Traveling here and there, without a spare….

From Aswan, we took a two day cruise along the Nile to Luxor. The first evening, we sat on the boat and truly relaxed… there’s nothing like relaxing next to a pool, reading a book on a warm Egyptian evening, while the sun sets over the mountains in the distance. It was quite peaceful. The food was decent, although you don’t expect too much from a cruise. The next day we stopped in a town on the way to do some sight seeing, etc. We noticed that when you are on your own and away from the big tour groups, the touts and hawkers are much less aggressive. When we were leaving the boat, however, or travelling next to the big groups, we noticed that the touts, rickshaw drivers, etc, would go as far as getting right in your face, or pull on your arm, or jockey for position with others for your attention. We did our best to ignore it all, as usual, it tended to be best to say “No thanks” once and ignore the rest.

We arrived in Luxor and were very impressed with the Luxor temple. It’s very large and well lit at night. After a good night sleep, we woke up and decided to rent bicycles for the day. There are many expensive tours to see the tombs and such but it is not that far away so we decided to make our own bicycle tour of it. We found that by doing it on a bike, we were able to appreciate more of the surroundings and also get to see some of the small villages that normally you might simply wiz past on a massive tour bus. We had a blast and felt happy that we got a bit exercise as well!

We tried to take an over-night sleeper train (which is typical for tourists) to travel from Cairo down south to Aswan but unfortuneatly the two people ahead of us in line got the last remaining tickets. Instead, we took the day train (seats, no beds). Leaving at 7am, 14 hours later we arrived, a little travel weary, in Aswan. We walked out to our hotel from the train station and immediately crashed, very happy to be in a bed.

The next day we woke up and walked around the city. It easily has the best promenade that we saw in Egypt; many shops, eateries, and people out and about. Here, we started to notice what people refer to as aggressive Egyptian men….. basically, as we walked down the promenade, a random guy would offer to us “water?… coke?…. beautiful!!…”. That last one was obviously directed at Paula… like you didn’t already know. Anyway, my name was quickly changed to ‘lucky guy’. This is funny and a bit flattering the first few times…  it wears thin rather quickly though… oh well, we just ignore and keep walking; no worries.

The following day, we did a tour. It was to see the High Dam and the Philae temple. Maybe the worst tour ever. The first part was to see a dam. Basically you look at it…. “ok, there it is… look how it holds the water back, great”.  Then we went to the Philae temple which was interesting but our guide had very limited english skills so we learned almost nothing. Also, he seemed very agitated when, in the middle of the tour, we would take pictures… apparently he wanted to do his shpeel then go sit in the shade while we take the pics. Oh well. We met some interesting people, though. A couple from England (although the guy was really from New Zealand (Nick) and the girl was Indian (Preety)) and a couple from Ecuador. We had dinner with the Londoners and received an open invitation to stay at the home of the Ecuadorians when we visit Ecuador. They were all so nice that we had a good time on the tour anyway.

Next we’ll be doing a cruise down the Nile… can’t wait!

Cairo is an interesting city. Is is lively and modern. We spent some time strolling through its different areas and a little time in Islamic Cairo. We noticed that taxi drivers here are a little like the ones in India. There always seems to be a problem… either they want to change the fare you agreed to before you got in the car or they want to drop you off early and not take you all the way. We learned pretty quick that it’s best not to argue… just say ‘no’, remind them they agreed to a specific price and call it quits. They protest a bit but then tend to relent after a few minutes… although those ‘few’ minutes can be a fairly tense eternity sometimes.

We took a taxi to Giza to see the pyramids. As we get close, the taxi suddenly stops and a random guy jumps in only to start touting his camel/horse/guide services…. we say ‘no’ and stare blankly ahead to emphasize our disinterest. He gets the idea and jumps out… two more of these guys later, we arrive.  As I’m paying the entrance fee, Paula is approached again and says no. When I return, he approaches me… paula says ‘no’… he says ‘you be quit… no talk’. Clearly he doesn’t know that yelling a western man’s wife is not going to make it possible for him to do business with me… oh well.

Walking around the pyramids and the sphynx was intersting. Surrounding these phenomenal feats of construction is a ton of trash and a bit of graffiti which is disappointing. Either way, it is still surreal to stand in front of something that was built by an extinct culture thousands of years ago. After we finished walking around, we went across the street to the Pizza Hut. As we had our pepperoni pizza, we looked out the window and realized, as the sun set over the pyramids, that this is probably the best view from a Pizza Hut, ever.

We left Tanzania and had a long trip to Cairo. We flew from Zanzibar to Dar Es Salaam, picked up more passengers and then flew to Adis Ababa (Ethiopia). Once there, we spent 3 hours in line to get a simple transit visa as our connecting flight didn’t leave until the next morning. So, once we received the visa, the airline dropped us at our hotel, fed us dinner and off to sleep we went. The next morning, they fed us again and brought us back to the airport. The flight took off and then almost immediately landed for a maintenance stop (which was planned… no need to worry)  in Sudan. We’re not sure why this flight does this as it is not a long way to Cairo. 20 minutes later we’re up in the air again and on our way… to Cairo, finally.

Paula and I are sitting in 2nd row, behind the 1st class curtain, that is. When it lands the people in front of us but behind the curtain don’t get up immediately so paula moves forward, essentially into the 1st class area. Normally, we just sit as we find it useless to rush to stand and wait in the line when the doors have not been opened yet. Anyway, since Paula moved forward, I decided to join her. The door opens and we shuffle out of the plane. As we’re walking down the steps, I noticed that noone was behind me. We had accidently snuck into the 1st class domain… hmmm… so, here’s some insider info if you’ve never done the 1st class thing. When we get to the bottom of the steps we are escorted to a minivan… no massive people mover this time. Granted, it was one seat short so I had to stand but I didn’t mind. A few looks from other riders told me that they knew we were not one of ‘them’ but the driver didn’t so we were in like ‘flin’. Once we were all there, the van sped off and brought us directly to the terminal. We jumped out and went through the most efficient customs process ever and were then shown to our baggage claim area. Our bags, for some lucky reason, were the second and fourth bags so we ended up being the first out of the airport. A grand total of 15 minutes to get from the ding of airplane (when it stops and you are ‘free to move about the cabin’) through immigration, through baggage, to the airport exit. Lovin’ it!

Finally arrived in Zanzibar! Woohoo… With me hobbling around (knee still busted from the hike), we find our way around Stone Town, the old town of Zanzibar,dodging the brutal sun whenever possible . We checked out the sites and had lunch at a spot with a nice view of the water. Later, we found a restaurant that had ‘Banana Split’ on the menu so Paula got excited. When she ordered it, though, they said they didn’t have it. Being the genius that she is, she inquired and found that they, in fact, had bananas, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate syrup. What they didn’t have, however, was a clue as to what a banana split was or how to make it. So, they just say they are ‘all out’.

After dinner, we discovered a night market that is full of fresh fish (octopus, baracuda, reef shark, and other specialties). Mauricio got a grilled octopus tentacle (leg?… not sure what the tech name is). We all tried a bit and it turned out to be very good.

Later on, walking home, we met the town drunk. He offered directions, then proceeded to follow us, nagging all the way about how we’re ‘not nice’ as we redirected and decided to take a taxi (drunk guy following the taxi for half a block) home.

The next day we got up early and set off on a snorkling adventure. We found a very reasonable rate so the 3 of us piled into the boat and off we went. We saw all sorts of underwater life. Many fish, beautiful coral, etc. All the while with incredible white sand beaches, the most blue of skies, and crystal clear water… this is what it’s all about!

Still not having banana splits, paula ordered an ice cream with banana and chocolate sauce after lunch.

Later on that evening after we finished a nice dinner we were, by chance, again, escorted to a cab by the same town drunk… he still doesn’t like us. He seems harmless at this point and is becoming a joke to us.

Our last evening, we stop by the night market to see what we can get. After some haggling, we tried the reef shark, baracuda, and the ‘pancake’ that is actually more like a breakfast burrito (thin dough-like shell with egg, meat, onions, tomatoes, etc inside)… delicious! (and no ill effects if you catch my drift… wink wink nudge nudge) No escort by our cranky drunken friend this time… oh well… oddly, we missed him a little bit.

The next day we get our things together and head for the airport. After Mauricio is held up for a bit they finally let him through with a ticket. He has 10 minutes to board his flight and his bag has not been sent through yet… hmm. Finally, they take his bag and we hear ‘Luggage tag? can I get a luggage tag?’ Apparrently they’re just going to load it with no tag. ‘How are you going to know where it goes without a tag?’ he asks… logical. Well, when we get through to the gate we get to see the plane he’s going on. Smallest plane ever. Maybe a 6 seater?… including captain. We can see and wave at him in the airplane as it heads off the runway. Then, we crack up as we watch the tiny thing use less than a tenth of the runway to take off. Off goes the only bit of home we’ve had in three and a half months. Thanks for coming out, Mo, it was a blast!!! As for us… to Egypt!

After the trek, we decided to take a bus down to Dar Es Salaam and then a ferry over to Zanzibar for some fun in the sun, snorkling, R&R, etc. We arrived back from the trek around 10:30AM. Paul, the hike organizer, set up a room for us to quickly shower and clean up before we left, for free (love that guy!). We were happy to accept. After getting ourselves organized, we rushed off to the bus station to make our 12 noon bus. When we hurriedly arrived, 11:58AM, we learned that the bus (arriving from Nairobi, Kenya) would actually be there at 12:15…. or 12:30… maybe 12:45. ‘OK’…. After waiting until 1:30 we became a bit concerned. We asked and were told that the bus was in a nearby town and on its way… maybe 30 minutes more. ‘uh… OK’. 2PM, the afternoon rains begin. Terrential rain comes crashing down and, immediately, a river is flowing through the gutter in front of the bus station. It is coming down so hard that a small section (maybe 1 foot square) of the roof falls down. Yikes, right? Everyone grabs their stuff and moves inside to get away from it all. 2:30PM, the rain is still falling and Mauricio, Paula and I are getting a little stir-crazy. At 3PM, 1.5 hours after we were told only 30 minutes more to wait, we ask again and learn that ‘there was an accident’…. but….. ‘bus is coming’. ‘hmm… OK’. So as we watch the rain come down, Mauricio mentions that he used to be able to make a paper boat…. not 5 minutes later, the three of us have whipped out our paper and are diligently designing our ships for a very competitive regata. We took our paper boats outside around 3:30 (the rain beginning to let up) and I set off my boat down the gutter as Paula timed it. Instantly the Tanzanian people are watching and laughing as we cheer on our boats. I won. As much as I would like to brag about my paper boat design skills, I have to admit (due to all the witnesses, of course) that I may have had some help in that the rain ended after my turn. Oh well, a win nonetheless. So, about 30 minutes later, or so, around 4:30, our 12 noon bus departs for Dar Es Salaam. Hakuna Matata….

Mt. Kilimanjaro, at 5895 meters above sea level, is the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. The hike can take 6, 7, or 8 days depending on how much you want to spend (more days=more money), which route you take, and how much time you want/need to acclimatize to the altitude.  Our friend Mauricio, who’s a true mountaineer, picked the route and found a great resource in Paul Shayo (prshayos@hotmail.com) to organize the hike for us. Paul is very honest and attentive to his clients. He gave us a great deal and even let Paula and I borrow a number of items we needed for the hike free of charge (hiking poles, balaclavas, sweater, gloves, etc). We highly recommend him if you are in Moshi and want to do a safari or hike. 

So it’s funny since even though Kili is known to be hard, you still have to avoid the Coca-Cola Route. Let me explain… there are three main routes: the Coca-Cola Route (marangu), the Whiskey Route (Machame), and the Vodka Route (Umbwe). You apparently have to do at least the Machame (whiskey) to get ‘respect’. Mauricio knew this so off we went to begin our journey down the whiskey route on our aggressive 6 day hike. The hike is easy…. did I just say that?…. well, it is. The guides take you VERY slowly along rather unchallenging terrain. They tell you ‘Pole Pole’ (pronounced Poley-poley meaning ‘slowly slowly’) to remind you to keep all your energy and not get tired during the early days as you’ll need all your stamina to withstand the altitude later on.

Each day, we wake early, eat a nice breakfast (the food was great… for the first time in any trek P and I have been on, no food-bourne sickness… nice!), then head off on our hike for the day. We arrive at camp around 1-2pm and quickly set up our tent before the rain comes in the early afternoon (the terrential downpour for an hour or so each afternoon… including hail). The cook gives us some popcorn, roasted peanuts, and tea as a snack… then we rest a bit before dinner. After dinner we chat about the day and past hikes and then it’s off to bed. As we brush our teeth we stare at the stars…. my god, the stars… P and I have been to some fairly remote areas of the world by now but the stars on Kilimanjaro are brighter and bigger and more abundant than I’ve ever seen. I found myself lost in them for quite a long time on the first night.

The hike on day 5 (summit day) begins at midnight… so after day 4’s 6 hour hike to our highest altitude (4600 meters) we begin hiking after merely 5, non-sleeping, hours of rest. Now, I said before that the hike is easy… well, it is until it isn’t if you get my drift…. As Mauricio, Kevin, P and I slowly trudged up the last big incline towards stella point, the lack of sleep and perhaps a bit of altitiude sickness kicks in on Paula. Kevin and Mauricio go ahead and push through the biting cold ahead of us toward the summit. P and I continue on. Paula begins to slow down further…. but she never stops. With more mental toughness than anyone I know, she forces her tired body further up the mountain. As we get to within 50/75 vertical meters of the top of stella point (5720 meters) her breathing and heartrate are very high and we begin to rest more than we climb. Finally after some prodding by the guides we decide it better to descend and return to camp. One of the guides pushes me to continue to the top but I decline. There is no way I could go up there and get a picture that shows me by myself…. that’s not what this trip is about. So together we start the long trip back down. Unfortunately, I had some bad luck on the way down and twisted my knee. This turned into a problem as after I twisted it, I still had to hike down 3 hours to camp.

After some rest, and some lunch, we congratulated Kevin and Mauricio on their summit success (way to go again, guys!) and continued the hike for another 4 hours to a lower camp. The next morning, we hiked our way out of the park and bid farewell to Mt Kilimanjaro…. an adventure, to be sure.

Moshi is a popular base town for travellers who are planning to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro, so we decided that it would be the place to stay.  However, as most tourists come and go quickly, it is not too touristy and there is not too much to do.  Despite all this I really enjoyed Moshi.  I especially enjoyed the people who were friendly and spirited and extremely social.  We learned a few words of Swahili, including “Jambo” and “Mambo” meaning “how are you?” as well as some other phrases I can’t spell or pronounce well for that matter. 

The Swahili food is delicious, especially if you are a rice lover like me.  We went to a buffet where we enjoyed chicken, cooked in various ways (a staple) and rice, vegetables and ugali, which is a doughy thing you eat by dipping it in sauce with your hand (your right hand of course).  Our table-neighbors tried to teach us to eat Ugali and giggled at our attempts to eat it with silverwear.  At this we decided to drop the forks and dug in with our hands.  My civilized Dan, however couldn’t do this too long and resumed his silverwear use when they turned away.  The lunch-time entertainment was a small TV showing Swahili rap videos that looked like they were made in the boys’ backyard. 

I was happy to see many commonalities between Colombia (my mother’s mother country) and Tanzania.  In my safari pack I was surprised and excited to find an empanada (a delicious dough filled with meat, potatoes, etc.) that is very popular in Colombia.  Also a lot of the music we heard was salsa and merengue, but in Swahili.  I know that the Africans are to thank in large part for salsa and merengue music, but as to who is responsible for the delicious empanada, I still do not know. 

Dan and I decided to spend our first few days in Tanzania by doing a two-day safari.  On day 1 we went to Lake Manyara and on day 2 we went to the Ngorongoro Crater.  It was a huge success.  We saw zebras, elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, lions, hyenas, wildabeast,  warthogs, a leopard and a cheetah.  A female lion walked right in front of our jeep and layed down.  Lions are known for being quite lazy and are not scared of the safari jeeps.  It was really cool to see her close up, we could even see scratches on her face from past confrontations, perhaps with hyenas.  We also got some good giraffe views and was surprised at how much their heads look like camel heads up close.  They are not too pretty, but are quite cute, in an ugly sort of way.  The warthogs we saw were a full family with babies, which were very adorable.  After recently seeing a discovery channel documentary on the hyena, I was hoping to hear their famous cackle, but that wasn’t to be.  However I can’t complain too much because I did get to hear our 20 year-old safari companions argue for about an hour about whether a zebra is black on white or white on black.  

I will leave you with two great trivia questions, dan and I received from our safari mates:

What are the 10 countries in the world that have only four letter names (in English at least)?

What two countries begin with “A” but don’t end with “A”?     

After a few days relaxing in Cape Town, we decided to rent a car and drive along the southern coast to what’s known as the Garden Route. This is a stretch of nice beach towns between Knysna (pronounced Nice-ah) and Port Elizabeth. So, we got our thrifty rental and set off once again on the ‘wrong’ side of the road… this time with a manual instead of an automatic. 

We found an amazing beach house just outside of Plettinburgh Bay. When we arrived, we were its only tenants. The owners had a suite on the second floor, we had a room on the first, and there was a kitchen, living room, and rooftop deck on the third. The view from the deck was magnificent from this well designed and comfortably furnished home. The view was of the bay with its long beaches outstretched in both directions. We had a 60 meter walk to the beach which we took full advantage of. Paula buried me to my chin in sand, we played in water that had some of the best boogie boarding waves I can think of and strolled along the beach as the day wore on. Being nearly the only people on the beach made for a very secluded and romantic feel. We made full use of the kitchen and cooked all of our meals. We had cereal with bananas and fruit on the side for breakfast. We ate tuna sandwhiches with tomato, apples, and cucumber for lunch and made pasta for dinner. We even found some Pillsbury brownie mix and splurged to make a pan of brownies… which we gobbled up quickly!

As we were driving along near our house, we saw a baboon (maybe 100Lbs and less than 5 feet tall) walking along the road. Later we found out that earlier in the day that baboon had sneaked into our next door neighbor’s house to steal apples! What a cheeky monkey!