Category: 2017-P) Nov and Dec Africia – Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africia

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is Landlocked,  it borders its most powerful neighbour, South Africa, to the south, and Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique to the west, north, and east. It has a population of about 16.1 million. Since the Zimbabwe dollar (ZWD) was demonetarised in April 2009, there is no official currency in Zimbabwe. The main currency being used is the United States dollar (USD). This was largely due to an unstable political situation and the land reform policy that the government embarked on. Harare is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe.

Flag of Zimbabwe

There was a lot of unrest in Zimbabwe and we were not sure if we should visit. But a few days before we arrived Robert Mugabe was ousted from 30 years in power, so things had calmed down, we stayed in Victoria Falls as this was close to both activities we wanted to pursue, white water rafting down the Zambezi river and a visit to Victoria Falls.
The people here seemed more desperate than in Uganda. The persistence in the locals selling us souvenirs and people begging was worse than we had seen in Uganda or Tanzania. It was very sad to see the local people queueing up every morning outside the Bank for hours, to see how much of their money the Banks would give them.

Beautiful Trees in Victoria Falls

The local Boar family that lived in the bushes next door to our apartment.

White water rafting down the Zambezi river in Africa was lots of fun, I was a bit apprehensive at first as several of the rapids are graded 5. The company Shearwater were very professional, and safety was their number one priority, this helped me feel more comfortable, the team really looked after us. Just be aware that the trek down to the Zambezi river and back up is tough, so make sure to stay hydrated.

Rapid number 6 is called the Devils toilet bowl and we got flushed

Our fantastic Shearwater Team and other team rafters

We had another great day at Victoria Falls, they are very impressive, but I still think the Iguazu falls are the best falls I have ever seen. You can walk to the falls from the town, it has several different viewing points, which is great for photo.

We had a beautiful meal at the Lookout Café, the food, service and view of Bakota Gorge was wonderful. They also provided a free bus service back to your accommodation at night time.

Great Place to visit.

Zambia

Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, neighbouring the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west. The capital city is Lusaka and the population is around 17 million

Flag of Zambia

We took a Taxi across the border from Zimbabwe to Zambia, Livingstone. It is amazing the difference in both countries and yet they are only about 20 Kilometres apart. Their currency is stable the Kwacha, the standard of living seems must better and we did not see as much poverty and  very little begging.

I think the people of Zambia are hopeful and excited about the Governments launch of its 7th National Development Plan, 2017–2021. The theme “Accelerating Development Efforts Towards Vision 2030 Without Leaving Anyone Behind,” the President is Edgar Lungu he was re-elected in 2016 for another 5 years.

We stayed in Livingston which it is a bit of a tourist hub, the town itself is located on the banks of the Zambezi River 10 kilometres upstream from Victoria Falls. It has several good restaurants and coffee shops. Down through the centre of town is lined with Mango trees it was fun to watch the local kids trying to get the mangos off the trees.

Kids trying to get Mango’s off the trees

We enjoyed the Victoria falls from Zambia, just as much as from the Zimbabwe side . They are both different, beautiful and equally worthwhile. Things to think about the Zimbabwe side has political issues, there are more viewing points and the town is more convenient. Meanwhile, the Zambia side can be more expensive (especially regarding the recent Visa fees) and had fewer viewpoints. Plus, the town of Livingstone is 11kms away, therefore you will have to catch a blue Taxi.

There is an impress steam train the Royal Livingstone Express. You can do a Dinner trip aboard the Livingstone Express a fine dining experience and a sight-seeing journey. Complete with a smart dress code, passengers have a classy adventure to the Victoria Falls Bridge to watch the gorgeous African sunset and marvel at the sight of the waterfall, before heading back along the newly refurbished Mulobezi railway line to Livingstone town. We did not do the dinner trip as it was quite expensive, but we did do a tour of the train and meet the train driver. What a character he is. He reminded me of the actor from the green mile movie Michael Clarke Duncan. It is a beautiful train and people that have taken the trip seem to love it. So, if money is no object this would be a nice experience.

South Africa

South Africa, is the southernmost country in Africa. It has 2,798 kilometres of coastline South Atlantic and Indian Oceans its neighbouring countries Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland. South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 25th-largest country in the world by land area, with close to 56 million people, is the world’s 24th-most populous nation. The capital of South Africa is Cap town.

Flag of South Africa

We flew into Johannesburg, stayed overnight and next morning were picked up at our hotel for a four-day safari in Kruger National Park. The company we went with was Wild Wings Safari they are extremely professional. The trip from Johannesburg to Kruger took about, 4 and half hours. We picked up two other couples on the way. It was amazing to finally get to Kruger National Park, it was a place I had seen several times on TV and it was very exciting to be here. Our accommodation was basic but clean and comfortable.

Kruger National Park

Our guide Nicky was exceptionally knowledgeable about the park, game animals, birds, she was not only our guide she was also our driver, chef (and a very good one) she was very efficient and yet answered our endless questions with great enthusiasm. She seemed to know all the best places to see the different animals, we managed to see the Big 7 which include lions, elephants, buffalos, rhinos, leopards these are the Big 5 and the additional two that make up the Big 7 are cheetahs and wild dogs. I have never seen any of these animals in the wild before, so it was spectacular. It was great to see groups of Giraffes, elephants and even Lions together. On our last day the only animal we had not seen was the Leopard, we had half an hour left in the park when next one just walked out onto the road in front of us, we were absolutely delighted. That’s the thing about the wild you never know what you are going to see.

The entire trip was wonderful we did not have to think about anything other than showing up and enjoy the sights. I would Definitely recommend Wild Wings Safari and if you are lucky enough to get Nicky as your guide you will truly have an amazing trip.

Nicky dropped us back to our hotel in Johannesburg and the next day we flew to Cape town. The city is famous for its harbour and for such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. It has some beautiful beaches but one thing that no one had mentioned was the wild winds that can stir up at any time blowing up to 60km/h. You cannot sit on the beach or swim in the water when the winds are this wild, the 3 weeks we stayed here we only had one day that the wind did not blow.

Table Mountain

Beaches in Cape Town

Cape Town Harbour

We spent a day visiting wineries in the Franschhoek Valley area, Franschhoek is a small town in the Western Cape Province and one of the oldest towns of the Republic of South Africa, we had a great day visiting several wineries, hoping on and off the wine tram, the wine and food on this trip was very good.  It is a great day out.

The wine Tram plus wineries

 

Of course we could not leave Cape Town without visiting Robben island were Nelson Mandela was incarcerated and spent 27 years of his life in a tiny cell of 5 square metres. It is actually a nice island but very cold, it was very interesting, the guide we had, had once spent time in this prison.

Robben island

The cell of Nelson Mandela

The prison

South Africa to me in no longer just about the animals, it has beautiful villages, wineries, mountains, beaches, restaurants, the people are a very diverse group and live in a very multicultural society. As in most African countries there seems to be political unrest with the current government and because of this the South African rand has lost value in recent months plus Cape Town is very close to running out of water and the locals are very concerned. You can feel the tension in the air. I felt that the people seemed more aggressive than in other African countries. I really hope things settle down as it really is an amazing place.

Africa is made up of 54 countries.  It has a population of 1,287,920,518 it accounts for about 16% of the world’s human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
Africa today is a vast continent with many bustling metropolises, some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet, and amazingly diverse and beautiful landscapes. While there are places resembling the stereotypical Africa, famine, and poverty, it is impossible to make generalisations of Africa as it is made up of 54 different countries and we only got to visit a few of them.

Flag of African Union

Our first stop in Africa was Tanzania

Domestic stability has not translated into economic prosperity for Tanzanians, however, many of its people live below the World Bank poverty line. Tanzania is home to two renowned tourism destinations – Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, and wildlife-rich national parks such as the Serengeti – but has become a target for poachers. The Capital is Dodoma, Population 55.5 million, languages English and Swahili, Religions, Christianity and Islam and Currency is Tanzanian shilling

Flag of Tanzania

Our main reason for coming to Tanzania was to climb Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro stands at 5,895m it offers not only the highest mountain in Africa but also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. UNESCO declared it a world heritage site in 1987. We had a few days in Moshi before our climb started, one of the nearest towns to Kilimanjaro National Park. The town itself is quite basic but the people are very nice. It’s a low-key place with an appealing blend of African and Asian influences and a self-sufficient, prosperous feel, due in large part to its being the centre of one of Tanzania’s major coffee-growing regions. There are some good coffee houses and restaurants. My favourite coffee place was Aroma Coffee Shop, the service and the coffee were very good. Favourite restaurant was Indoitaliano good food and no stomach problems eating here.

It was time to start our climb to Kilimanjaro. There are different Routes to the top of Kilimanjaro that you can take, we decided to do the 7-day Rongai route, this gives an extra day or two more than other routes to get use to the Altitude it is also the best option during the rainy season, due to its location, which receive little rain. We chose to use a local company to climb with as we prefer for the money to stay in the community. The company was Popote African adventures, and they are excellent, we could not have asked for a better company to climb with. The team went above and beyond to help us achieve our goal. I would highly recommend them.

Day 1: Nalemoru Gate (1990m) to Simba Camp (2625m).
We drove to the village of NaleMoru for the starting point of the Rongai route. We had to complete some paper work and while having  lunch we met some people coming back from the trek. They were not very happy as they had not made it to the top of Kilimanjaro, they said they had heaps of rain and it was freezing cold. The zips of their Tents had frozen solid. They had made it to 4310 meters Mawenzi Tarn. This was not what we wanted to hear. It was also pelting down with rain, we started to rethink our plans. Within 15min of us trekking the rain stopped TG. The first stage of the trek was through farmland and pine forests. We saw some beautiful Colobus monkeys en route. Our first camp was at the Simba Camp located at the edge of the moorland zone at 2625m. We trekked for about 8km which took about 5 hours. We only had one other Trekker on the trip to Kilimanjaro his name is  Anthony and what a  great guy to trek with. We could not have asked for a better person to do this difficult climb with, we had lots of good laughs.

 

Day 2: Simba Camp (2625m) to 2nd Cave Camp (3480m)

After a very comfortable night in our Tents we woke to a beautiful morning. The morning hike was a steady ascent up to the Second Cave Camp located in the moorland zone with views of Kibo and the Eastern ice fields on the crater rim. I have to say I really enjoyed the hike today, this was not what I had been expecting, maybe all the hiking we had done to the lead up to climbing Kilimanjaro is paying off. Today we only hiked about 5km which took about 3.5 hours. We had to remember that we are also trying to acclimatise therefore 5km was great. So far, the food has been great and the camping equipment is severing us well, we have all been toasty warm at night and comfortable. Each evening our guides checked our blood oxygen levels to make sure we were all doing okay. No issue so far with the altitude.

Day 3: 2nd Cave Camp (3480m) to Kikelewa Camp (3630m)

Leaving the pine forest behind, we carry on with a steady ascent walking though moorland. There are superb views of the Eastern ice fields on the crater rim of Kibo, the highest of the three volcanoes which form the mountain. We leave the main trail and strike out across moorland on a smaller path towards the jagged peaks of Mawenzi, the second of Kilimanjaro’s volcanoes. What an impressive looking volcano is Mawenzi.

I personally think Mawenzi is more impressive looking than Kilimanjaro because of its jagged peaks. From a distance Kilimanjaro looks nice and smooth. We set up camp today in the sheltered valley near Kikelewa caves at 3630m. We hiked for another 3.5 hours today, taking our time across 5km. The scenery was the best we have seen yet. We did not realise how beautiful the camp site was that we had until the next morning as it was a beautiful clear day. So far, we have been very lucky with the weather, we has rained at night while we slept but none during the day. We are still all okay with the Altitude.

Kilimanjaro from a distance

Mawenzi from a distance

Day 4: Kikelewa Camp (3630m) to Mawenzi Tarn Hut (4310m

This morning we had a short but steep ascent up grassy slopes which was rewarded by a superb view of the Kenyan plains to the north. We leave vegetation behind shortly before reaching our next camp at Mawenzi Tarn Hut directly below the towering cliffs of Mawenzi. We covered about 8km which took about 4.5 hours. Each day our pace has slowed more and more as we get into higher altitude. This afternoon we had a change to rest but also to explore the surrounding area, we climbed up a future 400 meters to aid acclimatization but also to walk around the rim of Mawenzi, the views are stunning and we are now looking down on the clouds. Amazing. Myself and Anthony had a slight headache this evening but nothing we could not handle.

Martin sitting on the rim of Mawenzi

Looking down at the clouds

Day 5: Mawenzi Tarn Hut (4310m) to Kibo Hut (4700m)

We leave our campsite and cross the lunar desert of the ‘saddle’ between Mawenzi and Kibo After about 5 hours and 8km covered we reach a spectacular place, with the summit of Kilimanjaro in the background and our trail to the high camp stretched out before our eyes. Anticipation, nerves and excitement is growing. We are all very happy we have made it this far, but our hike this morning was tough especially with the altitude. Upon reaching our camp we spend the remainder of the day resting in preparation of the final ascent which will start at midnight. It is a very cold evening, we spend time trying to decide the best clothes to wear at midnight. You want to be as warm as possible but at the same time you need to be able to move. We all have a very early night. I had a very restless sleep, I could not stop my mind from racing, what if this happens, what if after all this, I cannot finish the last decent, and so the night went.

Beautiful photo taken by Anthony what a campsite

Day 6: Kibo Hut (4700m) to UHURU PEAK (5895m) & down to Horombo Hut (3700m)

Today is “The Big Day” – the summit stage. We are up dressed with our night lights on our heads and ready to go at midnight. Our final ascent which in lots of ways I am not sure how to describe, our first stop was at Hans Meyer Cave at 5220m it was a very slow, long and strenuous climb. At first it was warm and we all felt we had to many layers on, at one stage I thought I would pass out from the heat. I think this was because the climb was so strenuous, it was very steep, and we also had to climb over huge boulders and rocks.  The climb slowly but surely continued to go upwards. At sunrise, we reach Gillman’s Point (5681m) – the crater rim of Kilimanjaro it was here that myself and Anthony started to suffer badly with the altitude sickness, we were walking slower than a snail if that is possible, I started to feel very cool and shaky and felt like I was drunk as my words sounded slurred. I could not believe we still had another 1 – 2 hours of hiking before we would reach Uhuru Peak at 5895m. We had to soldier on as there was no way Anthony and I were giving up now, and as Anthony friend said went things get tough we need to toughen up princesses. So, we did, the sun slowly started to warm up the land and finally we reached Uhuru Peak at 5895m. Although we got some photos at the top, I was still feeling like crap and wanted off the mountain. We now had to make our way back down to Kibo Hut, it was amazing to see the terrain we had climbed the night before, now I understand the reason they like to do the final ascent in the dark. If we had seen the climb, we may have given up. It was tough enough descending keeping in mind we still had altitude sickness. I started to feel better when we got to about 5,200 meters and could now finally pat myself on the back for a job well done. I was truly delighted that I had made it to the top. (forgot to mention my husband Martin did not suffer any altitude sickness and I think he would agree that out of the 3 of us he would have been the least fit and least health, so that just proves it, no matter how fit or healthy you are altitude can still affect you.  When we finally got to Kibo Hut, a warm meal awaited us. We had about a 2-hour break before we had to proceeding back down to Horombo Hut. The whole idea is to get you back to the lowest level of altitude as quickly as possible. What a huge day, we covered a total of 22km over 15 hours and went to an altitude of 5895 m. To say I was stuffed that night would be an understatement. But I did go to bed feeling a real sense of achievement.

Day 7: Horombo Hut (3700m) to Marangu Gate (1860m)

The last day, was another long trek, but at least we all felt better after a good night’s sleep and the effects of the altitude had worn off we also had a bit of a spring in our step. We trekked 20.8 km passing through the heath and moor zone to the Mandara Hut (2700m) where a warm lunch awaited us. Soon, we were once again passing through the tropical rainforest and after about 6 hours we were back at the Kilimanjaro National Park Gate (1860m). We had our last meal with the mountain guides, thanked the team, said our goodbyes and headed back to Moshi. Once there, we took a warm and relaxing shower, slept for a few hours then that night Martin myself and Anthony met for a celebration dinner. It was a wonderful feeling to have completed the climb to the top of Kilimanjaro. Now we are left with the wonderful memories of this amazing mountain.  Another bucket list item completed.

Two very satisfied men, walking home

Goodbye Kilamanjaro

Great Popote Adventure Team

Another bucket list item complete Yahoo !!!

Uganda

This country is bordered by Kenya on the east, South Sudan on the north, the Democratic Republic of Congo on the west and Tanzania on the south. Uganda is on the equator. As in a lot of African countries there is political unrest. President Yoweri Museveni – who has been in power for almost 30 years and is clinging on, plotting to change the constitution so that he can stand in the 2021 elections. The constitution say a president cannot be over 75 years of age, Museveni will be 76 at the next polls so he is trying to change the constitution. From what I saw and heard in my short time here the people of Uganda want and need a change.

Flag of Uganda

Our first stop in Uganda was Entebbe, we stayed at a beautiful colonial guest house called the Guinea Fowl. The accommodation, food and hospitality is wonderful and really made our time in Entebbe very memorable. If you are ever in Entebbe look no further than this guest house.

I was very surprised at how green, lush and beautiful Uganda is. The contrast of the red earth, green vegetation and blue skies makes for a very beautiful place. Uganda is a very interesting place there is a lot going on, the people all seem very positive and are very active and vocal about their government and country, they are also very proud of how far they have come. I got a real sense that the people of this country want to see a lot more change. Like a lot of countries there are rich, middle class and poor but although the people are poor the ones in the rural areas are very self-sufficient they growing their own vegetables for food and sell the surplus, from the soil they make their own building blocks to build their homes and although they do not have running water the kids seem to have no problems in going to the nearest water supply to collect containers of water, some of these children are less than 5 years old. So, from a very young age they know how to work to survive. Coffee is an important export so there are a lot of coffee plantations.

Our main reason for visit Uganda was to see the Gorilla’s in the wild and to do this we decided to take a 3-day Gorilla trekking Safari to Bwindi National Park with a local company called Home to Africa. Like with all our tours we try to support the local tour groups. This way we hope the money stays within the community. Bwindi National Park is a big habitat for mountain gorillas harbouring over 300 Gorilla’s

Our Tour guide Sam picked us up from out Guest house at 7.30am, from Kampala we headed southwest and crossed the Equator. We passed through several villages, it was interesting to see people going about their daily lives, a lot of these families lived in small huts, with the cooking and washing been done outside the home, the kids collecting water, while the parents preparing food, the children all seemed very happy even though I did not see one electronic device or toy in sight. We stopped at Mbarara for lunch and then onward through the Savannah grasslands to Bwindi. The drive through Kigezi highlands is very scenic, banana plantations and herds of long horned Ankole cattle, endemic to this area, before we knew it we had arrived at our destination.

Our tour guide Sam

 

Built on the top of a beautiful valley overlooking Bwindi forest, Bakiga lodge is a wonderful place for our two nights accommodation it is a real African experience with great views of Bwindi impenetrable forest. The staff are very nice and our evening meal was great. We slept very soundly and awoke to amazing views over the Valley. After an early breakfast we went to the Park Headquarters for a briefing about the dos and don’ts of our gorilla Tracking.

Okay so when the tour said we were going to track Gorillas I was not sure what that really meant. We were put into groups of about 8 and had a guide and 2 trackers. We soon found out that this was real tracking in the jungle, the tracker leading the group had a machete to cut down the vegetation in our path. It was tough going, up and down hills filled with overgrown vegetation. After doing this for several hours we thought we were never going to find the Gorilla then before we knew it a family of Gorilla’s were seen by the tracker 500 meters ahead. We could not believe how close they were to us and they did not seem mind us watching them. They continued to do what they were doing, eating, relaxing playing. It was wonderful to see a family of gorilla up so close enjoy their natural environment. Two brothers kept us amused for 20 min with their rough play, in some way they were very human like. It felt surreal to be standing in the forest watching this family of Gorilla’s, and wonderful that they excepted us and did not see us as a threat or get aggressive with us even though they had a baby gorilla less than 2-month-old. I will never forget this amazing experience. It was well worth the long day of tracking. We spent about an hour with the Gorillas then left them in peace to enjoy the rest of their day.

It was great to see how well organised the tracking was and to see the great work that the people of Bwindi are doing to keep these Gorilla safe from poachers and from tourists.
We stopped in the community of Batwa on our trip out of Bwindi and headed back to Kampala. As it was on our trip to Bwindi the trip back to Kampala brought us back through some interesting villages. Sam did a great job of looking after us and got us back safe and sound to our Guest house in Entebbe. Overall, we had a wonderful time in Uganda and will remember it with great fondness.