I prefer to travel as light as possible and keep the kitchen equipment/ utensils to the minimum.  Fancy cooking is something that I will attempt when I am at home with all the crockery and cutlery at hand.  After all, this is why we come to the bush – to get back to basics again and appreciate nature.  I can proudly say that I have had a braai in countries like Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Sierra Leone, the Ivory Coast and Zambia!

When camping there are basically two ways to cook – either with a gas cooker or over the open fire.  We make a fire every night when camping so that is the obvious choice for us when we travel in Africa.  You will find wood or charcoal almost everywhere in Africa as it is an integral part of rural living on the continent.

There are various ways and methods to braai as this is second nature for us South African.  Read more on this topic in my post a  “Braai – a way of life”.

When we come to potjiekos which is made in a cast iron pot (three-legged or flat bottomed) over flames and not coals like when you are braaiing.  I prefer the flat-bottomed pot as my dish normally burns in the three-legged one.  I do not know what I am doing wrong!

When making potjie your choices of meat are endless – venison, beef, lamb, chicken, etcetera.  I even make a kick-ass lasagne potjie.  The best thing about a potjie is that you can add what you can find on the local markets.  In our case this mainly determines what type of potjie we are having that night.  (I will post on how to buy food on the local markets in a separate post).  However, I prefer to make a potjie when we are making camp for more than two days at a place, especially if you arrive late, there is not always enough time to make the potjie as it requires simmering over the fire.

A potjie is a good alternative to a braai as quality meat can at times be hard to find in Africa.  I am pretty sure that we had donkey tails once (sold as ox tail) in Choma, Zambia, but we survived that too!  When you are hungry and there are not a lot of options available, you just give it and go ….

My flat bottomed potjie also serves as an oven in which I bake bread.

Buy food that will last in the African heat.  Refrigerator space is always limited.  Butternuts (hard to find in Africa), gems and potatoes, onions and cabbage can take you a long way and sometimes it is the only vegetables that you will source for a couple of days.  So you need to be innovative with your recipes.  Aluminum foil comes in handy when doing vegetables over the fire.

I also take some dry rations such as pasta and couscous for emergencies – you never know what can happen in the African bush.  Rusks and coffee is also a quick breakfast fix when you have limited options in the bush.  Eggs are always problematic to pack and keep them whole, so I only buy it when I am pretty sure that it will be used the same day – boiled for lunch later or scrambled for breakfast.

Share your cooking experience in the commentary section of the post.  It may be useful to some newbie camper that is unfamiliar with local customs and conditions.

–oOo–

The post COOKING IN THE BUSH appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

If you like your own company and have some travel savvy then going solo is for you.  Going solo gives you freedom of choice and total independence to change your travel plans on the spur of the moment if something interests you on the wayside.

Things that you need to consider when planning your next solo African trip are the following.

You will need the ability to navigate.  There are not many countries left on mother earth that is unexplored, thus you will need a basic ability to navigate as there can be hundreds of tracks and footpaths not necessarily indicated on maps.  You must be able to understand and read maps whether it is a paper issue or a digital issue.  Sometimes you need to trust your instinct and basic sense of direction to find your way.

So you own a GPS, but do you know all the functions of your GPS, such as marking waypoints that you can return to later?  This can be of great value when bush camping as you need to mark a nice camping spot early in the afternoon but need to return to it later in the evening after dark when things have quietened down.

A reliable vehicle is not even questionable and some bush mechanics can take you a long, long way as everything is not always available in remote areas.  Even if you can phone somebody on your satellite phone it may take days or weeks for a specific part to arrive.

You will need a willingness to interact with the local people to ask directions or permission to camp or even buy some firewood.  If there is a village around do the decent thing and ask permission from the headman to camp there for the night.  They may even provide some security to you as a sign of respect.

Can you adapt and react to changing situations such as hazardous roads,  political climate, etc or are you set in your ways and love your comfort zone?  If you love your comfort zone you need to reconsider the urge of going solo.

The bottom line, and I think the most important aspect, that you must ask yourself is if you are prepared to rough it at times and skip a shower (or maybe two) to experience the joy that wild camping can offer?

Wanderlust: === the desire and irresistible urge to travel

The post GOING SOLO OFF THE BEATEN TRACK? appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

• Which border post? In all our years of travel we found that it is much easier to enter/exit at smaller border posts.  At the bigger border posts, the officials are sometimes tired and irritated and will take their time to work through the processes.  Our experience is at the smaller posts they are friendlier and welcome a chat while doing their work.
• When? Try to avoid peak times, if possible, like month end, late Friday afternoon or popular public holidays like Easter.  Everybody is in a hurry and the queues are longer, the tempers flare quicker and willingness is shorter.
• Be positive! No matter how frustrated you get, try to smile and be friendly.  They are only doing their job.  A positive attitude goes a long, long way.
• Take your own pen. Pens are rarely supplied at most border posts. If you have your own, you can get a jump in the queue while filling out the form.
• Keep it simple. A clear plastic folder works wonders to keep all the documents together.
• Step out of your vehicle. When you get swamped by all the touts, step out of your vehicle, pick one, and tell him that you will contract him if he makes sure all the other touts disappear, agree on a price beforehand to go with you to customs, immigration, third party, police clearance and sometimes the health department.  In some places, the third party office can be a container hidden behind other buildings and difficult to find.  Keep a watchful eye here on your tout!
• Keep your eyes on your stuff. Even though the border officials may be above board, opportunistic thieves and pickpockets spot you long before you spot them. Make sure your vehicle is locked.  We have a standard habit of one of us stay at the vehicle while the other do the paperwork and then rotate if necessary.  Rather be safe than spoiling your trip from the word go.
• Money matters. Know the current Rand // USD exchange rate before you arrive at the border. There are APPS available for this purpose or phone a friend if needs be.   If possible, use local currency and give exact  It is easy to “not have change” available and is sometimes a standard answer (and can be very profitable)
• Never flash the amount of money you have on you – be discreet.    If you need to change money at the border, count it slowly and make sure you received the right amount.  There are “experts” out there with very swift hands.   We rather exchange Rand // USD before we leave home to avoid the risk of using money changers.
• Some borders do take bank cards, but on the other hand this is a great way to get your bank card cloned. Officials are not always willing to offer a card machine due to the “not have change” rule.  As in many situations – use your discretion!
• Check the stamp. Before you leave the counter make sure that the date stamps are correct.  You won’t be able to change anything easily once you leave.
• Obey the rules of the road. The areas around border crossings are particularly happy hunting grounds for traffic police.   Remember to stop at stop signs and stop behind the line even though they eagerly wave at you to come forward.
• Remember that as soon as you cross into another country you are on roaming charges for your cell phone.  If you plan to phone a lot rather buy a local SIM card – it is a lot cheaper.

Do you have any questions?  We will gladly give advice if you ask the question.

—oOo—

This is Part III in the series of articles.  Remember to read Parts I and II as well.

The post CROSSING THE BORDER (PART III) – ARRIVING AT THE BORDER appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

• If your vehicle is still under a finance agreement, you will need to acquire a letter of permission from the applicable financial institution. Each institution has its own requirements and procedures to follow as to how to obtain it.  Allow enough time to obtain the required paperwork.  If you are planning to take a trailer or caravan remember to do the same, if financed.
• Make sure your ID number matches that used on your vehicle documents. If your registration papers show your RSA ID number, then take it with you.  Rather take too much proof than be in a predicament.
• Take a colour copy of your vehicle’s registration papers. This is very handy. It is a popular document and it is frequently asked to produce at roadblocks and/or border posts.  Important:  hold on to the original document and never let it leave your sight.  I always make some extra copies to hand out if required.
• Apart from the document itself I also write down the VIN number, etc in my diary and keep it apart from the official documents. You never know what can happen …
• If you’re covered by your SA insurance, then get a letter to prove it. Not all insurance policies provide cover when traveling in neighbouring countries.  If this is not the case you will have to buy insurance at the border post.
• When planning a Northern African trip and entering/exiting several countries consider buying a Carnet de passage en Douane. This allows you to import/export your vehicle without incurring extra fees.  Of course, a Carnet de passage en Douane attracts its own specific costs depending on which countries you plan to visit, but the cost and paper trouble is worth it in the end.
• Note that a carnet can only be obtained in your country of origin.   For example, if your vehicle carries a South African registration plate, you need to buy it in South Africa, etcetera.
• You will need to display a ZA sticker (or your country of origin) at the back of your vehicle. If you plan to visit Mozambique they have additional requirements regarding trailers.  You get different types of ZA stickers – magnetic and a sticker type.  We first tried the magnetic ones, but kept on losing and replacing them until we draw the inference that the African dust gets underneath and it does not want to stick anymore.  The traditional sticker ones still works the best for us.
• 
• Red and white reflective tape are required especially in Zambia and Zimbabwe.  Remember you can be fined in each country for not having the right stickers.  So this can become a costly exercise if you do not do your homework in advance.
• Also check the Zambia regulations as at some stage they required that you carry metal red triangles and not the standard plastic ones.
• Keep a fire extinguisher in your vehicle where you can quickly access it in case of an emergency. You do not want to loose your vehicle and spoil your whole holiday!
• A reflective jacket provides more visibility when changing a flat wheel after dark at the roadside.  This precaution saved hubby a couple of times in deepest darkest Africa.
• A handy site where you can check the specific requirements for each country is the Automobile Association’s web page at:  https://www.aa.co.za/services/travel-services/into-africa/cross-border-information.html

***Need some assistance in planning a route?  Feel free to contact me.***

The post CROSSING THE BORDER (PART II) – VEHICLE AND INSURANCE appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

The sound of an African wild dog will send shivers down your spine if you hear it for the first time.  One of it’s most striking features is it’s very large round ears. The ears are not only perfect for hearing calls over large distances but are also important for heat loss to regulate their body’s temperature.  They are very efficient and agile hunters capable of reaching speeds of up to 55km/h.  So watch out for them!

Like the African civet, each of these dogs has a unique coat but they also stand out because of their interesting toes. While all other canid species have five toes, the African wild dog only has four.

Bucket list:  Ticked 

Status at the moment:   Endangered (estimated 5 500 left on the content)

ooOoo

AFRICAN CIVET

These beautiful creatures are nocturnal and you have an off chance that you will spot one once in a life time.  Going around a lot of national parks it was only the second time that I was fortunate enough to witness one.  This beautiful animal will rock up at your camp without you even knowing it as they are masters of stealth.

Each African civet has a different pattern of brown and black spots on their coat. This colour combination provides excellent camouflage in the forest.  Their natural habitat is becoming more and more under threat, because of expanding farming activities, but luckily they are very adaptable creatures and are not on the endangered list for the moment.

Bucket list:  Ticked 

Status at the moment:  Least Concerned

ooOoo

ZANZIBAR RED COLOBUS MONKEY 

 As its alternative common name of ‘Zanzibar colobus’ suggests, Kirk’s red colobus is found on the island of Zanzibar. Its population is worryingly small today and it is estimated that as few as 1,000 to 1,200 individuals persist, mainly within the Jozani Forest Reserve. A small number of individuals also live on nearby Pemba Island, in the Ngezi Forest Reserve.

I was astounded as to how tame these primates in the Jozani forest are when we went on a walking safari.  Some of them came as close as one meter from where I was standing, sitting down and foraging in the leaf carpet for some food.  For me this was a special experience!

Bucket list:  Ticked 

Status at the moment:  Endangered

ooOoo

KUDU

A kudu might look big and clumsy but they are actually swift and excellent jumpers. To clear a fence of 2m (6.6ft) high is nothing out of the ordinary.  They are also responsible for many accidents at night in the Karoo area of South Africa.  So be on the look out for them at night.

They have long necks that they use to reach food on high branches. The only other animal that beats them on their impressive reach is the giraffe.

The meat of the Kudu, having a coarse grain, can easily be mistaken for beef.

Bucket list:  Ticked 

Status at the moment:  Of least concern

ooOoo

WILDEBEEST OR GNU

There are two species – blue and black – and another species that are only found on the African continent.   The black wildebeest has a lovely white tale, almost horse like, and the blue wildebeest has an all black tale. These strange looking (somewhat ugly) animals are already extinct in Malawi, but was reintroduced successfully in Namibia again.

The blue wildebeest is best known for the yearly migration that takes place in the Serengeti.  The Great Migration sees over 1.5 million wildebeest, 200,00 zebra and a host of other antelope traveling cross country.  During the migration period around 250 000 wildebeest and 30 000 zebra are killed off every year as a result of predation by carnivores, but also from thirst, hunger, and exhaustion.  If they can survive the migration stint they have a life span of up to 20 years!

Bucket list:  Ticked

Status at the moment:  Not threatened

ooOoo

GERENUK

“Look, it’s a deer! It’s a baby giraffe! No, it’s a gerenuk!”  This is about the best description for a gerenuk that I have stumbled upon.

This strange deer is related to the gazelle, but only differences between the gerenuk and the gazelle is that gerenuks have a more solid skull and an elongated neck.  The elongated neck is definitely the gerenuk’s most outstanding characteristic.

The name ‘gerenuk’ means ‘giraffe necked’ in the Somali language and is also known as ‘Wallers Gazelle’.

We were fortunate enough to spot these rare animals on the horizon while crossing the Chalbi desert in Northern Kenya.  The image, which was taken with my mik en druk,  while driving, is a bit blurry, but this is my proof that I have seen three of them!

Bucket list:  Ticked 

Status at the moment:  Conservation dependant

ooOoo

“You either get the point of Africa or you don’t. What draws me back year after year is that it’s like seeing the world with the lid off.”  — A A Gill

The post INCREDIBLE AFRICAN ANIMALS appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

Where are we going – love the planning stage!

You see this is where the practical me jumps in again.  I like it because:

There is nothing more rewarding when you are planning a trip than to spread out the map on the table and say that is where I want to go.

Yes, yes, I know the GPS shows me where I want to go, but sometimes we get so blinded by tunnel vision  focussing on what the GPS tells us what to do that we do not actually know where we are in the bigger picture.

Driving in town that is fine, you can just replace/recharge the batteries or plug into your car’s power source, but what happens if you are in deepest darkest Africa with no shops around to get the right size of batteries and/or no auto electrician to find the electrical failure and fix the problem while out there?

Seeing the bigger picture – nice!

Theft is a real issue these days in our day to day existence.  You are in Africa and jump out in a small village to buy that cold Coke to quench your thirst, but forget to press that button on the remote ….. Gone is your GPS!

You can even scribble a quick note or telephone number to someone on a piece of your map if needs be!

Ever spared a thought what you will do if you loose that vital satellite signal?  It is unbelievable what a piece of paper in your hand can do towards reassuring you on a remote adventure trip.   In our travels we have learned a few times that the GPS is not always right.

And then there is the me thing.   I do not always want to follow a tinned voice telling me what to do, because

I am me:

I am an individual …

I want to explore more …

I do not always want to follow …

I want to test my own navigational skills …

And what else tells a better story than a well travelled map with pigs ears, creases and plotted routes?

Our well travelled pig eared, coffee stained map from our Sudan trip – such good memories!

Hopefully I have planted a map “seed” while you were reading this.  So go out and buy that map, learn to orientate and read the map – sooner or later you will need that map!  And do not fret, we take our trusted Zumo on all our trips into the unknown.

…. and if you need some assistance in the planning department – I will gladly help!  Just email me.

“This heart of mine was made to travel the world.” – Unknown

IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING ROUTES DROP ME AN E-MAIL

The post THE GOOD OLD PAPER MAP appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

Let’s start off with some interesting and lesser known facts about the trunk of an elephant:

Feeling the vibe:  Aside from smell, the trunk is sensitive to vibrations; from the ground it can sense the rumble of faraway herds and even far-off thunder.

Mighty muscles:  An elephant’s trunk has eight major muscles on either side and 150,000 muscle bundles in all. It is so strong that it can easily push down trees or roll over a vehicle.

Move it:  Like the human tongue, the trunk is a muscular hydrostat – a boneless muscular structure that allows for its excellent maneuverability.

Phenomenal sense of smell:  So sensitive is an elephant’s trunk that it is more capable than a bloodhound’s nose and is said to be able to smell water, citrus and apples  from several miles away.

How to approach an elephant

• • Slow down as soon as you see and/or approach the elephants.

• • Assess the area for possible escape routes if necessary.

• • Make sure you do not have any citrus with you as they will trample a vehicle to get to it.

• • Take extra care if there are juveniles in the elephant group – keep your distance as the mothers can be extremely unpredictable with small ones around.

• • If you are in an open safari vehicle, do not stand up or make sudden movements on the vehicle or speak loudly.  Although their eyesight is not good an elephant might feel threatened and can cause an aggressive response.

• If an elephant shows threatening behaviour, slowly retreat and give it space.

Some of the most obvious threatening behavior displayed by elephants are

Spreading the ears:  The elephant faces an opponent head-on with ears fully spread (at 90 degrees from the body). They also spread their ears when they are excited, surprised or alarmed.

Mock charging:  The elephant rushes toward you while spreading its ears and just stops short of its target while kicking up dust.   This will also be accompanied with trumpeting.

Bundu bashing:  The elephant causes a commotion to demonstrate strength, tossing its head and tusks back and forth through bushes or other vegetation while making a noise.

Charging:  The elephant rushes toward you with its ears spread and its head raised or lowered while it has the apparent intention of following through. Its trunk may be tightly curved under so that the tusks can make contact first. A real charge is usually silent and extremely dangerous. I think it is time to get away as soon as possible!

—oOo—

Did you know?  That an elephant’s skeleton makes up 16.5% of its total weight in order to support its heavy mass?

—oOo—

Hope you enjoyed these facts.   Also read about the bee and elephant project in Kenya. You can follow them on Facebook @ Elephants and Bees Project.

Be responsible and travel safely in the wild!

Love will draw an elephant through a key-hole —– Samuel Richardson

The post ELEPHANT 101 appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

My first view (2007)

My first glimpse of Kili was in 2007 when we were on an overland trip to Khartoum, Sudan. Arriving in Moshi well after dark and pitching our tent at Honey Badger camp, where we had some interesting experiences, I had no idea what was waiting for me in the morning when I wake up.  When unzipping the tent the totally unexpected view of Kilimanjaro took me totally by surprise!     Being born and bred in Africa I have always dreamt about seeing Kili.  All my life I had this picture of the mountain in my head and imagined what it would be like to see it for the first time, but never ever did I expect this.  And there it was with its ice cap clearly visible on a cloudless morning!

Clouds moving in

According to the local people we were fortunate enough to have our timing right as most of the times the top of Kili is covered with clouds.  I think it was sort of a pre-order just for me!

The 2014 view!

My next encounter with Kili was seven years later during a Precision Air flight to Zanzibar – this time seeing a totally different view. and definitely not how I remembered Kilimanjaro from my first sight!  Although I was feeling queasy during the flight, due to a bumpy ride caused by bad weather, I could still appreciated the view.  Sadly, this time the snow cap was visibly and alarmingly smaller than seven years ago.  You always hear about global warming on the news and think that we will not experience it in our lifetime, but this time round I have seen it with my own eyes.

Seeing the dramatic effect of global warming on Kilimanjaro is part of my determination to recycle and contribute to saving the planet for the next generations to come.  From now on I will do my  part towards recycling!

A man should ever be ready booted to take his journey  

— Michel de Montaigne

The post KILI MEMORIES appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.

Gewoonlik is die besige Afrika lughawe ‘n miernes van mense wat kom en gaan en drentel en wag maar vanoggend is Jomo Kenyatta aan die stil kant en ek wonder of dit die gevolg van ebola is aangesien dit ‘n aansluitingspunt is vir vlugte vanuit Wes-Afrika.  Maar voort na Zanzibar.  Hier op Jomo Kenyatta moet jy amper alles uittrek om deur sekuriteit te kan gaan – skoene, geld, horlosie, belt, oorbelle, enigiets wat nie daardie masjien gaan laat piep nie – maar word ons tog gedurende die vlug beloon (al voel ek effe grys om die kiewe) met ‘n gesig van Kilimanjaro se skamele bedekte sneeu top.  ‘n Voorreg inderdaad.

Kilimanjaro with only a little bit of snow visible

Dit stort reën oor Zanzibar se lughawe terwyl almal stil raak in die vliegtuig en asem ophou dat ons nie na Dar Es Salaam hoef uit te wyk en wag vir beter weer nie.  Dan land ons tog na ‘n tweede probeerslag.  Welgedaan aan die bekwame kaptein van Precision Air!  Heel duidelik was dit nie sy eerste landing in sulke gure weer op die eiland se lughawe met die indrukwekkende naam van Abeid Amani Karume International Airport nie.   Getrou aan Afrika is die naam heelwat meer indrukwekkend as die lughawe self.

Rain, rain, rain on Zanzibar

Ons rit na die Oostekant van die eiland begin deur strate wat vol water is  en  kry ek sommer nuwe respek vir die Kaptein van Precision Air se vliegvermoëns.  Die gesig van turkoois blou tropiese water laat my gou vergeet van Pando, ons taxi bestuurder, se bestuurvermoë.  Gewoonlik is ek nie ‘n kandidaat vir karsiek nie, maar Pando het daarin geslaag om my grys en bleek om die kiewe te laat en was Makuti Beach Lodge se hekke net betyds in sig.

Nadat ek al die fyn skrif (soos wat my prokureur man my mooi geleer het) op www.bookings.com gelees het en vinnig huiswerk gedoen het op Tripadvisor  (dit is darem “werklike” mense wat daar kommentaar lewer) het ek die bespreking by Makuti Beach Lodge gemaak.  Nader aan die water kan ons nie bly nie!  Met die afhandeling van die papierwerk met aankoms kom ons agter dat ek en my prokureur wederhelfte dieselfde begrip het van wat daar staan op www.bookings.com se website, maar helaas nie die Spaanse eienares van Makuti nie.  Sy dring daarop aan dat die verblyf vooruit in USD betaal moet word – geen kredietkaart fasiliteite nie!  Wat ‘n verligting dat ek so in my haas by die huis klomp USD in my rugsak geprop het saam met my geelkoors kaart.  Daar gaan ons hele week se spending money!

The beaches at Bwejuue

Ons lees en lê vir die eerste twee dae met ‘n boek in die heerlike louwarm weer en ontspan.  Teen dag drie begin ons sommetjies maak om te sien of ons darem kan eet vir die res van die tyd wat ons hier is.  Die boeke balanseer nie.   So dan is dit Plan B.  Huur ‘n Vespa (30 USD per dag met net genoeg petrol om jou by die garage te kry) en ry die 46 km terug Stonetown toe om geld te gaan trek, want aan die Oostekant van die eiland is daar geen banke nie.  So gesê, so gedaan!

Net genoeg petrol om jou by die enigste garage aan die Oostekant van die eiland te bring

Omdat ons gesoute Afrika travellers is besef ons die Vespa rit gaan nie ‘n rit om die blok wees nie.  Net na ontbyt spring ons in die pad en voordat ons kan petrol ingooi moet ons die eerste polisiepunt trotseer.  Dankie tog vir die plaaslike bestuurderslisensie papiere wat ons in Stonetown (10 USD) laat kry het.  Die manne bestudeer die papiere sorgvuldig, maar is tevrede.

‘n Vespa is nie heeltemal so gemaklik soos ‘n BMW motorfiets nie en na die eerste 20 kilometer is dit tyd vir ‘n Marlboro en die Zumo om seker te maak dat ons darem nog op koers is.  Ons vorder goed.  My nek is nou al gewoond om in oor-die-skouer-posisie te wees om vir voertuie van agteraf dop te hou, want die Vespa se spieël is nie meer heeltemal so bruikbaar soos wat hy moet wees nie.

Die verkeer raak meer – taxi’s, trokke, scooters, fietse, voetgangers, honde,  kinders en die odd hoender of twee.  Stonetown se buitewyke is ‘n miernes van alles en almal wat beweeg en kom en gaan en koop en verkoop.  Maar diè twee Mzungus laat hulle nie afskrik nie want die Zumo vat ons mos mooi om die sirkel tot voor die Barclays ATM se  deur.  Tyd vir nog ‘n Marlboro – ons het dit gemaak sonder enige insident!  Maar soos dinge in Afrika maar werk is baie dinge op ‘n kaart/GPS aangedui, maar nie altyd beskikbaar nie.   Die sekuriteitswag kom aangeslenter en deel ons mee dat die ATM masjien nie werk nie.  Vriendelik verduidelik hy dat die NBC ATM net langsaan neem slegs die betrokke bank se kaarte.  Die moed sak so effe.  So wat nou?

We made it to the ATM in Stonetown

Ons word verduidelik na ‘n ATM aan die anderkant van die verkeersirkel en besluit om die Vespa met sukkelende ratte net daar te los en eerder voet te slaan, met my geskeurde hak ligament, deur die verkeer na die ander opsie doer aan die oorkant.  Dalk is ons gelukkig.  Die ATM toon aan dat hy Visa, Master en Maestro kaarte aanvaar – nie sleg nie!  Iemand is reeds besig om geld te trek.  Ons hou angstig dop of die masjien werk.  Ja, wraggies ons is gelukkig …  of nie.

Die Tripple T faktor (ons spreekwoord wanneer dinge effe skeep loop) skop in en die teller gaan van lyn af of so iets …  Ons sê ‘n gebedjie op daar in die besige strate van Stonetown tussen al die verkopers en wag, want ons senuwees en beursie sal nie nog ‘n trippie vanaf Bwejuu na Stonetown maak nie.  Probeer weer.  Jippieeeee!  Om my voetbesering te spaar word ek staan gemaak op ‘n veilige plek (debateerbaar) en wederhelfte gaan  terug om die Vespa met sukkelende ratte te gaan haal en om die sirkel te werk met hom.  Die mense van Zanzibar is vriendelik.  Almal groet.  Ek voel nooit bedreig deur die plaaslike inwoners en asof ek die heeltyd oor my skouer wil loer soos in ons eie land nie.

Die terugrit begin en ek neem my oor-die-skouer-loer-posisie in, maar kry darem ‘n breek toe ons by die Jozani Forest stop om na die Colobus monkeys te gaan soek.  Hulle is so mense gewoond en rustig dat ons lekker baie foto’s kon neem en doen toe sommer ook die cache daar. Nog ‘n smilie!

Colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest

So kom ons as gevolg van Geocaching by Captain Cook’s Equinox restaurant, wat by sy huis  in die village van Jambiani is, uit waar ons laat  middag heerlike klapper White Snapper en rys eet.  En so gaan die week verby deur in die dag in die hangmat te hang en boeke te lees en die aande plaaslike plekkies al langs die strand te gaan soek vir aandete.  Eiland lewe op sy beste!

Captain Cook’s

Dit is die laaste naweek van die vakansie en ons pak op om Stonetown, ‘n UNESCO verklaarde gebied, te gaan verken.  Ons het blyplek gekry in die Zanzibar Hotel wat volgens hulle webtuiste die eerste hotel op die eiland was.  Dit is lekker gerieflik in ‘n stil stegie geleë binne stapafstand van die strand en al die interessante gangetjies en winkeltjies wat dwarsoor Stonetown weggesteek is.  Ons dwaal vir twee volle dae deur die gangetjies en koop geskenke en verkyk ons aan die deure waarvoor Zanzibar so bekend is.

Glimpses of old Stonetown

Ons betaal ons TSH7 000 en gaan maak ‘n draai by Anglican Cathedral wat op Kersdag 1877 in gebruik geneem is en merk dat  hulle besig is met grootskaalse restourasie werk.  Daarna besluit my eie Livingstone dit is tyd om die pad te vat per voet na David Livingstone se huis toe  en ek byt maar vas op die agterhoede met my voetbesering .   Ons stap deur minder toeriste tipe markte wat belaai is met dadels en brode en verby die Zanzibar Hooggeregshof tot by die nasionale gedenkwaardigheid wat vandag as kantore gebruik word.  Langs die pad moet ek eers twee pleisters koop (ja, jy koop hulle los!) by ‘n apteek wat verbasend bekende medikasie op die rakke het!

The Anglican Cathedal

Daarna volg my “Livingstone” sy GPS met ‘n ander pad terug sodat ons die Old Dispensary, wat op ‘n tyd as hospitaal gedien het en deur die Aga Kahn Stigting opgeknap is, ook te siene te kan kry.  Wat ‘n imposante gebou net jammer die houtwerk is liggroen geverf.

The Old Dispensary

Met voete vol blase van die dag se stap maar ‘n lied in die hart gaan ons die aand ‘n G&T by een van ‘n strandkroeë drink en daarna kos koop by die nagmark in die Forodhani Gardens wat  elke aand voor die House of Wonders en  Arabiese Fort gehou word.  Hier kies en keur ‘n mens watse tipe seekos jy wil eet.  Enigiets van kreef, krap, prawns, scallops, calamari, seekat, gebraaide piesangs, kassawa  samoosas tot ‘n groot verskeidenheid van visserige sosaties en suikerriet stroop – te veel om op te noem.  Dit is net die ou rooi vleisies bly maar ietwat skaars!

Die laaste aand van die vakansie moet ons mooi beplan wat om te eet en drink om ons laaste paar Tanzaniese shillings te spandeer, want in Suid-Afrika kan jy dit mos nie ruil nie so ons wil dit nie huis toe bring nie.  Dit laat ons toe om een Kilimanjaro, ‘n plaaslike bier, te deel en ‘n stringetjie prawns vir aandete te nuttig.  Nou het ons regtig net ons airport tax nog oor!

Met ‘n lied in die hart, ‘n glimlag op die gesig en ‘n smilie op my travelbucket klim ons op die KQ vlug terug huis toe en sê ek totsiens vir my man op OR Tambo.  Dit was lekker!!

“Not all those who wander are lost.”
J. R. R. Tolkien

The post ZANZIBAR appeared first on TRAVELBUCKET.