OF PHARAOHS AND SOUKS

Cairo. The Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Sphinx.

The Red Sea. The River Nile.

Theban Hills. The Valley of the Kings.

Aswan.

Abu Simbel.

- image from travel.nationalgeographic.com

That, but in actual fact, there are two reasons for Egypt. One is Peter, the other is Hassan; a promise made that I’ll come visit if by coincidence I’m in the neighborhood.

Coincidently coincidental. I most definitely will not pass this chance.

ZAMBIA - RESEARCH PART 1

Capital: Lusaka
Population: 13 million
Official Language: English (other languages include Bemba and Nyanja)
Currency: (Zambian) kwacha


Truthfully there's little that I knew about Zambia until I started to seriously think about this trip. The only reason why I knew it existed is because it's the other country that starts with the letter 'Z' (the other one is not New Zealand by the way).

I've heard so much about Victoria Falls that is 'somewhere in Africa'.

1. Victoria Falls a.k.a. Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke That Thunders) ~ I like how cool the names are like the Dragon Mountains in South Africa

Located on the Zambezi River, southern Zambia near Livingstone, it is the largest waterfall in the world. Don't be confused, it is not the highest nor the widest waterfall but the combination of the two make it the largest sheet of falling water.

A visit is a must and so is a photograph. The challenge may just be finding the right spot to capture it at its best.

A more adventurous option is to bungee jump from the bridge. Mind you, if you ask me 5 years ago I'd say yes in a heartbeat. But I'm well past that stage and now I opt for, hmmmm....white water rafting.

Knowing my fickle mind, that may change.

I think I'll die at the monstrous rapids THEN die with a rope around my ankles.

- images from lonelyplanet.com and amazingplaces.onsugar.com respectively

....this piece of info doesn't seem much but I'm feeling a bit lost without the books I left in Kuala Lumpur.

WHERE THE ATLANTIC AND THE INDIAN OCEANS DIVIDE (OR MEET)

 

How can you travel a gazillion miles to Africa and not go to the southernmost tip of the continent?

It's Cape Agulhas by the way, not the Cape of Good Hope, thank you very much.

....the Cape of Good Hope relative to Cape Agulhas....

I'd totally beat the 5th graders if this is a World Geography question :) 

- all photos from Wikipedia

IT'S CHRISTMAS

The research may take a back seat for the time being.

Merry Christmas everyone. Happy new year 2011.

KENYA - RESEARCH PART 1....OK, I CHEATED!

Thanks to Mr. McGregor and Mr. Boorman, I now have a mission in Kenya.

CROSS THE EQUATOR!

There are 6 countries that the Equator passes through in Africa - Somalia, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of The Congo, Uganda and Kenya.

A sign from the Jedi Master ignore you must not....

Note: Ewan and Charley crossed the Equator riding from Lewa to Nakuru in Kenya.

OBI WAN DOES AFRICA!

In the spirit of all things African, I was down at Kino and bought this.

Coincidently, Ewan and his best mate Charley journeyed around every single African country I'm planning to cover, albeit going the opposite direction. Awesome! :)

Hoping to pick up tips from the Master.

The evening ended with a fun catch up dinner with Billy talking about the possibilities of things to come in the 6 months I'm away.

BOTSWANA - RESEARCH PART 1

Time to be moving on to the next country.


Botswana.

Capital: Gaborone
Population: 1.5 million, majority 'Batswana'
Official Language: English (Setswana more widely spoken)
Currency: Pula

1. Xai-Xai (West of Botswana, bordering Namibia)

Described as 'a community-based tourism among Bushmen and Herero herders', this seems to be a promising start to getting myself acquainted with 'the culture'. Alas I found very limited references online, a visit also come in a package. Hmmmm....not my ideal way to getting to know the locals so I'll leave this one until I'm actually there to find out more. Besides, it came with a warning, "If you decide to come, don't do so expecting to meet 'traditional' hunter-gatherers; these days the Basarwa or San (that's Bushmen for you) only dress up for the benefit of visitors."

Looking forward to discovering what's not mentioned in the guide books.



Other than that, it's just a long list of National Parks and Nature Reserves, thanks to the charm of the Kalahari wildlife. One that interests me is the Khama Rhino Sanctuary.

2. Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Serowe

Established in 1992, it's another community-run project to preserve Botswana's rhinos, poached almost to extinction in the 1980s.

Activities range from camping to rhino trails to bird watching.

More research needed.

SOUTH AFRICA - RESEARCH PART I

Capital: Pretoria (Tshwane)
Population: 47 million, main groups Zulu and Xhosa
Language: Zulu, Xhosa, English, Afrikaans
Currency: South African Rand

The two destinations to explore in South Africa: -


1. Table Mountain, Cape Town
 It's quite apparent how Table Mountain got its name. It's a flat-topped mountain stunningly overlooking Cape Town. There are several trails for hikers, the other option is to hop on the cable car.


Mission: Photography - Cape Town from the top of Table Mountain; trekkers up Table Mountain

- image from wayfaring.info




2. Drakensberg a.k.a the Dragon Mountains (border of South Africa - Lesotho)
 Another nature walk is to Drakensberg, bordering Lesotho in the West. It's the highest mountain range in South Africa. Frankly, I'm not so sure if we're going to make it to that corner of South Africa but I'm adamant not to miss this if I do.


Mission: Photography - Ancient Bushmen rock paintings; most peculiar life form encountered in Drakensberg

- image from 100destinos.com