If you are intersted in doing more reading... follow this blog by fellow traveler Victoria! http://wheresvictoria.com/
It's well written and has lots of interesting details. She has an amazing world-wide trip planned, and we got to share part of her journey. We were with her for most of August, so any archieved post from then we will have likely participated in.
September 1, 2011
August 31, 2011
God's Gift in Cape Town - by Jessica (August 30)
I can't believe that we are leaving today. Sitting in the airport, it seems as if we were just here, starting our journey, although that didn't seem to be the case on a couple of our long overland travel days.
We've been in Cape Town for the last couple of days, South Africa was an add-on because we had an extra couple of days, and had to fly through here anyway. I am so glad that we visited. It's a beautiful city (a real city!) What a beautiful city, we would definately come back because due to our short time, we missed the Cape of Good Hope, wine tours, the garden route, and other things. The first day we were here, we did a hop-on, hop-off bus tour and got to see the great city! We went part of the way up Table Mountain, but the cable car was closed (and we didn't feel like hiking) so that was as far as we went, it was still a nice view. I was very impressed that the Table Mountain area is one of seven (?) different flora areas in the whole world! Things were just starting to bloom (spring was around the corner). We spent some time in the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, having a fancy dinner and enjoying the ambiance. Yesterday we went down to Hansbaai - down in the very southern tip to go... Shark diving! We were in a cage swimming with between 6-7 Great White Sharks in the southern Atlantic. (Yes, it was very very cold). They came very close, and one even banged right up on the cage while Krystal was in it. The largest we saw was 4.7 metres (around 6 metres being the longest ever). Three times they breached the water with teeth bared, but I never ended up getting a picture of that. Today before heading out to the airport we took the ferry out to Robbin Island - a place of so much history, including a prision where Nelson Mandela served half of his prison sentence. It was an inspirational place. The island was home to a colony of African penguins and seals. We were supposed to have time to walk out to visit them, but our tour ran long - we had the oppourtunity to talk to a prison guard who worked with Mandela (our tour guide was a prisoner there for a couple of years as well) so walking back to the ferry I was quite disapointed about not having the time to see them, I had been looking forward to them for a while. As we were just about to walk into the port to get on the ferry, one appeared in the path in front of us. A young penguin, alone, allowed us to walk right up to him and say hi. He is forever named in my mind as Gift - he was God's gift to us - a farewell from the amazing contenent of Africa.
We've been in Cape Town for the last couple of days, South Africa was an add-on because we had an extra couple of days, and had to fly through here anyway. I am so glad that we visited. It's a beautiful city (a real city!) What a beautiful city, we would definately come back because due to our short time, we missed the Cape of Good Hope, wine tours, the garden route, and other things. The first day we were here, we did a hop-on, hop-off bus tour and got to see the great city! We went part of the way up Table Mountain, but the cable car was closed (and we didn't feel like hiking) so that was as far as we went, it was still a nice view. I was very impressed that the Table Mountain area is one of seven (?) different flora areas in the whole world! Things were just starting to bloom (spring was around the corner). We spent some time in the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, having a fancy dinner and enjoying the ambiance. Yesterday we went down to Hansbaai - down in the very southern tip to go... Shark diving! We were in a cage swimming with between 6-7 Great White Sharks in the southern Atlantic. (Yes, it was very very cold). They came very close, and one even banged right up on the cage while Krystal was in it. The largest we saw was 4.7 metres (around 6 metres being the longest ever). Three times they breached the water with teeth bared, but I never ended up getting a picture of that. Today before heading out to the airport we took the ferry out to Robbin Island - a place of so much history, including a prision where Nelson Mandela served half of his prison sentence. It was an inspirational place. The island was home to a colony of African penguins and seals. We were supposed to have time to walk out to visit them, but our tour ran long - we had the oppourtunity to talk to a prison guard who worked with Mandela (our tour guide was a prisoner there for a couple of years as well) so walking back to the ferry I was quite disapointed about not having the time to see them, I had been looking forward to them for a while. As we were just about to walk into the port to get on the ferry, one appeared in the path in front of us. A young penguin, alone, allowed us to walk right up to him and say hi. He is forever named in my mind as Gift - he was God's gift to us - a farewell from the amazing contenent of Africa.
Living it up in Livingstone (by Krystal) August 26
AAfter chilling out on the beach in Malawi, we made the long drive to Livingstone. I was very excited as it was the part of the East/South Africa trip that I was looking forward to (or really knew anything about). It was a very busy six days. Our first day we arrived and went straight to Vic Falls. It was very impressive and never ending. It was also surrounded by viscious wildlife - seriously I was afraid for my life when I had to walk past a giant baboon almost as big as me on the path to the falls (They have been known to kill leopards! Granted in a pack and all this one did was sit there). On our second day, we got up excruciatingly early but it was worth it as we got to walk three lion all younger that my nephews - plus we got to pet them. Best of all our participation contributed funds to the ALERT foundation, a very neat agency dedicated to protecting lions. After starting with an early morning our day also ended with a late night - after 11 pm (late for what we normally have been doing). We participated in the Sunset cruise but the sunset is often outshone by the free drinks on board. Really it was a great way to hang out as a group before we all went our separate ways (plus the night ended with some dancing and you can never go wrong with dancing)
On day number three Nate and I decided it would be fun to throw ourselves off a bridge and free fall 111 meters - that's right we did the bunji jump! As if that wasn't enough we also did the swing - which just means we literally threw ourselves off the bridge twice (we were just strapped in differently.) Apparently I can scream pretty loudly. Then we ended it a little more calmly with a zipline across the gorge. Jess was probably the sanest of the three and spend her third day at high tea and saw a huge selection of animals - not to mention all the tasty treats (she showed me pictures...they looked fantastic). For Day four we regrouped and went white water rafting down the Zambezi! Those class five rapids were intense but our guide was the best! Our raft never flipped - although one wave did knock all of us but our guide out on the first rapid but we survived and managed to conquer that rapid on our second attempt - two people short I may add. Overall, we all enjoyed it, crocodiles and all (even Jess enjoyed the after lunch section - I was so proud of her determination - she was awesome)
Day five we parted ways with our group and then headed into town to find the market - unfortunately it took longer than expected as we went the wrong way and walked completely out of town. Still we did find it eventually and were able to do some shopping. Day six we rested and then boarded a plane to fly to our last destination: Cape Town!
On day number three Nate and I decided it would be fun to throw ourselves off a bridge and free fall 111 meters - that's right we did the bunji jump! As if that wasn't enough we also did the swing - which just means we literally threw ourselves off the bridge twice (we were just strapped in differently.) Apparently I can scream pretty loudly. Then we ended it a little more calmly with a zipline across the gorge. Jess was probably the sanest of the three and spend her third day at high tea and saw a huge selection of animals - not to mention all the tasty treats (she showed me pictures...they looked fantastic). For Day four we regrouped and went white water rafting down the Zambezi! Those class five rapids were intense but our guide was the best! Our raft never flipped - although one wave did knock all of us but our guide out on the first rapid but we survived and managed to conquer that rapid on our second attempt - two people short I may add. Overall, we all enjoyed it, crocodiles and all (even Jess enjoyed the after lunch section - I was so proud of her determination - she was awesome)
Day five we parted ways with our group and then headed into town to find the market - unfortunately it took longer than expected as we went the wrong way and walked completely out of town. Still we did find it eventually and were able to do some shopping. Day six we rested and then boarded a plane to fly to our last destination: Cape Town!
August 28, 2011
Malawi and it's Lake (by Jess) August 19.
AOur last week in Malawi has been pretty uneventful. We spent our time by the beach. Any activities we thought about doing in the city had to be cancelled as there was some unrest. I don't know if it will have made North American news but there were yet more anti government demonstrations and rioting. One can understand the frustration of these people in one of the poorest countries in Africa where bureaucracy seems slower than ugali paste. (ugali is essentially cornmeal you eat by rolling in a ball and dipping in sauce). Of all the countries we have been in, the people here seem to be the most genuine, kind and friendly. We managed to get hooked up with an amazing daycare/ mission a short walk down the beach, from where we were staying and spent a few days hanging out with the kids and doing what we could. For anyone who knows the game, Nathan taught them "buggies up", and you can imagine the hilarity that ensued. The family, parents and a 13 year old girl and 15 year old boy, were delightful and I feel blessed to have met them.
I guess I should mention the lake - it does take up about a third of the country of Malawi. It's an amazing ecosystem with over 1000 species of fish, and over 300 species found in only in Lake Malawi. The three of us decided to try our hand at scuba diving - all for the first time. Unfortunately Krystal was the only one who was able to make it to the bottom, but i am determined to practice breathing and try again, perhaps over March Break.
We are facing three more long driving days and then we will be in Livingstone - more adventure awaits!
I guess I should mention the lake - it does take up about a third of the country of Malawi. It's an amazing ecosystem with over 1000 species of fish, and over 300 species found in only in Lake Malawi. The three of us decided to try our hand at scuba diving - all for the first time. Unfortunately Krystal was the only one who was able to make it to the bottom, but i am determined to practice breathing and try again, perhaps over March Break.
We are facing three more long driving days and then we will be in Livingstone - more adventure awaits!
August 12, 2011
Zanzibar (by Jessica) August 11
AI thought about coming up with a catchy title for this entry, but I wanted the name to stand alone because if you know anything about this small island, its name can be evocative of narrow alleys winding between stone buildings, elaboratively carved doors, palm fringed white sand beaches and lush spice farms. If these do come to mind you would not be disappointed. Zanzibar has exceeded my high expectations and I wish we had a week more to spend here!
The island is a mix of many different cultures of people who traveled here over history from Mainland Africa, India, Asia, and the Middle East. It was a hub of trade for many exciting things like spices and cloth, and many horrible things like slaves. The island is over 75% Muslim and as we visited during the holiest time in their calendar, Ramadam, we got a neat perspective. Our first day we enjoyed walking around looking at the buildings, and marveling at the doors. We had a big lunch in a beautiful Indian resteraunt. Once the sun set the "night market" opened up right by the sea. Vendors opened stalls piled with fabulous stuff and people poured in from everywhere to break their fast. We had sticks of meat and super fresh seafood. Banana and chocolate pancakes, and the jewel of it all - freshly pressed sugar cane juice with ginger and lime! Yum.
Our next day we went on an informative tour that told us a little history of the slave trade and we were able to see where they were stored before auction and where all of the atrocities happened. After that we went out to a spice planation to learn about spices and herbs and fruit.
We spent the next two nights inthe north part of the island on the beach. We decided to take a boat out to try and swim with the dolphins. The water was so rough that they weren't in the mood to play, so we were chasing them down in a boat only to jump in and have them swim away. A huge highlight of the trip was a drive into the Jozani nature reserve to see mangroves, mahogany and monkeys! Home to the Red Colobus monkey who are very used to and friendly with people we got to share their space and watch them chow down and some members of our trio were brave enough to give them a gentle pat on the back. Incredible!
We had a very rough ferry ride on the way back and are anticipating two days of long driving to get into Malawi.
The island is a mix of many different cultures of people who traveled here over history from Mainland Africa, India, Asia, and the Middle East. It was a hub of trade for many exciting things like spices and cloth, and many horrible things like slaves. The island is over 75% Muslim and as we visited during the holiest time in their calendar, Ramadam, we got a neat perspective. Our first day we enjoyed walking around looking at the buildings, and marveling at the doors. We had a big lunch in a beautiful Indian resteraunt. Once the sun set the "night market" opened up right by the sea. Vendors opened stalls piled with fabulous stuff and people poured in from everywhere to break their fast. We had sticks of meat and super fresh seafood. Banana and chocolate pancakes, and the jewel of it all - freshly pressed sugar cane juice with ginger and lime! Yum.
Our next day we went on an informative tour that told us a little history of the slave trade and we were able to see where they were stored before auction and where all of the atrocities happened. After that we went out to a spice planation to learn about spices and herbs and fruit.
We spent the next two nights inthe north part of the island on the beach. We decided to take a boat out to try and swim with the dolphins. The water was so rough that they weren't in the mood to play, so we were chasing them down in a boat only to jump in and have them swim away. A huge highlight of the trip was a drive into the Jozani nature reserve to see mangroves, mahogany and monkeys! Home to the Red Colobus monkey who are very used to and friendly with people we got to share their space and watch them chow down and some members of our trio were brave enough to give them a gentle pat on the back. Incredible!
We had a very rough ferry ride on the way back and are anticipating two days of long driving to get into Malawi.
Survival in the Wild (by Krystal)
AAfter crossing the border into Tanzania, there was much excitement in the air mixed with a little bit of fear - we were heading into the Serengeti which on it's own would not be much of a problem but it was also the point of our itinerary that was labeled sleeping with the lions - I had been dreading the sleep since I signed up for the trip and specifically took on a tent mate for protection when we got here. To avoid an anticlimactic ending I will start with the fact that there were no lion encounters in the night - to my knowledge anyways. Nevertheless the Serengeti was far from boring. It all started with lunch - there we were minding our own business when we were attacked by hawk like creatures - formally named Kites- okay they were mainly circling us hovering closer and closer but one did swoop down and steal a piece of chicken out of one of our groupmates hands (I stand by the fact that although I didn't lose my chicken it wasn't any less traumatic). This encountered was followed by a wild pig bursting out of the bushes now affectionately known as badger pig due to a striking resemblance to both creatures. The adventures continued as our truck got a flat tire - I would like to think I contributed to our rescue effort as I flagged down a car to get a jack and held some bolts. In the end, we caught up to our group and were able to see our last missing big five creature the leopard - nice and close. The Serengeti was very good to us showing us hyenas, lions, elephants, giraffes, rock pyrexes and a bunch more -what can you expect from the inspiration from the lion king. Our next step was the crater and after an uneventful sleep in the Serengeti I was completely at ease with sleeping on the crater - to my surprise right in the middle of my camp fire presentation of about the elephant - one decided to wander into camp to have a drink from the water tank! The elephant was huge and quite a sight! This was added to by the zebras chomping away at the grass by our tent on our way to bed and the grunting of a bush pig in the middle of the night. Still the crater gave us more than just animal sightings at night - we saw some lions cross the road and another lion decided to nap in the shade of a truck- we saw rhinos and elephants and more. Overall a perfect way to wrap up the major safari portion of our trip.
In Search of the Big Five (by Nathan)
The drive from Nairobi to the Masai Mara was full of anticipation. What animals would we see first and would we find each of the big five? It did not take long to find our answers, the thompsons gazelle and yes we found the big five. Well at least four of them. Just five minutes into our first drive we spotted a rhino then we followed that up with lions elephants and a buffalo. The only one missing was the leopard. Although the leopard would elude us for a few more days in the Mara we did see giraffes cheetahs hippos zebras warthogs crocodiles and hundreds of wildebeests. It was a very successful first three days and had us very excited to head to the serengeti.
July 29, 2011
Gorillas in the Mist. July 29 (by Jess
AAfter almost three days solid of traveling, we made it. For one hour we were privy to be part of a family of mountain gorillas! We started on a taxi, then three airplanes, a couple shuttles, another set of experiences in the horrible Cairo airport, another taxi and a nine hour jeep ride. It was an intense experience, and to add to it all I was extremely car sick during the last stretch of driving into the rainforest, Nathan told me after that he was concerned I wasn't
going to make it, but I pushed through the sickness and hiked up yet another mountain only to descend into a valley. We were accompanied by two professional guides, and a guard carrying an AK47, for our protection, in case we come across an elephant they said. Whatever. And once we penetrated the impenetrable forest we met up with the trackers whose job it is to follow the gorrillas in the morning from their last known location to where they are that we can see. I was impressed by the professionalism and the pride and protectionism of this amazing natural treasure. Currently in the world there are just over 700 mountain gorillas living in the wild, spread between Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. We tracked a family consisting of 32. Our first sighting of them was an adult female lounging in a tree. After watching her for a few minutes we caught a glimpse of the Alpha male, the king, the Silverback. The vegetation was very thick where we were and we had to keep moving in order to keep them in sight, our trackers were kind enough to keep cutting vines and pointing out movement in the bush. We also saw a mother with a baby and some other adults. We spotted about 9 in total. The highlight of them all being a 2.5 year old who was not against standing up and mimicking his father by beating his chest and engaging in other antics. The only time i have been scared on this trip, minus a few times trying to cross a road occurred when suddenly we realized we were surrounded by gorrilas in close proximity, although we could not see them and the silverback started making a fuss. Our trackers gathered around us and started making noise back and hitting the bushes, everything was ok. In due time we were ushered out as the magic of it all was beginning to sink in. They are protective and only 8 people per day are allowed to see them only for an hour. During the time we were with them fragments of books and papers I had read before kept coming to mind, but overall it was an honor to spend time in the company of one of man's closest relatives. I can't wait to share my pictures, and check Nathan's facebook page for an uploaded video of the first fleeting time we saw the Silverback.
going to make it, but I pushed through the sickness and hiked up yet another mountain only to descend into a valley. We were accompanied by two professional guides, and a guard carrying an AK47, for our protection, in case we come across an elephant they said. Whatever. And once we penetrated the impenetrable forest we met up with the trackers whose job it is to follow the gorrillas in the morning from their last known location to where they are that we can see. I was impressed by the professionalism and the pride and protectionism of this amazing natural treasure. Currently in the world there are just over 700 mountain gorillas living in the wild, spread between Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. We tracked a family consisting of 32. Our first sighting of them was an adult female lounging in a tree. After watching her for a few minutes we caught a glimpse of the Alpha male, the king, the Silverback. The vegetation was very thick where we were and we had to keep moving in order to keep them in sight, our trackers were kind enough to keep cutting vines and pointing out movement in the bush. We also saw a mother with a baby and some other adults. We spotted about 9 in total. The highlight of them all being a 2.5 year old who was not against standing up and mimicking his father by beating his chest and engaging in other antics. The only time i have been scared on this trip, minus a few times trying to cross a road occurred when suddenly we realized we were surrounded by gorrilas in close proximity, although we could not see them and the silverback started making a fuss. Our trackers gathered around us and started making noise back and hitting the bushes, everything was ok. In due time we were ushered out as the magic of it all was beginning to sink in. They are protective and only 8 people per day are allowed to see them only for an hour. During the time we were with them fragments of books and papers I had read before kept coming to mind, but overall it was an honor to spend time in the company of one of man's closest relatives. I can't wait to share my pictures, and check Nathan's facebook page for an uploaded video of the first fleeting time we saw the Silverback.
July 24, 2011
Sunday July. 24 Biblical Sites and Splashing Around By Krystal
GSunday July. 24
Biblical Sites and Splashing Around
By Krystal
Our first tour is officially complete; although it ended just as good as it began - I know it is hard to believe anything could compare to camel riding by the pyramids. Our final days were spent visiting some Biblical sites and splashing around. It started with a trip to a crusaders castle - seeing interesting sights like the stones used in catapults and secret passageways. This was followed by the long anticipated floating in the Dead Sea. It was an incredible experience - it was impossible to sink. In fact you could still float standing straight up - if you could balance yourself. The sea lived up to all it's expectations and since it may disappear in the next 50 years I feel privileged to have the experience. We also saw the apparent remains of Lot's wife - oddly she looks very similar to a rock. After some fun in the water it was back to the past visiting Mt Nebo - where Moses saw the Promised Land. Sadly after this we had to say goodbye to our new found friends. The Jordan River was our next aquatic adventure. We saw the baptismal site of Jesus - it was great to see but was unexpectedly dry. Still we got to stand in the actual river as well. This was also where Joshua crossed on the way to Jericho which was apparently just over the hill on the other side. Next we headed to Wadi Mujib where we hiked up a river, climbed up some cascades, played behind a waterfall - diving into it from a rock - only to climb back by sliding down the cascades like a water slide and gliding down the river on our backs or stomachs. Finally we have spent some time relaxing at our hotel pool and visiting local sites like the mosaic map at St. George Church. A good way to prepare for our many flights looming in tomorrow's wake.
Biblical Sites and Splashing Around
By Krystal
Our first tour is officially complete; although it ended just as good as it began - I know it is hard to believe anything could compare to camel riding by the pyramids. Our final days were spent visiting some Biblical sites and splashing around. It started with a trip to a crusaders castle - seeing interesting sights like the stones used in catapults and secret passageways. This was followed by the long anticipated floating in the Dead Sea. It was an incredible experience - it was impossible to sink. In fact you could still float standing straight up - if you could balance yourself. The sea lived up to all it's expectations and since it may disappear in the next 50 years I feel privileged to have the experience. We also saw the apparent remains of Lot's wife - oddly she looks very similar to a rock. After some fun in the water it was back to the past visiting Mt Nebo - where Moses saw the Promised Land. Sadly after this we had to say goodbye to our new found friends. The Jordan River was our next aquatic adventure. We saw the baptismal site of Jesus - it was great to see but was unexpectedly dry. Still we got to stand in the actual river as well. This was also where Joshua crossed on the way to Jericho which was apparently just over the hill on the other side. Next we headed to Wadi Mujib where we hiked up a river, climbed up some cascades, played behind a waterfall - diving into it from a rock - only to climb back by sliding down the cascades like a water slide and gliding down the river on our backs or stomachs. Finally we have spent some time relaxing at our hotel pool and visiting local sites like the mosaic map at St. George Church. A good way to prepare for our many flights looming in tomorrow's wake.
July 23, 2011
Magnificent marvelous mountains and monoliths (by Jess)
Magnificent marvelous mountains and monoliths (by Jess)
July 21 - What an adventure we have been having! While we were still in Aswan we joined an armed caravan which left at 3 in the morning to travel waay out into the desert to visit Abu Simble - giant statues of Krystal's boyfriend - King Ramses at four different stages in his life.
Last week we were in Luxor in Egypt and we went to the Valley of the Kings. It is a very quiet, peaceful resting place for many of Egypt's kings. King Tut is still residing there, some of our group elected to pay the extra ticket to go and say hello, we did not go in, though we did go into three other's tombs. They were lavishly decorated and inscribed, we learned to read some of the hieroglyphs and recognize some of the gods and goddesses.
After leaving the more metropolitan areas of Egypt we headed to the desert of Sinai, actually located on the Continent of Asia (so we have visited three continents of this trip!). I was blown away by the awsome size of the mountains. We hiked up mount sinai, Nathan and Krystal took the more difficult "steps of repentance" and met a monk along the way. I took the easier route, but enjoyed some beautiful views. We arrived at the summit just in time for sunset then hiked all the way back down in the dark.
This past couple days we have been in the weird and wonderful desert landscape of Wadi Rum. What I found most interesting was how skewed my perception of distance was when everything is mammoth and brown. We got in our jeep from our picnic location and were driving to a location at the base of a mountain that did not appear to be too far away. After driving for 5 minutes it did not appear to be any closer, after driving a while longer I thought that we must be almost there, then I looked out to see another jeep driving towards us, also in front of the mountain and it appeared to be the size of an ant! We still had a huge distance to go. I could not imagine getting lost in here, even driving though was impressive - our driver using rock formations as street signs. When we finally arrived at the base of this mountain, we saw some ancient camel carvings/paintings, depicting a camel caravan that traveled through the area. That night we camped out under the stars and our bedouin hosts prepared dinner for us that was cooked underground. We told our group that it was our anniversary and in lieu of champagne they all prepared mini speeches with marriage advice for continued happiness and each told us something they percieved us doing well in our relationship, it was very special. Then our Bedouin hosts sang us some wedding songs.
July 21 - What an adventure we have been having! While we were still in Aswan we joined an armed caravan which left at 3 in the morning to travel waay out into the desert to visit Abu Simble - giant statues of Krystal's boyfriend - King Ramses at four different stages in his life.
Last week we were in Luxor in Egypt and we went to the Valley of the Kings. It is a very quiet, peaceful resting place for many of Egypt's kings. King Tut is still residing there, some of our group elected to pay the extra ticket to go and say hello, we did not go in, though we did go into three other's tombs. They were lavishly decorated and inscribed, we learned to read some of the hieroglyphs and recognize some of the gods and goddesses.
After leaving the more metropolitan areas of Egypt we headed to the desert of Sinai, actually located on the Continent of Asia (so we have visited three continents of this trip!). I was blown away by the awsome size of the mountains. We hiked up mount sinai, Nathan and Krystal took the more difficult "steps of repentance" and met a monk along the way. I took the easier route, but enjoyed some beautiful views. We arrived at the summit just in time for sunset then hiked all the way back down in the dark.
This past couple days we have been in the weird and wonderful desert landscape of Wadi Rum. What I found most interesting was how skewed my perception of distance was when everything is mammoth and brown. We got in our jeep from our picnic location and were driving to a location at the base of a mountain that did not appear to be too far away. After driving for 5 minutes it did not appear to be any closer, after driving a while longer I thought that we must be almost there, then I looked out to see another jeep driving towards us, also in front of the mountain and it appeared to be the size of an ant! We still had a huge distance to go. I could not imagine getting lost in here, even driving though was impressive - our driver using rock formations as street signs. When we finally arrived at the base of this mountain, we saw some ancient camel carvings/paintings, depicting a camel caravan that traveled through the area. That night we camped out under the stars and our bedouin hosts prepared dinner for us that was cooked underground. We told our group that it was our anniversary and in lieu of champagne they all prepared mini speeches with marriage advice for continued happiness and each told us something they percieved us doing well in our relationship, it was very special. Then our Bedouin hosts sang us some wedding songs.
July 19, 2011
July 13 (by Nathan) Oh captain my captain
July 13 (by Nathan)
Oh captain my captain
Today we sailed the Nile river on a felucca - a triangular sailed boat. It was hot hot but the wind was good. Sailing was slow as we made about 20km on our 24 hour journey. We made friend with the captain Mustafah and my highlight was sailing the boat myself.
Oh captain my captain
Today we sailed the Nile river on a felucca - a triangular sailed boat. It was hot hot but the wind was good. Sailing was slow as we made about 20km on our 24 hour journey. We made friend with the captain Mustafah and my highlight was sailing the boat myself.
Hot hot heat (by Jess) July 11
Hot hot heat (by Jess)
July 11: As it is so hot out we elected to stay inside the hotel room for much of today. The boys went to the bar and the girls watched Egyptian music videos - adding our own lyrics, and Arabic soap operas - adding our own dialogue, (so the wealthy man bribed his housekeeper to sleep with him but in the end she died, or was a narcoleptic. :)
We went on a Nile river cruise where we picked up Mr. Hamdi the elder of the Nubian village, a Dickens quoting wizened little man, and he was able to tell us some stories about the history of the area and his people. After that we walked up a sand dune and had a swim in the Nile (crocodile free!)
We had arranged to have dinner with a Nubian host family. We sat on their floor and shared a meal with Australians, English and us from Canada, in a home open to the sky (it rains every 30 years or so). Truly an exercise in multiculturalism
July 11: As it is so hot out we elected to stay inside the hotel room for much of today. The boys went to the bar and the girls watched Egyptian music videos - adding our own lyrics, and Arabic soap operas - adding our own dialogue, (so the wealthy man bribed his housekeeper to sleep with him but in the end she died, or was a narcoleptic. :)
We went on a Nile river cruise where we picked up Mr. Hamdi the elder of the Nubian village, a Dickens quoting wizened little man, and he was able to tell us some stories about the history of the area and his people. After that we walked up a sand dune and had a swim in the Nile (crocodile free!)
We had arranged to have dinner with a Nubian host family. We sat on their floor and shared a meal with Australians, English and us from Canada, in a home open to the sky (it rains every 30 years or so). Truly an exercise in multiculturalism
July 8: (by Krystal)
July 8: (by Krystal)July 8: (by Krystal)
One of my favourite days of the trip since it was one of the main reasons I signed up for the crazy adventure in the first place. We headed out to the famous Giza pyramids with our new found friends. Armed with our previous knowledge and advice from our guides and a few more tourists most of the persistent street sellers were avoided with a firm la or no. We started the pyramid adventure into the largest one a steep climb up a narrow and short tunnel especially for our new 6'2 friend Sean. The tunnel lead to the burial chamber empty for all but a sarcophagus. The walls were empty and the whole thing was made creepier by a low eery hum coming from a mysterious source okay maybe the source was not so mysterious as it stopped when we left. After the pyramids we went camel riding! My camel was named Charlie and my camel riding partner was Anika from Australia. The key to riding - now that I am clearly an expert is to lean back when the camel is standing and to hold on to your hat or you will lose it in the sahara desert (lucky for me Jess camel guide retrieved mine) I throughly enjoyed the experience especially when we got to trot for a few moments plus the breathtaking view of the pyramids and the Indiana Jones sound track being sung in the background. The whole experience ended with a visit to the sphinx. The day ended with an overnight sleeper train ride.
One of my favourite days of the trip since it was one of the main reasons I signed up for the crazy adventure in the first place. We headed out to the famous Giza pyramids with our new found friends. Armed with our previous knowledge and advice from our guides and a few more tourists most of the persistent street sellers were avoided with a firm la or no. We started the pyramid adventure into the largest one a steep climb up a narrow and short tunnel especially for our new 6'2 friend Sean. The tunnel lead to the burial chamber empty for all but a sarcophagus. The walls were empty and the whole thing was made creepier by a low eery hum coming from a mysterious source okay maybe the source was not so mysterious as it stopped when we left. After the pyramids we went camel riding! My camel was named Charlie and my camel riding partner was Anika from Australia. The key to riding - now that I am clearly an expert is to lean back when the camel is standing and to hold on to your hat or you will lose it in the sahara desert (lucky for me Jess camel guide retrieved mine) I throughly enjoyed the experience especially when we got to trot for a few moments plus the breathtaking view of the pyramids and the Indiana Jones sound track being sung in the background. The whole experience ended with a visit to the sphinx. The day ended with an overnight sleeper train ride.
Tombs of the Pharaohs (by Nathan) July 7
Tombs of the Pharaohs (by Nathan) July 7
We ventured out today in search of the desert. Our cab ride took us through some Egyptian farm land, a few rough roads and a police check point. Finally we found the desert and the statue of king Ramses in Memphis (the first capital of Egypt not Tennessee). Further into the desert we found the step pyramid of Saqqara. The first ever pyramid. Through the tombs we went guided by our new egyptian friend and his son (these "guides" are harder to shake than you think). We learned a little, bakshished a lot, and really enjoyed our first taste of mummies and their tombs
We ventured out today in search of the desert. Our cab ride took us through some Egyptian farm land, a few rough roads and a police check point. Finally we found the desert and the statue of king Ramses in Memphis (the first capital of Egypt not Tennessee). Further into the desert we found the step pyramid of Saqqara. The first ever pyramid. Through the tombs we went guided by our new egyptian friend and his son (these "guides" are harder to shake than you think). We learned a little, bakshished a lot, and really enjoyed our first taste of mummies and their tombs
July 13, 2011
Up and down the Nile (by Jess)
Greetings from Luxor.
We've been up and down the Nile. We have seen pyramids, temples and tombs. A mummy, some hierogliphs, paintings and carvings.
We are off on Friday to the Red Sea for a couple of days.
There are some more posts to come that we have written on our ipod, but we need wifi in order to post them.
We've been up and down the Nile. We have seen pyramids, temples and tombs. A mummy, some hierogliphs, paintings and carvings.
We are off on Friday to the Red Sea for a couple of days.
There are some more posts to come that we have written on our ipod, but we need wifi in order to post them.
July 7, 2011
July 5, 2011
To Cairo by rail! (by Jess)
July 5: Now both Nathan and Krys are out on our balcony absorbed in the mayham that is driving in Alex. It's nice to get a high vantage point rather than being in the middle of it.
Today we went to the Kom el Shoqafa catacombs, they were very creepy, i couldn't bring myself to peek over into the sarcaphogi because there was that little voice in my mind telling me that there could be a mummy! Thanks Brendan Fraiser. There were some bones, but they were of important race winning horses that the King wanted to have with him in the afterlife.
We went to a few other sites today, nothing spectacular to note. A lot of walking! I am very appreciative of the boisterous, question-filled welcoming we have received (what's your name? Where are you from?) but I am looking forward to being in a place where perhaps being a white tourist is not such a rarity.
We are heading to Cairo tomorrow by rail, finally. After two trips to the train station, where both times their computer system was down, standing in very hot, very pushy lines, we have our first class tickets! This means we have reserved seats in an air-conditioned car, for a three hour train ride for about 7 dollars. For those of you who know Nathan know that he wanted to take the third class car, riding with the goats (?) for about 1 dollar
We have been very spoiled in the gilded opulence of the Metropole Hotel (very much recommend) including lavish breakfast and free wifi. I don't know the next time we will get on the Internet, so don't worry if there is a long pause between now and our next Internet appearance. But do keep us in your prayers, we need to make sure we continue to have a covering as we still have some streets to cross.
Today we went to the Kom el Shoqafa catacombs, they were very creepy, i couldn't bring myself to peek over into the sarcaphogi because there was that little voice in my mind telling me that there could be a mummy! Thanks Brendan Fraiser. There were some bones, but they were of important race winning horses that the King wanted to have with him in the afterlife.
We went to a few other sites today, nothing spectacular to note. A lot of walking! I am very appreciative of the boisterous, question-filled welcoming we have received (what's your name? Where are you from?) but I am looking forward to being in a place where perhaps being a white tourist is not such a rarity.
We are heading to Cairo tomorrow by rail, finally. After two trips to the train station, where both times their computer system was down, standing in very hot, very pushy lines, we have our first class tickets! This means we have reserved seats in an air-conditioned car, for a three hour train ride for about 7 dollars. For those of you who know Nathan know that he wanted to take the third class car, riding with the goats (?) for about 1 dollar
We have been very spoiled in the gilded opulence of the Metropole Hotel (very much recommend) including lavish breakfast and free wifi. I don't know the next time we will get on the Internet, so don't worry if there is a long pause between now and our next Internet appearance. But do keep us in your prayers, we need to make sure we continue to have a covering as we still have some streets to cross.
July 4, 2011
Safe in Alexandria (by Krystal)
Taking some time to use the Internet access and Jess'ipod in our hotel to let everyone know we got here safely since Jess is too fascinated by the constant stream of traffic, chorus of horns and sea of people outside our window. After three flights, long layovers of sitting in the airport(no munich for us)we arrived yesterday to a beautiful hotel but more importantly a bed!
Today started out with a trip to the library which was also had museums in it. We looked at some books, saw part of the book of the dead in the manuscript library and got a whirlwind guided tour of the different artifacts found in the city (my Greek lit prof would be proud as I recognized the Greek gods!)
After the library walked along the seaway and around the town. Everywhere we went we have stood out ... (Just a bit)but it has earned us a fair amount of welcomes and hellos. Armed with our tourist guide free from the library we will hit a few more key spots in the city tomorrow. Still it really is the little things that make an adventure. To prove my point some highlights of the past few days for the three of us have been a cab ride,the hotel bed,a German swim team,the book of the dead parchment,the antiquities museum and a hail of welcome to Alexandria out of a cab window (I will let you figure out whose was which)
This experience has been an adventure so far but God has been watching our steps every moment. so far.
Today started out with a trip to the library which was also had museums in it. We looked at some books, saw part of the book of the dead in the manuscript library and got a whirlwind guided tour of the different artifacts found in the city (my Greek lit prof would be proud as I recognized the Greek gods!)
After the library walked along the seaway and around the town. Everywhere we went we have stood out ... (Just a bit)but it has earned us a fair amount of welcomes and hellos. Armed with our tourist guide free from the library we will hit a few more key spots in the city tomorrow. Still it really is the little things that make an adventure. To prove my point some highlights of the past few days for the three of us have been a cab ride,the hotel bed,a German swim team,the book of the dead parchment,the antiquities museum and a hail of welcome to Alexandria out of a cab window (I will let you figure out whose was which)
This experience has been an adventure so far but God has been watching our steps every moment. so far.
June 19, 2011
Less than two weeks...
Ajax, Ontario: Here we sit, in the basement, less than two weeks to our trip. Nathan is repacking his bag for the third time, trying to optimize space and weight. We both have been gradually getting rid of items - I think that I am to about half of amount I originally tried to bring. It is truely an exercise in minimalism - just how little can we actually live on? We will see, I will either be buying more along the way, or I will be dumping things as we go. We are both extremely excited, but we don't know which part we are anticipating the most. Simply the fact that it will be so different, so different from what we are used to I don't even know what to think. I do dream of meeting a gorilla face-to-face, but that will only be an hour at the most, so I am not sure I should devote thoughts of a two month trip on a one hour experience.
I had a lot of joy last night to be part of Adam and Tanya's wedding day. It was a beautiful, special day. Being able to see so many members of Nathan's family and extended family was nice, especially sharing with them our adventure to come. Over the past month we have been continually running into the perfect people to give us advice and encouragement of what is to come - the bank teller from Tanzania, the manacurist from Jordan, Sekai wife of a groomsman from the wedding last night who lived in South Africa, Simon and Linda travelers extrodinare, and Moon too! From all of this experience we hear the same refrain, "enjoy the adventure", "keep an open mind", "don't let setbacks ruin your day". It will be a personal growing experience, if not mind altering (and I am not talking about the malaria medication)
Stay tuned... We will certainly be excited to share our experiences - in whatever form they come when we return.
I had a lot of joy last night to be part of Adam and Tanya's wedding day. It was a beautiful, special day. Being able to see so many members of Nathan's family and extended family was nice, especially sharing with them our adventure to come. Over the past month we have been continually running into the perfect people to give us advice and encouragement of what is to come - the bank teller from Tanzania, the manacurist from Jordan, Sekai wife of a groomsman from the wedding last night who lived in South Africa, Simon and Linda travelers extrodinare, and Moon too! From all of this experience we hear the same refrain, "enjoy the adventure", "keep an open mind", "don't let setbacks ruin your day". It will be a personal growing experience, if not mind altering (and I am not talking about the malaria medication)
Stay tuned... We will certainly be excited to share our experiences - in whatever form they come when we return.
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