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Monday, October 27, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
I love the bus in Chicago
Isn't culture great, in all its varieties?
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Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Las Vegas
Had a conference at Caesar's for a few days and dragged Andrew along. Conference was ok... amazing to see Las Vegas with tons of cranes but no workers, a true sign of the economic decline.
Since I worked most of the time we didn't really have time for a show. We probably gambled and lost around $200 in the slots... weather was hot as usual.
Had a conference at Caesar's for a few days and dragged Andrew along. Conference was ok... amazing to see Las Vegas with tons of cranes but no workers, a true sign of the economic decline.Since I worked most of the time we didn't really have time for a show. We probably gambled and lost around $200 in the slots... weather was hot as usual.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Rain in Montreal
Some photos from my quick walk attached...
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Austin, TX
Small town, cute but haven't had much chance to see it. There is a fun little warehouse area near here where we went to a corporate sponsored party last night. Place was called Pangaea and was very swank a bit middle eastern feel.
Today I hit all of the hotel booths. This is a cool photo of me in a Austin Powers style chair that is super comfortable and has a built in speaker system and a computer. Fun! Cost: $15,000
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Sunday, April 27, 2008
Last days in Jo'burg
(posted by Andy)
Hello, it's Andrew here....I apologize for making this last email so long but we have done much in the last few days and I wanted to share the experience with you since all of you have been here the whole way thus far.
On Thursday we yet again went to another country called Botswana which neighbors Zambia and took about 1.5 hours to get to. We were awakened early once more but we have gotten used to the early mornings and those damn monkeys keep me up all night awake doing whatever they are doing starting at 1 a.m. As you already know in Zambia we did not have window only screens that surrounded our cabin/chalet so we (well I since Rhett sleeps through most of it) could hear everything that goes bump outside our cabin from crickets, hippos, monkeys, and anything else that wanders outside our door. I sometimes just lay there awake in the dark and listen to the noises waiting for the morning to come.
We were picked up by our driver who also picked up another couple, Ken and Sue from Sapporo, Japan. Although they introduced themselves as Ken and Sue, seeing that they hardly knew a bit of English and were "very" Japanese, I think they changed their names to sound more American to avoid any uncomfortable pronounciations from others who only spoke English. We befriended them and enjoyed their company.
Getting to and across the border was yet again an experience much like the movies in where you are in a third world country and you forget that it is the 20th century because hundreds of Africans from many countries were trying to cross the border...whether they were fleeing their own country or returning home, who knows. Here you would see as you would approach the imigration office women laying on the ground that looked like they were there for days, some with children in their arms breast feeding, some with children wrapped around their papooses (much like backpacks) looking at us with eyes I will never forget. Just hoping and waiting to get through.. we being white or people with money would just walk around them into the building just cutting in line because our guide was obviously paying someone off and/or our papers were in order versus refugees and others who had none.
I suppose by now, being that we have been on the road for three weeks and have experienced this many times one would eventually get used to this chaos but I have not. We have not built up the tolerance or the comfortness of it at all - I still get freaked out even when we have a guide to assist us.
There, at the border, I could never explain enough in words the experience of what we see there but I will try. Fumes of trucks and pollution from the exhaust and garbage that overtakes our senses, the spew from all the pollution just fills your lungs and all you want to do it get past this and go forward but you cannot until given permission and your paperwork was reviewed by someone behind the thick glass at the imigration desk. Many people all over trying to get through, most hope to cross that day but probably will not. Most of the trucks and their drivers may need to wait as long as several weeks in line just hoping that the next boat will take them through and that their goods were approved to cross, so they wait in line, for most, not haven taken a bath for a long period of time. Perhaps these drivers sleep in their trucks bringing hopefully enough food to get through their own ordeals getting to the neighboring border.
Once near and inside the office of immigration, the dirt and dust surrounds everthing, barb wire is evident hoping to intimidate those who think they might want to jump it. People everywhere inside, wall to wall, back to back, as we push through to get our papers reviewed we push on. The office is small but we manage somehow to wait and push onward with our guide following his direction as foot solders follow an officer. Once inside the pungent odor of african sweat covers all the breathable air inside, you can never forget the smell. It is nothing like I have ever experienced before, so strong that Rhett - and most to be honest - only allow each gasp of air into the body through your mouth to avoid it entering the nostrills....I exaggerate not a bit with these details, like I said most of the people here have probably not taken a real bath for weeks if ever and if they had, it would have been from dirty river water they had access to....very sad.
As we make our way through with our guide to the desk, they look at us, look at our passport, give it a loud stamp, and we are off to the other border into Botswana. This is just the experience getting out of Zambia, now we need to enter Botswana's immigration process. This was much easier. Getting to it was a 10 minute boat ride that takes you from Zambia to Botswana and was also an experience. In that 10 minutes of a boat ride, the waters were shared by four contries....Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and of course Botswana. Here we landed on shore and were greeted by another guide who would take us into Botwana for our final safari.
In Botswana we went to Chobe National Park on a day trip. On Botswana's northern border lies the Kwando, Linyati and Chobe River system which forms a series of lakes, islands and floodplains and is home to the greatest concentration of game in the ENTIRE Southern African subcontinent.
Chobe National Park, famous for its large elephant and buffalo herds, lies on the banks of the Chobe River (wihch flows into the Zambezi). The park has an abundance of elephants (over 100,000 roam there) and over 460 types of beautiful and colorful birds too. Rhett and I had a first hand viewing of these elephants and other game that were no further than 5-15 feet around us.....so close just eating and playing in the waters, rolling in the sand near the water, just as if we were not there. They are so used to jeeps that they just go about their everyday duties ignoring the jeep and allowing us to watch their awesome size and beauty. We also witnessed birds that flew across the river catching fish, hippos playing and swimming near by bellowing to each other chatting away. The panoramic view was spectaular, and just when we thought we had seen it all, we had only just begun.
At Chobe National Park, Mother Earth consisted of sand and dunes unlike the red earth from our earlier safari adventures. Since the watering holes were full and plentiful, the animals (unlike the ones at Kruger National Park in South Africa) were much more at ease and less agitated with the sounds of our jeep so we were able to get much, much closer. We also got a viewing of two of of the rarest animals in all of Africa, the Sable Antelope and the Puku Antelope - both of which are almost extinct and extremely hard to find.
The return back into Zambia after a long day trip was less chaotic and eventually we returned back into our little cottage.
Regrettably, Rhett and I cannot call ourselves Paris and Nicole because those two girls would never have taken such conditions and adventures. The Association of Gay Americans (not a real association) will probably take our gay cards away from us because most gay men would never adventure out to do some of the things we have done. Happily Andrew and Rhett have become stronger people and have a greater appreciation of what we have so goodbye Paris and Nicole, you will be missed and farewell to you both!!
We are now back in Johannesburg after a crazy and another chaotic experience at the airport. Our flight was canceled in Livingstone and the entire airport was up in arms with people everywhere trying to get depart. We were only delayed one hour but the expeirence seemed like it lasted days.
On our way out of Zambia were were told by our driver that today they were celebrating World Malaria Day and they were gettting ready to have a parade. This day they were creating awareness about Malaria and celebrating the fact that prevention was more available to them and most of Africa. Malaria is the number one cause of death here in Africa next to AIDS and more than one million lives have been lost due to this illness of which most have been children. The United Nations provides more medication to them, mosquito netting that protects them at night, and replenishes the mosquito repellent. Just like we had a net that surrounded our bed at night, most Zambian people in the past have not. We were even told that the Princess of England was going to attend the celebration and parade as well with the local residents here in Zambia to create awareness.
I am glad to have left our little cottage/chalet with no windows, just nets, and a pillow that was as thin as a couple of magaizines that once folded in many ways, became just bearable enough to lay your head. The mattress we left behind was simply old, hard, and my back and body are feeling the repercussions of it as I type. Although knowing that most people that were sleeping under the same african skies had it much harder than us, probably sleeping on a thinner mat or on the ground, I am still glad to have left this small dusty town and back into Johannesburg - a big city far away from there.
For the last few weeks Rhett and I have visited five countries (Great Britain, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana) most of them from the developing world and very poor where 80% of people make less than $3 a day. The land where they live is beautiful with clear blue skies, rivers and hills, music and a history of culture, pain and sacrifice, disease and sorrow, but mostly each day they wake up and thank God and hope that today will be a better one than last.
Now Rhett and I are back in the lap of luxury where we are surrounded by all the amenites we nauturally enjoy. The General Manager here has put us into a suite that is as you can imagine is just wonderful. No more roughing it for us for sometime... We no longer need to live with bugspray, clean our teeth and wash our mouths with bottled water to avoid water borne diseases and our mattress once again is full and restful. We got to see how the rest of the world lives here in Africa but we are made from a different mold. We have longed for the last four days for radio and t.v. since we had none in Zambia. Most of the news we received was from word of mouth. Can you imagine getting news in this manner every day? It drove us crazy.
We plan to spend the next few days to relax here in Jo'Burg and start getting used to the idea that we will soon be back at home and back at work. Here we can reflect on all that we have done and seen along the way. We also learned about ourselves in what our comfort zones are when traveling and how safety is very important to us. We realize that taking certain adventures are just not cut out for us.
I will not be writing the next few days but will send one more email from home letting you know we are safe and sound back in Chicago. Our flight is going to last about 24 hours with a rest over in London for breakfast and a stretch of our legs.
We miss our doggies, our fishies, and of course our family and friends most of all. We hoped that you have enjoyed our travel journal email and we look foward to seeing your face soon.
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Friday, April 25, 2008
Photos of Botswana and Zambia
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Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Livingstone, Zambia - Day Three
(posted by Andy)
Today was an early morning awaking because we were picked up for our bush walk. Unlike being in the car in the bush, today we walked... we were escorted by two trackers and a gun man and spent three hours in the wild. Walking felt different than being in a jeep, we were more vulnerable walking around hoping not to get atttacked by some wild beast! Here there are no wild cats like the lion, cheetah, or leopard, but there are plenty of elephants that could kick our asses and basically kill us if we don't watch out for them and be on guard.
Today we were on the search for the white rhino here that we have already mentioned is the last of them due to poaching (killing for its horn). We followed his tracks for about an hour and then behold, this giant magnificent animal just feet away from us hiding in the bush! These guys are good when it comes to finding these animals in a very large area of land. You would think that a rhino would be easy to find as he is so huge but he blends into the trees and shadows so he can be hard to spot. We followed the tracks of his feet in the dry muddy dirt. This creature is guarded and protect 24 hours a day by a man with a rifle because he is the last white rhino in the entire country of Zambia and his horn is worth over $10,000 U.S. dollars which for people around here is like our MILLION...anyways he is and must be protected!
Rhett and I were very alert, o.k frightened, when we intially saw him because he was literally 20 feet away and stood about 13 feet tall and weighed a couple of tons....a big, big animal with a very large two horns...we have photos, will show you when we can.
Along our walk we also encountered more giraffes, zebras, hippos, monkeys, impalas and other sorts of birds. All of the creatures except the hippos were very near and very intense to see on foot.
The weather here is hot as shit (92 today?!) and very dry....we tried to lay out a bit after the bush walk but could hardly make it past 1.5 hours at the pool at our camp. The pool you would have thought to be refreshing in such weather conditions but it is as cold as Antarctica!
We learned some things from our trackers that I wanted to share. Only about 20 percent of the people here have jobs, the rest just beg and try to sell their goods on the street...very bad and very poor. Even those who have an college education find it difficult to find work and it takes sometimes as long as 5 years to find a job. That sucks! Think again how lucky we all are and even those of us who are looking currently for a job, 5 years is a very long time not to work.....stealing and prostitution is sometimes the only way.
Tomorrow we are to awake again at 6:30 a.m. to go on our final safari in another bordering country named Botswana. That would make it our 4th country visited on this trip. This experience will be much different that the other safaris beacase it will also consist of a boat trip where we will float along hippos and crocs along the way down the river prior to our jeep safari. The road trip to this country is about one hour and wish us luck getting across the border...the woman who sold us the trip said this will also be an experience getting there....hopefully not the same as our horrific experience as into Mozambique!
We nearly have run out of money here because trying to pull cash from our Master Card ATM has been an experience all of it's own. In all of the countries that Rhett and I have visited along the years, this was the hardest to withdraw, we litteraly have about $50.00 to our name and almost had to call home to do a wire transfer.
After going to almost every bank in this dusty town, our faithful cab driver Phiri took us to one final place before giving up....and as we walked in the teller was closing up and we thought we were doomed. After some pleading and showing our puppy eyes......he agreed to help us out. Good job Phiri and thanks for saving our asses! Man, talk about some luck! We now have enought to get us through the next few days.
We need money because we are always changing countries so we need currency of that country. However it is generally good *only* in that country, so we can only withdraw a certain amount needed for our stay in that particular country. It gets complicated. Anyways, we are funded and ready to continue onward and into Botswana!
Our next email may take a few days because we will be on safari all day tomorrow and then off to South Africa for our final few days prior to returing home
(posted by Andy)
Today was an early morning awaking because we were picked up for our bush walk. Unlike being in the car in the bush, today we walked... we were escorted by two trackers and a gun man and spent three hours in the wild. Walking felt different than being in a jeep, we were more vulnerable walking around hoping not to get atttacked by some wild beast! Here there are no wild cats like the lion, cheetah, or leopard, but there are plenty of elephants that could kick our asses and basically kill us if we don't watch out for them and be on guard.
Today we were on the search for the white rhino here that we have already mentioned is the last of them due to poaching (killing for its horn). We followed his tracks for about an hour and then behold, this giant magnificent animal just feet away from us hiding in the bush! These guys are good when it comes to finding these animals in a very large area of land. You would think that a rhino would be easy to find as he is so huge but he blends into the trees and shadows so he can be hard to spot. We followed the tracks of his feet in the dry muddy dirt. This creature is guarded and protect 24 hours a day by a man with a rifle because he is the last white rhino in the entire country of Zambia and his horn is worth over $10,000 U.S. dollars which for people around here is like our MILLION...anyways he is and must be protected!
Rhett and I were very alert, o.k frightened, when we intially saw him because he was literally 20 feet away and stood about 13 feet tall and weighed a couple of tons....a big, big animal with a very large two horns...we have photos, will show you when we can.
Along our walk we also encountered more giraffes, zebras, hippos, monkeys, impalas and other sorts of birds. All of the creatures except the hippos were very near and very intense to see on foot.
The weather here is hot as shit (92 today?!) and very dry....we tried to lay out a bit after the bush walk but could hardly make it past 1.5 hours at the pool at our camp. The pool you would have thought to be refreshing in such weather conditions but it is as cold as Antarctica!
We learned some things from our trackers that I wanted to share. Only about 20 percent of the people here have jobs, the rest just beg and try to sell their goods on the street...very bad and very poor. Even those who have an college education find it difficult to find work and it takes sometimes as long as 5 years to find a job. That sucks! Think again how lucky we all are and even those of us who are looking currently for a job, 5 years is a very long time not to work.....stealing and prostitution is sometimes the only way.
Tomorrow we are to awake again at 6:30 a.m. to go on our final safari in another bordering country named Botswana. That would make it our 4th country visited on this trip. This experience will be much different that the other safaris beacase it will also consist of a boat trip where we will float along hippos and crocs along the way down the river prior to our jeep safari. The road trip to this country is about one hour and wish us luck getting across the border...the woman who sold us the trip said this will also be an experience getting there....hopefully not the same as our horrific experience as into Mozambique!
We nearly have run out of money here because trying to pull cash from our Master Card ATM has been an experience all of it's own. In all of the countries that Rhett and I have visited along the years, this was the hardest to withdraw, we litteraly have about $50.00 to our name and almost had to call home to do a wire transfer.
After going to almost every bank in this dusty town, our faithful cab driver Phiri took us to one final place before giving up....and as we walked in the teller was closing up and we thought we were doomed. After some pleading and showing our puppy eyes......he agreed to help us out. Good job Phiri and thanks for saving our asses! Man, talk about some luck! We now have enought to get us through the next few days.
We need money because we are always changing countries so we need currency of that country. However it is generally good *only* in that country, so we can only withdraw a certain amount needed for our stay in that particular country. It gets complicated. Anyways, we are funded and ready to continue onward and into Botswana!
Our next email may take a few days because we will be on safari all day tomorrow and then off to South Africa for our final few days prior to returing home
Zambia - Day Two
(posted by Andy)
Hello. Early today, we were picked up by our friendly cab driver who we have decided to hire anytime we need a ride. We trust him and he is very nice guy. He is a young kid with a wife and two kids; here many of the men can marry more than one wife if they wish but he can only deal (financially) with one he tells me. Here and in most of Africa we are told that women are not respected very much by the men and always get talked down to or cheated on...so all you women out there, be happy you're not barefoot and pregnant and living in Africa!
Our journey today was to Victoria Falls. One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, it is one of the largest and greatest waterfalls. In fact, it sends the largest volume of water of any of the world's waterfalls. Quite magnificant but with all the mist protruding out of its depths it was very difficult to see and anyone who is near it gets drenched as we did. It seems like it is raining when you are next to it and luckily we had a water bag to hide our camera and a raincoat to stay dry. Not bad for two bimbos!
We only visited the Zambia side and could not visit the Zimbabwe side due to all the problems we mentioned earlier in our past email. We are now on our way back to the lodge to hang out and chill for the rest of our day.
Last night, was very laid back since there was not much to do around the camp. We basically played rummy under our netted canopy bed.....much needed due to all the critters that buzz around here. In the middle of the night, I (Rhett slept), heard monkeys fighting in the trees above and hippos bellowing as they grazed nearby.
Very hot today and dry but better than humid anyday.
Talk to you all soon, our trip is almost at it's end....
(posted by Andy)
Hello. Early today, we were picked up by our friendly cab driver who we have decided to hire anytime we need a ride. We trust him and he is very nice guy. He is a young kid with a wife and two kids; here many of the men can marry more than one wife if they wish but he can only deal (financially) with one he tells me. Here and in most of Africa we are told that women are not respected very much by the men and always get talked down to or cheated on...so all you women out there, be happy you're not barefoot and pregnant and living in Africa!
Our journey today was to Victoria Falls. One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, it is one of the largest and greatest waterfalls. In fact, it sends the largest volume of water of any of the world's waterfalls. Quite magnificant but with all the mist protruding out of its depths it was very difficult to see and anyone who is near it gets drenched as we did. It seems like it is raining when you are next to it and luckily we had a water bag to hide our camera and a raincoat to stay dry. Not bad for two bimbos!
We only visited the Zambia side and could not visit the Zimbabwe side due to all the problems we mentioned earlier in our past email. We are now on our way back to the lodge to hang out and chill for the rest of our day.
Last night, was very laid back since there was not much to do around the camp. We basically played rummy under our netted canopy bed.....much needed due to all the critters that buzz around here. In the middle of the night, I (Rhett slept), heard monkeys fighting in the trees above and hippos bellowing as they grazed nearby.
Very hot today and dry but better than humid anyday.
Talk to you all soon, our trip is almost at it's end....
Livingstone, Zambia - Day One
(Posted by Andy)
Well we have arived in Zambia and are located in a town called Livingston. Going through customs was another adventure...not scary, just time consuming... took about 1 hour to get us through immigration and into this country. We have been told that things move very slow around here and this place is indeed very relaxed.
I think this place was named after that famous British explorer called Mr. Stanley Livingston. Zambia has about 73 different tribes, and Livingston has about 160,000 residents. A very small town, dusty and relatively low income but lots of banks and simple commerce (grocery, money changing, etc) going on... there is little to do outside of the main things that most tourist who come here to do:
1. visit Victoria Falls, which we will do tomorrow and will let you know more.
2. adventure trips like bungee jumping or white water rafting (which we can not do due to high waters - rats!)
3. and safaris which we will do in another country called Botswana which is only an hour away from here
Our accommodations are very rustic and very basic with a chalet (like a one-room cabin) that has netting around the beds to keep out the bugs and a shower that does just what it is supposed to do. Paris and Nicole would not like this, but Andrew and Rhett will do just fine. We are located on the banks of the great Zambezi river which flows into the falls. There is a small restaurant and bar that overlooks the river. Again basic. There is no internet or t.v. there so we went into the city to find a internet cafe where I type to you right now. No wild animals around us besides a crocodile and a rhino which we have not seen yet. Hippos too! Sadly there were three rhinos last year but two were poached in the last year, the other injured and is under heavy government protection.
Strangely we have been trying to get cash from the money machines but they only accept Visa and Plus network - we only have mastercard/cirrus. So we will have to cash our dollars and rands or hook on the streets until we get enough cash... we will be fine but it is a strange problem.
We just wanted to let you all know that we have made is safe and sound and will try to communicate with you soon.
(Posted by Andy)
Well we have arived in Zambia and are located in a town called Livingston. Going through customs was another adventure...not scary, just time consuming... took about 1 hour to get us through immigration and into this country. We have been told that things move very slow around here and this place is indeed very relaxed.
I think this place was named after that famous British explorer called Mr. Stanley Livingston. Zambia has about 73 different tribes, and Livingston has about 160,000 residents. A very small town, dusty and relatively low income but lots of banks and simple commerce (grocery, money changing, etc) going on... there is little to do outside of the main things that most tourist who come here to do:
1. visit Victoria Falls, which we will do tomorrow and will let you know more.
2. adventure trips like bungee jumping or white water rafting (which we can not do due to high waters - rats!)
3. and safaris which we will do in another country called Botswana which is only an hour away from here
Our accommodations are very rustic and very basic with a chalet (like a one-room cabin) that has netting around the beds to keep out the bugs and a shower that does just what it is supposed to do. Paris and Nicole would not like this, but Andrew and Rhett will do just fine. We are located on the banks of the great Zambezi river which flows into the falls. There is a small restaurant and bar that overlooks the river. Again basic. There is no internet or t.v. there so we went into the city to find a internet cafe where I type to you right now. No wild animals around us besides a crocodile and a rhino which we have not seen yet. Hippos too! Sadly there were three rhinos last year but two were poached in the last year, the other injured and is under heavy government protection.
Strangely we have been trying to get cash from the money machines but they only accept Visa and Plus network - we only have mastercard/cirrus. So we will have to cash our dollars and rands or hook on the streets until we get enough cash... we will be fine but it is a strange problem.
We just wanted to let you all know that we have made is safe and sound and will try to communicate with you soon.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Jo'burg Day 2
(posting by Andy)
Hello again! We are still in Johannesburg and it was a very nice day here today. Our hotel is in a very safe area and we were pleased to find that today, Sunday, the biggest art & craft fair in the city was happening just a few blocks away. We visted the "African Craft Market" which takes over literally an entire parking lot of a major mall - intense - and we were surprised to see so many vendors selling their goods...we walked around for about 5 1/2 hours where we visited little shops selling masks, paintings (we purchased one from an artist we met), and other little trinkets that we purchased during our days walk. We also had lunch at the market (Indian food) and it was quite good and so far, neither of us have crapped our pants after eating food from the street....more good news for us! Generally we stray away from food from street vendors, but being in a safe and nice area we decided to take the chance. The girl that sold to me my tropical drink promised me she was using "safe" ice - meaning potable water, ready to drink.
We were also entertained along the way by local African dancers, jugglers, and animal trainers that brought exotic birds (including a huge eagle if you can believe it), lizards, and snakes - snakes from America if you can believe it! The kids were entertained as was I while Rhett was a bit bored so he continued shopping.
Again, the area we are in is VERY safe, almost boring, but exactly what we need right now after our experience in Mozambique. Early tomorrow morning will be leaving South Africa again and will visit another country called Zambia. Back into the wild bush and again surrounded by wildlife. I hope we can continue to communicate with you but we will be in the middle of a less developed area and we do not know if the internet can be found for us.
Zambia is located next to Zimbabwe where, if you have not watched recent world news (shame on you), is at the brink of civil war. Please watch CNN for the next few days. We will be located only six miles from the border of the country from which they are broadcasting. Don't worry, Rhett tells me that Zambia is a very safe and stable country. Please watch the news and look for us as we wave to the cameras in the background. Just kidding.
Well, that is it for now, wish us a safe journey to yet another country. We are about to walk around again and look for a place to eat so we can make it a early night and ready for a new flight.
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Saturday, April 19, 2008
Finally in Jo'burg
(posting by Andy)
The ride out of Mozambique was very stressful and Rhett and I were very uncomfortable prior to our departing road trip. I got very little sleep last night hoping that we would not get pulled over again and being harrased from cops on the way to the border. We did pass police officers but we made a point to look preoccupied and busy in conversation with each other in order to prevent them from pulling us over. It worked.
We literally drove passed two road blocks and each time prayed that they would not ask us to pull over. It has been some time since I have prayed to God to help me out and the prayer I did prior to us leaving worked... hoping each mile closer to the border into South Africa that it would go smoothly and for the most part, it did. Rhett would literally count the kilometers to the border but laws only allowed 80 km an hour (about 45 mph) and we were so stressed... not fast enough... it was excruciating! But we made it.
This morning we made it a point to leave very early (on a weekend) and the traffic was not as congested as on the way in and there were less people. The abject poverty we saw on the way into town was very limited today. We felt a bit better than we did in days past. Anyhoot, we made it to the border and we did not get hassled.
Through the border we bribed a gaurd with money (150 metacais, about $7) to not hassle us and they did not even go through our luggage.....we have 8 bags with us so this was a nice treat! Paris and Nicole have way too much and have added things along the way as most of you can expect.
Once out of the border and back into South Africa we took a DEEP breath, smiled and high-fived each other and gave a loud Whoo Hooo! Although we had to continue being cautious through South Africa it was certainly comforting to be back on familar grounds.
Our trusty little Toyota took us on a nine (9) hour road trip accross South Africa today (600 kilometers!). Topography: we went through the bush, banana plantations, forests and lakes, wine country and flat land for a LONG time. It is much like going through California at first, and then winding up in Ohio and Illinois by the end. VERY boring for the last 3 hours or so but this time very safe. The road trip was easy to endure because the roads were paved much like we have back at home and Rhett thinks even better. Did I mention to you that they drive on the left side of the road here and the driver is also located opposite of what we are used to? We are driving a stickshift and it is located on the LEFT of the driver... takes some getting used to... Rhett has been doing a fantastic job at it and I must say, he is a pro by now! Kuddos to Rhett!
In the middle of our road trip today we stoped in a little fishing (trout) town called Machadodorp. This was a very (!) nice surprise to both of us as we had lunch along the lake with golden rolling hills behind us and ate a "smoked trout wrap". Sounds wierd but actually very delicious! The sun was about 70 degrees and we loved having the African sun back on our faces. Most enjoyable and soon afterwards, back on the road to Johannesburg.
We finally made it to the Hyatt Regency Johannesburg and we feel like we are home... well as good as it can get for two Gypsys... God what a relief! It is very nice here as you can imagine and are here for two days to relax for the chaos of Mozambique.
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Maputo - Day Two
(posting by Andy)
Today was a much better day for both of us here in Mozambique. It's funny, we have learned during this trip what our limits are when traveling. Here things are rougher than we have ever encountered nor expected so originally we were not at ease. Unlike the bush were we had to watch out for wild animals, here we need to watch out for criminals and shady cops. Different but in a sense very similar. The point is to watch your back everywhere you go and carry little to nothing of value on you.
Although we want to blame someone for the uneasyness, when people are very poor, crime is the only thing that is left for them at the end of the day. Everyone needs to eat everyday, and since we really don't know what it's like to be this poor, we just have to deal with the punches and watch our every move when out of the comfort of the hotel.
Traveling to third world countries is much different that what I have seen on t.v. Unlike Madonna or Angelina Jolie we don't have an army of gaurds that walk around with us and protect us... you don't see that on t.v. so this is something we have learned. Us bitches arn't rich enough so until we hit the lotto, I have asked Rhett to NEVER take me to a place this remote again. I am just not cut out for it.....I didn't know that before this trip. Rhett is also uneasy and agrees. Mind to all: Lonely Planet guides are really for the pretty rough traveler. We'd be surprised if Frommer's or Fodor's even MADE a guide on Mozambique...
Today was much better because we hired a private tuk-tuk. A tuk-tuk is much like a moped that can seat two people plus the driver. This nice guy was named Simbola and he showed us around town and took us to the market where today's catch of fish, fruits and vegetables, and little trinkets are sold. The experience was very good and we felt very comfortable with him as he took us around for an hour or so.
He then dropped us for an hour to have lunch at the Hotel Polana which has colonial Portuguese architecture. Very swanky and very nice. After lunch Simbola waited for us in front and took us back to our hotel which is where I type you now.
Early tomorrow we want to get a head start out so we can have daylight travel back into South Africa where we will be in Johannesburg for two days - we changed our trip to go there a day early to ease our minds and make our vacation a bit more comfortable for us. Johannesburg is the commerical capital of the African continent and the largest city in South Africa with 7 million inhabitants. A very big city - parts are very unsafe, but we will be in the old money area and have no interest in danger (been there... done that)! We are staying at the Hyatt there so for Rhett and I, it will feel more like home as they will make sure to take care of us.
(posting by Andy)
Today was a much better day for both of us here in Mozambique. It's funny, we have learned during this trip what our limits are when traveling. Here things are rougher than we have ever encountered nor expected so originally we were not at ease. Unlike the bush were we had to watch out for wild animals, here we need to watch out for criminals and shady cops. Different but in a sense very similar. The point is to watch your back everywhere you go and carry little to nothing of value on you.
Although we want to blame someone for the uneasyness, when people are very poor, crime is the only thing that is left for them at the end of the day. Everyone needs to eat everyday, and since we really don't know what it's like to be this poor, we just have to deal with the punches and watch our every move when out of the comfort of the hotel.
Traveling to third world countries is much different that what I have seen on t.v. Unlike Madonna or Angelina Jolie we don't have an army of gaurds that walk around with us and protect us... you don't see that on t.v. so this is something we have learned. Us bitches arn't rich enough so until we hit the lotto, I have asked Rhett to NEVER take me to a place this remote again. I am just not cut out for it.....I didn't know that before this trip. Rhett is also uneasy and agrees. Mind to all: Lonely Planet guides are really for the pretty rough traveler. We'd be surprised if Frommer's or Fodor's even MADE a guide on Mozambique...
Today was much better because we hired a private tuk-tuk. A tuk-tuk is much like a moped that can seat two people plus the driver. This nice guy was named Simbola and he showed us around town and took us to the market where today's catch of fish, fruits and vegetables, and little trinkets are sold. The experience was very good and we felt very comfortable with him as he took us around for an hour or so.
He then dropped us for an hour to have lunch at the Hotel Polana which has colonial Portuguese architecture. Very swanky and very nice. After lunch Simbola waited for us in front and took us back to our hotel which is where I type you now.
Early tomorrow we want to get a head start out so we can have daylight travel back into South Africa where we will be in Johannesburg for two days - we changed our trip to go there a day early to ease our minds and make our vacation a bit more comfortable for us. Johannesburg is the commerical capital of the African continent and the largest city in South Africa with 7 million inhabitants. A very big city - parts are very unsafe, but we will be in the old money area and have no interest in danger (been there... done that)! We are staying at the Hyatt there so for Rhett and I, it will feel more like home as they will make sure to take care of us.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Maputo, Mozambique - Day One
(posted by Andy)
Today we have arived in Maputo, a city located in the country of Mozambique. We are no lonter in Sourth Africa and will be here for 3 days...more about that in a moment.
We have left our lap of luxury in which we have taken advantage of all the facilities here at the lodge and spa. Our stay there was very relaxing and we enjoyed walks along the river where we encountered waterfalls, butterflies, and some birds that were shy and hiding in the massively tall forest trees; a much different experience than lions and other wild animals! It felt good to be safe when walking but less adventurous as you can imagine.
Our experience getting to Mozambique was unique to say the least. We are certainly in a third world country and it shows in every corner of ones eye. Crossing the border was just like something out a movie where many people from South Africa and Mozambique line up in every from of transportation included and many by foot. It was chaotic and very difficult for me to experience because it is so different from which I am accustomed.
A young man helped Rhett and I with our passports both exiting South Africa and then entering Mozambique. Here women carry their goods on their heads and the color of most of the poeple we encountered are very dark....we are definitely two fish out of water and very easy to spot as we travel around.
Shorthly after entering Mozambique we were pulled over by a police man that asked us for our papers. Since we have all our ducks in a row we thought nothing of it....until he insisted that we had no insurance. Our paper works says different and we had to pay him off to let us go forward. Before our departure I took most of my money and put it inside my pocket and out of my wallet for this exact reason. We had to pay him evreything we had in our wallets (about $20 in odd currencies) and this was extremely uneasy. Thank goodness we had more hidden and it all went well.
Here the police offices can not be trusted to help you, we have to bribe them with money so they will let you continue on your journey. Rhett tells me it is normal and common since they get paid so little, I was very worried and was even more worried for lying to him about not having any more cash. Well, after a bit of negotiations, and after a few moments, he let us pass (we had a similar incident in Indonesia a few years ago and should have remembered)...
Please don't be worried, we made it fine and from now on will be used to such encounters should they arive. We are now in our hotel and safe and sound - the Holiday Inn (which is very much nicer than a typical Holiday Inn). Our hotel views the Indian Ocean and it is very nice.
Mozambique appears to be *very* poor and our first impression is thus. Tomorrow we will relax a bit by our pool and adventure away from the hotel as far as is safely allowed
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Londolozi Day 3 and Cybele Lodge
(posting by Andy)
I had a terrible night's sleep last night; in fact many of us at the camp had a horrible night's sleep...why? Because the lodge was invaded throughout the night while we were asleep by lions, hyenas, and hippos. The rumble of noises kept me awake but Rhett slept through most of it. It was THE talk during breakfast by all about what we heard and what was out in the dark of night. During the night, WE CAN NOT leave our room unless escorted by a gaurd so you couldn't ever go out and see what was out there because it was literally outside our doors and terribly dangerous to explore.
Today our deck was bombarded by little monkeys that if you walked close enough to the glass window they would charge you and slap the glass...little buggers are mean and have no fear of humans. They have been more of a pest than the mosquitos believe it or not. Unlike mosquitos there is no repllent for them, nothing but a gun that shoots air..not allowed to shoot primates here in South Africa although very tempting.
Yesterday we spoke to several locals about our next trip to Swaziland and they ALL told us that it was not a good decision to drive there - in fact very dangerous. People have been known to be stopped and have their windows broken while in the car and robbed and killed. This is not a joke, very dangerous. I could not bear the idea and almost felt like throwing up while they told us the stories and their warnings. Although the ride was only going to be 4 hours long and during the day it was still very dangerous. Had we known this when planing our trip we would have never considered it but thank God I asked around and got the information from them (we don't mean to scare you at home, I am just being honest and want to share our complete experience). Our passports will not alow us to enter into Mozambique until Thursday (today is Tuesday) so we needed a place to stay for the following two days. Because the hotel we were at was extremely expensive it was impossible to budget into the trip. So a change of plans......
We sat down with the general manager and explained our situation and she completely understood and offered some advice. She knew of a couple of bread and breakfast areas out of the bush for a different experience about 2 hours away and a much safer place to explore.
So here we now are, unexpected but still *very* beautiful. We have driven into the moutains and river area of South Africa at a forest lodge called Cybele. Cybele is situated 300 miles east of Johannesburg and is 3000 feet above sea level. Unlike the bush it is a bit cooler and less humid. Here we can hike, explore trails, rivers and waterfalls...a much needed rest from all the days of activities under the hot sun and dust in the bush.
Now that we are here, it is spectacular and quite lovely. We are surrounded by tall forest trees and the place is very private with only 12 private chalets. Our cottage (much like a private little house) is gorgeous with a bedroom, living room and a private yard and we are very happy we made the decision not to go to Swaziland. We will lose the opprotunity to go whitewater rafting there but our lives are much more important and my sanity has been once again restored. So much that Rhett and I have booked a 5 hour day spa that includes a massage, a facial, mani and pedi, and a lovely bath to boot. Paris and Nicole are back in their element!
Anyways, we wanted to let you know that our environment has changed and that our plans have as well. We will be here for two days and then off to Maputo, Mozambique to continue with our original plans in which we will keep you posted.
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