I had always wanted to get to the great game parks of Botswana which include the Kalahari, Okavango Delta and Chobe (pronounced Cho-Bee) but the only legitimately easy, albeit expensive way to get there was flying from Johannesburg. From Livingstone, Zambia however, it is only an hour drive or so and a day trip will [...]
The Smoke That Thunders
January 7, 2010 By 6 Comments
Today I saw the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever seen. I’ve been to Victoria Falls before, in fact it was 6 years ago today I was there, but today I got to the perfect spot at the exact right time, place, wind, mist, rainbow and everything. The picture above, while not possibly justified [...]
Burundi, Malawi and Zambia
January 6, 2010 By 9 Comments
The last several days have been wonderful, relaxing and hectic with little food and a lot of travel. I have come from Bujumbura, Burundi through Lilongwe, Malawi to Senga Bay on Lake Malawi all the way through Lusaka, Zambia to Livingstone, Zambia where I am now. I have ridden busses, dilapidated minibuses, flatbed pickups with [...]
Gorillas in the Mist
January 2, 2010 By 18 Comments
As Charles Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” I think that aptly describes my experience tracking the Susa silverback gorillas in Parc National des Volcans in Northern Rwanda. It was great fun and it was miserable. It was memorable and there’s much I’d like to forget. [...]
Kigali 15 Years Later
December 31, 2009 By 5 Comments
I’m not really sure how I want write about Kigali because it is a very beautiful city. It’s quite possibly the cleanest city in all of Africa and certainly the cleanest and safest capital city on the Continent. It is called “le ville des mille collines” or the city of 1000 hills and it is [...]
There Is No Joy In Juba
December 30, 2009 By 23 Comments
You’ve probably never heard of Juba, Southern Sudan. You were also probably unaware that Southern Sudan is separately governed than Sudan and that they will most likely become an independent country within the next year or so. Believe me, your life will continue unaffected for you not knowing this information. I can’t imagine that if [...]
In Search of Idi Amin
December 28, 2009 By 5 Comments
Like Rome, Kampala is said to be built on seven hills. Kampala is the intellectual and industrial heart of a country which has been recovering and rebuilding seemingly for decades. A center of political intrigue for much of its recent history, Kampala has been reborn and is forward looking to a very promising future. Modern [...]
Christmas and Camel Racing in Kenya
December 27, 2009 By 8 Comments
I was never originally going to go to Kenya on this trip. I had already been there and it was just another long bus ride to get to Uganda. However, I had been moving faster than expected because of some days of flights, availability, etc. So I emailed my friend Joe who was traveling in [...]
Brazzaville, Kinshasa and Muhammad Ali
December 25, 2009 By 5 Comments
First, I want to wish a Merry Christmas to everyone from Kenya as I am a little behind on blog duties so here we go. Before I talk about Brazzaville and Kinshasa I have to adequately describe the scene at the airport in Pointe-Noire before my Trans Air Congo flight to Brazzaville. I was lucky [...]
Paradise of Sorts in Pointe-Noire
December 22, 2009 By 10 Comments
Sometimes you discover the best places by accident when you are traveling especially in really off the beaten path places. For instance, my original plan was to fly from Gabon to Brazzaville where I would take the boat to Kinshasa and go from there. However, such is life in Africa-there were no flights because Air [...]
