We arrived in Kosi Bay after about 10 hours of at times stressful driving - from near the Lesotho Border in the Free State of South Africa. We arrived here in the dark of night and promptly made a beeline for the beach on the sandy roads in our 2wd Honda Jaz- looking for lodging - big mistake. There were no lights - and signs indicating hotels located just down the road were misleading as we later found out we were many kilometers from the beach. … [Read more...]
Traffic Riots
Its been a crazy few days in South Eastern Africa! Sitting with John and Trish at Rose House Inn plotting our drive to Mozambique we were discussing how there are no guarantees in Africa. 30 minutes after we left their idyllic location we experienced this "no guarantees" first hand. Our route took us back through the small touristy town of Carens. Only this time as we approached the city limits we were greeted by large rocks strewn across the … [Read more...]
Bangkok Day Tripping
We are always going into Bangkok for something. This time for yellow fever vaccinations - I had mine last year for Cote d'Ivoire (good for 5 years) - this time around for Syy for our January trip to Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique. Its not easy getting Yellow Fever vaccs in Bangkok - only available on the weekdays - hospitals don't offer it so we ended up going to the Red Cross Clinic at the Snake Farm. This time of year Bangkok is … [Read more...]
A Few Words About Mozambique
We love the energy of Maputo. It is vibrant, entrepreneurial, positive, and alive. Though Mozambique is not without its problems, its capital city is clearly on the move, transforming itself and melding some of the best parts of its rich and diverse cultures. We spent the first day visiting a workshop organized by Prolinnova, the Spanish NGO Centro de Iniciativas para la Cooperacion/Bata, and the National Farmers Union of Mozambique, UNAC. The … [Read more...]
Two donkeys lost in South Africa’s Kruger National Park
Among those who come to Africa to join a safari, the holy grail of animal tracking is the so called 'Big Five'. Originally coined by the big game hunters of days long past, it comprises the lion, African elephant, rhinoceros, leopard, and the Cape buffalo. Supposedly these were not necessarily the biggest animals, but the most difficult to hunt. Now, my brother Abdul and I were definitely not out to hunt these animals. We just wanted to see them … [Read more...]
Falling for Africa
"Only two of us have had malaria so far," said Heidi as I joined the group of seasoned overlanders in their fifth week on a truck safari from Nairobi to Cape Town. "Weren't you taking malaria stuff?" I asked naively. "Yeah, but it doesn't always work," was her heart-stopping response. I added 'contracting permanently-relapsing malaria' to my list of African hazards to watch out for - something I thought I'd taken care of with a quick trip to … [Read more...]
My Trip to Moxico and Angolan History (Part I)
Report by Jo Ann von Haff Pictures by Father Ornelas Stay in Lwena, Moxico Province from August 12th to August 22nd 2002 - Lwena (Angola) Monday, August 12th 2002 Day 1 Luanda At 6 AM, I had a glimpse of what my life could become in a couple of years. To wake up at 4 AM and have a 12 kilo bag and to take a plane at 6 AM, when 90% of the population is still sleeping. It was still dark; the air was fresh and windy. Only a few buses … [Read more...]