Sorry, this entry is only available in Polski.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Polski.

Wstalismy dzisiaj rano bardzo wczesnie. Na stoliku w naszym skromnym pokoju hotelowym czekaly na nas 2 ciastka bananowe. Na wypadek gdyby mrowki faraonki chcialy sie do nich dobrac ciasteczka kupilismy w hermetycznych opakowaniach. W kazdym wiekszym i mniejszym miescie znajdziesz sklep “7-11″ gdzie mozna sie zaopatrzyc w zimny napoj, krem ochronny i male przekaski. Ponoc wielu miejscowych uzupelnia swoja diete niezdrowymi przysmakami z mikrofali przygotowanymi na poczekaniu przez ekspedientki. Biorac pod uwage ich wspaniala kuchnie tajska az trudno w to uwierzyc! No tak ale jak ktos zyje w pospiechu to tak jest wygodniej. My tylko w sniadania zaopatrujemy sie czesto w sklepie.
O 6.30 bylismy na dworcu autokarowym i moment pozniej w drodze do Ban Chiang (ponoc bardzo wazne znaleziska archeologiczne mieszcza sie tam, jedne z najwazniejszych w pld-wsch Azji) Jak na taka renome, musimy przyznac, ze raczej trudno bylo sie tam dostac! 70km autokarem i kierowca wysadzil nas na skrzyzowaniu skad musielismy sie dostac do muzeum Ban Chiang. Tylko jak? Pieszo! 6km Przekonani bylismy, ze po drodze napotkamy jakis autobus, busik lub songtaew (loalna taksowka na okolo 12 osob) a tu nic. Dobrze ze wiekszosc trasy slonce bylo za chmurami, choc i tak nas troche przygrzalo. Samo muzeum bylo ok. W drodze powrotnej do glownej szosy poszukalismy wsrod mieszkancow pobliskiej wioski chetnej Pani, ktora wypchnela z podworka swojego Tuk-Tuk’a i podrzucila nas na trase autokarow. Tak wiec jezeli wybieracie sie do muzeum w Ban Chiang znajdzcie sobie agenta ktory gwarantuje transport na calej trasie tam i spowrotem
Za to wieczorem, jak zwykle, wybralismy sie na nocny jarmark. Tajlandia z nich slynie! I jak zwykle znalezlismy cos smacznego na zab. Tym razem specjal Issan’u – rybka z grilla z lokalnymi dodatkami! Mniam!

Ach te jarmarki – czego tu nie znajdziesz? Ubrania, akcesoria, MASAZE i jedzenie to podstawa. Dodatkowo czesto mozna na nich kupic ptaszki i pieski (szczegolnie takie wyrosniete szczurki – tak je Kelvin nazywa, a wielu miejscowch je uwielbia.). Niestety bardzo czesto miedzy tym wszystkim biegaja karaluchy. Dla tych co lubia dodatkowo ekscytujace przygody jako smakolyk mozna zjesc smazone robactwo, np. gasienice, polne koniki, termity itp. Ja tam wole pikantne jedzenie ale bez owadow. Smacznego!

W Pai mielismy wielka przyjemnosc poznac kilka domowych przepisow na dania tajskie. Caly dzien spedzilismy na kursie z Dao – nasza guru kucharka. Kiedys przygotujemy dla Was uczte.

Hello Travel Saga Enthusiasts!

Well we’re here in Chiang Mai, and are experiencing rather hot & humid weather (not as bad as Bangkok) – to be expected of course, and not to say we’re not liking it! Needless to say though, our consumption of water has vastly increased, with trips to the loo having unusually decreased! But such are the whys & where-fors of travelling!

Since we left you in Udaipur, India we have visited Pushkar, had an overnight train journey to Delhi, and have suffered a bout of Delhi Belly!!! Thank Goodness we seem to have recovered OK, and are throughly looking forward to our adventures in SE Asia! You don’t want to get too Stomach sick in these temperatures!

Our first port of call was Bangkok, with the thrills & spills such a large city offers! It was a warm welcome, not only the weather, but the friendly people too. Sometimes a little too friendly! However, we really enjoyed this city, and the sights on offer. We were staying close to the infamous Khaosan Road (Backpacker Central), and have ventured out to visit the myriad of Temples/Wats as well as a trail through the Modern City. Often both Old and Young are side-by-side! Travelling on the river boats, are by far the best way to see Bangkok, as well as enjoy a cool breeze, and lets face it a bargain at 30p (60 cents) a trip!

We then left Bangkok behind for a train trip to the North, first stopping at the Old Capital of Ayuttaya. We spent a day wandering this small city with it’s many ancient Wats, some more popular than others. It was a pleasant day, despite the unrelenting sunshine, however we were preparing ourselves for the Hilltribe Trek – or that’s what we kept telling ourselves! Some of these old ruins provided the peace and quiet they must of had centuries before, allowing us to bask in our own thoughts & reflections.

After a day of Tarmac Trekking & Wat Watching, we relaxed in a small restaurant, which is part of a Guest-House, where we met the lovely ‘Fon’. She tried to teach us some Thai, and we tried to help her with some English. It was one of those great travel moments where you are sharing experiences and relating stories just as people, not as tourists. Alas we had to leave after a couple of hours, and catch our Sleeper Train to Chiang Mai! The train, although delayed, was great! We soon prepared ourselves for sleep, and drifted off to the rattle & hum of the train on its tracks!

Awaking in the morning, and glancing out the window, saw us in the Beautiful Scenery of the Northern Mountains of Thailand. Upon arrival in Chiang Mai, we were quickly taken to our accommodation, where a refreshing shower was in order, followed by a quick investigation of the city. Chiang Mai is a lot less frenetic than Bangkok, but it still has its own sense of urgency. Thais seem to love taking transport anywhere, even if it’s only 200m down the road, and it is a continual assumption that if you’re walking you must need a ride. Sometimes when we answer “It’s OK we’re fine walking”, they look at us with disbelief, and almost regard us as a little crazy. None-the-less though, smiles still abound, and we are always blessed on our way!

This city is regarded as the major spring board for trekking into the mountains to visit the small villages of the Hilltribe people, and it’s no wonder considering all the tourist touts offering you various deals & options. We already had a trek organised, and so could enjoy the more relaxing & cooler atmosphere Chiang Mai offered. We indulged in a bit to eat from a small local restaurant, and then proceeded to wander the streets. We had arrived on a Sunday, which was great timing, as there is a special Sunday Night Market, offering a bit more the the usual ‘tourist tat’ on offer at the Night Bazaar. There are also many locals enjoying the market, which made it a pleasant change, although the streets were totally packed! There was also a lot of street food on offer, and freshly cooked, and reminded us of Forodhani Garden Market in Zanzibar. We, of course, lapped up the opportunity to tempt the taste-buds with some Fantastic Local Dishes!

A late night was greeted by an early morning as we were due to depart for our trekking excursion! A quick breakfast and into our ‘Back of a Ute Transport’ (which is called a Songthaew in Thai), and we were off on our way to the hills! Our group comprised of 9: – Egon (Italy) & Kati (Slovakia), Natalie & Sharon (Chile), Gisele (Brazil), Takumi (Japan), Rachel (Israel) & us – a rather ‘International Contingent’! We drove for an hour or so to our first activity which was ‘Bamboo Rafting’! These rafts are made out of 8-10 long poles of Bamboo, strapped together, on which you must stand. I must admit, I thought I had good balance, however these rafts will definitely test that ability, especially when you’re going down rapids! Also, with the polers of these rafts trying to off balance you, and continually seeking enjoyment splashing every chance they get, it’s surprising you get back with even a shred of dry clothing! However, it’s all done with the best spirit of fun, and everyone is wearing ‘wet smiles’ in the end!

After a drying off period, & a speedy lunch we were off trekking the Mountain Trails! Having read various guide books, and other peoples experiences, we were expecting a rather touristed track, and were prepared to meet many other groups along the way. So we were totally surprised when we didn’t! We had, what appeared to be, the entire hills to ourselves, along with the many animals & insects we could hear! The trails were not at all taxing, but were a rather pleasant but aimless wander through the forest. We stopped for many ‘water-breaks’ & when our guide Lan wanted to point out an interesting plant or object. We eventually arrived at our first nights campsite, which was by a small waterfall. Some of us took the opportunity for a ‘Natural Shower’ in the cool waters, while others were content relaxing in the huts, or discovering how dinner was being made. After a peaceful meal accompanied by the sounds of satisfied tummys, we all sat around the campfire and regaled our own story of why we were here – as only travelers know how to do best, before retiring for what was to be a cold & restless nights sleep!

Everybody was happy when the night was over, the campfire was again relit, and a hot cuppa was in the hands! Stories of dangling icecles from the ceiling & large rodent like creatures visiting under blankets were heard over breakfast, to the dismay of some, and the enjoyment of others. However, our laughs & smiles were short lived as the group was to split up. Some were returning to the safety of the city, while the rest were attempting to brave the hidden depths of the hills. What ‘Cool Nightmares’ were to visit this Intrepid Crew!

Our group was halved with only Gisele, Takumi, Rachel & ourselves continuing. We started the day with another quiet wander through the picturesque forest, enjoying again the lovely peacefulness such an environment offered. We were left alone to our thoughts, and would only talk in hushed tones, so not to disturb anyone elses musings! We soon came to our lunch stop, which was at the small rice farm of a local family. Here we were shown the dangerous art of collecting Ant Eggs! Please, if you see the photos, DO NOT attempt this at home!!! These eggs were not for our lunch, but for the familiy’s. However our guide, Lan, did have us wondering.

Lunch was followed by a short, but sweet, siesta before we set off for more Frolicking in the Forest! Shall we just say, the less said about that, the better! I believe I may have already said too much anyway! We were on our way to a small 10 family village which is a part of the Karen Tribe. Most of these Hilltribe Villages exist through subsistence farming. The rice they growing is primarily for themselves, and they try to trade some of it for various other essentials. They also rely on the younger generation to get a job in the city, and send much needed money back to the family. We were also shown a collection of handicrafts, which we could purchase. The village we stopped at was towards the end of their day by the time we arrived, and we presented no real intrusion to the many tasks they had yet to perform. We were allowed to wander the village and assist if we desired, or watch with fascination. It was an Amazing Experience. A bucket shower was on offer, and dinner was soon prepared, with more stories to share & songs to sing around the campfire!

After what was a rather warm night we awoke to the early morning (4am!) sounds of the village. All I’ll say is that a ‘Distant Cock Crowing’ won’t hold the romantic ideal alarm clock position it once did! Breakfast was a quieter affair than previous, and we soon departed on on last leg of the trek. We made a welcome stop at a Cold Pool, where again some of us indulged in a refreshing dip, before heading off to the meeting point. We were met by our ‘Ute Transport’ and driven to a small local restaurant for a feed of Phad Thai & Fruit, and then whisked away to our final activity – Elephant Riding. Most of us were looking forward to this experience, however in reality, it was a little disappointing and rather sad. We felt the Elephants were not being treated very well, and as for the trekking, they were expected to do too much. It was a shame such an Awesome Excursion had to end with a such a depressing activity.

Our return to Chiang Mai saw the group arrange for Dinner at the Night Bazaar! We all met after much needed showers and clothe washing, and submitted ourselves to the Temptations of Thai Merchants! First to cross off the list was a Massage! 1 hour was the agreed time-span, and what a relief it was! I wish we could end every day like that!!! A wander through not so peaceful surroundings was concluded with a dinner at a small market restaurant who offered entertainment in the form of Scrambling Cockroaches! I must admit, I’m not keen on these Sleazy Insects, however I was rather calm when you consider some of our group member reactions! After all the excitement, we all bid our farewells and decided to retire for a warm bed, and hopefully, restful sleep!

The city greeted us with another Sunny Day, and us along with Rachel, went to visit the Official TAT office. The less said about TAT Licensed operators, the better. After obtaining the required information, Ania & I proceeded to book our onwards travel to a place called Pai, in the NW corner of Thailand. We then engaged in some more Wanderings around Wats, before heading to the Night Bazaar for more Torturing Tourist Touts – I know we only have ourselves to blame! However, after such torment, we randomly selected a small side street restaurant, and had, what can only be described, as the best meal we’ve had in Thailand – so far! It was actually a fusion between Chinese & Thai, but the flavours were unbelievable! Our mouths were watering for more, but our stomachs were having none of it – they were full! We may just have to go back!!!

As for today, our last day in Chiang Mai, we have visited the Mountain Temple of Doi Suthep, which is a pilgrimage site for many Thais. It is swarmed with tacky tourist markets, and taxi hackers, but the view on offer is STUNNING. We, unfortunately, struck it on an overcast and hazy day, but still the view was amazing. After a wander through the Wat, and a quick look at the markets, we headed back down the mountain for a stop in an internet cafe! Ania is currently applying for our Cambodian Visas online, as I’m writing this. We still have a couple of weeks left in Thailand, but a wanting to be ready for the border crossing.

Well, I’m again sorry for the length of the tale. I hope you have enjoyed it, and will not be too frightened when I send the next novel! Thanks Again for Reading!

Much Love & Travel Karma!

Hello There Travel Story Enthusiasts!

We’re here in Udaipur, India lapping up the culture, food & sunshine! India is full of it’s own special kind of magic, as I’m sure those of you have been will agree. It’s definitely not always what it appears to be, and often surprises await you round every corner!

We started our adventure in Delhi, where we had the pleasure of meeting up with our good friend Dave for a brief intro into the whys and where-fors of this intriguing country. After a short catch up, some funny & not so funny stories, and our first dose of Indian food, he had to depart for the airport. We then decided to wander the local markets and soak up some of the atmosphere, not to mention the smells of some interesting fragrances! We retired soon after, as jet-lag had paid a visit!

Late morning saw us rise, and take a taxi ride round some of the historical sights of Delhi. We visited such places as Humayun’s Tomb (a prequel to the Taj Mahal, but similar in design), Lotus Palace (as you would imagine, it looks like a Lotus Flower), & the Qutub Minar (the World’s Tallest Brick Minaret standing at 72.5m). After a great afternoon viewing these sights, and lets not forget experiencing the traffic, we returned to our hotel to meet our Intrepid Group.

Our leader for our ‘Classic Rajasthan’ journey is Sunil Kumar, who heralds from a small town close to Jaipur. Sunil knows almost everyone, and now has the name of ‘King Sunil’. We are a mixed group with a couple from America, a couple from Germany, 3 young women from Australia & a woman from NZ! We had a brief explanation of the upcoming 2 weeks, before heading of to a restaurant for a much needed meal.

The next morning saw us visiting Old Delhi for a taste of the historic city. We first entered the Jama Masjid Mosque, which is the largest in India. It offered some fantastic views over the city, and despite being surrounded by the hussle & bussle of Old Delhi, was a very peaceful place. Our next adventure was a wander through the narrow alleyways of the old city, where we saw the specific districts given to various trades & specialities. It had a charm reminiscent of Fes in Morocco. A very memorable moment was our Chai Masala from a Chaiwala, probably our best Chai experience so far! We also visited a Sikh Temple, where we were given a rather lengthy explanation behind the different coloured turbans by a nice gentleman who would have liked to convert us. Delhi’s Metro was a rushed ride, as we were jostled & squeezed for a space on the carriage. Getting out was almost as much fun! We had a lovely lunch at the ‘United Coffee House’ in Connaught Place, famed for serving coffee to the likes of Gandi, Nehru & Lord Mountbatten, before an interesting wander through the streets of New Delhi where we, I must admit, got a bit lost. Finally, after flagging down an Auto-Rickshaw, we returned to our humble hotel.

We had to arise early the next morning to catch our train to Agra. Boarding was again a fun activity, but we had more of those to come. Our train journey went without a hitch, and after a few hours and a short van ride, we were at our accommodation in Agra, which offered a Roof-top view of the Taj Mahal! A short re-fresh, and it was off to visit the Red Fort, which is so steeped in history, I won’t bore you with it now. Needless to say, it was an Awesome Complex, with some beautiful gardens. An hour before sunset saw us viewing the Taj Mahal, and what an Amazingly Majestic & Stunning building it is. Built by Shah Jahan to commemorate the death of his wife ‘Mumtaz’, it was completed in 22 years and pretty much emptied the treasury of the kingdom! Shah Jahan actually wanted to build a replica of the Taj in black stone on the opposite side of the river, however his son imprisoned him and took the throne, before his father could bankrupt the kingdom entirely.

We greeted the following day with a Sunrise view of the Taj from the opposite side of the river, before a local bus ride to the small village of Madhogarh. We had the distinct pleasure of staying at the Fort overlooking the village, and enjoyed a walk meeting the locals and seeing how handicrafts were made. The kids were brilliant! They would come upto you and ask ‘One Photo’, upon which you would oblige & then show them. Their smiles were captivating at seeing themselves, and they would ask the same request again & again. After a while you had to continue walking, however we all had a large group of kids following us for the rest of the afternoon!

Jaipur – ‘The Pink City’ – was the next destination, where we first visited the Amber Palace. This Old Royal residence, which is currently seeking ‘World Heritage Status’, offers exquisite views of the surrounding valley, as is protected from the large fort which stands above it. Once we had driven through the city & had checked into our accommodation we were whisked away to attend a Polo Match, the sport was actually founded in this area. A game only played by the rich, we were lucky to be treated as guests, and had VIP seats for the game. Our evening’s entertainment was nothing less than a Bollywood Movie, at the famous Raj Mandir Cinema. We watched the movie ‘Yamla, Pagla, Diwana’, and although we could not understand the dialogue, you only had to watch to apprecite the story. The crowds at these movies are loads of fun. They Boo & Hiss when the baddie comes on screen, and scream & shout when the dance & song routines appear. You leave the cinema with a huge smile on your face, and feel as though you were actually a part of the movie – a Fantastic Night Out!

Morning saw us rise a little late, before we headed in town for some sightseeing & shopping. The City Palace was first on our list, followed by the Hawa Mahal’ – our Palace of the Winds. This Palace is actually just a facade where the women of the palace, who were able to leave, were able to watch the daily activities of the markets. We were lucky enough to wander the markets ourselves, where needless to say some purchases were made. Ania was able to buy herself a lovely Pashmina & a pair of Indian leather shoes. Negotiating was a time consuming aspect of these adventures, but they were always tempered by an offer of a fresh Chai Masala! The local markets were by far the better experience though. Seeing how day-to-day life happens, even in these big cities, is what travel is sometimes all about. It’s also a great way to escape all the tourist touts and meet some REAL people!

Another early morning departure saw us make our way to Rathambore, and the National Park where we hoped to spot a Tiger. We were staying at a place called the ‘Raj Palace’, and our rooms were adorned with many images of the local mascot! Things were looking very good! Our Tiger Safari was organised for the afternoon, and during lunch we were informed we had a 99% chance of seeing a Tiger – things couldn’t be better! We all prepared ourselves, and the excitement was infectious, we were going to spot one of the most elusive animals on the planet! As we entered the park, we could see the Rathambore Fort, which was never conquered in out-right warfare. Only through deception, were the walls breached. The views offered by the park were breathe-taking. We saw many deer & antelope, some crocodiles, beautifully coloured birds, and then……… NO TIGERS!!! Not even a glimpse of a disappearing tail. The Elusive Cat was not going to give up it’s secrets so easy. We made peace with the Tigers, as apparently no-one we came across had seen any that afternoon. However upon returning to our accommodation, we found out that another couple, who had gone to a different part of the park, had not only seen a Leopard, but also a Tiger! Another Safari will have to be done sometime in the future!!!

Bundi was offered us possibly the best palace tour so far! It was not only magical, but a palace that could easily be described as a Child’s Playground’.You could spend days playing hide & seek, and never get bored! The town & it’s markets were also amazing to walk around, as they were very few tourists, and you got more of a sense of what normal towns are like in this country. The people were so engaging & polite, and a smile was ever present on their faces!

Despite another early start, & local train ride this day was going to provide with a Gorgeous Lake-Side encampment where we could chill-out, relax, and enjoy some natural beauty. We played some cricket, read by the lakeside, wandered upto the fort overlooking our camp for a beautiful sunset. Evening saw us relaxing round a camp-fire while Sunil recited to us, in brief, the Mahabarata, sometimes referred to as ‘The Story of India’.

Sunrise over the lake was peaceful & enchanting. No honks of car horns, just the mesmorising natural orchestra of bird-song. What a glorious way to start the day! After breakfast we took a short jeep ride to a quiet rural village where we were shown how the live through-out the year. This village, as many others surrounding it, have a government license to grow Opium. Each person is allowed to have a specifically sized plot from which they must cultivate 18kgs of Opium. The government strongly regulates this, and anyone caught breaking the rules not only goes to prison, but their entire family loses the license, which would basically destine them for poverty.

Soon after the village tour, we arrived at Bijaipur Castle, our accommodation for the night. What an incredible complex this is, with all the charm and atmosphere you’d expect of a castle that is still a Royal residence. We indulged in some relaxing activities, namely massages & pool side sunbathing, and in the evening, around a campfire, we even met the ‘King’!

And now we are in Udaipur. We have visited the City Palace, which is currently having some restoration work carried out, preparing it for the Wedding of the Princess in March. We also attended a Cultural Dance Performance last night, which was throughly enjoyable, before indulging in a lakeside meal in a fancy restaurant – you have to treat yourself occasionally!

I’m sorry this story has gone on so long. We currently have some rather large issues with our Travel-Blog which we hope to resolve ASAP. Ania has posted some of our photos on FB, so please have a look if you have the time after reading this email!!!

We’ll be in touch again soon!

Day 1 of 365 (?)!!
A fine start. Not too cold not too hot, a great catch up with a friend and a plate full of Indian delicacies. These were the highlights of our first day of our  RTW trip. Delhi is mad with traffic and crowds of people. Where we’re staying there are not many tourists to be seen around so we do tend to get a lot of attention. The invaluable experiences from Africa come very useful when dealing with a little hassle. We’re off to see a few sites Safdarjang’s Tomb, India Gate, Qutb Minar, Lotus Temple and Humayun’s Tomb to name a few.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Polski.

The end of our Africa Travels are almost complete. We have successfully arrived in Cairo, and despite all Africa could throw at us we have succeeded to arrive on time having completed the entire route overland!!! It’s been a wild ride, and we have many Fantastic Memories to bore you all with when we get a chance to meet up, not to mention photos galore!

When we left you, we were in Kenetic Khartoum and have now travelled to Crazy Cairo! Of the highlights from our travels north, one impressive memory was of the Nubian Desert! We were travelling in over 50 degree heat, and on a few occasions digging Nala (our Trans-Truck) out of the sand, but for the Stunning Vista it was all worth it! We camped out under the stars, just sleeping on grass mats. To see the stars so clear almost took your breath away! We had the option to take a tarseal road which followed the Nile, but why do that when the adventure of making your own road through the desert is so enticing!!! It was like the desert was ours alone to explore, and what a vast expanse it is! The only sign of human technology, except for the myriad of old tyre-tracks kris-crossing all over the sand, was the power lines beside the railway. We had to keep these in view most of the time, otherwise we still might be lost out in the desert now!

Finally, after 3 days, we arrived in Wadi Halfa where we were to catch our ferry into Egypt! Wadi Halfa is a small Oasis town, where life is conducted at a slow pace. To be honest you wouldn’t want to move too fast on account of the incredible heat! The people are very friendly & welcoming, and on offer is some of the best Sudanese food you’ll ever try! We celebrated Mike’s (S & M’s) birthday outside the establishment of a man we now affectionately call “The Falafel Man”! The following day he worked extra hard to supply a number of us with Fresh Falafel for our ferry ride!

The ferry was also an experience. Getting through all the official paperwork at the port was time consuming, but thank goodness we had a nice building to wait in, rather than standing outside in the sun! Once on the ferry, we set up our areas with tarps overhead and blankets on the deck. As you can imagine, the deck of the boat, being metal, was the temperature of a frying pan! Other than the heat, the ferry crossing past relatively smoothly. We departed Sudan at about 5pm, and were lucky to being passing Abu Simbel at approx 9:30pm. It was all under lights, awaiting our arrival in 2 days!

Our arrival into Egypt was nowhere near as smooth or easy as our departure from the Sudan. The less said about Egyptian Border Bureacracy the better! Needless to say we finally arrived into our accomodation in Aswan relieved to be in Egypt, our final country on the Trans! We quickly indulged in some McD’s, the first since South Africa, before organising ourselves for the activities we had on offer. The first was Abu Simbel, and what an impressive temple it is! A tourist destination if there ever was one! We were all glad that we arrived on the early convoy! It was an extra special visit for Lindsay on our trip, as it was her birthday, and we celebrated in true local style with a group meal and some local dancing later that evening!

We had a chance to rest & relax, taking the opportunity to have dinner in a Nubian village across the river from Aswan, before the 2 day excursion down the Nile on a felucca! Ania, along with the rest of our group went on the river, however I decided to travel to Luxor on the truck with our driver Jay, as I had experienced the feluccas before. Luxor still holds the relaxing charm from when I first travelled Egypt 10 years ago! It has definitely changed in appearance, as had Aswan, but the magic of this ancient capital lingers, tempting your travel-buds with historical & mystical intrigue! Long has Luxor (the ancient city of Thebes) been attracting people, especially when you can visit the ‘Valley of the Kings‘, Colossus of Memnon, Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple, and the ever omnipresent KARNAK! We all welcomed the opportunity to visit these spectacular testaments of Egyptian history. Revelling in the copious stories woven & inscribed on their rocks! We also indulged in some souvenir shopping, especially silver! Thank you Tarek for all your assistance and friendship – your shop & your friendship has been a highlight!

We left Luxor, not for the madcap streets of Cairo, but for the quiet expanses of the Western Desert. It was one last throw of the ‘remoteness’ dice, and we all wanted to gaze upon those gorgeously clear stars one more time! We travelled this time on a tarseal road, but come the late afternoon/early evening it was back to off-road to find an appropriate desert camp. The first night saw us gurded by the Egyptian Tourist Police, which although slightly uncomfortable for some (their van was parked no more than 3m from where Ania & I were sleeping on a grass mat!), was considerate, even though safety is not too much of an issue at all. The last 2 nights we camped safely by ourselves, indulging in that oldest of past-times – ‘star-gazing’! We all helped with our final 2 bush-camp meals, before setting off back to civilisation & Cairo!

We have now been here for a few days now! The Pyramids have been viewed, admired, and even entered into, along with an insightful description of the relevant history by our guide Michael. He also guided us around the Egyptian Museum, pointing out all the highlights and giving us a thorough account of their importance to Egyptian history. Tutankamun’s burial treasure is just one of the sensational exhibits on display! Islamic Cairo has many enticing points of historical interests, not forgetting, of course, Khan-el-Khalili the tourist market! We spent a few hours wandering the alleyways, admiring sales techniques even if the products were tacky!!!

Now we are faced with our final day here in the largest city in Africa! The temperature is a mild 38 degrees, however I’m sitting in an air-conditioned room writing this! We’ll wander Cairo some more before sitting down to a lovely meal and of course one final African Shisha! No doubt tomorrow will bring a few moments of quiet reflection, then our final goodbyes before a mad dash race across Cairo to the airport, afterall – TIA!!!

Thanks to you all for following our travels. We hope you have enjoyed the stories & photos as much as we enjoyed writing them. Over the next few months we will post updates on our web-blog, so please keep a lookout if you’re interested! Thanks again for all your support and encouragement, without it we would not have pushed through those hard days!

We can’t completely finish there though. Ania & I would like to extend to both Kate & Jay our undying gratitude for all they have done for us on this trip! Without them we would not have acheived this FANTASTIC ADVENTURE!!! Words alone cannot express our thanks

Hello My Travel Story Pals!

I am sincerely sorry for my gross negligence at keeping you all informed of our African Trail Progress! Things have certainly sped up since we arrived down in South Africa, and we are trying to make the most of every opportunity!Currently we are in Khartoum, Sudan! This is one of the cities I most wanted to visit! It’s a Fantastic city, full of much construction not to mention the incredibly friendly and helpful Sudanese! But before I ramble too much, here is a quick precis of our trip from South Africa!

After visiting Jo’Burg, we caught up with our truck and travelled the Garden Route, including such places as Jeffreys Bay (Billabong Factory Shop), Tsitsikamma (World’s Highest Commercial Bungy – 216m), Oudtshoorn (Ostrich Farm & Kango Caves) Cape Agulhas (Southern Most Point of Africa), before arriving in Capetown!

While in this stunning city we had the distinct pleasure of staying with a very good friend of ours – Wessel – and his parents. We were treated to home cooked meals & had our own tour guide around the city. We visited Robben Island, Table Mountain, not to mention some of  the Fantastic Vineyards in the surrounding area! We were treated to a Brilliant Day out with Pieter and Annatjie (Wessel’s parents) around Stellenbosch & Franschhoek!

We then rejoined our group in Citrusdal, where we travelled to Orange river on the border with Namibia, before enjoying the sights of Fish River Canyon & Sossusvlei. These views were quickly followed by a few days in Swakopmund, where we engaged in some Quad Biking, a Dolphin Cruise and a Township tour where we were fortunate to meet the Damara chief – a 91 year old woman! We then visited Spitzkoppe (famous rock formations), and the Cape Coast Seal Colony – and gosh do they stink!!!

Cheetah Park presented us with the start of  the wildlife trail, as we then went onto Etosha National Park and the Okovango Delta! And what a great experience they all were! We got up close & personal with the Cheetahs, before assisting in feeding them, saw our first wild lioness on a hunt, and got within 15 metres of 4 Male Elephants in the delta! And the thrills didn’t stop there! Victoria Falls was next, where

we not only were drenched by them, but also flew over them in a Microlite!

After a quick visit to Livingstone, Zambia – we spent some time in Zimbabwe. It has recently only again opened up to tourists after it’s political rollercoaster of the last few years. We made a brief stop in Bulawayo, where we had an educational day excursion into Matopos National Park. Andy was our guide & tracker, who spent time teaching us about the bush & wildlife. We also finished the day having tracked 2 White Rhino and were able to spend some time with them literally 10m away! Great Zimbabwe, the old city of trade & commerce was a worthy visit, before we entered Antelope Park, Gweru! This has proved to be an amazing highlight, as we enjoyed Lion walks, Cub walks, Elephant rides, not to forget the night we joined 2 male lions from the breeding programme on a hunt! Antelope Park will also remain in our fond memories also for the people we met – especially Darren (one of the volunteers) and our guide Fanuel! A journey through Zimbabwe wouldn’t be complete without a jaunt into Harare. We only spent a day in the city, but it was an intersting experience. We both sincerely hope this wonderful country can one day retain it’s former glory!

Mozambique‘s Tete Corridor was the briefest of country stops before we entered Lilongwe, capital of Malawi. We had a re-freshing experience in the large food market, having missed traditional African markets! Kande Beach provided us with a lovely lake view & relaxing 3 day respite, where we enjoyed a local Village Meal, roasted 2 pigs and rode the famous Kande horses!

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania was our springboard to Zanzibar – Spice Island & Gorgeous Beaches. Stone Town also entertained us with it’s – bustling markets, narrow streets, and the ever delicious Foridani Gardens – local food Zanzibar style! Arusha was next on the menu with Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater as the main course. I won’t bore you with the details – just look at the photos!!!

Nairobi was our first taste of Kenya, before we enjoyed the sights of Nukuru National Park on our way to the Mountain Gorillas! We stopped briefly in Kampala & Kabale in Uganda (to return later), as we raced to get to Kigali, Rwanda. We had an afternoon visiting the city, especially the Genocide Museum, then it was onto Ruhengari and the famous Mountain Gorillas. We had a half day trek to the Hirwa ‘Lucky’ Family, where we got some great photos and an interesting piece of video footage, which we may upload. However it will have to be X-rated!!!

We backtracked through Uganda, indulging in some White-water rafting at Jinga (source of the mighty Nile River), as well as assisting the Soft Power Education Project paint a building of a school! Lake Navaisha, Kenya brought us very close with the most dangerous animal in Africa – the Hippo. It sounds unusual, but more tourist deaths are attributed to Hippo attacks rather than Lion attacks. Perhaps that childhood game ‘Hungry Hungry Hippo’ was accurate after all!

Back in Nairobi we prepared for the final leg of the trip! After saying our goodbyes to some travel companions, we hit the road for Northern Kenya. An experience it was, but in some ways the least said about it, the better! We were all pretty excited to reach Ethiopia – despite their issues with water & power supply!

Addis Ababa was a revelation! We both thoroughly enjoyed the people, food, & culture. Within a very short space of time Ethiopia won our hearts, and is definitely a country we hope to return too! Bahir Dar was our launch pad to Lalibela, which amazed us with it’s ‘rock hewn churches’. While Gondar presented us with interesting stories of political conspiracy & intrigue!

Now we find ourselves in the Sudan with our African Adventure almost at an end! However the FUN has not stopped, and neither have the stories!

I know this has been a very quick overview of our travels. I hope it provided some entertainment for you. I will endeavour to elaborate on our adventures when I get the chance, but please check the photos!!!

Thank you again my Avid Listeners! Until next time!

PS. I hope you like the update Sam – we wish you and Colin the best of travels!