Bushman

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Flattop

Day 46

8/18/09

We made our way to Ghanzi for a stop to visit the Bushman of Africa. If you’ve ever seen The Gods Must be Crazy, this is the people we are seeing. Bushman speak using clicks as some of their consonants. The bushman as a culture are some of the earliest inhabitants of Africa dating back at least 22,000 years. There are only a few thousand of them left and it appears they are going extinct. Bushman are nomadic hunter gatherers and move based on the need for food and water. As a culture they are hated by most Africans and are there is a high degree of prejudice against them. People don’t want them on their land and they are often treated like vermin. While the Botswana constitution provides protection, even the government pushes them around forcibly.

At first sight they are all short, no more than 5 ft with one being a little taller. Their skin while black has a distinct color difference. I’m not quite sure how to describe it as I’d say they are black but it has some sort of tint I’m sure it’s not true but my guess is maybe Polynesian, Asian, or Latin mix would create the look. The ladies are quite attractive with smooth complexions.

With a translator in tow they take us on a walk through the dry arid thorny bush. All the plants look pretty much the same to me and it’s amazing they can pick out the difference. They spend an hour or two digging up different plants explaining what they use the roots for from each plant. Listening to them speak with clicks inserted here and there the language sounds sensual. The roots of one plant are used for fertility and the roots of another are used as a contraceptive which stops a woman’s menstruation. There is another plant to alleviate sore muscles, one to treat urinary problems, another for headaches, another for the flu, and even one to stop nightmares. Depending on the condition they either chew the roots, boil them in water to make a tea, or grind it up into a powder and snort it. Information is passed on through elders as the children grow to maintain the knowledge.

They hand each of a small seed which looks similar to a sunflower seed and instruct us to place it under our tongues. After sitting in saliva for several seconds it creates a surprise pop forcing my tongue to the roof of my mouth. Its a tool they use to teach their children how to make the clicking sounds as it forces the tongue in a direction necessary to produce the appropriate sound.

In the evening the bushman entertain us for a couple hours with local songs and dance around the campfire. Another memorable night I’ll find hard to forget. How blessed I am to experience such a beautiful people up close and personal.

Next we are on our way to Namibia.

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Okavanga Delta

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Flattop

Day 40-45

8/14/09-8/17/09

We made it into Botswana and the government is concerned about the spread of foot and mouth disease, thus there are stops throughout the country where the truck is searched for any animal products and all passengers must rub all there shoes on a pad filled with caustic soda. I’m not really sure what the disease is and/or what shoes and animal products have to do with it other than I guess prevention of spreading it.

A nasty cold has been going around the truck and I’m one of the last to catch it. I’ve been sick for the past four days and ready to be over it. Sick enough that I’ve missed out on a few activities due to my desire for the comfort of the sleeping bag. Yellow boogers, sore throat, and in general feeling like a truck ran me over me.

Botswana has the strongest currency (Pula) in Africa due to it being a diamond mine, controlled mostly by the Debeers company. Interestingly there are no outward signs of it. I would have expected to see diamond galleries and stores. There are none. Despite the strong currency and large GDP the country has a negative growth rate and the life expectancy is only 33 years. I’m sure the exceptionally high 37% AIDS infection rate has something to do with it. As we’ve made it further south the roads continue to get better and it’s nice to have a smooth ride finally as there is only the occasional pothole.

We spent a couple nights at Thebe Safari Park where my cold set in full swing. I woke in the morning to forgo a park drive in Chobe National Park. Fortunately I timed my sickness well and everyone says I missed nothing and wished they had spent the morning sleeping in as well. While here we went on a river safari boat ride. Elephants, Hippos, and crocodiles are abundant grazing along the shore line as we slowly cruise the Namibia-Botswana border in a large pontoon boat watching the sunset silhouette the animals in the background. Peaceful and serene was the perfect way to spend a night while not feeling well.

There is water everywhere and yet the landscape is dry and arid. Brown yellow grass and trees cover the flat landscape as far as the eye can see mixed with marshy water flows. It’s almost an oxymoron or maybe it’s because it’s dry season. This vast flatland is home to the largest delta in the world. A delta is an area where water flows into it and doesn’t flow out. Water from mountains further north in Africa flows southward over a three month journey into the flatland’s forming a swamp-like environment called the Okavanga Delta. We stop in Maun for a night before setting out with locals for a night of bush camping in the delta.

We load into jacked up trucks for a three hour journey over dirt paths crossing numerous river streams which are just deep enough they come up to the base of the truck bed. We all think we’re going to get our stuff wet and fortunately don’t. Cramped from sitting packed into the back of a truck like Cubans on a life boat we arrive nearly frozen from the frosty early morning temperature to the swampy marshy delta edge. Lined along the shore edge are dozens of Mokoros, wooden canoe like boats, made from hollowing out a log. These Mokoros are different than the ones in Uganda. They are long, narrow, and sit very shallow in the water. Locals fill them with stacks of reeds and we snuggle two people and our stuff in an almost laying down position into each. For two hours we lay almost motionless keeping our center of gravity as low as possible to prevent tipping as the morning cold turns into sweltering heat. The water is an inch or less from the top edge of the mokoro and on a few occasions some seeps over the edge as we shift our weight searing us with cold wherever it touches. A local stands in the back of the mokoro using a long wooden stick to pole (push) us through the grassy marshy reed filled labyrinth waterways. Some areas are so dense with grass and reeds as we are poled through the wet reeds and grass drape across our legs and arms as we pass. Arriving at a dry patch of land I know we are in the middle of nowhere and feel like we’ve landed in the remotest location. The only thing comparable to me would be to take boat into the middle of the Everglades for a night. The entire experience is surreal.

We setup camp and go for a safari walk in this remote African delta. We encounter dozens of giraffe, gazelle, impala, baboons, zebra, hippos, and a couple elephants as we tromp on foot through the grassy thorny brush in search of what’s out there. The guides are amazing. They recognize every footprint,

broken twig, and feces along the way. That or they’re just making it up as they go, but I don’t’ think so. The exercise is much needed as we spend most our time on the truck and have had little since the start. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the wildlife from this perspective as it seems more natural, however I find it intriguing that we are not able to get close to any of the animals. As we approach they continue to move off an even distance. When we’re in the truck we get up right next to them. I wonder what causes the difference.

The evening is spent in a star filled sky around the campfire while the local polers sing and dance in a local dialect for hours as the sounds of the wild fill the air in the background. It’s a mystical and I wish I could spend another night here.

We make the reverse trip back the next morning and say goodbye to our poler guides and set out for a scenic flight over the delta. My buddy, Dave Doble, would love being a pilot here as the flight rules seem to be pretty lax. We load into a couple very new looking Cessna Caravans and soon discover this isn’t the typical lazy dazy scenic flight. The highest altitude we get above the delta is 500 ft and most of it is under 300 ft with sections only a 100 ft or less cruising around 130 knots. At this low altitude the pilots play a cat and mouse chase diving low cutting across the tree tops then steeply clime for a few seconds and dive back down creating a few seconds of stomach drop and floating sensation. Yippee, I love it! Next up, close fly byes. While at the same altitude of about 300 ft the two planes fly perpendicular to each other converging at a high speed. I must say even my sense of adventure was slightly tested when it appeared we’d be colliding, we suddenly dip to pass several feet below the wheels of the other plane. The hour long flight was a blast for all and a highlight for many. Even with the pilots adventure slant we where able to see the structure of the vast delta system which is quite beautiful along with numerous animals including, buffalo, elephants, giraffe, and hippos.

Most of us on the truck are experiencing extremely dry skin on our feet. Dry to the point it’s creating cracking and bleeding. Not a pleasant feeling. I’ve been loading hand cream on them to help only a little. Foot and mouth disease, nah. I think it’s the extremely dry air and all the sand.

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Mosi Oa Tunya

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Flattop

Day 35-40

8/8/09-8/13/09

We arrived into Zambia and the topography is starting to change as we move south. It’s winter here and the weather is quite cool at night but warm during the day. Cool enough that it looks like fall as the leaves are beginning to change color. Zambia appears far more advanced than any of the other African countries I’ve thus far visited. The roads are good and as we pull into Lusaka I wouldn’t know I wasn’t in a westernized country as it’s very new and modern. It’s quite fun going to an ATM and typing in 1,000,000 to withdraw the equivalent of a couple hundred bucks. Better yet is seeing one’s balance in Kwacha, their currency. How many millions do I have???? I wish!

We’ve spent the past 4 days in Livingston on the boarder of Zimbabwe. Splitting the boarder is Victoria Falls, one of the seven wonders of the world. Vic Falls is the largest waterfalls in the world. Mosi Oa Tunya “The smoke that thunders” describes perfectly what these falls are called in local tongue. As we enter the park a thunderous sound is heard from hundreds of millions of gallons a second pouring into a narrow gorge. Vic falls is created from the Zambezi river pouring over a gorge wall that stretches almost two miles long between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Down a path and the first of many majestic views is unveiled. Standing on the gorge wall edge from 100 to 200 feet away on the other side of the gorge millions of gallons rushes over the rocks dumping 300 feet down. Mist plumes up in a smoke like fashion. Approaching closer to the gorge edge the rocks are slippery and we get wet. The astonishing beauty of nature is difficult to describe. Rainbows form from all the mist arching upwards toward the sky. It’s an awe inspiring site.

This area of Africa is a major tourist destination and there are mobs of tourist along with loads of activities. White water rafting, elephant riding, lion encounters, bungee jumping, gorge swing. Micro-flights, and helicopter rides. I choose the adventure route and go white water rafting the first day. The Zambezi is rated class 5 and is reputed to be one of the best in the world. There are 25 rapids today and they are violently turbulent. However the group of us from our truck is unfortunate and only gets flipped once. I love getting dumped amongst the frothing water clinging to the raft as it gets swept past rocks and gasping for a breath before the next wave created by the rapids pounds you under for a few seconds. The Zambezi earns is reputation and is certainly one of the best I’ve done.

Day 2 we set out for bungee jumping and a gorge swing. The bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe crosses the the Zambezi river 330 feet below and is the third highest bungee jump in the world. The view is spectacular. I gorge swing first. The gorge swing is a cable stretched across the gorge a couple hundred feet away parallel to the bridge. Lines are attached to the cable and standing on the middle span of the bridge in a harness attached to the lines I take a step, stomach drops, and plunge straight down for 4 seconds before the line goes tight and the momentum swings me back and forth. While crazy it’s exhilarating and I’d do this over and over again if I could. I can only think it has got to be the closest thing to simulated suicide attempt.

Next up the bungee jump. From the same spot they attach a big rubber band to my ankles with towels wrapped around them. The setup is so simplistic yet effective. One, two, three, count and with as big a push as I can make dive out off the bridge dropping until the bungee pulls tight under my weight then recoils and throws me vertical at least half the distance of the free fall to repeat the fall and recoil a dozen times each a little shorter than the last. Whew, what fun for an adrenaline junkie. Yeah haww what a thrill. Several others in our group also jump and I have to admire those who do it when scared to death. Beth stood at the edge of the bridge in tears shaking while the rest of us cheering her on. To my surprise when finished she wanted to do it again.

In the afternoon I head for a grass air strip and take a microlight flight over the falls. Heavenly is all I can say! The flight is very similar to riding in a small aircraft other than it being in an open cockpit exposed to wind blowing over my body. It’s peaceful and serene experience overlooking such a stunning site. Further up the river we spot, elephants, buffalo, hippos, and crocodiles. Upon landing mid runway two elephants stroll out of the trees and stop just short of the strip. We scramble for our cameras to get up close pics of the massive creature.

Zimbabwe

My last day here I cross the bridge on foot for a day of exploration in Zimbabwe. A quick visit to the falls on this side of the boarder and I discover what I’d seen on the other side is minor in comparison. Seventy percent of the falls are in Zimbabwe. The amount of water coming over the falls is hard to take in. The water clouds billow hundreds of feet high and this isn’t even high season.

Further, I stroll into the town of Victoria Falls and discover a small village only a block or two long. I’m immediately hassled by multiple locals selling carvings and Zimbabwean dollars. Their dollar has went through hyper inflation and is virtually worthless. While they have an official currency no one accepts it and the US dollar has become the standard. They have a 10 trillion, 50 trillion, and even a 100 trillion dollar bill.

I find the local scene sad. Everyone is friendly yet they hassle you for a sale of the smallest scale. Most of them making me aware that the dollar or two they where after was for them to eat for the next few days. It’s sad the scene only a bridge crossing away is drastically different teaming with free spending tourist. Robert Mugabe the leader here has run the country into the ground. Only a few years ago most of the tour companies came to this side of the border and now only a handful in comparison make the crossing due to the political instability. The people seem beautiful yet are stuck through no fault of their own.

Michelle, the tour leader, lived here for a couple years and has numerous friends. She was kind enough to put me in touch with them and I spent the afternoon hanging out in her old stomping grounds having good conversation with some locals to get a better perspective on their views and can only wish for a political change for the betterment of a genuine people.

Back in Zambia for our last night it’s time for another group change. 11 folks on the truck are moving on and we gain 10 new folks to remain with us to the end of the trip. There are now only two other people left from the starting the trip with me. Hugs are shared by all and tears by some as close bonding has happened amongst the group. Another page is turned in my year long journey and I’m grateful for the folks I’ve met and have new folks to get to know. I’m still the token American amongst a now even more diverse group.

We departed this morning and crossed the border into Botswana and will be setting out on new adventures soon.

Bus or Truck

The vehicle we are all calling home is a truck with a big box put on the bed where seats have been installed. Several in the group think that since it carries passengers it’s a bus. Calling it a bus infuriates our driver Letaloi and he instituted a policy that if one calls the truck a bus they must do ten push ups. After almost everybody has said the B word two or three times he says anyone using the B word has to run around the truck 5 times screaming truck, truck truck truck the entire time. I can’t help but laugh as there are some folks that have had to do it ten or more times in a day. Fortunately I haven’t slipped up as I’ve always viewed it as a truck. All in all, it’s become a game trying to trick people into saying it.

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Malawi

Posted on August 10, 2009 by Flattop

8/3/09-8/7/09

Malawi

Day 30 -34

Coming into Malawi I was quite surprised. Having read the statistics about the country I didn’t expected to see something beautiful. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Africa with a horrible health record. Life expectancy is 41years, 15% of the population has HIV/Aids, and malaria is rampant. There are also over a million orphans in this small country.

Lake Malawi takes up 20% of the land in Malawi and stretches 600 Kilometers long. This mass body of fresh water appears like the ocean with tidal change, waves, and an endless view of the skyline. The coast of the lake is tropical green with rolling mountains, beaches, and coves. The lake is home to one of the largest varieties of tropical fish in the world. For example, 550 different types of Cyclades call it home. With such a wonderfully beautiful natural resource it’s amazing to me they haven’t figured out how to capitalize on it through building infrastructure and resorts along the lake to attract tourist.

My time here has been spent mostly as a tourist and we drove down the lake edge staying at developed campsites with only one afternoon of exposure to what I’d consider the real Malawi. Most of what I’ve seen is out the truck window. I wish I’d had the opportunity to see more daily life here. That’s part of being on a tour though.

The campsites we stayed at were quite nice with good shower facilities, restaurant, and bar all on pristine beach settings. In Kande Beach we stopped at a local second hand clothing market where each member in the group picked a name out of a hat of another member and our mission was to go into the open market find and buy clothing for that member to wear at an evening party. The theme was pink or animal print.

For a couple bucks we all had fun searching through piles of used cloths searching for something special which would create laughter for all as the secret recipient would be required to wear it. In my case, I was purchasing for Maddy, a young lady recently out of school from the UK. Entering into the market I’m immediately deluged with two or three vendors dropping piles of cloths at my feet. It’s immediately apparent this is a regular stop for overland trucks as they know what type of stuff we are looking for. Not having a clue about womens sizes my main concern is getting something which would fit a girl. I’m digging through piles of cloths pulling out everything that is either pink or has leopard print holding it up with bemusement imagining how ridiculous it will look knowing all along someone else is thinking the same thing as they select the perfect outfit for me.

I find a turd brown skirt with an elastic waist and pink feathers stitched diagonally across the front. More rummaging and there is a leopard print halter top, and to top it off I find a rabbit face mask with big pink ears. After a few minutes of bartering I’ve secured a surprise outfit for 3 bucks.

In the evening Michelle makes a wicked fruit punch brew with a massive kick. Taste like fruit but it’s all alcohol. Watch out she warns as it puts a few under later in the evening. Sitting around the campsite we present our outfits to each recipient and the laughter for the night begins. Melissa prances in the circle dangling a frilly lace pink bra and a brown leopard print dress with low cut top and back. It’s for me. Donning the bra I find it quite difficult to latch the hooks behind my back as I’m far more skilled at letting them loose. Wiggling into the dress I discover it’s so short, mini is an understatement and without boxers underneath my package would be hanging out.

Ridiculous doesn’t come close to describing everyone’s outfit and words cannot describe the scene as we all head to the bar for a night of fun filled laughter. Some of the pictures are blackmail material.

Fishing expedition

One afternoon John, Phil, Gemma, Adam, Katie, and myself go on a fishing expedition of lake Malawi. We hired a local to show us the ropes. We set out on a very old beat up looking row boat. A few feet from shore we notice water seeping in from the seems and it gradually getting deeper. The guide hands us a couple containers cut out from plastic bottles and our job is to bail water why we are rowing to an island about a quarter mile away. What a hoot. I’ve never set out on a boat when I knew I’d have to be bailing from the start. We make it to the island and go swimming and jumping off a cliff ledge while they get the fishing gear ready. Turns out to be a pretty cheesy experience as our poles are bamboo with a piece of fish line and hook attached. Drop the line in the water and wait. John and Katie both snag a couple no bigger than a gold fish and the rest of us sit around board to death as we never got a nibble. The return trip is the same drill of bailing while the guides paddle. The boat is waterlogged from having sat while we fished and the water is coming in faster than before necessitating constant bailing by two of us just to keep it from getting deeper.

Tonga Village

The only local experience we got is while in Kande Beach we went on a tour of a local Tonga village. The architecture is quite different from what we’ve seen elsewhere in Africa. Instead of mud or cow dung they make bricks out of clay and fire them in a furnace and build simple structures with grass thatched roofs. While still very basic they are not as primitive as the other places we’ve been.

We stop by the village school where unfortunately the 1500 students where on a two week break to learn these 1500 kids are split between 20 teachers. I can hardly imaging putting 120-200 kids in one small room with a single teacher to keep track of them all.

The Tonga also have a history of polygamy and while it’s still legal it is rarely practiced now days. For marriage a man picks his desired mate and his family will go to her family and let them know they want to get married. The girl has a choice and may say no. If she agrees the man will be required to remunerate her family an amount that varies based on the woman’s education and beauty. He is allowed to pay if off in installments over a period of years. If for some reason at a later date she wishes to leave him her family must pay the money back and if he wants to leave her he can and doesn’t get anything returned.

The Malawian’s are crazy about a board game called Boa. Enough so that a game between the parents of a couple to be determines which family pays for the wedding. For the heck of it, I sit with a local for an hour while he teaches me the game and by beginners luck I beat the crap out of him. That or we was just letting me feel good about my wits.

We’re just about to cross the Zambia border and a couple more days of long driving to reach Victoria Falls lie ahead.

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Masai to Malawi

Posted on August 2, 2009 by Flattop

7/22/09-8/2/09

No internet for over a week now.  Whew, I’ve done a lot in that time.  Hope reading doesn’t wear you out.

Day 18- Masai Tribe

After a finishing our star studded safari day we head towards a Masai tribe village close to the park entrance. Masai people are nomadic and move their villages based on need to feed themselves and their cattle. This tribe has been stable for years due to it’s location next to a river. The Masai all wear bright red cloths to be able to spot each other in the distance and to spook wildlife. The community is based around the cattle which sustains them. Most of the Masai have piercings and pierced ears stretched so large you could put your fist through. Some are decorated with beads others are plain and dull. We are welcomed to the tribe with a series of local dances and chanting and all have the opportunity to join in as they show us how to jump and move in Masai style.

As we enter the village we pass a few small mud hut looking homes and come into a big open mud pasture filled with cow patties and flies everywhere. These small homes are built in a circle around the field and this is where the cattle are protected from animal attacks. In the evenings they bring the cattle into the circle and they put up stick based fencing between the homes. During the day on a rotational basis the boys and men herd the cattle through the surrounding valley allowing the cows to graze. Women of the Masai tribe are responsible for building the houses taking care of children and cooking.

The tribe has 4 important post. The elder which is usually the oldest person in the camp, the chief who is in charge of the camp, the midwife, and the doctor which uses local herbs, roots, tree bark etc as medicines to treat tribes people.

I’m invited into one of the homes and discover as I enter it’s not mud. The homes are made of sticks and cow dung. It takes about a month to build one and the expected life span is three years. As I duck to enter I have to crouch as the doorways and ceilings are all built low. It’s pitch black as I enter a small hallway and I can’t see anything I duck through a doorway and see a small fire burning producing the smallest amount of light. It’s stagnate inside and the air is stale. As my eyes adjust I see a one room home a small fire close to one wall with a pot boiling over it. The room is 5 ft x 5 ft with a small wooden bench on the opposite facing wall. On the other two walls are recessed cove like structures which are sleeping quarters. They are about double bed in size and the ground is layered in straw and covered with leather hides. The wife and kids sleep on one side and the husband sleeps in the other. There are no bathrooms or showers in the village. They use the vast open bush as their call to nature and the local river to bathe. I can now proudly say, I’ve sat in a home full of shit.

The Masai people I find rely on their cattle completely for survival and why they are so important to them. They eat once a day and their diet consist of boiled meat and they drink milk mixed with cows blood. They milk the cows by hand and on a rotational basis make a slit in the neck of cow and drain some blood, patch the cow back up and won’t use him again for several months. This mixture is stored in gourd containers. Uck how revolting it sounds and I’m grateful they didn’t offer me any as I would have solely to experience what sounds insanely disgusting. Fear Factor anyone.

The Masai practice polygamy and a man may have as many wives as he can afford. Each wife will build their own cow dung home and he will move between the homes on different nights. Women are allowed to marry at 18 and the men must wait until 25. If a man wants a wife his family will go to another tribe where there isn’t any genetic relation and pick a girl for him. In return for her hand he must remunerate her family with 10 cows. One cow cost 10,000 shillings ($1,300). Letaloi our driver wasn’t kidding when he said women are expensive when you compare what it cost in relation to their incomes. If a man has more than one wife it’s deemed he is well off and is considered successful. One of the tribes people offers to sell me a cow and tells me if I buy 9 he’ll give me the 10th and I can have his sister. As tempting an offer I decide to pass and keep my single status.

The Masai also practice circumcision of both sexes. Boys at 15 have their foreskin removed and women at around 12 have their clitoris removed. Circumcising women is an age old tradition to them that is now illegal and this tribe claims to no longer practice. Admittedly this brutal practice has moved underground and some tribes still practice it in secret. Circumcising the boys is a right of passage and a show of a boys strength. The procedure is performed with no anesthesia and while they are cutting the foreskin if the boy blinks or cries he will be banished from the tribe forever.

What a mind bending experience. A way of life so distant from my own. I find it hard anyone would want to stay when they get exposure to the outside world and know there is something better. It’s interesting to compare this remote life to that of Uganda’s remote villages. While we would consider them poor they don’t live poor, merely super basic while in Uganda they seem poor. Their healthcare isn’t modern however it works better as there are numerous elderly people in the village.. The elder in this village is 72.

We are now on are way to the Tanzania border and will soon be leaving Kenya. Our next stop Arusha to replenish our stocks and then we’ll be be heading for a few days of safari touring in the great Serengeti and the Ngorongoro crater

Day 19 – breakdown

On the way to Arusha our truck breaks down before reaching the Tanzania border. A high tinsel bolt attaching the rear axle to the frame sheared in half and the rear axle moved several inches to the left forcing the tire against the frame and in the process created a leak in the air brakes locking the brakes. Considering the rough conditions we’ve been driving in, it doesn’t surprise me and I’m actually shocked it doesn’t’ happen more frequently. While Letaloi is pretty handy, fortunately Neil, the Kiwi in our group, owns a trucking company and is quite experienced in truck repairs. The two of them spend a couple hours under the truck while the rest of us sit along the side of the road. They cannibalize parts from elsewhere on the truck to gerry rig a fix.

A drunk Masai man comes stumbling through the fields and happens upon us. He’s wielding a machete waving it around jabbering in Swahili and it’s quite apparent he doesn’t want us around and thinks we should leave. For an hour myself and a few of the other guys in the group stand a few feet away keeping an even distance as he sways back and forth swinging his machete towards us. It’s a comical yet scary scene as none of us know what he’s up to. Thank goodness a passing military vehicle pulls over to assist. They man handle him taking his machete walk him up the road yelling at him. I’m not sure what they said but I think they put the fear of God in him as he stumbles down the road not looking back.

While people think I’m adventurous for flying around the world, while waiting for the repairs to be made a British man rides up on a beat up bicycle. Andy turns out to be a character. He lost his job in London this past January and decided to go bicycling. He sold his car and bought a cheap bike and started riding across Europe in February. He made his way through France, Switzerland, Hungary, some of the eastern European countries, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, and we’ve run into him in Kenya. It’s taken him almost six months to get this far and he’s heading towards Cape Town and plans on making it there by January. He has one small bag on his bike and no road maps, only a one page map of the African continent out of some Atlas. Talk about adventurous, his stories in only a few minutes dwarf anything I think I’ll encounter this year.

Truck working we make it a couple hours and shortly after crossing into Tanzania the truck breaks down again on a dirt road. Way behind schedule it doesn’t appear we’ll be able to get it fixed quickly and we play in the dirt with some local tribe kids which show up from nowhere while we wait for an alternate vehicle to come get us.

We make it to Snake Park, a camp grounds, in Arusha late in the evening. BJ and Ma the owners have a snake habitat of exotic snakes and a bar on the grounds where all proceeds go to an adjacent orphanage. Exhausted from the day of delays I’ve never had so much fun supporting a charity. One more beer please. What a fun way to support a worthy cause.

Day 20-22 Serengeti – Ngorongoro

The truck breakdown couldn’t have happened at a better time as we are now set out for a three day excursion to visit Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater. We pile into a group of Land Rovers with removable roofs and leave Letaloi to get the truck fixed as we head for more safari viewing.

To my surprise the Serengeti landscape is vastly different than Masai Mari. Serengeti is the Swahili word for endless plain and endless perfectly describes the view of the grassy flatland as it stretches farther than the eye can see. Game viewing here restricts the vehicles to dirt paths so we were not always able to get close to the wildlife. However, it’s amazing how much hangs out or crosses ones path. We encounter numerous animals with the highlight being a Leopard lounging in a roadside tree. It lays serenely in postcard perfect pose before jumping around tree limbs to lunch on a kill it had stored in the tree. While tearing it’s dinner apart the carcass drops from the limb and we get to see it expertly navigate it’s way through the limbs to the ground grab it’s dinner and make its way back up the tree.

Further along the path we encounter three baby cub lions 3-6 months old playing next to us. It’s cuter than watching kittens. They approach cautiously stopping as if posing for us. Did someone call ahead? Later in the day we encounter lions mating. Lions live in a group called a pride consisting of many females and the King male who dominates his pride. They are very territorial and fear-sly protect it. If a male lion comes along and kills the king he will immediately kill all the cubs and take over the pride. A female lion comes into heat once every two years. While in heat they mate 3 times an hour 24 hours a day for seven days each session lasting only a few minutes. And next week he moves on to the next female. Any guys wanna be a Lion King. Sounds like a fun job to me. On second thought, maybe 72 orgasms a day would get tiring.

As we approach we see a the Lion King and a female laying in the grass. Our driver parks and says, “just wait” and we’ll get to see the action. Within 15 minutes the female gets up walks around the male as if to say I’m ready. He gets up quickly mounts her with thrusting motion and a minute later flops to the ground for a snooze. I wonder when he has time to hunt and eat having to perform every 20 minutes.

We bush camp for the evening in the middle of Serengeti another mystical experience. We sit around the campfire and can hear bushes rustling in the background and can only see glowing eyes as we shine our lights hoping to get a glimpse of the wildlife curious enough to seek us out.

In the morning a few in our group go hot air ballooning where Dave proposes to Emma his girlfriend of three years. Funny just a couple nights earlier she was complaining at the bar while drinking that they weren’t yet married.

We spend another day game driving before moving on to Ngorongoro crater a few miles southeast of Serengeti where we bush camp on the crater rim for the night. As we setup in our campsite two enormous elephants unexpectedly stomp through the camp as we scramble to get our cameras. The scenery is stunning here. The crater was created by a volcano thousands of years ago with a rim a thousand feet or so above a flat floor. The crater is home to all the wildlife seen throughout Africa. A dazzle (group) of zebras grazes a couple feet from where we’ve pitched our tents and bush pigs roam around the campgrounds as we cook out for the evening. It seems like every day wherever we turn there is some sort of wildlife.

We drive into the crater for a day of game viewing before heading back to the truck hoping it is fixed. We immediately encounter a couple cheetah and wait excitedly ending in disappointment to see another kill. Further along a zebra crossing as a dazzle of a dozen or more zebra gallop across the road single file inches in front of us. Around the corner another sex scene. Hippo humping as one of these enormous fat beast mounts another.

We made it back to Snake Park where the truck is fixed for another night of supporting orphans with one more drink. Boy I like this charity. It’s the only one I’ve experienced which gives back.

We’re now on our way to Dar Es Salam with an evening stop in Tembo so we can make the crossing to Zanzibar.

Day 23-24  Zanzibar

After two days of driving we arrive in Dar es Salam and I get the first view and swim of my life in the Indian ocean. The salinity is significantly higher than elsewhere in the world. I wonder what causes it. I can float on my back and get my hands and feet out of the water at the same time without sinking.

The weather has become tropical and it appears more like Florida with Palm tree lined beaches. We pitch our tents on the beach to enjoy cool evening breezes in a tropical setting.

Day 25-27

Our group changes once again. Ten people are leaving us six that began with me in the start and we gain nine new folks. There are only four of us left from the original group. The changes are fun to have the chance to meet new people, yet at the same time sad as I’m saying goodbye to some people that are becoming friends. I still remain the token American amongst a mix of other nationalities with the most being Aussies.

We leave the truck once again and catch a ferry to Zanzibar a self governed Tanzanian island in the Indian Ocean for a few days of R&R. Zanzibar is one of the main bases of slave trading throughout history. Being an American I discover a history of slavery I was oblivious to. In the western world slavery consisted mostly of men taken from the western part of Africa and they were primarily used for labor. Slavery for the rest of the world was run through Zanzibar. Here slaves where captured mostly from Eastern African countries and brought to Zanzibar. Most of the 3 plus million slaves auctioned off here where women and they where sold as concubines to mostly Arabs. The men slaves here where castrated and also sold to Arabs. Interesting in the Arab world they had no problem with genetically mixing with blacks as long as it was Arab men but under no conditions did they want a black man being with an Arab woman.

In the auction process men where chained by the neck and put in pits. Prospect buyers picked a man from the pit and they where then chained to a whipping post and whipped with the barbed tail of a stingray. If a man didn’t cry or make noise he was strong and it inflated his price. How could humankind be so barbaric? Today there is a church built upon the whipping post auction stand and a small museum to honor those who passed through this terrible post.

We make our way the northern shore of Zanzibar for two days at a small beach resort. The area is exceptionally remote but has little hotels like we are staying at to a couple high end 5 star hotels. It doesn’t seem like Africa at all. We are in a lush tropical resort setting.

I take a day to go dive the Indian and discover a half dozen new fish I’ve never seen and I’m looking forward to looking them up. Cruising along the bottom I come across hundreds of star fish, a dozen or more Lion fish, a few stone fish, a couple moray eels, and even a frog fish. The current was mild and created a fair amount of turbidity. I’d love to spend a few more days diving here and see what it’s like in clearer conditions.

Day two I rent a hobie cat (small catamaran sailboat) and in 14 knot winds cruise the Indian Ocean. What a wonderful yet exhausting day.

Day 28-29

Boorrinngg…………. We’ve spent the last two days on the truck making our way across Tanzania to Malawi. I’ve had a tummy ache all day and feel under the weather. We just arrived at a camp site on lake Malawi for the night and will be moving on again tomorrow to have three days in one spot. Thank goodness.

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