How Low Can You Go?

Low tide in Zanzibar means LOW tide! Today, Julie and I walked out at least a quarter of a mile, and the water was only at our ankles -- it was absolutely amazing!

The sand is incredibly white, and we had a cloudy day, so looking out at the beach was kinda like staring at a photo of the moon -- the light sand went out almost to the horizon line, and then the huge white/grey/blue sky met it and carried a similar color palate on up as far as the eye could see. It was captivatingly beautiful and eerie all at the same time.

Tomorrow we go snorkeling...during high tide!

Mere & Julie

The Spice Girls Take On Bohemian Rhapsody!

Fun fact about Zanzibar: this is the birthplace of Freddy Mercury! So appropriately, Julie & I went to "Mercury's" for dinner last night. The restaurant has an incredible beach front location in Stone Town, and great atmosphere. They weren't playing Queen though...bummer. I ordered the "Freddy's Favorite" salad, and there wasn't much to it...perhaps that's why he was so skinny...

This morning, we took a Spice Tour, and had THE BEST time! It was incredibly interesting to see all the spices we know & love growing in their natural form. Our guide was very informative, and spoke great English (Jules & I were the only two on his tour), and with him was an apprentice who was probably no more than 12 year old, and he'd climb barefoot up these tall trees & plants to bring us down fresh fruit, berries, leaves, etc. He was also constantly weaving leaves and making things for us. By the end of the tour we were holding woven purses with samples of every natural spice & fruit we'd passed (22 in total -- I was taking notes :)), we had woven grass rings on our fingers, casava leaf necklaces, frog shaped necklaces from more woven grass and stomachs full of the fresh fruits and spices the island is so famous for! It was fun to test ourselves as well. Before sampling any spices or fruits, they'd tear off a leaf, and crumple it up and ask us to smell it and guess what spice or plant we were looking at. I think we got about 50% right!

Our favorites were probably the island's "King" and "Queen" spices. King is the clove, and it's just so aromatic and lovely. Queen is cinnamon, and they use her leaves (in teas), her bark (they curl off strips and it dries into the sticks we buy from the grocery), and the root is a natural form of Vic's vapor rub (no joke -- they dug up a root and cut into it, and smelling it was just like inhaling Vic's!). Such a great tour!

Mere & Julie

The WILD LIFE!

I don't even know where to begin with all the animal viewing we've had over the past week! WOW! We did three major game drives: Lake Manyara, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater. All were absolutely amazing, and we were closer to wild game than we ever thought possible!

In Lake Manyara, the stand out were the elephants. It was a somewhat rainy day, and a herd of elephants had just enjoyed sloppy mud baths when our truck found them. They proceeded to surround our vehicle, and we had huge, muddy beasts on all sides, close enough to touch! It was incredible! We sat there with the engine off for quite a while. There were younger ones playing around and butting into each other, and older ones slurping up puddle water in their trunks to take a drink. All of them watching us, as we watched them. Amazing!

In the Serengeti, the hightlights would have to be the lions and the Wildabeast migration. We saw several prides/groups of lion throughout the day, and some extremely close! My favoriate would have to be a couple (one male, one female), who were lying right in the road. The male sat up and took in our scent, which allowed for great shots of his long teeth (lions smell through their mouth). It was fantastic! Another highlight is the female we saw up in a tree. She had her hind legs strattling the large branch she was on...her legs were just hanging in the breeze on either side of it -- it was so funny looking! Anyway, lots of great shots, and I can't believe we were so close to lion. The wildabeast migration was also something quite amazing! Wildabeast in the Serengeti make an annual trek between Tanazania & Kenya. Right now, they're returning to the Serengeti, and we saw literally thousands of the animals at a time with every glance in their direction. Once, their path even overtook our road, so we were part of the migration -- amazing! The zebra also join them on the trip, so we saw plenty of zebra mixing with the herds.

In Ngorongoro crater, the highlight is probably a toss up between the black rhino we saw (they didn't do anything but eat grass, but they're very rare, so it was a treat!), the cheetah (there were two at a distance, but even at a distance, they look so regal and sheek -- just beautiful), and then, the hippo (simply because we saw some of them get out of the water and move around -- every other hippo we'd only seen from the eyeballs up as they soaked the rest of their bodies under water).

Anyway, the game drives were an unbelievable success, and we also saw tons of giraffe, warthogs, gazelles, impala, topi, beautiful birds, and so much else! Can't wait to be able to upload photos!

Mere & Julie

Wake Up Knock!

So I landed in Tanzania & met up with Julie Ita, one of my old roommates from FSU! What a riot to be here in Africa with her! We've had a great trip thus far, but have been in remote areas of Tanzania -- no Internet access. In fact, most of our hotels, while plush & comfortable, haven't even had phones in the rooms -- no wires run to the Serengeti! :) And given neither of us brought an alarm clock, we got into the habit of registreing our rooms for early morning "wake up knocks!" That, right -- hotel staff will come and knock on our door to wake us for the day!

Another fun adventure in the remote hotels is leaving the main area for the night, and seeing whether or not an armed security guard jumps out to escort us to our room. Not to ward off hooligans, but rather wild game! Last night, on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, we asked our guard if it was baboon (we'd seen many on the hotel property). He replied No, and walked us over a few feet to show us the incredibly large African Buffalo who'd decided to sleep on the lawn for the night (we tried to take photos, but it was too dark!). Always an adventure here in Tanzania!

Right now we're in lovely Zanzibar! Can't wait for the three days of beach activity ahead! Also, tomorrow we take a spice tour -- Allie & Bella -- I'll be thinking of you gals when I see the Cardamom growing!!!

Mere & Julie

PS -- Happy Belated Thanksgiving to all! And, rats about the FSU v. UF score, but thanks to Charley Barley for texting the final numbers through -- it was wild to have the immediate updates coming to us in Ngorongoro Crater!

Musical Chairs

How do you get 19 20-year-olds to 60-year-olds to act like third graders? You pull up with four Safari trucks and try to assign them to vehicles for the six days of safari travel ahead!

First, there was the Dutch couple who paid extra to have their own vehicle...they apparently extended this concept to the hotels where one night they refused to let a lovely British couple sit with them even though the empty seats at their table for four were the only open seats in the restaurant!

And then there was the young, spoiled, annoying American couple (no -- not me & Julie :)), and they insisted on traveling in the same truck with the young Australian couple on their honeymoon, who frankly, probably would have enjoyed some alone time!

Then, there was the other Dutch couple (in their 50s), who hated the four Germans they were assigned to a truck with. These Dutch tried at every turn to switch places and get into a new truck. At one point, the American/Aussie's truck broke down on the Ngorongoro Crater floor. After all the mechanics tried unsuccessfully to fix the engine, the drivers announced the passengers would have to switch into other trucks. Immediately, the Dutch couple grabbed their packs and began to move vehicles, but theirs wasn't the broken truck, and the drivers, once again, had to put a stop to it!

Next, we had the two young German girls who were annoyed about being in a truck with four much older people. Aaargh!! It was all the funniest display of grade school behavior I've seen in a long time, but then again, that's easy for me to say, because Julie and I lucked out! Our truck had only 5 passengers. The two of us, and then a 33-year old Dutch woman who was traveling alone and spoke perfect English, and the wonderful British newlyweds, Susannah & Dom, who are also in their early thirties, and were so much fun! Our driver was great too -- Mudi is his name. He was such a pro at ensuring we saw all the wild life up close -- there was no shame in his game when it came to positioining our truck for optimal viweing & photo taking!

Funny stuff!
Mere

A Few Things I've Learned/Noticed...

1. The Jungle Book is based on the author's time spent on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe
2. Vultures have amazing eyesight. Many tribes even believe they can see into the future, and for this reason, tribal witch doctors will sometimes use vulture eyes in their potions, hoping this will enable them to see into the future - yuck!
3. Rhinos have horrible eyesight, and it deteriorates with age. For this reason, young rhino often stay with their parents longer than other animals.
4. Grilled warthog tastes too gamey for my liking.
5. Grilled kudu (deer/antelope type animal) is quite delicious.
6. Tribal singing groups are amazing -- beautifully harmonized voices, rapid drum beats, energetic dancing -- so much fun to watch.
7. Cane Spirit is a crummy substitute for vodka.
8. A sunny day in Vic Falls is positively sweltering -- so incredibly hot & humid!
9. "How's it" is a common greeting in Southern Africa, and I've decided to make it my stand by.
10. I lost $15,000 in a casino two nights ago -- thankfully that's Zim Dollars (only about $10 USD).
11. While an effective bug deterrent, deet will melt the plastic on flip flops and wreck the paint job of a pedicure!
12. Dumi (do-me), the name of our Overlanding truck driver, lends itself far too easily to inappropriate & sophomoric jokes.
13. If you kill a bug in front of a super outdoorsy person, they may take offense.
14. Several long stretches of Vic Falls had no railings at all -- you can stand on the very edge of a frightening vertical drop down to the mighty Zambezi!
15. It's common for an African to speak 5+ languages -- usually English, and several tribal languages.
16. With the mist at the falls, and the bright sun above, Victoria Falls National Park is filled with rainbows everywhere you look!
17. I had time to think up this list on my 5 hour delay in the Vic Falls airport earlier today.
18. I'm now back in Joberg for the night. Will fly over to Tanzania tomorrow and meet Julie in the Kilimanjaro airport!

Mere

The Gift of Gift

I have to tell you all about the most amazing African I've met to date. His name is Gift, and he was the cook on my Joberg to Vic Falls Overlanding tour. Gift is the happiest most joy-filled person I've ever met, and I learned a lot by the example he sets every minute of every day.

Getting to know Gift over the many days we were on the truck with him, I learned he's not really a cook at all. He's a welder who used to build trucks like the one we were on. With things getting dicier and dicier politically & economically in Zimbabwe, however, the company he was working for closed up shop this past August. The owner wanted to help find Gift a new job, and being in the Overlanding circles, he was able to hook Gift up with a job offer for a cook. Gift didn't know anything about cooking, but with unemployment rates so high and continuing to climb, he happily accepted the post. It's lower paying, and means he's on the road 100% of the time, so it can't be considered a step in the right direcltion for him career-wise, but you would never know any of this given his attitude. He approached his cooking responsibilities with such pleasure (and the food was good too -- for which we credit his mom & wife who he must have been picking things up from over the years!).

So since August Gift has been on the road. Once a month he passes through Zimbabwe on one tour or another, and his wife will take up to a 9 hour bus ride from their home in Harrare to see him for one night. He has two sons at home, and he misses them terribly, but again, you'd only find this out by asking direct questions. And even then, he speaks happily about his responsibility to provide for his family and about the opportunity to have a job.

Talking to our tour leader, we learned Gift made $50 USD for being the cook on our 12 day tour. That's 12 days of being at work 24/7 for $50 USD! She also told us he sends every bit of it home where it supports not only his wife and sons, but also his wife's parents and his parents. WOW! Made me feel so guilty about all the times Gift watched us quickly throw decent amounts of money to waitresses, bar tenders and the like. But then again, Gift doesn't begrudge his place in life. He is totally content with the joy he gets from his family, his church, his health....all the things I seem to find it so easy to take for granted!

And then there's just the fun of being near Gift. He's as skinny as a bean pole with a huge, bright white toothy grin. He dances like Bill Cosby and has the best laugh you've ever heard. He teases everyone, gives people nick names, and cracks a great joke every now & then.

So tonight, I'll say a prayer of thanks for the gift of Gift.

Mere

The Last Supper

So it's done! My Overlanding tour wraps up here in Victoria Falls. We have one final dinner tonight. Then, in the morning, everyone will go their separate ways.

I have mixed feelings about it. Part of me is ready to get over to East Africa and join the next tour (where Julie Ita, a friend from FSU, is meeting up with me - YEA!). But part of me feels tied to the big yellow truck & all the crazy characters who've called it home for the last two weeks.

I think mostly, I'm proud of myself for finding my "inner camper." It's been empowering to discover how little I really need to get by (mind you, my huge red duffel bag (thank you Indri!) is the largest piece of luggage on the truck!).

I have one more Overlanding trip planned for Africa -- taking off from Cape Town in early January, and I'm already looking forward to it. I definitely plan to do more of this type of travel in the coming years -- bugs and all. Who's coming with me????

Mere

Cross it Off the List!

Being one of the seven natural wonders of the world, Victoria Falls has long been on my list of places to see. And it totally lived up to the hype.

Vic Falls are on the mighty Zambezi river here in Zimbabwe. They are the widest grouping of large falls in the world. Locals call the place, "the smoke that thunders" because a large cloud of mist hovers above the falls at all times, and from a distance it resembles a cloud of white smoke. And of course, "thunder" refers to the awesome roar of the crashing water.

We're actually here at low water time, so the falls aren't flowing at full capacity -- best time of year is Spring (Apr - Jun). It's incredible to imagine how much more exciting and powerful the falls must be then. And I can't even imagine how much wetter you must get when you view them at that time of year. Yesterday the spray & mist were so strong it was like we were taking a shower at some of the viewing points! All in all, I absolutely loved this stop, and I can't wait to share photos (once again, no photo uploading on the Commodore 64 I'm writing this post from!).

Mere

Sorry Montana...

...but Africa is the real "Big Sky Country." I don't know what it is, and I know this sounds silly, but the sky looks bigger over here. And not just bigger, but brighter too - I've seen every shade of blue. And the clouds are fantastic -- very fluffy and so bright white. I can seriously sit and look at the sky for ages. The night sky is amazing too -- so, so, so many stars. And not just up above. The stars stretch from the lowest horizon in one direction, up & over to the lowest horizon in the opposite direction. It's incredible!

The posted photo shows a rain cloud dumping a wall of water on the distant plain, and I snapped it from the truck as Toto's "I Watched the Rains Down in Africa" was playing on the radio - no joke! Isn't it great when the universe lines up like that for you?!

Mere

Jurrasic Park is Real!!!!!

It's called Antelope Park, and instead of dinosaurs, it's all about lions, elephants, and the like. It's in Zimbabwe, and is seriously one of the most amazing places I've seen. It's beautiful, well managed (lots of people running around in official looking khaki safari outfits with walkie talkies), had a central dining center with a great porch for everyone to hang out at, had several camp sites, and each group of visitors was assigned a guide to take us around to any & all of the amazing activities they offer. I swear Newman (Wayne Knight) is hidden away in a bunker somewhere running the computer systems! :)

The park's primary mission is to repopulate the lion population in Africa. They currently have 32 lions on site, and they breed them, and then raise the young to be released in the wild. While on site, however, the lions are taught that their trainers are dominant, so they are somewhat accustomed to human interaction, and we were able to get insanely up close & personal with them!

My first activity was Cub Viewing where we got to go into a pin with three cubs from a litter -- two girls and a boy. They were two months & three weeks old, and absolutely adorable. Also, surprisingly, already quite strong -- their impressive claws & paws were my favorite part!

Next up for me was a Lion Walk -- insane! We headed out on foot with three older lions -- again, two girls and a boy. They were 18 months old, and already so big! We got to pet them, sit with them, walk along next to them stroking their back, it was amazing! My favorite part (perhaps f the entire park) was the sounds they make. They have the deepest, most serious gutteral roars and purrs. I als loved looking at their teeth when they yawned!

I did a few other activities on site -- a crazy carriage ride into the bush to look at animals (think booze cruise, but on land in a carriage pulled by four mules), and a trip to see the biggest lions on property and learn about the mating process. These lions were full grown and fantastically handsome. We could not enter their pens -- while they are accustomed to their trainers and wouldn't mean to harm them intentionally, their size and strength would be deadly if they began to play around.

Bottom line, anyone who comes to Southern Africa should plan to fit in a few nights at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe. It's simply incredible.

ROAR!
Mere

Truck Stops

Wow! I've seen sooo much amazing stuff since Kruger that I'll never do it all justice here, but here are some toplines:

Blyde River Canyon -- This is an awesomely beautiful spot of earth. Much smaller, and more green than the Grand Canyon. And it had some AMAZING slot canyons -- an area called "The Potholes" (photo at top right) where two rivers meet & swirl (the rivers of Saddness and Happiness). We washed our feet in the River of Saddness to wash all the saddness out of our lives. Another amazing spot in Blyde is called "God's Window." The views from this spot are the local's idea of heaven (photo at top left!).

Great Zimbabwe Ruins -- This spot has the biggest ruins of the Shona tribal people. The Great ruins are believed to have been a social and religious center. The tour was fairly interesting, but honestly, being in Peru's Sacred Valley of the Inca and seeing Machu Picchu last year spoiled me in the ruins department. The Shona ruins weren't nearly as impressive or well-preserved. And the camp site was outrageously primitive -- this was the first day that I did not shower at all -- would've felt dirtier afterwards, I'm sure.

Antelope Park -- After the ruins, we went to Antelope Park in Zimbabwe where we stayed for two nights. This is the spot where we saw "The Others," and it was so amazing, it's worthy of it's own post!

Bulawayo -- After Antelope Park, we ventured to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, where I am now. We did a "Walking with Rhinos" excursion this morning. Got very close (on foot!) to several white rhinos, which was very cool. Again, great photos, but will have to hope for better computers at the next stop so I can share them!

Tomorrow we drive to Victoria Falls!!

Mere

The Others

So we were recently at a camp with other Overlanding trucks there at the same time. It was VERY interesting comparing notes between trucks. One thing I noticed right off the bat is that all the tours seemed pretty female-heavy (not as much as ours, but still the ratio was off center).

The truck parked next to ours immediately earned the nickname "Tofu Crew." When we arrived the entire group was in the middle of a massive yoga, stretching, aerobics class on the main lawn. And the exercise continued. They rose early, and went for jogs around the property, had their afternoon yoga/aerobics class, played volleyball games, etc. Anything and everything to put on a new sports bra! :)

The truck on the other side of the Tofu Crew was aptly named the "Family Reunion Tour." Their days were scheduled to the minute, and any downtime between park activities was filled with sack races, egg tosses, wheelbarrow races, and the like.

A thrid truck arrived on our second night at this camp, and they were the "Animal House Truck." They stayed up impressively late, drank very heavily, sang kareoke, and wore really skimpy outfits. (When I was doing research to find my tour, I did come across a safari4singles.com site... I have to wonder if this was them!) Hmmmm.....

And then there's us. Us. I'm not quite sure how I'd describe us. We're a motely crew, no doubt. We have all ages (the four Aussies in their sixties, down to a 20-year old girl), and that definitely adds to the dynamic. We eat a lot, and our cook is definitely not watching the oil, mayo or butter. The drinks cooler is always a top prioirty to unload whenever the truck stops, but no one parties outrageously hard. And it takes a lot to get the occasional game going (I led charrades last night), and there are always a lot of people who sit out. We do sleep a lot -- everyone seems to hit the hay by 9:30 or so, and when given the chance, we'll sleep in too!

I think I'd be most happy on a tour that combined a touch of Tufu with a pinch of Family Reunion, and threw in a little Animal House here and there, but such is life, and the trucks roll on!

Mere

The Overlanders

So...it's now day 8 of my 11 day Overlanding trip. I had no idea I had such the camper in me. Last night I had the option of upgrading to a dorm room for $1 USD, and I declined and chose to stay in my tent instead! Who knew?!

In addition to the many amazing sites (which I'll cover in another post), I've gotten to know some amazing fellow travelers. And one of the most shocking things I've learned is that my 3 month trek is child's play. Many of the folks on my truck are on 6, 8, 10 month trips -- no joke! Given my new penchant for camping, I kinda wish I'd planned to spend more of my time here in tents -- it's so much cheaper, I could've stretched my 3 months much further!

One example, Nora, a Brit in her late thirties who for the past five years has spent 6 months of each year working as a pediatrist in London, and then has traveled Africa the other 6! And Steve, the 26 year old American from Michigan, who is in the middle of a 10 month trip that looks like this: Iceland, Ireland, England, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, AFRICA, and next he'll hit Kuwait, India and then South East Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, etc.). There are several other Brits, Laura, Steph & Mark, who are on one-year work visas, traveling, and planning longer stints in Australia where they'll get jobs to repad their bank accounts and continue on. Very interesting people, and such travel inspirations! Anyone can do it, you just have to get out there! :)

Mere

Lions, Rhino & Buffalo -- Oh My!

WOW -- that's all I can say about yesterday's game drive in South Africa's Kruger National Park. The day was looong and hot, so hot, but also quite amazing! We started early, and drove our Overlanding truck through the park till sundown.

Had a very cute guide named Damien, so the heavily female group that we are, enjoyed watching him when there weren't any animals showing themselves off (which can happen for pretty long stretches -- especially the hottest times of day -- gives me a whole new respect for the folks who film Animal Planet's shows -- they must sit for hours in the hot sun waiting for the right animal to come around!).

From an animal perspective, the day was extremely successful. I saw 4 of the big 5: elephants, rhinos, buffalo, and the most beautiful, big male lion who was posing out on some rocks as the sun began to set -- it was a stunning view -- he was very majestic. Other favorites of mine were the giraffe, zebra, hippos & ververt monkeys. The warthogs are kinda fun to look at too -- they're so ugly that they're cute.

I took a ton of photos, but this computer isn't reading my SanDisk card, so I'll have to hope for a better connection at the next stop with an Internet Cafe. Until then, stay tuned!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL FRIEND MIMI TOMORROW!!!!

Mere

OH....OVERLANDING!

So I'm on day 3 of my first Overlanding adventure....I can't even imagine how dirty I'll be on day 11!!

Overlanding is a machine of a camping schedule. The biggest premium, by far, is time. Our group leader, Toni (a woman), is part tour guide, part drill sergeant! She wakes us with the sun, and we have 15 minutes to get up, get dressed, break down our tent, manage other assigned duties, and get on the truck for the day's adventures. My permanent job is to unpack the stools and tables from the truck for each meal, and then rinse and return them to the truck following meals. Rotating jobs include doing all the cooks dishes, helping the cook with food prep, etc. Needless to say, when at camp there always seems to be twenty or so duties calling my name, and then I'm back on the truck before I've had a chance to do the things I might prioritize, like using the great disposable wash cloths I brought to really scrub myself clean, or to put on the make up I actually did pack and bring with me :), scrape the dirt & grime from my fingernails, etc.

I suppose much more than the schedule, Overlanding is about the people. We're a group of 19 travelers, Toni, Gift (our cook), and Dumi (our driver), so 22 total. There are two Aussie couples in their sixties on the trip -- hanging right in there with the rest of us -- their only complaints to date have stemmed from our choice of music when on the truck. The rest of us are 20s & 30s, and we're a nice mix of Americans, Brits, Aussies, New Zeleanders and Europeans, oh -- and one Canadian. Overall, the group is fun. Some definite characters, and a few easy targets for all the jokes (thankfully, I don't appear to be one of them...yet!) The group is also decidedly female -- only 5 guys total. After our long days out & about, we enjoy libations around the campfire -- with lots of giggles! I'm happy to report I've found plenty of PLUs.

Oh -- and everyone's caught on to my completely irrational reaction to the bug world, and I've decided the bugs know about it too -- why else are they always coming my way??? :)

Mere

People Like Us

Last night Liz & I went over to her friend Tonya's house. So comforting that Girls Night looks the same everywhere: cozy couches, good wine, cheese, veggies, crackers, fruit, chocolate, mindless chatter & good laughs. Like the Boormans, Tonya is great fun. She's a New Zealander who works for World Bank. Has been here since 2003, and will return to DC in January (a move she's not completely looking forward to, and looking around her AMAZINGLY beautiful, spacious home with front & back gardens, pools, etc., I completely understand why!).

Anyway, while chatting, Liz & I learned the greatest acronym from Tonya: PLU (People Like Us), as in:
Have you met the new girl?
No. Is she cool?
Yes -- she's definitely PLU.

I LOVE IT! And needless to say, I'm hoping I meet a lot of PLUs at 5pm today when I attend my pre-departure meeting for the 2-week Overlanding (group camping) trip that leaves Joberg tomorrow morning. The camping itinerary will be taking me to farily remote locations, so I'm not sure I'll have the chance to do many updates in the next 11 days, but we finish in Victoria Falls, Zimbambwe, and I know there'll be an Internet cafe there. So sit tight & send positive vibes my way for the following:

1. a PLU tentmate
2. a group that includes other 30-somethings (I don't want to feel like Grandma!)
3. no run-ins with large bugs
3. food that is just odd enough so that I'm not stuffing my face at every turn
4. no car-sickness

Not too much to ask, right? :)

Mere

Jimmy for President

Friday was quite a day! I began with a tour of Soweto, the largest Township of Johannesburg and in the afternoon I went to the Apartheid Museum. I learned so much and had so many impressions and opinions of what I saw on Friday that I could write on and on about it...

First, I must confess, I had never really studied the history of South Africa -- the natives, the Dutch and British colonialism, Apartheid, the struggles that defined this nation, and the people who call it home. On my first night at the Boormans, they loaned me a great book called "My Traitor's Heart" written by Rian Milan, a relative of DF Malan, one of the architects of Apartheid. It's been filling in a lot of knowledge gaps for me, and then the reading came to life for me on Friday in Soweto and at the museum.

It's shocking that Apartheid existed until the early nineties. And while I recognize change takes time, it's also shocking how divided the city still is.

My tour guide in Soweto was incredible. Taking the tour was just me and Marcus, a German guy who now lives in Dublin. Jimmy, our guide and the owner of Jimmy's Face to Face Tours, drove us around in a small car. He didn't take us to the main tourist stops where busses were parked and crowds of tourists milled about (at Nelson Mandela's old house, Winnie Mandela's current house, Desmond Tutu's home, etc.). We drove by those spots, and did see them, but where we stopped and got out to chat with folks were much more authentic.

First, Jimmy took us to "Prestige Heights," the ritziest streets in the Township. Here homes are big & beautiful, well maintained, and have the requisite walls, barbed wire, gates, etc. that are everywhere in the "white" Northern suburbs of Joberg. The owners of these homes included govt officials, the owner of a professional soccer team, etc. Next, we went to a middleclass area, where the homes were neatly kept, some gardening was taking place, and these homeowners appeared to be entrepreneurs of sorts -- one man told us he had opened a gardening business, another had opened a Shebeen (small bar/restaurant attached to the home). Then, we went to a much poorer area where there would be a main house, and then up to ten tin shacks built around it on the property. Each one-room shack was home to an entire family, and they often took great pride in welcoming us in and showing us their home. Wires were rigged and strung everywhere to splint some electricity from the main house into each shack. There would only be one bathroom for all inhabitants on the property, however.

Jimmy, a black man who grew up in Soweto but now lives in the suburbs, introduced himself to everyone we met as the country's future president. He would strike up conversations with everyone we saw in the poorer areas. If they were a child, he'd ask why they weren't in school, and then stress that they must put education first. He'd use himself as an example, dedicating his success to his early work in the classrooms of Soweto. He'd pass out books (had several copies of Barak Obama's book, and would tell the students that a black man from Kenya might have a shot at the U.S. presidency, and he'd encourage them to read his words and learn from his example). Then, he'd give an AIDS speech to the kids and plead with them to hold off on starting a family.

If we were chatting with an adult, he'd ask why they weren't working. He'd point out that they were able bodied, and then start suggesting careers, "You're healthy -- you could clean houses, you could drive a cab, you could be a gardener, etc." And then he'd give the AIDS speech and tell them they must set the proper example for the children in the township. Jimmy was a force to be reckoned with, and it was a pleasure to spend time with him. (Funny side note on the AIDS speech -- Condom is a verb here -- Jimmy kept telling people that if they must be having sex, they must be "condomizing." And there were signs throughout the Township listing the A, B, C's of AIDS: Abstinence, Be faithful, Condomize.) We did not stop or get out at the poorest neighborhoods Jimmy took us by -- they were truly heartbreaking -- just rows & rows of tin shacks, lots of trash, stomach-turning smells -- very destitute spots, and as Jimmy noted, the most common filmed spots for the tv cameras, etc. who sometimes came to do stories on Soweto. I'm very glad I saw the full range of life and comfort.

The Apartheid museum is very well done, and was a nice compliment to my morning in Soweto. I must say, however, that I hope the city (and country) continue to make progress against the divide that is still very obvious at so many turns: white/weathly vs. black/poor.

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Purple Rain

I forgot to mention my favorite thing about Johannesburg -- the jacaranda trees! I arrived in time to see them in full bloom!! They're big, beautiful trees that at the beginning of summer (now), are covered with a beautiful purple flower -- the entire trees are this stunning plum color. Mixed in among other bright green trees, and with the solid blue sky behind, they're just breathtaking. And they rain down a shower of purple petals to color the sidewalks and streets. I get the impression the annual blooms are somewhat like the cherry blossoms each Spring in DC. The jacaranda are past their peak today (the rains earlier in the week took many of the petals down), but what a treat to be welcomed to Joberg with their purple blooms!

Impressions of Johannesburg

A few things that struck me immediately about this city:

First, Joberg is H-U-G-E! I caught my first glimpse from the plane when coming in, and I was blown away at the immense spread of the city. I'm not sure of the population -- Rich Boorman estimated about 10 million -- it feels even bigger.

Second, everything in Joberg looks so new (and, really, the city is quite young). Central downtown is the exception -- it definitely has its share of pollution, wear, and tear. But so much of the Northern suburbs, where much of the living and working takes place these days, looks as though it was built in the last 5 years (downtown was somewhat abandoned years ago, even by businesses, as crime became rampant). New shopping centers, restaurants, beautiful parks, etc And there continues to be construction everywhere. Every modern convenience, every kind of store, etc. are here. In fact, the only real difference between the Boorman's life here, and mine back in DC is the many extra layers of security. Security is a huge industry here. Every culdesac of homes is behind a security gate, and then inside that gate, each house has tall walls and more gates, electric wires on top of the walls & gates, video surveillance inside the homes, multiple locks on doors, etc. I've yet to see any crime, but it's obvious that it really does happen with great frequency. And you can never leave anything sitting inside your car -- one tour guide I had told me "BMW" stands for "Break My Windows" in Johannesburg.

Third, is the spirit. Despite the security and the crime it aims to protect against, the people of Joberg have a lovely spirit. They're happy, they're friendly, they smile and greet you sincerely. It's overall a very cheerful place.

And finally the weather -- WOW!!!! It has been beautiful the last few days (there was rain on Wed & Thurs, but Fri - Sun has been ideal!). The sky is true blue, and the sun is bright & warm without being too blistering. There is no humidity. And the evenings are cool. It's perfect!

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The Hosts with the Most!

I'm staying with Rich & Liz Boorman in Johannesburg! They're a fantastic British couple who've been living here several years. They have a beautiful home that they've graciously welcomed me into, and a brood of great pets who've already won my heart -- a solid black cat named Barney (who comes to snuggle for a bit around 6am each morning), a solid white lab named Kiara and a solid brown chocolate lab named Charlie (each dog is a bundle of personality and energy, and impressively well trained!). The Boormans have been so generous with me -- showing me the ropes in Joberg, carting me around, even hooking me up with a spare cell phone. They also mix an excellent gin & tonic, and pour a refreshing glass of wine, as a cool drink is a compulsory component to the world-class sunset viewings from their garden patio each afternoon (their backyard borders the Johannesburg Country Club, and the views are spectacular!).

How did I land such an incredible hook up? Well, now know I owe it all to Rich Boorman's significant buzz while enjoying a debauchery-filled reunion with his high school buddies on a recent trip to Orlando, FL!! You see Rich went to high school in Orlando, and was pals with some guys who I was friends with at FSU. On Rich's recent reunion visit, someone mentioned I was heading to South Africa, and Rich insisted they put me in touch with him, as it would be the "African way" to have me stay with him & Liz -- an insistence I recently learned he didn't even recall until he received my email introducing myself and asking if it was really okay to come & stay! :) He confessed this over dinner the other night! I sure hope he & Liz are not in complete regret, and moreover, I hope to wind up living somewhere fabulous one day to return the favor -- they are really great fun to spend time with.

Oh, and by the way, I checked the college football scores quickly -- is Wake Forest going to take the ACC?? (Congrats Beth -- you better be watching!)

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Deal....Or No Deal?

OH, I SHOULD HAVE GONE FOR IT!!!

And by "it," I mean PARIS -- the beautiful city of Paris! I had a 7.5 hour layover in Paris on my way to Johannesburg, so I'd planned to head into the city and take in a quick site or two, grab a bite in a cafe, and dash back to the airport. But I bailed on the plan!

My flight got in on time, but we didn't have a gate, so we sat on the runway for an extra half hour. Then we were in some random terminal that was affected by airport construction, so we had to deplane and be bussed around for another 20 minutes before being let out to enter the terminal. From there it took me a bit to find the train station (they don't call me "Everlost" for nothing!). And once finally there, I got into a horribly long line with a gazillion other American tourists (we really can be an ugly bunch!). Anyway, I took a pole of the Americans in line with me, and they all thought I was crazy, and that I didn't have time, and that I shouldn't risk missing my next flight. So I wound up abandoning my spot in line and then regretting that decision as I sat in the airport for the next 4.5 hours!

Takeaway lesson learned: GO FOR IT next time...unless of course "next time" winds up being the bungee jumping line at Victoria Falls...then I give myself another "chicken" pass!

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Rules of Engagement

Okay, and now to the blog.... Internet access in Johannesburg has been much tougher to come by than I'd ever anticipated it would be. If this is any indication of what's to come, my updates may not be terribly frequent. That said, don't give up on checking the site!

When I do find internet access, my plan is to write short blog entries that are topic based, so even if I don't get to update the blog often, when I do, I'll add a series of short topic-based updates vs. long dumps based on the time between entries.

And here's a topline look at my itinerary:

Now -- Nov 7 -- In Johannesburg

Nov 8 - 20 -- On an Overlanding Camping trip from Joberg, up through Zimbabwe, ending at Victoria Falls.

Nov 21 - Dec 2 -- In Tanzania on safari in the Serrengetti, followed by some time on the beaches of Zanzibar

Dec 3 - Dec 13 -- Touring Kenya

Dec 14 - Dec 22 -- In Kampala, Uganda

Dec 23 - Jan 6 -- In Cape Town, South Africa

Jan 7 - Jan 16 -- On an Overlanding Camping trip from Cape Town, up the West Coast into the deserts of Namibia.

Jan 17 -- Return to DC!!

I look forward to updating this as often as possible along the way! Stay tuned!

Mere

Props!

Woo hoo! I've arrived, and thus far all has been great, but before I jump into all that, I must publish thanks to everyone who made it possible for me to wrap up life in DC (which turned out to be A LOT more work than I'd counted on!).

First, thanks to Mom & Dad -- your onsite help was tremendous, and I wouldn't have made it off with any sanity had you all not popped up to help out. Thank you!

Second, thanks to all the great friends in DC!! Especially Dan & Nicole who are babysitting the car & a suitcase of clothes for my return, Indri who saved me big bucks with all the great loaner camping equipment, and Cara & Bella who helped me hoard boxes my last few weeks at work -- I would have sworn we'd gone waaaaay overboard, but would you know it, I used every last box, and had the exact number necessary to pack up my life??!?!

Anyway, thanks to everyone. I couldn't have done it alone!

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