Hello everyone....
Just wanted to give you one last update before I head home, which is in two weeks from now.
At the moment im in luxor, the valley of the kings and queens. Kar has gone today on a bike to explore the valley, but unfortunately I've had to give it a miss and nurse my sore stomach instead. I don't know if it was the water or all the street food that i've been eating, but last night I spent a significant portion of my time hunched over the toilet and now the only thing i can do is hide in this internet cafe and kill my time online. I've probably caught up with everyone on facebook and googled all the latest events in the world. I would have preferred to have read a book somewhere, but its hard to find a peaceful place in this town and escape the constant hassling from the locals. Luxor is considered to be the hassle capital of Egypt, and I think I would go as far as to say it is probably up there in terms of being one of the top places you will always be hassled in the world. So when your not feeling well, I couldnt think of a worse place to be. However, when your feeling well it can extremely entertaining to sit in the numerous cafes and watch the tourist loose their cool on the locals who have been following them forever, "madam, why not a carriage ride, madam"...and so on.
Before coming to luxor we spent a couple of days in a town just outside of Cairo. We stayed with a friend of Kar's, who provided us with great hospitality. He cooked us our meals, organized everything for us, and provided us with amusement as he is probably the biggest talker I have ever met- he has a story for everything. The town is very neat and it gives you a good perception of the true Egyptian life. There are tons of apartments with a few streets intertwining between. The kids stay up late playing ball on the streets,while all the men gather at the one tea house to drink tea and smoke hookah. A number of the girls stopped by the apartment to meet us when we were there. I personally felt a little awkward with the girls because they idolize the western world so much, and look up at you as if you were some celebrity.
Cairo is such a cool city. I really loved it. Its the kind of place where you can walk the streets all day and eat yummy food on every corner (i would be afraid if I had to spend any more time in egypt as the street food is so good- its hard not to always have some kind of food in your hand). You cant find a single beer in cairo, but there is plenty of tea and hookah to smoke.
Tonight we are heading back to Cairo and then making our way slowly to the oasis to spend a couple of days in the desert, and then we will head on through to the red sea to go on a diving excursion. I think the next two weeks will be very enjoyable, and will be a perfect way to end our trip.
I cant wait to see all of you!!
All the best
Friday, 13 April 2007
Monday, 2 April 2007
Malawi
hey,
I know its been a while since I have updated anything, but the internet hasn't been very accessible here in Malawi. We have spent the majority of our time on islands, mountains, and secluded beaches away from any means of contact.
Anyways, we have been in Malawi for a couple of weeks now, and so far I think we both would agree that this place has been the highlight of our trip. We've managed to see tons of cool places and have met so many travellers (I think the biggest surprise about malawi was how many backpackers there are here, particularly canadians).
The reason I have loved Malawi so much is because I was finally able to complete my scuba diving certification which I have longed to do for so many years now. It was a great place to do it because it is the cheapest place in the world and we were able to do get lots of open water dives in...5 in total. Im pretty stoaked for Egypt and diving in the red sea!!!
Last night we got back from hiking Mt Mulanje. We went up there for three days with a group of people that we have been travelling with for a while now, but unfortunately we got rained out on the second day and were unable to do the summit. It was rather disappointing as the views off the Mt are suppose to be spectacle. On the bright side, the rain provided us with a very eventful walk down. All of us resembled turtles as we spent the majority of the time on our backs falling down the steep terrain. Luckily there were no serious injuries except for very sore bodies today.
We have 5 days left here and then were off to Egypt. I'm feeling somewhat sad about leaving this country as it has been so unbelievable, but I'm sure I'll make it back here someday.
I know its been a while since I have updated anything, but the internet hasn't been very accessible here in Malawi. We have spent the majority of our time on islands, mountains, and secluded beaches away from any means of contact.
Anyways, we have been in Malawi for a couple of weeks now, and so far I think we both would agree that this place has been the highlight of our trip. We've managed to see tons of cool places and have met so many travellers (I think the biggest surprise about malawi was how many backpackers there are here, particularly canadians).
The reason I have loved Malawi so much is because I was finally able to complete my scuba diving certification which I have longed to do for so many years now. It was a great place to do it because it is the cheapest place in the world and we were able to do get lots of open water dives in...5 in total. Im pretty stoaked for Egypt and diving in the red sea!!!
Last night we got back from hiking Mt Mulanje. We went up there for three days with a group of people that we have been travelling with for a while now, but unfortunately we got rained out on the second day and were unable to do the summit. It was rather disappointing as the views off the Mt are suppose to be spectacle. On the bright side, the rain provided us with a very eventful walk down. All of us resembled turtles as we spent the majority of the time on our backs falling down the steep terrain. Luckily there were no serious injuries except for very sore bodies today.
We have 5 days left here and then were off to Egypt. I'm feeling somewhat sad about leaving this country as it has been so unbelievable, but I'm sure I'll make it back here someday.
Tuesday, 6 March 2007
rwanda- a place that should not be missed
Hey,
So im still in Rwanda, leaving tomorrow morning down south to malawi. The journey will take about five days, and the thought of riding on long bus rides again is not enticing me right now.
Anyways, I would strongly recommend a visit to Rwanda if any of you ever make it to this part of the world. Although there isn't a lot to do, the visits to the memorials are extremely moving and I don't think you will ever be able to perceive the reality of the genocide until you visit some of these memorials.
On the first day of our arrival to Kigali, we went to visit the genocide memorial here in the city. At this site, 200, 000 bodies were buried in front of the museum and of those who were buried, only 10, 000 were identified. The part of this memorial that I found was the hardest to take was was the memorial on the children killed. Before you made your way into this part of the building, a sign was placed on the doorway that said "In memory of our beloved children, who should of been our future". Then as you walked through there were numerous pictures of beautiful children and in front of each child was an individual plaque that said something on the lines of: their name, favorite interest, best friend, ie 'daddy's girl', and then the most gruesome and difficult part to take, how they were killed, examples such as, smashed against the wall, tortured to death, or machete to head. I don't think any human could walk through this room and leave without feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
We did manage to visit some other memorials, and again it was hard to take. For instance, today we visited the church were 10, 000 people were murdered inside the church as they all ran there believing god would protect them. Inside the church the bodies were on display , and on the walls and the statue of the virgin mary was blood strains. It was wrong in every way.
Anyways, visiting these places was something i'll never forget. The images I saw have most definately left a lasting impression on what actually took place in this small country. However, despite their brutal history, I found the people of Rwanda to be very inspiring. The fact that they can continue on after all they have gone through and make peace with those who turned against them is something we can all learn from (it's only the authority figures who will be punished for the crimes, so currently in rwanda there are numerous people walking the streets who may have been involved in carrying out vast number of murders).
Other then the visits to the memorials, we went gorilla trekking which was amazing!! Our group lucked out and we got to see the gorilla's that Diane Fossey studied (38 of them in total). As well, today we splurged and spent the afternoon at Hotel des milles collines (aka, hotel rwanda) where we sat around the pool and had a few beers while we watched all the big shots in the UN and UNICEF mingle around the pool.
Gotta run, but ill update when we get to malawi
So im still in Rwanda, leaving tomorrow morning down south to malawi. The journey will take about five days, and the thought of riding on long bus rides again is not enticing me right now.
Anyways, I would strongly recommend a visit to Rwanda if any of you ever make it to this part of the world. Although there isn't a lot to do, the visits to the memorials are extremely moving and I don't think you will ever be able to perceive the reality of the genocide until you visit some of these memorials.
On the first day of our arrival to Kigali, we went to visit the genocide memorial here in the city. At this site, 200, 000 bodies were buried in front of the museum and of those who were buried, only 10, 000 were identified. The part of this memorial that I found was the hardest to take was was the memorial on the children killed. Before you made your way into this part of the building, a sign was placed on the doorway that said "In memory of our beloved children, who should of been our future". Then as you walked through there were numerous pictures of beautiful children and in front of each child was an individual plaque that said something on the lines of: their name, favorite interest, best friend, ie 'daddy's girl', and then the most gruesome and difficult part to take, how they were killed, examples such as, smashed against the wall, tortured to death, or machete to head. I don't think any human could walk through this room and leave without feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
We did manage to visit some other memorials, and again it was hard to take. For instance, today we visited the church were 10, 000 people were murdered inside the church as they all ran there believing god would protect them. Inside the church the bodies were on display , and on the walls and the statue of the virgin mary was blood strains. It was wrong in every way.
Anyways, visiting these places was something i'll never forget. The images I saw have most definately left a lasting impression on what actually took place in this small country. However, despite their brutal history, I found the people of Rwanda to be very inspiring. The fact that they can continue on after all they have gone through and make peace with those who turned against them is something we can all learn from (it's only the authority figures who will be punished for the crimes, so currently in rwanda there are numerous people walking the streets who may have been involved in carrying out vast number of murders).
Other then the visits to the memorials, we went gorilla trekking which was amazing!! Our group lucked out and we got to see the gorilla's that Diane Fossey studied (38 of them in total). As well, today we splurged and spent the afternoon at Hotel des milles collines (aka, hotel rwanda) where we sat around the pool and had a few beers while we watched all the big shots in the UN and UNICEF mingle around the pool.
Gotta run, but ill update when we get to malawi
Wednesday, 28 February 2007
Rwanda
hey,
So I know its been a while since my last post, but ill be honest im starting to get somewhat lazy with trying to find internet and dealing with the slow service. ....
Anyways, we have just arrived in Rwanda today. I'm finding it hard to believe that after all that I have read and watched about this place and the events of 1994, that I am actually here in Kigali. So far, my first impression of this country is that it is incredibly beautiful. There are rolling hills everywhere, and lush fields. I'll let you know more about this place after I have experienced the trek to find the gorrillas and visit the many memorials, and after I visit the safe part of the congo.
Overall I had a great time in Uganda. Did a lot of activities, the highlight of course was rafting the nile. Oh man, it was insane. Our raft tipped mutiply times, the scariest was when we tipped off the 8ft waterfall. But we all survived and although it seemed like forever when you where pulled under the rapids, it didn't last longer then 10 seconds.
We also went up north to murchinson falls where we did another safari (not as many animals as tanzania, but the lanscape was magnificant) and spent some time sitting over some gignatic and forceful falls.
Oh and we tried to change our flight out of Egypt, but we can't. So this means we are now sticking to our initial plan of going to egypt and flying home on april 26th.
Hope all is well with everyone, I have to make this one short because im running out of time, but i'll definately keep you posted on my experience in rwanda, as I believe it will be something else.
So I know its been a while since my last post, but ill be honest im starting to get somewhat lazy with trying to find internet and dealing with the slow service. ....
Anyways, we have just arrived in Rwanda today. I'm finding it hard to believe that after all that I have read and watched about this place and the events of 1994, that I am actually here in Kigali. So far, my first impression of this country is that it is incredibly beautiful. There are rolling hills everywhere, and lush fields. I'll let you know more about this place after I have experienced the trek to find the gorrillas and visit the many memorials, and after I visit the safe part of the congo.
Overall I had a great time in Uganda. Did a lot of activities, the highlight of course was rafting the nile. Oh man, it was insane. Our raft tipped mutiply times, the scariest was when we tipped off the 8ft waterfall. But we all survived and although it seemed like forever when you where pulled under the rapids, it didn't last longer then 10 seconds.
We also went up north to murchinson falls where we did another safari (not as many animals as tanzania, but the lanscape was magnificant) and spent some time sitting over some gignatic and forceful falls.
Oh and we tried to change our flight out of Egypt, but we can't. So this means we are now sticking to our initial plan of going to egypt and flying home on april 26th.
Hope all is well with everyone, I have to make this one short because im running out of time, but i'll definately keep you posted on my experience in rwanda, as I believe it will be something else.
Tuesday, 13 February 2007
Uganda
Hello everyone....
Well the last time I posted we were just about to begin our journey up to Uganda, totally clueless about what we were getting ourselves into. Our bus ride to lake victoria was unreal- 26 hours long, and for 24 hours of the ride we were driving on unpaved road with pot holes everywhere. It was really the worse experience I have ever had. It was so bouncy that our chair actually ripped out of the bottom and kar bounced so high that she smashed her head on the ceiling. That was it for kar, she lost her cool.
Anyways, we did eventually make it to Uganda and it was an instant relief. This country is unbelievable in every way and it is by far my favorite place in the world. I thought Tanzania was nice, but no, it doesn't even compare to Uganda. The people here are great and I have enjoyed talking to the locals very much. They frequently invite us into their homes to meet their families and usually the kids will perform a dance or song. It is quite the experience.
When we first arrived in Uganda, we met up with four other travellers (two guys from england, and two from Canada) and made our journey to the much talked about island. This island was something else. The british man feed us with the best food I have ever had and supplied us with an unlimited amount of rum. Our days on the island were spent mostly playing frisbee, running away from meat eating ants and caterpillars that sting, and taking out the row boat to find lizards- I got stuck paddling around the men as they sat on the boat drinking and talking about these massive lizards that I had yet to see.
After a few days on the island, I was done and needed to get back to land. We then headed back on a boat and of course, as luck is not on our side these days, we got caught in a storm and thought the boat was going to flip. I have a hard time understanding Africans, as they have no knowledge about the importance of prevention. Instead of turning around the boat when we saw the storm coming, they decided to carry on through and risk the lives of 20 people, including tiny babies. Kar who has spent the last two years on water had a face of horror as we headed on through and her nervousness definitely heightened my anxiety- but hey were still here, thankfully.
Right now were in a town situated on the Nile river volunteering with some schools. The town were staying in is awesome and for an obvious reason (because of the mountain biking and river kayaking) is a popular destination for those living in BC and Alaska. We are with three other girls from BC right now. I plan to go river rafting next weekend and if I come back here at the end of April for two months (which I am thinking about as I have the opportunity to teach phys-ed and sports in the surrounding schools) I have set myself with a person who will teach me to river kayak in exchange for a place to stay if he comes to kayak the rivers in BC.
Anyways, hope all is well with everyone,
Well the last time I posted we were just about to begin our journey up to Uganda, totally clueless about what we were getting ourselves into. Our bus ride to lake victoria was unreal- 26 hours long, and for 24 hours of the ride we were driving on unpaved road with pot holes everywhere. It was really the worse experience I have ever had. It was so bouncy that our chair actually ripped out of the bottom and kar bounced so high that she smashed her head on the ceiling. That was it for kar, she lost her cool.
Anyways, we did eventually make it to Uganda and it was an instant relief. This country is unbelievable in every way and it is by far my favorite place in the world. I thought Tanzania was nice, but no, it doesn't even compare to Uganda. The people here are great and I have enjoyed talking to the locals very much. They frequently invite us into their homes to meet their families and usually the kids will perform a dance or song. It is quite the experience.
When we first arrived in Uganda, we met up with four other travellers (two guys from england, and two from Canada) and made our journey to the much talked about island. This island was something else. The british man feed us with the best food I have ever had and supplied us with an unlimited amount of rum. Our days on the island were spent mostly playing frisbee, running away from meat eating ants and caterpillars that sting, and taking out the row boat to find lizards- I got stuck paddling around the men as they sat on the boat drinking and talking about these massive lizards that I had yet to see.
After a few days on the island, I was done and needed to get back to land. We then headed back on a boat and of course, as luck is not on our side these days, we got caught in a storm and thought the boat was going to flip. I have a hard time understanding Africans, as they have no knowledge about the importance of prevention. Instead of turning around the boat when we saw the storm coming, they decided to carry on through and risk the lives of 20 people, including tiny babies. Kar who has spent the last two years on water had a face of horror as we headed on through and her nervousness definitely heightened my anxiety- but hey were still here, thankfully.
Right now were in a town situated on the Nile river volunteering with some schools. The town were staying in is awesome and for an obvious reason (because of the mountain biking and river kayaking) is a popular destination for those living in BC and Alaska. We are with three other girls from BC right now. I plan to go river rafting next weekend and if I come back here at the end of April for two months (which I am thinking about as I have the opportunity to teach phys-ed and sports in the surrounding schools) I have set myself with a person who will teach me to river kayak in exchange for a place to stay if he comes to kayak the rivers in BC.
Anyways, hope all is well with everyone,
Thursday, 1 February 2007
It's not everyday you get caught in a flood
We are still in Tanzania and are heading to Uganda tomorrow. I can't wait to get to Uganda, I have heard nothing but good things about this place. As for what I have done since I last wrote, it has only been one adventure after another. However, I think last night has topped off everything....
Kar and I decided it would be a great idea to splurge and pay to hike a volcano that is about an 8 hour drive away from where we are currently staying. The hike sounded amazing, simply because it involved a Masai guide, it began at midnight, and you arrived at the top just in time to watch the sun rise over the plains of Africa. So we hired a driver and made the 8 hour journey. When we arrived we had a couple of hours to sleep before we would have to begin our hike. The driver and guide and one of their buddies woke us up at 11 to make the one hour drive to the base of the volcano. However, when we started driving the weather suddenly began to drastically change- we were driving on dirt roads in a thunder shower, and im talking about the biggest thunder shower you could imagine. Basically, to get to the point, we got stuck in a flood. In all directions water was rushing and rivers were over flowing, and the driver kept on saying, 'jesus christ. jesus christ'. And to top off everything, because it was raining so hard water was pouring through the top of the car and it blew a fuse and so we had no lights.
In the end, we found a higher spot to park the car (haha, it was quite eventful watching the guys hang out the window with a tiny flashlight to see where we were going and to make sure we didn't plunge into depth of the water), and ended up spending the night stuck in the car, not knowing if we were going to make it out today. The driver scared me, when he told me that we may be in for a true African experience: stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no food or water. All I thought about when I fell in and out of sleep was how I was going to ration my last samosa and bottle of water.
Thankfully, in the morning the sun came out and the water went away as fast as it came. But unfortunately, we drove 8 hours only to get caught in a massive storm.
I don't know when the next time i'll be on an internet. Tomorrow we are heading to find an 'island' on lake victoria, off of Uganda, which we have heard through word of mouth by other backpackers. Apparently you pay a fisherman to take you across, which takes about 7 hours, and then when you reach this island you are greeted by a crazy British man who makes his own rum and always has a glass in his hand. We have heard about this place through a few foreigners and they all talked very highly of the place and the experience.
Hope all is well with everyone, and thanks for all the e-mails, if the internet wasn't so slow here I would reply but it takes forever to send one off.
Kar and I decided it would be a great idea to splurge and pay to hike a volcano that is about an 8 hour drive away from where we are currently staying. The hike sounded amazing, simply because it involved a Masai guide, it began at midnight, and you arrived at the top just in time to watch the sun rise over the plains of Africa. So we hired a driver and made the 8 hour journey. When we arrived we had a couple of hours to sleep before we would have to begin our hike. The driver and guide and one of their buddies woke us up at 11 to make the one hour drive to the base of the volcano. However, when we started driving the weather suddenly began to drastically change- we were driving on dirt roads in a thunder shower, and im talking about the biggest thunder shower you could imagine. Basically, to get to the point, we got stuck in a flood. In all directions water was rushing and rivers were over flowing, and the driver kept on saying, 'jesus christ. jesus christ'. And to top off everything, because it was raining so hard water was pouring through the top of the car and it blew a fuse and so we had no lights.
In the end, we found a higher spot to park the car (haha, it was quite eventful watching the guys hang out the window with a tiny flashlight to see where we were going and to make sure we didn't plunge into depth of the water), and ended up spending the night stuck in the car, not knowing if we were going to make it out today. The driver scared me, when he told me that we may be in for a true African experience: stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no food or water. All I thought about when I fell in and out of sleep was how I was going to ration my last samosa and bottle of water.
Thankfully, in the morning the sun came out and the water went away as fast as it came. But unfortunately, we drove 8 hours only to get caught in a massive storm.
I don't know when the next time i'll be on an internet. Tomorrow we are heading to find an 'island' on lake victoria, off of Uganda, which we have heard through word of mouth by other backpackers. Apparently you pay a fisherman to take you across, which takes about 7 hours, and then when you reach this island you are greeted by a crazy British man who makes his own rum and always has a glass in his hand. We have heard about this place through a few foreigners and they all talked very highly of the place and the experience.
Hope all is well with everyone, and thanks for all the e-mails, if the internet wasn't so slow here I would reply but it takes forever to send one off.
Thursday, 25 January 2007
Tanzania
Well where to begin. I have been in Tanzania for a week and so far I have fallen in love with everything this country offers- the warm people, the magnificent landscape, the wild animals, and the stunning beaches. Everything about this place is magical.
Right now we are in Zanzibar. We're staying up north on a beach that I believe is what you would call paradise. Never in my life have I witnessed such blue water with white sand beaches. If you ever need to escape the realities of the fast pace world we live in, I would recommend this place for sure!!
Before we arrived in Zanzibar, Karley and I spent a few days in southern Tanzania in a village where people walk around in vibrant tribal wear, carrying their spears in one hand. It was a neat village, and had a national park where we did our first safari- and yes, I saw an abundance of animals, the wild lions being my highlight.
As two girls travelling alone in Africa, in general, we have felt very safe and if anything have only received respect from the locals. The marriage proposals, the stragglers that follow us hours on end, and the men that insist on carrying our bags because 'women are weak, men are strong', can get annoying at times, but all in all it only adds to the experience.
Lastly, the biggest lesson I have learned from travelling here is that the sole reason why people should be afraid to come to Africa, is not because of the possible diseases or mugging, but because of the transport system. There is no reliable system, and the buses that do travel, do so at great speeds. There have been times that I thought the bus would tip over or that the wheels would fall off. In addition to the horrendous speeds, the transport system is a joke. When you take a bus, even the aisles are filled with passengers (people are stuck sitting on the floor for the whole trip- which can be up to 26 hours). And wow, I don't even want to get into the ferries. The ferry ride I experienced was something else. I was lucky to find a spot on the floor crammed up against the men's washroom where people laid on my feet, legs, and arms. Sitting there (but having to move every time someone felt the urge to pee), I just looked around and noticed what was surrounding me- chickens, people holding raw meat, and bodies of people everywhere- you couldn't even see the floor.
Anyways, that's it for now. Expect another update in about week. Oh, and we have changed our itinerary. Instead of going to Egypt we have decided to stick to this region. Our plan is to head up north after Zanzibar, then over to Rwanda, Uganda, and then fly down to Zambia (maybe), Malawi, and Mozambique.
Right now we are in Zanzibar. We're staying up north on a beach that I believe is what you would call paradise. Never in my life have I witnessed such blue water with white sand beaches. If you ever need to escape the realities of the fast pace world we live in, I would recommend this place for sure!!
Before we arrived in Zanzibar, Karley and I spent a few days in southern Tanzania in a village where people walk around in vibrant tribal wear, carrying their spears in one hand. It was a neat village, and had a national park where we did our first safari- and yes, I saw an abundance of animals, the wild lions being my highlight.
As two girls travelling alone in Africa, in general, we have felt very safe and if anything have only received respect from the locals. The marriage proposals, the stragglers that follow us hours on end, and the men that insist on carrying our bags because 'women are weak, men are strong', can get annoying at times, but all in all it only adds to the experience.
Lastly, the biggest lesson I have learned from travelling here is that the sole reason why people should be afraid to come to Africa, is not because of the possible diseases or mugging, but because of the transport system. There is no reliable system, and the buses that do travel, do so at great speeds. There have been times that I thought the bus would tip over or that the wheels would fall off. In addition to the horrendous speeds, the transport system is a joke. When you take a bus, even the aisles are filled with passengers (people are stuck sitting on the floor for the whole trip- which can be up to 26 hours). And wow, I don't even want to get into the ferries. The ferry ride I experienced was something else. I was lucky to find a spot on the floor crammed up against the men's washroom where people laid on my feet, legs, and arms. Sitting there (but having to move every time someone felt the urge to pee), I just looked around and noticed what was surrounding me- chickens, people holding raw meat, and bodies of people everywhere- you couldn't even see the floor.
Anyways, that's it for now. Expect another update in about week. Oh, and we have changed our itinerary. Instead of going to Egypt we have decided to stick to this region. Our plan is to head up north after Zanzibar, then over to Rwanda, Uganda, and then fly down to Zambia (maybe), Malawi, and Mozambique.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)