Addis Ababa - Days 40-44

It's been a whirlwind in Addis that's for sure.

I'm staying with a family friend here so it's been nice having some kind of 'anchor' even though they live a LONG ways out of the city center.

Day 1: Uneventful. Arrived really early in the morning and waited for the guy, John, to pick me up from the airport. Napped and ate and saw a tiny bit of the city.

Day 2: Uneventful. Went for a little drive in the city but was mainly home the whole day. I basically tag along with John when he runs errands.

Day 3: Quite eventful. It started out the good kind of interesting. John dropped me off at a main transportation hub so I could catch a minibus taxi to the Addis Ababa University area. I was walking toward the Ethnological Museum when this guy struck up conversation and offered to walk with me to the museum. I should have just ignored him but he was quite knowledgeable and I was guarding my things carefully so I didn't see the harm is just chatting. WRONG. Anyway, we parted ways at the museum and decided to meet up for lunch at this very old and authentic restaurant, which turned out to be really delicious. For like $5, I got a huge portion of injera (a soft, spongy pancake made from fermented batter) with a variety of meats and a bottle of tej (honey wine). It was seriously HUGE and I ate about 1/5 of it - ME. But Yonas (my new thief friend) told me that is the smallest thing on the menu and intended for one person. Ethiopians sure can eat.

After lunch I stayed with Yonas and met up with a few of his friends for coffee and chat (the plant, not the verb). It's also called khat or qat and is a plant that supposedly brings on a high when you chew enough of it. I know I know...I shouldn't do drugged, especially when I'm abroad, but it's not a drug and I had very very little of it. No euphoria for me. So basically we sit and chew and drink coffee and talk for like three hours and everyone was having a good time. Then the bill comes and I have a minor stroke. In a country where nothing I saw was over $10...the bill for three of us was the equivalent of $180, which means my portion was $60 and I had about...$7 on me. Lesson #1: ALWAYS ask the price even if it looks super cheap. So I said I don't have the money on me but I can pay them back and I think that's when they started plotting to steal my phone... They were still really nice about it and said don't worry, I can get the money later. But they wanted to follow me to where I live to get the money and that triggered an alarm. I said we can exchange contact info and I will give them the money later, but I was scheduled to leave that night to another city and won't be back for a week. Looking back, I understand why they freaked out, especially since they live in a country where one's word really doesn't mean anything. So naive of me.

They seemed "fine" with that idea and we decided to wait at a restaurant while I figured out when my bus was leaving. John called and said the bus was arranged and he would come and fetch me, so I tried to explain to him exactly where we were. I then gave he phone to Abraham, Yonas' friend, to have him explain and that's when he took off with my phone. He didn't run at first but just got up to "ask the waitress" and after 10 seconds I realized I made a huge mistake and both of them were nowhere in sight. The best part? I had to pay for their beers as well.

The restaurant people stepped in to help and to make a long story short, we went to the police station to file a report. Normally I would just call it a lost cause but I had pictures of the two guys from earlier and thought it might be worth a shot. Cross my fingers. I understand why they stole my phone but it's worth a lot more than $60 damn it!

Day 4: So anyway, yesterday I printed out the pics and took it to the police station. The two guys at the restaurant had to return and give their witness statements as well. Super nice guys (I think).

Day 5: Last night I was supposed to catch a 2am minibus to Bahir Dar (about 10 hours north) and I get sick. The whole day my stomach was cramping and by dinner time I was throwing up and by evening I was running a fever. Midnight was round 2 of throwing up so I and everyone decided I shouldn't go quite yet. Therefore, I'm still here in Addis trying to return to 100%.

Stay tuned...hopefully I will have some interesting updates for you as this saga plays out.

Nairobi - Days 37-39

I had typed up this long update on my phone and lost it all! ^*+!*•*$@!

So I had intended to breeze through Nairobi on my way to Addis, but due to my procrastination, I could only get a flight for Friday. Three full days in Nairobi. It turned out to be a blessing because I met some rad people and got to unwind a bit. The city is nicer than I expected. The main boulevards are wide, there is enough green space, and it offers many of the modern conveniences and diversity that the other cities have lacked. Plus I had my first truly hot shower since South Africa.

In terms of sightseeing, I spent some time at the national museum and also the national archives. Saw tons of tribal artifacts and also numerous dead animals. There was one room with thousands of dead stuffed birds...a bit unnerving. But the highlight was probably the bones of prehistoric humanoids discovered in the region. We all know Africa is the cradle of mankind and they really advertise this fact.

In addition to the museums I have met some of the most amazing people here. Back in Zanzibar I met an American dude on the ferry. He is a journalist:/photographer based in Nairobi. Jonathan Kalan -look him up! So I emailed him to see if he could locate a couch for me and he definitely came through. I ended up staying with two girls named Renee and Poppy. Renee is an administrator at an art collective and Poppy is a 16 year old Kenyan-Brit on a gap year. Their extended circle is ridiculous and a who's who of awesomeness. There is a team of guerilla filmmakers making a documentary on camel milk, a TEd fellow, a cofounder of Sandbox (network of super connectors), cofounder of Kickstart, etc... I just hope some of their brilliance and ingenuity rubs off on me.

I leave for Addis tonight at 3:30am and will take the airport bus and hang out there for 7 hours... But I'm first meeting another girl I met in Zanzibar for dinner.

I've been told there is nothing in Addis or Ethiopia in general; we shall see. At least there is authentic Ethiopian food and coffee so i should be quite content.

Sidenote: I watched "The Vow" in the theater last night haha. Nothing life changing but a pleasant distraction and reminder of home.

Arusha-Days 35-36

My last couple of days in Arusha were spent with my "African brothers," the guides I met and hung out with before I left for safari.

I had mentioned I wanted to see Mt. Kilimanjaro so they offered to accompany me and take me to a closer "viewpoint" accessible via minibus taxi. My homework was to pray for clear skies but it turned out to be a miserably cloudy day. Still, they were optimistic so we went anyway. But I suspect they must have known because they brought along pot and lit up while we waited for the clouds to part. And the viewpoint turned out to be a field by the side of the dusty road. So there we were, two pot smoking Arushanites and a mzungu (foreigner) sitting under the tree waiting for Kili to appear.

No luck but we did experience an epic sandstorm. The horizon started turning yellow and it grew into a giant dust cloud and moved towards us until the sky was yellow.

I was scheduled to leave for Nairobi the next day around 1pm but one of the guys came to my guesthouse at 8:30am and said, "Pack your stuff; it's clear, we're going to see that stupid mountain!" So we relived the first day but this time without the mary jane and devil dust. Score.

If anyone would like to go on safari or climb Kili, let me know and I will put you in contact with these awesome guys- Beka and Chriss. They are trying to venture out on and establish their own company do support would be much appreciated! Plus they know how to have a good time and will introduce you to some local African food and liquor :)

Safari - Days 31 - 34

I'm back from safari y'all~ What an amazing experience!

The 3 day safari I had purchased originally didn't include the Serengeti but the travel gods must have been looking out for me, because due to last minute changes, I got to spend 2 days in Serengeti and 1 day in Ngorongoro. The three other travelers I was originally grouped with got food poisoning and had to cancel at the last minute :( so I was re-routed and placed with another group. For the past three days, I was with a Swedish couple, a lady from Zanzibar and her penpal friend from Japan.

Safari is almost entirely based on luck and we were fortunate most of the time because we saw everything in the " big 5" and thensome. I've heard stories of people driving around for days in the Serengeti without seeing any animals. As the guide says, "This isn't a zoo." So true.

Every morning we'd wake around 5:30am and either go straight for a game drive or eat breakfast before heading out. The first two days we spent time in Serengeti, which means "endless plains" in the Masai language. We didn't see any animals for the first couple of hours so everyone was in low spirits. But the thing about being on safari is, as soon as you see one animal...that all changes. Even though we've all seen the animals in zoos, there's something about being guests in their territory and seeing them in their natural habitat. We saw elephants, giraffes, zebras, gazelles, ostriches, buffalos, wildebeests by the dozens or hundreds. Saw a few lions as well, including a couple that were mating. I tried to respect their privacy but couldn't tear my eyes away. Saw one elusive leopard in a tree and one black rhino. Who knew black rhinos would be so hard to find?

The last day in Ngorogoro was probably my favorite because it's a crater, well technically a caldera so all the animals were somewhat contained. There were animals as far as the eyes can see!

Arrived back in Arusha last night and met up with a couple of local guides I had met before the safari. Tomorrow I'll take the bus to Nairobi and stay there for 3 days before flying to Addis. Today I will take the bus and try to see Kilimanjaro if the weather cooperates.

Random observations

Now that I've left Zimbabwe and Zambia and almost through with Tanzania...I should probably sum up some of my thoughts.

- People here make do with very little.

- In the cities/towns, products (esp. eletronic appliances) are so overpriced it's unbelievable. I saw a little two burner piece of junk stove for nearly $400. In the villages, people mostly function on subsistence farming and selling lifestock. I was fortunate enough to visit a local village called Makunduchi located on the tip of Zanzibar island. Even though it's located in "paradise" the people live in mud huts and sleep on recycled sacks. And this I'm sure is the Hyatt compared to some of the other villages I saw from the bus window.

- Little kids play with trash to entertain themselves. One toddler was happy picking up a scrap of paper and let it go and trying to catch it. I also saw a pair of kids make "kites" out of discarded plastic bags and twine. It's both sad and comforting to see. At least despite their lack of material possessions, they still rely on their imagination.

- The mosquitos here are tiny but their bites are SO itchy.

- Everyone seems to have perfected the art of carrying things on their heads.

- People are very entrepreneurial - on a small scale. They'll run alongside buses with a bucket of tomatoes or a little basket of snacks.


I'm out of internet minutes again...more to come later.

Dar es Salaam and Arusha - Days 27 - 30

Yesterday marked my one month of travel. In some ways it has passed really quickly, but I also feel like I've been away for a year. There are definitely bits and pieces of my old life that I miss. i.e. bagels and cream cheese, watching random documentaries on Netflix, free water, AC, hot shower, unlimited and unrestricted texting/calling, etc... But I'm not complaining, it's been nothing short of incredible. How long I can sustain this is another question. Six months is no problem, but my CS host told me about this 21 year Vietnamese girl she met who has been traveling for a year and half and has another year to go. Hats off to her! I couldn't, or wouldn't, want to do this for two years. So don't worry mom, I'll return soon and live a "normal" life ;)

I think my last entry left off at Zanzibar and the last night of the festival. Once again, my friend snuck me in for the local rate (hallelujah) and I stayed until about 1am (early) watching performances from Zanzibari, South African, and Tanzanian artists. Let me just say this: these people can MOVE like no other. It was like attending an open-air strip club without the actual stripping. So on my last night in Zanzibar, I've left with images of gyrating hips.

The next day I caught a ferry back to Dar es Salaam and took a motorcycle taxi to my hosts' apartment. Well, she wasn't home at the time, so I stayed at a nearby upscale hotel per her instuctions. There I was sitting in the lobby with my grungy backpack and wild hair amidst businessmen in suits and vacationing Europeans. One of these is not like the others... I just sat and read the complimentary newspaper :)

My host, Gwynneth, picked me up after a couple of hours. She is Canadian of half Chinese and half Welsh descent, and has lived in various African countries for the past 8 years working for the UN and other NGOs. How this allows her to live in a penthouse apartment with a GIANT wrap-around veranda is beyond me, but I won't question it. I stayed there for two nights and caught a bus to Arusha yesterday. Again, a 9 hour turned 12 hour bus ride.

Arusha is located in northern Tanzania and is the base for most of the northern circuit safaris. About an hour away is the town of Moshi, which is the base for most Kilimanjaro hikes. I swallowed my budget and handed over four bills today for a three day safari leaving tomorrow. I won't go as far as the Serengeti but will visit the Ngorongoro Crater and a couple of other nearby national parks.

That means no internet or updates until next week.

Zanzibar - Days 23 - 26

I just found out that Whitney Houston died. Yea...a little behind on my news, but I can't believe it! I was just watching her music videos on the bus from Lusaka and thinking that a voice like that doesn't come along often. * sigh*

On a happier note...Zanzibar is pretty amazing. The place itself isn't as beautiful or exotic as I had anticipated, but the timing is perfect because this weekend is the "Sauti za Busara" music festival. It means "Songs of Wisdom" and is a four day music festival of traditional and pop African music from all over the continent. As a result, Stone Town is absolutely filled to the brim with people from near and far. I swear every nationality is represented here. I've been hanging out on and off with a Russian amateur photographer, an aspiring French actress, two Turks who work for the UN, a group of drunk Iranians, a Kenyan flight attendant, and countless local dudes.

My first night in Zanzibar was supposed to be spent with my host, Psam, at his apartment. However, his cousin also had 3 guys over plus the Russian...so it was 6 guys and myself and Psam thought I would be more comfortable at his sister's place. Very considerate of him, but little did I know, she lives about 20 minutes away in the countryside. I can't say it was four star accommodation but I really appreciated the opportunity to get a taste of genuine Zanzibari life. There are no showers here (at least not at his nor his sister's apartments). If I were to clean up, I"d have to ladle cold water from a huge bucket and pour it strategically and conservatively. I went to bed sans shower that night because I've yet to perfect the art of African baths.

The next day I decided to shift my base from Stone Town to a village on the east coast of Zanzibar called Jambiani for some sand and sea and relaxation, especially given the tumultuous transit from Vic Falls. I took the daladala, which is a common local form of transportation and resembles a huge covered pick up truck with built in benches. Once again, what I thought was a 60-90 min ride turned into about 140 minutes because it was constantly stopping to pick up and drop off passengers. Many of them had enormous cargo (i.e. sacks of flour, fire wood, dozens of bananas off the tree) that had to be secured to the top of the truck. Traveling in Africa is not easy and is not comfortable but I guess that's part of experiencing Africa in the raw; not the distilled and bottled kind...

Anyway, my two days in Jambiani was much needed. Give me a pat on the back because I actually spent money on a proper bungalow on the beach. It wasn't at all outrageous at less than $30 per night, but $30 goes a long way here. The room was right on the sand and during high tide, the waves come literally within 4 feet of the door. I borrowed two books from reception and did nothing but read, nap, and eat fruit. Oh, I did agree to visit a local village school with a guy named "Captain Fruit" who ended up wanting 30,000 T.Schillings and I laughed at him and gave him 5,000 which was more than enough to cover the cost of fuel. C'mon, do I look like I was born yesterday?

I came back to Stone Town yesterday and Psam helped me contact a French girl and we're sharing a little room together. A group of us went to the festival last night and our local friends managed to get in us at the local rather than the foreigner rate, which is 4x as much. So glad I went. Even though most of the audience couldn't understand the lyrics, everyone was dancing and having a ball. There was one artist from Nigeria, Nneka, who blew us all away. Look her up! Looking forward to another night of music and dancing~

Transit - Days 19 - 22

I can't believe the last time I posted was in Vic Falls! Seems like ages ago. Too many things to report - so I'll break it up into two entries.

Right now I'm in Zanzibar but getting here was no easy feat. I left Vic Falls on a Sunday morning and didn't get here until Wednesday afternoon!

The short version: taxi to Zimbabwe and Zambia border, taxi across the border, taxi from the border to the bus station, wait 90 min for bus, 7 hour bus ride to Lusaka, Zambia, stranded at the bus station, go home with a random Chinese family, back to the bus station the next day, 35 hour bus ride to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, spend the night in a YWCA, ferry to Zanzibar the next day.

I should re-title this blog "the kindness of strangers" because the people I've encountered along the way have been lifesavers. When I arrived in Lusaka and found out that the bus for Dar had already left, the entire staff of the bus company mobilized. One person suggested I sleep in the office, another said I could sleep on the bus, three people offered to take me home (which I politely declined), and finally the owner of the bus company called his Chinese bus supplier or what he called "a fellow countryman" to come get me and take me home. Looking back, it was a blessing that I missed the Dar bus because I would have gone insane if I were on a bus for almost 50 hours.

Remember the line in "Blood Diamonds" when Leo says "TIA: This is Africa?" That's precisely what was going through my mind as I boarded the bus for Dar. TIA for a traveler basically means transportation is never on time and there are always a couple of surprises. What was reported to be a 26-28 hour bus ride turned into 35. And this was by far the shittiest bus out of all the ones I've taken on this trip. No ac, 55 other people (with people in the aisle), and trapped in the back row between four men in a seat that doesn't recline. My heart sunk...and that was before the bus ever departed the station, haha.

Once the bus left, it flew. I didn't know whether to be grateful the bus was going so fast or scared for my life. Throughout the night, several times it swerved so much that I thought it might roll. Plus the bus felt like it was about to rattle and fall apart...and I felt the same way. But alas, we survived the night and spent about 5 hours idle at the border waiting for it to open and clear all the passengers.

I was finally able to sleep a bit during the second day, mainly from sheer exhaustion. All was going well until about 5 hours from Dar, and then I get sick. It must have been a combination of exhaustion, starvation, and dehydration (and maybe the blaring African music) but all of a sudden nausea hits and takes me down, haha. It's kinda humorous now that I look back on it. Me - sitting there with a plastic bag in my hands, dry heaving since I had nothing in my stomach. The best part? As I'm hunched over, the guy next to me taps my shoulder and points out the window. I look up and there are elephants and giraffes and zebras by the side of the road grazing. Gives a whole new meaning to TIA. It was spectacular; I just wish I could have made a better first impression.

We roll into Dar a little past 11pm. I had originally arranged a Couchsurfing host but I didn't want to bother her at such a late hour and decided to crash for the night at the YWCA. Never did a cold shower feel so good :)

The next day I met up with my Zanzibar CS (couchsurfing) host at the ferry station in Dar and went to the island together. He was conveniently visiting friends in town. I only ended up staying with him for one night but I'll save that for the next entry.

Vic Falls - Days 16-18

Sorry I've been inactive for the past couple of days but internet hasn't been the most accessible. My hosts' home is a couple of miles from town and I've been too lazy to walk that in the African sun.

But to recap the last couple of days.

I went to Victoria Falls on Thursday morning and it was nothing short of extraordinary. The locals call it Mosi-oa-Tunya which means "the smoke that thunders," and I must say that's a much more appropriate name. My host suggested I take a rain coat and in my mind I was expecting certain parts to be misty. On the contrary, it was more like a downpour - from the water/mist erupting from the falls. The national park was really well organized, albeit a bit expensive ($30), and had a well laid out path with designated viewpoints. It starts with a statue of Dr. David Livingstone, who discovered the falls, and guides you along the Zimbabwean side all the way to the famous bridge that connects Zimbabwe and Zambia. I suppose it's more infamous these days since the bungee accident a couple of weeks ago, but it opened again a couple of days ago with brand new equipment from the US.

I decided to forgo the bungee experience but did get my share of adrenaline by whitewater rafting on the Zambezi river yesterday and my muscles are still feeling the burn today. The rating guide picked us up around 7am and we went through a safety debriefing and signed a indemnity waiver. Did I mention my travel insurance doesn't cover adventure sports?

The huge overland truck drove the guides and 7 rafters down river a few kilometers to the launching site where we geared up and made our descent into the gorge via a steep and slightly muddy trail. Coming back up was even more fun -_- Once in the water, we practiced a few maneuvers and took off for the first rapid. Foolishly, I thought I would be able to keep my glasses on since the helmet was so tight but it came flying off (and luckily landing in my lap) during the first rapid. Off they came and I went the rest of the trip sans glasses and in a slightly dreamlike haze. Perhaps it was a good thing I couldn't see the waves coming clearly :) We made it through the first few rapids intact and rapid 16 or "The Terminator" was where it all ended. Since there were 7 people, one person had to take turns sitting in the front of the raft and I was lucky enough to be that person during "The Terminator." I really wish I could see video footage of this because I only recall being pummeled by rapids and then launching into the air all the whist holding on to the raft for dear life. Awesome experience although mighty scary at the time. Is that what it feels like to be in a washing machine?

My internet session is running low so I'll cut this short. But altogether, we went through 14 rapids and the trip took about half day. The climb up the gorge was grueling and I almost considered swallowing my shame and generously tipping a porter to carry me up. Not really but the thought did cross my mind.

Anyway, tomorrow I head for Zanzibar via Lusaka but I've yet to find a host. So maybe it'll be a hostel or I'll just go all the way through to Dar es Salaam. Expect another update in 2-3 days :)

Vic Falls - Day 15

Made it to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, but yet to see the actual waterfall itself. That's on the agenda for tomorrow.

Last I posted was in Bulawayo waiting for the train. I have a confession to make...I stumbled upon a movie theater and watched "The Change Up" in order to pass the time. Not exactly Oscar worthy but entertaining enough and completely made me forget I was in Africa for 2 hours.

One thing that seems to accompany traveling in a third world country is attention from locals - and often times unwanted attention. I spent the majority of the afternoon talking to random people who wanted to strike up conversation. Some were just being friendly, others were shopping for a wife, and I'm sure there was a con man or two. But I was just waiting for the train and didn't plan on going anywhere so I just went along with it and closely guarded my stuff. As I was waiting, the station security manager called me into his office. I thought I was in trouble...but no, he just wanted to talk.

The train ride itself passed by really quickly. Took off around 7:30pm as scheduled and got in around 10am. I bought a first class ticket ($12) and had the compartment to myself. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the lights on the train weren't operating so I just made the fold down bed and crashed. I think I was so tired from lack of sleep and entertaining Zimbabweans that I slept nearly the whole way.

Found my hosts' home but they were out and the housekeeper let me in. It's a large yet very simple home located on the edge of town. I had no idea how anything is laid out so I just stayed put and cleaned up a bit. They came home briefly and I hitched a ride into town. I can't really get a sense of their vibe, but I feel a bit out of place in their home. So maybe I'll make this shorter than anticipated. They own a hair/wig shop in town and also run a travel agency out back. Maybe I'll book a white water rafting trip with them?