What a change a few days make. After the weekends adventure on the Tazara Railway I find myself a matter of meters from the gentle waves of the Indian Ocean which lap the pristine white sandy beaches of Tanzania.
After our night at the YMCA, Laura, Will depart for Zanzibar and I get the short Kigaboni ferry across the harbour then a 5minute ride on the back of a motorbike to Mikadi Beach Camp. The only sign that the big port of Dar es Salaam is just round the corner are the large cargo vessels on the horizon, the only noise I hear is the gentle crashing of the waves. A definite improvement from the weekend.
The camp is pretty small, there's about 12 bands (huts) and a camping area which surround a stunning pool and bar with a thatched roof. Toilets are European style rather than an ever moving hole in the floor and the showers are open and clean. The biggest decision I've got to make here is just what time to have breakfast and when to eventually leave. My Kilimanjaro trek starts on Saturday so I have to leave here Thursday or Friday. We shall see.
My day here starts with a morning swim at high tide before hitting the beach front bar for some breakfast. After some tanning, more swimming and reading, dinner eventually pops round accompanied by a local beer watching the sun set and waves lap the shore. The following day simply repeats.
On a change from the taxing schedule I take a morning trip into Dar to get some more money for my Kili trip. Getting on the ferry I see a lady with a large screen TV balanced on her head (no box or protection) and a bicycle with 2 (yes 2!) three piece suites balanced on the back. Then there's a tuc tuc with a 6ft house door hanging out the side and then the usual gaggle and overloading of people trying to cram on. In downtime Dar I can't resist another milkshake (make that 2 more) at the Holiday Inn. There just so good, I think this trip has given me cravings for milkshakes and ice cream. Whilst walking towards the bus station to get a ticket to Moshi I decide actually I'm going to fly there. I don't want to lose this relaxed feeling on a sweaty 10hr bus ride across Tanzania so will book the short 1 1/2 hr flight later back at the camp. Ciao for now folks
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Train to Dar Day 3
That was infinitely better than last night, it was cooler and the shouting only started at 6am so now feel pretty refreshed. As breakfast time comes we're passing through lush tree lines hills and regular tunnels as the train continues its crawl to the Indian Ocean. It's literally a crawl now, especially as we go through the mountains. Stops seem to take forever with an impossible number of people appearing in the middle of nowhere to board the train, I haven the foggiest where these people are coming from. We're now about 6hrs late which would have us into Dar in the very late evening, still not entirely sure what I'm going to do accommodation wise Sunday night. May see if I can stick in the train til dawn then go on to my beach camp.
I spend the morning sat with 3 Belgians travelling to Dar and on to Zanzibar. The mountains start to drop away into the afternoon and we enter the plains which should eventually lead us to the coast although that's clearly still a long way off, my reckoning is we're now about 6-7hours behind and will get into Dar sometime in the night. The heat cranks up another few notches and the landscape, whilst still fairly green from the start of the rainy season, it's more scrub and bush than before. For a few hours were crossing through one of Tanzania's many game reserves but I don't spot anything too exciting. Actually that's a lie, it's not everyday you see hundreds of impala as well as wildebeest, warthogs, zebra and giraffe. I find myself joining everyone else hanging half out of the train getting photos, more of the incredible sky and setting sun.
The journey goes into the night, I'm chilling in a cabin with the Belgians and English playing silly amusing games. A few of them are afraid of using the on board toilets, which I can't blame them so predictably there's a lot of toilet humour going around. We're all sat here smelling of sweat and somehow covered in dirt, my previously white shorts are now various shades of grey having picked up dust from god knows where.
So ill finish off this post now I'm at the YMCA hostel in Dar. I'm here with Will and Laura since we arrived so late in Dar on the train, about 1010pm. Our other friends had a taxi booked so we managed to hitch with them and get the driver to divert here. About half way to the hostel we pulled up at some lights and a decidedly shifty and probably drunk guy of medium build was scanning the vehicles in the line, obviously looking for trouble. He approached our car, had a look through the windows and probably saw us 5 white guys and moved to the car in front. In a flash he grabbed a bag off the front seat and made off down the road. The driver and passenger ran after him but that then left the vehicle vulnerable to be stolen. Fortunately the passenger came back before that happened but I doubt the guy got his bag back. I didn't really know much about Dar but had heard one or two stories, clearly it's not the safest place at night but having a window open and bag visible wasn't exactly a shining beacon of common sense. Welcome to Dar folks. On a plus the youth hostel is ok and had room, it's somewhere dry and safe until the morning when we'll go our own ways.
I spend the morning sat with 3 Belgians travelling to Dar and on to Zanzibar. The mountains start to drop away into the afternoon and we enter the plains which should eventually lead us to the coast although that's clearly still a long way off, my reckoning is we're now about 6-7hours behind and will get into Dar sometime in the night. The heat cranks up another few notches and the landscape, whilst still fairly green from the start of the rainy season, it's more scrub and bush than before. For a few hours were crossing through one of Tanzania's many game reserves but I don't spot anything too exciting. Actually that's a lie, it's not everyday you see hundreds of impala as well as wildebeest, warthogs, zebra and giraffe. I find myself joining everyone else hanging half out of the train getting photos, more of the incredible sky and setting sun.
The journey goes into the night, I'm chilling in a cabin with the Belgians and English playing silly amusing games. A few of them are afraid of using the on board toilets, which I can't blame them so predictably there's a lot of toilet humour going around. We're all sat here smelling of sweat and somehow covered in dirt, my previously white shorts are now various shades of grey having picked up dust from god knows where.
So ill finish off this post now I'm at the YMCA hostel in Dar. I'm here with Will and Laura since we arrived so late in Dar on the train, about 1010pm. Our other friends had a taxi booked so we managed to hitch with them and get the driver to divert here. About half way to the hostel we pulled up at some lights and a decidedly shifty and probably drunk guy of medium build was scanning the vehicles in the line, obviously looking for trouble. He approached our car, had a look through the windows and probably saw us 5 white guys and moved to the car in front. In a flash he grabbed a bag off the front seat and made off down the road. The driver and passenger ran after him but that then left the vehicle vulnerable to be stolen. Fortunately the passenger came back before that happened but I doubt the guy got his bag back. I didn't really know much about Dar but had heard one or two stories, clearly it's not the safest place at night but having a window open and bag visible wasn't exactly a shining beacon of common sense. Welcome to Dar folks. On a plus the youth hostel is ok and had room, it's somewhere dry and safe until the morning when we'll go our own ways.
Train to Dar Day 2
My people in my cabin are not the quietist. They have no concern for intrusive noise or disrupting others or frankly any sort of respect. I'm woken at 430am with the usual cacophony of noise, one of my cabin mates is shouting "Paul, Paul are you awake?" "Humph" "Good Morning!"
I spend the next couple of hours slowly waking up and take up station watching the world go by at a train door. We stop pretty regularly and hoards of people just appear out of nowhere, literally nowhere, no houses around with just a few little dirt tracks going from nowhere to nowhere. The time comes to take a wild dump, well it's wild enough in this shaking thing with just a hole in the floor to aim for.
When the time becomes more sociable I meet Will and head to their cabin to set up camp for a while. At the next stop we grab some fruit for breakfast from the sellers at the station. We get a whole bowl (read washing up bowl) worth of mango's for 500ksh (about 6p). It's enough to feed the whole carriage and I suggest selling it on making a profit.
The train breakfast is a bit rubbish and the day drags a bit to start. It's pretty crowded with people in the aisles and rammed around the lounge and bar area. A lot of people here are just getting drunk and being noisy. Should reach the border soon.
We reach the border at about midday, about time too. Parts of Zambia are nice but I've had my fill and ready to move on. As if confirming this, a drunk local starts to try to pickpocket me. I'm sure it works on a lot of unsuspecting tourists but I'm not taking any crap. He keeps giving it a go, trying to put his hand into my shorts pocket to get my wallet whilst I grab his arm and give a few stern words. I don't keep much money in that wallet at all but it's the principle that annoys me so I head to my friends cabin and sit in there. He along with most of the train depart at the border and we're left in peace. I suspect it'll fill up again as we get into Tanzania. The border formalities are pretty easy esp since I had my visa but turns out you can get them on the train too.
Mid afternoon we stop in Mbeya and are stationary for some time, apparently it's a routine inspection of the brakes and adding a second engine for the mountainous bit coming up. Setting off just after 6pm, the sun is dropping on the second day of our train ride, sure hope tonight is quieter and cooler than the last, really wouldn't mind a decent amount of sleep.
I spend the next couple of hours slowly waking up and take up station watching the world go by at a train door. We stop pretty regularly and hoards of people just appear out of nowhere, literally nowhere, no houses around with just a few little dirt tracks going from nowhere to nowhere. The time comes to take a wild dump, well it's wild enough in this shaking thing with just a hole in the floor to aim for.
When the time becomes more sociable I meet Will and head to their cabin to set up camp for a while. At the next stop we grab some fruit for breakfast from the sellers at the station. We get a whole bowl (read washing up bowl) worth of mango's for 500ksh (about 6p). It's enough to feed the whole carriage and I suggest selling it on making a profit.
The train breakfast is a bit rubbish and the day drags a bit to start. It's pretty crowded with people in the aisles and rammed around the lounge and bar area. A lot of people here are just getting drunk and being noisy. Should reach the border soon.
We reach the border at about midday, about time too. Parts of Zambia are nice but I've had my fill and ready to move on. As if confirming this, a drunk local starts to try to pickpocket me. I'm sure it works on a lot of unsuspecting tourists but I'm not taking any crap. He keeps giving it a go, trying to put his hand into my shorts pocket to get my wallet whilst I grab his arm and give a few stern words. I don't keep much money in that wallet at all but it's the principle that annoys me so I head to my friends cabin and sit in there. He along with most of the train depart at the border and we're left in peace. I suspect it'll fill up again as we get into Tanzania. The border formalities are pretty easy esp since I had my visa but turns out you can get them on the train too.
Mid afternoon we stop in Mbeya and are stationary for some time, apparently it's a routine inspection of the brakes and adding a second engine for the mountainous bit coming up. Setting off just after 6pm, the sun is dropping on the second day of our train ride, sure hope tonight is quieter and cooler than the last, really wouldn't mind a decent amount of sleep.
Train to Dar Day 1
So it's an early start today to get a bus up to Kapiri Moshi to join the train bound for Dar es Salaam. I'm booked to leave Lusaka at 6am, the only other option being 10am which would of been mighty tight for catching my train. As it happens I arrive at the bus station early enough to get the 530am bus which in fact leaves at 615 despite the company slogan stating "always on time". Maybe it's just late whenever I'm travelling. That aside this is an infinitely better service than my bus from Livingstone, I don't feel like I'm going to terminate at every bend and the conductor is doing a grand job making tannoy announcements but without the tannoy bit. Instead he just stands in the middle of the bus and says "announcement please, announcement please. We are arriving in...". He also nags people to be quick at rest stops which is part of the reason public transport is so late here, people dally around in there own little worlds with no consideration for the bigger picture.
Lusaka bus depot at that time in the morning was chaotic, literally hundreds of people nag you for taxis or to get you tickets, people push in front of you to board the bus and load their bags, clearly needing a chill pill and to accept it isn't going to leave til I'm on it whether you push in front of me or not. It's quite rude really but water off a ducks back and that.
The bus stop in Kapiri is about 2km from the railway station, I get off the bus and I'm immediately surrounded by sellers and taxi drivers, people with all sorts of goods balanced on their heads to sell. I run to keep up with the conductor who scurries around trying to find my bag in the hold (which thankfully he does; that could of been a disaster). When I'm ready I find a taxi, it annoys me in general when people try to pressure you into buying goods or services. That's not just the hawking we have here in Africa but advertising and marketing in general. If I want a taxi ill get one when I need it, if I want a tray of half rotten fruit balanced on the head of a tall woman then ill find it, by nagging your even less likely to get a sale.
Tazara New Kapiri Moshi Train Station (to use its full name) sticks out like a sore thumb in an otherwise impoverished surrounding of dirt roads and mud/straw shacks. Built by the Chinese in the early days of when they wanted to exploit African resources, it's essentially a warehouse with one side full of dirty glass windows which makes it stifling hot and airless. The Chinese have invested a lot in Zambia and parts of sub-Saharan Africa and frankly it's not making a particularly big difference to local Zambians. It's blatant exploitation so they can facilitate the mining of natural resources to support China's immense growth. China built this railway which sees little passenger use, a football stadium in Lusaka as well as office blocks and other facilities.
At the station the booking clerk invites me to move into the "1st and 2nd class" lounge rather than my current seat which is apparently 3rd class. The only difference being is a tired cushion and slightly less air circulating around.
In time a few other people arrive including maybe half a dozen tourists. This is pretty off the beaten track so I didn't expect to see too many non-local folk. I get chatting to Laura and her friends from Ireland, shes moaning about the $100 visa fee she has to pay, double what mine was. She is finishing her trip in a very similar way to mine but is going to Mombasa and the Kenyan coast having already climbed Kili. We decide to walk back into town and get some lunch before the train departs, it's getting pretty warm here. Kapiri is surrounded by bush as far as you can see, there's very little to provide shade or cool from the hot summer temperatures.
The train actually leaves on time, yes on time! I chat to Laura and her friends a lot, they've got a first class cabin and when I ask to upgrade I'm told there is no more room. Laura and Will let me hang out in their cabin so were currently enjoying a cold beer watching the African world go by. The draft through the window is nice but it is ridiculously hot. I've claimed a top bunk bed in my cabin which gives me abit of private space at the expense of being very hot. This is shaping out to be one hell of an adventure. The train is bouncing along all over the place, the toilets are literally just a hole in the floor down to the tracks below (literally a shit hole). There's a lounge car and a restaurant car where you can buy beer and food. The beer is on ice which needless to say is melting fast so obviously needs to be drunk soon :) looks like my first day on this train will be a success.
I take my empty beer bottle and a card the bar man gave me back and got a 6000kwh refund, so I only paid 3000kwh for the beer. That's insane, it's only 40p for a large beer. I'm sure he made a mistake since Will didn't get that but I'm not complaining.
So as the evening starts to draw in, what a change from a dull few days in Lusaka. I'm sat on the wobbly bouncy train having a beer with some new mates watching the sunset over the African bush. Children run along side the train shouting hello and playing football. I have absolutely no idea where we are, somewhere in North Zambia and frankly I don't care. Absolutely one of the highlights of the trip. Happy days. We finish the day with dinner and exceptional service in the dining car, all for just under £2. Will, who's from Hong Kong actually, brought a bottle of wine to finish off a great day of travelling. Not sure how sleep will come tonight, the train isn't exactly a smooth rider but at least we have beds. Lets just hope I don't fall out of my lofty perch. :)
Lusaka bus depot at that time in the morning was chaotic, literally hundreds of people nag you for taxis or to get you tickets, people push in front of you to board the bus and load their bags, clearly needing a chill pill and to accept it isn't going to leave til I'm on it whether you push in front of me or not. It's quite rude really but water off a ducks back and that.
The bus stop in Kapiri is about 2km from the railway station, I get off the bus and I'm immediately surrounded by sellers and taxi drivers, people with all sorts of goods balanced on their heads to sell. I run to keep up with the conductor who scurries around trying to find my bag in the hold (which thankfully he does; that could of been a disaster). When I'm ready I find a taxi, it annoys me in general when people try to pressure you into buying goods or services. That's not just the hawking we have here in Africa but advertising and marketing in general. If I want a taxi ill get one when I need it, if I want a tray of half rotten fruit balanced on the head of a tall woman then ill find it, by nagging your even less likely to get a sale.
Tazara New Kapiri Moshi Train Station (to use its full name) sticks out like a sore thumb in an otherwise impoverished surrounding of dirt roads and mud/straw shacks. Built by the Chinese in the early days of when they wanted to exploit African resources, it's essentially a warehouse with one side full of dirty glass windows which makes it stifling hot and airless. The Chinese have invested a lot in Zambia and parts of sub-Saharan Africa and frankly it's not making a particularly big difference to local Zambians. It's blatant exploitation so they can facilitate the mining of natural resources to support China's immense growth. China built this railway which sees little passenger use, a football stadium in Lusaka as well as office blocks and other facilities.
At the station the booking clerk invites me to move into the "1st and 2nd class" lounge rather than my current seat which is apparently 3rd class. The only difference being is a tired cushion and slightly less air circulating around.
In time a few other people arrive including maybe half a dozen tourists. This is pretty off the beaten track so I didn't expect to see too many non-local folk. I get chatting to Laura and her friends from Ireland, shes moaning about the $100 visa fee she has to pay, double what mine was. She is finishing her trip in a very similar way to mine but is going to Mombasa and the Kenyan coast having already climbed Kili. We decide to walk back into town and get some lunch before the train departs, it's getting pretty warm here. Kapiri is surrounded by bush as far as you can see, there's very little to provide shade or cool from the hot summer temperatures.
The train actually leaves on time, yes on time! I chat to Laura and her friends a lot, they've got a first class cabin and when I ask to upgrade I'm told there is no more room. Laura and Will let me hang out in their cabin so were currently enjoying a cold beer watching the African world go by. The draft through the window is nice but it is ridiculously hot. I've claimed a top bunk bed in my cabin which gives me abit of private space at the expense of being very hot. This is shaping out to be one hell of an adventure. The train is bouncing along all over the place, the toilets are literally just a hole in the floor down to the tracks below (literally a shit hole). There's a lounge car and a restaurant car where you can buy beer and food. The beer is on ice which needless to say is melting fast so obviously needs to be drunk soon :) looks like my first day on this train will be a success.
I take my empty beer bottle and a card the bar man gave me back and got a 6000kwh refund, so I only paid 3000kwh for the beer. That's insane, it's only 40p for a large beer. I'm sure he made a mistake since Will didn't get that but I'm not complaining.
So as the evening starts to draw in, what a change from a dull few days in Lusaka. I'm sat on the wobbly bouncy train having a beer with some new mates watching the sunset over the African bush. Children run along side the train shouting hello and playing football. I have absolutely no idea where we are, somewhere in North Zambia and frankly I don't care. Absolutely one of the highlights of the trip. Happy days. We finish the day with dinner and exceptional service in the dining car, all for just under £2. Will, who's from Hong Kong actually, brought a bottle of wine to finish off a great day of travelling. Not sure how sleep will come tonight, the train isn't exactly a smooth rider but at least we have beds. Lets just hope I don't fall out of my lofty perch. :)
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Lusaka
I'm not really here for any reason other than necessity. There's no reason why you would visit Lusaka, it's a very dirty and dusty city purely serving and industrial and bureaucratic purpose. As it happens I need to stay here until Friday when my train leaves for Dar Es Salaam and before that to get my visa and train tickets. A necessity of travelling sometimes that you can't always be on the go.
I trek out to the Tanzania embassy and on the way back pass the British High Commission and wonder about recommending they invite all British travellers in for cream tea and scones, that would be a nice touch. It's into town next and stop by the shops and a wimpy to get another fantastic milkshake (becoming a regular occurrence).
People forever try to sell you things, the hawkers who wander the lines of traffic and try to sell to drivers are particularly optimistic. Papers and even steering wheel covers seem vaguely relevant and appropriate perhaps but Ive seen people selling monopoly sets and space hoppers. The day I see people bouncing on inflatable objects or collecting £200 to pass go and move on to Old Kent Road whilst driving will be the day I admit I'm wrong. Although maybe it isn't so outrageous given what actually goes on on the roads. I wonder if that monopoly set is a special Zambia edition where you move from mud road to sandy road and pass through non-operating stations, pot holes and get pick pocketed every time you pass go.
Getting my train ticket to Dar is a typically disorganised affair, after asking around I find myself in a stuffy office on the 2nd floor of a mostly disused building ironically guarded by a lazy G4S chap appearing extremely unthreatening but at least he showed up. The ticket lady in the office takes a while deliberating before eventually looking in her diary saying she might not have any 1st class tickets left but they might do in Kapiri Moshi when you go there tomorrow. She then admonishes me as to why I didn't come there earlier, I explain I'd only just arrive in Lusaka and you don't sell tickets anywhere else which gets an "oh really!?!" Look. She concedes she has some second class tickets which is also a sleeper compartment and I may well be able to upgrade when I get to Kapiri tomorrow, I buy this happy that at least ill be on the train.
The next conundrum is how to pay for my Kili trek. The company doesn't take card payment and you can't buy US dollars with your card, only cash (I.e you need to withdraw local currency and exchange that). It seems random luck as to which banks let you use your UK card, some let you draw a decent chunk of cash, others a little and some not at all. The great vagarities of this continent. I finally get enough currency to buy $400 which combined with the deposit sent via PayPal leaves me another $900 to get when I'm in Dar plus some for tips.
Tomorrow my bus leaves at 6am, too early really but the other option was 10am which would be cutting mighty fine to catch the train. We should arrive in Dar approx 3.30pm on Sunday which would be ace but I suspect it'll be late and get in sometime at night. May have to just crash at Dar station or find somewhere and go to the beach side camp I'm staying at on Monday. Also want to pick up the East African lonely planet at some stage. Lots to do when I get there combined with lots of relaxing on an Indian Ocean beach. Ciao P.S I should add; in my hostel in Lusaka I met Rick, an English guy from London who is midway through riding his motorbike from London to Cape Town. Hes already ridden around the world on a previous trip and has about a month left on this one. It was fantastic chatting to him for ideas as its exactly the sort of journey I'd like to do in Charlie the Landrover. He had been in Lusaka for a few days waiting for his girlfriend to fly out and meet him before moving on. He was also a pretty good image of Ewan Mcgregor with a November Moustache (a better one than me I might add). Good luck to him and maybe our paths will cross again some day.
I trek out to the Tanzania embassy and on the way back pass the British High Commission and wonder about recommending they invite all British travellers in for cream tea and scones, that would be a nice touch. It's into town next and stop by the shops and a wimpy to get another fantastic milkshake (becoming a regular occurrence).
People forever try to sell you things, the hawkers who wander the lines of traffic and try to sell to drivers are particularly optimistic. Papers and even steering wheel covers seem vaguely relevant and appropriate perhaps but Ive seen people selling monopoly sets and space hoppers. The day I see people bouncing on inflatable objects or collecting £200 to pass go and move on to Old Kent Road whilst driving will be the day I admit I'm wrong. Although maybe it isn't so outrageous given what actually goes on on the roads. I wonder if that monopoly set is a special Zambia edition where you move from mud road to sandy road and pass through non-operating stations, pot holes and get pick pocketed every time you pass go.
Getting my train ticket to Dar is a typically disorganised affair, after asking around I find myself in a stuffy office on the 2nd floor of a mostly disused building ironically guarded by a lazy G4S chap appearing extremely unthreatening but at least he showed up. The ticket lady in the office takes a while deliberating before eventually looking in her diary saying she might not have any 1st class tickets left but they might do in Kapiri Moshi when you go there tomorrow. She then admonishes me as to why I didn't come there earlier, I explain I'd only just arrive in Lusaka and you don't sell tickets anywhere else which gets an "oh really!?!" Look. She concedes she has some second class tickets which is also a sleeper compartment and I may well be able to upgrade when I get to Kapiri tomorrow, I buy this happy that at least ill be on the train.
The next conundrum is how to pay for my Kili trek. The company doesn't take card payment and you can't buy US dollars with your card, only cash (I.e you need to withdraw local currency and exchange that). It seems random luck as to which banks let you use your UK card, some let you draw a decent chunk of cash, others a little and some not at all. The great vagarities of this continent. I finally get enough currency to buy $400 which combined with the deposit sent via PayPal leaves me another $900 to get when I'm in Dar plus some for tips.
Tomorrow my bus leaves at 6am, too early really but the other option was 10am which would be cutting mighty fine to catch the train. We should arrive in Dar approx 3.30pm on Sunday which would be ace but I suspect it'll be late and get in sometime at night. May have to just crash at Dar station or find somewhere and go to the beach side camp I'm staying at on Monday. Also want to pick up the East African lonely planet at some stage. Lots to do when I get there combined with lots of relaxing on an Indian Ocean beach. Ciao P.S I should add; in my hostel in Lusaka I met Rick, an English guy from London who is midway through riding his motorbike from London to Cape Town. Hes already ridden around the world on a previous trip and has about a month left on this one. It was fantastic chatting to him for ideas as its exactly the sort of journey I'd like to do in Charlie the Landrover. He had been in Lusaka for a few days waiting for his girlfriend to fly out and meet him before moving on. He was also a pretty good image of Ewan Mcgregor with a November Moustache (a better one than me I might add). Good luck to him and maybe our paths will cross again some day.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Crazy men of Zambia
So I've decided that all bus drivers in Zambia are crazy. And up to a point that's ok, you come to expect a few loose screws, this is Africa after all. That said it takes time to he used to driving the wrong way on motorways, overtaking on every blind spot imaginable and going a lot faster than they should. You have to relax about it, that or you'll be a nervous wreak.
My bus today was from Livingstone to Lusaka, scheduled to leave at 9am, left at 11am and after much speeding later arrive in Lusaka still a few hours late after 6pm. Again I was surrounded by noisy folk who had travelled from Namibia and thought nothing of playing loud music, trying to sing or share their conversations with half of Zambia. In the UK this would just be plain rude but white boy here (and the only one I might add) puts up with it.
As we approach Lusaka at least the weather is holding fine for now. Hopefully we won't have any further delays and ill be able to walk to my youth hostel in daylight. Ill finish this post when I get there.
I finally get to the hostel as night falls, fortunately they do food so I haven't got to look for dinner. It's a pretty basic place but essentially all you need and good wifi is a definite bonus. The dorms are pretty crowded and not exactly quiet but I'm too tired to be bothered.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Livingstone, I Presume?
It's a great end to my time in Livingstone being able to chill by the pool with a beer and writing my blogs. The weather has dried nicely but that's brought the bugs out in force and nice selection of bite marks are added to my Drakensburg lacerations. We've just had an American lady come to reception trying to haggle a discount on a private room for tonight, just seems abit rude tbh since the prices are fixed and fairly cheap as it is. Not the first rude American on this trip although in their defence I met a very polite American family at the falls yesterday who kept calling me "sir" when I took their photo.
Livingstone is a town of opportunists. The sellers and hawkers have turns it up a notch from Namibia and all start with the usual approach - run after customer, ask them if they're having a nice day, compliment their hairstyle and say they can give you the best deal in town on whatever product they have. Popular around here are bangles and jewellery and of course there's taxis beeping at non-existent opportunities hoping they'll get a fare. I'm pretty stubborn and have only used a taxi once this trip. Still, I haven't had anyone trying to polish my "very dirty shoes" like a kid in Arequipa, Peru. The other side of this town is the hugely commercial and astronomically expensive tourist side offering all sorts of trips and adventures to predominantly white western tourists. You could quite easily spend a few thousand dollars in a couple of days on helicopter flights, microlights, safaris and the rest. It's one of those places where it's almost impossible to privately hire a local guide and do things on the cheap. I mean just imagine if you had to pay a few hundred dollars to go to the Lake District and do a half day walk with lunch? They'd be uproar and no doubt trespassing which they solve here by ex-military folk cuddling ancient bolt action rifles.
As is common in Africa they have a self made obsession with unnecessary bureaucracy which even surmounts what you'd expect in Europe. Simply changing some currency requires paperwork and your passport, the former surely just ends in a pile and the attendant didn't seem fussed that I filled almost ever piece of information in the wrong place. That said its inconsistent. I can make accommodation and transport bookings with no deposit and just using my first name. Sometimes if you don't care it saves a lot of hassle in trying to understand.
Tomorrow I'm off to Lusaka for 3 nights which I anticipate could be pretty dull. There's not a lot there but it's necessary to get my Tanzania visa and book my next bits of travels inc the Kilimanjaro climb and connect with my Dar bound train which departs on Friday. I figure on the spare day or two ill check out what there is in Lusaka and maybe catch up with my Finnish friends who went a day ahead of me.
On a separate note I hear the weather back home has been thoroughly rubbish and I now have a fence to rebuild on my return. Speaking of bad weather it has just started absolutely lashing it down with thunder that sounds like a van full of C4 exploding on the street, it's so incredibly loud but is over as soon as its started.
Here it comes again in the early evening, mahoosive storm, road is actually a river. Hope this doesn't continue too much or the rest of the trip.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
My hostel here in Livingstone is a hard place to describe. I chose it from the Lonely Planet description of being a little quieter but close to amenities and with nice facilities. That's mostly true, the bar area and the outdoor pool are stunning, an unexpected luxury from a fairly mundanely fronted building on the main road through town. On the flip side the rooms are stupidly hot and the wall fan merely stirs up the warm humid, even sleeping with no covers makes you sweat an stick to the mattress. But that's just Africa and I'm hardly complaining esp for $10 (about £7) per night.
For that £7 a night you also got a free van ride to the falls which is what I did on this Sunday, paying my $20 entrance fee and walking about to see the "falls that thunder". And well, they weren't exactly thundering. As you crossed knife edge bridge and walked to the edge of the canyon separating Zam from Zim you see a few narrow stream tumbling over the 100m basalt cliff with a misty haze of the main falls about 500m distant in Zimbabwe. Usually the whole 1.4km cliff face extending up to an past my position is a roaring tumble of 50million litres of water per second but unfortunately my visit is at the end of the dry season so the Zambia side of the falls are pretty dry. That said, what there is is simply spectacular both the water and the canyon scenery. I bumped into 2 Fin's and a German guy also staying at my hostel and we walked down to the bottom of the canyon together, past a hoard of baboons and found a great spot to relax almost below the 1904 Livingstone bridge linking the two nations.
I'm now sitting back at the hostel with a guy from Poland I think watching the Liverpool match on tv a the bar. Victoria Falls is one incredible place but somewhere I need to come back to during the wet season to see it in full force, quite when that will happen I'm really not sure.
My hostel here in Livingstone is a hard place to describe. I chose it from the Lonely Planet description of being a little quieter but close to amenities and with nice facilities. That's mostly true, the bar area and the outdoor pool are stunning, an unexpected luxury from a fairly mundanely fronted building on the main road through town. On the flip side the rooms are stupidly hot and the wall fan merely stirs up the warm humid, even sleeping with no covers makes you sweat an stick to the mattress. But that's just Africa and I'm hardly complaining esp for $10 (about £7) per night.
For that £7 a night you also got a free van ride to the falls which is what I did on this Sunday, paying my $20 entrance fee and walking about to see the "falls that thunder". And well, they weren't exactly thundering. As you crossed knife edge bridge and walked to the edge of the canyon separating Zam from Zim you see a few narrow stream tumbling over the 100m basalt cliff with a misty haze of the main falls about 500m distant in Zimbabwe. Usually the whole 1.4km cliff face extending up to an past my position is a roaring tumble of 50million litres of water per second but unfortunately my visit is at the end of the dry season so the Zambia side of the falls are pretty dry. That said, what there is is simply spectacular both the water and the canyon scenery. I bumped into 2 Fin's and a German guy also staying at my hostel and we walked down to the bottom of the canyon together, past a hoard of baboons and found a great spot to relax almost below the 1904 Livingstone bridge linking the two nations.
I'm now sitting back at the hostel with a guy from Poland I think watching the Liverpool match on tv a the bar. Victoria Falls is one incredible place but somewhere I need to come back to during the wet season to see it in full force, quite when that will happen I'm really not sure.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Voyage to Livingstone
So on the bus to Livingstone it's like a dose of déjà vu let alone the fact it's actually raining, guess I've caught the start of the wet season. The bus is showing a film I've already seen on another journey and we meet a bunch of cows casually strolling by the side of the road. This time the driver decides to avoid them rather than spread one all over the front of the bus.
The journey as a whole goes pretty smoothly, there is diddly squat room in the seats so I'm glad when the person next time gets off so I can stretch abit. We arrive at Katima Mulilo at about 8am which is the Namibian border town just across the Zambezi river from Zambia. A 4x4 has just pulled along side and loaded up a dozen cases of sunflower oil onto the bus, weird, I'd be surprised if there was a shortage in Zambia. Now here comes a shed load of beer from the same vehicle. Maybe someone is trying to smuggle alcohol and cooking oil over the border.
Crossing the border into Zam was a diddle, there so much more laid back than the SA border posts. Form and stamp at the Namib side then walk over and sign the book, get a visa at the Zam side. Entering Zambia you feel like your in the real Africa, there's no computers or signposts or anything modern to be seen. I have to search around for the Immigration office amongst the dodgy money exchangers and border guards casually resting their head on the barrel of an ancient rifle. The office I'm looking for is a glorified hut amongst the various caravans and shacks that form the border offices. The lady asks me to sign a book (it's exactly like signing in to visit a school or something) and she then stamps something illegible in my passport which is supposedly my visa which I've just paid $50USD for. Well done for everyone so far or using as little space in my passport as possible, cramming visas ontop of visas means ill get a reasonable lifetime out of this one.
The journey as a whole goes pretty smoothly, there is diddly squat room in the seats so I'm glad when the person next time gets off so I can stretch abit. We arrive at Katima Mulilo at about 8am which is the Namibian border town just across the Zambezi river from Zambia. A 4x4 has just pulled along side and loaded up a dozen cases of sunflower oil onto the bus, weird, I'd be surprised if there was a shortage in Zambia. Now here comes a shed load of beer from the same vehicle. Maybe someone is trying to smuggle alcohol and cooking oil over the border.
Crossing the border into Zam was a diddle, there so much more laid back than the SA border posts. Form and stamp at the Namib side then walk over and sign the book, get a visa at the Zam side. Entering Zambia you feel like your in the real Africa, there's no computers or signposts or anything modern to be seen. I have to search around for the Immigration office amongst the dodgy money exchangers and border guards casually resting their head on the barrel of an ancient rifle. The office I'm looking for is a glorified hut amongst the various caravans and shacks that form the border offices. The lady asks me to sign a book (it's exactly like signing in to visit a school or something) and she then stamps something illegible in my passport which is supposedly my visa which I've just paid $50USD for. Well done for everyone so far or using as little space in my passport as possible, cramming visas ontop of visas means ill get a reasonable lifetime out of this one.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Windhoek
The second massive travel stretch of this trip was from Cape Town almost directly north to the oasis capital of Namibia, Windhoek. Describing it as an oasis is perhaps a trifle glamorous but this surprisingly well off city is surrounded by nothin but desert and arid, Rocky Mountains for hundreds of miles. 300 miles to the west you have the Atlantic coast lined by the Namib Desert, South is over a thousand kilometres of scrub and bush then there's the kalahari to the east. Windhoek has to be one if the most remote capital cities in the world, up with Ulaanbatar, Almaty or Brazila. Namibia as a nation has only been in existence for a little over 100years having since been a colony of Germany and that European influence is pretty evident. It's also, proportionally, pretty expensive.
The ride up from Cape Town took almost exactly 24hrs with almost 3 of that spent getting everyone across the border. The SA border guards were pretty thorough but for whatever reason decided to search all bags except perhaps 10 which they couldn't be bothered to unload, mine included. They were all pretty friendly, we had a joke and a laugh and you got the impression they were just grateful for someone to come through at night to chat with. We did have to hand over our passports in the police booth before our bags were searched, getting them back about an hour later, a little disconcerting to say the least, my passport usually never leaves my side.
I was sat next to 3 university girls from Norway who were travelling for a few weeks after studying for a semester near Cape Town. They were staying at the same accommodation as me so we joked and laughed. Meeting all these foreigners really makes me ashamed of my foreign language skills, despite some reasonable French and a smattering of a few others there's no way I can converse fluently, play games and have a laugh in Norwegian, Dutch, French, Afrikaans, Portuguese etc like the others I've encountered. Well done you lot.
So on arrival were met by Sarah from Chameleon Backpackers ready to give us a lift to the accommodation (definite bonus!). I haven't really any plans for my time here, indeed it's just a lay over between transport; my overnight bus to Livingstone leaves on Friday.
The city centre is pretty compact and walkable, usual precautions of not walking around at night aside, it feels like any other African city where common sense will keep you safe 99% of the time. I buy some grub, a paracord bracelet (which I then spend much of the afternoon working out how turn back into a bracelet) and a skin tight compression top ideal for winter mountaineering and running for about £10. They go for 3 times that in the UK. There the first things I've brought for myself all trip, I'm pretty useless at buying stuff. Money usually goes on experiences and the actual travelling. All being well ill have a decent amount of money to spend in Dar Es Salaam or Nairobi before I fly home. Got to do Christmas shopping sometime haven't we.
So I write this on Thursday and tomorrow I'm off again up to Livingstone. 3 nights there to see the falls and take in one of the great natural wonders of the world. I'm starting to think ahead to Kilimanjaro and things seem pretty on schedule. I have a few companies in mind and should start the trek early-mid December, around the 8th or 9th all being well. Ill need to let the company know soon so will need to decide on a date. Looking ahead some, it seems ill have about 5-6 days after Kili to do as I wish. Perhaps I spend that time in Nairobi or maybe I can get from Moshi to Uganda for a few days. Lets see how things go. Another option actually is Zanzibar. hmmm. Keep reading to see where I end up.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Cape Town Characters
So Cape Town was stunning and I met some really interesting characters there. Amongst them, another medic from the UK, you just can't seem to get rid of them. Also a British lady in her 60's who's backpacking the Garden route before meeting up with her family. She plans to use the Baz Bus which is a sort of 18-30 club on wheels which actively promotes its passengers getting drunk and trying to get hitched as part of its appeal; not quite sure how she'll get on with that. I also met an American who never gave me his name but whom the rest of this blog is about. If your reading this, don't worry it's nothin personal, I just don't like you.
Lets call him Stan. Stan was a prick. An arrogant, loud, drunk prick. Someone who wore the "just come out of the jungle 3months after a plane crash" look as if its everyday fashion. Stan was loud, loud and obnoxious. He had great pleasure in being the centre of conversation and because he was clearly an imbecile, never ran out of things to say by regurgitating the same stories every night giving a new definition to 'new day, same shit'. His approach was always the right one, his advice was always to be heeded and his opinion was fact. Stan regularly told the story of how he backpacked down through Africa from Nairobi, essentially the reverse of what I'm doing. Disgruntled at how his bag was supposedly broken by a bus company, he spent 3 full days hitching to Cape Town from Windhoek - a journey that took less than a day by bus by the company he holds an immature grudge against. Stan complains things are expensive but then acknowledges them to be infinitely cheaper than in the West.
He asks me questions about where I'm from and places I've visited which I diligently and politely answer whilst at the same time trying to revert attention back to the film on tv were watching and looking for any feeble excuse to leave the room. I eventually find this by excusing myself to get a drink despite holding a full glass. I mention to Stan that I live near Birmingham which he goes on to laud as his favourite part of the UK despite appearing rather dangerous. He assures me that I will be well prepared for any dangers in Africa since I've spent time in Birmingham. He says he's from Seattle, I mention I lived in Arizona for a year and in another 10minute lecture he seems to turn from disgust to respect that I "chose" to live there. Apparently New Mexico where his 'mom' lives is so much better and then Stan try's to convince me it is in fact still part of Mexico!
After a short breather he then quizzes me on places I've visited in the UK: 'have you been to Birmingham?' Despite me just telling I live there (it's easier than explaining about 'liechestershire'). Yes I've been there. "Have you been to Manchester? Edinburgh? Scotland? (Er Edinburgh is in Scotland mr) Oban? Have you been to Oban?" Yes yes I have. And it's pronounced O-ban not 'Ohbaaaaarn'. This man has the mental agility of a dead fish, in the hour that I spent in his company he painted a picture of the American people that would instantly stop any immigration problem that country may have.
Occasionally he'd turn his attention back to the film were trying to watch, a animation adventure thing. It's like trying to watch a show with an annoying child poking your ribs and interrupting every few seconds. "That's some quality animation there, do you know how long it takes to do that?". "Look at the digitalisation of the kineasthetic ability of the lizards eyes, that would take 6-10hours per day to do". "These people are very skilled!".
I don't give a damn, I don't care about the quality of the animation and most of all I certainly don't give a flying quack quack about what you think about it. Haven't you seem Shrek or Harry Potter or the Simpsons even? Animation is common has muck, I'm sorry they didn't have it in your plane crash of a jungle you've just crawled out of. Why don't you grow up, shut up, have a shave and a wash, stop drinking like a bloated fish and put your voice to good use by finding a deserted island hundreds of miles from anyone else and talk to yourself and the little fishes and sharks whom would like nothing better for you to fall off your perch and provide a quick meal. Now excuse me whilst I go refill this full glass of juice!
Lets call him Stan. Stan was a prick. An arrogant, loud, drunk prick. Someone who wore the "just come out of the jungle 3months after a plane crash" look as if its everyday fashion. Stan was loud, loud and obnoxious. He had great pleasure in being the centre of conversation and because he was clearly an imbecile, never ran out of things to say by regurgitating the same stories every night giving a new definition to 'new day, same shit'. His approach was always the right one, his advice was always to be heeded and his opinion was fact. Stan regularly told the story of how he backpacked down through Africa from Nairobi, essentially the reverse of what I'm doing. Disgruntled at how his bag was supposedly broken by a bus company, he spent 3 full days hitching to Cape Town from Windhoek - a journey that took less than a day by bus by the company he holds an immature grudge against. Stan complains things are expensive but then acknowledges them to be infinitely cheaper than in the West.
He asks me questions about where I'm from and places I've visited which I diligently and politely answer whilst at the same time trying to revert attention back to the film on tv were watching and looking for any feeble excuse to leave the room. I eventually find this by excusing myself to get a drink despite holding a full glass. I mention to Stan that I live near Birmingham which he goes on to laud as his favourite part of the UK despite appearing rather dangerous. He assures me that I will be well prepared for any dangers in Africa since I've spent time in Birmingham. He says he's from Seattle, I mention I lived in Arizona for a year and in another 10minute lecture he seems to turn from disgust to respect that I "chose" to live there. Apparently New Mexico where his 'mom' lives is so much better and then Stan try's to convince me it is in fact still part of Mexico!
After a short breather he then quizzes me on places I've visited in the UK: 'have you been to Birmingham?' Despite me just telling I live there (it's easier than explaining about 'liechestershire'). Yes I've been there. "Have you been to Manchester? Edinburgh? Scotland? (Er Edinburgh is in Scotland mr) Oban? Have you been to Oban?" Yes yes I have. And it's pronounced O-ban not 'Ohbaaaaarn'. This man has the mental agility of a dead fish, in the hour that I spent in his company he painted a picture of the American people that would instantly stop any immigration problem that country may have.
Occasionally he'd turn his attention back to the film were trying to watch, a animation adventure thing. It's like trying to watch a show with an annoying child poking your ribs and interrupting every few seconds. "That's some quality animation there, do you know how long it takes to do that?". "Look at the digitalisation of the kineasthetic ability of the lizards eyes, that would take 6-10hours per day to do". "These people are very skilled!".
I don't give a damn, I don't care about the quality of the animation and most of all I certainly don't give a flying quack quack about what you think about it. Haven't you seem Shrek or Harry Potter or the Simpsons even? Animation is common has muck, I'm sorry they didn't have it in your plane crash of a jungle you've just crawled out of. Why don't you grow up, shut up, have a shave and a wash, stop drinking like a bloated fish and put your voice to good use by finding a deserted island hundreds of miles from anyone else and talk to yourself and the little fishes and sharks whom would like nothing better for you to fall off your perch and provide a quick meal. Now excuse me whilst I go refill this full glass of juice!
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Cape Town - From Table to Sea
This is my third day in Cape Town now and what an amazing city. I'm sure I say it every time I travel but this is probably one of my top cities in the world. And its well know I'm not a city person. Cape Town, Melbourne and Liverpool have to be the top 3. The location is unrivaled, on three sides surrounded by mountains including the incredible Table Mountain which themselves are fringed by the most incredible beaches all within the Cape area.
The city itself as with much of Africa is one of huge contrasts. CPT is often described as the "least African city in Africa" and its no doubt probably the most developed in Africa. The youth hostel is close to the infamous V&A Waterfront area which is a stunning development of shops, bars, touristy attractions around the docks but it doesnt feel tacky or cheap like it would in Europe. The impressed football stadium is nearby built for the 2010 World Cup. Downtime feels a lot safer and cleaner than other SA cities, particularly Joburg. There is a fairly visable presence of security, most businesses and public service areas have their own private security but its all very relaxed and calm.
I spent the first couple of days relaxing, watching some sport and wandering around the Waterfront area. Today I took the tour bus around the city and got off on the Table Mountain Cable Car. The 5 minute ride took you to just over 1000m to the mountain summit with incredible 360 degree views. In places it felt abit like the grand canyon with the sheer 1000m drop and looking south you got a real feel for an "ends of the earth" type place, the next stop being Antarctica. I have a bucket load of photos ready for when I'm back home. The tour bus then looped back via Camps Bay and Clifton Bay, I reckon ill head out there tomorrow for a few hours on the beach. Also need to do some laundry before I go to Windhoek on Tuesday.
S'all for now folks
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Cape Town Snoring
So spent a couple of days just chilling in Cape Town. The V&A Waterfront area where I'm staying is stunning, probably the most developed and smartest part of the country and a great place to relax with lots to do too.
Atlantic Point Backpackers is a new place with a great vibe. It's not too big (unlike the mega hostels in Australia). The dorms are nice too but one guy in ours last night constantly snored like a train. And that's no exaggeration. It was like a train through the room, a pregnant cow giving birth to a large calf, a pig complaining about contributing some bacon to your breakfast. All of those things happened over the course of a few early morning hours. It was so bad that the whole room was awake and spontaneously laughing at it ironically though he was the only one who got a good night sleep and was still noisily grunting away at 11am when I went back in. I've honestly never heard anything like it. I understand he's now left so fingers crossed tonight will be much smoother.
Atlantic Point Backpackers is a new place with a great vibe. It's not too big (unlike the mega hostels in Australia). The dorms are nice too but one guy in ours last night constantly snored like a train. And that's no exaggeration. It was like a train through the room, a pregnant cow giving birth to a large calf, a pig complaining about contributing some bacon to your breakfast. All of those things happened over the course of a few early morning hours. It was so bad that the whole room was awake and spontaneously laughing at it ironically though he was the only one who got a good night sleep and was still noisily grunting away at 11am when I went back in. I've honestly never heard anything like it. I understand he's now left so fingers crossed tonight will be much smoother.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Getting to Cape Town
I didn't really intend on writing a blog today, sitting in a bus all night isn't usually that interesting but this has been exceptional. It's a running account since I really wasn't able to sleep for long with all the interruptions. Enjoy! And to the family - don't worry I'm absolutely fine.
So up early on this Wednesday Morning, i've been in Africa a week now and today is the first proper big travel day. First leg is a 2hr drive back to PMB then a 21hr bus ride to Cape Town. Going with Greyhound this time and as I write this were currently going across a field in a 30ton double decker coach with a luggage trailer, more on that later.
The drive to PMB was quick, we picked up a total of 6 people giving various lifts, all that yet no one stopped to pick us up yesterday a we were hiking back to the youth hostel. Our little Hyundai i10 was packed. Saying bye to Stewart in PMB, we made plans to keep in touch.
The bus is nearly on time and for the first few hours all is well until about 2 1/2hrs north of PMB we drop someone off on the side of the freeway then almost instantly hit a traffic jam. We bounce along a massive grassy verge to pick up some people at a service station and as I write this were now driving back the wrong way along the hard shoulder of the freeway supposedly finding another route since the road is apparently shut until tomorrow! Ooh there we go back on the verge again.
Just been stopped by the police, for some reason they don't like coaches driving the wrong way on the motorway. I think the driver is trying to find a way across the central reservation or come off at the previous junction. Still a good 19hrs from Cape Town.
New developments, it's about 4pm now and were parked outside a police station. Apparently a car driver was involved in a drink driving accident (with our bus?) so there reporting it to the police. Really not sure what's going on but we'll get to Cape Town sometime.
Nearly 6hrs after leaving PMB, were at Harrismith, still in Kwazulu Natal Province. The huge detour took us around a massive accident involving allegedly 10 lorries with queues for what must be atleast 40miles if not more, the main Joburg to Durban motorway is a car park for as far as the eye can see. Further more every time someone wants to go through the door into our bit on the bus it's like they're breaking and entering. The hostess lady has to shoulder barge to get in.
At 2000 another odd bit. The bus stops at a service station and the waitress runs out with a bag of rubbish, leaves it near a pump, runs back and a random man grabs it and runs off like a goblin from Harry Potter. Speaking if which they've got Deathly Hallows Part 1 on. Sadly we won't be able to finish that film.
Update: it's 2130 and we just hit something Pretty big I reckon. Very sharp deceleration with swerving and now were parked with emergency lights flashing on the side of a road literally in the middle of nowhere. It's pitch black but the weather is decent. We haven't reached Bloemfontein yet and that's not even half way through our journey. No communication yet as to what it is but people are a pretty agitated and the complete stranger next to me tried to grab my hand for support. Interesting.
2144: Reports from my fellow passengers suggest the window screen is smashed and bumper completely off. Currently seems like we had a pretty nasty collision with a car and just owing to our size we didn't feel it too badly. If that's so then you'd guess were not going anywhere very soon.
2205 Update: So were still stationary. Turns out it was a cow we hit not a car (thankfully) but the cow is very dead, laying a few hundred meters back along the road. The front of the bus is pretty badly shot up, the drivers must of crapped themselves when it happened, there's not much metal between them and the front. The windscreen and most the lights are smashed, the bumper is gone completely back to the chassis. A few police are here now investigating and we've just been ushered back onto the bus, I guess they intend to escort us to the next bus station where we'll transfer to another vehicle but we've had no real information. Makes you think that if we were in a standard car the cow would easily have wrote it off. Best advert to wear a seatbelt in a long time. On a lighter note, I got chatting to an elderly gentleman from Howick and a young guy from Durban. Both are just going somewhere in the Free State, I say I'm off to Cape Town and we laugh saying it might be a while before I get there. I guess these things are relatively common out here but you wonder if it was the UK there would be all sorts of insurance and litigation claims etc, no-win no-fee lawyers would have a field day with personal injury claims.
2230: After about an hour stationary were on the move again, albeit abit slower. We've got a police escort in front from what I can see. Not sure how far we're going in this bus, can't be that far. Just as I write that we're stopped at another police station, the second today.
0120: we're finally in Bloemfontein. Can only guess that we're at least 4hrs late, no word whether we're changing buses or not.
0340: Seems like we're finally going to leave Bloem. Another bus, a single decker this time, has come from Joburg for us. Must still be another 12hrs ish to Cape Town since its about 1000km. We left PMB 15 hours ago. Yawn
0940: we're scheduled to be in Cape Town now but still about 600km out. Just stopped for some free fast food but most of us just want to get there now. I appreciate some of the last 24hrs probably wasn't Greyhound's fault but still it reflects badly on them and I certainly won't be travelling with them again.
1410 Update: We're somewhere in the Western Cape now, another road closed and another detour. Travelling around SA is never straight forward. In other African countries you'd simply drive around the blockage and keep going but here they shut roads and it all takes a lot of time. Couple of hours to Cape Town maybe?
So up early on this Wednesday Morning, i've been in Africa a week now and today is the first proper big travel day. First leg is a 2hr drive back to PMB then a 21hr bus ride to Cape Town. Going with Greyhound this time and as I write this were currently going across a field in a 30ton double decker coach with a luggage trailer, more on that later.
The drive to PMB was quick, we picked up a total of 6 people giving various lifts, all that yet no one stopped to pick us up yesterday a we were hiking back to the youth hostel. Our little Hyundai i10 was packed. Saying bye to Stewart in PMB, we made plans to keep in touch.
The bus is nearly on time and for the first few hours all is well until about 2 1/2hrs north of PMB we drop someone off on the side of the freeway then almost instantly hit a traffic jam. We bounce along a massive grassy verge to pick up some people at a service station and as I write this were now driving back the wrong way along the hard shoulder of the freeway supposedly finding another route since the road is apparently shut until tomorrow! Ooh there we go back on the verge again.
Just been stopped by the police, for some reason they don't like coaches driving the wrong way on the motorway. I think the driver is trying to find a way across the central reservation or come off at the previous junction. Still a good 19hrs from Cape Town.
New developments, it's about 4pm now and were parked outside a police station. Apparently a car driver was involved in a drink driving accident (with our bus?) so there reporting it to the police. Really not sure what's going on but we'll get to Cape Town sometime.
Nearly 6hrs after leaving PMB, were at Harrismith, still in Kwazulu Natal Province. The huge detour took us around a massive accident involving allegedly 10 lorries with queues for what must be atleast 40miles if not more, the main Joburg to Durban motorway is a car park for as far as the eye can see. Further more every time someone wants to go through the door into our bit on the bus it's like they're breaking and entering. The hostess lady has to shoulder barge to get in.
At 2000 another odd bit. The bus stops at a service station and the waitress runs out with a bag of rubbish, leaves it near a pump, runs back and a random man grabs it and runs off like a goblin from Harry Potter. Speaking if which they've got Deathly Hallows Part 1 on. Sadly we won't be able to finish that film.
Update: it's 2130 and we just hit something Pretty big I reckon. Very sharp deceleration with swerving and now were parked with emergency lights flashing on the side of a road literally in the middle of nowhere. It's pitch black but the weather is decent. We haven't reached Bloemfontein yet and that's not even half way through our journey. No communication yet as to what it is but people are a pretty agitated and the complete stranger next to me tried to grab my hand for support. Interesting.
2144: Reports from my fellow passengers suggest the window screen is smashed and bumper completely off. Currently seems like we had a pretty nasty collision with a car and just owing to our size we didn't feel it too badly. If that's so then you'd guess were not going anywhere very soon.
2205 Update: So were still stationary. Turns out it was a cow we hit not a car (thankfully) but the cow is very dead, laying a few hundred meters back along the road. The front of the bus is pretty badly shot up, the drivers must of crapped themselves when it happened, there's not much metal between them and the front. The windscreen and most the lights are smashed, the bumper is gone completely back to the chassis. A few police are here now investigating and we've just been ushered back onto the bus, I guess they intend to escort us to the next bus station where we'll transfer to another vehicle but we've had no real information. Makes you think that if we were in a standard car the cow would easily have wrote it off. Best advert to wear a seatbelt in a long time. On a lighter note, I got chatting to an elderly gentleman from Howick and a young guy from Durban. Both are just going somewhere in the Free State, I say I'm off to Cape Town and we laugh saying it might be a while before I get there. I guess these things are relatively common out here but you wonder if it was the UK there would be all sorts of insurance and litigation claims etc, no-win no-fee lawyers would have a field day with personal injury claims.
2230: After about an hour stationary were on the move again, albeit abit slower. We've got a police escort in front from what I can see. Not sure how far we're going in this bus, can't be that far. Just as I write that we're stopped at another police station, the second today.
0120: we're finally in Bloemfontein. Can only guess that we're at least 4hrs late, no word whether we're changing buses or not.
0340: Seems like we're finally going to leave Bloem. Another bus, a single decker this time, has come from Joburg for us. Must still be another 12hrs ish to Cape Town since its about 1000km. We left PMB 15 hours ago. Yawn
0940: we're scheduled to be in Cape Town now but still about 600km out. Just stopped for some free fast food but most of us just want to get there now. I appreciate some of the last 24hrs probably wasn't Greyhound's fault but still it reflects badly on them and I certainly won't be travelling with them again.
1410 Update: We're somewhere in the Western Cape now, another road closed and another detour. Travelling around SA is never straight forward. In other African countries you'd simply drive around the blockage and keep going but here they shut roads and it all takes a lot of time. Couple of hours to Cape Town maybe?
Drakensburg Part 2 - Shredding Hell
So Tuesday we hit the mountains proper, taking a walk up to a local peak of about 2200m via a ridge and a number of rocky pinnacles. The ascent was surprisingly hard work, a combination of the humidity and a drop in fitness. We saw a decent amount of wildlife too, plenty of grasshoppers, a few deer, a lizard or two and on the way down, a family if baboons. The views from the top were spectacular of the Drakensburg Ridge rising to nearly 3500m and the Sani Pass leading to Lesotho, making the sweat bucket of an ascent worth the effort. Descending back to the road we came off piste, easily done since the maps are pretty simple and paths in distinct. We saw no-one all day.
Coming off the path, we could see the road a few hundred meters in front but between us and it was trial by sheer torture battling our way through shoulder high thorn bushes with centimetre long spines ready to tear your bare legs to shreds. And tear they did. There was absolutely no path and no obvious route so all we could do was try and bushwack our way through and grin and bear it. There was even a time we had to cross a small stream on a semi-rotten log surrounded by these lethal brambles. Bear Grylls eat your heart out aha. We made it to the road with cuts and scratches drawing blood but a memorable (if painful) adventure to end the day.
Back at the youth hostel, showered, we enjoy the incredible milkshake at the cafe and chilled with music, chess, cards and wine. A fantastic two days on a spur of the moment thing. That said there's so much more to do here and adventures to be had in the Drakensburg which warrant another visit to trek and explore with a 4x4.
We sit here this evening laughing and joking with a couple from Germany and a pair from Brazil. Meeting a lot of people from all over the world lately, I kind of expected to see a lot of Germans on this trip though. Absolute highlight of our little excursion here is playing cards with foreigners, turns out Germans are pretty bad at lying when we play 'cheat'. Thomas and his girlfriend are here travelling for a month after she spent 3 months in an internship near Cape Town. It's abit sad we'll never see each other again but that's what travelling is about. It also very funny watching foreigners swear in English when they mess up. Childish humour I know but it's what a bottle of wine does to you. Oh look I just won a game :)
Coming off the path, we could see the road a few hundred meters in front but between us and it was trial by sheer torture battling our way through shoulder high thorn bushes with centimetre long spines ready to tear your bare legs to shreds. And tear they did. There was absolutely no path and no obvious route so all we could do was try and bushwack our way through and grin and bear it. There was even a time we had to cross a small stream on a semi-rotten log surrounded by these lethal brambles. Bear Grylls eat your heart out aha. We made it to the road with cuts and scratches drawing blood but a memorable (if painful) adventure to end the day.
Back at the youth hostel, showered, we enjoy the incredible milkshake at the cafe and chilled with music, chess, cards and wine. A fantastic two days on a spur of the moment thing. That said there's so much more to do here and adventures to be had in the Drakensburg which warrant another visit to trek and explore with a 4x4.
We sit here this evening laughing and joking with a couple from Germany and a pair from Brazil. Meeting a lot of people from all over the world lately, I kind of expected to see a lot of Germans on this trip though. Absolute highlight of our little excursion here is playing cards with foreigners, turns out Germans are pretty bad at lying when we play 'cheat'. Thomas and his girlfriend are here travelling for a month after she spent 3 months in an internship near Cape Town. It's abit sad we'll never see each other again but that's what travelling is about. It also very funny watching foreigners swear in English when they mess up. Childish humour I know but it's what a bottle of wine does to you. Oh look I just won a game :)
Drakensburg Part 1
As is so special about travelling the world, you meet people and go on unplanned adventures. Sunday evening whilst relaxing at my PMB youth hostel I met Stuart and Arrianne (sorry if I've spelt that wrong guys) from Edinburgh who were moving here for a couple if years to take up a job as a doctor and NGO worker respectively. They had arrived in Africa just a week before like me and found themselves in PMB for a week since Arrianne was taking a course at the university. Stuart had a lot of free time so we agreed to go to Sani Pass together since he had already got a hire car and do some exploring and hiking.
So at 930 Monday morning I find myself riding shotgun in Stuart's Hyundai i10 trying to find our way out of PMB. We eventually find the way to the freeway and are on our way. The drive through the mountains was pretty scenic until we stopped in the town of Underberg to stock up on food and beer. Stuart and I seem to get along pretty well, better than the Rylan impersonator on the bus last week. He's a med graduate from Edinburgh and had the same wit and fun adventurous attitude to life as other med students I know. On the way to Underberg we pick up a couple of locals needing a lift to town. Stuart's parking left bits to be desired and it turned out our passengers didn't speak a word of English so we couldn't really have a conversation. They offered us fuel money which we refused and sent them on their way.
Sani Backpackers Lodge was pretty special, a stunning location with a laid back lodge type feel. Dorms are clean and at about £9 a night you can't grumble at all. That afternoon since we couldn't get permits we just went for a local walk up to a nearby peak and to a waterfall via the local hotel. The humidity was up so the sweat was on but the views were stunning and we saw plenty of grasshoppers including one with a piggy back which we coaxed onto my shoulder, Stuart got lots of photos which ill have to get some time. Back at the lodge we grab probably the best milkshake in South Africa then down a beer sitting on the veranda reading a book admiring the views, fantastic.
Dinner was an odd job of stuff then another beer whilst playing cheat with a Belgian couple here on a 3 week roadtrip around the country. We had a great laugh and met some awesome people.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Ripped shorts and smokey bars
So my last few days haven't been anywhere near as interesting as the title suggests. Although my shorts have indeed ripped in unfortunate places and the bar I sat in watching the football today was very smokey. You forget what we take for granted now we have the smoking ban in the UK.
It's got pretty hot these last 2 days must be around 30C or so. Nights are pretty muggy too and unfortunately in this hostel it's either use the warm duvet or sleep with your boxers showing. Not sure what the locals in my dorm would think of that so I slowly roasted it out.
PMB is an interesting little place, it's the main university town in the province so has a studenty, laid back style with the usual chaotic African mix downtown. I trekked it out to the suburbs to wander around the botanical gardens yesterday on advice from the youth hostel owner. Worth the effort, they were really nice but as you walked there you couldn't miss the endless litter on the roads and pavement. The locals have a very cavalier attitude to rubbish and very casually throw it down. Surprised there hasn't been a drive to take more responsibility for their actions and disposal of waste, it really is a blight in some areas.
Today was spent sorting out my plans for the next bit of the trip. It had always been abit vague and since Lesotho is out of the question (it really needs a 4x4 and a wad of money to do I justice) I've come up with a pretty awesome plan B. Tomorrow (Monday) I'm picking up a little hire car ad heading to Underberg/Sani Pass in the Drakensburg Mountains for 2 days o walking, exploring and hopefully getting some stunning camera shots.
Then it's back to PMB early morning before a 21hr bus ride down to Cape Town which I'm really excited about. I've been there once before but only very briefly so now ill have 3 nights exploring possibly the best and most iconic city on the continent. Ideally I'd have stayed there longer but my bus to Windhoek dictates I leave Cape Town on Sunday else the price inexplicable doubles if I wait any longer. So that's the plan, canna wait :)
On a side, there's a stonking load of wifi about.
It's got pretty hot these last 2 days must be around 30C or so. Nights are pretty muggy too and unfortunately in this hostel it's either use the warm duvet or sleep with your boxers showing. Not sure what the locals in my dorm would think of that so I slowly roasted it out.
PMB is an interesting little place, it's the main university town in the province so has a studenty, laid back style with the usual chaotic African mix downtown. I trekked it out to the suburbs to wander around the botanical gardens yesterday on advice from the youth hostel owner. Worth the effort, they were really nice but as you walked there you couldn't miss the endless litter on the roads and pavement. The locals have a very cavalier attitude to rubbish and very casually throw it down. Surprised there hasn't been a drive to take more responsibility for their actions and disposal of waste, it really is a blight in some areas.
Today was spent sorting out my plans for the next bit of the trip. It had always been abit vague and since Lesotho is out of the question (it really needs a 4x4 and a wad of money to do I justice) I've come up with a pretty awesome plan B. Tomorrow (Monday) I'm picking up a little hire car ad heading to Underberg/Sani Pass in the Drakensburg Mountains for 2 days o walking, exploring and hopefully getting some stunning camera shots.
Then it's back to PMB early morning before a 21hr bus ride down to Cape Town which I'm really excited about. I've been there once before but only very briefly so now ill have 3 nights exploring possibly the best and most iconic city on the continent. Ideally I'd have stayed there longer but my bus to Windhoek dictates I leave Cape Town on Sunday else the price inexplicable doubles if I wait any longer. So that's the plan, canna wait :)
On a side, there's a stonking load of wifi about.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Ponderances to Pietermaritzburg
So it's Friday and I'm out of Johannesburg. Not before time too. For those not familiar with travel in Africa you need a big dose of patience, a sense of humour and absolutely no expectation anything will run to schedule. As it so happens the 2hr delays in my bus arrival into PMB was a pretty minor affair but as always there were one or two adventures along the way. The intercape bus service I should say was exceptional and ill definitely be using them again. I booked to leave from the nearest stop to my Joburg lodge and found myself walking down the verge of the main Pretoria-Joburg motorway to get to it. There was honestly no other way and everyone else was doing the same, when in Africa.... Etc. A polite local offered to give me a ride to whereever I was going but tickets were already booked. Most of the journey was uneventful. The bus soon filled up when we stopped at Joburg's main Park Station, I found myself surrounded by noisy middle aged women who were constantly on the phone sharing their half of the conversation with the rest of the bus. When they weren't shouting away I was treated to the delights of loud "humming" to an unknown song. And when I say humming I really mean a god awful screech which would make your dog run away and wee itself. It was worse than a cat in a washing machine! But slightly better than that guy Rylan from xfactor 2012.
Surprised today to see abit of snow an ice on the road to PMB as we were coming over some of the mountain passes. There were several accidents on this stretch and it makes me wonder how feasible going through Lesotho will be given the whole country is above 1400m. Off to the tourist info tomorrow for thoughts and advice.
I'm at Sleep Hollow Backpackers tonight, near the student district in PMB, a pretty decent area. The building is a converted bungalow and suits me nicely. It's a quiet little place.
Surprised today to see abit of snow an ice on the road to PMB as we were coming over some of the mountain passes. There were several accidents on this stretch and it makes me wonder how feasible going through Lesotho will be given the whole country is above 1400m. Off to the tourist info tomorrow for thoughts and advice.
I'm at Sleep Hollow Backpackers tonight, near the student district in PMB, a pretty decent area. The building is a converted bungalow and suits me nicely. It's a quiet little place.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Johannesburg
So I won't profess to have seen much of this city but its an oddball mix of things type place. It's still pretty divided in some parts, people who can drive do. Classic example today was going to the supermarket. If you lived in a well off area you simply got into your expensive European car, drive out of your guarded, gated compound of a home and parked in the secure parking lot of the posh western mall.
On a lighter note, Scottish friends will be, I'm sure, delighted to know you can buy "Iron Bru Cordial" in the shops here. Frankly I can't think of anything more disgusting and it's one 'local' delicacy I won't be trying.
Tomorrow I'm of to Pietermaritzburg (PMB for short) then into the Drakensburgs and Lesotho. Tbh I'm looking forward to getting out of the big city.
And finally... I was checking out the blog stats today ( like you do) and was interested to see its already got over 100 hits from 5 continents. I didn't realise I had friends from that many places so thanks for reading. With that in mind, you guys should be able to leave comments and thoughts on my posts (click the comment button just below this). So please do and if your from somewhere interesting then do share. Ciao for now
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Flights in the fast lane
So finally in Johannesburg, well Midrand. A suburb to the North of the city centre in a frankly luxurious "backpackers" lodge - http://www.africanfootprints.co.za/
Luxury here comes at a price, all R150 (about 12 quid) per night. Fully prepared for the South African leg of this journey to cost abit more though. On the first of what will predictably become many side rants during this trip, there's no pound symbol on this South African keyboard, hmph.
The flights we're suprisingly decent, I actually felt as though I was flying with a middle class type of airline (Luthansa), constantly surrounded by business folk or middle aged German's going on their holidays. You know the type: drive a BMW, wear shirts with the collar up to their chin and organise everything in life so its 'just so'. The guy infront of me on the Frankfurt - Joburg leg constantly had his seat in the fully reclined position and wouldn't move it back up "until ze person in front vud move theirs". The airbus A380 for that leg of the trip was stunning. An incredible piece of engineering to get an aircraft that enormous into the sky. It simply dwarfs anything else in the airport, the engines alone are each the size of a small lorry. Yet its surprisingly quiet and for a change I actually got abit of meaningful sleep. We also got real knife and forks, the metal variety.
Joburg was pretty warm on arrival, seems like the forecasted rains have held off. Getting to the lodge was just a few changes on the new Gautrain commuter network. Any how it seems about time to go get something for dinner then chill out with a book. Laters amigos.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Birmingham Airport
Air side, about to board. Short hop to Frankfurt then the exciting bit starts. Jumping on an A380 down to Johannesburg. I feel a mini expedition coming on to explore the massive plane :)
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
7 days
Testing out a new blogger app on the iPod. Could make updating a lot easier on my travels. Only 7 days to go, not long :)
Thursday, October 25, 2012
12 Days to D-day
Countdown to departure. Only 12 days now. Finally have sorted some currency and worked out where I'm going to stay in Johannesburg when I land. :)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)