Victoria Falls, Zambia 
Zanzibar, Tanzania :o)Tuesday, August 5, 2008
And the venture begins!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!
I will be spending her birthday on a plane... for the whole day.
It is out last day in Cape Town today. We flew in from Zanzibar last night and leave again this evening for Dakar, NY, then BOSTON arriving on the 7th.
We have met some verrry nice people along the way. Mostly locals who have really helped up out. For example, after our plane landed in Dar es Salaam and we missed the last ferry, we met a piolet who fley us to Zanzibar-- and then back-- with no ticket! Another time in Jo'burg, the Nando's (local chain rest.) drove us in his delivery car to the movie theater... and walked us inside because it was vert dangerous after dark.
So yes, I'm going to miss Africa and the people I've met a lot. Although at time it was very dangerous, we managed to pull out of life or death situations alive :o)
I'm uploading a few pics from our post trip on the pic site, so check them out!!
I will be spending her birthday on a plane... for the whole day.
It is out last day in Cape Town today. We flew in from Zanzibar last night and leave again this evening for Dakar, NY, then BOSTON arriving on the 7th.
We have met some verrry nice people along the way. Mostly locals who have really helped up out. For example, after our plane landed in Dar es Salaam and we missed the last ferry, we met a piolet who fley us to Zanzibar-- and then back-- with no ticket! Another time in Jo'burg, the Nando's (local chain rest.) drove us in his delivery car to the movie theater... and walked us inside because it was vert dangerous after dark.
So yes, I'm going to miss Africa and the people I've met a lot. Although at time it was very dangerous, we managed to pull out of life or death situations alive :o)
I'm uploading a few pics from our post trip on the pic site, so check them out!!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Going out with a bang
Last night and tonight we have been at the Ocean Paradise Resort on the eastern side of Zanzibar. We decided to treat ourselves for our last 2 nights traveling in Africa... and a treat it is :o) We deserve it after the townships, hostels, and many near death experiences.
The beaches are awesome and they have the biggest swimming pool on the island. When we checked into our room yesterday, we had flowers all over our bed and a huge wrap around deck.
Tomorrow we fly back to Dar, then fly to Jo'berg, then to Cape Town. I'm probably going to upload some pictures tomorrow when I get to Cape Town.
Well, I'm alive and finally found some nice weather to lay on the beach.
I'll be back in Boston Aug 7th, so start planning my return party.
The beaches are awesome and they have the biggest swimming pool on the island. When we checked into our room yesterday, we had flowers all over our bed and a huge wrap around deck.
Tomorrow we fly back to Dar, then fly to Jo'berg, then to Cape Town. I'm probably going to upload some pictures tomorrow when I get to Cape Town.
Well, I'm alive and finally found some nice weather to lay on the beach.
I'll be back in Boston Aug 7th, so start planning my return party.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
northern tip of zanzibar
Hellofrom Nungwi! We are at the very norhtern tip of Zanzibar. We spent last night andare staying tonight then we are going to the eastern side to spend 2 nights. We spent all day today on the beach :o) The water is turquoise and white sand.
The other 4 members joined us today. They have been a day behind us because of flights. They got off the plane in Dar es Salaam and none of their credit cards works and they just had enough money to pay for the visa. After the visa, the ended up getting on a flight to Zanzibar (promising they would pay for the ticket price later). They spent the night in stone town town and then came to meet up with us around lunch time today.
OK, just a quick update... more later
The other 4 members joined us today. They have been a day behind us because of flights. They got off the plane in Dar es Salaam and none of their credit cards works and they just had enough money to pay for the visa. After the visa, the ended up getting on a flight to Zanzibar (promising they would pay for the ticket price later). They spent the night in stone town town and then came to meet up with us around lunch time today.
OK, just a quick update... more later
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Greetings from Zanzibar!!!
Yesterday we flew from Zambia to Jo'burg. We stayed at a really neat hostel that used to me a mafia mansion. We spent the night eating at Nando's and then going to the movies. The delivery guy frm Nando's gave us a ride to the movie theater.
This morning we flew from Jo'burg to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We flew in too late to catch the last ferry to Zanzibar, so we hopped on a realllly small toy plane that brought us to Zanzibar. Our piolet on the small plane gave us a recommendation of a place to spend the night (because obviously we had absolutely no idea where we were going). Our 3 friends are flying in tomorrow then we are going to the eastern side of Zazibar to lay on the beach :o)
It is BEAUTIFUL here! We spent the evening having a huge meal and drinks right on the beach and are about to go and pass out in our room that is very Moroccan-Muslin looking... with a cool looking canopy mosquito net around the bed.
We are doing quite the amazing race. Ever since we have left the orphanage in Durban, we haven't all been together (all 7 of us traveling) and tomorrow is going o\to be the first time!
This morning we flew from Jo'burg to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. We flew in too late to catch the last ferry to Zanzibar, so we hopped on a realllly small toy plane that brought us to Zanzibar. Our piolet on the small plane gave us a recommendation of a place to spend the night (because obviously we had absolutely no idea where we were going). Our 3 friends are flying in tomorrow then we are going to the eastern side of Zazibar to lay on the beach :o)
It is BEAUTIFUL here! We spent the evening having a huge meal and drinks right on the beach and are about to go and pass out in our room that is very Moroccan-Muslin looking... with a cool looking canopy mosquito net around the bed.
We are doing quite the amazing race. Ever since we have left the orphanage in Durban, we haven't all been together (all 7 of us traveling) and tomorrow is going o\to be the first time!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
greetings from zambia!!!
I am traveling with Emma, Danielle, Johanna, Olivia, Esther, and Tim (only boy to protect us! 1 boy 6 girls… lucky guy)
Day 1 of travel: Flew from Cape Town to Durban. Rented a car in Durban (yes, we weren’t of age, the steering wheel is on the right, and they drive on the wrong side of the road). Being able to navigate the roads of Africa is quite an adventure. After we rented the car, we headed to the orphanage (about an hr out of the city). One of the girls we were traveling with lived and worked there for a year. It was in the middle of nowhere. It got dark out an we got very lost. We ended up in a township after dark… which we were warned as the one thing NOT to do. The roads were terrible and there were people on the side of the road and in bushed waving us down to give them a ride. It was probably one of the scariest moments of my life. If we had hit someone that night, we unanimously said that we would keep driving. I think most of us were almost in tears. If our car had either broken down, we got in a crash, got a flat tire, etc during the time we were lost in the back roads of a township, we would have undoubtedly been robbed and probably killed. We eventually found our way to the orphanage and finally got to sleep.
Day 2: We woke up and went to play and have breakfast with the orphans. We then got on a bus because the orphanage was going to the beach in Durban for the day :o) During the day at the beach, the orphanage bus got stolen. Apparently Durban is a very dangerous city.
Day 3: Woke up very early to fly to Jo’berg then catch a flight to Livingstone, Zambia. We landed at the smallest airport that I have ever seen… there wasn’t even a gate or baggage claim! We are staying at the Zambezi Sun (google it) which is a VERY nice resort and is directly next to Victoria Falls. We can only afford this because we are squeezing 5 people in the room! We spent the day the pool with margaritas.. dodging the baboons that came by trying to steal our food. There is this guy here and his main job is to walk around with a slingshot scaring off the baboons. How awesome is that job?! We walked down to Victoria Falls, which is a short walk from our back door, for the sunset.
Day 4: We went white water rafting down the Zambezi River. Zambia was on one side and Zimbabwe was on the other. It was SO scary! The first rapid we did was a class 5!! We flipped the boat and I got a glimpse of how it feels like to drown! It was a great day… we had a lot of fun and yelled a lot. On the drive home from the bottom of the river, we went through some villages. They were very village-like… not like the townships we experienced in South Africa. These were in the middle of no-where sand and they had one pump for water and one main garden, goats, chickens, etc.
I don’t have a cell phone or internet here (very expensive internet), so I’ll be uncontactable for the next few days.
Tomorrow we are heading to Jo’berg for the night and then to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar until the 5th when we fly back to Cape Town and fly back to the states on the 6th.
Day 1 of travel: Flew from Cape Town to Durban. Rented a car in Durban (yes, we weren’t of age, the steering wheel is on the right, and they drive on the wrong side of the road). Being able to navigate the roads of Africa is quite an adventure. After we rented the car, we headed to the orphanage (about an hr out of the city). One of the girls we were traveling with lived and worked there for a year. It was in the middle of nowhere. It got dark out an we got very lost. We ended up in a township after dark… which we were warned as the one thing NOT to do. The roads were terrible and there were people on the side of the road and in bushed waving us down to give them a ride. It was probably one of the scariest moments of my life. If we had hit someone that night, we unanimously said that we would keep driving. I think most of us were almost in tears. If our car had either broken down, we got in a crash, got a flat tire, etc during the time we were lost in the back roads of a township, we would have undoubtedly been robbed and probably killed. We eventually found our way to the orphanage and finally got to sleep.
Day 2: We woke up and went to play and have breakfast with the orphans. We then got on a bus because the orphanage was going to the beach in Durban for the day :o) During the day at the beach, the orphanage bus got stolen. Apparently Durban is a very dangerous city.
Day 3: Woke up very early to fly to Jo’berg then catch a flight to Livingstone, Zambia. We landed at the smallest airport that I have ever seen… there wasn’t even a gate or baggage claim! We are staying at the Zambezi Sun (google it) which is a VERY nice resort and is directly next to Victoria Falls. We can only afford this because we are squeezing 5 people in the room! We spent the day the pool with margaritas.. dodging the baboons that came by trying to steal our food. There is this guy here and his main job is to walk around with a slingshot scaring off the baboons. How awesome is that job?! We walked down to Victoria Falls, which is a short walk from our back door, for the sunset.
Day 4: We went white water rafting down the Zambezi River. Zambia was on one side and Zimbabwe was on the other. It was SO scary! The first rapid we did was a class 5!! We flipped the boat and I got a glimpse of how it feels like to drown! It was a great day… we had a lot of fun and yelled a lot. On the drive home from the bottom of the river, we went through some villages. They were very village-like… not like the townships we experienced in South Africa. These were in the middle of no-where sand and they had one pump for water and one main garden, goats, chickens, etc.
I don’t have a cell phone or internet here (very expensive internet), so I’ll be uncontactable for the next few days.
Tomorrow we are heading to Jo’berg for the night and then to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar until the 5th when we fly back to Cape Town and fly back to the states on the 6th.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Good Bye for now Cape Town
We are checking out of our hotel today. We're spending a night in a hostel around here the tomorrow we head to Durban, South Africa for 2 days. We are staying in an orphanage there and then on the 28th flying to Livingston, Zambia. Weare staying here for the 28 and 29 then flying to Jo'burg, South Africa for a night (the 30th) then heading to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania where we are going to land and then hop on a fboat/ferry to Zanzibar. We will be in Zanzibar for the next 3 days and then Dar es Salaam for day. We fly from Dar to Cape Town on Aug 5. We finally fly back to the US through Dakar, Senegal on the 6th arriving back in Boston on August 7th.
That was a mouthful!!
The easiest way to get in contact with me is through email. I may not be able to check it regulalry, but I'm sure I will be able to check it at points. There is now a total of 7 people traveling (some more added on!) including 1 boy to protect us :o)
Ciao for now!!
That was a mouthful!!
The easiest way to get in contact with me is through email. I may not be able to check it regulalry, but I'm sure I will be able to check it at points. There is now a total of 7 people traveling (some more added on!) including 1 boy to protect us :o)
Ciao for now!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)