you can do this crazy thing called abseiling there. I had never heard of abseiling before (sometimes called repelling) and I am so glad I stumbled on this experience of a lifetime. When looking for pictures of what this thing is all about I found a hilarious blog post called "More Adventures in Stupidity: Abseiling Sipi falls" I didn't find any pictures of the actual abseiling - but there I did find pictures of the impressive 100m cliff that you step off of entrusting your life to a rock climbing harness and repelling yourself to safety. Stepping off that cliff was one of the scariest things I've ever done. The view is incredible - hanging right next to the falls next to a gorgeous waterfall makes for a unique vantage point on the stunning landscape.
Next is Kenya. This is our last country, and our last month. It's no fun when you start counting "lasts". Experiencing the passage of time while traveling is nothing at all like it is at home. Time flies and drags at the same time. It seems like only last week we were counting "firsts", and also like we have been in Africa for ages.
An aside:
Many people (from home) have asked me how my parents feel about this trip - here is the exact text of an e-mail from my mother that made me laugh with subject line "your trip":
"Glad to see your last entry. I was getting worried. Don't go to Somalia. They have kidnapped a young Canadian girl (journalist) and Australian guy for ransom and will probably kill them. Hope all the sickness stuff is done for good. Stay safe and have fun. Love your blog. Love, Mom. "
Till next time...
Next was Sipi Falls - we had debated about whether or not we should go there - we had after all seen a lot of water falls. The thing that changed my mind was finding out that you can do this crazy thing called abseiling there. I had never heard of abseiling before (sometimes called repelling) and I am so glad I stumbled on this experience of a lifetime. When looking for pictures of what this thing is all about I found a hilarious blog post called "More Adventures in Stupidity: Abseiling Sipi falls" I didn't find any pictures of the actual abseiling - but there I did find pictures of the impressive 100m cliff that you step off of entrusting your life to a rock climbing harness and repelling yourself to safety. Stepping off that cliff was one of the scariest things I've ever done. The view is incredible - hanging right next to the falls next to a gorgeous waterfall makes for a unique vantage point on the stunning landscape.
Next is Kenya. This is our last country, and our last month. It's no fun when you start counting "lasts". Experiencing the passage of time while traveling is nothing at all like it is at home. Time flies and drags at the same time. It seems like only last week we were counting "firsts", and also like we have been in Africa for ages.
An aside:
Many people (from home) have asked me how my parents feel about this trip - here is the exact text of an e-mail from my mother that made me laugh with subject line "your trip":
"Glad to see your last entry. I was getting worried. Don't go to Somalia. They have kidnapped a young Canadian girl (journalist) and Australian guy for ransom and will probably kill them. Hope all the sickness stuff is done for good. Stay safe and have fun. Love your blog. Love, Mom. "
Till next time...
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Uganda and the Unforgettable Showers
Almost immediately after crossing the border from Rwanda to Uganda, it felt like we were "back in Africa". On my first day in Uganda I bought bbq goat meat on a stick through the window of a matatu (mini-bus) and had to fight with a goat on another for the precious amount a leg room available to me (I was winning for a while, but once the goat learned to use its horns against my shins I had to admit defeat). This morning while I was eating breakfast at the Red Chilli Backpackers (Kampala, Uganda), a chicken came along, hopped on an empty chair at the table next to me, and proceeded to lay an egg on the cushion while skwaking loudly. I think the chicken enjoyed having an audience of four mzungus while she did her thing. Ahhhhh Africa. Somehow I actually feel more comfortable among the chaos and nonsensical order to things.
If you think I may be escaping the Michael Jackson craziness you are mistaken. Even here in Africa there is no other news. I flipped through a Ugandan news paper today with dozens of articles about mj, and only a handful on other topics. Is there really no other news??? Really???
Our first destination was in Uganda was Lake Bunyonyi - a nice getaway not too far from the Rwanda border. We stayed in a "tree tent" - a furnished tent on a platform high up in the trees. The Lake was beautiful and the accomodation spectacular - but it was quite cold. Too cold to swim most of the time - and almost right on the Equator! This is where we started running into large "overland trips" (which are everywhere in Uganda). These involve massive trucks taking tourists from point to point. They are quite funny -they have a look of shock and awe in their eyes when we tell them we are backpacking on our own - as if its impossible to get around on public transport and make your own arrangements. They also seem to be strangely adverse to getting dirty - one truck even layed out a plastic tarp for their bags to be put on when they came of the truck. We burst out laughing when we saw this. But then again, they may have burst out laughing when they saw how dirty us and all of our stuff is:) It still amazes me just how dirty you can get in Africa just doing ordinary things.
Our next destination was a nature reserve on Lake Nkuruba near Fort Portal. The area was absolutely beautiful with stunning crater lakes, a quaint town and plenty of monkeys hanging around. We went on a "crater lakes exploration" one day which involved a six hour hike by 6 crater lakes and a waterfall. Our guide's name was Christine - and she showed up in the morning wearing black tight jeans, a fitted tank top and a baseball cap. She was carrying nothing. And then there was us - sporting socks and gortex shoes, quick dry travelling pants, moisture wicking and breathable t-shirts, hats and sunglasses, with a camel back tubes slung over over shoulders and backpacks containing extra water, water purification tabs in case we ran out of water, lunch, snacks, bathing suits, sunscreen, sarongs, bio-degradable soap, and of course, our cameras. No wonder people laugh at us so much:) The waterfall was incredible and this is where the first of the "unforgettable showers" occurred. You could get right under the rushing falls for nature's best power shower. It was simply glorious.
Next we headed to Jinja, Uganda. This is where the Lake Victoria pours into the Nile River, making it the major source of the Nile. And it makes for some fantastic grade 5 rapids. We went whitewater rafter, quad biking (four-wheeling) and made a bad attempt at whitewater kayaking. Neither of us could manage to roll over in the kayak - so we ended up just paddling up an down the river for a while, completely avoiding the rapids. We stayed at the Nile River Explores backpackers. This was an average place in general, with anything but average showers. The second "unforgettable shower" was set into a very steep hill over looking the Victoria Nile rapids. On the side facing the view it was completely open - floor to ceiling. Again, simply glorious.
We are now in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Ugandans are very friendly people, and although you have to be aware of the dangers and annoyances of any large city, it is very tourist friendly. Today is a day of chores - banking, shopping for replacement toiletries and clothes, copying photos to CDs, laundry etc. Speaking of photos - I'm sure you've guessed already that there will be no photos on this blog until I get back (unless I all of a sudden have lots of extra time and money that I want to spend waiting for photos to upload in a dreary internet cafe - not likely).
Next on the agenda is a trip to Murchison Falls in north western uganda. We will do some more safari-ing and maybe make another attempt at chimp trekking. Then on to Kenya. For the second half of the trip we have no set plans whatsoever so we are just taking it day-by-day. Which of course is quite fun:)
If you think I may be escaping the Michael Jackson craziness you are mistaken. Even here in Africa there is no other news. I flipped through a Ugandan news paper today with dozens of articles about mj, and only a handful on other topics. Is there really no other news??? Really???
Our first destination was in Uganda was Lake Bunyonyi - a nice getaway not too far from the Rwanda border. We stayed in a "tree tent" - a furnished tent on a platform high up in the trees. The Lake was beautiful and the accomodation spectacular - but it was quite cold. Too cold to swim most of the time - and almost right on the Equator! This is where we started running into large "overland trips" (which are everywhere in Uganda). These involve massive trucks taking tourists from point to point. They are quite funny -they have a look of shock and awe in their eyes when we tell them we are backpacking on our own - as if its impossible to get around on public transport and make your own arrangements. They also seem to be strangely adverse to getting dirty - one truck even layed out a plastic tarp for their bags to be put on when they came of the truck. We burst out laughing when we saw this. But then again, they may have burst out laughing when they saw how dirty us and all of our stuff is:) It still amazes me just how dirty you can get in Africa just doing ordinary things.
Our next destination was a nature reserve on Lake Nkuruba near Fort Portal. The area was absolutely beautiful with stunning crater lakes, a quaint town and plenty of monkeys hanging around. We went on a "crater lakes exploration" one day which involved a six hour hike by 6 crater lakes and a waterfall. Our guide's name was Christine - and she showed up in the morning wearing black tight jeans, a fitted tank top and a baseball cap. She was carrying nothing. And then there was us - sporting socks and gortex shoes, quick dry travelling pants, moisture wicking and breathable t-shirts, hats and sunglasses, with a camel back tubes slung over over shoulders and backpacks containing extra water, water purification tabs in case we ran out of water, lunch, snacks, bathing suits, sunscreen, sarongs, bio-degradable soap, and of course, our cameras. No wonder people laugh at us so much:) The waterfall was incredible and this is where the first of the "unforgettable showers" occurred. You could get right under the rushing falls for nature's best power shower. It was simply glorious.
Next we headed to Jinja, Uganda. This is where the Lake Victoria pours into the Nile River, making it the major source of the Nile. And it makes for some fantastic grade 5 rapids. We went whitewater rafter, quad biking (four-wheeling) and made a bad attempt at whitewater kayaking. Neither of us could manage to roll over in the kayak - so we ended up just paddling up an down the river for a while, completely avoiding the rapids. We stayed at the Nile River Explores backpackers. This was an average place in general, with anything but average showers. The second "unforgettable shower" was set into a very steep hill over looking the Victoria Nile rapids. On the side facing the view it was completely open - floor to ceiling. Again, simply glorious.
We are now in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Ugandans are very friendly people, and although you have to be aware of the dangers and annoyances of any large city, it is very tourist friendly. Today is a day of chores - banking, shopping for replacement toiletries and clothes, copying photos to CDs, laundry etc. Speaking of photos - I'm sure you've guessed already that there will be no photos on this blog until I get back (unless I all of a sudden have lots of extra time and money that I want to spend waiting for photos to upload in a dreary internet cafe - not likely).
Next on the agenda is a trip to Murchison Falls in north western uganda. We will do some more safari-ing and maybe make another attempt at chimp trekking. Then on to Kenya. For the second half of the trip we have no set plans whatsoever so we are just taking it day-by-day. Which of course is quite fun:)
Friday, June 12, 2009
You know you've had an interesting day when you end up covered in volcano ash
Before heading to Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we asked around to ensure that it was safe to do so. One very telling response was "Safe for you? Yes. Safe for me? No.". We hired a guide, Shakira, to take us on a short day tour. She is a Rwandan who lives in Gisenyi while attending university in Goma. Shakira crosses the border every day on her two hour walk to and from school. We had no trouble at the border - even though we had been told to expect to be solicited for a bribe and to stand firm. We just paid $35 for a short term visa which was processed without a hitch. The Congo was immediately a sight for sore eyes (and the contrast from Rwanda just a few hundred yards away caused another round of culture shock). Rocky dirt road with endless barbed wire and sheet metal fencing. There was one nice hotel right on the border - presumably for UN and aid workers. Armed guards perched in surveillance towers - often blue helmets - overlooked the city with their weapons ready. We hired "motos" (motorcycle taxis) to take us to the foothills of the Nyiragongo Volcano (motos are scary enough in themselves - and in the Congo they don't where helmets like they do in Rwanda). The entire town is covered in ash and rock from the still active volcano that erupted on January 17, 2002. The city, and its hundreds of thousands of refugees, were evacuated and there were very few casualties. The city is still being rebuilt right on top of the lava fields, using the rock to build many of the structures. This amounts to a very dirty and dusty city. Our faces were covered in soot - almost black. Shakira says "Now you look like me".
We then visited a UN refugee camp. This is the first time I gave money during this trip - the scene was overwhelming. Tiny tiny homes made of mud bricks and white plastic sheeting. It seemed as though many of the children were probably born in the camp - and none of them looked healthy.
Sharkira is a student of Informatics and we went to visit her school. A tiny facility with just a few rooms and about 15 computers for 1500 students. We walked around the town and the market. It was very peaceful and people welcomed us. Although it was clear that people assumed we were either UN or aid workers. Tourists are just starting venture in.
The following morning we got an early bus travelling south down Kivu Lake to Kibuye. The road is not in the best condition (rare for Rwanda) and it took 5 1/2 hours to travel about 120km. The Kibuye area was one of the hardest hit during the genocide. Approximately 90% of Tutsis were killed. We are staying at church run place called Home Saint Jean. It is on the same hill as a church that now stands as a genocide memorial. On April 17th, 1994, 11,400 people were massacred by throwing a grenade into the packed church, then going in a murdering the survivors with machetes. The bodies were reburied the following year in mass graves with a burial ceremony. A small glass case contains child size skulls overlooking the grave.
This hill has one of the most peaceful and tranquil landscapes I have ever seen (ironically). The water of Lake Kivu is a dense turquoise colour with endless green hills rolling in the horizon. Understandably, the tourism industry is starting to boom here.
We then visited a UN refugee camp. This is the first time I gave money during this trip - the scene was overwhelming. Tiny tiny homes made of mud bricks and white plastic sheeting. It seemed as though many of the children were probably born in the camp - and none of them looked healthy.
Sharkira is a student of Informatics and we went to visit her school. A tiny facility with just a few rooms and about 15 computers for 1500 students. We walked around the town and the market. It was very peaceful and people welcomed us. Although it was clear that people assumed we were either UN or aid workers. Tourists are just starting venture in.
The following morning we got an early bus travelling south down Kivu Lake to Kibuye. The road is not in the best condition (rare for Rwanda) and it took 5 1/2 hours to travel about 120km. The Kibuye area was one of the hardest hit during the genocide. Approximately 90% of Tutsis were killed. We are staying at church run place called Home Saint Jean. It is on the same hill as a church that now stands as a genocide memorial. On April 17th, 1994, 11,400 people were massacred by throwing a grenade into the packed church, then going in a murdering the survivors with machetes. The bodies were reburied the following year in mass graves with a burial ceremony. A small glass case contains child size skulls overlooking the grave.
This hill has one of the most peaceful and tranquil landscapes I have ever seen (ironically). The water of Lake Kivu is a dense turquoise colour with endless green hills rolling in the horizon. Understandably, the tourism industry is starting to boom here.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Reverse Culture Shock
One thing that I wasn't expecting to experience in Africa is 'reverse cultuture shock'. Rwanda has made such an incredible turnaround since the genocide of 1994. It is truly a testament to the resilience of the human condition. Rwanda is the most developed and most modern society we have encountered - experiencing the familiar patterns we were used to at home caused the reverse culture shock. A few things we have noticed that were shocking: roads are paved; everyone wears shoes; women carry their bags over their shoulders (rather than on their heads); people are wearing jeans and other western clothing; there are crosswalks and lines on the roads with streetlights and predictable traffic patterns; there are no street vendors; children are taught through public advertising campaigns that begging for money is shameful; buses run on time and even leave if they aren't full; people are mild mannered - there is no yelling at us on the street; motorcycle taxi drivers wear helmuts and must carry helmuts for their passengers; it is incrediby clean, and of course - there are no plastic bags and a noticeable environmental movement. There are some anomoly's (as always in Africa). For the most advanced society so far - we were surprised to find out that there are no ATMs that accept international cards, and the cell phone networks are incompatible with the surrounding countries. Our first afternoon we spent hours in the bank trying to get cash. This is the first time we have had any problem getting money from ATMs.
In Kigali we had lunch at the Hotel Milles de Collines - the famous "Hotel Rwanda". It is currently under construction - probably to captialize on its new found international fame that the blockbuster movie brought (filmed in South Africa). We also visited the largest genocide memorial in the country - and intend to visit a few more. Our first night we stayed at a place called the "One Love Club". It is a non-profit organizaiton run by a Rastafarian man and his Japanese wife. All of the proceeds from the guesthouse, restaurant and shop go to making prosthetics for the the many amputees in Rwanda who often have to use sticks because there aren't enough prosthetic legs. The is also a workshop on the grounds where they are made. This was a very nice place - but too expensive for our budget. We went in search for something cheaper and quickly found out that price we paid was about the going rate. It was then that we decided to try "couchsurfing". Couchsurfing is an online international travellers network where people who have extra space offer it to travelers free of charge. We stayed for two nights in a great place right in the centre of Kigali with a Belgian guy who had a three bedroom house. All went well, except for the fact that he was crazy - and impossible to have a conversation with. C'est la vie.
From Kigali we went on to Volcanoes National Park where Mckinley saw the mountain gorillas. We are now in a beach/resort town called Gisenyi on Lake Kivu. We are a stones throw away from the Congo border and are trying to arrange a day trip to Goma.
There are two books on the genocide that I highly recommend: "A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali" and "We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with our Families". The former is a fiction novel but largely based on the actual experience of those who stayed in Kigali during the genocide and sought refuge at the Hotel de Milles Collines. The latter is written by a journalist who compiled stories from survivors from all walks of life in Rwanda. The title is a direct quote from a letter written by terrified priests who were informed that they and the thousands of people seeking refuge in a church compound would be massacred the following morning.
The anguish and despair one might expect to see are invisible to the common tourist - but you know that it's there (one would be a fool to believe that the wounds have healed). Faces are bright and smiling - welcoming visitors with open arms. Welcoming international visitors is especially impressive - given the international community bears some significant responsibility for the atrocities before, during and after the genocide. It is arguable that it would not have happened if not for the interference and subsequent abandonement on the part of western countries.
In Kigali we had lunch at the Hotel Milles de Collines - the famous "Hotel Rwanda". It is currently under construction - probably to captialize on its new found international fame that the blockbuster movie brought (filmed in South Africa). We also visited the largest genocide memorial in the country - and intend to visit a few more. Our first night we stayed at a place called the "One Love Club". It is a non-profit organizaiton run by a Rastafarian man and his Japanese wife. All of the proceeds from the guesthouse, restaurant and shop go to making prosthetics for the the many amputees in Rwanda who often have to use sticks because there aren't enough prosthetic legs. The is also a workshop on the grounds where they are made. This was a very nice place - but too expensive for our budget. We went in search for something cheaper and quickly found out that price we paid was about the going rate. It was then that we decided to try "couchsurfing". Couchsurfing is an online international travellers network where people who have extra space offer it to travelers free of charge. We stayed for two nights in a great place right in the centre of Kigali with a Belgian guy who had a three bedroom house. All went well, except for the fact that he was crazy - and impossible to have a conversation with. C'est la vie.
From Kigali we went on to Volcanoes National Park where Mckinley saw the mountain gorillas. We are now in a beach/resort town called Gisenyi on Lake Kivu. We are a stones throw away from the Congo border and are trying to arrange a day trip to Goma.
There are two books on the genocide that I highly recommend: "A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali" and "We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will be Killed with our Families". The former is a fiction novel but largely based on the actual experience of those who stayed in Kigali during the genocide and sought refuge at the Hotel de Milles Collines. The latter is written by a journalist who compiled stories from survivors from all walks of life in Rwanda. The title is a direct quote from a letter written by terrified priests who were informed that they and the thousands of people seeking refuge in a church compound would be massacred the following morning.
The anguish and despair one might expect to see are invisible to the common tourist - but you know that it's there (one would be a fool to believe that the wounds have healed). Faces are bright and smiling - welcoming visitors with open arms. Welcoming international visitors is especially impressive - given the international community bears some significant responsibility for the atrocities before, during and after the genocide. It is arguable that it would not have happened if not for the interference and subsequent abandonement on the part of western countries.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Neglect, Foot in Mouth Disease, and the "Theroux Trip"
I realized shortly after writing my last blog entry that I neglected to mention both the flies and the ants - both of which had quite an impact on our safari experience. I meant no disrespect to the insecta class of species. On our second safari day, after observing elephants, zebras, giraffes etc. we somehow ended up far more fascinated by the activities of a large colony of ants just outside our banda. We carefully observed their movements while theorizing as to their purpose. There could have been a giraffe standing over our shoulder watching and we wouldn't have noticed. And the flies. How could I have forgotten the Tse Tse flies. They were relentless. They attacked us continuously drawing large amounts of blood and causing us to twitch uncontrollably. Often we had to make a tough choice between closing the windows sweating buckets and enduring sauna like temperatures, or sacrificing our skin and blood.
I have a severe case of Foot in Mouth Disease. If you remember my rant about the exaggerations of Paul Theroux in Dark Star Safari - well my foot is now firmly in my mouth. We left Kigoma at about 9:30 am on Tuesday and arrived in Mabanda, Berrundi at about 6:00pm having traveled an astounding 70 km. The minibus ride from a bus depot near Kigoma was a nightmare. Since it was only 50 km we expected a short ride. Not so. The engine kicked out the first time before we had even left the bus depot! We all piled back in (19 people, 8 children and tons of luggage) skeptical of this less than road worthy vehicle. I was "lucky" and got to sit in the front - in the middle next to the driver. I was sitting directly on top of the engine. My entire body was vibrating and I had to keep my teeth a safe distance apart to prevent them from chattering together and accidentally biting my tongue and cheeks. When we finally got on the road it was under construction. We knew that there would be some construction. There is an election coming up next year and fixing this road was a campaign promise so now it is a big priority (of course they just started). What we didn't know was that the entire road was under construction. How the entire length of a road can be torn up in mid construction with not a single portion of it finished or not yet torn up is beyond me. Not only that, but the road winds through an impressive mountain range - and our dala dala was incapable of making it up steep inclines without everyone piling out and walking up to meet it at the top. As you can imagine - driving through the mountains this happened many times. We actually didn't mind the stopping as much as the locals did, it gave us a chance to stretch our legs and snap a few photos of the beautiful landscape. At once point the engine would not start up for quite some time and I surveyed the area looking for a shelter to potentially spend the night under. The dust was incredible - we were covered in a layer of red clay dust that felt like and inch thick, in every crevice, and it feels like we are still breathing it. We finally arrived at our destination - the Berundi border - at about 4:30 pm. At the border we had the familiar problem of a long distance between leaving Tanzania and entering Berundi. We again ended up paying way too much for a taxi across the border and to the nearest town - Mabanda. We found a guest house in the town but there was no place to change money. Since we had no local currency, and a dubious grasp of the language, we didn't end up finding food. We sat in our room and ate cold beans from a can and protein bars. This after not having eaten since breakfast before this adventure began.
I have dubbed this (and any other travel experience worthy of aPaul Theroux description) a "Theroux Trip".
Luckily the Theroux Trip ended there. The following morning we took a bus the Bujumbura where we changed to a bus to Butare, Rwanda. The roads in Berundi and Rwanda are excellent and bus travel is very pleasant. An interesting thing at the border: plastic shopping bags are prohibited in Rwanda - they actually search all luggage and confiscate any plastic bags. Local merchants sell paper and reusable bags as an alternative. Good on ya Rwanda!
Will have more to write about Rwanda soon!
I have a severe case of Foot in Mouth Disease. If you remember my rant about the exaggerations of Paul Theroux in Dark Star Safari - well my foot is now firmly in my mouth. We left Kigoma at about 9:30 am on Tuesday and arrived in Mabanda, Berrundi at about 6:00pm having traveled an astounding 70 km. The minibus ride from a bus depot near Kigoma was a nightmare. Since it was only 50 km we expected a short ride. Not so. The engine kicked out the first time before we had even left the bus depot! We all piled back in (19 people, 8 children and tons of luggage) skeptical of this less than road worthy vehicle. I was "lucky" and got to sit in the front - in the middle next to the driver. I was sitting directly on top of the engine. My entire body was vibrating and I had to keep my teeth a safe distance apart to prevent them from chattering together and accidentally biting my tongue and cheeks. When we finally got on the road it was under construction. We knew that there would be some construction. There is an election coming up next year and fixing this road was a campaign promise so now it is a big priority (of course they just started). What we didn't know was that the entire road was under construction. How the entire length of a road can be torn up in mid construction with not a single portion of it finished or not yet torn up is beyond me. Not only that, but the road winds through an impressive mountain range - and our dala dala was incapable of making it up steep inclines without everyone piling out and walking up to meet it at the top. As you can imagine - driving through the mountains this happened many times. We actually didn't mind the stopping as much as the locals did, it gave us a chance to stretch our legs and snap a few photos of the beautiful landscape. At once point the engine would not start up for quite some time and I surveyed the area looking for a shelter to potentially spend the night under. The dust was incredible - we were covered in a layer of red clay dust that felt like and inch thick, in every crevice, and it feels like we are still breathing it. We finally arrived at our destination - the Berundi border - at about 4:30 pm. At the border we had the familiar problem of a long distance between leaving Tanzania and entering Berundi. We again ended up paying way too much for a taxi across the border and to the nearest town - Mabanda. We found a guest house in the town but there was no place to change money. Since we had no local currency, and a dubious grasp of the language, we didn't end up finding food. We sat in our room and ate cold beans from a can and protein bars. This after not having eaten since breakfast before this adventure began.
I have dubbed this (and any other travel experience worthy of aPaul Theroux description) a "Theroux Trip".
Luckily the Theroux Trip ended there. The following morning we took a bus the Bujumbura where we changed to a bus to Butare, Rwanda. The roads in Berundi and Rwanda are excellent and bus travel is very pleasant. An interesting thing at the border: plastic shopping bags are prohibited in Rwanda - they actually search all luggage and confiscate any plastic bags. Local merchants sell paper and reusable bags as an alternative. Good on ya Rwanda!
Will have more to write about Rwanda soon!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tanzania has something against us:(
At approximately 7 weeks in, there are two things that I can say without hesitation:
1) We have successfully made it 'off the beaten path'
and
2) African food sucks.
We knew we were 'off the beaten path' when we made it to a small town called Sumbawanga. We actually congratulated each other on this achievement. It was quite the breathe of fresh air. How did we know we were off the beaten path you say? The difference between this place and all others that we have been was immediately noticeable. We were the only white people in town. We walked around free of harassment from local merchants and men who saw us as a 'walking visa'. We walked the entire length of a market and nobody yelled anything at us! We had grown accustomed to hearing "mzungu! mzungu! mzungu!" pretty much everywhere we went. Mzungu means "white person" or "foreigner". Being a mzungu is like walking around wearing a big dollar sign costume. Another clue was that is was immediately more difficult to find people who could speak Engligh. As a result, our 'survival swahili' has improved quickly - but still pretty sad. We know how to count - and the most basic greetings and niceties. Most of the time we can successfully order food and purchase items in rudimentary swahili. Our favourite two phrases are "Nataka biya baridi sana tafadhali" and "Nataka kahawa na maziwa tafadhali".
Sumbawanga was just a transit stop for us. We stayed in a catholic guest house right beside the bus station so we could catch another bus the following morning to Mpanda. Mpanda was farther still from the beaten path. When we arrived at our guest house we were tired, filthy, hungry and thirsty. There was only one man there who was not interested in even attempting to converse with us. He was shy and possibly a little intimidated by us. We soon found out that there was no electricity and no running water. We had a precious 250mL of water left and some protein bars we had brought for emergencies. The following morning, a man speaking English came to the door and said "would you like a warm shower?". We nodded enthusiastically with a hint of desperation in our eyes. Our enthusiasm faded substantially when we found out that a 'warm shower' was a bucket of luke warm water in a cement room with a drain. This method of bathing is what we are now used to (nobody ever said travel in rural Africa is glamorous!). Of course it is not bad at all once you are used to it, it was really just our delusional expectations that caused the disappointment:)
Once we were bathed, fed, and washed our very dirty clothes, we started to get very excited about our safari. We met our guide (Hussein) and driver (Hamisi) in Mpanda (yes I am aware that a guide and a driver for just the two of us is a little excessive). We headed for Katavi National Park. Katavi is in western Tanzania - near lake Tanganyika. It is a very remote park that is seldom visited due to a lack of infrastructure for tourism. It spans 5000 square km with a combination of vast plains, lakes, rivers and lush rain forest. It is famous for it buffalo population, and it also so home to all those animals that people go on safaris to see (lion, giraffe, hippo, rhino, antelope, elephant, crocodile, and many others). We stayed in the park bandas near the central ranger post. We were not permitted to walk alone after dark as there are lions hunting in the area (doesn't sound scary but it actually was - for me anyway). We returned from breakfast one morning to 6 giraffes on our front lawn! We were the only tourists staying in the park. It was quite something to have this whole park to ourselves! The landscape was so quintessentially African that it felt like walking around in a post card. Acacia Trees, Baobab trees, endless plains in one direction and mountains studded with banana trees in another. That being said - I've decided I'm not so much of a safari person. Riding around in a land rover all day chasing animals can get boring really quickly(personally). I would much rather be at least walking or hiking (or diving!) and observing the animals in a less passive way. We searched high and low for simba - but never caught a glimpse - the guide said it was very rare not to see a lion:(. Three days was enough. Once we were finished our safari we made the long hard drive to Kigoma. Kigoma is notoriously difficult to get to by road. This road was easily the worst one we have seen yet, it's a miracle we made it with four tires in tact. Africans have funny perpsectives - "We Aficans - we are very good at keeping our roads natural". Luckily we were in a comfortable land rover rather than an overcrowded minibus! Although we did hit our heads on the roof a few times and concluded that rural African roads require a sports bra. There is no form of public transit that travels this road.
As an aside - If anyone reading has read Paul Theroux's "Dark Star Safari" and has not traveled Africa - be warned that he exaggerates everything in the book. The smells are not as rancid, the time delays are not as excessive, the dangers not as dire, the people not as lazy (particularly the women), and the roads are not as bad as he describes. This one particular road is the only one that is worthy of the description that he uses for virtually all the roads in Africa. The only thing that I can agree with him on is that the food sucks (I'll get back to that).
After reaching Kigoma we had about two days to do some errands and prepare for our venture to Gombe national park. By this time we are incredibly frustrated with our guide who has been increasingly dishonest and misleading. We are not happy customers. Anyhow - no sense in fretting about what's already done so we were happily anticipating seeing the chimps in Gombe. The day we were to leave for Gombe - I fell ill. Ended up barely leaving our room for two days:( This was bad for me (obviously) and also bad for McKinley who was stuck in a place where there is absolutely nothing to do.
We finally got off to Gombe a couple days later. The park is only accessible by boat - and takes about three hours to get there on a large passenger boat (lake taxi). Of course the lake taxi came with all the chaos we have come to expect on African public transport. We arrived in late afternoon just in time to have a glorious twilight swim in the mighty Lake Tanganyika. This lake is very similar to Lake Malawi with the amazing clean water and extraordinary fish population. It is also the 2nd deepest lake in the world (we asked our guide what the 1st deepest lake is - he didn't know). We watched a nice sunset over the mountains of the DR Congo.
We set out early the following morning. We went by the famous Gombe waterfall (profile pic) and hiked through thick rain forest in the mountains of the park. We had trouble finding chimps. They called in more rangers to look for the chimps so they could radio to us when they were found. We were there during a season where food was scarce so they weren't together in large communities - but rather split up to search for food. Eventually, after 5 straight hours of tough hiking, up, down and around the mountains - we gave up and headed back to camp:( As you can imagine - we were quite disappointed. On the way back we went by Jane Goodall's home (still there and occupied by a doctor studying baboons at the moment) and remarkably - there were chimps there! Just three of them - and they only stayed around for two or three minutes - but at least we didn't have to leave not having seen them at all.
Who would have guessed that after spending all the time, effort, and money on getting to these remote parks expecting a rugged and natural experience - we would leave disappointed. We had anticipated having issues with getting there (which we didn't) rather than being there.
And now on the to the food (did you think I'd never get there??). Another aspect of being off the beaten path is that there is no more western food around. We are cursing ourselves for complaining at the beginning of the trip about only being able to get western food. We have now realized that there is a very good reason that many Africans prefer western food. It's because African food sucks. (There is of course exceptions to this - there has been a few very tasty local dishes we have tried). The main problem is over reliance on starches, and a lack of options. One day on our safari we were served white bread and instant coffee for breakfast, white rice and boiled cabbage for lunch, and boiled potatoes for dinner. Oh - and a few slices of pineapple. This did not make for happy campers. The African staple - Chima/Nsima/Ugali (maize or cassava flour spongy stuff), is ok when it's served with some sort of sauce and preferably a meat and vegetable. But it gets old quickly. We have been eating dry, overcooked chicken or beef with rice, ugali or chips for EVERY meal. Very few vegetables or fruits:( We are soo sick of it. Some restaurants have a menu - but you must first ask "what do you have?" because generally they are out of everything but what's listed above.
So we have had a run of bad luck:( To be expected I guess. We have chalked it up to Tanzania having something against us and it should all be over once we leave the country - we leave tomorrow morning:)
Next on the agenda is Rwanda! Our spirits are high and looking forward to experiencing the remarkable turnaround that Rwanda has achieved since the brutal genocide in 1994. Till then - Kwa Heri!
1) We have successfully made it 'off the beaten path'
and
2) African food sucks.
We knew we were 'off the beaten path' when we made it to a small town called Sumbawanga. We actually congratulated each other on this achievement. It was quite the breathe of fresh air. How did we know we were off the beaten path you say? The difference between this place and all others that we have been was immediately noticeable. We were the only white people in town. We walked around free of harassment from local merchants and men who saw us as a 'walking visa'. We walked the entire length of a market and nobody yelled anything at us! We had grown accustomed to hearing "mzungu! mzungu! mzungu!" pretty much everywhere we went. Mzungu means "white person" or "foreigner". Being a mzungu is like walking around wearing a big dollar sign costume. Another clue was that is was immediately more difficult to find people who could speak Engligh. As a result, our 'survival swahili' has improved quickly - but still pretty sad. We know how to count - and the most basic greetings and niceties. Most of the time we can successfully order food and purchase items in rudimentary swahili. Our favourite two phrases are "Nataka biya baridi sana tafadhali" and "Nataka kahawa na maziwa tafadhali".
Sumbawanga was just a transit stop for us. We stayed in a catholic guest house right beside the bus station so we could catch another bus the following morning to Mpanda. Mpanda was farther still from the beaten path. When we arrived at our guest house we were tired, filthy, hungry and thirsty. There was only one man there who was not interested in even attempting to converse with us. He was shy and possibly a little intimidated by us. We soon found out that there was no electricity and no running water. We had a precious 250mL of water left and some protein bars we had brought for emergencies. The following morning, a man speaking English came to the door and said "would you like a warm shower?". We nodded enthusiastically with a hint of desperation in our eyes. Our enthusiasm faded substantially when we found out that a 'warm shower' was a bucket of luke warm water in a cement room with a drain. This method of bathing is what we are now used to (nobody ever said travel in rural Africa is glamorous!). Of course it is not bad at all once you are used to it, it was really just our delusional expectations that caused the disappointment:)
Once we were bathed, fed, and washed our very dirty clothes, we started to get very excited about our safari. We met our guide (Hussein) and driver (Hamisi) in Mpanda (yes I am aware that a guide and a driver for just the two of us is a little excessive). We headed for Katavi National Park. Katavi is in western Tanzania - near lake Tanganyika. It is a very remote park that is seldom visited due to a lack of infrastructure for tourism. It spans 5000 square km with a combination of vast plains, lakes, rivers and lush rain forest. It is famous for it buffalo population, and it also so home to all those animals that people go on safaris to see (lion, giraffe, hippo, rhino, antelope, elephant, crocodile, and many others). We stayed in the park bandas near the central ranger post. We were not permitted to walk alone after dark as there are lions hunting in the area (doesn't sound scary but it actually was - for me anyway). We returned from breakfast one morning to 6 giraffes on our front lawn! We were the only tourists staying in the park. It was quite something to have this whole park to ourselves! The landscape was so quintessentially African that it felt like walking around in a post card. Acacia Trees, Baobab trees, endless plains in one direction and mountains studded with banana trees in another. That being said - I've decided I'm not so much of a safari person. Riding around in a land rover all day chasing animals can get boring really quickly(personally). I would much rather be at least walking or hiking (or diving!) and observing the animals in a less passive way. We searched high and low for simba - but never caught a glimpse - the guide said it was very rare not to see a lion:(. Three days was enough. Once we were finished our safari we made the long hard drive to Kigoma. Kigoma is notoriously difficult to get to by road. This road was easily the worst one we have seen yet, it's a miracle we made it with four tires in tact. Africans have funny perpsectives - "We Aficans - we are very good at keeping our roads natural". Luckily we were in a comfortable land rover rather than an overcrowded minibus! Although we did hit our heads on the roof a few times and concluded that rural African roads require a sports bra. There is no form of public transit that travels this road.
As an aside - If anyone reading has read Paul Theroux's "Dark Star Safari" and has not traveled Africa - be warned that he exaggerates everything in the book. The smells are not as rancid, the time delays are not as excessive, the dangers not as dire, the people not as lazy (particularly the women), and the roads are not as bad as he describes. This one particular road is the only one that is worthy of the description that he uses for virtually all the roads in Africa. The only thing that I can agree with him on is that the food sucks (I'll get back to that).
After reaching Kigoma we had about two days to do some errands and prepare for our venture to Gombe national park. By this time we are incredibly frustrated with our guide who has been increasingly dishonest and misleading. We are not happy customers. Anyhow - no sense in fretting about what's already done so we were happily anticipating seeing the chimps in Gombe. The day we were to leave for Gombe - I fell ill. Ended up barely leaving our room for two days:( This was bad for me (obviously) and also bad for McKinley who was stuck in a place where there is absolutely nothing to do.
We finally got off to Gombe a couple days later. The park is only accessible by boat - and takes about three hours to get there on a large passenger boat (lake taxi). Of course the lake taxi came with all the chaos we have come to expect on African public transport. We arrived in late afternoon just in time to have a glorious twilight swim in the mighty Lake Tanganyika. This lake is very similar to Lake Malawi with the amazing clean water and extraordinary fish population. It is also the 2nd deepest lake in the world (we asked our guide what the 1st deepest lake is - he didn't know). We watched a nice sunset over the mountains of the DR Congo.
We set out early the following morning. We went by the famous Gombe waterfall (profile pic) and hiked through thick rain forest in the mountains of the park. We had trouble finding chimps. They called in more rangers to look for the chimps so they could radio to us when they were found. We were there during a season where food was scarce so they weren't together in large communities - but rather split up to search for food. Eventually, after 5 straight hours of tough hiking, up, down and around the mountains - we gave up and headed back to camp:( As you can imagine - we were quite disappointed. On the way back we went by Jane Goodall's home (still there and occupied by a doctor studying baboons at the moment) and remarkably - there were chimps there! Just three of them - and they only stayed around for two or three minutes - but at least we didn't have to leave not having seen them at all.
Who would have guessed that after spending all the time, effort, and money on getting to these remote parks expecting a rugged and natural experience - we would leave disappointed. We had anticipated having issues with getting there (which we didn't) rather than being there.
And now on the to the food (did you think I'd never get there??). Another aspect of being off the beaten path is that there is no more western food around. We are cursing ourselves for complaining at the beginning of the trip about only being able to get western food. We have now realized that there is a very good reason that many Africans prefer western food. It's because African food sucks. (There is of course exceptions to this - there has been a few very tasty local dishes we have tried). The main problem is over reliance on starches, and a lack of options. One day on our safari we were served white bread and instant coffee for breakfast, white rice and boiled cabbage for lunch, and boiled potatoes for dinner. Oh - and a few slices of pineapple. This did not make for happy campers. The African staple - Chima/Nsima/Ugali (maize or cassava flour spongy stuff), is ok when it's served with some sort of sauce and preferably a meat and vegetable. But it gets old quickly. We have been eating dry, overcooked chicken or beef with rice, ugali or chips for EVERY meal. Very few vegetables or fruits:( We are soo sick of it. Some restaurants have a menu - but you must first ask "what do you have?" because generally they are out of everything but what's listed above.
So we have had a run of bad luck:( To be expected I guess. We have chalked it up to Tanzania having something against us and it should all be over once we leave the country - we leave tomorrow morning:)
Next on the agenda is Rwanda! Our spirits are high and looking forward to experiencing the remarkable turnaround that Rwanda has achieved since the brutal genocide in 1994. Till then - Kwa Heri!
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