Sunday, September 24, 2006
Sept. 22
Today we crossed the Zambezi River from Zim to Zambia. We had arranged a transfer the the Jollyboys hostel in Livingstone. They paid for the visa, two nights, and two meals for just $40 US per person. It was a great deal. We walked across the Victoria Falls bridge and met the driver for the hostel. We settled in and relaxed the rest of the day. That night, we used a meal voucher for traditional Zambian dinner. It was alot of beans and cabbage and alittle beef. The one unusual thing we consumed was a fried catapillar. It was not that good...very crunchy and tasted alittle burnt.
Sept 23
Whitewater Rafting! We did a full day trip down the Zambezi River. There were 3-4 Class V rapids and 4-5 Class IV rapids. A total of 23 rapids. It was intense. I fell in the water on the first rapid. I was paddling through and poorly distributed my weight...and then I was in the water. It was not bad. One of the Class V rapids we capsized the boat and hung on for dear life was we went down the river with the whitewater. On a seeming harmless rapid, the guide let us go in the water and ride it out. Some how, I hit a whirlpool and got sucked down...I was quickly spit out under the raft. No problems, but it was a little scary. I think the quote by the guide was "there goes a helmet under." It was a great day and the canyon was spectacular. We came back to the hostel and used our other meal voucher for a braai (african bbq). It was a good day.
Today we crossed the Zambezi River from Zim to Zambia. We had arranged a transfer the the Jollyboys hostel in Livingstone. They paid for the visa, two nights, and two meals for just $40 US per person. It was a great deal. We walked across the Victoria Falls bridge and met the driver for the hostel. We settled in and relaxed the rest of the day. That night, we used a meal voucher for traditional Zambian dinner. It was alot of beans and cabbage and alittle beef. The one unusual thing we consumed was a fried catapillar. It was not that good...very crunchy and tasted alittle burnt.
Sept 23
Whitewater Rafting! We did a full day trip down the Zambezi River. There were 3-4 Class V rapids and 4-5 Class IV rapids. A total of 23 rapids. It was intense. I fell in the water on the first rapid. I was paddling through and poorly distributed my weight...and then I was in the water. It was not bad. One of the Class V rapids we capsized the boat and hung on for dear life was we went down the river with the whitewater. On a seeming harmless rapid, the guide let us go in the water and ride it out. Some how, I hit a whirlpool and got sucked down...I was quickly spit out under the raft. No problems, but it was a little scary. I think the quote by the guide was "there goes a helmet under." It was a great day and the canyon was spectacular. We came back to the hostel and used our other meal voucher for a braai (african bbq). It was a good day.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Sept. 17
It was a slow day. Slept in and went for a good long run by the embassies in Pretoria in the morning. The afternoon was spent in the Aparthide museum in Jo'burg. The weather was great, so the run really hit the spot. The air was a little crisp and the streets empty (Sunday). The Aparthide Museum was powerful. Very visual and very graphic. It was on the same level as the Holocast museum in Washington DC. To see the division of people, the uprisings and the violence was moving. It is amazing that system didn't go away until the late 1980's. There is still tension and crime in South Africa. Economic distribution does not seem to have changed much since aparthide. Poverty is predominately black. Barbed wire at the top of a fence is common (an almost every building in surrounded by a fence). Anywhere you park a car, you have to pay a guard. It was so bad that when we left the aparthide museum they made us turn the car off and then back on to show it was not stolen. In general, I didn't feel unsafe in South Africa...it is just that there are so many people that don't have anything to lose.
Sept. 18
Today was a huge travel day. We took a bus from Pretoria to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The bus was 2 hours late getting to Pretoria, so the day did not start out the best. It was a Greyhound, but not as nice as the one to Pretoria from Durban. There was music or a movie on constantly, and neither were very enjoyable. In total it was a 13 hour bus ride. The first adventure was changing money. The Zim government sets the exchange rate with the dollar and doesn't recognize the huge inflation...so there is a black market for money. The offical rate was 250 Zim = $1 US...but on the street it was 750 Zim = $1 US. So we exchanged money just before the border with a lady that got on the bus. It is illegal to do, but everyone does it...the prices would be so high if you don't. The border was an adventure too. We got there at night and had to get a visa (can only pay foreign currency if a foreigner) and get our bags looked at. People were bringing alot of stuff with them. Not so much on the bus, but in pickup trucks...at the time I did not know why. We got into Bulawayo at 12:30 AM...about 4 hours after we had planned and did not have a room. A guy on the bus (Mbuso) walked us to a hotel and we checked in for the night.
Sept. 19
We walked around Bulawayo all morning. Strangely enough, Mbuso was there to take us around. He took us to the train staion to get train tickets to Victoria Falls. Then we went to the art museum. It was small, but good. And cheap. You could buy the art right off the wall for pretty cheap. I got a signed print for less than $15. If you know much about African art, you could really get some amazing deals...with the black market currency rate. Conor got one too. After that we walked to the history museum, but they would not take our Zim dollars...all they wanted was US. It didn't look that good (and it was 30 time more expensive for US) so we walked back through a park and got some lunch. We bought some for Mbuso. After lunch we went back to the hotel and had some beers and waited for the train. I am not sure if Mbuso wanted money or what...I think he did, but he didn't push...and we didn't give him any. Bulawayo was a pretty town. It had wide tree lined streets and the store fronts were right out of the 60's or 70's...about when the current administration came to power. People we super poor and there were lines at the supermarkets for staples. During the day it felt safe. In the twilight we walked to the train station. On the way we saw a terrible auto accident. A police car ran a red light and was smashed by a truck...the officer had to have been killed. A huge crowd gathered and some teenagers were cheering...we got out of there quick. We had to wait alittle for the train....and when we got our cabin it was a little disheartening. There was not electricity on the car and it was not the newest...it felt a little dirty. It was an over night train. When the conductor came by he said to lock our door for safety. The train made stops all night in what felt like the middle of no where. There were people on and off the train, it was dark...it felt weird. Needless to say we did not sleep the best.
Sept. 20
When we woke, it was daylight and beautiful. The compartment was not the best, but did look better in the daylight. The landscape was similar to that of the bus ride up to Zimbabwe two days earlier. We got into Victoria Falls at about 9 AM and went straight to a booking agency called backpacker's bazaar. Here we set up 2 days lodging in Vic Falls and 2 days in Livingston. We also booked a safari to Chobe National Park and a whitewater rafting trip. We dropped our bags at the hostel and walked down to the falls. Entrance was $20 US, but when in Rome... The falls were spectacular despite being the dry season. I can just imagine what it would be like with more water. It is higher and wider than Niagra Fall. After walking around for a couple of hours, we cleaned up and went on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi river. There were free drinks a great sunset and only 5 other people. The highlight was seeing 4 elephants up close get into the water. After 2 hours on the water, we came back to the hostel.
Sept. 21
Today we went to Chobe National Park in Botswana. We left the hostel at 7 AM went to the border. It was an easy crossing. In the morning we did a 3 hours game drive in the park. We were the only 2 in the truck, so it was like a private tour. We saw so much game. It is the end of the dry season, so the only water source is the Chobe river...so all of the animals are there. We saw hundreds of elephants, umpala, hippos, giraffs, buffalo, and warthogs. It was literally amazing. After the game drive we did a 2.5 hour boat cruise and saw the animals from the river. We also had a picnic lunch on the boat. Again, it was just the two of us. The weather was perfect (about 80 and not a cloud in sight). After the safari, we returned to Zimbabwe and bought water, postcards and got dinner. We had to get rid of as much Zim dollars as we could because no one will take them outside of Zimbabwe. We couldn't get rid of all of them, so if anyone wants one, just give me an email.
It was a slow day. Slept in and went for a good long run by the embassies in Pretoria in the morning. The afternoon was spent in the Aparthide museum in Jo'burg. The weather was great, so the run really hit the spot. The air was a little crisp and the streets empty (Sunday). The Aparthide Museum was powerful. Very visual and very graphic. It was on the same level as the Holocast museum in Washington DC. To see the division of people, the uprisings and the violence was moving. It is amazing that system didn't go away until the late 1980's. There is still tension and crime in South Africa. Economic distribution does not seem to have changed much since aparthide. Poverty is predominately black. Barbed wire at the top of a fence is common (an almost every building in surrounded by a fence). Anywhere you park a car, you have to pay a guard. It was so bad that when we left the aparthide museum they made us turn the car off and then back on to show it was not stolen. In general, I didn't feel unsafe in South Africa...it is just that there are so many people that don't have anything to lose.
Sept. 18
Today was a huge travel day. We took a bus from Pretoria to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The bus was 2 hours late getting to Pretoria, so the day did not start out the best. It was a Greyhound, but not as nice as the one to Pretoria from Durban. There was music or a movie on constantly, and neither were very enjoyable. In total it was a 13 hour bus ride. The first adventure was changing money. The Zim government sets the exchange rate with the dollar and doesn't recognize the huge inflation...so there is a black market for money. The offical rate was 250 Zim = $1 US...but on the street it was 750 Zim = $1 US. So we exchanged money just before the border with a lady that got on the bus. It is illegal to do, but everyone does it...the prices would be so high if you don't. The border was an adventure too. We got there at night and had to get a visa (can only pay foreign currency if a foreigner) and get our bags looked at. People were bringing alot of stuff with them. Not so much on the bus, but in pickup trucks...at the time I did not know why. We got into Bulawayo at 12:30 AM...about 4 hours after we had planned and did not have a room. A guy on the bus (Mbuso) walked us to a hotel and we checked in for the night.
Sept. 19
We walked around Bulawayo all morning. Strangely enough, Mbuso was there to take us around. He took us to the train staion to get train tickets to Victoria Falls. Then we went to the art museum. It was small, but good. And cheap. You could buy the art right off the wall for pretty cheap. I got a signed print for less than $15. If you know much about African art, you could really get some amazing deals...with the black market currency rate. Conor got one too. After that we walked to the history museum, but they would not take our Zim dollars...all they wanted was US. It didn't look that good (and it was 30 time more expensive for US) so we walked back through a park and got some lunch. We bought some for Mbuso. After lunch we went back to the hotel and had some beers and waited for the train. I am not sure if Mbuso wanted money or what...I think he did, but he didn't push...and we didn't give him any. Bulawayo was a pretty town. It had wide tree lined streets and the store fronts were right out of the 60's or 70's...about when the current administration came to power. People we super poor and there were lines at the supermarkets for staples. During the day it felt safe. In the twilight we walked to the train station. On the way we saw a terrible auto accident. A police car ran a red light and was smashed by a truck...the officer had to have been killed. A huge crowd gathered and some teenagers were cheering...we got out of there quick. We had to wait alittle for the train....and when we got our cabin it was a little disheartening. There was not electricity on the car and it was not the newest...it felt a little dirty. It was an over night train. When the conductor came by he said to lock our door for safety. The train made stops all night in what felt like the middle of no where. There were people on and off the train, it was dark...it felt weird. Needless to say we did not sleep the best.
Sept. 20
When we woke, it was daylight and beautiful. The compartment was not the best, but did look better in the daylight. The landscape was similar to that of the bus ride up to Zimbabwe two days earlier. We got into Victoria Falls at about 9 AM and went straight to a booking agency called backpacker's bazaar. Here we set up 2 days lodging in Vic Falls and 2 days in Livingston. We also booked a safari to Chobe National Park and a whitewater rafting trip. We dropped our bags at the hostel and walked down to the falls. Entrance was $20 US, but when in Rome... The falls were spectacular despite being the dry season. I can just imagine what it would be like with more water. It is higher and wider than Niagra Fall. After walking around for a couple of hours, we cleaned up and went on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi river. There were free drinks a great sunset and only 5 other people. The highlight was seeing 4 elephants up close get into the water. After 2 hours on the water, we came back to the hostel.
Sept. 21
Today we went to Chobe National Park in Botswana. We left the hostel at 7 AM went to the border. It was an easy crossing. In the morning we did a 3 hours game drive in the park. We were the only 2 in the truck, so it was like a private tour. We saw so much game. It is the end of the dry season, so the only water source is the Chobe river...so all of the animals are there. We saw hundreds of elephants, umpala, hippos, giraffs, buffalo, and warthogs. It was literally amazing. After the game drive we did a 2.5 hour boat cruise and saw the animals from the river. We also had a picnic lunch on the boat. Again, it was just the two of us. The weather was perfect (about 80 and not a cloud in sight). After the safari, we returned to Zimbabwe and bought water, postcards and got dinner. We had to get rid of as much Zim dollars as we could because no one will take them outside of Zimbabwe. We couldn't get rid of all of them, so if anyone wants one, just give me an email.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Sept. 8
Today was the day of the dive with Great White Sharks. In the morning, we boarded a bus with 10 other from Cape Town and drove along the coast to Gans Bay. Here we took a boat just off the coast in between the beach and the islands that make up "Shark Alley" (of Discovery Channel Shark Week fame). We began to chum for sharks...and in about 45 min. we had a Great White along side the boat. We put the cage in the water. The cage held 5 people and was in the water along side the leeward side of the boat. The water was about 55-60 degrees, so we rotated in and out of the cage every 10 min. or so. We did not actually use SCUBA gear, but snorkels and only went under when the sharks were right in front of the cage. One of the deck hands had a rope with yellow fin tuna heads and through it out in from of the cage and slowing drew in towards the boat to lure the Shark...with the goal being to have the shark eat the "bait" directly infront of the cage. It worked. Over the course of the next 3-4 hours, we had 7 different sharks at the boat. Each "took the bait" multiple times. The largest was 4 meters long. It was big (and so were the teeth)! At least 5 times the sharks made contact with the cage. One really thrashed the cage with its body right in front of me. Upon getting back to Cape Town, we went out to eat (Malay cuisine) and then went to a couple of bars in with one of the guys we shark dived that day.
Sept. 9
Today we went to Robben's Island. It was where Nelson Mandela and most of the political prisoners were imprisoned during aparthide. The island about a 30 min. boat ride from Cape Town. It was pretty powerful. It was a 2.5 hour tour and was packed. We saw the prison and various places the prisoners were forced to work during their imprisonment. The conditions they suffered were extremely tough. When they worked, they worked in a lime mine that was not used...they would move dirt and then move it back. The prisoners were mostly all in solitary confinement. The cells did not have glass in the windows (and it gets cold in Cape Town). Black and other prisoners were treated differently...blacks had to wear shorts, were not issued shoes nor jackets. Talking was not allowed other then when they were working. To imagine living like this for 18 years...Nelson Mandela did and somehow, after the horrible treatmen, still was reconcillatory. After the tours we went to Avis and rented a car. It was our first time driving on the left side of the road. As I pulled out of Avis, it was weird, but not as bad as I thought. We drove down the cape to SimonsTown. It was really nice. The beachs and the coast was gorgeous. They even had penguins there. We stayed at our first hostel. It was really really nice. We had our own room with a balcony overlooking the water...and it was only $25 total.
Sept. 10
We got up and drove down to Cape Point. It was beautiful. The drive reminded me of the Big Sur in California, very vertical with great white sand beaches tucked in coves. We hiked out to the lighthouse. The weather was sunny and the views spectacular. From there we drove to Stellenbosch, the town in the center of the South African wine region. We went to 3 great wineries. The prices were very cheap for wine and the tastings. At one place we had two free tastings (5 wines) and a bottle of wine for just $3.50. As for the scenery, I must rate it as better than the Napa Valley. Vines of grapes with near vertical mountains just beyond the town. The town itself consisted of whitewashed Cape Dutch houses surrounding a university. The scenery and atmosphere were amazing...and only 45 min. from Cape Town. With the attention the area will get when the World Cup is hosted there in 2010, I hope it will not change. Conor and I both agree it has been the best place so far.
Sept. 11
I got up and went for a 40 min. run. The morning was sunny and the air crisp. It was a beautiful run and a great way to start the day. We drove up to a winery/cheesery. We had wine and cheese for breakfast. After the winery we started our drive to the Garden Route. The Garden Route is the coastal route (Indian Ocean). It rained off and on while we drove and the area had received so much rain recently that the highway went to one lane often due to road repairs. Needless to say it was a frustrating drive. One thing that stuck us as we drove was the poverty. We expected shanty towns on the outskirts of the cities, but not in the country. Unforunately towns of huts made of wood and sheet metal without doors and livestock roaming the dirt streets were all to common along this stretch of road. We stopped at the resort town of Knysna. It was situated a little bit back from the ocean along an estuary. For dinner, we ate bread, wine and cheese we had purchased at the winery. One the news that day, we saw the memorial ceremony highlights.
Sept. 12
We stayed in Knysna today. In the morning, we went for a run and then headed to the beach. It was quite spectaular. It was a sandy beach with rocks on the edges and cliffs as a backdrop. We walked the beach. The waves were about 6 ft. The beach was Brenton beach. We had brunch as the waves pounded the beach. We had gotten the food at the local supermarket. It was a great market...exceeded expectations. It had everything from a bakery to produce. Not what I would have expected. We then drove to the "Heads." The heads are the end of two rock cliffs that form the entrace to the bay/estuary. The views were good and we saw a Southern Right Whale with its flukes out of the water (close to shore). After that we grabbed a beer at a micro-brewery (rare in SA).
Sept. 13
Very long driving day. We drove for about 13 hours from Knysna to just south of Durban. We stopped at Nature Valley, a beautiful beach with at the base of a rain forest...but it was lightly raining and no one was there. We kept driving to Jeffery's Bay (J-Bay). It is home to various surfing competions and is near Cape St. Francis. The waves were not that big and I think that masked the amazing break that is so famous. We kept driving and the highway went through the country. We saw more poverty and went through some rough towns. People walked everywhere, livestock occasionally walked in the road and school children (in uniforms) were everywhere. As we drove, the lanscape changed very very quickly. From rainforest to what looked like the great plains, to arid to back to rainforest as we went back to the coast. Then it got dark. Driving was super tough (Conor did a great job). The headlights on our car were not strong and the people and cars and trucks and animals were still there. We finally got to a hostel in Port Shepstone and spent the night.
Sept. 14
When I woke, I realized the hostel was right on the beach. It was an amazing location. Sandy beach with some rocks and nice 4 foot waves. I went for a walk on the beach and then we headed up the coast to Durban. We went to downtown Durban, right to the water. It was pretty run down and raining and it looked dangerous to park the car overnight. We checked out the beach and the boardwalk and the rikshaw drivers and then headed to a hostel in a beach suburb just outside the city. It was in the Bluff neighborhood and the place we got was like a tiki area. We had a cabin and the place to ourselves. It had a pool, pool table, darts, and was close to the beach. The neighborhood was very much like Point Loma.
Sept. 15
We stayed the day in the Bluffs area. I went to the beach in the morning and the afternoon. The water was about 70 F. It was nice and the beach had shark nets. The waves were OK.
Sept. 16
We took a bus (8 hours) from Durban to Pretoria. It was full. Not the most enjoyable experience, but it got us up here. We checking into a hostel in the Hatfield neighborhood. It was nice. We had some drinks at their bar and then they had a BBQ. I ate so much. It was so good.
Today was the day of the dive with Great White Sharks. In the morning, we boarded a bus with 10 other from Cape Town and drove along the coast to Gans Bay. Here we took a boat just off the coast in between the beach and the islands that make up "Shark Alley" (of Discovery Channel Shark Week fame). We began to chum for sharks...and in about 45 min. we had a Great White along side the boat. We put the cage in the water. The cage held 5 people and was in the water along side the leeward side of the boat. The water was about 55-60 degrees, so we rotated in and out of the cage every 10 min. or so. We did not actually use SCUBA gear, but snorkels and only went under when the sharks were right in front of the cage. One of the deck hands had a rope with yellow fin tuna heads and through it out in from of the cage and slowing drew in towards the boat to lure the Shark...with the goal being to have the shark eat the "bait" directly infront of the cage. It worked. Over the course of the next 3-4 hours, we had 7 different sharks at the boat. Each "took the bait" multiple times. The largest was 4 meters long. It was big (and so were the teeth)! At least 5 times the sharks made contact with the cage. One really thrashed the cage with its body right in front of me. Upon getting back to Cape Town, we went out to eat (Malay cuisine) and then went to a couple of bars in with one of the guys we shark dived that day.
Sept. 9
Today we went to Robben's Island. It was where Nelson Mandela and most of the political prisoners were imprisoned during aparthide. The island about a 30 min. boat ride from Cape Town. It was pretty powerful. It was a 2.5 hour tour and was packed. We saw the prison and various places the prisoners were forced to work during their imprisonment. The conditions they suffered were extremely tough. When they worked, they worked in a lime mine that was not used...they would move dirt and then move it back. The prisoners were mostly all in solitary confinement. The cells did not have glass in the windows (and it gets cold in Cape Town). Black and other prisoners were treated differently...blacks had to wear shorts, were not issued shoes nor jackets. Talking was not allowed other then when they were working. To imagine living like this for 18 years...Nelson Mandela did and somehow, after the horrible treatmen, still was reconcillatory. After the tours we went to Avis and rented a car. It was our first time driving on the left side of the road. As I pulled out of Avis, it was weird, but not as bad as I thought. We drove down the cape to SimonsTown. It was really nice. The beachs and the coast was gorgeous. They even had penguins there. We stayed at our first hostel. It was really really nice. We had our own room with a balcony overlooking the water...and it was only $25 total.
Sept. 10
We got up and drove down to Cape Point. It was beautiful. The drive reminded me of the Big Sur in California, very vertical with great white sand beaches tucked in coves. We hiked out to the lighthouse. The weather was sunny and the views spectacular. From there we drove to Stellenbosch, the town in the center of the South African wine region. We went to 3 great wineries. The prices were very cheap for wine and the tastings. At one place we had two free tastings (5 wines) and a bottle of wine for just $3.50. As for the scenery, I must rate it as better than the Napa Valley. Vines of grapes with near vertical mountains just beyond the town. The town itself consisted of whitewashed Cape Dutch houses surrounding a university. The scenery and atmosphere were amazing...and only 45 min. from Cape Town. With the attention the area will get when the World Cup is hosted there in 2010, I hope it will not change. Conor and I both agree it has been the best place so far.
Sept. 11
I got up and went for a 40 min. run. The morning was sunny and the air crisp. It was a beautiful run and a great way to start the day. We drove up to a winery/cheesery. We had wine and cheese for breakfast. After the winery we started our drive to the Garden Route. The Garden Route is the coastal route (Indian Ocean). It rained off and on while we drove and the area had received so much rain recently that the highway went to one lane often due to road repairs. Needless to say it was a frustrating drive. One thing that stuck us as we drove was the poverty. We expected shanty towns on the outskirts of the cities, but not in the country. Unforunately towns of huts made of wood and sheet metal without doors and livestock roaming the dirt streets were all to common along this stretch of road. We stopped at the resort town of Knysna. It was situated a little bit back from the ocean along an estuary. For dinner, we ate bread, wine and cheese we had purchased at the winery. One the news that day, we saw the memorial ceremony highlights.
Sept. 12
We stayed in Knysna today. In the morning, we went for a run and then headed to the beach. It was quite spectaular. It was a sandy beach with rocks on the edges and cliffs as a backdrop. We walked the beach. The waves were about 6 ft. The beach was Brenton beach. We had brunch as the waves pounded the beach. We had gotten the food at the local supermarket. It was a great market...exceeded expectations. It had everything from a bakery to produce. Not what I would have expected. We then drove to the "Heads." The heads are the end of two rock cliffs that form the entrace to the bay/estuary. The views were good and we saw a Southern Right Whale with its flukes out of the water (close to shore). After that we grabbed a beer at a micro-brewery (rare in SA).
Sept. 13
Very long driving day. We drove for about 13 hours from Knysna to just south of Durban. We stopped at Nature Valley, a beautiful beach with at the base of a rain forest...but it was lightly raining and no one was there. We kept driving to Jeffery's Bay (J-Bay). It is home to various surfing competions and is near Cape St. Francis. The waves were not that big and I think that masked the amazing break that is so famous. We kept driving and the highway went through the country. We saw more poverty and went through some rough towns. People walked everywhere, livestock occasionally walked in the road and school children (in uniforms) were everywhere. As we drove, the lanscape changed very very quickly. From rainforest to what looked like the great plains, to arid to back to rainforest as we went back to the coast. Then it got dark. Driving was super tough (Conor did a great job). The headlights on our car were not strong and the people and cars and trucks and animals were still there. We finally got to a hostel in Port Shepstone and spent the night.
Sept. 14
When I woke, I realized the hostel was right on the beach. It was an amazing location. Sandy beach with some rocks and nice 4 foot waves. I went for a walk on the beach and then we headed up the coast to Durban. We went to downtown Durban, right to the water. It was pretty run down and raining and it looked dangerous to park the car overnight. We checked out the beach and the boardwalk and the rikshaw drivers and then headed to a hostel in a beach suburb just outside the city. It was in the Bluff neighborhood and the place we got was like a tiki area. We had a cabin and the place to ourselves. It had a pool, pool table, darts, and was close to the beach. The neighborhood was very much like Point Loma.
Sept. 15
We stayed the day in the Bluffs area. I went to the beach in the morning and the afternoon. The water was about 70 F. It was nice and the beach had shark nets. The waves were OK.
Sept. 16
We took a bus (8 hours) from Durban to Pretoria. It was full. Not the most enjoyable experience, but it got us up here. We checking into a hostel in the Hatfield neighborhood. It was nice. We had some drinks at their bar and then they had a BBQ. I ate so much. It was so good.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Sept. 6
We woke up early and took the train to the airport. Luckily, we changed our seats when we had arrived in Amsterdam. This gave us exit row seats for the 11.5 hour flight to Cape Town. It was not a bad flight because of the seats and the personal entertainment system each seat had. I was able to watch TV shows and movies in between naps. Upon arrival in Cape Town we got a cab and headed to Greenmarket Square to find a place to stay. The square was dark and deserted (not exactly the friendliest way to introduce yourself to urban Africa), but the hotel had a room. We were located just a block off the main street of bars in Cape Town, so we headed out for a couple of drinks. We landed at Stones, a bar/pool hall. Beers were $1.50 and it was a fairly nice place. After a few beers and a game of pool (I maybe the worst pool player in the world), we returned to the hotel.
Sept. 7
On our first full day in Cape Town, we first explored Greenmarket Square and its many craft stands. Then we went to the tourist center and booked a dive with Great White Sharks for the next day. After that we headed to the waterfront and got tickets to Robben's Island. The Robben's Island tours was booked for the next couple of days, so we got tickets for Sunday (9th). It was 2 in the afternoon and, upon seeing Table Mtn. in the distance, we decided to walk to the top from the waterfront. Two hours later, we were at the base. We chose a trail that when along the Camp's Bay side (west) and then cut up to the top. Little did we know it was a much longer hike than some of the others. At 6:15 we made it to the top...but the tram had stopped running at 6 (there was an ominous horn at about 5:50 indicating this fact). It was getting dark and our only way down was to hike. Luckily we ran into 2 Slovakian ski instructors who had been working in South Africa. They led us down a steep rocky trail. By 7:45 we were down. Luckily they had a car too. We shared two beers in the car as we sped back to the city. Once at the hotel we showered and treated ourselves to a steak dinner and a bottle of South Africa wine ($35 American total!).
We woke up early and took the train to the airport. Luckily, we changed our seats when we had arrived in Amsterdam. This gave us exit row seats for the 11.5 hour flight to Cape Town. It was not a bad flight because of the seats and the personal entertainment system each seat had. I was able to watch TV shows and movies in between naps. Upon arrival in Cape Town we got a cab and headed to Greenmarket Square to find a place to stay. The square was dark and deserted (not exactly the friendliest way to introduce yourself to urban Africa), but the hotel had a room. We were located just a block off the main street of bars in Cape Town, so we headed out for a couple of drinks. We landed at Stones, a bar/pool hall. Beers were $1.50 and it was a fairly nice place. After a few beers and a game of pool (I maybe the worst pool player in the world), we returned to the hotel.
Sept. 7
On our first full day in Cape Town, we first explored Greenmarket Square and its many craft stands. Then we went to the tourist center and booked a dive with Great White Sharks for the next day. After that we headed to the waterfront and got tickets to Robben's Island. The Robben's Island tours was booked for the next couple of days, so we got tickets for Sunday (9th). It was 2 in the afternoon and, upon seeing Table Mtn. in the distance, we decided to walk to the top from the waterfront. Two hours later, we were at the base. We chose a trail that when along the Camp's Bay side (west) and then cut up to the top. Little did we know it was a much longer hike than some of the others. At 6:15 we made it to the top...but the tram had stopped running at 6 (there was an ominous horn at about 5:50 indicating this fact). It was getting dark and our only way down was to hike. Luckily we ran into 2 Slovakian ski instructors who had been working in South Africa. They led us down a steep rocky trail. By 7:45 we were down. Luckily they had a car too. We shared two beers in the car as we sped back to the city. Once at the hotel we showered and treated ourselves to a steak dinner and a bottle of South Africa wine ($35 American total!).
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Sept. 4
Day one of the trip. My parents drove me to NYC. We met up with my brother and had some burgers in Madison park from Shake Shack while watching the US Open. From there, I met Conor at his sister's apartment. We shared a car to JFK and flew to Amsterdam. It was a 7.5 hour flight. My seat was a little tight and Conor was quite cramped.
Sept. 5
The flight arrived in Amsterdam at about 7 AM. After going through customs we took the train to the city center. We found a hostel near the train station and got a bunk (room unseen). After dropping the bags in the hostel's storage area, we struck out into town. We went to the Anne Frank house and did a canal tour. At about 2 PM, we were extremely tired. We went to the hostel and took a nap in the bunk. It was not that clean. I was not impressed with the hostel at all. Luckily, Conor had a friend who came by to visit that evening (on business). We went out to eat with him and stayed in his hotel (expense account!). We strolled the Red Light district that night before bed, but it was seedier and not as concentrated as I envisioned it.
Day one of the trip. My parents drove me to NYC. We met up with my brother and had some burgers in Madison park from Shake Shack while watching the US Open. From there, I met Conor at his sister's apartment. We shared a car to JFK and flew to Amsterdam. It was a 7.5 hour flight. My seat was a little tight and Conor was quite cramped.
Sept. 5
The flight arrived in Amsterdam at about 7 AM. After going through customs we took the train to the city center. We found a hostel near the train station and got a bunk (room unseen). After dropping the bags in the hostel's storage area, we struck out into town. We went to the Anne Frank house and did a canal tour. At about 2 PM, we were extremely tired. We went to the hostel and took a nap in the bunk. It was not that clean. I was not impressed with the hostel at all. Luckily, Conor had a friend who came by to visit that evening (on business). We went out to eat with him and stayed in his hotel (expense account!). We strolled the Red Light district that night before bed, but it was seedier and not as concentrated as I envisioned it.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
First Installment
Welcome to The A.P.B! I am embarking on a three month trip and hope to document the adventures in this blog. The trip focuses on Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
