Africa, its more massive and unfamiliar than anywhere we had gone before.  A land of storybook animals mixed with its people facing the extreme hardships of poverty, government corruption, and AIDS. It was time to turn off the TV and its incessant chaotic images and see Africa for ourselves.  We were fortunate enough to spent 52 days on a overland tour, traversing much of the continent.  Beginning at Cape Town, South Africa and going overland by truck to Nairobi, Kenya in Eastern Africa.  The trip consisted of a huge truck full of about 19 of us from all over the world, a fantastic group of like-minded people out to explore and discover a place so mysterious and unknown to us westerners, and a few easterners.  Booking the trip we had 2 options, accommodated or camping.  Figuring we would rather go for a long time and knowing how expensive it was just to get there, we had no problem taking the camping tour.  We are more the camping type anyway.  Our tent would become home each night once again. We spent a huge amount of time on the road stopping allow the way to visiting the National Parks, people, through a variety of landscapes.  Some of the land otherworldly like the deserts of Namibia to the other side of the continent on the beaches of Zanzibar. 

Being on a tour definitely had its pros and cons.  It took away all the stress of planning accommodations and meals off our back (It was our long awaited honeymoon after all) while it gave us the chance to focus all of our attention on the surroundings.  You might also be wary of traveling Africa on your own, and it is one place where I would not want to get lost.  So it was comfortable to being with a guide that knows the route and the best spots to camp and other worthwhile experiences to stop for.

Preparation for the trip got into full swing a few months before leaving.  But before we knew it  we were boarding that plane for an adventure of a lifetime.

June 10th

Wow, we are here in Africa after 29 hours of traveling.  We left SFO for LAX at 5:10PM and left LAX at about 9:00 PM for London.  From London we were on British Airways, much better than American by the way. 

"We are having a contest for our pilots final flight and the prize might include large quantities of liquid that might contain bubbles," we heard over the intercom.   Hmmmm, what could the prize be?

Fantastic flight.  Our plan to combat the jet lag worked and we slept most of the way and arrived in Cape Town, South Africa at 8AM.  We called the hostel from the airport and they came and got us.  Our hostel had a view of Table Mountain and had wonderful bar/hang out area. Good scene.  The word on the streets was a change of weather was heading our way so we knew we could not waste any time.  We headed to the base of Table Mountain.

The hike was very steep but had great views of the city below.  At the top it was really windy, but I was happy to see that I would still be able to abseil off the top.  It was a 300ft. cliff, the blasting winds making it all the more sketchy.  On one section there was a huge overhang and you let the rope out and I was totally suspended in the air. 

That night at the hostel, we enjoyed the party for the World Cup that would be on every TV from here to Kenya.

We had 3 days to see Cape Town before getting on our over-land tour.  We booked  2 different tours. One to the Cape of Good Hope, and the other was a wine tasting out in Stellenbosh.  On the way to Cape Point we stopped at this nice vista seen here.

We made our way to Boulder Beach where many African penguins call home.  They were lots of fun to watch.  We followed this with a bike ride, lunch, and a hike up to the light house at Cape Point.  The weather was chilly but thankfully no rain.

Another early start and we were off to the hostels bar for a cup of mud for some much needed caffeine.  It had been raining since about 4:30AM , but we were ok with it... who needs good weather for wine tasting?  Robby, our wine tasting professional, picked us up at 8:30 and we joined some others from Solana Beach of all places and England.  As promised we were having our first taste by 10AM and enjoyed the rest of the day touring the wine country of South Africa.  Robby was hilarious talking about the giraffe souvenirs.  "Those bloody wooden giraffes. Its crazy.  I had one guy beg me to pull over so he could pick one up.  I pictured a small, two foot one, but he came back.. it was massive.  The head stuck out the passenger window and the legs out the back.  His plan was to cut it into thirds to get it home." On the way back to the city we passed massive townships of poverty that had poles of electricity that looked like spider webs going to the shacks.   Our hostel has a large wall around it and 24hr security.  The city is not the safest place to walk around at night.  USA lost their World Cup game that night.

Lots of baboons around a Cape Point beach.

June 13th - Cape Town

Robben island was on the agenda for today and we were lucky enough to book the 9AM ferry at the early price of 60 rand.  The ferry ride was very choppy, 10-15 foot swells and some people on the deck got soaked.  The tour, witch lasted 2 hours, was lead by an ex-political prisoner.  We saw Mandela's cell where he was kept for 27 years for being a threat to the white government in control.  He was released in 1994 and became the countries first democratically elected president.

One thing to note about today was something that I observed during our stroll through a art/craft market.  In one stall a black man had paintings depicting the harshness of township life while the white woman's stall next door was filled with pristine Dutch architecture and perfectly scenic Cape Town landscapes.  The city means such different things to different people, many challenges after the Apartheid.

Day 1-  Nomad Tour - June 15th

I was talking to a guy the other night at the hostel who was a tour guide for Nomad for 5 years.  One of the trips he got malaria and didn't tell anyone.  As a result, he woke up in a coma in Cape Town five days later.  He is now doing his own tour, a 7 month trip all the way from Belgium to Cape Town with his own tour company.  I asked, "How are the roads" and he responded, "What roads, I use GPS and avoid the cities." Some serious travel.

We grabbed our gear and took a cab to the Nomad headquarters early the next morning and hung out with a large group of travelers that we would be living with for over a month.  We were in the lounge of the office and when signing in the roster I noticed that we were the only Americans.  I was still feeling a bit nauseous from taking a Malaria pill that morning without food or water- will not do that again.  It was an exciting time loading up the truck and powering out of town.  The truck (Its NOT A bus!!!, our guide threatened) is massive.  Ray was his name and weighed in at 17 tons.  It is about 15 ft tall and towers above the road.  Everyone stares as we drive by. All the Nomad buses are named after rock stars.  Sitting on the truck you hear so many different languages.  There are people from Germany, England, Korea, Mexico, Holland, Denmark and Canada.  About half the group was going all the way to Nairobi with us, the rest ending the trip halfway at Victoria Falls.

We were on our way to our first nights destination, the Cedarburg Mountains.  We did stop at a grocery store outside the city to stock up on food before heading out.  Surrounded by large windows it is great for seeing the countryside as we drive through green, rolling hills, not anything like you picture the Africa landscape.  A few hours later we pulled into an orange orchard.  The Gecko Backpacker Lodge and Camp was beautiful and we were able to eat all the oranges we wanted.  After a tent building demonstration and a lunch, we took a hike with a local who gave lots of interesting info on the area and showed us some pictographs by the river.  The evening was spent drinking beers and figuring out a game plan for the money fiasco that all of us going to Nairobi are facing.  We need thousands in US dollars on us to use for all the optional activities.  The problem is that there is not many banks that carry US dollars and we will need lots especially towards the end of the trip for the Serengeti.  That night we were glad that we brought gear for Kilimanjaro's temps at 19,000 ft because it is absolutely freezing.  No one was expecting such low temps in Africa of all places.

 Day 3 - Orange River

 We went over a few small mountain passes on the drive.  It is slowly getting drier and orange cliffs remind me a bit of Utah.  The truck slows to about 20mph up the hills.  It feels really good to sit back and just watch the scenery pass on by.  We stopped in Spring Bok to do some banking and shopping.  A group of us headed out to see if we could get some US dollars.  No luck.  We drove for another few hours before tuning left on a dirt road along the Orange River

  The Orange River divides South Africa from Namibia.  The camp on the river was one of my favorites with tent above the banks and a neat bar.  When we pulled up to camp it was just about sunrise so I grabbed my camera and walked around to take some pictures.  This meant that we were last to set up our tent and were about 10 yards from the bar.  Thought, "well we are not getting any shut-eye tonight."    Somehow we both were out with the techno-pop booming next door. It was a comfortable evening and we enjoyed lasagna for dinner.  I was impressed with our guides cooking skills when they baked bread in large caste iron pots over coals from the fire.

Morning, we were up early and started the day with a nice shower in a bamboo shack overlooking the water.  Our excursion that most of the group signed up for that morning was a raft down the river.  The river was the highest it had been in 5 yrs.  Really murky water, we were told the sediment from it is what blows off the ocean to form the massive dunes we will see in a few days in Namibia.  Birds were chirping, sky was blue, we paddled our way back to camp. 

 Sascha, Steve and Brutis

Back on the road we crossed over the river into Namibia.  Now we are in a magnificent desert,  I can't believe it, but fields of flowers as far as the eye could see covered the dry ground.  This is such a fantastic way to travel I thought.  It feels like a holiday, kick back and enjoy the ride, no worries.

We rolled into Hobas camp and had to set up our tents quickly so that we would make it to the rim of the Fish River Canyon for sunset.  Not one person stood behind the rail as we all were taking pictures beside the cliff.  Johann was telling us about the 5 day hike he did along the canyon to a mountain far off. Another end to a day on the road.

 Back at camp Johann was telling us some stories around the campfire of past clients.  "There was this crazy American who carried a machete and dressed like Rambo.  He found amusement in jumping out of the truck at a lions waterhole and jumping electric fences to throw rocks at elephants."  After doing this tour 45 times he had seen it all.

This morning it was freezing (well 8 C) as we woke up at 5AM to get on the road.  7-9 hours of driving today toward the Namib desert.  We were on a large gravel road and pass large herds of Springbok that scatter as we drive by.  Everyone on the bus is wrapped up in their recently purchased blankets to stay warm.  We aren't expecting to see to many people today as there are only 1.5 million people in all of Namibia.

June 18th  - Day 5 - Namibia

Yesterday was a brutally long drive that seemed to go on forever.  It was through some interesting landscapes and we eventually came through a valley with desert mountains all around us.  We stopped at a small slot canyon called Sesriem Canyon that brought back memories of Buckskin, although not nearly as deep or colorful.  To navigate the roads around here you really do need a 4-wheel drive truck.  I was starting to feel a bit ill so went to bed early and this sickness would eventually catch up to me

Once again we were up at 5 am to catch the sunrise at the top of Dune 45.  Sam described it as one of the coolest things that she had ever done.  The sand dune is massive and the red becomes brighter as the sun makes its appearance.  Sand between the toes while the pictures were snapping.  Some of these dunes are over 1000 ft tall and go on as far as the eye can see.  Breakfast was served at the base of the dune 45.

After Dune 45 we joined the Bushman tour and headed to Sossuvlei for a guided walk.  He talked about how the Bush Men (the people in the movie "The Gods must be Crazy" ) and animals survive in this dry, scorching desert.  Bushmen were hunted for sport up until the 1920's.  All you needed was a permit, they were seen as animals.  Bushman would leave their sick, elderly, and children behind at times because being nomadic is a matter of survival  here. 

We made it to a large flat area where there were dead trees that were more than 900 years old.  Seeing these with a backdrop of red dunes and blue sky was stunning.  After some time at camp and lunch we are now off to our next camp for the night.  Only about 7 1/2 hrs away!

 June 20th - Day 7

The drive turned out to be a bit longer because our truck broke down.  When the truck hit one of the many bumps in the road the batteries crashed together and one exploded and melted into each other.  Another truck soon drove by and Sandra (another guide) jumped in to get some help.  A few hours later, after some Frisbee tossing and lying around the truck was fixed and were soon at camp, Auklet View.  The camp was more Bush style with candles lighting every-thing.  Another cold night.  The next day we packed on up and started heading toward the town of Solitaire for some famous apple crumble.  Solitaire is the smallest town in Namibia and looks like something out of the back roads of Arizona.

Heading over Kuiseb Pass (looks like the moon to me)  was one of the strangest landscapes I had even seen.  Hill after hill of striped lunar bleakness.  We heard stories of escapees that hide in these hills for years before being caught. We crossed over the Tropic of Capricorn and made our way to Dune 7 for lunch.

As soon as we pulled into Swakopmund to go over different activities we could do the following day, I felt awful.  All the last few days of early rising and climbing dunes while sick.  My body said no more, I spent the next day in bed.  I am glad we had a down day so I could recover. One after another had been getting sick from day one and it was my turn.  Our big plan for Swakop is to take care of some major banking because we were told that this was our last chance to get US dollars (which turned out to be untrue).  Before the trip we knew we needed US dollars for many things, but had no idea that we should have brought enough for the whole trip.  As the others are skydiving, sand boarding, and such we are running around getting phone cards to call our bank and change money. 

June 21st - Day 8  - Swakopmund

Last night we had pasta dinner with salad.  It tasted so good to finally have some greens.  England was playing Sweden in the World Cup so everyone was fired up.  Mel said she would jump in the pool if England won.  Unfortunately it was a draw.  As we were drinking I looked over and noticed the guard was carrying a heavy baton like the riot police carry.  Images like that remind you that you are in Africa.  We had two new members join the group, Tim from the US and Sarah from Scotland as the sisters from Germany left.  And no - we did not see Brad and Angelina. 

 June 22nd - Day 9 - Spitzkoppe

 Leaving Swakop behind and heading towards Spitzkoppe we were being entertained by the Korean doctor, Song, and his acupuncture presentation.  "No show, medical, no show," he insisted.  The drive at times looked like the Middle East.  But out of this flat arid land we could see our destination Spitzkoppe, "The Matterhorn of Namibia" rising sharply out of the ground.  Along the way we stopped at a group of about 15-20 stands set up with locals selling the semi-precious stones found in the area.  I bought an aquamarine stone from a beautiful woman who had the cutest baby.

After setting up camp and having some lunch the group took a hike up to the saddle above the camp.  Dan was still feeling a little weak so he didn't come, but would have enjoyed it.  The climb was steep boulder hopping and the view from the top was worth it.  Dan was on clean up last night and was very happy because he and Andreas only had to wash basically salad bowls.  We had a fish called Snook gilled over the open fire with foil wrapped garlic bread, corn on the cob and rice salad.  Lucky devil. 

This morning we woke up around six and went to the "Bushman's Paradise" to look at some petroglyphs.  There are many paintings in this area.  About an hour later we hit a sandy wash in the road and we all had to get out of the truck so that Johan could floor it on through.   He made it, "Our fearless leader."  Dan got a great video of it.

June 23rd - Day 10

Driving further north through Namibia, I see that we are leaving the arid desert and coming into flat land with more vegetation.  We stopped in a small town for the nights supplies (i.e. beer) and came upon very friendly people and curious children the convenience store.  Johan gave us the word, "about 20km to camp." Not long I thought.  We turned down a small road and came upon a man with a machete and tribal gear in the middle of it.  He told Johan that we were going in the wrong direction so we made a hairy turn-around.  We then turned down the next small gravel road and drove for a long way through the bush and past huge termite hills, only to discover this was also the wrong road.  On the way back we came across a herd of donkeys.  One of the baby donkeys would not get off the road no matter how much Johan honked as we chased behind.  After many tries of shooing him off the road, it finally took Sascha and Steve with an apple to scare him off the road.

 We woke up at sunrise the next morning and eager to meet the Himba people.  As we walked down the path to the village we could hear the chanting and talking of the women and children.  As I walked through the gate I was instantly hit with emotions.  The Himba lifestyle is so different and amazing.  Something that we never expected to witness and felt very fortunate.  We were greeted by the cutest little boy about 3 years old in his traditional jewelry and clothing.  Jacque our guide told us to wander around and "feel at home"  So we did, and after a bit took many photos once we realized that they did not mind.  We were taken in groups to the main hut for a demonstration on the cosmetic procedures of the tribe. The Himba people never use water and cleanse with smoke baths and a three hour cosmetic ritual every morning.  Jaccur told us many interesting things about the people.  I should mention he was a white man who joined the tribe when he was 11 and now owns the land they live on.   They are nomadic and move whenever the goats and cows have no more grass to eat.  Men have numerous wives and their wealth is measured in cattle. 

June 24th - Day 11

We stopped in a small town before reaching Etosha National Park because Lottie and Steve were having some medical problems.  As we waited for the diagnosis, we spent a few hours at a bakery and internet cafe.  The deserts were amazing and Dan had a yummy strawberry shake.  Turns out, Loti had a fractured wrist.    The group feels bad for her and are trying to help out with dishes and tent building.  On a side note, the bathroom facilities here in Namibia are much cleaner than those in the US or Europe.  Even at gas stations they are spotless. 

We entered through the gates of Etosha N.P. just before sunset.  As we pulled we looked to our right and saw a group of elephants just leaving the nearby waterhole.  Seeing one of the big 5 animals for the first time was spectacular.  We set up our tents quickly and had a burger dinner and headed back to the watering hole for a great show.  The hole was flood lit with seating and when we arrived there were 4 rhinos.  Then, An unforgettable scene unfolded before us.  A lion and a lioness was slowly walking towards the water.  Just the way they walk, with their slow strides, they were in charge around here. They took a drink and rested next to a bush.  Soon later a springbok then came to get a drink and the lions crept up, both going opposite directions to try and trap the springbok.  The chase commenced and we nearly witness a kill.  Something Johan hasn't seen in all his tours, and the lion just missed him.  In the picture you can see 2 rhinos at the watering hole.

The next morning we were up pre-dawn (very cold 6 Celsius) for a game drive.  Windows down, we drove slowly to spot animals throughout the day.  One water hole was particularly good, animals everywhere.  11 giraffes, herds of zebra, springbok and many others.  Everyone was taking pics and enjoyed watching the animals move in and out of the scene.  Ostriges are now referred to as oysters as the Germans are working on their English.  We pulled into our camp tonight in the park.  Unfortunately, there is no game at the nearby watering hole that evening.  We take a uneventful game drive the next morning and are thinking, where are the elephants we saw walking away the other day?

 June 27th - Day 14

 After driving about 4 hours with a lunch in between we arrived at our camp along the Okavango River outside of Rhonda.  We had two nights at this camp so there was a sense of relaxation as we watched the sunset across the river to Angola.  Most of the evening was spent hanging out in this thatched roof bar.   Yesterday we were able to sleep in and did not have to break camp and it was much appreciated.  Around nine we went to a local school.  They loved to see themselves on the camera and would ask Sam, "Madame Photo?"  We then visited three classrooms where they would sing us a song and then we would sing to them in return.  It costs $3.50 for each student a year to go to school here, but many could not afford this.  Many are orphans of AIDS.

Michael had the idea of having a boatman take us across the river to Angola to say we had been there.  We soon set foot on the other side and took photos with a sign that read, "Illegal in Angola."  It was the best $1.50 we spent yet.  On the way back German, Omar, Tim, and Jack all jumped in the croc infested waters for a swim.

 After the school we visited a few families to see their lifestyle as well as a church with a very passionate pastor.  The pastor left us with the message, "keep visiting people, seeing the world."  This rural area is filled with small villages/families that build little huts made of sticks and termite glue.  Each family member has a hut/room and the village is surrounded by a stick fence.  This style of living goes on for may miles and around our camp.  They are people living off the land and rely on rain for their crops.  When there is a draught they starve.

There was no choice, I had to take a shower.  The spider did not look too threatening. (Though I did look him up later in a insect dictionary: The fanged wall spider quickly chases down prey.)  Oh boy.  I would be in the shower under the water and keeping one eye open to make sure he had not moved.  Glancing back every few seconds as I finally took a quick rinse and jumped out. I don't know why I came back to get a picture so he could haunt me.

June 30th - Day 17- Okavango Delta

This was day one of our Okavango Delta excursion.  We started the not-so-early morning heading for Etsha 13 camp.  After crossing the border into Botswana we made it to this small community.  Pulling in we thought, "This is where we are keeping the truck for 3 days with all our gear?"  We seemed to be hiding it between two huts and heard that they had never had a problem leaving it there.  We then hopped onto the truck trailers and made our way down a 4x4 road to base camp on the shores of the Okavango Delta.  The Okavango is the largest inland delta in the world and is filled with small islands surrounded by wetlands.  We were staying at Delta Dawn camp for the night which was on the water and had a great bar.  The lodge tents were $500 a night and being campers we were asked not to go over there.  It felt wild out there that night in our tents, we could hear hippo grunts and later found out that they recently shot two black mambas nearby at the lodge- one of the deadliest snakes on earth that can stand 6 ft tall and kill you in moments. 

  The next morning we were up at dawn for a day of adventure.  We started by packing up the jet boats for a half hr ride.  Along the way we saw a big crock rush into the water.  In what felt like the middle of nowhere we transferred from the jet boats to the mokoros where we met our poler Kevin.  He made us seats out of our mattresses.  Perfect for relaxing,  It was quite calming despite those lingering thoughts on the 5-6 meter long crocs in the water below when our boat was 3 meters long.  That's Fifteen feet long crocs!!! With those thoughts in mind there is one more.  This was also home to worlds most aggressive animal, one you probably would not have guessed. The hippo.  They have killed people on these tours before. Someone on our tour actually knew someone that died and was really hesitant to go.  It was not too long before we heard a loud grunt and had to stop the mokoros.  We sat waiting to make sure we could safely pass. 

 The polers then spotted two elephants.  They followed them as fast as they could as they were heading into a dead end canal.  The elephant then turned, saw us, got immensely angry, and let out a bone-chilling trump and charged, a wall of water was pushed into the air.  He was coming straight for us and his tusks were massive.  The polers were frantically trying to get us away.  One fell in the water after the boats crashed together.  Sam was shaking for the rest of the trip, while the polers were laughing about it 5 minutes later after getting us out of there. 

About 2 hrs later we arrived at the island we would be camping at.  We set up camp and had a few hours to hang out before taking a nature walk.  On our walk we saw lots of evidence of huge mammals.  Elephant poop the size of bowling balls and more grunting hippos.  One very close to camp.  "Don't worry he is about 5km away," the polers would say, but we knew this was untrue and they were very, very, close.  That night the polers did some traditional dancing and singing around the fire and we all played some hilarious games. Yee HA, Hoe Down, Hay Barn, Andrea's German accent was the funniest thing saying all this American slang.  The next morning we were up early for a sunrise mokoro ride and nature walk to a nearby island.  Here it was more unnerving because the island was filled with animal skeletons and looked like King Kong ran through with all the trees down from the elephants.  There were also many lion tracks, we continued on foot.

After packing up we boarded the mokoros and headed back.  Along the way we saw about 8 hippos in the "hippo pool"  We were about 50 meters away and got a great view of their huge pink mouths.  Back at base camp we all cooked steaks with chips/fries and butternut squash.

July 2nd - Day 19             Chobe National Park

After a freezing night and no water in the morning we were off to Chobe N.P.  We took a sunset cruise along the Chobe river. 

We pulled into camp just before sunset and were looking forward to the meal that the Mexicans were preparing, finally some food with some spice!

The boat cruse in Chobe was one of the best ways to see the African wildlife.  The driver would pull up within feet of elephants, crocs, buffalo, hippos and giraffes.  They all line the shores to get water.  Packs of animals everywhere, all hanging out in their groups.

July 3rd - Day 20-  Victoria Falls 

We finally had a morning to sleep in as it was only a 70km drive to Victoria Falls.  Coming into Zimbabwe we knew we all needed Visas.  Little did the Mexicans know they were suppose to get it before hand and ended up paying $100 each.  We only had to pay $30, sorry guys.  Pulling into town our first impression was that this was one of the nicest towns we had been to in Africa.   Coming down the hill into town there was a huge wall of mist on the horizon shooting hundreds of feet into the air.  It was heard from miles away.  The falls are one of the seven natural wonders of the world.  We needed full rain jackets on to walk along the path, it put up so much spray that you could not see its full 1 mi length without walking it.   We even saw an elephant right above the falls.

 We had a quick lunch at Savanna lodge and made our way into town for the bungee.  We had to cross the boarder and go through pseudo customs to get to the bridge, but the group was soon ready to go.  Dan went first leading the pack with about 100 people watching from the top.  The setting and gorge over the Zambezi river with Vic Falls on the other side made it quite a jump. The next day Tim and I went back to see if we could do  a tandem jump, but we weighed 18kg too much.  Luckily, the company gave us the tandem price and we got to jump again.

Zimbabwe's currency is in a inflation crisis. One US dollar = 100,000 zim.  Yip, I made the exchange and was now a billionaire.  The Mexicans would not eat with us when they found out that an enchilada cost $27,000,000 which was still very expensive at about $27 US.  The restaurant did give us 30% off if we used US cash.  Most countries in Africa are like this and always prefer the American dollar to their own.  The thing is that if you exchange money through the black market you can get an exchange that gives you 3 times as much as the bank, but you risk jail.  Tim was feeling lucky and played a one million dollar hand of blackjack.  It was also my lucky day when I found $10,000 on the ground, if only it was a US bill.

People told us to wait till Vic falls to buy souvenirs. So we walked through the curio market.  It is exhausting having everyone beg you to buy from them.  Many did not want our money, but wanted our name brand clothing.  They cannot get these brands there and will trade you amazing hand carved works of art for them.  The Mexicans traded enough clothes to open their own souvenir shop including masks 3 feet tall! 

We lost half of our crew in Vic Falls, it was a good group and wish many could have continued with us to Kenya.

July 6th- Day 23- Zambia

Yesterday was a day of transition as we met our new guides Philile, and Jaba from Zimbabwe.  We also got a new truck, Freddy.  Freddy was not nearly as powerful or comfortable as Ray as we would soon find out on some horrible roads.  We stayed that night on the other side of the falls at the Zambezi waterfront.  During the afternoon we met our new travel mates.  Joel from Texas, Jackie, Christine, and Dave from Australia, Tom and Becky from England and Jan from Wales, Marlene from Holland and two Koreans with names we still can't pronounce.  We broke the new bees in with another cold night in the 40's.  This group definitely has a different vibe to it, quite a bit older.  This was not a surprise when Johan said that our first group was the youngest he'd ever had.  The roads just got a whole lot worse and as Philile put it, "You just finished the bright tour, this is the dim tour." True Africa.

After a very long haul, about 10 hrs, we made a quick shop stop in Lusaka.  Driving through Lusaka was crazy since it was the first big city we had been through since Cape Town.  There were people and cars everywhere.  Our truck invited many stares as we rolled straight through downtown. 

July 8th- Day 25

12 hours of driving.  Phililie's last words, "enjoy the African massage"  Yesterday we pulled into bridge camp alone the Luangwa River.  Feeling a serous need for exercise, we set out for a walk to the local village market as soon as our tent was up.  We walked along the road and river and were greeted by what seemed to be every child in the village.  They would enthusiastically wave and squeal as we passed by, running to say "hello, how are you?"  At the market we got may stares and felt out of place, but not threatended.  Some of the local boys wanted Dan's safari hat.

Another day fully spent on the road and by the time we reached Wildlife Camp it was dark.  The itinerary said 4-6 hrs but it turned out to be 12.  Along the way there were small, controlled brush fires along the road which painted everything a golden color.  Children would rush out to the street waving and as we got deeper some of the waves were replaced by cupped outstretched hands.  We finally pulled into South Luangwa National Park deep in Zambia.

The next day started at 5:30 AM for a game drive.  We were determined to see a lion or leopard but were unsuccessful.  Sam and I stayed at camp and saw a wonderful sunset while others took a game drive at night and saw some rare wild dogs. We are now starting to get worried we will not see a lion.  After dinner Sam went around to the bathroom and when she came out, heard a rustle in the bushes.  Looking over there was a huge grey moving thing and realized it was an elephant.  Sam comes back, "Guys there  elephants next to the bathroom!"  Me German and Omar went over and found them, 2 of them with a baby.  We were lurking behind them and soon lost them in the night.

When stopping for lunch along the road, groups of Africans would come on by and check us out.  They did not beg for food, but were always really curious of us.  No matter how far in the middle of nowhere we stopped people would emerge.

July 13- day 30

We arrive at the Zambia/Malawi border, the Koreans are now having one hell of a hard time getting in.  Like many of us we would call the embassies before leaving about whether we needed a visa beforehand.  All of us got different info.  They recently changed the procedure for the Koreans and well, we were stuck.  Another 12 hr day on the bus.

So the Koreans were finally let in after about 2 hours with the stipulation that they would head straight for the capital city Lilongwe and purchase Visas there.  By the time we arrived at the immigration office there, it was closed.  Since the girls would have to go back the next morning we stayed at a camp in Lilongwe.  The next morning we were at the immigration office at 8:30 opening time and saw a line hundreds of people long lining the street.  The Aussies just about lost it and were, "about to pull the plug on this trip."

Despite the long days of travel, and trouble at the Malawi border, Kande beach was quite a spot.  On the beach with one of the best bars yet and cheap activities.  We slept in (7:30) went canoeing, jogged up the beach past a village of fishermen and boats, laid in the hammocks.  I traded my swim shorts for a hand carved Malawi chair from the stands outside of the campground gate.  Now as we drive north to our next lake Malawi camp, we are reminded of the North Shore with the lush landscape and water in the distance.

July 15 - Chitimba Beach Camp

We woke up at 6:30 to begin a long dayhike up to Livingstonia.  Passing through little villages we climbed up 800 meters and about 7 miles up.  We then reached Livingstonia where Dr. Livingstone had set up a mission in the 1800's up high because of Malaria.  The most impressive part of the hike was the waterfall detour.  It was 50 meters tall and we were able to take a small path to a cave behind the falls.  The way back down was steep and it took 3 hrs to get back to beach camp.  Many kid were yelling "give me bottle" or "Give me pin"  I stuck out my empty plastic bottle, he grabbed it.  And I would not let go until the boy said thank you.  I don't think they understand manners. 

July 17 - Malawi

That night turned out to be a godsend because that campground we were at had awesome little cozy rooms for just a little extra.  We were also treated to a group dinner at the restaurant followed by Amarillo and hot chocolate at the bar that reminded us of a Himba hut with mini coal fires and all.  Our 12hr day leads us to a camp just north of Dar es Salaam.  It was on the beach and sort of shabby but had great slushies.  That night we got Nomad on the slushy contest board.  The next morning we were waken by one of the five daily Muslim prayers, this one occurs before sunrise at 4:45, chants were blasting over an overhead somewhere nearby.  We were now excited to head off to Zanzibar.  We took a fast ferry across a stretch of the Indian Ocean and arrived in Zanzibar that morning.

Zanzibar Slave Chambers

July 19th- Zanzibar

We are staying the first night in a hostel in Stonetown, mosquito net and all.  We took a tour of the slave market chambers.  They piled us all into a little basement that was really hot and humid where the slaves were kept.  I just wanted to get out.  Next was a spice tour outside of town and got to taste many exotic spices and fruits.  In the evening we went to a wonderful but crazy fish market with a mix of locals and tourists. The next night in Zanzibar we headed north up the coast to a little beach resort area with bright turquoise water.  I enjoyed snorkeling out at a nearby reef.  We both enjoyed Zanzibar and hope to make it back someday.

July 23rd- Day 40 - Arusha, Tanzania

After another night in Dar we had a hell of a drive to Arusha.  Thinking we would be there at about three, we rolled in at around 7:30 to the Masauri Snake Park.  Sam was not feeling very well and crashed early, we are all excited for the days ahead.  Nearing Arusha we were all looking to get a glimpse of Kilimanjaro. We could not see the top but saw a huge mass of land jetting steeply up into the clouds with lines of snow higher up.  If all goes well we should be up there someday next week, I have been really anticipating this climb all trip.

 We would be now taking our side trip to the Serengeti.  A separate tour company picked us up in some 4x4's the next morning and were off.  It was raining and foggy so hopes were not extremely high for seeing the big cats we wanted.  The roads are terrible. massive potholes, and a ton of dust. 

Rolling into the park the plains seemed eerily deserted.  We blamed it on the rain, but before we knew it we saw 2 lions laying in the grass.   We even say a leopard right before the light of the day was gone.  Seeing the leopard we were excited, that meant that we had seen all of Africa's big 5.  It rained later that evening and we all found shelter under the cooking area.

We started the next day off with an amazing game drive. 16 lions in one day and a leopard.  Quote of the day went to Herman when he said, "I didn't pay $320 for nothing" he tossed a coin at a lounging lion, the lion suddenly jerked his head around at us. The best moment was when we were all watching a pride of lions from a distance.  Suddenly, Omar said "There is one right behind us!"  We flipped it into reverse and it walked right in front of our truck within arms length.  He was huge and showed no interest whatsoever of us.  Just walked on by with his slow powerful strides without even a look at our jeep.  That night we set up our tents deep in the Serengeti, no fences, and heard the low grunts of what must of been a pride of lions close by.

Passing Maasai Mara tribesmen along the road in their traditional red blankets, we saw many of their villages.  They live on the Great Rift Valley of Kenya and Tanzania and have one of the most interesting cultures that I have ever seen or heard of.  They survive on a mixture of cows blood and milk and live on the plains of the Serengeti.

July 24th - Day 41- Ngorongoro Crater

Arriving into camp at the Ngorongoro Crater Rim, two elephants were there to greet us.  Once again, Dan followed them around the camp and came within 12 ft of one.  Hiding behind a truck the elephant became a bit agitated at the sight of me and flared his ears and got up on his back legs. Adrenaline boost for sure. 

Early the next morning we were up and now driving 2000 ft down into the base of the crater.  Once below the clouds we could now see its grandness and even saw herds of animals that seemed to be marching in a line.  Today exceeded our expectations as our morning drive brought us to a pride of lions feeding on a wildebeest that was killed a few hours earlier.  All of the scavengers were gathered around waiting for their turn.  The landscape and animals of the crater are an unbelievable sight.  Very beautiful and vast, we will not forget it.  The hyenas gave us all a good laugh when they moved in to get their piece of the kill.  They were squealing like little kids and chasing each other for body parts.  One was running around being chased with the tail in his mouth. 

The animals of the Ngorongoro do not migrate out of the crater so their is a large concentration in this place.  There are 17 prides of lions, thousands of wildebeests, zebra, rhinos hyenas, hippos and many others in this complete ecosystem.  Here a bird sits a top a group of hippos.

The Serengeti provides the best game viewing in the world.  Simply because it holds the worlds highest concentration of wildlife.  After going to many national parks in Africa it was by far the most impressive.

We were now done traveling with Nomad, they dropped off at a nearby hotel in Arusha.  There was absolutely no way I was going to continue the tour and drive by Kili without attempting to climb it.  When are we ever going to be back here? We now had the day off to prepare for our ascent of Africa's highest mountain. 

Link - Kilimanjaro

The countries of Africa have some serious issues.  These countries have recently gained their independence, long overdue after European imperialism, but what's the improvement of democracy when their elected leaders are corrupted and mismanage billions of dollars.  The corruption runs deep in the government, schools, and businesses.  People get things by bribing the higher authority..... pass an exam at school by bribing your teacher...... A bribe to get a job.  A bit now about their leaders.  The country of Malawi decided to sell off its corn surpluss last year to neighboring Kenya.  Due to this the people of Malawi now starve!  Western governments have ceased aid, angered by the corruption and misuse of money by the leaders. Without money being efficient spent by the leaders to improve the economy, The people will continue to suffer.  Not to mention the shear ignorance of the current leader of South Africa who informs the people that AIDS can be cured with a shower.  Africa's people have a brutal past and are still being let down.

If I had to pick a #1 highlight of our travels across Africa it would be the wildlife.  Visiting places like the Serengeti and Chobe N.P that are one of the few places where you can witness these animals is spectacular.  Seeing tribal people of Africa with a culture with daily life so drastically different than ours keeps you thinking about how different life is around the globe.  Reaching the top of Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa, was also a thrill and quite an accomplishment after 4 days of hiking and ascending over 19,000 ft.  And one of the most unique aspects of the trip, in retrospect, was traveling with a group - camping, eating, all discovering these amazing places together for the first time. The tour was organized by Nomad Adventure Tours. I am sure my fellow travelers will agree Africa was worth all the hardships of traveling through such an exotic continent.  What I really learned is that you just got to except the fact that things are going to be difficult, and during those times think, these will be my favorite memories.  One of the reasons why this trip went so well for us is that Nomad fit our style of travel.  Camp each night, fill as many highlights of Africa as possible during the days, with the freedom to do what we want when arriving. (Another bungee jump please).   I hope I have accomplished my goal of giving you some perception of what it is like to travel through Africa with these pictures and comments.  The surprises and highlights were many like all big trips, but Africa?  Damn, I still can't believe I was there.

Extras

1.   Movie   (Cape Town to Vic Falls)

1.   Movie    (Vic Falls to Kilimanjaro)

All Serengeti pictures someday soon?

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