Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: (Day 11) Dec-21-2013

A Very Poor Night's Sleep in Mikumi, Tanzania

Last night was probably the worst ever...the sleeping part at least.  It was so hot yet I had so sleep inside my sleeping bag because the mosquitos were everywhere.  I was sweating outside, imagine how I felt inside a place with poor ventilation and inside an insulated sleeping bag.  What made things even worse was that I had a black mosquito net wrapped around my face and neck.  I applied my 12 hour 'bug spray' lotion on my face, neck, and arms liberally.  After the heat became too much to bare I finally took my arms outside of the bag.  I took my mosquito net off my face every so often to cool down, but this didn't work.  I was so uncomfortable--sweating, too hot to even consider sleeping.  I just wanted it to end.  Somehow I finally got to sleep around 2, though I was well awake before 4.  2 hours of sleep--it will have to do.  Cara was kind enough to invite Stephanie and me to sleep in her room.  Stephanie took the other bed and I took the ground.

The accommodated (people in rooms) had an included breakfast, while us 4 campers had to resort to bread and cereal...again!  I sat with Sonia and Hans and skipped breakfast.  Unfortunately by the time I made it back to the bus Godfrey and Tabby had already packed away the lunch material for the day...we had to pack our own lunches today since it would be a long day on the bus.  FUCK!  No breakfast and no lunch today...this will be rough.

Driving Through Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

After 30 minutes or so we stopped to refill on Petrol.  I went into the gas station and picked up the only food that I saw.  3 Dairy Milk bars (2 small, 1 large), a Snickers bar,  and a small pack of cashew nuts.  Within 15 minutes I had eaten two of the smaller Dairy Milks, the Snickers Bar, and the cashews...not my proudest moment.

I took some Xanax (.75mg) and within an hour I was asleep.  I drifted off and on (most on) for the next 6 hours.  I was awoken from the immense noise emanating from the streets.  We had made it to Dar es Salaam.  It was ~1:00pm.  We had to drop Ann Marie, Hans, and Sonia off at their hotel--they were leaving the tour here.  We were going to pick up 3 or 4 new people tomorrow at the lodge that we are staying at here in Dar es Salaam.  They will be with us through Nairobi.

Driving Through Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

It took several hours to traverse the city's less than enjoyable traffic.  We did, however, manage to sneak in a 30 minute stroll in the city while Godfrey bought the ferry tickets to Zanzibar.  I believe that Zanzibar will have wireless internet...WOW, what a luxury!

It's gotta be among the hottest days here in Africa--we are closer to the equator so that makes sense.  Must be 100+ degrees and ultra-humid.

I have been thinking a lot about the logistics of when I take my RTW trip in the coming years.  Certain things are going to be a challenge.  Some things I've been considering are--how to get 12 months of Rxs, dealing with my 'stuff' back at home, finding a job and health insurance pending my arrival back home, etc.

It's about 3:15pm now and we're still driving.  Since we left at 6:00am sharp this morning 9 hours on this hot non-air conditioned bus is a nuisance.

Bungalow at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

I talked with Paul (the Aussie) a bit.  He was telling me that he had taken a year off to travel with his, now, wife.  We discussed all the places he visited.  He told me their original plans were to go for 2 years but after a year they had grown a bit tired of living out of a bag.  Both he, and his wife Erika, are Psychiatrists...along with Cara.  They seem to travel a bunch with their children.  They've been to Vietnam, Borneo, India, Egypt, and a few other places--all with their children.  This is the lifestyle I am striving for.

Hopefully we can get to our campsite before 4:30 so that we can enjoy the cooler sun prior to its setting.  I think an upgrade is in order for me tonight.  Last night it was $50/room which I thought was a bit much, so I opted out.  However the showers were very nice, even if the water had little/no pressure and there were no lights.

Inside Bungalow at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Arrived around 4:30pm.  I upgraded to a small bungalow for $8.  It is mostly just a wooden cabin with a thatched roof.  The only materials used are wood--holes in the wall for windows, gaps in the constructions of the entire cabin.  There is enough room for a small a animal to sneak under my door.  It's a bit hot so I'm leaving the door open.  We have wooden fences around our lodges.  We're about 40 feet from the Indian Ocean.  I didn't have a chance to go in today, but will once I'm in Zanzibar.

When I arrived I did laundry...all my clothing was dirty.  I laid my clothing on my cabin roof to dry.  Dinner sucked...again.  It feels like I'm in college again.  Godfrey is really getting out of my nerves.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but some of the other people felt similarly.

We have to wake up early to leave by 6:00am sharp tomorrow.  We catch the ferry to Zanzibar at 9:30am tomorrow.  Sorry for the short entry, it's 11:30pm and I'm tired.

Cheers!

Drying Clothes Atop My Bungalow at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Mikumi, Tanzania: (Day 10) Dec-20-2013

I woke up at 5:45, breakfast at 7:00, on the road by 7:15am.  Today we have ~280 km (5-6 hours) to drive to get to Mikumi.  We are using Mikumi as a stop-over on our way to Dar es Salaam, which we will drive to tomorrow.  We have the option of taking an afternoon game drive in the Mikumi National Park.  Price is still up in the air as it will depend on the number of people that decide to go.  We are told probably between $80-$100 a person, which covers the park entrance fee + the car/driver.  The game drive should last for 3-4 hours.

When I woke up I noticed my tent was a bit damp, not wet, just damp.  It hadn't rained but by the amount of due it seemed like it could have.  Packing up the tent is such a dirty task.  The 12 metal poles required to erect the tent are heavily rusted so taking them down and packing them just leaves my hands filthy--my newly-cleaned pants now look like they've been worn for the past week.  I was happy I didn't unpack the fly--one less thing to worry about this morning.  As for the tent...folding it up and rolling it to fit into the soaked canvas bag was a chore.  It is a tight fit and the fact that it was pretty saturated with water just made the entire ordeal more of a pain...a filthy pain.

Even When it Does Not Rain the Grass is Always Covered with Dew--Making Packing Up Our Tents A Very Dirty Task.  Iringa, Tanzania

I got to chat with Kelly for a few minutes today.  I walked around the campsite for 15 minutes trying to find the best signal--in most places I had none.  I found two GSM networks, one of them showed some signal when I walked to the area behind from where the truck had parked..1 bar.  I took 5 more paces, 2 bars.  I moved to a clearing where the trees were a bit more sparse, 2/3 bars.  I found a rock that was ~8 inches tall, 3/4 bars.  It's hard to believe that having my phone 8 inches higher really made that much of a difference, but I wasn't about to argue with what my phone was reading out.

This was by far the best, most successful, experience I've had with Skype to date.  The delay was minimal, quality was above average, and we only suffered 1 dropped call--which was promptly remedied.

We are on our way to the Iringa City Center so that a few people can access an ATM, then we leave for Mikumi National Park, where we will be spending our night.  Last night was a cool evening, but it is evident that last-night will not be a trend...except for when we get to the Crater, which is ~1500m above sea-level.

The workers at our campsite last night were Maasai.  They did not use electricity--Peter (the Aussie) was telling me that one guy took over 5 minutes trying to locate his cabin in the dark.  It had to have been near complete darkness and without the use of a flashlight Peter thought this guy was just guessing.

En route this morning we are pulled over again for a routine inspection.  They check to see if we have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, insurance, etc.--just the government trying to collect some more money.

I had been talking to Godfrey and he was saying that in Southern Africa it is easy to access a shopping center where you can expect ice-cream and other frill products.  He said that in Eastern Africa, "you never know".

I am really enjoying my book, Dark Star Safari, a story about the author's travels from Cairo to Cape Town.  He is currently heading south on a dreadful road to Nairobi.  I'm getting anxious to hear about his travels after he arrives in Nairobi as that is the part that I will be able to relate to.  I still haven't had the chance to watch any of the videos I brought along--I try during the nights, but it's often too hot so I just try to go to sleep.

We stopped in Iringa for ATMs.  Cara, Debby, Vincent, Sonia, and I were discussing how we were a bit upset that we stop in these large cities, yet never actually get to see them.  I ask Tabby if I can get dropped of in Dar es Salaam tomorrow and said that I will catch a cab back to camp.  We discuss this and it seems it's not an option.  Godfrey chimes in--I'm liking him less and less.  He's been very grumpy the last several days.  Actually, last night he told Stephanie, "I will teach you how to set up your tent yourself" and treated her like a child.  He made her feel bad that she had Debby help her.  Also, he told us at dinner while in Northern Malawi, "stop asking me things that are in your itinerary and just listen".  We have asked things like, "when are we leaving in the morning" and "will we be able to do ___ in ____?".

Debbie, Vincent, and Cara were on-board with being dropped off in Dar es Salaam, but we were told the traffic was too bad and that we couldn't do it.  They said they are sticking to the itinerary...but the FUCKING itinerary states we are going to Dar es Salaam.  Then for 1/3 of a page the itinerary talks about Dar es Salaam...why would there be such detail when we never actually get to go?

We arrived at our camp in Mikumi around 2:15.  We had lunch, hot dogs, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and bread.  We went on a game drive--$56 a person.  16 of use went--we took 3 4x4s.  It was a 20 minute drive into the park.  When we got there it was chaos.  We waited for half an hour while our driver was getting tickets.  After 30 minutes of nothing, I went in to check the status.  The front claimed starting 'today' they are only accepting credit cards.  They asked if we had any.  I said no and they told me to ask the others.  I pretended to go back and ask the others and return saying, "Yup, none of use have any credit cards, if you won't accept our cash, we'll just go somewhere else".  I'm not sure this worked, but somehow, 15 minutes later, we were allowed in.  This country, and to a large extent the entire continent, is pathetically inefficient.

Mikumi National Park, Mikumi, Tanzania

Known as Fast Food by the Lions...can you see the 'M'?

Finally, at 4:00pm we entered the park.  Our drive started slow, spotting a few impala, zebras, and the like.  We came across some warthogs chasing each-other--boy are they energetic little fuckers.  Next we came across some wildebeest--they were actually much larger than I had anticipated.  I would love to eat one of them!  We also saw three buffalo.

Male Impalas Playing, Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

I was able to snap a few photos of close-ups of their faces, boy are they interesting animals.  I also took a few pictures of one taking a crap...AWESOME!  A zebra feeding from its mother, another impala taking a pee...this is an interesting game drive.

Park fees were $30 apiece so I guess the $26 per person went to the vehicle/driver.

Warthog, Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

We came across 5 or 6 lions (about half male and half female).  They were resting in the heat and had taken to some shade beneath a few trees.  We were not able to get a close enough view as they were off of the main path and our driver told us he would get a heavy fine from the park ranger if he went off-road.  After the park ranger had driven past we finally took a few 'less than legal' routes closer to the lions.  We were there for a short time and then our driver asked, "are you done? we need to leave."  I had taken some pretty impressive photos, even with my slow f6.4 zoom lens.

A Hippo Turning Over in the Water, Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

On our way back to our camp site/hotel Debby, Vincent, Cara, and I discussed the possibility of going into 'town' tonight.  We really want to explore the "African" culture.  Long story short, we did not end up going out at night.  I am trying not to let these issues get to me though...African culture is...how do I put it...lacking!  Their food is whatever they can eat...from casaba plant to fried chicken, to mango/grape soda.  I will try to discuss this later in more depth.  I have been able to contrast the African American culture to that of Southern and Eastern African culture.  I am happy to say that the feelings I have about [the majority] of African Americans are not true about the Africans here.  So my hating the fact that Blacks in American can't pronounce the word "ask" and the fact that much of our crime is a result of violent drug-addicted black criminals does not make me racists.  I say this becuase it's the Black 'American' culture that is this way...NOT blacks!  However, it has become apparent that Blacks seems to feel entitled to charity and their work effort/work and efficiency/effectiveness is ungodly low.

Today, behind the bar, there were 3 people while 4 people were sitting down on the coach talking (and watching TV).  These people were all 'employees' of the hotel.  Let me ask you, "why does it take 3 Africans to open a fucking bottle of beer for a guest".  This is a small hotel with 20 guests (if not less).  They have to employee so many of these people becuase they are unable to do the work of a 6 year old white child.  I am not being racist, this is the sorry truth.  Cara thinks some of it is due to their cognitive deficets, possibly caused by malnutrition during childbirth and early developmental periods.

We are naive to think race is only skin deep.  In all other parts of the world, "India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Mexico, USA, Latin America, Greater Asia, and the Middle East" parents protect and raise their children.  In Africa the children raise themselves.  Once a child is too large to be carried on the mother's back I have yet to see a child with their mother.  I have seen 3 year olds running across busy streets, playing in fields alone with older children, and walking alone in certain areas.  There is no parenting here.  I wonder that if foreign aid was stopped whether the entire continent would just die off?  I'm not suggesting that happen, but it's sad that an entire people exist with no self-motivation, no future, essentially no civalized family structure.  Just look at how easily they dropped their old customs/culture and embraced christianity.  The only culture and historical meaning they had in life has now receded into the darkness of their forgotten pasts.

I see no future here.  The country is rich in minerals, and minerals only!

A Lion Smiles for the Camera, Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

Iringa, Tanzania: (Day 9) Dec-19-2013

I can't believe I've been gone for nearly two weeks--It's gone by quickly.  I could not sleep well last night--I woke up at 3:30.  My efforts to go back to sleep were unsuccessful.  I finally just got out of bed and took a shower at 4:30--with the help of my handy headlamp of course.  Bugs were kinda intense on my walk to the shower-house so I doubled back to grab a shirt--my H&M v-neck if you must know.

There were no lights in the shower-house,or anywhere else on camp for that matter.  I later found out that the electricity was turned off over night until 5:00am when it was then turned back on.  The shower-house was almost completely dark, only lit up by the waning moon.  I saw some moving shadows along the walls and took another step into the bathroom, still not in the shower yet.  I flipped my torch light from the diffuse flood setting to the stronger spotlight setting.  I scanned the shower and it looked devoid of life, mostly.  There was a beetle the size of a silver dollar scurrying along the ground and it freaked the hell out of me.  I shoed it out of the shower--trying to avoid contact with the damn bugger--while taking a leap into the shower while wearing my "Orthoheal" thongs.

The water was cold.  There was nowhere to place my shirt, towel, or soap, and the shower nozzle fell off--as the nozzle fell to the ground so did my hopes in getting any pleasure from this obligatory bathing ritual I must perform--for the sake of everyone else.  There I was in a dingy and dark shower when a recurring thought popped into my head, "Scott, why on Earth do you put yourself through this?  Yes, you are doused in bug spray, have been sweating profusely for 40 of the last 48 hours, and continue to wear clothing that has weathered all of Africa's grime, but it is worth it"?

Expression Used in Africa (see definition below)

T.I.A. - This is Africa

In Africa, there's a saying "TIA" meaning "This Is Africa" - the terms is typically used when tourists from western countries visit Africa and experience power shut downs, old technology etc.

I ended up showering...shockingly the water got colder the longer I showered--it was as though even the heavenly shower gods were preventing me from enjoying my shower.  I've gotten so accustomed to the horrible BO from all the Africans that I didn't even notice the smells in that bathroom.  I brushed my teeth and plugged in my tablet to charge...though it really wouldn't charge for a while as the electricity still hadn't been switched on.

Back in my room I packed by headlamp.  Packed for the 12+hr day of driving and then loaded the truck with my stuff.  Godfrey was up prepping breakfast and lunch--it was ~5:10 at this point.  I took my camera and walked towards the beach for some sunrise pictures.  It was nice being alone for once.  This tour is a bit different than all of the other tours I've taken in that I get very little alone time here.  So much of our time is traveling on the bus and prepping meals together.  It's really the only way to do Africa though.  This is probably the only part of the world where traveling alone is close to impossible (maybe not impossible, but it would surely suck pretty badly).

Sunrise over Lake Malawi, Chitimba, Malawi

Watching the Sunrise Over the Norther Part of Lake Malawi, Chitimba, Malawi

I had a small bowel of corn flakes and a piece of bread with peanut butter.  I had cut up a banana on the bread and peanut butter, obviously!  We all had to pack our lunches for the day as we weren't stopping...to much ground to cover today for that luxury.  In addition to traveling 650 km on poorly paved roads we will be going through immigration to leave Malawi and enter Tanzania.  Our clocks move ahead an hour while in Tanzania and Kenya so now I am 8 hours ahead of my friends and family back home in the States.

A Dugout Canoe, Chitimba, Malawi

Tonight we are staying at Kisolanza Farm in Iringa, Tanzania.  We're told there will be no electricity of any sort and to expect the worst from Tanzanian accommodations--welcome to East Africa.  Godfrey warns us that the Maasai won't eat fish, chicken, fruit, or vegetables and that they will only eat beef, goat, and cow blood.  We are eating at a nearby Maasai Restaurant tonight--Sounds awesome, I can't wait!

Right now,we're driving through the rift valley, passing a small fishing village in Northern Malawi.  There are several dozen small paddle boats in the lake just floating there with nobody in them.  I am told the boats are there to dry out the fish.

When we got to the Malawi/Tanzania border we had to get out of the truck to stamp out of the country.  The smell of BO was just as bad as everywhere else in Africa.  Though being in such a confined place just made it more noticeable.  The overall process was unnaturally slow and inefficient.  After I had my passport stamped and was making my way back to the bus I was called back by the women who had stamped my passport.  She thought she had made a mistake, but everything was ok.

Getting into Tanzania was a different story.  There was a mess of cars trying to get in, all in a jumble following what looked like a single file line.  The heat was unbearable and now that we were stopped, which meant no breeze, it was a sauna inside.  Beads of sweat shortly turned into buckets.  We all gave Godfrey our money for visas and our passports.  He had taken all of our documents in to the immigration office to speed up the process, but over an hour passed before we got any word.  Finally we got our passports back and we crossed into Tanzania, but just a bit.  The power is out at the immigration office and they need to photocopy some documents pertaining to our truck so we are waiting for them to start a generator to operate the copy machine.

I am sitting in the back of the bus today and have had the sun on me all morning.  What a great day--the longest day--to be stuck in back.  Everyone is eating snacks (sweet fruit, candy, and sodas) and our garbage is directly behind me--The flies are molesting me.

We are still waiting and it seems like we'll never get there tonight.  We probably still have another 9 hours of driving?  Tabby got pulled over for speeding this morning.  He was going 60 km/h while the speed limit was 50 km/h.  After a short period we stopped for a 10 minute break to pick up some snacks.  Hans suggested that we all pitch in and throw a dollar or two to help pay for the ticket as Nomad wouldn't pay for it and $30 is quite a bit of money for Tabby.  Most of us did and Tabby was very grateful.

We're finally on the road again, 11:40am.  That was way too long of a break!  We were told all of Malawi was also out of power.  10 of us had to use the restrooms so Tabby gave us a few thousand Tanzanian shilling.  Some guy in front of the bathrooms was charging 100 shilling per person.  We paid them 1,000 and he still wanted more.  People here did not speak English, not like in Zambia, Malawi, and Zimbabwe--though that may change as we make our way to larger cities.  They were squat toilets...Fun!

While waiting on the bus I talked with Peter, the Aussie.  He was telling me about the Australia army during world war 1 and the Vietnam War.  It's surprising how little we, Americans, learn about other countries of the world during our formal schooling.  In place of learning about other countries, customs, and nationalities we get to learn about Native Americans about 3 or 4 times over.  Also, why the fuck did we have to relearn the customs of pilgrims during the week of thanksgiving every damn year?

Most people on my tour had learned about The Maasai peoples in school.  We NEVER even discussed Africa.

We stopped after a bit to change our $USD to Tanzanian Shilling.  A guy game on our truck and offered the following rates:  1,500 shilling per $1USD for small bills and 1,580 shilling per $1USD for $50 and $100 bills.  We have to be pretty far behind schedule and I really dont want to have to set up a tent late tonight when it's dark.

Oh, quick note, the guy who was charging us to use the toilets had tried to sell us Tanzanian SIM cards just 15 minutes prior. Lame!

It's 6:00pm and I've been listening to Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux.  A travel writer tells the story of his journey from Cairo to Cape Town, overland.  I like it as his observations are inline with mine, that is, not PC.  I spend 20 minutes trying to swat flies in the back of the truck...something to keep my mind busy.  I nabbed half a dozen.  After being on the road for the last 11 hours I'm beginning to get a bit irritable.

Tanzania seems to have better cell phone coverage, more houses have satellite dishes, and the houses/towns appear to be closer together.  However, the facilities at some of the stops we've made were been miserable--Just filthy!  The road is not horrendous, but it's a rough ride none-the-less.  Also, it's about the width of 1.5 lanes so we have to completely stop and pull over as oncoming traffic approaches.  There are also more cars/trucks on the road.  My initial impression of Tanzania is not too good, but I'm hoping to change that.

I have been really moved by the kindness many Africans have shown.  They appear to be very hard working, even if they work mindlessly and ineffectively.  It's also become apparent that no amount of $ will help the problems Africa endures.  Excuse my frankness but is it a possibility that the Africa we see today is the best, or close to, the best Africa can/will ever be?  I believe it was the Zambian King who publicly condemned the use of condoms.

Dinner in Kisolanza Farm in Iringa, Tanzania

We arrive at camp around 8:00, 13 hours after leaving camp this morning.  There are no more upgrades available so we pitch our tents.  We have it down to a science and it takes only 5 minutes.  We all left our rain-flies off as the skies look clear--beautiful, actually.  We meet for dinner at the restaurant at the camp site.  There is no electricity anywhere within the lodge--candles light the interior while coal space heaters provide the heat.  The Temperature is actually quite cool, a nice change of pace.  I don't think this will last as Tabby said it's always like this here.  It must be due to our altitude.

Dinner was nothing like I (or the Dutch couple) had expected.  We had sweetish meatballs, baked beans, corn on the cob, and some veggies.  We also had soup and bread. I ordered a beer

Dinner in Kisolanza Farm in Iringa, Tanzania

and a brownie for the road...I am eating that now.

It's sad but Africa has no real culture.  They have only what the whites have given them.  Half of me thinks it's pathetic, but the other half feels so sorry.  I'm torn as to which way to feel.  One thing I know for sure is that Africa would be MUCH better off if they were actively ruled (i.e. colonized) by the western world.  HIV, disease, famine, education, corruption, etc....there are so many reasons in support of colonization.  I think deep down the Africans would support it, at least in part.  The African 'elected' governments are extremely devious and steal foreign aid for there personal use all the f'ing time.

Ok, it's 10:20 and I'm tired.  Tomorrow we get to sleep in till 6:30, breakfast at 7:00.  We have a game drive tomorrow afternoon but I'm not sure if I'm going to go.  The price is still unknown but if it's more than $60 I will have to consider if it's worth it.  I still have 3 days in the Serengeti for game drives coming up.

Goodnight!

The Night Sky, Iringa, Tanzania

Chitimba, Malawi: (Day 8) Dec-18-2013

Woke up at 5:40am, spent 20 minutes packing my bags.  I packed using my torch as all power was still off for the night.  Brushed my teeth...also by headlamp.  I felt gross from a nightfall of dancing, sweating, and then sleeping in my own filth.  At dinner, the entire group had been talking about the strong storm we had that night.  They all had said they were woken up and that some of their rooms had water blowing directly in.  Sophie and Noah said that it was the strongest storm they have ever heard and that at one time they thought their cabin was going to collapse and that they were going to die.  I slept through the entire night so I can't comment.

We were on the road by 6:30 and have ~350 km of roads to cover today--about 7 to 8 hours of driving.  We stopped at a market along the way, but were only given 10 minutes to shop.  I could have easily spent an hour there.  I bought one more of the of the things I had gotten before, this time a larger one.  I will have to wrap them up and send them back in a duffel bag as my 2nd piece of checked luggage.

Scenery Through the Rift Valley, Along Chilumba Bay Northern Malawi

We later stopped at Mzuzu, where the two Costa Rican ladies had to settle the issue with their visas.  We had also stopped at a Shoprite.  I bought a few Coke Lites and a package of oranges for a total of $5 (~2000 kwacha).   On my way back to the truck I was accosted by locals trying to sell me stuff, which has become the norm.  I asked one of them how much 3 bracelets were and he said 1500 kwacha (or about $4).  I told him 1$ USD and he said no.  I walked away, despite his efforts to negotiate, and stepped onto the bus.  From the window he continued to negotiate.  I told him I had 550 kwacha and that's all.  After his numerous efforts to glean more money from me proved fruitless he finally consented.  They also asked for empty bottles.  There is a 25 kwacha deposit they get back for glass bottles but they get nothing for plastic bottles.  They use plastic bottled to hold water they have to pump from wells.   I was happy to give them the empty bottles I had on the bus.  The Fat Fuck...oops, I mean, "FF" was a complete bitch (go figure) when I asked if she had any empties.  She replied, "I already paid my deposit on this".  God forbid this bitch looses out on 25 kwacha (~$0.06 USD) and can't afford to fund her addiction to 7-Up and potato chips...I mean she does go through enough of that just to be classified as a starved pig.  I wish I could just punch her in her snout...

Chitimba Camp, Malawi

OK, DEEP BREATHING......better now, but she's still a FF.

We're back on the road and it 10:30--on our way to Chitimba, Malawi, which is along the northern tip of Lake Malawi.  The lake is ~600 km long.  We arrived at camp just before 2 and it was very hot.  We ate lunch, which was only bread, butter, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Market Outside Chitimba Camp, Malawi

I took a walk into town to a local market with Sonia, Ann Marie, and Cara.  It was very poor.  They were selling secondhand clothing, afro picks, tobacco, peanuts, and various other products.  It was in a field and all the products were on the ground.  They were also selling hair straightener that was premixed and in a large plastic barrel.  Sonia and Cara were saying how non-profit companies send donated clothing to Africa where corrupt organizations then sell the clothing for a profit.  Apparently that is how much of the donated clothing is distributed here in Africa.

Tobacco and Peanuts, Chitimba Camp, Malawi

On our walk we had children clambering towards us and grabbing our hands.  Many had those large bellies those African children on TV have--they get that from malnutrition.  One of the older boys (maybe 14 year old?) had said his father recently died from AIDs.  This is very common here.  AIDS is the largest killer here.  It's sad as many of the children already have AIDs and probably don't even know it.  You can see the symptoms very clearly.  The ratio of children to adults is unbelievably large.  The adults here don't live long lives and the children are largely unsupervised.  There is so much that the Africans can do to improve their lives, but they just don't do it.  Maybe they are just not intelligent enough to learn?  Cara thinks that most of them just don't have the cranial capacity.  I am tending to believe that to be the case.  AIDS does lead to dementia and malnutrition also has grave effects.  Also, malnutrition during pregnancy seems to have a significant impact here as well.  I can go into detail later, but it's VERY EVIDENT that MONEY is NOT the bottleneck for improvement in conditions in Africa.

Cara and I Walk Back to Camp With Local Children, Chitimba, Malawi

Ad for "Pot" Outside Camp, Chitimba, Malawi

On the way back to the camp site Cara and I decided to try to local cuisine and paid a local $5 to cook up some type of fried fish and chips from the casaba plant.  He delivered it to our camp a few hours later, it was ok.  Thankfully Godfrey cooked up a feast.  He made some type of vanilla-fruit pudding, which was also quite good.  It's 8:45 and YES I am still sweating.  I upgraded to a dorm for the night.  I have 4 beds but I am the only one in my room.  It was only $5.  I still don't have electricity, a fan, bathroom, or shower...but I don't have to pitch and then pack up a tent.

Tomorrow we eat breakfast at 5:30 and then have to pack our own lunch--since we have a long day of driving and will not be stopping for lunch.  Our trip is 650 km and will take all day.  Standards in Eastern Africa (e.g. Kenya & Tanzania) are even more basic so we need to lower our expectations.

The beach was beautiful today at the lodge, but it was a bit windy by the time I got back from the market.  I just walked the shore a bit.  I chatted with Beth, Cara, and Sophie a bit about Colleges in Australia and some of their drinking games.  Everyone else has hit the sack so I'm going to go to bed and sweat while maybe watching a movie?

Our Accommodations in Chitimba, Malawi

My dorm, as well as all the other rooms, have metal--maybe tin--roofs.  Throughout the evening I heard large plantains falling from the nearby trees.  This, coupled with the smacking of branches, made for a very musical evening.  Furthermore, there are monkeys that jump from roof to roof that really makes the noises quite interesting in here.

I'm happy that I have 5 windows that open because the breeze is nice, even though if it is still a sauna in here.

Oh, one thing....Every place here in Malawi has ONE type of beer--Carlsberg.  It seems that they have a brewery and/or bottling operation in Malawi.  How Random?

Enjoying a Carlsberg on the Beach, Chitimba, Malawi

Kande Beach, Malawi: (Day 7) Dec-17-2013

Dawnk-yuh-val, which means thank you in Danish.  A word I just learned from Debby.  Yesterday was an amazing day.  We had spent the entire day at Kande Beach, Malawi.  Breakfast was served at 8:00am, a delightful change of pace compared to the typical 5:30am serving time.  Unfortunately I was up at 5:00 anyways.  Breakfast was extra delightful as we had eggs in addition to the cereal and bread--I ate mine sunny side up.

A Small Island in Lake Malawi at Kande Beach, Malawi

After breakfast  I went snorkeling with 5 others in our group.  I was given a mask, snorkel, and flippers--which left my skin raw and which I'm sure will be very painful once they start to scab over.  We were shuttled to a small island just over 800m from shore.  This 1/2 mile trip was provided via an inflatable raft with an engine on the back.  We had to walk out a good 200 feet into the water as the beach was incredibly shallow.  After this shallow introduction to the water the depth dropped significantly.  We were dropped at the island and then left there with no clear directions on where to go, not to go, or when/where to meet up.

As is typical for me when I snorkeling I panic a bit when first in the water.  The restricted breathing replicates the horrible sensation of having an asthma attack.  Coupled with the leaky goggles, poorly fitting flippers, and crashing waters against the rocky island entering my snorkel, my experience was an intense one.  I calmed myself down busing some self-reassuring techniques.  I decided I would at least swim around the island, while others had decided to jump off the cliffs on the island.  It took a bit more time than I had anticipated to swim around--the current and waves were much more intense on the far side of the island.  Haha, "Far Side of the Island"--I imagine this would be the resulting album if Dave Gilmore and Jimmy Buffet formed a band, maybe the "Pink Parrots".  Ha, if you are not laughing to that then there is something supper seriously wrong with you.

I saw some colorful fish, small mind you, but still interesting to view.  Given it is a freshwater lake I had not formed too many expectations.  I would say it was worth it, simply for the experience just to get in the water, but not for the viewing.  For only $15 for as long as we wanted, it was quite a bargain.  I have never seen so much fish poop in my life.  I actually thought they were white worms, until Sophia educated me proper!  After circling the island I was ready to call it a quits.  I would have had to wait at least another 45 minutes for the raft to return as he was currently taking the Aussie family of 4 SCUBA diving.  I decided to swim back to shore.  800m, which is exactly 1/2 a mile.  What I did NOT take into account was the cross current.  Having taken this into account I would have realized the total distance required to swim in-order to return to shore was actually closer to 1000m.  I swam back and mid-way lost a fin...I  told you they didn't fit well, right?  I waited for the fin to surface, but after 30 second of treading water it hadn't surfaced.  I decided to abandon it figuring it would be washed to shore...eventually.  Swimming with one fin made things incredibly difficult due to the asymmetrical nature of kicking with my foot and my fin.  All in all I made it back to shore ~30? minutes after leaving the island.  I was proud of myself as this was, by far, the longest and farthest I have swam, without breaks, and with no life jacket.  Oh yeah, had I mentioned that we signed no releases, received no life preserves, nor were we provided with any information other than, "get in the raft" and "ok, jump out now".

Playing Dutch Yahtzee at Kande Beach, Malawi

Once back at shore I played some Yahtzee and ate some lunch.  Afterwards I went into the village, which required me to leave the gated premises of the Kande Beach Lodge.  I had asked for Goerge and waited at his cousin's 'stand' for him to return with the custom item I had purchased for Kelly.  It was nice to have watched him make it from scratch, cutting, chiseling, sanding, polishing, etc.  He then taught me a game called, "The Boa Game" which is a popular game around the area.  The game was very similar to Mancala--a game I bought from the discovery store in Beachwood place when I was young.  It's a fun game, I'll teach anyone who wants to learn when I'm back 'home'.

Bao Game, Kande Beach, Malawi

He beat me 2 out of 3 games.  Afterwards I told him I wasn't interested in purchasing the game and he didn't push it.  I noticed he was wearing the same shirt and shorts as the day before and that he had fractured his large toenail on his right foot.  We sat on the ground in his village playing the game and there were a few chickens nearby...other passersby stopped to say hello and then continued walking.  This beach is visited relatively often by overland trucks, but the village is set back a mile or so from the lodges.  Most people don't leave the gated premises so the villagers have limited interactions with the tourists.  When we were sitting on the ground I noticed his pants were torn in the crotch and I felt very bad.

Many people in Malawi have asked for 'trade' and not just money in exchange for their products.  They ask for old shirts, socks, etc..

George Holding a Key-chain He Had Made for Me, Kande Beach, Malawi

I socialized a bit more with some of the people on my tour as well as a couple people from the overland truck that had just arrived, from Acacia tours.  So far on my journey I've met an Intrepid Tour, G Adventure Tour, and an Acacia Tour.  I had looked into all three of these tours.  Nomad spent one extra night in the Serengeti, was a few days longer, and had a few shorter days of driving.  Also, Nomad ensured their trucks had no more than 18 passengers, while the others had up to 24.  These are the reasons for my choosing Nomad.  However it seems the people on the other tours were younger, more outgoing, and less "by the books".  An Aussie girl from the Acacia Tour was telling us how they took a cab while in Nairobi and went to a local fish market and ate there.  I know our guide would advise us to stay at our hotel and eat there and everyone in our tour (the sheeple) would eagerly comply.  Last night when Debby, Vincent, and I went out to the village for a local house party one of the Aussie mothers (the one I DO like) had said, "why go out there, it is just a bother when you have a bar here".  She clearly doesn't grasp the idea of 'living' and 'experiencing' the African culture.

Sailing in Lake Malawi, Kande Beach, Malawi

Anyways,  from 3-4:30 I went sailing with Cara.  No one else had wanted to get up from their hammocks and I was happy she had agreed to come along.  Sailing alone could get a bit boring.  I rented a catamaran for $10/hr and took it out.  It was a lot of fun, though the boat was a low quality one and the rudders didn't function at 100% (I would say 70%, which was good enough).  I taught her how to sail and she caught on quickly.  We talked about the others on the trip and we both agreed how our trip is a bit 'to scheduled and formal" and that we both had wanted a bit more adventure.  We sailed as far as a mile out from shore and then headed back in--which was a bit difficult with the current wind conditions.

Cooking BBQ Chicken, Kande Beach, Malawi

Once back at shore I showered and got ready for the evening.  Talked with my mother for an hour and had BBQ chicken for dinner.  Debbie had been invited to a local bar that evening by one of the villagers she had purchased a game from.  She invited a few of us to join in, only I agreed.  After talking with Kelly for 20 minutes or so, I grabbed a beer, changed into short-sleeves and applied some bug-spray.  By 8:45pm we were on the way out of the gated area and into the village.

We were led by the same guy that showed us around the village the previous day.  All three of us, Vincent, Debbie, and myself, were a bit uncertain as to how our night would unfold.  We walked for about 15 minutes through brush and a narrow path in the dark until we arrived at a house party.

NOW LET ME SAY THIS!  If I had witnessed anything even close to this scene in America I would be backstopping faster than I have in my life and I would NEVER look back.  Imagine a broken-down house with an unlit yard and 3 large blaring speakers on the ground close to the patio.  There was a D.J. playing Rap music and half a dozen young men dancing in the center of a crowd.  One of the guys we walked with had said there were between 100 and 150 there.  There were anywhere from 40-60 children and I would guess 70% of the crowd was under 24 (~90% under 30).

The purpose of the party was to help raise money for an upcoming wedding.  The wedding was on Dec-21-2013.  People paid 100 Kwacha ($0.25) to request a song and once it was played only they could dance on the dance-floor, but they were able to invite anyone they wanted.  A couple of people had put in some money for us to dance with the children so the three of us (VERY white people) were dancing in the middle of a circle comprised of ~100 local African Villagers.  We were accompanied with quite a few dozen children of all ages...some as small as 3 years old.  Most were fighting over who could hold our hands while we danced.  I had kids, boys and girls, climbing on my back and grabbing my hands and arms to dance with me.  It was amazing to see how happy/excited they were to see us.  After one of the songs I had given a small boy a high-five and then another 10 kids close by had come up to me giving me high-fives.

One thing I noticed immediately while walking up to the house was the overwhelming smell of body odor.  Some older guys (18-24 yrs old) were dancing with their shirts off and jumping all over the place.  There were two guys who were sagging their pants, a few more were sporting afro-picks.  Many had their shirts off and I was temped to follow suit--it was hot--but I kept it on.  After about an hour of dancing with the children and talking with some of the local guys we left.  We walked to the beach with some drums and played the drums along the waterfront for a while.  The others had ordered some local beers, but I was dosing off and went to bed around 10:45.  I passed out right away.

I had noticed that many of the young adults (mostly boys) were keeping the children in line.  It was very dark and I couldn't make out any of the faces from a distance farther than 5 feet.  It was quite the experience, possibly the best one on my trip so far.  Debbie had agreed.

Standing Next to a Hand Carved Malawi Chair in Kande Beach, Malawi

Kande Beach, Malawi: (Day 6) Dec-16-2013

Woke up at 5:00am.  First time in 5 nights I was able to sleep in a bed...granted there was no mattress and I had to use a sleeping mat from the camping supplies on the bus.  I also took my first hot shower in 6 days.  It was my 2 shower in 6 days, my last shower being 4 days ago.

I'm writing this at 8:45am after having been driving in the truck since 6:15am.  We're stopped at a random passport check on a main road.  The two Costa Rican women are having some difficulty because they never received a stamp for entry.  They were going to get it at another location because I think the port of entry we were at yesterday was not equipped with the proper stamp?

It's going to be a warm one today.  It's already blistering hot and I'm sweating like crazy and it's not even 9.  I'm stuck behind the Aussie lawyers and ugh...  I really like Paul, but Erika I could do without.  She's so unpleasant.  I accidentally left a few empty wrappers on my seat from yesterday.  3 minutes into our drive she throws them back--not handing then, but throwing--over her shoulders and into my face and says, "here, these are yours".  I bit my tongue and just got some pleasure that she's a fat fuck and probably the ugliest thing I've seen so far in Africa.  Whenever we take a water stops at the markets she gets 2 liters of 7-up.  As the song made famous  by Eric Cartman about Mrs. Broflosky goes, "Oh...she's a Big Fat Bitch".  After talking with Sophie about traveling through Southeast Asia we are stopped by immigration officers for a routine check.  While we are stopped and the heat continues to build I politely asked the couple in front of me--Paul and Fat Fuck (now to be known as FF)--"if [they] could please lower their window so I could get some air".  FF's first response was "well, why don't you lower yours".  I bit my tongue again and thought--I wanted to yell and do what I DO BEST--which is to use my intellect to belittle someone.  But I think it's justified because what I said was factually accurate and I felt she obviously needed the education. 

I told her the following:  I told her that I can open it, but that is really didn't effect me and that I will ask the people behind me about that later.  Because we are traveling at ~60km/hr and the outside air is essentially static the relative wind speed is -60kph.  Given Bernoulli's theorem the wind outside will deflect inwards due to the lower relative pressure inside our vehicle.  This deflection is not a stepwise function (it's actually a differential equation based on the velocity of the car---though I left this part out!)  and therefore must take some distance to move inwards.  Thus for me to get an ample breeze the window in front of me, YOUR WINDOW, and the window TWO in front of me should be open.  While driving, my window will cool off the seats behind me.

I stopped here, but I could have gone on to say, "notice how the people sitting in front by the first 2 windows do not have their hair being blown around".  Case in point.  I find that expression sort of awkward because isn't it the Case (story) that provides the point (argument)?  I think Point in Case makes more sense.  Unless the actual expression is Case AND Point, in which case I'm just an idiot!

Buying Some Samosas, Curbside en route to Kande Beach, Malawi

We're  back on the road and ~2.5hrs into our 6-7 hour drive to Kande Beach, Malawi.  We stopped at a village along the way and I bought a bracelet and some type of samosa (w/ rice inside).  We arrived at Kande beach around 1:15.  Today was the first time we had access to internet in 6 days or so.  It was slow and it was billed by the minute.  But I was able to get my emails.  We met at 3 for lunch and then left for the village tour.

The tour was nice--very eye opening.  A local villager took us around to where the houses were, he actually took us into his own house.  We saw their school where 1200 kids go and have to share one room every day.  We also saw their 'hospital'.  Their next closest hospital is 17km away, which it unattainable for many since there is only one car in the entire village.  The hospital they have is mostly for treating pregnant mothers, HIV testing/drug administration, condom dispersal (though they typically run out very quickly) and for treating malaria.  There is not enough money to provide bug nets for every bod--bug nets cost $12 apiece.  We also learned that School fees are $150/yr and the government doesn't provide any support--the government also doesn't require schooling.  One of the villagers walked with me during my tour and explained he was going to study mechanical engineering, in the capital city, Lilongwe.  I have a feeling that their 4 years of engineering will not even give them the education on how how to fix automobiles.  After further questioning I discovered that only 5 to 6 people a year (out of >100+) make it to a university.

Children Pumping Water, Kande Beach, Malawi

This guy's name was George, A.K.A. Black Magic, and was very polite and smart (relatively speaking).  They did not get paid to walk and speak with us about their lives in the village, but the idea is that if we were to buy anything while here we do so at 'their' shops.  I told him I will look at his shop and would like to buy a ____ (will not reveal until I return home).  After the tour I also bought a couple of ___.  I had asked, "how much" and they had told me $55 a piece + $10 for that other thing.  They said that because I am getting all 3 they will sell it for $110 (priced at $120 if no discount was to be applied).  After some negotiating and me walking away I ended up buying everything for $60.  Ok, back to the tour.

Cassava Plants (Recently Planted), Kande Beach, Malawi

We learned about the cassava plant and how they used it for sustenance.  They cooked the leaves and prepped the roots for either flour or chips (depending on if it was the sweet or sour plant variety).  They then would stick the bare stems--face up--into soil and it would continue to grow.  They had chicken coupes but only used the chickens for eggs.  They did eat chicken but only on days like Christmas and

Chicken Coupe, Kande Beach, Malawi

birthdays.  George's mother was Zambian and he used to live there, but when she died he came to Kande Beach, Malawi to live with his father and 6 siblings.  His father died when he was a young teenager and he continued living here with his grandparents.  He is now 18 and is trying to save up for university...which costs about $750/yr.

I gave some biscuits to the children in the village--they were fighting to get more...very cute, but quite sad.  On the way back to our lakeside rooms I asked George about the differences between the hatch and aluminum rooftops.  He said that the aluminum was expensive, while the hatch was 'free'  After trying to ask the question 5 different ways I finally learned that to roof an entire house with aluminum costs between $75-$150.  It's eye opening that such a small investment (by our standards) is too large for many of the people here.  Consequently, many live with inferior roofs that leak and require more maintenance.

Handing Out Toy Airplanes at the Local School, Kande Beach, Malawi

There are only 2 houses in the village that have TVs.  No one has internet or phones.  Most of the children have ringworm infections on their scalps/bodies which remain untreated.  The children play barefoot and wear clothing that would be considered 'too worn' for donation purposes in the states.  I wish everyone in America could have experienced this type of imagery.  In their free time the children try to learn and play soccer, or work around the house or village cleaning/cooking.  In our free time we learn about what else we can buy.  It makes me sick the way most of us live in America--we have so much, yet we're still so worried about what clothing is 'more fashionable', what furniture matches better, and what car brand is more luxurious.  Consumerism just breeds discontent and furthers the fragmentation of society.  Add to that people's obsession with social networking and you have a morally-bankrupt society that still considers itself "the greatest nation in the world"...get over yourself America!  If you are so great why do your people work harder and longer than ANY other country in the world, contain among the least cultured/educated people within the educated world, and depend on government imposed tariffs just so our workers can continue to produce inefficient goods.  Add to that the notion that our student loans costs 2 times that of what it costs to buy a house and that our schools are up to 5-10 times more expensive than most any other schools in the world.......Yeah, what was it that makes America #1?

Anyways, I had dinner at 7, had a few beers with some people from my tour and went to bed around 9:30.  I wanted to watch a movie in bed since I brought along 25 videos and have yet to watch any--however, it was still too hot and I was dripping with sweat while laying over my sheets in just my underwear.  I thought the only thing that would stop the discomfort would be to go to sleep, I was right...however I woke up 4 or 5 times throughout the night with nightmares.

Lilongwe, Malawi: (Day 5) Dec-15-2013

After a very warm night I woke up before my alarm--just like I have been doing every single morning since arriving in Africa (except for my first day).  I stayed in bed till 5:00 listening to the wildlife around me.  I heard some hippos nearby.  I got out of my tent to wash my face and brush my teeth and saw a large baboon about 25 feet from me, across the pool, just sitting indian style.  There was a monkey nearby in the bar as well.  They seemed completely indifferent to me.  After having camped for two nights I had quite a bit of stuff that needed to be repacked.  I packed my bag for the day and then the rest in my overnight bag.  I repacked my sleeping bag inside my waterproof stuff sack and loaded that in the bottom of my bag.  My toiletries and electronics went on the top.  I carried my sleeping mattress over to the truck and put it above the seats in its designated holding space.

I very much dislike folding and repacking both the tent and rain fly all the time.  By the time I finish loading the truck with my tent and supplies I'm filthy--hands covered in rust and every other part of me covered in dirt from the tent/fly and their fabric covers.

Another day of burnt toast...toast without butter?  Yuk!  I forced myself to eat half a slice along with a few handfuls of unfrosted 'frosted' flakes.  A few gulps of tea go down just so that I get some H2O in my body.  After emptying and cleaning out the dish washing basin I took my seat on the bus.  I reviewed a few photos I took from my trip.  Honestly, I'm not overly impressed with them.  I love my camera, but it just can't compete with a full sized DSLR with a high mm lens w/ large aperture.  Taking photos at 200mm with 6.4f-stops just has its limits.

We're stopped right now taking a bush break.  We are on our way to Chipata for supplies, then we leave for  Lilongwe Malawi.  I loaded up on water and some chocolate treats.  Oh, and their apples have been absolutely delicious.

Getting Supplies in Chipata, Zambia

We arrived at the Zambia/Malawi border and stamped out out Zambia, walked over to Malawi through an iron gate that was slightly ajar and filled out some forms in the Malawi immigration office.  There was no visa required and also no fee...although we did need our Yellow Card (Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate).  The 2 women from Costa Rica needed to provide an extra visa they applied for through South Africa to gain entry into the country.  I asked her why she needed it and she told me "I guess Costa Rica and Malawi don't have the best foreign relations".  I told her, "That's weird because I don't have ANY relations with Malawi and they let me in".  We both chuckled.

Conversion rate is ~410 Malawi Kwacha to $1 USD.  In Zambia it was ~5,700k Zambian Kwacha to $1 USD.  However, in Zambia, most places accepted USD but equated 5,000 Kwacha to $1.  Beers at most of the bars in Zambia have been ~10,000 Kwacha (or $2 USD), ciders were 15,000, wines 16,000-19,000, cigarettes were 5,000-10,000 Kwacha.  At the supermarket cigarettes from local brands were as low as 5,000 Kwacha for a two pack.  That's less than $0.50 per cigarette pack.  US branded packs were ~$1/per.  Beer was between 5,000 and 6,500 kwacha for local brands and imports were around 8,000 to 9,000 kwacha.

I'm not sure if I stated this before but the sun tan lotions were very expensive...where everything else was at a discount compared to US standards, the sunscreen held hefty premium.

After we crossed into Malawi we stopped at some ATMs so that some of the people to could take out some local currency.  Godfrey also arranged for a local to come onto our bus to exchange money.  His rate was 410 Malawi Kwacha to $1 USD, if using bills larger than $20.  For $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills the rate was 350 Kwacha.  I tried to negotiate with him but he wasn't going to move so I went Kwachaless (as I did while in Zambia).  I learned that on the street larger bills are worth more than lower bills, thus the difference in the conversion rates.  My 500 Kwacha Calrsburg (Danish beer) was $2 since I was paying with smaller bills and they always round up to the nearest dollar.

We stopped at an animal sanctuary outside Lilongwe where they took in injured and poorly treated animals and helped them to recover.  Some of these animals were set free but the majority of them will live out their lives at this sanctuary.  It was like a zoo, but the animals had much more room and there was nothing artificial introduced into their environment.  They had quite a bit of monkeys/baboons. There were also owls, turtles, porcupines, 3 types of antelopes (bushbucks, impala, ?), a 5m (17') python, a few birds, crocodiles, and a female lion.  The lion had previously been sold to Romania where she was put on display and treated very poorly.  People had been known to burn the poor animal with their cigarette butts.  They showed some photos of the lion living outside during a winter, covered in snow....this was obviously not the animals natural habitat.  The lion's mate and child had died there.  The lion had two diseased eyes, one that eventually went blind.  Through international efforts the animal sanctuary was able to bring the lion back to Africa where she currently resides.  The center is currently trying to get another lion for her.

The lion was so beautiful...huge!  You can tell she wanted to play--she would rub her body against the metal fence, we were so close to the fence we could probably reach out and pet her.  She was trying to reach us and show her affection.

Afterwards we loaded back onto the truck--after putting all our rain gear away as it had just poured--we drove over to our camp site.  Along the way I immediately noticed how wealthy Malawi was (w.r.t. Zambia).  Many buildings looked very similar to those found in the west.  Roofing panels, inset windows/frames, proper foundations, etc..  There is clearly more money here than in Zambia...at least from what i've seen so far.

<I am writing this on June 27th, 2014:  I have since learned Zambia and Malawi are both VERY poor and any difference in perceived wealth had to do with the areas that we drove through and this was not representative of the country at large>

Placing a Bug Net On My Bed

We arrived at our campsite and they had no rooms for us to upgrade.  They offered for us to stay in this house-like place.  It was where they had their reception.  I believe it was a house for the owner/manager but likely hasn't been used for a while.  There were two bathrooms and two showers, though neither had curtains and only one bathroom had a door.  Some beds were missing mattresses and the fans didn't work.  However there were multiple TVs, though plugging them in would prove fruitless as it would just be static.  There were multiple rooms, maybe 5 or 6?  Stephanie took a room, I took a room, and the Couple (Debbie & Vincent) took another room.  I had told the person working at the campground that I will only stay here if they install a mosquito net...they complied.  The place was decked out with a sun room, fireplace, multiple couches, a scattering of African art, bongo drums, cabinets, dressers, and shelves.

They asked for $10 apiece for us to stay there and we all agreed.  Later on Godfrey had said that was a very good deal because these parts of Malawi "are getting very expensive"

I spent an hour (probably more) trying to get my phone to register on the Airtell Network, but it kept wanting to return to the TNM Network.  I think it was due to the fact that TNM has much stronger signal than Airtell--Airtell worked better though.  I learned that just because a phone has a strong signal does not ensure you can make a call (3rd world lessons).  The 4 bars--of service--I had on TNM just meant I had a strong connection with a TNM tower.  But if that TNM tower has poor 'service' or their 'broadband' is too low than having a strong signal from this provider is useless....Lesson learned!

I finally was able to call Kelly and we chatted for 30 minutes.  I had to eat dinner and I told her I would call her back.  We struggled getting a good connection so we just said goodnight and I promised to try to call again when I was able.

Dinner consisted of ground-beef topped with thick slices of boiled potatoes, and grilled vegetables.  I talked with Caralina and Sonia after dinner.  Sonia has a basenji and she thought the dogs in the local villages strongly resembled her dog.  I chatted with the group for a while and then with Tabby.

Tabby's real name is Umptabisee (sp?) and pronounced uump-tah-bee-see.  He was telling me how there is a tribe in Zimbabwe that is legally allowed to grow and smoke marijuana.  Otherwise, penalties for smoking marijuana can be fairly steep, though it depends on many things.

A Photo of the Two Bags I Traveled With

Tabby is 38 and is christian, but he has said that when we was younger he had never heard of Christianity.  In fact he said no one in his village knew about it.  It's fascinating how quickly christianity has been spreading to the south/eastern portions of Africa.  It's quite sad if you think about it.  I'll spare you a diatribe on the sucky-ness of Christianity and speak solely on the cultural impact.  Currently, there is very little, if any, cultural history remaining in these african countries.  There no longer exists traditional burial rituals, clothing, singing, etc.   Christianity has done more damage with their missionaries to the people of Africa than  I could ever have imagined.  It's one thing to ruin a persons mind, but quite another to erase generations and generations of tradition.  Only 3 years ago Tabby said Christianity was largely unknown and now it's gone completely mainstream.  He said the people chose Christianity because it's easy...."[all one has to do it pray to god and that's it, much easier than before]".

Ok, I'm back, had to throw up a bit. Just kidding!

Now we see burial sites with tombstones covered in crosses.

South Luangwa, Zambia: (Day 4) Dec-14-2013

It's before noon now and we just finished lunch.  We ate thin crepe pancakes with cucumbers, lunch meat, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, mangos, cantaloupe, and eggs.  I tried to eat a lot since we were not going to eat again until after we after we get back from tonight's game drive, which will be around 8:30 or so.  I'm sitting by the pool and it looks like more people are joining me.

My First Game Drive, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

The Other Vehicle

I didn't sleep too well, but well enough to keep me from getting draggy today.  I woke up around 4:30am, or probably a bit before, and but wasn't able to get ready for the day quite yet.  I heard some noises outside, but I couldn't quite figure its source.  We were warned about animals coming through our camp and if we found any to remain in our tents or to go back inside.  I just laid in bed till 5:20.  I put on my head-torch and packed my bag for the day.  I needed the torch since all my windows/doors were zipped closed and the fly was on.  It is pitch black in there all day long.

Approaching an Elephant

I packed a towel, fleece, rain coat, my monocular, camera, water, and some other stuff I just leave in my bag at all times.  I had a light breakfast and was on the road for our game drive by 6:00am sharp.  We split into 2 trucks and I was with Caralina, The 3 Swedes, and the Aussie family of 3.  We saw animals the entire time.  I was shocked on how densely populated the South Luangwa National Park was/is.  I'm really looking forward to tonight's drive.  The guide said we were extremely lucky because we saw some animals that are not easy to see.  More so, we saw animals that the guide said are usually only seen twice a year.

Fruit from a Sausage Tree (Kigelia)

We came across Hippos, Giraffes, Elephants, Zebras (somewhat hard to find), Impalas (and several similar species like Kudu, Crocodiles, Monkeys, Baboons, Some African Birds, Water Bucks, Hyenas, and Wild Dogs (very rare, and only really found in Zambia).  We, however, did not come across any cats.

Hyenas Devouring a Giraffe

We were able to get so close to the elephants, but they usually walked away after we approached them.  We saw groups as large as 4.  The zebras were grazing in a field.  I believe there were 4 of them too, one being a little one.  Impala, and other similar animals, were all over the park--easily this is the type of large mammal with the largest populations.  I believe one similar species is called a bushbuck.

The hippos were all in the water--one person had counted up to 50 of them.  The giraffes were a bit more skittish and it was hard to get very close to them.  The crocodiles, with the exception of one, were mostly submerged in the water only exposing their back and eyes.  The hyenas were much larger than I had expected them to be, but their behaviors were what I had expected.  They were concentrating on the meat around the giraffe's ribs.  It was extremely graphic, but I really enjoyed it.  Made me a bit hungry...ha!

A Rare Wild Dog Sighting

The park didn't seem that highly visited and the Aussie family had said that the parks in South Africa were much more heavily visited.  It was nice not having a bunch of people around while we got to experience the safari.  There were probably 6 or so 4x4s in the entire park.  Since the wet season hasn't really started the grass height is still quite low...which was perfect because I was a bit scared that we would have trouble seeing some of the wildlife.

A Monkey Holds onto Mother

The guides would stay in communication, via phone, with each other about nearby sittings.  This is how we came across the wild dogs.  Wild dogs are extremely rare and are really only seen in Zambia.  Even then, the guides said they were usually only seen a couple times a year...and when they are seen it usually only in passing.  We got to see a pack of a half dozen wild dogs completely devour a large impala.  It was a fresh kill, but we didn't get to see it.

Luxurious Chalet in the Park

On the way out of the park we saw a couple of crocodiles eating another dead crocodile in a lagoon off of the dirt road.  On the other side of the lagoon were 18 chalets, which are supposed to be very very luxurious.  Our guide said they (or one of them) were/(was) owned by Paul Allen (from Microsoft).


We saw a baby monkey holding onto the belly of its mother and I so badly wanted to snap a photo of it, but just couldn't manage it.  The baby was so tiny, probably weighing only a few pounds.  The way the mother was holding its baby reminding me of the way the the African women hold their babies.

During our drives to Lusaka and Chipata I saw many women working in the fields while hold their babies.  I even saw one women breastfeeding her child while she was picking some type of grain.  Women here also carry things on their heads.  I remember seeing this in books and movies but assumed it wouldn't be so common in eastern Africa.

A Photo Taken during a Tea Break

We are leaving early tomorrow morning--6:00am--to head back to Chipata.  From there we go to Malawi for three nights and then onto Tanzania, where we will remain for the remainder of out trip (not counting our last day/night in Nairobi, Kenya).

...it's 10:10 right now and I just got to bed.  I first came to bed at 9:45, but it was like a sauna in here.  The tent has plastic flaps over the mesh windows/doors.  This coupled with the rainfly completely traps in all heat and humidity.  Actually, all my clothing inside my tent are damp because of this.  Before I left for the night game drive at 4:00pm I swam in the pool with Beth and Sophie...both Aussies.  We were talking about salaries, medical systems, and universities in our respective countries.  It seems as though Aussies are paid very well.  Waitresses don't receive tips and are on salary.  The 21 year old receives $20/hr and she was telling me her friend, who is also 21, makes $25/hr as a paralegal a paralegal.

Part of Our Campground at the South Luangwa NP, Zambia

I just got out of my tent and moved the entire thing to the pool area.  I moved some of the pool chairs out of the way to make some room.  Now I have cover so I removed the fly sheet and opened the windows/door.  I feel a little breeze but am still boiling.  I tried to go into the pool, but there are too many bugs lurking around which kind of out.  I had huge beetles and other insects crawling all over my feet/legs the second I walked outside.  I both moved my tent and brushed my teeth while in my boxers and had to run and shake constantly to keep the crawly animals off of me.

I really hope the temperature drops within the next half hour.

A Monkey with Her Baby

Tonight's game drive was good, though it couldn't compare with this morning's.  My guide was horrible compared to the other group's.  We saw more of the same plus a few smaller animals.  We also were able to see some Hippos out of the water.  One elephant walked directly towards us and crossed the road less than 5m in front of us.  During the morning drive we stopped to get out of the 4x4 for tea/biscuits--in the evening drive we met the other 4x4 and had a beer while watching the sunset.  It was amazing.  I recorded the sunset for 20 minutes on my camera in HD 60p so that Kelly can experience it with me.  By this time it's been 6 days since I have been in any contact with my parents and 3 or 4 days since I contacted Kelly.  It's tough because I want to speak with people, but I just don't have service of any type.

Hyena at Night

About this evening's drive:  we ran across some newborn (<1mo) baboons still clinging to their mothers.  And when they weren't attached to their mother's stomach they were being heavily protected by their fathers.  There was one instance when a young one was trying to climb upwards on the branch of a shrub and the mother and father kept pulling the baby down.  It was funny because the small baboon was trying to hard to get away but no matter how hard it tried the adults just pulled it down.

We were most interested in finding some cats...lions/...leopards.  I really disliked our guide.  He was not friendly, didn't really explain much about the animals, kept circling the same places (with no success) and was too aggressive on the driving.  It seemed he cared more about driving fast over bumps and off roading that he did anything else.  The other group had seen a porcupine and leopard.  Their guide even went back to the giraffe carcass from this morning.

The Weathered Ground

Apparently there were almost 2 dozen giraffes that were 'giving their respects' for their fallen brethren.  There was still meat on the body and hyenas were still at it.  Whereas when they went back to the impala that the wild dogs had chased down and eaten the group had found that there was not one spec of meat left.  It had looked as if it had decayed there years ago and only bones had remained.

A Lone Tree Awaits the Sunset

After the sunset we continued to drive around the park, but this time we had a 'spotter'.  A 'spotter' is someone who just shines a light and looks for reflections.  The reflections would simply indicate the back of an animals eyes which helps to track down animals during nighttime.  We did this for 1.5 hours, which was 1.5 too many.  It was just very buggy and I had to go to the bathroom pretty badly.  We didn't see anything, really.  A couple of small animals, a tree filled with birds, but that was about it.  Update...it's 10:32 and I'm still boiling.  I'm in my boxers and I'm dripping buckets in here.  This is the part I hate most!  I don't mind that I haven't showered in 3 days, or that I can't go to the bathroom whenever I want because I'm too scared of the animals lurking in the bathroom.  But this sweating when trying to go to bed is horrible.

Anyways, dinner was good tonight.  It was served in three large pots:  pasta, chicken, and vegetables.

Tomorrow we're leaving at 6:00am sharp, which means I have to get up near 5:00 to pack my bag(s), tent, and rainfly...then I have to get some breakfast.  Getting up at 5:00 hasn't been a problem though.  Tomorrow we leave back for Chipata, get supplies, and then make our journey to Malawi.  Godfrey has warned us about what not to wear at the border, how to act and behave (e.g. taking picture), and reminded us that we need our Yellow Fever vaccination certificate.  Further, he told us of the mandatory 15 year minimum prison sentence for possession of Malawi Gold.  We first thought he meant that if we bought gold from Malawi it was illegal because the country didn't allow its gold to be mined.  I had some clarifying comments and we soon understood that Malawi is known for having very good Marijuana (for the area) and that it's a 15 year minimum jail sentence for possession of pot.  Yikes!

Ok, 10:40...signing off, Cheers!

South Luangwa, Zambia: (Day 3) Dec-13-2013

I slept fairly well on the floor.  I had a light breakfast of PB&J and some tea to help take down my pills.  We were on the road by 7:30.  We made a 45 minute stop to go to the ATMs and the supermarket to pick up supplies for the next couple days.  I noticed at this market, as well as everywhere else I've come across, that sunscreen is SO expensive.  It has to be becuase it is one of the only items that ONLYthe tourists buy.  I got some chocolate bars, apples, diet pepsi, and a 5L of water.

Local Children Playing alongside the Road En Route to our Campsite

...back on the road for another 4 hours.  We had a quick 10 minute stop to take photos of the Luangwa Valley.  Afterwards we were on our way to our camp, where we will be staying for the next two nights.  I checked to see if we would have any phone service here...nope.  Damn!  Kelly may be a little upset that the soonest possible time I can call her will be Sunday.

I was able to read some of the PDFs I brought along with me.  I also got a few decent snapshots of some local villages/village children along the side of the road while we drove to our campsite.  We are staying right alongside the riverbank.  The the opposite side of the river sets the perimeter of South Luangwa National Park.  I set up my tent ASAP to give as much time as possible for the wet tent to dry...it did within an hour.  I washed some of my clothing and then jumped into the pool.  Tabby and Godfrey were prepping lunch when a small monkey came by and grabbed an entire cucumber.  Tabby had to chase that monkey down for at a minute...that little critter was fast.

It's 2:40 as I write this and there are monkeys and baboons trying to steel scraps from the truck's storage haul--but the food is locked up.  Every time we get off the bus we have to close and lock every single window or else the monkeys will open them and make a mess of the place.

South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

A few of us took out out our binoculars/monoculars and scanned the other side of the river.  Along our side of the river in the distance we spotted a few Hippos.  Vincent and I decided to walk a bit closer to get a better view.  As we approached we made sure to take a route that was not between them and the water.  We also stayed fairly far away such that we still needed optical tools to see them.  During our approach we came across several types of bone fragments.  We came across what looked like a Buffalo skull, with its horns still attached.

A Buffalo Skull along the South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

A few hundred paces away we came across a femur bone, likely from the same animal.  As we approached the hippos I was able to count 2 dozen of them bathing in the water.  Still, they were far away so even with my zoom lens I could not get a good enough picture.

For lunch we had salad, bread, rice, and some sausage.  It was quite good.  All this bread is making me feel bloated and sick...I'm not used to.  I don't think I would make a good poor person!

It's so hot here.  I finally started wearing my safari hat...it's a lifesaver.  I am going to jet now and put the fly on my tent, in case it storms.  Tomorrow I'm taking a 4.5 hour morning game drive that starts at 6:00am and another game drive at 4:00pm.  I'm not sure what I'll do from 10:30am till 4:00 though?

It;s 7:00pm and we're set to eat dinner shortly.  We arrived back from the Textile and Village tours not even 30 minutes ago.  It started pouring rain as we were leaving the local Zambian village.  We loaded into the 2 4x4 vehicles we had used and headed back to the national park, South Luangwa NP, where we were staying.  The ride home was the longest ever...mostly because the vehicle was open--except for a poor excuse for a roof--and the combination of the cold wind and rain made it very uncomfortable.

Textile Shop, South Luangwa, Zambia

The textile stop was a bit lame, but I tried to appreciate it.  It started with a brief tour-10 minutes, maybe?  We saw people hand painting fabrics, then we say them washing, and starching them, they had an electric dryer to 'bake' the color in.  We went to to another room where people where cutting and sewing up the fabrics.  The room smelled like burnt rubber.  Afterwards we were shown into the "shop".  While the textile working environment appeared very 3rd world, this shop was about as 1st world as humanly possible given that it's Zambia.  I soon found out this place was "white-owned", which made a lot of sense.

A Women Hand-painting Fabric, Zambia

Our campsite the first night was was filthy.  The second place, as well as where we are now, are very clean and well organized.  These places are "white-owned" whereas the first place was "black-owned".  It seems that a lot of well-educated white people 'open-up' shop here in Africa and employee a bunch of the local people.  The employees work very hard, but the owners seem very 'detached' from the worker's lives.

A Young Child in a local Zambian Village

The items at the shop were grossly overpriced,  some people on the tour bought some textiles...I passed.

After we left the textile shop we went to a local village.  It was very small.  The population seemed to be at least 60-75% children.  We were greeted with large smiles and 'open arms' by the villagers.  We took photos of them and showed them the pictures--they loved it!  They danced a bit for us while the elders played drums and other instruments.  We left them donations as we were heading out.

The rain was horrible but had stopped after 30 minutes, when we were only 2km from camp.  This was a godsend because we came across some some amazing animals.  We saw a couple elephants just alongside the road and over a dozen giraffes eating from trees--and also blocking the road.  We had to wait 10 minutes for them to move.  While we waited I admired the amazing sun set.  Since it was storming and lightening in the distance the sky was blood red turning into a deep purple.

We saw an impala, which didn't look that impressive, until I got to see it run away.  That thing jumped like a kangaroo on steroids.  It must have jumped 8 feet hight--it was such an elegant sight.  Once we got back the others went back to their Chalets to dry off and change for dinner, which was at 7.

Taking Pictures with the Zambian Villagers

I was happy to see that Godfrey and Tabby put the flies on our tents and that Godfrey took in the laundry that I had drying on the clothes line.  Dinner was an authentic african meal--cabbage, pap, and a seasoned beef that closely resembled brisket.  I ate my other chocolate bar for dessert and grabbed a glass of red wine at the bar.  I chatted with some of the people on my tour and when everyone else went to bed I made friends with two girls who where traveling alone.  They were from the States--New York, and New Jersey.  This was the first time in 8 days that I've come across someone else from the States.

A Dozen Giraffes Surprise Us Just Outside Our Campground, South Luangwa NP, Zambia

We talked for an hour--it was nice to talk to people with whom I shared a similar background.  I finally went to bed around 10:40pm.  I have to be up at 5:15 tomorrow to get ready for our 6:00am game drive.

We have 3 psychiatrists on our trip--kinda interesting.  Oh, and it is something else...that is, camping out along the river with wildlife all around us.  We are truly in the center of 'the action'.  While we were walking towards the hippos earlier today one of the men working at the lodge/campground ran to stop us.  He said that just one week earlier a female lion had wondered into our campground and that it wasn't safe for us to be out there alone.  It's a good thing that this camp, along with most other camps, have an armed watchman on patrol.

Children in a Village near South Luangwa NP, Zambia

Chipata, Zambia: (Day 2) Dec-12-2013

Wow, did I have an interesting night last night!  I went to bed pretty much as soon as my head touched the pillow.  We had put our flies up because we thought it might rain.  Around 11:30 I was woken by an EXTREME storm.  My tent was not staked into the ground and my fly was acting like a kite...I felt at times I was going to lift off.  I had forgotten to roll down the windows on 2 sides of the tent, though the fly covered them up well.  However, the door was left open and the fly did not do a great job covering up the opening.  I was enjoying the breeze too much that I had forgotten to prepare for rain prior to going to bed.  The other campers went to shower prior to going to bed, though I just washed my face, hands, and brushed my teeth outside the tent.  I'll set a goal of showering every other day...we'll see if I can stick to it.

THE STORM HITS HARD:  I made sure to push all my belonging towards the middle of the tent...also made sure my mattress and sleeping bag were not touching the sides.  I didn't mind the booming thunder, heavy winds, or sounds of the occasional hail--however I wasn't too keen on getting flooded.  I knew that the vast majority of water coming into my tent was coming straight through the exposed front mesh door.  When I first discovered my tent was getting wet I considered going outside and closing the front door.  However I knew this meant I would have to get up and open the front door flap--thus leaving my tent fully exposed to the elements.  I would also get wet in the process.  I figured it was just best to wait it out and protect my belongings.  I MEAN HOW LONG COULD THIS KEEP UP?  Answer:  longer than expected.  It probably stormed for 1.5 hours.  I haven't been in a thunder storm this bad in a long time.  However, I would say that at least 4 of the last 5 times that I've gone camping it had stormed.  I made sure to have a drop sheet, a staked-down tent, and tightly applied fly.  So for those times I was 100% dry.

I was tired and kept drifting off to sleep every 3-5 minutes.  I was so comfortable on my heavy-weight provided mattress and inflatable foam pillow--though I would jerk myself awake, using some type of untapped self-discipline and re-check the water level in my tent periodically.  I moved my belongings around accordingly.  I had all my things with me in my tent...my day sack, overnight sack, and a bunch of clothing/gear that was unpacked from my bags.  As the night progressed  I was unable to keep all my things dry so I had make some decisions.  I felt like I was playing a very non-fun version of Tetris--trying to arrange all my oddly shaped things into areas that were not flooded.  Eventually I had to abandon all hopes of the storm stopping and just accept the fact that the entire surface of my tent could/would fill with a cm of water.  I had light weight items in bags, my camera and other tech equipment in my sea-to-summit wet sack.  My rain poncho, Monkey Man Grid fleece jacket, and hat were placed in my semi-waterproof packing sack.  I thought about putting my waterproof covers on both my bags and just flipping them over so that the covers were laying in the water.  However I doubt that they would prevent all water from getting in.  Eventually I started curling up into a progressively shrinking ball on my mattress.  Where I made extra room on my mattress went my stuff.  The rain stopped and I felt comfortable with how my things were situated...so I went to bed again.

Woke up at 4:30am and I packed up my bags and got dressed for the day--all this while keeping myself and all my stuff on my small mat.  I was happy to finally get out of that soaked tent.  My bags got fairly soaked, but luckily all my important stuff/clothing remained dry.  I'll attribute that to my superior packing skills.

Breakfast included a couple types of wheat cereals (w/o flavoring/sweetener) and milk that didn't have to be refrigerated.  I also had bananas and sliced bread.  I packed a banana along with a Pb&J sandwich for the road after trying a bit of the cereal.  By the time I packed up my tent, fly, mattress, and bags in the truck it was time to leave.  We hit the road by 6:00am.  I slept for ~3 hours and when I woke up I listened to more of my book, "Starship Trooper".  I have also been talking to Paul, the Aussie.  We talked about corporate tax evasion and, of course, Apple was top subject.

Ann Marie, Sonia, and Paul Stretching their Legs in a Local Village

We made a stop in a very small village by the side along the road long with two 'bush' toilet stops.  The village we stopped at was named after the river that was nearby, The Gwangwa River.  We broke for lunch at 12:30 and had leftovers from last night + some mangos.  I've also played Yahtzee with Vincent for a bit as well.  I'm still sitting in the front of the bus as we're rotating seats clockwise every day.  Looks like I'll be ok for the first week of our trip, which is great since that's when we do a lot of driving.  Today is supposed to be 10-14 hours of driving and we've already been on the road for ~7 hours.  We should be making good time, but our guide said things will slow up once we get closer to Chipata.

Some of the others, who had stayed in rooms, were complaining about having spiders in their showers/beds.  Two others said they woke up and found snakes in their rooms.  At least with the tents I know that I will be sleeping alone.

Africa is a very very 3rd-world region.  For example, in Cambodia, India, and Loa internet was prolific.  Here it's incredibly slow and that's only when it's available...like at a nice hotel or very touristy area.  Even the poorest cities in Asia had restaurants and cafes, etc.  They were not just holes in the walls.  I think some of it is due to the African lifestyle but a larger part may be that the types of tourists that come by here are only here for a short period of time--a quick in and out safari.  There really isn't anything to see other than the natural world so why would a backpacker stay in the cities?  I guess in other portions of the world the cities have more to offer?

Hair Salon by the side of the Road

It's about 2:00 now and we have several more hours left on our journey.  Some are sleeping, others are playing games on their phones, and a few are listening to music.

I'm happy to be here, but I have to be honest...I'm a bit disappointed about the people who are on the trip.  Much of the group is comprised of older married couples with young children (17-21).  And these are the type of kids who stick w/ Mommy and Daddy the entire trip.  There is one girl from the US (Washington DC)--she was the one I thought was from South Africa.  Not sure of her name, but she has an accent, so something tells me she is from South America but is just currently living in DC.  She's also here by herself.  I'll try getting to know her more as I can't keep talking to Paul about Sci-Fi books.

...just a few more hours till Chipata, Zambia

Our 2nd Campsite in Chipata, Zambia

We arrived at our Chipata campsite at 5:00.  This place was packed.  There were multiple tour groups passing through here tonight.  There was a large motorcycle group of maybe a dozen...kind of a weird sight.  There was also another tour group that was traveling overland that was at our camp site last night.  All in all, there must have been no less than 50 people staying at this campsite tonight.

I finally talked with the other girl that I thought was from South America that is living in Washington DC.  Her name is Catalina.  She's from Chile and got her medical degree from there as well.  She came to NYC for her residency and fellowship.  She's a forensic psychiatrist.  She was so kind and offered the 4 of us that were camping if we wanted to crash in her hotel room.  She said it was huge and that she didn't mind.  The others said no, but I took her up on the offer.  Right now I'm sleeping on the floor in my sleeping bag on a rug.  The room is pretty clean and I don't see any bugs crawling around yet.  I did put a towel in between the door and the frame to prevent any snakes from coming in.

Dinner

Dinner tonight was at 7:15 so I had a few hours to kill.  Phone reception was poor so I was not able to call anyone, but I was able to take my first shower since joining the tour.  It felt very nice to be clean.  Dinner started with tomato soup served with bread and for the main entree we had rice and chicken w/ vegetables.  It tasted like Chinese stir-fry.  I washed it down with some hot tea.

After dinner Catalina, the D-3, and myself played a Dutch copy of the game Yahtzee, called Topscore.  Tabby, our truck driver, joined in after the first round.  The score cards were in Dutch so it was difficult to understand, especially for Cat and Tabby as they were just learning.  I kept trying to pronounce the Dutch words on the scorecard and the D-3 just laughed.  We were playing at a table at a covered (but open) bar.  We were drinking local beers and ciders.  As we played we spoke with some other travelers.  One of the guys had stopped me on my way to the showers and asked if I had gone rafting in a large group on Dec-8 at Vic Falls.  I told him it was weird because I went rafting on Dec-10.

Some other people showed us videos they had taken using their phones while on a game drive--footage of an elephant taking down a tree.  They were just 4m from the action.  Tabby was teaching us some words in his language.  He taught us how "Mamma" and "Babba" are used as ways to show respect and not the age of a person.

Tabby, has had different driving jobs with various traveling companies other than Nomad.  He drives 8 weeks in a row and gets 10 days off.  He has 3 children that live at home.  I think he said he has someone watch them while he's away.  His youngest is just 3 years old.  I can't imagine how hard it would be to have to be away from my own children for that long.  He sends his oldest daughter away to boarding school.

Tabby was telling us how people in Africa don't smoke or drink much...somewhat because it's expensive and also because of their strong Christian beliefs.  I have noticed that everyone drinks Coke...many bottles a day.  This is one stock I may need to invest in.

It was so nice of Catalina to let me crash in her room, as my tent is still probably very wet inside.  The bathroom is connected to the room and provides no privacy.  I told her whenever she needed to use the restroom that I would go outside for 15 minutes and knock on the door to see if she was done.  I showered and used the restrooms in another facility, the ones meant for the campers.  I'm not sure why the other's didn't take Catalina up on her offer...I don't think they realized how much room there was.  Also, it was raining when we checked in to our camp site so setting up a tent in the rain, when the ground is already wet, just sucks.

After we finished playing Yahtzee, Tabby, Cat, and myself discussed traveling along with other things.  After a bit we decided to go to bed.  I let Catalina go first and told her I would follow in 10 minutes...giving her time to use the restroom and change.  I just slept in whatever I wore that day so it didn't matter for me.

The Largest Slug in the Universe

On my way back to Cat's room I found the largest slug in the universe....PLEASE remind me to show you the picture when I get home (see image on right).  The slug itself was the size of my face.  It must have weighed a pound.   GROSS!  I honestly had NO clue they could grow that large.

Anyways, it's 11:20 now and I should be going to bed.  We get to sleep in tomorrow and meet for breakfast at 7:00.  I cleaned the dishes this evening/morning so I may not help out too much for the breakfast prep.  Tomorrow is a short drive of 120kms to the National Park in Zambia--we will be taking our first game drive through the park.  The rains have started coming in, which means the grass has begun to grow and fill in, making some animals harder to spot.

Cheers!!!