I was so busy posting about Great White Sharks, I forgot to mention what we've been up to in this stunning place. Cape Town itself is gorgeous. While I do understand Cape Town is its own city with a unique identity... it has the feeling of San Francisco, Seattle, Malibu and my preconceived notions of Sydney Australia(not that I've been there, lol) all wrapped up into one. Like Hong Kong and Singapore, multicultural lively places similar to our own cities of origin, Cape Town is one of those places I can just see us living in... not that we would move here of course. But it's comfortable, beautiful and fun.
We hit spectacular weather for Cape Town's June (until today, but technically we spent most of the day outside of the city, shark diving in the bay 2 hrs drive away). Our first day here we did the super touristy big red hop on/hop off bus. It was perfect. I can't wait to post pictures of the sights... Table Mountain, Camps Bay, Hout Bay (fish n chips, yah!) and the very lively waterfront area. Did you know we are nearly 17,000 km from Vancouver? As demonstrated by a sign on the pier (pictures to come later)
Yesterday we rented a car. I really thought it would be a good idea, until we started driving down narrow, twisty turvy roads on the LEFT side of the road. Poor Pete, I made him drive. muhahaha. He did great though and got us all the way down to Cape Point, which is where the Atlantic meets the Indian ocean. Naturally we saw many more fantastic sights that we will bore you with once we are home with good internet.
On another note, only 2 sleeps until we are homeward bound. Hard to believe. If it wasn't for our adorable puppy and our wonderful family and friends, I'm not sure we could stand to leave. We wish we could see more of South Africa. It has been a whirlwind of great people, good fun and many delicious meals.
Tomorrow we are off to the Stellenbosch area to do a wine tour... then we are splurging on a nice hotel and dinner called Spier which is part of the Spier winery. We hear it is awesome.
Much love. Spaghetti and Peteballs.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Jaws
I could have kicked myself when the alarm went off today at 5am. As the terribly annoying sound buzzed in my ear, I remembered that yesterday I signed up and PAID to do the things in life I hate most... getting up early to sit on a rocking boat while being cold and wet. Oh and did I mention the sharks? Yes, we were rising at the crack of dawn to swim with great white sharks...
This was Pete's idea.
As if the ferry ride in Tanzania didn't teach me a lesson, on a whim I decided that I would join Pete on his adventure into the deep. I thought about cancelling this morning at 5am until I rememered the look on his face when I agreed to go along. (complete satisfaction)I have afterall, been dragging him along on all of my safaris, so why not join the shark safari? I mean I did chicken out on the bungee jump.
There's not much else to say besides the fact that we were face to face with one of natures most feared creatures... the Great White Shark. Luckily they supplied masks, wetsuits, and most importantly a cage for us to bob along in.
Do I regret this decision? Not one bit. Pete was right. It was fun. You should see our photos.
This was Pete's idea.
As if the ferry ride in Tanzania didn't teach me a lesson, on a whim I decided that I would join Pete on his adventure into the deep. I thought about cancelling this morning at 5am until I rememered the look on his face when I agreed to go along. (complete satisfaction)I have afterall, been dragging him along on all of my safaris, so why not join the shark safari? I mean I did chicken out on the bungee jump.
There's not much else to say besides the fact that we were face to face with one of natures most feared creatures... the Great White Shark. Luckily they supplied masks, wetsuits, and most importantly a cage for us to bob along in.
Do I regret this decision? Not one bit. Pete was right. It was fun. You should see our photos.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
WEDDING PHOTOS
Our beautiful, lovely and very talented wedding photographer, Emily Perello has put up wedding photos on her website.
www.emilytakesphotos.com
go to client login.
password: ernie
The photos look amazing, but my internet connection is SO DAMN SLOW all the time, I can only see the little thumbnails.
Anyways, enjoy!
www.emilytakesphotos.com
go to client login.
password: ernie
The photos look amazing, but my internet connection is SO DAMN SLOW all the time, I can only see the little thumbnails.
Anyways, enjoy!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Botswana & Zimbabwe
In the past few days, we have been in 3 different countries... Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. It may sound like a lot, but there hasn't been much action besides our overnight trip/safari in Botswana.
Chobe National Park in Botswana is only an hour or so from Livingstone, Zambia so the day after Pete's big jump, we left first thing in the morning for an organized overnight safari. I don't recommend driving 70km/hour in an open air safari vehicle at 7am in the middle of winter. (ok, Zambian winter isn't quite Canadian winter, but it was still cold enough with the wind rushing by) Our first safari activity that day was a river cruise... we saw tons of wildlife, most of which we had seen on our past 2 safaris, but it never gets old.
Then it was lunchtime. My favorite time. I must say we haven't eaten that well since our own wedding. We were served a huge buffet lunch at a really nice hotel. Pete was wide eyed and proud watching me stuff my face. It was definitely the most I've eaten in a very long time (not that I've been hungry by any means on this trip, it was just so delicious)
After lunch, we hopped in the safari vehicle (hummed the customary Indiana Jones tune) and set off for an afternoon/evening game drive. We didn't see any lions or leopards but we saw lots of other things as well as huge packs of elephants. The sheer number of them traveling together was like nothing we had seen before. Not surprising, being that there are 70,000 elephants in the park. The best was watching them swim and cross the river all in a row. The highlight of the day happened at sunset when a lone giraffe came by for a drink. He spread his legs and awkwardly bent down that long neck to lap up the water. It was quite the silhouette and a picture perfect way to end the day.
We camped that night in a beautiful site just outside the park beside a waterhole. We drank red wine as we watched a family of elephants congregate at the waterhole. They had the most adorable baby with them who kept slipping down the embankment into the water.
The next morning, we got up early and headed straight for the Zimbabwe border. We checked out Mosi-o-Tunya once again, but this time from Zimbabwe. That night, we were spoiled at a restaurant that had yet another waterhole on it's premise, home to Sebastian the hippo. We were the only guests there and the South African chef let us bring our own delicious $5.00 bottle of wine as he whipped up his own amazing creations. Including cured impala, which tasted almost like proscuttio. We had steak wrapped in phylo that we dipped in a spicy coco sauce. Sounds weird, but it was an incredible meal. The chef was the owner of the place as well as our host and server for the evening (his staff was on their day off). The hospitality and three course meal made our night complete for a whopping $20usd.
Anyways, you are now up to speed on our travels for the most part. We are back in Zambia awaiting our flight to Cape Town tomorrow afternoon. It is hard to believe we will be home in a week.
Chobe National Park in Botswana is only an hour or so from Livingstone, Zambia so the day after Pete's big jump, we left first thing in the morning for an organized overnight safari. I don't recommend driving 70km/hour in an open air safari vehicle at 7am in the middle of winter. (ok, Zambian winter isn't quite Canadian winter, but it was still cold enough with the wind rushing by) Our first safari activity that day was a river cruise... we saw tons of wildlife, most of which we had seen on our past 2 safaris, but it never gets old.
Then it was lunchtime. My favorite time. I must say we haven't eaten that well since our own wedding. We were served a huge buffet lunch at a really nice hotel. Pete was wide eyed and proud watching me stuff my face. It was definitely the most I've eaten in a very long time (not that I've been hungry by any means on this trip, it was just so delicious)
After lunch, we hopped in the safari vehicle (hummed the customary Indiana Jones tune) and set off for an afternoon/evening game drive. We didn't see any lions or leopards but we saw lots of other things as well as huge packs of elephants. The sheer number of them traveling together was like nothing we had seen before. Not surprising, being that there are 70,000 elephants in the park. The best was watching them swim and cross the river all in a row. The highlight of the day happened at sunset when a lone giraffe came by for a drink. He spread his legs and awkwardly bent down that long neck to lap up the water. It was quite the silhouette and a picture perfect way to end the day.
We camped that night in a beautiful site just outside the park beside a waterhole. We drank red wine as we watched a family of elephants congregate at the waterhole. They had the most adorable baby with them who kept slipping down the embankment into the water.
The next morning, we got up early and headed straight for the Zimbabwe border. We checked out Mosi-o-Tunya once again, but this time from Zimbabwe. That night, we were spoiled at a restaurant that had yet another waterhole on it's premise, home to Sebastian the hippo. We were the only guests there and the South African chef let us bring our own delicious $5.00 bottle of wine as he whipped up his own amazing creations. Including cured impala, which tasted almost like proscuttio. We had steak wrapped in phylo that we dipped in a spicy coco sauce. Sounds weird, but it was an incredible meal. The chef was the owner of the place as well as our host and server for the evening (his staff was on their day off). The hospitality and three course meal made our night complete for a whopping $20usd.
Anyways, you are now up to speed on our travels for the most part. We are back in Zambia awaiting our flight to Cape Town tomorrow afternoon. It is hard to believe we will be home in a week.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
I told my husband to go jump off a bridge....
And he actually listened! Yes, on the 1 month anniversary of our wedding, Pete took yet another plunge. He threw himself 111 meters off of a 100 year old bridge that connects Zambia and Zimbabwe. Who knew I was such a nag?
Pete survived, and we are still happily married :) Besides stubbing his toe on the bridge to the point that it bled, swelled and turned black and blue... he is happy to have completed his first bungey jump with his eyes still in their sockets. Apparently it was such a head rush, he thought they would pop out of his head. There are still some popped blood vessels on his eyelids, but it is a small price to pay for such a feat!
Smoke That Thunders
As most of you have seen in the blog, we've experienced some interesting bus rides. After we left South Luangwa National Park, our next stop was Victoria Falls. Instead of 2 full days of busing with an overnight stop in Lusaka, we decided to bite the bullet and fly. As much as I hate to fly in countries outside Europe, the US and Canada, it seemed to be a much better option than another rickety bus.
We arrived in Livingstone on Sunday evening and Monday we went to see the infamous Victoria Falls. It was an incredible feeling to be standing across from the roaring waters as it literally drenched us with rain and mist. We stood next to strangers... and as I looked around, everyone had huge grins on their faces. It is a pity though that the falls are in fact named "Victoria Falls"... the orginal name is Mosi-o-Tunya, meaning, The Smoke that Thunders. A perfect discription for what we saw. You can actually see the mist rising from the earth about 2 kilometers before you even get to the waterfall itself. We spent hours gazing at the falls and finished the day off with traditional Zambian food for dinner.
We arrived in Livingstone on Sunday evening and Monday we went to see the infamous Victoria Falls. It was an incredible feeling to be standing across from the roaring waters as it literally drenched us with rain and mist. We stood next to strangers... and as I looked around, everyone had huge grins on their faces. It is a pity though that the falls are in fact named "Victoria Falls"... the orginal name is Mosi-o-Tunya, meaning, The Smoke that Thunders. A perfect discription for what we saw. You can actually see the mist rising from the earth about 2 kilometers before you even get to the waterfall itself. We spent hours gazing at the falls and finished the day off with traditional Zambian food for dinner.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
South Luangwa National Park, Eastern Zambia
This place is magic. From the moment we first arrived we could tell our 5 day safari would be something special. Here is a recount of the days we spent in the company of wild animals.
Day 1: Arrive at "Wildlife Camp" in a beautiful setting just above the Luangwa River. We had a great group... Pete and I, Frank from Germany and a couple from Brittany, France. After lunch we left for our first of many game drives. Right off the bat we spotted a pride of 3 female lions relaxing in the tall grass. From there we drove, umm, maybe 5 minutes... and to our surprise the guide stopped the car, pulled out a table and began pouring wine as the sun set over the park. We talked and mingled... outside of the vehicle. As it got dark, the other guide pulled out a giant spotlight. For nearly 2 hours (6pm when it gets dark until 8pm when we have to leave the park) we were surrounded by cats! We watched a leopard nearly take down impala (that is until a car came roaring by us with its lights on and scared the action off.) I had goosbumps as we drove through the middle of a pride of 17 lions surrounding our car. Something about a lion at night, is scarier than a lion in the daylight.
We arrived back at camp for a delicious 9:00 dinner. The action didn't stop there though. At about 3am... I looked out our tent window to see an elephant sneaking around in camp. And then we all heard it. Hooves trampling by in a full on sprint. Yes, I looked out the tent window just in time to see two hippos plowing by. Being woken up at 3am is not a pleasant feeling with a shot of adrenaline and a full bladder. From there on out, the hippos played a never ending game of marco polo in their big bellowing voices.
Day 2: 6am wakeup call for a morning game drive. We saw all kinds of lovely creatures, but no cats. However, we returned to camp a few hours later and found out that the hippos we heard were actually running from lions the night before. With that news, we set off for our walking safari a few hours later. The walking safari mostly consisted of looking at dung... giraffe dung, elephant dung, impala dung, anteater dung (a very rare dung to find--apparently) to name a few. Right up Pete's alley. We also walked amongst a family of giraffe... they just stood stiff and silent, staring at us and at that point, I wasn't sure who were the tourists. Us or them. We walked about 3 km to a different campsite, also overlooking the river just in time for another beautiful sunset washed down with a cold beer.
Day 3: Another 6am wakeup call and oatmeal for breakfast as we set off to walk back to our original camp. When I say camp, I must tell you that we had huge tents with beds in them and great showers/toilets and a pool. This was a welcome change from the mattresses on the ground at the Serengeti. That afternoon we went to the Chipembele Wildlife Education Centre and animal rehabiliation for orphan animals. Here is the website. www.chipembele.org I could go on about the awesomeness of this place, but I won't... this post is already too long. That night we woke up to the pleasure of elephants munching on the trees overhanging our tent.
Day 4: We spent all day in the South Luangwa National Park. We mostly saw an incredible amount of giraffe, buffalo, elephant, hippo, kudu, impala, various birds and pukus. We also saw the first wildebeest of the season our guide has seen in the park this year. The grand finale finished off with more lions at night, lurking past our car, stalking impala while a lone hopeful hyena looked on.
Day 5: On our final morning, we set off for a watering hole inhabited by tons of birds. Luckily they stayed in the distance and we ate a huge breakfast in peace. From there we set off for the airport for Victoria Falls......
Day 1: Arrive at "Wildlife Camp" in a beautiful setting just above the Luangwa River. We had a great group... Pete and I, Frank from Germany and a couple from Brittany, France. After lunch we left for our first of many game drives. Right off the bat we spotted a pride of 3 female lions relaxing in the tall grass. From there we drove, umm, maybe 5 minutes... and to our surprise the guide stopped the car, pulled out a table and began pouring wine as the sun set over the park. We talked and mingled... outside of the vehicle. As it got dark, the other guide pulled out a giant spotlight. For nearly 2 hours (6pm when it gets dark until 8pm when we have to leave the park) we were surrounded by cats! We watched a leopard nearly take down impala (that is until a car came roaring by us with its lights on and scared the action off.) I had goosbumps as we drove through the middle of a pride of 17 lions surrounding our car. Something about a lion at night, is scarier than a lion in the daylight.
We arrived back at camp for a delicious 9:00 dinner. The action didn't stop there though. At about 3am... I looked out our tent window to see an elephant sneaking around in camp. And then we all heard it. Hooves trampling by in a full on sprint. Yes, I looked out the tent window just in time to see two hippos plowing by. Being woken up at 3am is not a pleasant feeling with a shot of adrenaline and a full bladder. From there on out, the hippos played a never ending game of marco polo in their big bellowing voices.
Day 2: 6am wakeup call for a morning game drive. We saw all kinds of lovely creatures, but no cats. However, we returned to camp a few hours later and found out that the hippos we heard were actually running from lions the night before. With that news, we set off for our walking safari a few hours later. The walking safari mostly consisted of looking at dung... giraffe dung, elephant dung, impala dung, anteater dung (a very rare dung to find--apparently) to name a few. Right up Pete's alley. We also walked amongst a family of giraffe... they just stood stiff and silent, staring at us and at that point, I wasn't sure who were the tourists. Us or them. We walked about 3 km to a different campsite, also overlooking the river just in time for another beautiful sunset washed down with a cold beer.
Day 3: Another 6am wakeup call and oatmeal for breakfast as we set off to walk back to our original camp. When I say camp, I must tell you that we had huge tents with beds in them and great showers/toilets and a pool. This was a welcome change from the mattresses on the ground at the Serengeti. That afternoon we went to the Chipembele Wildlife Education Centre and animal rehabiliation for orphan animals. Here is the website. www.chipembele.org I could go on about the awesomeness of this place, but I won't... this post is already too long. That night we woke up to the pleasure of elephants munching on the trees overhanging our tent.
Day 4: We spent all day in the South Luangwa National Park. We mostly saw an incredible amount of giraffe, buffalo, elephant, hippo, kudu, impala, various birds and pukus. We also saw the first wildebeest of the season our guide has seen in the park this year. The grand finale finished off with more lions at night, lurking past our car, stalking impala while a lone hopeful hyena looked on.
Day 5: On our final morning, we set off for a watering hole inhabited by tons of birds. Luckily they stayed in the distance and we ate a huge breakfast in peace. From there we set off for the airport for Victoria Falls......
Monday, July 19, 2010
Ernestine
We are in Zambia and everything is wonderful. I don't have time to write much now.... BUT I wanted to post this hilariousness about our little pet, Ernie. She has been with her Uncle Dan since my parents are away as well. He has been taking good care of her, but she has been up to some mischief. Here is what Dan had to say in an email. It made me laugh out loud in the internet cafe.....
"Ernie is very good. She sometimes gets into stuff when she's left alone...like spreading sand for the barbecue all over the patio and de-stuffing the lounge chair pads. Tonight she disappeared, and I went down the hall and found her just standing on Mom and Dad's bed staring at me with a guilty look in her eye. The good news is she hasn't eaten any poo or vomited while I've been in charge! The past two nights in a row, Ernie has sneaked off to your room and hid under your bed. I think she misses her mama."
Thank you Dan. We love our dog.
More to come, right now we are off to Mosi oa Tunya (look it up) xoxo
"Ernie is very good. She sometimes gets into stuff when she's left alone...like spreading sand for the barbecue all over the patio and de-stuffing the lounge chair pads. Tonight she disappeared, and I went down the hall and found her just standing on Mom and Dad's bed staring at me with a guilty look in her eye. The good news is she hasn't eaten any poo or vomited while I've been in charge! The past two nights in a row, Ernie has sneaked off to your room and hid under your bed. I think she misses her mama."
Thank you Dan. We love our dog.
More to come, right now we are off to Mosi oa Tunya (look it up) xoxo
Monday, July 12, 2010
Side Story: Fred Sunset
We have encountered so many friendly people in Malawi, it is no surprise to us that the nickname for Malawi is the Warm Heart of Africa. There is one young gentleman who really struck a chord with us and totally embodies the Malawian spirit... his name... Fred Sunset.
We met Fred roadside in a town called Chitimba. Chitimba is the last stop before the big hill up to Livingstonia. Cars do not frequently go up and down the switchback road to Livingstonia because it takes so long and it is so steep and rocky. We were really having a great time playing with the local kids and learning a bit about Malawi, being that it was our first few hours in the country.
Fred was only 21 and really willing to talk about his life, his schooling and his religious beliefs with us. He was very helpful and as it grew darker, he stayed by our side and waited for our ride to come. We gave him a coca cola and our email address while he gave us his mailing address. We took some photos together and as we got in our car to the Mushroom Farm up the hill, we promised to send pictures and stay in touch assuming we would not see him again.
.... well.... the very next morning, there was a knock at our door. The guy working at the Mushroom Farm told us that we had a visitor named Fred, however, he was waiting just outside camp because it was not customary to let locals in. Pete went to see Fred, assuming he wanted some money to show us around town or something. Boy were we wrong. Fred had misplaced our contact info and wanted to be sure he had it. He also gave us a picture of him at his high school graduation and an old picture of his mom and dad... Marry and Hawkins.
Fred marched 10 km up a hill in slippers (his only shoes) to get our email address. And that my friends, is Malawian hospitality at its finest.
We met Fred roadside in a town called Chitimba. Chitimba is the last stop before the big hill up to Livingstonia. Cars do not frequently go up and down the switchback road to Livingstonia because it takes so long and it is so steep and rocky. We were really having a great time playing with the local kids and learning a bit about Malawi, being that it was our first few hours in the country.
Fred was only 21 and really willing to talk about his life, his schooling and his religious beliefs with us. He was very helpful and as it grew darker, he stayed by our side and waited for our ride to come. We gave him a coca cola and our email address while he gave us his mailing address. We took some photos together and as we got in our car to the Mushroom Farm up the hill, we promised to send pictures and stay in touch assuming we would not see him again.
.... well.... the very next morning, there was a knock at our door. The guy working at the Mushroom Farm told us that we had a visitor named Fred, however, he was waiting just outside camp because it was not customary to let locals in. Pete went to see Fred, assuming he wanted some money to show us around town or something. Boy were we wrong. Fred had misplaced our contact info and wanted to be sure he had it. He also gave us a picture of him at his high school graduation and an old picture of his mom and dad... Marry and Hawkins.
Fred marched 10 km up a hill in slippers (his only shoes) to get our email address. And that my friends, is Malawian hospitality at its finest.
Malawi in a Nutshell
To spare you the suspense of the rest of our long journey from Tanzania to Malawi, I will have you know that we did in fact make it to Livingstonia on July 4th. (Last year Damascus, this year Malawi. Keeping it interesting I suppose.) Once we crossed the border into Malawi, it only took us 2 shared taxis, 1 minibus and 1 car ride 10km up a very steep hill to Livingstonia... where we stayed at "The Mushroom Farm Camp". (see pic in previous post) We had a relaxing few days up there and met some great people, particularly two lovely Scottish gals. They were so great that we managed to spend the next 5 days with them.
From Livingstonia we treked on to Nkhata Bay. To get there was even faster... one mini bus and one shared taxi. The four of us (2 Scotts and Pete and I) squished into the back of the minibus with some live fish and some chickens. (stinky stanky) Our seat was most definitely not secured down to the floor of the minibus and the trunk door was held closed with ropes tied to the back wiper. I sat the whole way leaning forward and I made Pete keep his arm on the bags in fear the door would fly open... leaving 4 mazungu (white people) and all of our belongings flailing on the road. I can still picture it now.
The rest of the trip up until now has been pretty uneventful. We spent most of the time in cute guest houses in Nkhata Bay and Nkhotakota relaxing with other travelers. Of course, we have managed to attract lots of attention and strike up rather interesting conversations with the locals who are really genuine and kind.
Today we are in Lilongwe... gearing up for another border crossing. This time it should only take 2 minibuses to get to the border and then 1 minibus once we have reached the Zambian side.... thank goodness.
From Livingstonia we treked on to Nkhata Bay. To get there was even faster... one mini bus and one shared taxi. The four of us (2 Scotts and Pete and I) squished into the back of the minibus with some live fish and some chickens. (stinky stanky) Our seat was most definitely not secured down to the floor of the minibus and the trunk door was held closed with ropes tied to the back wiper. I sat the whole way leaning forward and I made Pete keep his arm on the bags in fear the door would fly open... leaving 4 mazungu (white people) and all of our belongings flailing on the road. I can still picture it now.
The rest of the trip up until now has been pretty uneventful. We spent most of the time in cute guest houses in Nkhata Bay and Nkhotakota relaxing with other travelers. Of course, we have managed to attract lots of attention and strike up rather interesting conversations with the locals who are really genuine and kind.
Today we are in Lilongwe... gearing up for another border crossing. This time it should only take 2 minibuses to get to the border and then 1 minibus once we have reached the Zambian side.... thank goodness.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Story Interruption in exchange for PICTURES!
This internet connection has pretty much exhausted me for the day. But I will put more entries up soon. In the meantime.... enjoy the photos! They are kind of backwards in order, but you get the point.
Waiting for the bus in Kalimajira a roadside town in Malawi. We make friends wherever we go.
Pete in Nkhotakota, Malawi... sporting his freshly scrubbed, very white XLT
In our room at the Mushroom Farm in Livingstonia, Malawi. You can't tell from this pic but the view was pretty spectacular, especially when it wasn't raining
Hellooooo Mrs. Giraffe! (Serengeti, Tanzania). Those big ears remind me of someone special back at home....
View over the Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania)... little did we know we would be wearing these same clothes for the next 4 days straight
Our first lion (of many) in the Serengeti
Cheetahs before we even entered the Serengeti National Park...onward
On the 4th of July, while the rest of you were probably getting ready to light fire works and celebrate, we woke up in Tunduma, Tanzania bound and determined to get to Livingstonia, Malawi. We knew it would take all day, but we were pretty sick of Tanzania after being constantly hassled and ripped off.
We never did see our friend Moses again, but the man who worked at the High Class Motel was very sweet and put us on a mini bus first thing that morning back to Mbeya (after breakfast of course). Let me just elaborate on minibuses for a minute here...... they are rattling, run down hunks of junk who's sole purpose is to fit as many people as uncomfortably as possible into them for the purpose of making a few extra cents. Naturally, we ended up in the back of one of those, sitting 5 across in a row that should only hold 4. We sat that out for two hours on the same road we had come from... back to Mbeya.
In Mbeya we hopped on another minibus, this time for Songwe, the border town with Malawi. This bus wasn't too bad despite that our bags were piled on our laps and we couldn't see in front of us. We ended up overpaying because we were out of Tanzanian shillings and the guy was a dink and didn't want to give us the proper exchange. All the passengers thought it was funny when he joked we were doing business on the "black market" ha ha. Very funny.
To our disappointment, that bus didn't take us very far and we had to get on ANOTHER bus after about 45 minutes. Worst one yet. Pete sat in a single seat in the front with all of our bags piled on top of him, while I was squished in a row for 4 that had 6 people in it. Somehow I was both kneeling and sitting at the same time. Luckily this only lasted for 1.5 hours and we ended up at the border.
We never did see our friend Moses again, but the man who worked at the High Class Motel was very sweet and put us on a mini bus first thing that morning back to Mbeya (after breakfast of course). Let me just elaborate on minibuses for a minute here...... they are rattling, run down hunks of junk who's sole purpose is to fit as many people as uncomfortably as possible into them for the purpose of making a few extra cents. Naturally, we ended up in the back of one of those, sitting 5 across in a row that should only hold 4. We sat that out for two hours on the same road we had come from... back to Mbeya.
In Mbeya we hopped on another minibus, this time for Songwe, the border town with Malawi. This bus wasn't too bad despite that our bags were piled on our laps and we couldn't see in front of us. We ended up overpaying because we were out of Tanzanian shillings and the guy was a dink and didn't want to give us the proper exchange. All the passengers thought it was funny when he joked we were doing business on the "black market" ha ha. Very funny.
To our disappointment, that bus didn't take us very far and we had to get on ANOTHER bus after about 45 minutes. Worst one yet. Pete sat in a single seat in the front with all of our bags piled on top of him, while I was squished in a row for 4 that had 6 people in it. Somehow I was both kneeling and sitting at the same time. Luckily this only lasted for 1.5 hours and we ended up at the border.
Just when you think it can't get worse... it does...
Today we have a somewhat decent internet connection so I am very determined to update the rest of our travels up til now. I am feeling a bit sassy and sarcastic as a result of the cockroach I apprently slept with last night. (Pete found it on the bed this morning, blarg)
Anyways... July 2, 2010. After the miserable ferry ride from Zanzibar, we checked into a decent hotel and bought bus tickets to Mbeya, Tanzania near the Malawian border. No need to get into the chaotic details of actually purchasing the tickets, but we ended up on the "Falcon Bus" instead of the Sumry coach that we were told was the best company. At 5 am July 3, we headed out to catch our bus to Mbeya. The bus company said it would take nine hours, while the guide book said 12 hours, so we were guessing somewhere in between. Many travellers we spoke with referred to Tanzanian buses as kamikazes. I was nervouse and just kept telling myself that I didn't care how long it took, as long as we got there in one piece. Well, I should have eaten those words.
We got on the bus. Our seats were in the very back, 5 across and real cozy (riiiiight-- my bum was numb after about 20 minutes). There were bugs crawling out of the upholstry by the window and we sat in the station for 1.5 hours before we actually left. When we finally did leave, the ride was pleasant enough. We went from seeing the Maasai people herding cattle and gathering fire wood along the road to passing giraffes and gazelle in the distance.
We stopped once to pee.
About 14 hours later, as the sun began to set, we noticed that we were entering Mbeya. We stopped a few times to let the locals off and once to fuel up. Pete and I kept waiting to pull into the Mbeya bus station as we had pulled into every other bus station in every other town along the way... which is why it took so long to get anywhere. Unfortunately, the bus never stopped in a station and pretty soon we found ourselves plowing along the open road again. This time in the pitch black. I had heard to avoid riding Tanzanian buses in the dark and we were both, cold hungry and pretty nervous.
There was one nice man on the Falcon bus who had spoken to us at the pit stop, so Pete stumbled up to him in the dark to find out where in fact we were headed. We had missed our stop in Mbeya (no one told us to get off even though the bus employee had written it down) and in 2 hours time, we would be in Tunduma, Tanzania. The border town with Zambia. ZAMBIA! We weren't going there. At this point, my mind began to race, and my heart was pounding. A bus to a border town in the dark.
The good Catholic girl in me said a few prayers and sure enough, despite the excessive speed and rattling bus, we made it to Tunduma. Our little friend helped us off the bus with our belongings and introduced himself. His name was Moses.
He checked us into the "High Class Motel" where we were safe and warm after 16 hours on the bus. Despite the bar, the roaring bass and World Cup game being broadcast outside our window, we were happy to be somewhere. And tomorrow was another day.
Anyways... July 2, 2010. After the miserable ferry ride from Zanzibar, we checked into a decent hotel and bought bus tickets to Mbeya, Tanzania near the Malawian border. No need to get into the chaotic details of actually purchasing the tickets, but we ended up on the "Falcon Bus" instead of the Sumry coach that we were told was the best company. At 5 am July 3, we headed out to catch our bus to Mbeya. The bus company said it would take nine hours, while the guide book said 12 hours, so we were guessing somewhere in between. Many travellers we spoke with referred to Tanzanian buses as kamikazes. I was nervouse and just kept telling myself that I didn't care how long it took, as long as we got there in one piece. Well, I should have eaten those words.
We got on the bus. Our seats were in the very back, 5 across and real cozy (riiiiight-- my bum was numb after about 20 minutes). There were bugs crawling out of the upholstry by the window and we sat in the station for 1.5 hours before we actually left. When we finally did leave, the ride was pleasant enough. We went from seeing the Maasai people herding cattle and gathering fire wood along the road to passing giraffes and gazelle in the distance.
We stopped once to pee.
About 14 hours later, as the sun began to set, we noticed that we were entering Mbeya. We stopped a few times to let the locals off and once to fuel up. Pete and I kept waiting to pull into the Mbeya bus station as we had pulled into every other bus station in every other town along the way... which is why it took so long to get anywhere. Unfortunately, the bus never stopped in a station and pretty soon we found ourselves plowing along the open road again. This time in the pitch black. I had heard to avoid riding Tanzanian buses in the dark and we were both, cold hungry and pretty nervous.
There was one nice man on the Falcon bus who had spoken to us at the pit stop, so Pete stumbled up to him in the dark to find out where in fact we were headed. We had missed our stop in Mbeya (no one told us to get off even though the bus employee had written it down) and in 2 hours time, we would be in Tunduma, Tanzania. The border town with Zambia. ZAMBIA! We weren't going there. At this point, my mind began to race, and my heart was pounding. A bus to a border town in the dark.
The good Catholic girl in me said a few prayers and sure enough, despite the excessive speed and rattling bus, we made it to Tunduma. Our little friend helped us off the bus with our belongings and introduced himself. His name was Moses.
He checked us into the "High Class Motel" where we were safe and warm after 16 hours on the bus. Despite the bar, the roaring bass and World Cup game being broadcast outside our window, we were happy to be somewhere. And tomorrow was another day.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Ferry Crossing
The flight to Zanzibar was all fine and good, but to get back to the mainland we had to take a boat, which is a story in itself.
It was actually a really nice boat. Modern. Air conditioned. Plenty of seats. Movies playing. We got cozy near the front, so we could keep an eye on our bags that were stacked up along the front railing with all the other bags. Just as the boat disembarked and we left the lovely architecture of Zanzibar behind, the crew started passing out thick, black and rather industrial looking plastic bags with the words "seasick bag" imprinted boldly on the front. OMG. The thought hadn't crossed my mind.
Within 10 minutes of leaving the port, the swells grew and it seemed that the bigger the swell, the louder the children cheered with excitement. Five minutes more, the children quieted and settled in to watch Mr. Bean on the tv. Five more minutes... I heard it, the first of many hurls that would echo through the boat that afternoon. I was bound and determined not to be sick. I planted myself in my seat, half squatting/half sitting fighting to keep the horizon in my line of vision out the side window.
The swells got bigger and bigger and the boat thrashed along. I looked around. Big mistake. The Australian girls next to me where all face down buried in their black bags. Glance to the right, the mother and son next to Pete in the same position. OMG, another hurling sound from the back. Plug ears. Tears. Focus on horizon. Will not be sick.
Pete, iron stomach held my hand as I assured him we would surely die or our luggage was going overboard from the sheer size of these waves. For 1.5 hours I fought, I fought hard. I don't know what it was... maybe a combination of the body odor, Mr. Bean eating oysters on tv, the wretched sounds of wretching, the smell of vomit or the fact that I could no longer spot the horizon, but I too joined the masses. Gave in and used my black bag.
But we (bags included) made it to Dar Es Salaam where I could have kissed the ground we walked on.
Zanzibar
Flying to Zanzibar was probably more exciting than the experience on the island itself. The flight took us right past mount Kilimanjaro and over the reefs and turquoise waters as we landed. When we got off the island it was warm and humid... a welcome change from cool, rainy Arusha. We spent one night in the main town, "Stone Town" where we filled up on Zanzibar Pizza. Quite different from pizza back home, although still extremely greasy and delicious and fried to order right before your eyes.
The next day we took a spice tour and learned about all the various things grown on the island. We also filled up on all kinds of new fruits and rice. From there we carried on up to Kendwa beach in the northern part of the island. The beach was beautiful and the water was crystal blue but it was overcast and windy. We spent one day relaxing on the beach and chatting with a couple we met on the flight over beers and dinner. The next day we decided to head out of town and catch an extra day somewhere else on our trip. Had we known what adventures lay before us... we might still be sitting on that windy beach.
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