Traveling Backpackers

New Blog Site

2009-03-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Our new blog site is:

http://travelingbackpackersii.blogspot.com/

We're in Georgia! Visit this link to find out more...

Snowy Colorado, USA

2008-02-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

We’re safely back in the United States, after a marathon journey from Nairobi to London to Washington DC/Baltimore to Colorado. The part of Colorado where we live has more snow than they’ve seen in 30 years. We can vouch for the quantity of snow---drifts easily surpass the height of our roof, and absolutely everything outside is pure white. There’s no horizon, since the sky is the same color of white as the ground. The snow has been continuously falling. It’s incredible.

If you’re ever planning a trip to Africa and choose to go on an overland truck, we’d recommend going south to north, as we did. It just kept getting better and better, more wildlife, more cultural interactions, all the way up to the crowning experience of Masai Mara in Kenya.

Now that our trip to Africa is complete, we’re left with memories of beautiful landscapes, amazing wildlife, and friendly people. Africa is an exceptional continent!

Valley of Elephants

2008-01-26T04:30:00.000-08:00

Our game drive brought us deep into the heart of Masai Mara Natl. Reserve, Kenya. Once again, there was wildlife around every bend of the dusty 2-track road. We crested a small hill and descended into a valley of tall grasses and thorny acacia trees. Before our eyes, large gray bodies materialized out of the brush. Sixteen elephants in the first herd calmly ate big bunches of grass with their long, curling trunks. As we scanned the area with binocs, we counted over 100 elephants in the valley, a few lone bulls, but mainly large matriarchs and smaller calves. We watched, mesmerized by the proximity and immensity of the elephants in one of the herds. The smallest of the elephants, not more than 4 months old, stole the show. It took a few steps toward the truck, lifted its trunk straight out in front of its head, and started spinning it in circles, like a windmill. We couldn't tell if it was mad, trying to be threatening, or was just showing off, but it sure was cute!

We had the opportunity to visit a Masai village, where each woman is responsible for building her family's home, using just sticks and cow dung. The men and young boys are responsible for guarding the village and herds of cattle from wild animals, using just handmade bows and arrows, a spear, or a wooden club.

We spent 5 days at Masai Mara, an incredible way to cap off this amazing 2 month adventure. We couldn't leave Africa without at least one experience on public transportation, so we hopped on board a series of packed trucks and mini vans, for the 6 hour journey back to Nairobi.

Tomorrow morning we'll wave goodbye to Africa as we fly to London, and then back to American soil.

Stalked by a Lion

2008-01-24T05:54:00.000-08:00

We spent three days in the wilds of Serengetti NP and Ngorongoro Crater NR, in Tanzania. The wildlife was tremendous, from vast herds of wildebeast and zebra to close encounters with water buffalo. Prides of lions lounged in the sunshine on rocky outcroppings called "kopjes," elevated slightly above the grassy plain. We even had a rare opportunity to see a leopard atop a huge boulder at sunset. But it was in our bush campground in Serengetti where we had an experience that we'll never forget.

At 10 p.m. we left the dying embers of the campfire to turn in for the night. An intestinal bug had been making its way through S's digestive system, so we made a run through the darkness to the pit toilet. As we neared it, our headlamps reflected back at us in the form of two yellow eyes, staring at us from about 30 feet away. Since there were no fences to keep the animals out, our minds reeled with the possibilities; was this a jackal, a hyena, or a lion watching us? We decided to return to the fire to ask one of our safari guides if it was safe to continue to the toilet. He accompanied us with a bright flashlight and identified the eyes as belonging to a lion.

Shortly after returning to the tent, vowing to remain in its relative safety until daylight, a massive thunder and lightning storm released an angry downpour over the Serengetti. At midnight, we realized our goal was unattainable, as S's sickness worsened. We made a mad dash to the outhouse, slipping in the mud and blinded by the pouring rain. Our weak flashlights did little to penetrate the darkness; nevertheless, they reflected the same set of yellow eyes, watching and waiting. Being in such a vulnerable position was truly terrifying. We prayed for safety each of the three times we had to make the trek, and fortunately, the lion kept its distance.

We spent the next night camping at 7,300 feet on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. Far below, within the crater, a vast grassy plain is home to zebra, wildebeest, and water buffalo, as well as the occasional elephant and black rhino. We fell asleep to the sounds of hyenas laughing in the darkness. Africa really is as wild as the stories make it sound!

Beyond the Roof of Africa

2008-01-18T00:16:00.000-08:00

Low clouds hung around what looked to be a massive peak. The clouds cleared for just a moment, allowing us a glimpse of the snow-capped summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. At over 19,000 feet, Kili is the roof of Africa. We found a pleasant campsite near several Masai villages on the outskirts of Arusha.

For the past three days, we have been in the heart of African grasslands of Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro National Conservation Area. To say that is was amazing would be an understatement. Once we are in Nairobi, we will provide more details.

We are currently back in Arusha and we'll cross over into Kenya later today. After one night camping near the town of Namanga, we will arrive in Nairobi.

Spice Island

2008-01-13T00:27:00.000-08:00

We stepped off the ferry into the hustle and bustle of a town steeped in history and legend. Stone Town, on the island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania, is a world heritage site, known for its narrow streets, spice trade, and rich Muslim influence. Within a couple of hours, we found ourselves lost in the labyrinth of winding streets and walkways. Later, we sat back on the balcony of The Africa House to watch the hot sun dip beneath the horizon of the Indian Ocean, traditional wooden dhows sailing by in front of us. The nighttime food markets were an experience not to be missed. We walked from one lantern-lit table to the next, as the fishermen told us about their catch of the day. They grilled fish, beef, or chicken kabobs, octopus, crab, and thin coconut bread called chapati. We ended our meal with a freshly grilled Zanzibar specialty-a chocolate and banana pizza.

Our second day on the island, we escaped the hectic pace of Stone Town and visited two natural areas. The first was a collection of coral reefs in a shallow sea on the southern tip of the island. We waded out to an old wooden boat, then motored to an area known for its high concentration of dolphins. For the next hour, we swam with a pod of 13 dolphins. Sometimes they were just a silouette below us, moving gracefully along the sandy bottom, and other times they came up for air and their bodies were illuminated by the sunlight. They would disappear at times into the deep blue, only to reappear minutes later alongside us. At one point we found ourselves alone with the dolphins surfacing just in front of us and on both sides. It was a magical, surreal experience.

After lunch in a beachside bungalow, we drove to the second natural area, Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, which is known for its population of friendly red colobus monkeys. As we walked, tiny frogs (the size of a pinky fingernail) jumped across the forest floor. It didn't take long to discover a red colobus monkey with red hair and long white eyebrows up in a tree. Suddenly, the tree seemed to come to life. The red colobus monkey was surrounded by 50 others. The ranger informed us that this was one of the smaller troops in the forest.

By sunset, we had moved to a hotel on the northern tip of the island, a place called Nungwi. Today, our 3rd day in Zanzibar, is a day for relaxing on the beach and snorkling in the turquoise water.

We'll return to Dar es Salaam and then make our way to Arusha, gateway to the Serengetti.

On the Shores of Lake Malawi

2008-01-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

We escaped the massive rains and flooding in Zimbabwe and Zambia, and crossed into Malawi, where sunshine has greeted us on the shores of the 12th largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Malawi. Malawi is a very green, hilly country. Lots of forests and small agricultural fields (all maintained by hand, no tractors or farm equipment), dotted with the occasional grass hut. We've spent the past several days kayaking, swimming, stargazing, and hiking along this incredibly blue lake with surprisingly warm waters. We've had a great amount of cultural interaction with local villagers, and visited an orphanage as well. The kids are so friendly! Today, we went on a 35 km (20 miles) day-hike up to the village of Livingstonia, a 3000+ foot climb. On the way, we visited 2 beautiful waterfalls. Well worth the effort, and we've earned our dinners...

We're keeping an eye on the news about the unrest in Kenya, due to a recent presidential election. Our Kenyan safari cook and driver seem to think that all will be safe and sound when we're in Nairobi in a couple of weeks.

Happy New Year from Zambia!

2007-12-31T02:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, 2008! We just walked across the bridge, from Zimbabwe to Zambia. Victoria Falls, one of the 7 wonders of the world, separates the two countries, so it was quite a beautiful crossing. We hiked around Victoria Falls National Park for much of the last three days, where warthogs wandered through the dense foliage and vervet monkeys swung from tree to tree. It was relaxing and rainy. Now we know what the Toto song "Africa" refers to, when discussing the "rains of Africa." We'll spend the next few days traveling across Zambia, and then we'll be around Lake Malawi for a week or so.

Poling in the Mist

2007-12-27T00:51:00.000-08:00

On December 23rd, we left civilization and entered the Botswanan wilderness in a dugout canoe, called a "mokoro." Our guide, Kapinga, used a long wooden pole to maneuver us smoothly through the Okavango Delta, tall reeds parting to allow our passage. White and purple water lilies sprang up through the clear water and a myriad of birds flew among the reeds.

After two hours of being poled along, we found a dry campsite. Over the next 2 days, we swam in the cool Delta water, learned how to pole the mokoros as the locals do, and took part in 2 long game walks (on foot!) through the nearby savannah and woodlands. We saw lots of wildlife, the most incredible of which was a herd of water buffalo (a member of the "Big 5").

The cultural experience was equally as amazing as the natural one. We sat around a campfire deep in the forest, rain pounding down, as our Botswanan polers began to sing and dance, creating an ancient rhythm and harmony. This is the experience that Mike and I have always dreamed about...

We are currently in Chobe National Park (Botswana), and this morning we went on a safari game drive where we had a close encounter with 8 lions. Tomorrow morning we'll travel to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Merry Christmas from Botswana!

2007-12-22T05:49:00.000-08:00

Our adventure has certainly perked up, with a recent visit through Etosha National Park, in northern Namibia. We spent parts of 3 days in this huge national park, doing game drives during the day and watching a floodlit watering hole at night. We were fortunate to see a huge herd of wild elephants in their natural habitat, munching away at the thorny acacia tree branches. We saw huge herds of zebra, springbok, wildebeest, kudu, impala, red hartebeest, dik-diks, and many giraffes, as well. The giraffes look like dinosaurs with their slow, awkward movement across the savannahs. Three unforgettable wildlife moments:

Shortly after dawn, during our game drive, we saw a sudden movement in the tangled reeds in the distance. Our eyes widened when we realized that we had discovered a full grown male lion with a massive mane, in the midst of his morning activity.

We sat in the darkness near a floodlit watering hole. A few springbok wandered by, and a herd of 50 zebra drank from the murky water. The zebra were very skittish, frightened by their own shadows. Suddenly a stampede began, and all the zebras bolted toward the safety of the darkness. From among the chaos emerged a massive gray shape, a rare black rhinoceros. We watched in wonder as this creature fearlessly drank his fill, then wandered back into the shadows.
After setting up camp, the two of us took an exploratory walk nearby. We followed an overgrown two-track, bordered by a "safety fence," which "protected" our camp from the wild animals. Movement caught our eye, and there, underneath an acacia tree, sat 5 cheetahs. You can imagine our surprise! Our pulse sky-rocketed as one of them stood up and began walking toward us. Would this flimsy fence protect us? Our thoughts raced, and we slowly backed away, willing our bodies to act calmly. The cheetah matched our retreating steps and maintained eye contact a mere 10 feet away. Finally, she lost interest and turned back toward her family, and we exhaled a mutual sigh of relief. (By the way, the photo above is in the "Cheetah Park," where there are two "tame" cheetahs).

After a night along the Okavango River, listening to and watching hippos, we've left Namibia and entered the country of Botswana. We're camped near the town of Maun at the edge of the Okavango Delta (the largest inland delta in the world). Tomorrow morning we'll begin a 3 day adventure in dugout canoes, into the wilderness. We hope to see big game and have a cultural experience with the local people, as well.

We're doing great and loving every minute of this grand adventure! Have a Merry Christmas (in a few days)! And Happy Birthday to Lena!!!

Namibia-Desert to Coast

2007-12-15T01:16:00.000-08:00

Namibia is a land of contrasts. Around each bend in the road is a dramatic change of scenery. Yesterday alone, we passed through yellow savannahs, where mountain zebras were grazing, to rocky "moonscape" where it appeared that no living thing could survive, to the cool, humid coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As we travel across these rural African landscapes, we rarely see any other people, which makes us feel that Namibia is quite wild and undeveloped. As an example, we visited the Fish River Canyon a few days ago. It's the 2nd largest canyon in the world; the largest is the Grand Canyon. But what a difference between the two...While the canyon formations and erosional patterns look quite similar, the development was very different. Anyone who has visited the South Rim of the Grand Canyon knows that it's like a zoo-cars everywhere, buildings, restaurants, shops, paved trails, and thousands of people. A gravel road led us to the rim of Fish River Canyon, a single rocky trail guided us from one overlook to the other, where we watched the sun set over the distant mountains. There were only 60 people there during our visit, so solitude was easy to find.

The next morning we awoke at 4 a.m. to hike to the top of Dune #45 in the Namib Desert. As the sun rose, it spread orange and pink tones across the wavy dunes that surrounded us. The sand warmed and we began a hike across the open desert. We discovered myriad species of wildlife: springbok (antelope-like), a wildcat, lizards, kude (elk-like with crazy spiral antlers), and a wide variety of birds. Their tracks criss-crossed each other on the sand, and we followed them up and over the dunes.

Our group consists of 16 other people from around the world: Lithuania, Poland, England, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Kenya and Zimbabwe (our tour leader and cook). We're traveling in a huge truck with large windows all around the vehicle. There are seats for 30 people, so we have quite a bit of extra space. We ride with the windows wide open so we stay cool, even in triple-digit heat. Our campsites have been beautiful so far in terms of scenery. The accomodations, like hot showers and cold swimming pools, have made our evenings quite comfortable. We've fallen asleep gazing up at the Southern Cross, Venus and Mars, while listening to the yelps of nearby jackals. Our food has been good, and we're still feeling healthy.

We're currently in the coastal town of Swakopmund, on our own for 3 days. Last night we wandered toward the Atlantic Ocean, where the waves pounded the shoreline. We'll depart Monday morning, continuing our journey northeast toward Etosha National Park, home to large herds of elephants and giraffes.

Last Day in Cape Town

2007-12-08T05:33:00.000-08:00

We finally got a complete night's rest, and didn't wake up until 8:00 a.m. Now we're adjusted to the time change, which I think is 8 hours ahead of Colorado.

This morning we walked to the Ashanti Lodge, where we'll meet our tour group tonight. It seems like a pretty nice place, but for the price, it certainly doesn't compare to the Kimberley Hotel Back Packers, where we're staying. We were pleasantly surprised to see that our $19/night provided us with a top floor private room, with hardwood floors, a large window overlooking a busy street, a sink, toilet, and shower. Not a bathroom, mind you, but a toilet within arm's length from the bed. Wouldn't want to share the room with a stranger! We'll appreciate our comfortable bed tonight, since we'll be sleeping on thin inflatable sleeping pads and sleeping bags for the next 42 nights!

Cape Town is a beautiful city and the people have been very friendly. We feel quite safe, but we'll continue to take precautions like staying inside after dark (8:30 p.m.), being aware of the people around us, etc. I'd recommend a visit!

Tomorrow morning we'll meet our group and head north. We'll be in South Africa for a few more days, and then we'll cross into Namibia for about 9 days or so. Let the adventures continue!

Rich and Poor

2007-12-08T05:23:00.001-08:00

We explored more of the Cape Town area with our local Cape Townian friends (Michael and his family) yesterday. We mentioned that we would like to see the non-touristy areas, so they drove us through the "townships", which are very poor neighborhoods. The crowded shacks are surrounded by food vendors, cooking a variety of meats over steaming grills in the hot sun. We learned that asking for a "smiley" from one of these vendors will get you an entire cooked sheep's head on a plate. Mike took a picture, but I think the smileys might be a little too far away to truly appreciate. Wish us luck with our meals for the next 42 days! Maybe I won't be such a picky eater when we return...

The people in the townships looked happy and busy, full of life. It reminded me a bit of Guatemala, where people lived with just the bare necessities but seemed full of joy. It's strange to witness the contrast here in Cape Town, multi-million dollar homes on one side of the road, and small shacks on the other side.

From the townships, Michael drove us to other coastal areas, including False Bay and Chapman's Bay. The Southern Right whales migrate along the coast and can sometimes be seen from shore, so we kept our eyes peeled. We also had to hold tightly to the rocks and railings to avoid being blown away by the oceanic winds!

3 Continents in 3 Days!

2007-12-06T23:57:00.000-08:00

As you can tell from the title, we have safely arrived. We began a marathon journey two days ago in Washington D.C. We took an overnight flight to London, where we arrived feeling groggy and confused, but excited about the prospect of exploring this city. We bought a 1 day pass on the Tube (metro) which provided us with all the transportation we needed in London for the day. As you all know, we're on a budget. We probably spent the least amount of money in the recorded history of London during our 7 hours there. Aside from the Tube pass ($14 per person) the only other money we spent was 10 pence to go to the bathroom. A few minutes later, we found 2 coins totaling 15 pence on the sidewalk. So thus we began making money on our vacation.

We walked several miles through London, past Buckingham Palace (where the guards were pacing back and forth with their gloved hands swinging precisely to shoulder height), through St. James's Park, to Big Ben (the bell tower rang out under the bleak sky as we passed by), along the Thame's River to Westminster Abbey, and finally through the Natural History Museum. On the tube ride back to the airport, neither of us could keep our eyes open.

Our 11.5 hour flight allowed us plenty of time to rest our feet. We had over 100 movies and TV shows to watch as we pleased, so of course Mike watched the in-flight map. We both slept quite a bit and by the time morning rolled around, we had a clear view down to the Namibian deserts below. We were surprised by the mountainous terrain as we flew over Cape Town, and intrigued by the pure blue coastline.

We passed through customs after realizing that Sus's only luggage hadn't made it from London. The airport promptly gave us $70 to purchase some basic supplies, and we hope to have the luggage (including anti-malaria pills) by today. This money covered 3 nights in our hotel in Cape Town, lunch, dinner, and internet fees. Thus we continue "making money" on our vacation.

A friend of a friend picked us up from the airport and we spent the day exploring this strikingly beautiful city on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Our literal "high point" of the day was seeing a 360 degree view from atop Signal Hill. We plan to spend today continuing our exploration of the surrounding area with our local friend.

On Sunday we'll leave Cape Town, heading north towards Namibia with our safari group.

Off We Go!

2007-12-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

So we're off on our great adventure! We flew from Colorado to Washingon D.C. and arrived safely (late) last night. We spent today wandering around Harper's Ferry NHS, exploring the living history exhibits, and hiking on the Appalachian Trail with our in-laws. We actually hiked all the way from West Virginia to Maryland! (Check out a map)...

Map of Our Route

2007-11-24T16:29:00.000-08:00

View Larger Map

We've marked about 20 key locations on this google map. You can use your mouse to move around the map (which is actually a world map, not just the US) and then click on the blue "pushpins" to see some additional details. Also, click on the link in the upper right corner that says "Hybrid" to see a really cool version of the map. If you click on "View Larger Map" below the map image, you'll be taken to a full screen version, where you can really zoom in for a close view. Experiment with this--it's fun!

We'll begin in Colorado, then go to DC, London, and Cape Town. From Cape Town, we'll travel on trucks through 7 other countries to Nairobi, Kenya. From Kenya, we'll fly back to London, through DC, and then back to Colorado.

African Adventures...

2007-11-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

Our long awaited trip to Africa is about to begin! We'll spend a few days in D.C. visiting friends and family, and then fly via London to Cape Town, South Africa. A friend of a friend has offered to show us around Cape Town, which is certainly a welcome offer. We'll begin our overland truck tour on December 9 in Cape Town. Over the next 45 days, we'll experience the culture and scenery of seven other countries: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Kenya. As frequently as possible, we'll update this site, so that our friends and family can share in our adventures.