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After wrestling lions the African Adventure is over!!

13/1/2014

So with great sadness and great excitement of what's coming next, my African adventure is coming to a close. It hasn't been the excitement of "King Solomon's Mines" by H.Rider Haggard (Christmas reading) ... living with lost tribes and trekking across deserts in search of treasures, but I have been to the roof of Africa and most southerly tip! I have seen Lemurs in Madagascar, rafted the Zambezi and taught school children how to work an iPad. Every day has opened my eyes to new possibilities!

This week I had a blog groupie (my Aunt) reminding me to write about the last 4 weeks in South Africa and upon reflection I have had a great month with my family on a 2000km road trip from Joburg to Cape Town.

Although my true home is London and I'll always be an England supporter, my second home is definitely South Africa. All my family are based in SA/Cape Town except my mum and an auntie so spending quality time over Xmas with them having not seen them all for a few years has also been a great chapter in my world travels.

From my 6 and 8 yr old nephew and niece to my 90 yr old Nanna. From my dad's farm in the Free State (near Lesotho) to the Route 62 in the the Western Cape. From riding my dad's dangerously fast Honda VFR to my brothers dangerously slow Royal Enfield. From climbing Table Mountain to walking along Hout Bay's beach. From live music and tasty craft beers at Hout Bay market to champagne at Kirstenbosch for New Years. It seemed that at all times the sun was shining and there was a glass in my hand!!

So this week I have started my Duolingo course in Spanish (maybe a little late) and Buenos Aires beckons before the rest of South America for 8 months!!

Adios Amigos!!

From blowing bubbles with the youngest to high tea with the eldest!! As always nice scenery along the way!!

The best ever alternative Xmas photo!!

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Madagascar 4: Where are the Penguins?

14/12/2013

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I say MADAGASCAR you will say DISNEY (should be DREAMWORKS). I say LEMUR and you say JULIAN. Therefore thought best to share with you some other interesting facts about the place I have just visited

At 587km2 it is 4th largest island - about same size as France - Greenland largest...ask Wikipedia why Australia isn't largest!
Population of 20.7m with a density of 33.6 per km - 177th in the world about the same as USA (UK is 51st)
Highest mountain is Maromokotro at 2876m - double the size of Ben Nevis
250,000 animal species are found in Mady of which 70% are found nowhere else in the world
14,000 plant species native to Mady of which 90% are found nowhere else in the world
Lemur's are endemic to Mady - of the 50 on the island 10 are critically endangered. Mady is one of richest places on Earth for higher level endemism
Toliara reef system in SW Mady is 3rd largest in the world
Deforestation is close to 90% of it original forest - 40% in last 60 years
French protectorate in 1890 and colony in 1896 after British and French colonial empires competed for it. British invaded over for WWII for fear of Germany plan of Nazi government to relocate Jewish population of Europe to Mady. Independence from France in 1960 with democracy before a military coup in 2009 by the capital's mayor (couldn't see Boris achieving this!)

Air Mady was banned from EU airspace in 2011
HIV prevalence rate of 0.3 among adults - as UK...although how true is this stat
Minimum wage $0.26 per hr (= 100% of GDP) - same as India
Bubonic plague has been hitting Madagascar prisons therefor been avoiding rat stroking!
80% of global vanilla sourced from Mady
No Big Mac index as no McDonalds!
British foreign office has warnings about violence and bandits! Also has a dark illegal sex industry...Wikileaks US embassy doc is interesting reading
Madagascar film grossed over $532m in 2005. All together the 3 film franchise has grossed $1,881m

Pétanque played across the land...many more French influences along the way...not least good pain on every roadside and the obligatory onions around the stripy top avec beret!!

From reading the facts above or the news you probably are thinking like I felt before arriving...what I am doing in Madagascar and I should be really careful!!

Well the reality is a really amazing and beautiful country that I would encourage you all to visit. The final elections are in a weeks time and propaganda for the final 2 candidates is hotting up...who knows what it will be like in the future.

The best way to describe it is a country that has been isolated from the mainland and rest of the world and stuck in a time warp with a French Dr Who...but for good reasons. The colonial past which is now neglected is still obvious to see but you have people who are blinkered from the western world for the better. Everyone appears content with their minimal lifestyle and happy to smile and wave at every opportunity...no aspirations to drive Mercedes...no hitchhikers just happy to walk and no beggars. Having a water border has helped keep the trouble out...just look at the HIV data compared to the rest of Southern Africa...but offsetting this is the lack of money in to grow the economy.

Like any country it has its problems...one hotel had a warning about underage sex...the capital city is unsafe after dark and rife with prostitutes. Stick to the usual ground rules of travel and you will be fine...in fact in the capital Tana at the ex-pat renovated railway station, eating foie gras burgers and watching Superman could have been on a rooftop in Peckham.

We visited the East, South and North (note only smelt sea in north) and all were different in many ways. The East/South was serious intensive terrace subsistence farming in 23C heat...the land was very lush (not in Welsh sense). Everything but mainly rice was grown and sold on the side of the well maintained good quality road (another surprise)...scenery I last saw in Vietnam...the people were also of Chinese/Orient looking...Sarah was often mistaken as a guide!!

Then as we moved North above the capital the landscape turned more arid and dry and 10C warmer...vastness and scenery seen in Karoo/Free State of SA...the farms were more spaced out and houses were more mud than 2 storey brick with the people more African looking. Then as we reached the Northern coast we found plantations of vanilla, cocoa and coffee...and of course the sea and amazing beaches (Fact: Diego Suarez is 2nd largest natural bay after Rio)...the tropical idyllic Island of Nosy Komba was a fitting end to an action packed 3 weeks in Madagascar.

I met and saw some amazing people getting on with life and showing great ingenuity. A farmer sharpening his scythe on an electricity pylon. Our guide speaking good English thanks to the BBC World Service (brought a tear to the eye). The school children at the l'ecole counting 1-5 in French to us. The usual African markets selling cats, pigeons, ducks and anything else you think you might need...I needed fake Oakleys for £1! Also the markets selling all the donated goods from USA and Europe...all the chequered shirts "Chipz" has finally thrown out. The local monastery making the worst yet blessed red wine that our driver even turned his nose at but at £2 a bottle we couldn't complain. Every Sunday the locals wearing their best for church when during the week it's sarongs and tattered clothing. Sought out the numerous hot springs to enjoy a rub down in 46C baths...Sarah's Molten Brown being a nice added touch. Nice surprises along the way included some amazing water falls (can't compare to Vic Falls but good alternatives) and brown river torrents.

Not intentionally but I have not mentioned my companion on this trip...my good Exeter uni friend Sarah (couldn't believe friends of 15 years vintage). A great and different dynamic to travelling...someone you know so don't have to ask the classic questions of "where have you come from?". As she has a pay check and I don't it meant me pushing for Fawlty Towers rather than Raffles although the pool and wifi benefit meant I had the occasional rubber arm! My travel by Taxi-Brousse option got vetoed for a private taxi (4x4) which I am eternally thankful as meant stopping and going to places our choosing...plus those Taxi-Brousse looked laden and cramped for my 6ft frame. What I didn't realise was that "Saz" likes to borrow without returning things...it started with the airline blanket then room shower gel and cutlery but at Vakona Lodge an enamel cup "fell into her bag". As we were driving out had the owner and maid running after us asking for said cup...my oscar winning performance of "what cup?? let me look...Sarah do you know about a cup??" After I accepted the award Saz handed the cup sheepishly back to the owners! After that I had to do airport security checks to avoid further embarrassment. Also as I am now well into my trip so a bit of dirt doesn't matter and the 3 second rule is now 6...I forgot how precious people from London can be. Washing feet only with bottled water and eating Foie Gras for breakfast to mention just the morning routine!

Many exciting characters and places to see...favourites are markets as sell anything from bike pedals to pigeons

The intensity of the farming is what amazed me the most...my Geography Physical teacher would be loving the "case study"!! It meant every 10 mins fresh fruit and veg for sale on the roadside from plums to strawberries to carrots...perfect road trip snacks

Not seen this collection of cheap French cars since the Tiffin school car park...although some red Renault 5's got wrapped around gates rather than through them (hey Nardo!)

So as mentioned coming to Madagascar is mainly about the lemurs but it also has some other amazing things to see both big and small both animal and landscape. I won't bore you with all the scientific names of these animals because I don't know them!! I am no zoologist, botanist nor biologist but just like seeing and experiencing new things you can't elsewhere in the world. It's funny back home a spider or insect would make me run yet over here I want to get closer to see the colours eg a crab spider eating an ant...was even gutted when I missed seeing the scorpion!! The photos below show you the amazing things we have seen day and night. But 3 cool things that happened wanted to share...

firstly in Andasibe NP trekking through secondary rainforest for the endangered Indri. Our first lemur spot of the trip was special but seeing them howl to each other was awesome and very very loud. We heard them later on from our hotel 2km away whilst swimming in the rain!!

secondly was at Ankarafantsika NP where outside our bungalow on the lake not only did we see lots of migratory birds but had Coquerel's Sifaka outside our door bouncing off the ground after collecting mangos!! Their buddies were just chilling in the tree.

finally the Tsingy rouge at Diego Suarez and Ankarana NP of sandstone and limestone respectively. Mother Nature at her best and unfortunately the photos don't do it justice as to how impressive these things are to look at. Bonus in the NP was a cave of bats with large stalagmites.

Fav being the one leaning back in the tree chilling...taken 5m from our room!

Trick is good head torches (not ours) and shining them into the trees to see the eyes reflect

Seeing lemurs play about and relax was a treat...their lounging ability up a tree was quite remarkable

Thank goodness I am not colour blind!!

Seeing the white insects turn into pink insects was a real highlight...sums up my David Bellamy esque knowledge!!

The famous Baobab Trees endemic to Madagascar... Both big and small around every corner to keep the senses stimulated...not least "touch" with many a spider web in the face of my 6ft manly frame (note Mady people not known for their basketball prowess!)

Unfortunately would of loved to show more of the Grand Tsingy but due to bandits the rope bridge was closed off...very Indiana Jones! Regardless impressive natural sites along the way

Like any trip you always want to finish off with a bit if R+R and staying at Marcine's lovely guest house on Nosy Komba (293 on Komba) we found the perfect spot. You know with Xmas in Cape Town and not coming back until mid January I know the next few weeks are going to be tough and stressful ;)

The house with 3 rooms was perfect and her cooking was top class. Offer of pre dinner cocktails meant we made the right choice! Plus side of Nosy Komba is no wifi so meant could chill out and catch up on reading books etc...and no interruptions of cricket scores! Sharing meals with other guests was great way to share our experiences to date and made us realise that we have seen a lot in 3 weeks!! Other guests were new land owners to the island and building houses with varying degrees of difficulty and bureaucracy which made for a soap opera update each night to keep us entertained...note plots of land with houses and direct sea frontage are around €40k!!

Our 4 days there were action packed though. We had a reef opposite our front door for snorkelling. The local village (1600 people of 6000 on the island...note only 6 families on the island...makes Norfolk look normal!) had lemurs and numerous shops and bars to meander through. Plus we made 2 day trips to see whale sharks (we only saw one) feeding on plankton and to Nosy Tankiley which has a large reef for snorkelling where I saw fish (not very descriptive I know but again animals aren't my speciality) and turtles.

Unfortunately no Nemo but found a cool Crush (turtle) plus a very large whale shark...aside from piracy the Madagascar Islands have plenty of wildlife

Whilst travelling through the country we saw lots of derelict buildings from colonial times...rather worn down places that are either just operational or doors are closed. In particular was Antsirabe with it's dated hotel, barely operational thermal baths and closed down summer pavilion by the lake...set locations that would inspire a Stephen King novel (see below). This inspired Saz and I and we decided to come up with a twisted version of the Madagascar franchise..."Madagascar 5 - Amityville"...won't go into the gruesome yet funny plot but was a great way to have a giggle and pass the time particularly on our 8 hour drives through the countryside. Like all good movies we needed a Madagascar inspired soundtrack...

"I still haven't found what I am lemuring" for by U2

"Zebu is it me your are looking for" by Lionel Ritchie

"I bat you look good on the forest floor" by Arctic Monkeys

"Baobab to Black" by Amy Winehouse

B-sides

"Karma chameleon" by Culture Club

"If there is any justice" by Lemur

"Day Tripper" by Beetles

"Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang

Welcome new song listings!! (RLD is one is for you!)

Some old disused buildings...the massage room with steam jets being the most creepy!

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Sawubona

22/11/2013

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Sawubona from Hazyview and the GWF Digital Learning Centre (day 1 I was taught local Siswati basics from 12 year old Hansel ... he beat me in a walk off...but he was impressed with my blue steel (no more Zoolander references allowed).

The tree of Knowledge in the HDLC Barn...but with a Christmas theme!!

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" (Nelson Mandela)

Good Work Foundation (GWF) is revolutionising education in rural Africa. It is teaching children and adults the key skills necessary in today's world - English and Computer Literacy. Its aim is to give the same opportunities and access to information as those at Harvard or Oxford. I have been based at the Hazyview Digital Learning Centre although have been on location in rural Mpumalanga. The centre here is fantastic with two computer rooms (20 computers in each room) as well as 30 tablets. Spearheading GWF is Kate Groch who has global ambitions for the organisation...having seen her in action expect to see a GWF centre near you soon! I would actively encourage you to "LIKE" their Facebook page or see their website for the amazing stories some of which I have been fortunate to be a part of.

Day 1 and morning 1 I was thrown a hospital pass into the deep-end of the swimming pool ... Crispin the school education leader asked for help with some school children who had walked in that needed help with their exams ... turns out it was Physics and Mathematics which I have not seen a text book for over 15 years! Having said that with the high quality education I had at Tiffin Boys I managed to blag my way through circuits and geometry...although I'm getting out of Hazyview before the results come out! During the week I also worked on Geography and Accounting which is much my forte.

In the barn, everyday school children and orphans come to learn/play on tablets... learning literacy by playing boggle and scrabble and maths playing multiplication and addition games. The knowledge and skills around a tablet is fantastic and don't worry they still practice their handwriting. They are using Google Earth to understand geography rather than a poster thus having the access to information as others around the world. The coolest thing was a game where all the tablets linked wirelessly to the computer so that the children could compete...amazing how competition turns the kids minds on! The future is that these games and competitions could link to other GWF centres all around world.

The Mabarula Youth In Action choir was a big highlight for me. A choir of 50 from a local village that has a newly formed committee but no direction. Gogo Mo (Kate's mother) and some of the team did a team building workshop to get them going...give them ideas and focus how to grow their choir. More importantly for them they want to build a community centre to practice singing in, feed the young and elderly and have an internet café. Fantastic ambitions but they didn't know what to do about getting it all...particularly a roof!! (see photo below). For me I am now their remote business consultant having got them on their feet and thinking like an effective team. The bonus for me was 2 performances of their choir - The gratitude and appreciation from the committee has been outstanding and something many teams in business could learn from.

At the centre here I have been helping some of pupils with some life skills. Getting a qualification is one thing but giving you skills around CV writing, interviewing, presenting, team-working and facilitation means you have a competitive advantage in this market where employment is tough. Great to some light-bulbs going off as they appreciate what is required and can see what it takes to enter the big wide world ... something I will need reminding about in 10 months time!

A local school had issues with their pupils not taking up technical mathematics for their senior years...Graham from the UK steps in to discuss with 100 students what it takes to become an accountant...I have never seen 100 eyes close so quickly as soon as I said "hello my name is Graham and I am an accountant from the UK"!! Although they were appreciative you come to realise that it takes more than me speaking for 20 minutes to change a mind-set but at least it helps...but it gave me an insight into the big challenges of rural Africa. Also visited other schools that have been created and funded by local residents as they realised there is a need for primary education in their village including education for those with learning difficulties...amazing to see someone give so much when they themselves have so little.

Saving a remarkable story for last. A remarkable young boy called Silence who for the last 3 years has been living with kidney failure and requiring dialysis 3-4 times per week in a hospital 150km and 2 buses away. In August after numerous searches he finally got a kidney transplant. He was whisked by helicopter to Pretoria and ever since then has been a changed man. I was privileged to be at a lunch with his parents and Gogo Mo as a celebratory lunch of the remarkable story of a boy in rural Africa against the clock getting another chance. Gogo Mo's good connections along with others made this remarkable story happen...to share the story and see the appreciation on his parents face over lunch was a special moment.

As you can see for 4 weeks I have dipped my little toe into rural Africa to understand the issues and realities for a lot of the residents. Although not leaving a footprint here I am hoping that in the future I am able to help others make their footprint on their community. Big thanks to Kate and her team for being so welcoming into the GWF family.

In action around the Mpumalanga rural area meeting some great people with amazing stories

Mabarula Youth In Action...was lucky to have 2 performances...lets hope they get the roof before the rains come!!

So I also had some down time whilst here and although religiously followed the Chelsea and England fixture list this wasn't enough to keep me occupied so like my past weeks in Africa I decided to do some more activities...

- As you do whilst on holiday I sneaked in the "Run with wild horses" Kaapsehoop marathon on Saturday 2nd November. Started training the week before and the longest run on the Thursday being 2 hours in the morning...so this was definitely going to be amateur hour...or what I was hoping amateur under 5 hours!! Had some runners and gels so had the essentials but when boarding the bus at 4am (which got lost) realised under prepared...no hat, sunglasses and my water bottle was filled with swimming pool water (filled up using the wrong bottle!). Maybe it was the chlorine or just stupidity but managed to cross the line in 4hrs 5mins...which isn't too shabby...plus the hills at the end (my favourite) meant I ate the field towards the finish line in the Mbombela (Nelspruit) stadium!! So 7 marathons later in 3 continents the bug hasn't gone...just South America next year, Tokyo in 2015 with Oz and Antarctica after that to get all continents covered!!

- Keeping up the running theme ParkRun has made it to Hazyview. Found this great place called Summerfields overlooking the Sabie river. A 5km run through the lychee and macadamia plantation and finish on the riverbanks next to the crocs. Decent grub and free wifi (learned the good spots including 30mins at Wimpy). Had a massage post marathon and rather than the usual whale music it was the river running by and crocs/hippo noises. The area around here makes for interesting drives through the Lowveld.

- As I was staying 10km from Kruger Park it would be a crime not to go and visit, so I went twice...needed to see Wildebeest and Rhino which I hadn't seen in Botswana. Plus to spice things up through in 9 holes at Skukuza Golf Club with the hippos, Impala and Warthogs...luckily they weren't hungry! The second time had the expert guides of Jos and Judy (colleagues at GWF) who as regular visitors shared their stories and anecdotes of wildlife spotting. As it reached 44°C the wildlife was thin on the ground as they were seeking shade so J&J opened my eyes to the birds and flora on show...which as a non-twitcher was very interesting...although deciding which bird was seen sparked a heated debate!! Seeing 2 eagles and vultures fly in and fight it out was a blast. Although we did have some great animal spottings being lambing season the young Impala and Hippo were a few days old but the highlight being a mini-ele learning how to use its trunk and walk/stumble around was cool...(like me on a regular Friday night!!)

- It was African Champions League second leg in Egypt. The Orlando Pirates (Joburg team) were drawing 1-1 after 1st leg...the best place to watch the game would be a shabeen (illegal drinking place in townships). Had Crispin from GWF and our resident taxi owner / del boy / wheeler dealer as our chaperone. Our Chaperone "D" wore purple suede loafers, gold rings, gold watch and gold teeth...you get the look! We rocked up to his mates house party to celebrate a pay out with the local loan shark mafia (called a Stokvel)...it looked like Stringer Bell had thrown a Co-Op party!!...believe payout was close to R1MM!! (half the price of a local house). At party I was well fed and watered...there was around 40 litres of whiskey available...the drink of choice was Jonnie Walker Platinum washed down with Red Bull...which at R800/$80 a bottle should be savoured...for myself I stuck to the lagers but was surprised when my host got the lady of the house to replace my now warm beers with a fresh cold 6 pack...talk about service!! The house and TV room was something out of Octagon showroom/footballers photo shoot...the TV room has a chaise lounge...large plasma with 8 speakers although only 2 were connected...and the ceiling was a 3 layered marble insert with rose although no fitting. This is what is termed "black diamond" where it is all about showing off brands and wealth to your friends. I realised it was time to leave when my host "D" holding a plastic bag (with a little strain) wanted to play "What's in the bag" to which I replied meat...turned out to be cash!! So after the game and with the Pirates loss I politely left but could see it was getting messy.

just over 4 hours for someone who trained very little...3 continents covered...TICK!!

Sometimes the small things in life are just as important and interesting...try telling that to the elephant!!

The Rhino didn't move much as had just come back from Pall Mall (London)!!

The 3 Rondavel's of the Lowveld...scenery that takes your breath away

From the finish line of the local PARKRUN to the Blyde River Cannon...you cannot be blown away by the beauty of the LOWVELD

So Hazyview is a funny place...it's 180km from Mozambique, nearest cinema is 90km in Nelspruit and 10km to Kruger NP so is inundated with game lodges and hotels. Yet it is small and it's focal point is a cross roads with a Shell garage and 2 shopping centres so rather controversially has little character as a town centre (around it is lovely)...couldn't think of an English equivalent. But wanted to share my observations of life in Hazyview/ Mpumalanga/ South Africa now that I have been living here for 4 weeks:

1) the gym - I have not had a TV for 4 weeks (by choice) and so thought would join the gym and get fit (shared a bus ride with a 22 yr old German lad who laughed at me as I was struggling to carry my bag thus have my impetus for gym). The gym is a classic meat head gym so although I am not scrawny I was the smallest by far!! The best bit is the gym is owned by Desperate Dan bigger brother (runs the security firm and as a friend said looks like a Sherman Tank) and his wife (2012 Miss Lowveld BodyBuilding champ...but the tash and deep voice threw me at first!!). Then everyday their mate Kenny Powers look-a-like who thought he was a MMA champ would train who I noticed thought it was necessary to carry a gun to the gym! Needless to say I didn't need a TV as had my own soap opera in front of me everyday!!

2) friendliness - the people here are very friendly. Been taken out for meals, braii's (BBQ to British folk or barbie to Oz), beers etc to welcome me to the GWF team and Hazyview area. Particularly my hosts Des and Sarie here at Iggy's who although scared me day 1 with snake and hippo stories but more importantly kindly did my washing for 4 weeks...it was like being at home again but less nagging!

3) the supermarket - went to the Sainsbury's equivalent "Pick n Pay" and bought English Cucumber and Tomatoes??? What's wrong with local produce?? Are our tomatoes world renowned and I failed to realise this?? As sometimes tight when food shopping gutted to see no 241 or BOGOF offers! Although why go as the guys on the street sell awesome grub...6 gigantic (like melon size) avo's for £2 - can you overdose on them as destroyed them in week 1!

4) toilet paper - the standard here is 1 ply well my first purchase was 2 ply...the luxury tax of 40% is well worth it!

5) local celebrity - first lunchtime and was taken out by the GWF team. During the meal the waiter asked for a photo with me much to the amusement of Ryan. I politely said "let me finish my pizza and will re-enact whomever you believe I am"...turned out I was in Wrong Turn 3...a gory horror film...I don't see it myself unless very uncomplimentary (parent advisory when Googling...Internet may contain breasts). So had numerous photos with waiter, staff and manager much to the amusement of the other guests. Reminds me of 2 stories a) in Delhi holding a baby at Red Fort and the parents taking a photo thinking I was a cricketer...just think I am on some poor kids wall!! b) in Ficksburg, SA where due to Prince Harry being in nearby Lesotho they thought Prince Harry had stopped at the local KFC for dinner!

6) neighbourhood watch - unfortunately SA has a problem of crime and heard/read some quite terrible stories. In my area there is the local neighbourhood watch that goes along with police on patrols...all the houses are on radios and reminds me a little of Hot Fuzz - "for the greater good"...the weaponry apparently is fairly close to the film as well!! But meant I could sleep safe at night so wasn't complaining.

7) driving - the worst!! I went for runs and they often decided to aim for me and not swerve away. You need to be on full alert...luckily my rented Nissan Micra has the finesse and handling skills of an Aston! Although must point out my commute is 4 mins by car...beats queuing for the tube at Balham!!

8) teeth brushing - for 7 weeks (and another 3) I have brushed my teeth using bottled water...I long for a tap that I can guzzle down litres of water. Bring on my dad's farm that has a bore hole.

9) utilities - since I have been in Hazyview we have lost power 4 times and water 3 times. Even the local township doesn't have this problem!!

10) biltong and beer - one of the best combo's...find a good slaghuis (Afrikaans for butcher not red light zone) and hit the bottle store for some Windhoek's and sorted! Bonus extra with the amazing sunsets.

11) names - if struggling what to call your child then take a look at the names I have come across:

Merciful Goodness Joy Grace Melody Pretty Happy Beauty Charity Hope Surprise Innocent
Princess Fortunate Climate Witness Silence Perfect Decide Comfort

Flatmate Baz kindly showed me Balham station after the recent storms...I would show you my commute but couldn't find anyone to hold the camera!! Get to the top of the hill and freewheel to work!! Regardless...I am not missing this!!

So after 4 weeks on this trip, another 4 to go and many more in the past the question I always get asked is could you live in SA?

The answer is maybe!!
- Be great to have a swimming pool but not surrounded by a large wall with electric fencing...
- Be great to have a large property but you cannot go beyond your boundary and play on the streets...
- Nice to have a car but you drive everywhere...walking to the shops becomes a novelty...
- Great when the sun is shining but flippin cold in winter as no central heating...
- Beautiful country with loads to see and do...having a safari national park on your doorstep has been great...but not much variety the further North you go...nearest Western civilisation is 11 hr flight away...
- Vineyards are everywhere but no decent ale houses...
- Then there are the obvious points that you read about in the press that everyone knows about...

- Essentially in an ideal world where I don't have to work and could spend 6 months in Cape Town and 6 months in my Chelsea apartment...any offers???

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Murder on the Kilimanjaro Express

30/10/2013

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Assumed the position for 2 days!

Don't worry I was not killed (obviously) nor did I murder anyone but more on that story later...

So after nearly not getting a ticket I made it on the train from Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) to Kipiri Mposhi (frontier town in Zambia where Clint Eastwood would be at ease) called the Kilimanjaro Express - it took over 2 days so don't read into the "Express" part. Over 48 hours on a Chinese train built in late 70's (so aged carriage stock) to move copper (3rd largest global mine) from Zambia to the coast for export - "land locked Chippy".

In my carriage was Michael Duncan lookalike (big bloke from The Green Mile). Knew a little English but he was essentially the Del Boy of Tanzania...sells umbrellas in Africa! Met some other cool travellers and shared a few beers watching the sun go down over the stunning savannah plains of Tanzania...Zambia was not as attractive from the train by still nice. Food was even delivered to our first class cabin...you know I only do it in style!! Choice every meal was Fried chicken wing with rice or chips. Note this was the only offering for 48 hours so mixture of that and dodgy toilets meant I didn't eat much!

Although was not on time the nice part compared to bus is chilling watching the world go by without being crammed in like sardines. Like all stations in Africa they are a melting pot of people and tradesman/women. Chelsea shirts and beanies appear to be most popular...what can I say they have good tastes!! The best was this guy carrying a suitcase, football, iron, kettle, pants, toothpaste, beanies, torch, screwdriver...and more! He sold the briefcase as you asked. Like true traveller style a smile and a wave out the window gets a good response from the villages...with the occasional kiss blown...well at least I think was for me!!

Now for the murder part...Well I was kindly looked after by these 2 Zambian sisters in the same carriage as me (who had just bought 8 tonnes of towels from Dubai!). These ladies (Ruth and sister) would give Poirot a run for his money! The train in Zambia suddenly came to a halt...within a minute word was out the train had run over somebody. Within 5 mins the ladies said he was drunk on homemade spirits and released from prison 2 days earlier for robbery. Within 30 mins the body was a plant and not run over by the train as the blood was dry and would have been killed/murdered within last 24 hours...this deduction and knowledge by Ruth was known without even leaving the train!! It was weird seeing the passengers jumping off the train for a look and the locals were glad to have camera phones to show their friends!

When got to Lusaka was first time in 2 weeks of listening to music whilst travelling as sat alone which is refreshing...just shows you the characters you meet along the way. Also noticed that John Lewis started international deliveries...in Lusaka was a green van with JL logos!! In Livingstone spent first time in dorm where I surprisingly managed to sleep 9 hours. Hostel has the usual traveller weapons but nice crowd and just nice to stay in one place for a few days.

If you threw water bottles you got a smile!

A walking corner shop

Didn't dream too often of 'Jaws' chewing through the door

Did the classic booze cruise / rafting combo thanks to an early Xmas present from Phil and it didn't disappoint...turns out Jagerbomb and beer pong is in Zambia although did give me hangover from hell!! Beautiful orange sun and full moon meant the booze flowed very well which was great for the nerves for the white water rafting!! Got to see a herd of elephants crossing the river, hungry hippos and snappy crocs!! The rafting was awesome and survived all the grade 5's without getting wet..aside from when we swam the rapids. Made you appreciate how strong the river actually is. Would share a photo but at $60 i declined the generous offer!!

As my first falls to visit they are very impressive...hope to tick off Igauzu and Angel next year so at least can compare. No visit to the falls would be without a visit to the colonial post Victoria Falls Hotel...high tea no less so brushed off the red jeans and collar and being a traveller had to make sure I ate my body weight in sandwiches and cakes...top tip courtesy of Tamsin to maximise eating capacity is a decent brunch!!

Also did a 2 day trip with Kalahari Tours to Chobe National Park in Botswana. WOW I have never seen so many elephants in one place...on the final day we saw around 300 elephants drinking by the river. Luckily we didnt have too many close encounters with the big cats.

Also a visit to the actual falls would not be complete without actually swimming in Devils Pools overlooking the falls and then breakfast on Livingstone Island just like Sir David over 150 years ago! Quite a thrill but luckily i tipped the guy enough to hold on tight...more than my mates clubbed together not to hold on tight!!

Livingstone and Vic Falls area is known as the adventure capital of Africa...I can see why!

Look at Dumbo in the blue top!

Sundowner o'clock...but which is your favourite Zambian one?

Graham's big cat diary.

Yes that is me looking over the Vic Falls...and yes I do need to get a tan. Tanning for gingers (ranga's) is a marathon not a sprint!!

Writing this in Zimbabwe on a bus in country 5 and due in country 6 tomorrow in just 3 weeks...talk about whirlwind tour but then Kenya and Zim weren't really on my To See List (but still count - will do a country list at the end). Most surprising of all are the visa fees for Africa and would suggest you plan slightly better than I in terms of route...so far $200 in fees for 4 of those countries...wished I had cemented my allegiance to South Africa and Namibia and got dual citizenship...could then justify wearing the shirt without the abuse from my mates!! Biggest surprise is that Africa is not cheap!! Also worth noting dont argue with border officials as they can stop you getting a visa...a lesson learned quickly in Zim...$55 for less than 12 hours!!

So having completed the main chunk of Africa...SA doesn't count as westernised and Madagascar will be off the scale (currently has bubonic plague to deal with!) I would have to say Zambia appears to be the nicest. Think it helps their official language is English but also the infrastructure is good. More importantly the people are really friendly and happy to chat. Was on a bus and borrowed the local paper from a chap next to me...turned out he was an ex-EY auditor (trying to run away from them!) who jacked it all in and became a tennis coach - his passion! An inspiration to follow his dream and maybe me taking a year off is a part of this. We then starting talking football and sport which as my mates will know was a quick conversation!! Pub quiz knowledge...Zambia top sport is amateur boxing!! Also met some doctors and witch doctors who gave an insight into Zambian life plus the usual taxi driver who told you his life story and miss-givings of Zambia.

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TIA

19/10/2013

8 Comments

This is Africa.
This is a phrase similar to the one in Asia of "Same But Different" or in India "Yes Yes" with shakes of the head that usually mean "no". You start with one idea and leave with something else, not totally convinced either the trip or the directions will work.

A classic example experienced shortly after my Kilimanjaro trip ... I needed a bus to Dar Es Salaam (travel tip no1: Don't stay there just head through to Zanzibar). The bus was leaving at 8.30 so I was told to arrive at 8.00. The bus left at 8.45 and was meant to be 6hrs and I eventually arrived in Dar at a dodgy bus station (and I mean proper Croydon dodgy and nowhere near civilisation) in total darkness at 7pm. This bus journey cost me $30 ... bargain! The taxi from the bus rank which I took in earnest with the usual foreigner hassles was $25 ... not a bargain! So after 11 hours on the road I eventually arrived at my hotel - Ironically the bus company was called Dar Express. At least the bus (which stopped only once for 15min lunch) came with a free drink and biscuit ... the best part of the journey was the old TV showing Tanzanian movies about drunken husbands (played by The Bunk) who domestically abuse their wives ... thank goodness the acting made it not very convincing plus the special effects looked more like he had dropped his Strawberry Mivvi rather than been shot.

The 8MB camera of his new iPhone 5C really captured the Kili summit we had to climb

Now more importantly, the climb up Kilimanjaro or Uhuru Peak at 5895m or "The roof of Africa". If you don't care about the gory detail then just look at the photos for proof.

Firstly big thanks to the team at Ashante Tours (means thank you in Swahili) a locally owned travel company. Turns out I had my own guide Aristde for the trip although I met a great couple from Oz (Dunc and Row - what is it with Aussies and abbreviations!?!) who I shared many a meal and bit of banter above the cloud line. The tour operation is slick ... I had a porter for my bag (that's 20kg on his neck), one for tent etc and one for food. They were last to leave in the morning after packing up and first to arrive at camp to set everything up. Well worth the $40 cost each for the week.

For those not in the know, you either do 4 or 5 days of climbing and acclimatisation and then 2 days down (always go for the total 7 day trip - higher success rate). Days are relatively tough and a good friend said when she climbed her motivating phrase was "pain is weakness leaving the body"... although mine was "if Cheryl Cole can do this then so can I" hence I never backed down - a bit like Cashley and his contract negotiations when moving to Chelsea. The hardest part I felt was the shortness of breath, running for the loo in the middle of the night knackers you; turning over in bed makes you breathe faster; even talking and eating at the same time takes more energy. For the geeks out there apparently oxygen levels are 9% at the summit compared to 21% at sea level. Aside from the oxygen deprivation, the views are unbelievable - sitting having lunch in glorious sunshine above the clouds with the Uhuru summit behind you was totally inspiring. I kept reminding Aristde that this is his daily office - last month mine was looking across the A4 and the Novotel. We had a little bit of rain but our spirits weren't dampened which meant that any alfresco toilet stops both day and night were a pleasure - particularly the starry night sky, providing you avoided the long drops! It made the Glastonbury loos on day 4 look inviting.

To paraphrase Redgrave 'if you see me in a tent again you can shoot me!' I was lucky to have a 2 man tent to myself which meant I could spread out a bit. It did still mean that my 6ft frame touched both ends which meant damp head and feet in the morning with the frost. Also since when does a thin piece of foam constitute a mattress? I rolled it in half and used my stolen/borrowed BA blanket as additional cushioning on my pelvis so I could get some sleep. So once I was comfortable I still had to battle with the temperature control and any midnight pit stops required multiple layers to prevent frost bite settling in (mild over exaggeration). I guess I'm trying to sum up that I don't need much pampering but a half decent bed, blow up mattress or doll would have made the experience much nicer - although I guess that's the point. You're in Africa half way up a mountain, if there was a Coke shop and some niceties then it wouldn't be the same, that would probably mean that you are in USA! Although it's worth pointing out that the more you pay on these trips, the more you get ... these Yanks got a burger and chips at the finishing gate. I got a hand shake.

Lunch above the clouds - god I wished for a Diet Coke and Boost for energy rather than soup and rice (other brands are available)

With Duncan and Row my Oz trekking buddies...and yes it was a fashion mistake to have matching trainers, jacket and hat!

4 days in and 4700m above sea level..."please sir can I have some more" wasn't heard too often

If you thought you were 'well hard' try carrying 20kg on your neck up a mountain ... The porters certainly deserved their tips.

And onto the Kilimanjaro summit ... By this time Dunc and Row had left me behind to summit a day earlier. I saw them come down near to the end of the day and although they had successfully reached the summit they looked totally broken (sure they won't want me saying that) which left me feeling a little bit apprehensive. My training so far had been a 6 hr walk over Box Hill (note the word hill) which shredded my feet and the occasional walk home from work or late night stroll (this did get some odd looks from my flat mate Gaz). Undeterred, I woke up at 12.30 for my midnight breakfast before starting the climb at 1am. I wanted to make the sunrise (see photos) so it took 5 hrs up and 2 hrs down and I was back in camp by 8am. Being an experienced athlete (6 marathons now that you ask) there is nothing more enjoyable than starting at the back and passing everyone, as my best mate Phil knows this means you have a target to track down and its that physiological advantage that pushes you harder and further. Our usual target to catch is most attractive pair of legs (Phil usually likes them hairy) After chasing all the headlamps ahead of me, we reached the summit feeling strong.

YES I MADE IT!
Thanks to all the acclimatisation we then went beyond the summit to the western edge of the mountain for more scenic views. After 9 photos by the summit and cold winds building we dashed down the mountain to camp. By saying dashed it meant my boots were like skis and I parallel turned down the mountain past rocks ... They didn't tell me this before the summit day. It was fun at first but after pushing for nearly 7 hours, near the bottom I hit the wall but was very glad to see my camp around the corner.

5 hrs up for sunrise and 2 hrs down using my parallel skiing technique to good use

Proof that Palmer Tours Chief Researcher made it to the top!

So whilst I'm sitting here in the ancient city of Stone Town in Zanzibar, I thought I would share some of my initial tour operator observations:

Why do people on holiday think it is a good look to have braids or corn rolls? Have you never seen Monica from Friends?!?
Is it only us Brits or why in the UK do we feel it necessary to queue for everything?
Haggling for something, however small is a must ... even if for a $1... got my Tanzania Adidas footy top for $5 not $6! The traders expect it even if you look a little tight.
Everywhere in Africa seems to have wifi - even the mountain had signal for most days.
By learning the words Jambo (hello) and Mambo Por (how are you? ok?) in Swahili go a long way to avoiding hassle. Just hope my fluency in Spanish is of equal par in a few months time!

8 Comments

Hi-Ho Hi-Ho off to work I DON'T go!

2/10/2013

3 Comments

What better place to start than in my favourite coffee shop in Balham...where the journey will be begin and end. Blog writing with coffee and croissant will become creature of habits!

Firstly big thanks for clicking here and reading this - already have over 850 unique visitors therefore can't blame my mum for looking popular! This challenge is to make you come back and read more...so drop me a message with any comments.

WOW...it is finally here...yesterday was last day in office so no BB for 12 months...accounting what??

Big thanks to everyone who has said goodbye. My liver is suitably pickled ready for 12 months of partying around the world...decided that would be much more fun than that "finding myself" rubbish!

Will leave you with this...a traveller at 33 you would think should be mature and sensible...last Friday after way too many German beers at my leaving bash I got home and found my flat mate (lets called him "Baz") on the flat stairs, asleep, dribbling and keys in hand about 3m from front door!! Who says you need to grow up...33 is the new 21! (at least that's what I will tell the girls)

GP

3 Comments

As a great man once said ... "It's all adventure"

10/8/2013

1 Comment

So the planning has kicked off...the flights are booked, dodgy flea ridden hostel reservations made, yellow fever jabs done (not painful) and added Tripadvisor to my web favorites list.

The clock ticks until i head off to the first stop Nairobi and Mount Kilimanjaro!

1 Comment

After wrestling lions the African Adventure is over!!

Madagascar 4: Where are the Penguins?

Sawubona

Murder on the Kilimanjaro Express

TIA

Hi-Ho Hi-Ho off to work I DON'T go!

As a great man once said ... "It's all adventure"

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