Southern Africa (4/16/08-4/28/08)

Itinerary: Southern Africa (4/16/08-4/28/08)
4/16/08-4/18/08: South Africa (Johannesburg)
4/18/08-4/20/08: Zimbabwe (Vic Falls)
4/20/08-4/22/08: Botswana (Chobe) and Namibia (Impalila)
4/22/08-4/24/08: South Africa (Johannesburg)
4/24/08-4/28/08: South Africa (Cape Town)


1. Zimbabwe - Vic Falls: The waterfall was in full flow - wet and misty, but got a great helicopter ride view and saw a beautiful lunar rainbow under the full moon. The falls area was chock-full of adventure activities - I did a walk with 3 young lions, sunset cruise on the Zambezi river and did the world third highest bungee jump (333 ft.) off the bridge connecting Zambia to Zimbabwe. Staying in Zimbabwe was especially interesting and heartbreaking. Currency-inflation is completely amuck. The bank rate is $1 US = $30K ZIM, but I was able to trade $1 US for $50 Million ZIM on the black market. It was $65 Million Zim to the US dollar two days later. A buffet dinner at the hotel cost $30 US, but less than $12 US with ZIM money. It is difficult to walk anywhere in Vic Falls without locals desperately trying to hawk souvenirs. I brought a big bag of my old clothes and was able to trade some for souvenirs, and gave the rest away - they went like hot cakes, it became impossible to help everyone. People kept asking me for my clothes. I befriended a local guy named "Peter the pumpkin eater" who brought me into his township - I bought us a big lunch for $2 - they get to eat once a day. Tourist activities on average cost about $100 a piece.

2. Botswana - Chobe Safari: Stayed a couple of nights in a pretty sweet safari lodge - went on a couple of game drives and a river safari - saw lots and lots of elephants (which Chobe is famous for), hippos and impalas... didn't get to see any major predators, but just some wild dogs, but learned to just appreciate being in the wild bush and felt the beauty of it all - though I have to admit it was a thrill trying to track down a lion that had previously been spotted. Did an afternoon trip to Impalila island village in Namibia... was cool to see their simple way of life - there was a warm and gentle innocence about the village - bright genuine smiles.

ZIMBABWE-BOTSWANA PHOTO LINK
VIDEO: VIC FALLS BUNGEE
VIDEO: VIC FALLS
VIDEO: VIC FALLS 2
VIDEO: LION WALK
VIDEO: FROGS CROAKING

3. S. Africa - Johannesburg: Not much in terms of tourism. A city I went to for the sole purpose of education. I hung out at night with a bunch of journalism students from Chicago-Northwestern who were doing an internship there - it was cool to hear their perspectives. After spending an afternoon in the very moving Apartheid Museum and getting briefed on S. African history, I spent the next day with Nel, an ex-history professor in Soweto (South West Township), learning of S. Africa's troubled past, current problems and seeing the signs of hope. We bonded throughout the day and played off each other's thoughts and enthusiasm. It is heartbreaking to learn of all the evil happening over there - over 50% HIV infection rate, major political corruption, brain drain (emigration of the good, smart and talented) and extremely high crime - the tension is obvious. Yet the South Africans I met were warm, generous loving people who love their country very much.

4. S. Africa - Cape Town: What a beautiful city. That is what everyone says. And that's all I could think as we flew in. I did a two day overnight hike around Cape Point - I was the only person doing the 40 km hike, which got a bit dicey at times, but the isolation with nature and animals was time very well spent. The breathtaking scenery was often changing... the first challenge was making it to rest camp before sundown, which was made difficult with a couple of downpours and lost trail paths. At one point on the way back, I had to exercise some common sense and very reluctantly back-tracked an hour and half of climbing/scaling rocks before deciding it was just too dangerous. After leaving the park, I intended to hitch a ride to the train station for the hour and half train ride back to Cape Town - but instead, these two guys took me to dinner and drove me back to Cape Town. As if the hike was not enough, I walked all over Cape Town, and met Zaney, a real estate agent who showed me around her neighborhood Bo-Kaap (also known as the Malay quarter) - mosques and bright colored houses (they paint their houses different colors 3 times a year - celebrating that only in recent times have they been able to own their homes).

SOUTH AFRICA PHOTO LINK