TravelStream™ news feed for member jmo on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jmo en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 06 Aug 2004 17:38:34 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1091744160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1091744160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1091744160/tpod.html Fri, 06 Aug 2004 17:38:34 -0400 Dogs In Lampshades and Other Adventures From the Road

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Chicago, Illinois, United States

Leaving the adventure and animals of Africa behind we boarded our flight for Amsterdam and our return to the western world. This had been something we had both been looking forward to for a long time. Having spent so much time backpacking through the developing world we were both ready for everything we had been missing and dreaming of since leaving home. I wanted buffalo wings and a hot shower, Jan just wanted to finally put away her traveling clothes and wear something impractical and cute.

Once we set down in Amsterdam we were immediately impressed by how well the city ran and how clean everything was. Spending so much time in Africa we had become accustomed to disorder and poverty, seeing a modern well run western city was a complete shock. We could do what we wanted, eat what we wanted, and go where we wanted whenever we wanted to. All the specific cravings that we had longed for vanished as soon as everything was available to us. It wasn't certain food, or movies or clothes that we missed but the immense choice available. On first setting foot in the west after being in the developing world for so long that was the difference that was most striking, the incredible amount of choices.

The other big difference we noticed upon arriving in Europe was it was much colder and rainier than Africa. Despite being July most of the Dutch were wearing sweaters and leather jackets as they walked the city streets. We spent two days randomly wandering around the beautiful canal lined streets, or purposely following historic walking tours. We went to the Van Gogh museum and had drinks in outdoor cafes, all with one common thread - we were always cold. So after a few days, while shivering through a wonderful fondue and drinking overly chilled red wine at a cafe overlooking a canal, we decided it was time to move on. We headed to the airport to look for last minute deals somewhere warmer. We entertained notions of Sicily, Croatia, Cinque Terra, Prague, Vienna, and Barcelona; there was even a cheap flight to Brazil. After several hours of deliberation we had narrowed our options down but still couldn't decide, so figuring it best to leave some things to chance we settled on a coin flip, following which we booked a flight the next morning to Barcelona.

Stepping off the airplane we were greeted by warm weather and sunshine, Barcelona proved to be exactly what we had wanted. We stayed in the old quarter off of Las Ramblas at a wonderful little hostal overlooking a square crowded with cafes. Having traveled for so long we tended to crave routine and we easily fell into a pattern that lasted for the next six days. We spent our mornings reading the Herald Tribune over cafe con leche and bocadillos con queso, at a cafe across the street from our hostal. This was always followed by a several hour long walking tour of either the winding narrow alleys that make up the rabbit's warren of the Barrio Gothic or the imaginative, colorful, Dr. Seuss like architecture of Gaudi and the Modernistas. Depending on how far we had walked we would eat a picnic lunch of fruit, bread, cheese and olives from the local outdoor market, or sit down to a wonderful three course lunch in one of the plazas complete with wine. Then it was time to go to the beach. As it is summer the sun stays out until after ten o'clock and we could lay on the beach from late afternoon into early evening relaxing and recovering from the over indulgence of the day. Then after a gelato and a shower we would head to an outdoor cafe as the sun would set for tapas and a bottle of rioja. It is easy to see why both Jan and I love Barcelona despite the lack of monkeys.

Leaving Barcelona we began our long journey home. Our first stop was back to Amsterdam were we were a bit disappointed to see it hadn't warmed up in our time away. There we met some friends we had traveled with while in South East Asia. It was great to see them and we relived old times going out in Amsterdam and telling stories from our Beerlao days. From Amsterdam we flew to London for a trendy dim sum dinner with good friends who had moved there in the last year from New York. It had been so long since I had eaten at a trendy restaurant I was totally confused by the hip menu. Janice seemed to have no problem, fluidly ordering several multi-colored cocktails. After our short time in London we finally entered the United States through JFK in New York. Part of me expected INS to throw me a welcome back party and another part of me expected INS to throw me in a room for questioning after all of the traveling we had done. In the end, I like to think I split the difference, garnering no more than a grunt from a terse immigration inspector. I guess a welcome back cake would have been too much to ask.

Over the next few weeks we slowly made our way here to Chicago. We had many parties with friends and family in four different cities. It was fantastic to see everybody, and most of you reading this are included in "everybody". And we would like to thank everyone for doing what immigration didn't, for making us feel welcome back home. In seeing everyone certain questions kept coming up, for example: What was your favorite country? What was the worst food you ate? Where were the biggest bugs? So we thought we would end our last Travelpod entry with a list of superlatives from our year off. Thank you to everyone for reading about one of the greatest decisions we have ever made. Being an "International Man/Woman of Leisure" is a great job if you can get it.


What Everybody Wants to Know
Total Countries Visited - 26
Favorite Countries - India, New Zealand, Vietnam and Laos
Best Natural Beauty - South Island New Zealand
Best Cultural Experience - Rajasthan, India
Best Shopping - India, Vietnam
Tallest Mountain We Climbed - Kilimanjaro,Tanzania (5986 meters)
Deepest Dive - 33 meters

Damn, That's Purty!
Best Luxury Beach - Maldives (any atoll in the South Ari Atoll group)
Best Cheap Beach - Savaii, Samoa
Prettiest Lagoon - Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Prettiest Overdeveloped Island - Ko Phi Phi, Thailand
Best Dive Spot - Similan Islands, Thailand
Best Day Hike - Tongariro Crossing, North Island, New Zealand
Best Multi-Day Hike - Heaphy Track, South Island, New Zealand
Best Sea Kayaking - Abel Tasman, South Island, New Zealand
Most Scenic Driving - South Island, New Zealand
Best Boat Trip - Milford Sound, South Island New Zealand
Best Sailboat Trip - Whitsundays, Australia
Best Desert - Thar Desert, Rajasthan India
Best Ruins - Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Most Unexpectedly Beautiful Place - Turtle Island, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
Prettiest City - Jaislamer, Rajasthan, India
Best Sunset - Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Best Night Sky - The Outback, Australia
Favorite Natural Phenomenon - Lunar Rainbow followed by lunar eclipse, Vic Falls, Zambia

I Wouldn't Put That In My Mouth
Best Food - India, Vietnam, Thailand
Best Breakfast - Pho Bo (beef noodle soup), Vietnam
Most Refreshing Drink - Fresh lime soda, India
Best Beach Snack - TIE - Grilled lobster, Cambodia & roasted cashew nuts, Mozambique
Best Cooking Classes - Chaing Mai Cookery School, Thailand
Most Dangerous Drink - Tap water, India
Best Beer - Valima, Samoa
Cheapest Beer - Beerlao, Laos
Worst Wine - Cheap boxed red, New Zealand
Best Wine - Cheap boxed red, Uganda
Most Wine - Easy Rider backpacker wine tours, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Best Roadside Food - Samosas, India
Best Roadside Drink - Chai Masala,India
Vegetarian Heaven - Northern India
Meat Lovers Heaven - Angaga Resort, Angaga Island, Maldives
Number of Days in a Row We Had Eggs for Breakfast - 26 days, Tanzania

Home Sweet Home
Best Hostel - Matthew and Jayne's house, Sydney, Australia
Worst Hostel - Go Global, Taupo, New Zealand (It is a Brit gap year favorite)
Worst Bed - Bhandari Swiss Cottage, Rishikesh, India
Best Bed - Sheraton, Hong Kong
Worst Bathroom - Three way tie - Betty Moors Guesthouse, Samoa (big spider); Iban longhouse outhouse, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo (rhino beetle); Barafu Camp, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (frozen turd)
Best hostel pets - Jack Russells, Wilderness, South Africa
Best Free Food at a Hostel - vegetable soup, Nelson, South Island, New Zealand
Coolest Room - Mandawa Haveli Hotel, Mandawa, India
Best Upgrade - Master suite on Great Barrier Reef diveboat, Cairns, Australia
Best Floating House - Kerala Backwaters houseboat, Kerala, India
Favorite Beach Bar - Eden Serendipity, Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Is This Thing Safe?
Total Flights Taken - Janice=49, Jordan=51 (Hong Kong-Chicago-Hong Kong)
Best Airline - Cathay Pacific
Worst Airline - Indian Airlines
Longest non-stop flight - Chicago to Hong Kong (16 hours)
Shortest flight - Male to Angaga Island, Maldives (20 minutes on sea plane)
Best way to get to airport - dhow boat, Lamu Island, Kenya
Best way to get between cities - kayaking, Vang Vieng to Vientiane, Laos
Worst way to get between cities - overnight bus, Hoi An to Nha Trang, Vietnam
Best Taxi Service - motorbikes in Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Worst Taxi Service - cheating rickshaw drivers, India
Most Dangerous Ride - motorbikes, northwest Vietnam
Worst Ride - "Pokey" the three-hub capped Mazda Familia, New Zealand
Worst Road - Road to South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

Where's My Passport?
Best Way to Cross a Border - under the blue parasol of Chick-a-dee, the lady boy, Chaing Khong, Thailand into Laos
Most Dangerous Border Crossing - TIE - Uganda into Congo (had to pass big guns), Mozambique into Swaziland (had to hear big guns)
Best Visa - Mozambique
Best Stamp - Laos

How Many Dong to the Baht?
Favorite Currency Name - Vietnamese Dong
Best Value to the Dollar - 24,000 Mozambique Meticals to $1US
Only Money with Expiration Date - Zimbabwe Dollar
Easiest Currency to Use - Thai Baht
Cheapest Country - Laos
Most Expensive Country - England
Prettiest Money - South African Rand
Most Common Face on Money - The Queen

Misguided Guides
Funniest Tour Guide - Tommo, Mulga's Tours, Alice Springs, Australia
Most Musical Tour Guide - Empty Bank, Nice Place Tours, Chaing Mai, Thailand
Most Knowledgeable Tour Guide - Dara, Siem Reap, Cambodia (Angor Wat)
Craziest Tour Guide - Paul, Intrepid Travel, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
Best All Around Tour Guide - Jenny, Intrepid Travel, Rajasthan, India
Worst Tour Guide - Sleeping Lady Tour Guide (we forgot her name), Ayuthaya, Thailand
Most Dangerous Driver - Troy, Northwest Loop, Vietnam
Best Driver - Captain Shithouse (John) - Vic Falls to Dar Es Salaam
Least Likely to Bring Enlightenment - Yogi Mr. Bob, Rishikesh, India
Most Helpful Tourist Info Desks - New Zealand

Hippies and Freaks
Easiest instant friends - Dutch and Scandos
Best way to meet friends along the way - 2 day slow boat into Luang Prabang from Thailand
Most Difficult "English" Speakers to Understand - Northern Scots
Worst Abusers of the Queen's English - Western Australians
World's Most Beautiful Man - Matthew Mumford, Sydney, Australia (currently not available)
Best Acoustic Guitar Brittney Spears-Playing Swede - Fabian, Sweden
Most Likely to Jump Off Something to Impress Girls - Tom (England), Paddy (Ireland), Mike (Australia)
Most Full of Useless Trivia - John Davis, Ireland
Most Anal Man With Dreadlocks - CB, USA
Most Fluffy Yoga Buddy - Jenny Moss, England
Most Random Coincidence - Chris Moss, Jenny's younger brother
Should Never Have Left Home - Ravi (US), Matthais (Germany)
Most Excitable Group - The "A" Team, Kenya-Uganda-Congo
Quickest Reader - Anne Pezella, US
Best Place to Meet Girls - Sailboat, Whitsunday Islands, Australia
Best Place to Meet Guys - Diveboat, any diveboat, anywhere
Craziest Swede/Calmest Swede - Simon/Niklas
Most Likely to Wear Camouflage - Steve Hore, London
Most Deadpan Humor - Stu, Blue Mountains, Australia
Weirdest Japanese - Yuka, Yokohama, Japan

Crazy Enough to Meet Us
Wrong Way Around - Vicki and Arnaud
Most Likely to Put Rocks in Jordan's Backpack - Paul, L.A.
Most Likely to Cheat at Cards - Kim, New York (Kim, Jordan made me put that)
Best Cheer - "Cheating is good, cheating is fun, cheating makes us number one!" - Kim
Most Likely to Buy Jordan Underwear - Ali, Chicago
Most Likely to Start a Fistfight with a Drunk Australian - Jake, San Francisco

Are You Sure That's the Right Way?
Most Likely to Get Lost in the Jungle - Jordan in Borneo
Most Likely to Get Lost in the Mountains - Jordan in the Drakensberg, South Africa
Most Likely to Get Lost in the City - Jordan, everywhere
Most Likely to Get Lost Underwater - Janice in ocean

Creepy, Crawly, Big and Harry
Biggest Unwelcome Guest - BIG, BIG, BIG spider, Samoa
Biggest Worm - 2ft worm, Lake Bunyoni, Uganda
Biggest Beetle - Rhino beetle, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo
Most Buggy Place - Deer Cave, Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysian, Borneo
Best Insect Control - Swooping bats, Camp 5, Mulu Nat'l Park, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo
Favorite Ape - Chimpanzee
Scariest Ape - Mountain Gorilla
Most Jordan-like Ape - Orang Utan
Hardest to See - Leopard
Dumbest Animal - Wildebeest
Most Interesting to Watch - Elephants
Funniest - Monkeys, all monkeys
Most Difficult to Remove - Leeches, Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo
Most Painful - Fireants, Tanzania and Uganda
Biggest Dog Balls - Guesthouse dog, Sepilok Orang Utan Reserve, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

I Raise You Two Toothpicks
Best Scrabble Winner Ever - Jordan
Best Card Game on a Truck - Hearts
Best Card Game at Altitude - "High Altitude" (Paul's Chinese card game)
Favorite Card Game in Borneo - Poker
Worst Bluffer - Louie, New Zealand
Hardest Lateral Thinking Puzzle - Man eats albatross and kills self...
Most Likely to Stump Lateral Thinking Puzzle - Man pushes car in front of hotel...
Only If Incredibly Bored - Chess

Finding Nemo
Total Number of Dives This Trip - Janice=42, Jordan=43
Scariest Dive - Beqa Lagoon, Fiji
Most Colorful Coral - Rainbow Reef, Taveuni, Fiji
Largest Schools of Fish - Similan Islands, Thailand
Biggest Sea Life - Manta Rays/Whale Sharks, South Ari Atoll, Maldives
Worst Dive - Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
Most Boring Dive - Lake Malawi, Malawi
Favorite Dive Boat - Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Australia

Celebrate Good Times, Come On
Best Festival - Full Moon Festival ("Monkapalooza") - Vientiane, Laos
Biggest Gathering - Wildebeest Migration, Serengeti, Tanzania
Biggest Grudge Match - 1st place - India vs. Pakistan cricket; 2nd place - SEA Games Vietnam vs. Indonesia soccer (who knew?)
Best Tournament - Rugby 2003 World Cup (who knew?)
Best Continued Tradition - Dressing up for Halloween, Luang Prabang, Laos
Best New Tradition - Bloody Marys and Australian Steaks on Thanksgiving, Hoi An, Vietnam
Scariest Santa Claus - Malaysian divemaster in white-guy mask, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
Lamest New Years - Day after Mt. Kinabalu summit asleep by 10PM, Sabah, Malaysian, Borneo
Easiest to Forget - Our wedding anniversary (who knew?), Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Best Free Breakfast - Jordan's birthday, Denny's, Auckland, New Zealand
Worst Birthday Cake - Janice's birthday, Horlicks cheesecake, Sandakan, Malaysian, Borneo

You Talkin' To Me?
Best Nickames - Jordan-Dr. Evil, Janice-Nugget
Favorite Quote Not In Travelpod - "I don't hitchike at home, I am definitely not hitchiking in Swaziland!", said by Janice to Jordan before hitching a ride

Greatest Number of Days Wearing Same Underwear - 4 days, Jordan; 3 days, Janice
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1088505180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1088505180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1088505180/tpod.html Fri, 06 Aug 2004 13:51:11 -0400 Dogs In Lampshades and Other Adventures From the Road

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Nairobi, Kenya

Leaving Tanzania we drove across the border into the capital of Kenya, Nairobi. Nairobi, often referred to as "Nairobbery," is known for its rampant street crime. Despite thinking of myself as pretty street smart after working in the Bronx for three years, I still felt fortunate that we would be spending only one night here before heading out on our next overland truck to see the mountain gorillas. Little did I realize that only a week later I would be longing for the "safety" of cosmopolitan Nairobi.

Joining our next overland truck I was initially surprised to see so many people tossing thier rucksacks below and climbing aboard. Our last truck had been relatively empty, about half capacity, this one was full making it feel a bit like a South African mininbus taxi. But the benefit of being squeezed into the truck like cattle with so many people is that it didn't take long for us to meet our 24 new friends. Chatting away and trying to remember everyone's name we headed down a long bumpy road toward our first destination, Masai Mara National Park. From our recent time in Tanzania, Jan and I thought we would be game park-ed out. But once we began our first game drive I found it just as interesting and exciting as before. We spent a full day driving around the beautiful Masai Mara, the highlight of which was spotting three male lions and one lioness lounging in the tall grass. They were actually easy to spot as all we had to do was look for the safari vehicles surrounding them. The lions sat peacefully in the grass, ignoring all of the commotion as literally 12-15 safari vehicles circled them taking photos. At times it seemed a fight would break out among the humans as one safari vehicle would push its way in front another and ruin a photo destined for the cover of National Geographic. Fortunately for my part, violence was limited to the use of a supersoaker water gun we had on the truck.

The night after the Masai Mara, our trip leader, a large Kenyan man nicknamed "Big Boy," informed us that in order to see the mountain gorillas we would have to alter our original plans and travel through Uganda and into the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire. The mountain gorillas inhabit a park shared by Uganda, Congo and Rwanda, moving unrestricted across the borders and were currently most easily found on the Congo side. Initially we were supposed to view the gorillas in Uganda and Big Boy's main concern was that we would have enough money for the expensive visas into and out of Congo. I was more concerned that crossing into the Congo would bring us into an encounter with not only gorillas spelled with an "o" but ones spelled with an "ue," rebel guerillas. The civil war that has been raging in Congo is only recently over and the country has been open to tourism for only the past six months. The dense jungle region that the mountain gorillas inhabit is also home to small groups of Rwandan Hutu rebels and bandits whom I really didn't want to meet. We asked Big Boy about the risk of running into guerillas to which he responded "Hakuna Matata" - Swahili for no worries. While everyone else seemed to be reassured by a song from the Lion King I remained a bit concerned but figured it best to just wait and see how things would play out.

Leaving the flat and dry Rift Valley of Kenya behind, we drove 12 hours a day for the next three days staring out the windows of the crowded truck and marveling at the outstanding beauty of Uganda. Uganda gradually becomes more and more vibrant green and lush as flat land turns to rolling hills which grow higher and higher until they abutt the jungle-covered volcanoes in Uganda's southwest corner that make up the parks that are home to the 600 remaining mountain gorillas. Finally arriving at Kisoro, the border town with Congo, we made camp for the night and got ready to see the mountain gorillas. For me this meant cleaning the dust from my cameras and constantly humming my new favorite song, the Lion King's "Hakuna Matata" over and over again.

As the gorillas are so endangered the visits are highly regulated. Only a small number of people are allowed into the parks each day and contact with the gorillas is not allowed to exceed one hour. Considering how expensive the transport, park fees and visas are, viewing the gorillas works out to about $400 an hour. Making a visit to the world's largest ape more expensive than a visit to the world's second largest, lawyers. So cash and camera in hand I headed across the border into Congo. Walking past all the heavily armed soldiers I just tried to act nonchalant as if I crossed into recent war zones to see enormous endangered primates all the time.

We met our guides and joined by six of our friends, Jan and I piled into a landrover for the two hour drive to the national park. Heading out onto the dirt road, our landrover immediately fell in behind a pickup truck with a group of heavily armed guards wearing camoflauge riding in the back - our escort. As we drove along entire villages would run out to the road to shout greetings, kids and adults alike. All over Africa little kids would wave and shout as we passed but Congo was different, men and women, young and old all seemed genuinely happy to see us. Some of the older generation would shout "Welcome, welcome" as we passed, I had never seen such genuine enthusiasm and excitement. We began to realize that our presence in thier country was a sign of stabilty for people who have known war for such a long time. Thier excitement wasn't at just the novelty of seeing the "mizungo" - white people, but also an expression of thier hope for a peaceful future which we we ushering in. We drove for two hours constantly waving out the windows as people flocked to the roads to wave, shout even dance. Some kids ran for miles behind our landrover shouting and waving, the more intrepid young boys would even jump onto the back of our landrover for a free ride waving and smiling. It was a really amazing and joyous experience as we drove through village after village on our way to the park, all the while under the watchful gaze of our armed escort in the pick up in front of us.

Finally arriving at the park we left the joyful villagers behind and flanked by an armed escort headed into the jungle in search of the gorillas. The family we would be tracking was named Ruganda - "fast walker" in the local dialect, so we would have to move quickly to catch up to them. Our guides headed off at a fast walk to where the gorillas were known to have spent the night. After half an hour's exertion the head guide got a radio call from a forward scout informing him the gorillas were close and we could reach them after a forty minute fast march. I thought we already were going fast, I was wrong. We practically ran up the side of a steep hill and into dense jungle following a trail left by the gorillas and widened by the lead guard with his machete. A little over an hour after setting off we were rewarded with an awesome sight the dominant male, the silverback, sitting just off the path pulling down small trees and eating leaves. Looking around I spotted two or three other large black shapes in the dense foiliage. Our whole group was dumbstruck and froze on the spot as our guides tried to prod us forward for a better look. The gorillas moved forward a bit to a small clearing and spread out. We then saw the whole family, about eight in all including two babies, moving about the clearing eating leaves and grooming each other. From my vantage point I could see pretty well and wasn't much in the mood to get closer, the word enormous doesn't do them justice. But our lead guide came up behind me, whispered "don't be afraid" and pushed me forward. I found myself five meters (fifteen feet) from the enormous silverback with a perfect angle to take pictures. As I stood there I tried to clear my mind of 500 lbs gorilla jokes in case he could sense sarcasm the way dogs can sense fear. I guess I didn't clear my mind enough, or it may have been the sight of my zoom lens pointed straight at his face, or nothing at all but something I did aggitated him and before I knew it he swiftly rose and charged right at me. Crashing through the dense undergrowth, swinging his massive arms and bellowing menacingly at the top of his lungs he came rushing toward me. Now being accustomed to stressful situations I calmly fell back on my training, lowered my head, began to whimper like a little girl and turned to run for it, when something stopped me. Our guide was right behind me, with his hand on my back he whispered in his heavily accented English "Don't run". The silver back came within one meter of me, bellowed once more then walked back to his original spot and resumed eating like nothing had happened. So I survived being charged by a silverback, which is nice.

We stayed and watched the gorillas for the next hour becoming gradually more and more comfortable around such formidible wild animals. Throughout our visit I experienced a constant sense of fear from the realization that despite the machine guns our guards carried if the gorillas wanted to open up a can of whoop ass there was nothing I could do about it. But my fear was balanced by a sense of saftey their apparent humanity provided me with that I never could have felt next to a wild lion. The whole encounter felt like more of a visit than a safari, and I came away absolutely awe struck.

Leaving the gorillas we had a two hour hard march out of the jungle and back to the landrover. We piled in and began our drive back through the villages toward the border. Once again the villagers all came out to cheer making us feel like rock stars. After seeing us earlier that morning word had spread among the young boys about the chance to ride on the back of the landrover and we found ourselves being constantly chased by groups of up to thirty 8 to 12 year old boys fighting for a ride. Our driver not wanting them to get hurt would constantly stop to chase them away or get villagers to chase them away with anything from a stick to a machete. At one point, determined to chase the boys away, our army escort drove ahead of us to lay a trap in the surrounding cornfields. As we drove past, the soldiers jumped out to ambush the troublesome boys and chased them away while waving machine guns menacingly over their heads. I think we were as shocked by the ambush as the boys and once we realized the soldiers were our own, we all started laughing to the point of crying. It was defnitely time to leave the Congo.

After an easy border crossing, we were back in Kisoro having dinner, excited from seeing the gorillas and no longer fearing for our safety. Despite this, Janice was emphatic, "Don't tell my mom we were in the Congo." To which I replied, "That's right, Nairobi is much better."

From Kisoro we had a short drive to Lake Bunyoni, a pretty freshwater lake surrounded by the beautiful green rolling hills. We picked a nice spot for our tent and spent the rest of the day relaxing by the lake. After a night of drinking beers with friends, Janice headed back to the tent only to come find me ten minutes later with a serious look on her face and the words, "There are ants everywhere, get down here now!" Heading down to where we pitched the tent, we found the area swarming with fire ants, some as large as a half inch long. In the process of trying to move the tent, we all were attacked by the painful biting ants and had to spend the next ten minutes or so pulling them off and squishing them. Then one our friends screamed, "The ants are in the tents!" As Janice went off to see about upgrading to a lodge room that night, I found myself pulling each item out of the tent one by one in order to inspect them and remove any ants. As Janice was returning to tell me that lodge rooms were too expensive and that once the ants were out of the tent she would be ok to sleep in it for the night, I pulled out her towel to check for ants and a two foot worm fell out of it at my feet with an audible, wet thud. As Janice sprinted off, I heard her say, "I don't care how much they charge we are NOT staying in this tent!"

The next morning, after a pleasant night in the lodge, we headed off for a village visit with pygmies. As we drove in a boat across the lake towards their village, I envisioned smurf-sized dwellings around which small people would be going about their small business cheerily greeting each other in high pitched voices. With a smile on my face, I couldn't help but think what a wonderful part of the world I was in. Not only were there monkeys everywhere, but midgets to boot. We got to the village and I have to admit it wasn't exactly as I had pictured. Due to intermarriage, the pygmies aren't what they used to be.

After another relaxing night in the lodge, Janice still refused to sleep in the tent, we headed off to Kampala where we would make a visit to Ngamba Island, an island competely covered in chimpanzees. Despite my disappointment with the pygmies, I was convinced an island full of chimps wouldn't let me down. Though I tried not to get my hopes up that they would be dressed in tuxedos and riding unicycles. We crossed Lake Victoria and landed on the small island where we received our orientation including instructions on how to evacuate the island in case of chimp attack - this was going to be good. We went to see the chimps, to my disappointment I found we were separated from them by an electric fence. After surviving a charge by a silverback, I figured a chimp would be nothing. Little did I know that the dominant male was very into exerting his dominance. We viewed the chimps at feeding time watching them eat, play, and groom each other as we took pictures. The dominant male, not interested in these pastimes and thwarted by the electric fence, took it upon himself to hurl large stones in attempt to break our cameras and prove who's boss. As we would take pictures, someone would shout, "Look out, here he comes!" Looking up I would see a large dark shape running towards the fence at full speed, rock in hand. Once he was in range, he would hurl the rock at us as hard as he could. Fortunately, his aim was not very good. He only managed to knock out one of us. The only other problem was that in my excitement of seeing the chimps, I often forgot about the electified fence. Let me just say it was a memorable experience.

Sadly, leaving the chimps and Uganda behind, we crossed the border back into Kenya and headed into Lake Nakuru National Park for our final game drives. The one animal Jan and I hadn't seen much of was the rhino. Rhino are endangered as they have often been poached in the past for their horns which are considered aphrodisiacs in the Far East. Fortunately for the rhino, since the advent of Viagra, the amount of poaching has gone down, an unexpected side effect - usually things don't go down with Viagra. As Lake Nakuru is known for its rhino, we were lucky enough to spend two long game drives excitedly spotting both black and white rhinos almost everywhere we turned. Which proved an excellent end to all of our safaris.

After the safari was over, we drove back to Nairobi (which now seemed quite safe in comparison)for one last dinner with our friends from the overland truck. We went to a famous restaurant in Nairobi called Carnivores, which is known to serve all of the game meat we had been seeing on our safaris. I have to admit, there were several times during our safaris when seeing the impala frolick in the grass made me hungry. Many hartebeest meatballs and ostrich steaks later, we were all clutching our stomachs unable to move from an Atkins-diet overdose of too much meat.

To recover from our meat-induced comas and six weeks of camping out in tents both with and without 2ft worms, Jan and I boarded a small plane and flew out to a tiny island off of Kenya's northern coast, called Lamu. Similar to Zanzibar, the island is known for its rich Swahili culture and architecture. We spent four days wandering the narrow streets dodging donkeys, aka Lamu taxis (there are no cars on the island), laying on the beach and eating some of the best mangoes and avacados we've had in addition to all of the amazing Swahili food.

But all good things must come to an end. We have left the beach and are now back in Nairobi. Tonight we get a plane to take us out of Africa and up into Europe. I know I'll be sad to leave the monkeys, midgets and minibuses of Africa behind, but I know Jan is quite excited for the comforts, cafes and clothes of Europe. All day she's been polishing her credit card and practicing her signature.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1086943980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1086943980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1086943980/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jun 2004 10:45:23 -0400 Dogs In Lampshades and Other Adventures From the Road

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Moshi, Tanzania

Greetings from once again from Tanzania!

After relaxing for more than a week on the beautiful white sand beaches of Zanzibar we headed off for northern Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Flying in I looked outside the window of the airplane and saw the mountain top and excitedly snapped a photo. It was only after I realized that I was aiming the camera up at the looming mountain top that I was flying below the level of the mountain peak. For some reason I never thought the mountain would be so tall. Which of course made me question my rigorous training schedule of lying on the beach and eating and drinking to my hearts content.

Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, and is one of the seven summits; putting it in the same club as Mt. Everest. The peak is at 5,986 meters (just shy of 20,000 feet) so the air gets pretty thin. But the numbers didn't bother me, after all I had been to the mountains in Colorado several times to go skiing. Plus, our planned route was not a technical one (e.g., no ropes, no climbing), so all we would have to do to get to the top is put one foot in front of the other. No problem.

As we met our guide at the airport I tried to forget the formidable peak I had seen from the plane's window which was now fortunately shrouded in clouds. Our guide took us back to his village on the slopes of the mountain where we met Jordan's good friend Paul, who had flown all the way from L.A. to join us for the climb. That night our guide laid out the eight day game plan which would hopefully get us to the top of the mountain. The most important thing he said was to go "poli, poli," Swahili for slowly, slowly. This would be the best way to get to the top as it would allow plenty of time for acclimatization. Something like 60% of climbers attempting to summit do not make it, most because of altitude. By going poli, poli we should avoid this pitfall. He said the two biggest problems we would face would be the cold and the thin air. I was thinking the two biggest problems would be the lack of a shower and a proper toilet. Little did I know what the altitude would do to Jordan and Paul.

Hiking up the mountain we traversed several different vegetation zones, progressing from tropical rainforest, to temperate forest, to moor land, all the way up until there was nothing but small scrub and volcanic boulders strewn about the Shira Plateau on which we made our camp, at an altitude around 10,000 feet. This is where I had my introduction to what would be my two biggest problems during the climb. Away from the shelter of the forests, the wind howled down the icy slopes of the mountain making for freezing conditions at night. Wearing all the clothes I brought with me and bundled in my three-season sleeping bag, I still was not able to stay warm. I spent the night unable to sleep, shivering in my tent, making it impossible to ignore my other problem - altitude induced massive gas problems for Jordan and Paul who kept blaming the noise on imaginary wild ducks caught in their tents.

Needless to say when morning arrived I was happy for the warmth of the sun and the freshness of the air outside the tent. Each day of hiking was great as we climbed over ridges as barren and rocky as the moon, down through sheltered valleys covered with strange looking cacti and plants that grow only on the mountain. All the while looking down upon the clouds below us as if from an airplane and looking up at the glacier-covered peak looming beautifully above us. However, as soon as the sun went down each night, we were greeted by the extreme cold that accompanied such a high altitude. The one highlight of each night was dinner. We would sit huddled around a small table in a freezing cold tent by candlelight eating wonderful hot food that our cook would prepare for us. The one benefit to hiking up the mountain was for once I had servants. In addition to our own cook, we had several porters to carry our heavy bags and set up the tents every night. But the pampering should not come at such a price, anytime I would start to enjoy things either a cold wind would blow down from the mountain or a rancid wind would blow over from the boys.

Over the next several days we continued to hike up to increasingly higher altitudes, making for increasingly cold and duck-filled nights. The worst of which was the night before our summit attempt. We were camped out on an inhospitable rocky ridge with no protection from the freezing cold winds at an altitude of 4,600 meters (approximately 15,000 feet). I lay awake in my tent, unable to sleep from the cold and the altitude, listening to Jordan and Paul perform their own rendition of dueling banjos. It was a pleasure when at 12:30AM our guide came to rouse us for a hot drink and our summit attempt. The idea was to climb during the night so we could reach the summit just before sunrise. The problem with climbing at night was that I could not see the scenery to take my mind off the steady uphill, plus with the sun down it was so cold my water bottle actually froze and burst. We made our way progressively up the mountain into thinner and thinner air making it harder and harder to push uphill. Just when I thought we were close we hit the hardest terrain yet - loose rock scree seemingly going straight up bordered on either side by shining glaciers. As the sky started to lighten I found myself arduously pushing one slow step at a time until finally and exhaustedly we reached the summit just after sunrise. The view from the top was amazing, but due to cold and altitude we didn't want to stick around too long. So after taking some quick triumphant photos we began our long 2 day descent down the mountain to our first shower in eight days.

Not wanting to move again, I was glad the next nine days would be spent sitting on my butt touring Tanzania's famous safari parks. Leaving the mountain behind, we headed into the flatness of the Serengeti plains and straight into the African version of Woodstock - the wildebeest migration. Everywhere we looked we saw tens of thousands of wildebeests and zebra spread across the vast endless horizon interrupted only by scrub and flat topped acacia trees. I felt like we were dropped right into the center of an issue of National Geographic. Of course where there is prey, there are predators. Lots of predators. We actually spent one morning game drive surrounded by a pride of no less than 14 lions as they positioned themselves around one of the roaming herds of wildebeests. I don't think of myself as bloodthirsty, but even I was hoping for a kill. After all, there are thousands of wildebeests, who is going to miss just one? But as Jordan was humming the "Circle of Life" and Paul polished his enormous camera lens (I think he's compensating for something), the lions seemed content to just laze around in the tall yellow grass.

The wildlife activity was not limited to the day. We camped out in opened unfenced areas within the game parks. Each night we were awoken by different animal noises. The roar of lion here, the munching of a zebra there. We even heard a story of a warthog tusking his way into a tent to steal Doritos forgotten deep inside a backpack. Needless to say, I made no latrine trips in the middle of the night.

After the Serengeti, we went on to the who's who of the Tanzanian game parks including stunningly beautiful Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha National Park renowned for its herds of giraffes, Lake Manyara with its flocks of flamingoes and pods of hippos, and Tarangire with its massive elephant herds. No animal escaped us. Jordan said if we were shooting bullets instead of pictures we would have had a wall full of heads.

Tanzania has been great, but now it is time to continue north into Kenya for more game drives and a visit to the famous mountain gorillas. And unless Jordan's gas problem gets better, it really will be "Gorillas in the Mist."
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1085206740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1085206740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1085206740/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jun 2004 10:08:58 -0400 Dogs In Lampshades and Other Adventures From the Road

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Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Leaving Johannesburg we flew to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe where we would catch an overland truck to take us up through Southern and into Eastern Africa. The massive Victoria Falls are known locally as "The smoke that thunders" and it is easy to see and hear why. The mighty Zambezi river crashes down into a large gorge creating a towering mist visible for miles around and a constant roar audible from anywhere in the town. As it was the tail end of rainy season the swollen river created an even larger cloud than usual and Jan and I were advised to take rain jackets, umbrellas, even scuba masks. The mist first rises as a soaking rain that "falls up" from the gorge which drenched us by getting under our rain coats, then it wet us a second time as it came plummeting back down. We walked around trying to take pictures through the sheets of water, and laughing with the other travellers at how wet we were.

After drying off and finishing our sight-seeing we joined the overland truck that would be our home for the next two weeks on our way North and East. For those not familiar with them, overland trucks are designed to carry passengers instead of cargo self sufficiently along the notoriously bad African roads. Instead of cargo space behind the cab they have a passenger compartment with a storage area below for everything we would need along the way ie. tents, cooking equipment, potable water. We met our drivers, who seemed nice in a roady-for-Metallica sort of way, and the other travellers we would be on the truck with and headed over the border into Zambia.

Arriving in Livingstone, Zambia we were very happily lounging around the campsite when some fellow travelers asked if we would like join them to see the falls that night. As the falls weren't floodlit I thought viewing the falls at night must be a joke played on naive tourists, like snipe hunting in the States. But they quickly explained that the falls would be lit up dramatically by the full moon and that the moonlight shinning through the mist would create a rare lunar rainbow. So that night, after a dinner of crocodile curry, I found myself squeezed into the back of a pickup truck heading toward the falls and hoping not to get too wet as I was sure the full moon wouldn't dry out my clothes the way the sun had earlier. We arrived to one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen, the falls were well lit by the full moon and hovering just above was a lunar rainbow. Seeing such a powerful thing as a waterfall lit so serenely by moonlight was amazing and I stood staring transfixed at the lunar rainbow trying to memorize the subtle color shifts that differentiated it from a typical solar rainbow. The whole experience was magnificent and Jan and I sat quietly in awe with all the others who ventured to the falls that night. After some time though I noticed many people were no longer looking out over the falls but up at the moon instead. I looked up and noticed it a bit obscured by a cloud and no longer a complete circle, but didn't think much of it and turned back around. After a while I noticed even more people were looking back at the moon, turning around again I noticed even more of the moon was missing and that there were no clouds in the sky. Jan and I began to hear some murmuring at this point as everyone gathered at the falls began to realize we were seeing a lunar eclipse. If only I was in a small village in the bush I could have told them I had magically caused the eclipse and become chief, married the virgins all that good stuff - maybe next eclipse. Eventually we all had our backs to the falls and were watching as the moon slowly disappeared behind a shadow. The effect on the falls was beautiful, though the rainbow was more muted it was now surrounded by stars that were previously hidden by the moonlight. The whole experience was very moving and we all dealt with it in our own way. Personally, I tried to remember it by staring hard at everything to imprint it in my mind's eye. Some of the guys we were with decided the best way to mark the occasion was to strip naked and run around the edge of the falls in and out of the mist.

Next morning we were off on the truck traveling through Zambia, bypassing Lusaka (African names rock) along a series of pot holes strung together and called a road on our way to South Luangwa National Park. We spent the next two days bumping along, either waving at kids as they came running out of the small huts around the subsistence farms we passed or trying to play cards while getting thrown around the back of the truck. Despite my sore bum I was excited as South Luangwa is renown for it's large leopard population and Jan and I hadn't seen any as yet. Upon arrival we pitched camp and were eating dinner around the campfire when one of the game wardens came by to make sure no one had any food in their tent. Unlike other game parks we were not fenced in and the animals had free range of our campsite, so any food in the tents was likely to bring "visitors" in the night. He then spent the next half hour or so telling us stories about elephants destroying a tent trying to get a single orange, or hyenas stalking around to eat hiking boots. Jan immediately stopped drinking water so as not to have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, but I figured he was just trying to scare us and had another beer. An hour after going to bed I heard a roar, followed by other large animal sounds, and I found myself "holding it" until morning as if my life depended on it.

Once day broke, after a much needed run to the bathroom, we were off on a game drive. We spent all morning driving around looking at the animals, most of which I was surprised were awake after spending all night outside my tent waiting to eat me. It was great but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed not to see any leopards. That evening though we were off for a night game drive, leopards hunt at night and our guide told us this would be our best opportunity to spot one (no pun intended). Just before dusk we got really lucky, we saw a lioness and her three cubs, our guide guessed each was about six weeks old. The lioness had just killed an impala and was keeping watch as the cubs tore into their dinner, stopping occasionally to look up at us furiously snapping pictures. We stayed for a short time not wanting to disturb them and then headed off to continue our search for leopards. After another hour we were rewarded with a gruesome sight, impala legs hanging from a branch high up in a tree. After leopards kill their prey they drag them into trees so they don't have to share. We didn't see the leopard but his left overs were hanging limp, and our guide was getting excited. We spent the next hour driving around in the darkness shinning our spotlight into the bush looking for the tell tale red eyes of a leopard when we finally saw one, stalking another impala (hereafter referred to as cat food). We watched as he stalked his prey but eventually he gave up and left. Even though we didn't see a kill we were all very happy as we headed back to our camp. In my excitement at seeing the leopard I decided to celebrate with a couple beers forgetting my previous nights experience. Once again about an hour after going to bed I heard large animal noises outside the tent and found myself trying not to think of Victoria Falls. Eventually though I couldn't wait any longer and decided to leave the tent. I made it about ten feet before I saw an enormous grey shape, a hippo eating grass less than 30 feet from me. I then noticed a couple other enormous grey shapes along side the first, remembering that Hippos kill the most travelers in Africa I decided the spot I stood on was as good as any, took care of business and ran back to the tent.

We were then back on the truck and bumping our way out of Zambia and toward Malawi. Crossing the border we spent one night in Lilongwe and then headed for Lake Malawi, an incredibly large freshwater lake dramatically framed by the Tanzanian mountains in the distance. We spent several days lounging on the beach glad to be away from the truck and horrible roads. Many of the tropical freshwater fish I have always kept in an aquarium at home come from Lake Malawi and I decided to go for a dive to see my fish in their natural environment away from all the pink plastic plants and bubbling treasure chests. Plus the dive master assured me there was a cool wreck, so it promised to be a good dive. Jan opted out, saying something about small fish, brown water, and what kind of wreck would be in a fresh water lake in the middle of Africa? But I figured she was just being a dive snob and headed out. I descended through the brownish water thinking, "So what not everywhere can be as clear as Thailand". Then I looked at the small pale fish not much bigger than what I have at home and thought "So what not everywhere can have manta rays and whale sharks like the Maldives". Then I saw the wreck, a car that had been sunk just to lure divers out with the promise of a wreck and thought, "Jan was right, I'm surfacing".

Back on the truck again, we left Malawi and headed across the border into Tanzania. The roads were a bit better and I was no longer being jounced around and was starting to enjoy the view, we were travelling through an area called Baobab valley full of trees straight out of Dr. Seuss, when we all noticed steam coming from the truck. Soon all the guys on the truck were standing around the engine offering unwanted opinions to the drivers who were under the truck trying to fix it. Knowing nothing about trucks, I just hung around waiting for one of them to hurt themselves so I could prove my usefulness. Fortunately we were off in a matter of hours and once again headed through the beautiful Tanzanian country side to Dar Es Salaam.

Once in Dar Es Salaam we said goodbye to the truck, it would continue North to Nairobi, and caught the ferry over to Zanzibar. Zanzibar is famous not only for it's beautiful white sand beaches and world class diving but also as a spice island. On our first day on the Island we took a "spice tour" during which we were taken to spice plantations to see, smell and taste all the different spices we use all the time before they are dried, ground, and put in little glass bottles in the grocery store. From the plantations we journeyed to the Northern tip of the island to relax on the beautiful white sand beaches overlooking the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, eat fantastic food cooked with local spices and make some fantastic dives. Though I was a bit disappointed there were no wrecks to rival Lake Malawi.

After a week we tore ourselves away from the beaches and got a ride back to Stone Town where we are now hanging out. Stone Town is an atmospheric little place with winding narrow streets, beautiful terraced buildings and a fantastic night fish market where Jan and I have been eating every night. Zanzibar is heavenly, one of my favorite places in Africa. There is only one problem, after all this sitting around on beautiful beaches and eating wonderfully spiced food there is no way I'll make it to the top of Kilimanjaro, our next stop.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1083333540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1083333540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1083333540/tpod.html Sat, 22 May 2004 12:30:32 -0400 Dogs In Lampshades and Other Adventures From the Road

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Johannesburg, South Africa

Hi Everybody,

Following Jordan's epic battle with the ocean, we decided it was best to leave the beautiful Transkei coast and head for the safety of the nearby Drakensberg mountains on the border with Lesotho. Drakensberg means dragon's mountain in Afrikaans, it´s Zulu name Quathlamba translates to battlement of spears. Upon arrival we understood why these imposing mountains were given such fearsome names. A foreboding sheer brown granite wall rises dramatically up from rolling foothills which from a distance look as if they are draped in rich green velvet. We spent our first day hiking up to 2100m (6300 feet) from where we had sweeping views of the valley below and the peaks above. We continued along the contour to a shady spot next to one of the many waterfalls cascading down the mountain, where we stopped to eat our picnic lunch before heading back down through the valley. On our way back we heard a loud crashing noise and saw a rock slide occur just below the path. Running from the rocks were several large dark shapes; we had come across a troop of baboons. Hiking the Drakensberg is hard enough due to the exposed steep terrain, but I had no idea we had to negotiate monkey landslides, not to mention baboons are notorious lunch stealers. Jordan was excited that he got to hike with monkeys and continued to look for more, even letting out an occasional monkey hoot in hopes he could beckon them close enough for a photo, but I just kept a wary eye out for troublesome thieves around every corner - no hungry monkey was going to get my last granola bar.

On our last day in the Drakensberg we were joined by two other hikers for an ambitious all day hike over a steep ridge then down into the adjacent valley. We had heard a part of the trail was closed but well marked and that we should have no trouble following it. Carrying large lunches and lots of snacks we headed off shortly after dawn. I only hoped that I would be able to eat most of my food before running into any monkey bandits. The first half of the hike went smoothly as we followed the well marked trail and had no baboon sightings. Though not wanting to push my luck before deciding on a lunch spot I made a thorough check to ensure no monkeys were crouching behind any rocks ready to swipe my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

After lunch we headed off confident we would have no trouble making it back to our lodge in time for an early beer. But within half an hour I found myself wishing for something as simple as a lunchtime monkey food raid, something much worse had happened, we completely lost the trail. One minute we were happily walking through a dense forest following marks painted on trees to guide our way and the next we were completely and utterly lost. It turns out that the genius that marked the trees along the trail used white paint, not taking into account that the moss that grows on the trees is the exact same shade of white. Standing in a dense forest with white splotches on every tree in every direction I would have gladly traded a baboon my sandwich if he would just show me the way out.

We scrambled to the highest part of the forest and spotted that the trail crossed through a clearing about one kilometer away over a small ridge and a narrow valley. Only problem was that to reach it we had to traverse dense thorny thickets taller than our heads, and god only knows what creepy, crawly, slithery things called those thickets home. But after searching though the forest a bit longer with no sign of the path we realized we had no choice but to bushwhack our way out. As Jordan was the only one wearing long pants he trudged to the front mumbling something about death adders not caring if he was wearing long pants or not. We pushed through the massive thickets trying to head for the point we thought the trail would emerge. Jordan occasionally stumbled, stepped in water, and I would have lost sight of him among the dense leaves and thorns if not for his big red hair. But fortunately after about an hours hard slog we finally emerged onto the path, nursed our scratches and scrapes and headed along the trail down into the valley in search of a well deserved beer, actually Jordan got beer, I got ice-cream.

Leaving the Drakensberg behind we traveled to the St. Lucia World Heritage Wilderness area known for its hippopotamus and crocodiles, the area is also known for its snorkeling which seems counterintuitive. On our first day there we took a river boat out to view the wildlife in the estuary behind our hostel. Despite their ferocious reputations, the sleepy crocs basking on the river bank were so still they looked fake. And the hippos submerged up to their eyes and ears in water, seemed to hardly merit the title of most dangerous animal in Africa.

Looking to seek out the more wild aspect of the wild kingdom we went for a dawn game drive at nearby Umofolozi National Park. Riding high in our open air safari vehicle we were afforded sweeping views of the rolling bush lands that surrounded us for miles. Within an hour after sunrise dark rain clouds began to gather which I assumed would put a damper on our game viewing. I always pictured zebras and giraffes frolicking under sunny African skies. But our local guides excitedly pointed out that the big predators were most active during inclement weather. The guides were right, in addition to the usual suspects (e.g., zebra, giraffe, impala, kudu, baboons and rhino), we were lucky enough to see a stalking pack of endangered wild dogs (very rare), a hyena (not normally seen during the day) and a cheetah. The cheetah was the most exciting as we saw him actually stalking a troop of baboons sheltering from the rain in a tree. We didn't hang around long enough to watch a kill, which didn't necessarily upset me as we were in an open air vehicle after all and I didn't want the cheetah in his excitement to mistake me for a well-dressed baboon.

From St. Lucia we left South Africa for Swaziland. Swaziland is a small autonomous monarchy tucked in the corner of South Africa and bordered on the east by Mozambique. We stayed inside a game reserve and on our first day there joined some other backpackers to excitedly head off under sunny skies for a game walk. The bright sky lit up the gorgeous game reserve and made me doubly happy as I assumed most predators would be asleep out of the hot sun. We hiked around the beautiful park along well-marked trails (which we have come to appreciate) past warthogs, impala, zebra, kudu, ostriches and monkeys. Eventually the trail passed a water hole where we saw large crocs and hippos. As the trail approached the water I quickly abandoned my initial impression of crocs and hippos as docile. On foot walking a path bordering an unfenced lake, I could only focus on their ferocious reputations. I walked the path as quickly as possible, making a point to stand next to someone who looked particularly tasty.

After a few beautiful days in Swaziland, we boarded a minibus taxi to cross the border into Mozambique. Following three hours crammed in a taxi with 15 other people and their belongings, we arrived in the capital, Maputo. Maputo is broken down city with crumbling concrete buildings lined by streets with potholes large enough to swallow a car. However, the smiling faces of the people as they walked beneath beautiful green trees lining the broken roads under a vividly bright blue sky redeemed the dilapidated city making it seem not as bad.

Leaving Maputo and once again on a minibus, this time for eight hours headed north up the coast for Inhambane and beautiful Tofo beach. Tofo is not just known for its beautiful rolling surf, but its abundant and cheap seafood swimming just offshore. Our first day there we joined with some other backpackers to head for the local market where we purchased just over six pounds of prawns for less than $5US. That night we had an absolute feast; well deserved after all the peanut butter and ramen noodles that make up the majority of the backpacker diet. Finally I was dining the way I was intended to.

We spent a few more beautiful days on the beach sampling the other local (and cheap!) delicacy - cashew nuts in between seafood dinners. Reluctantly we left the beach for Maputo to begin our long multi-day journey all the way back to Jo'burg via Maputo and Swaziland.

Now we are about to leave our last big city (Jo'burg) to head off for two months of hard core African adventures complete with travel by 4x4 trucks, sleeping in tents and cooking on campfires, its no wonder we spent our last big city day going to a shopping mall to watch "Starsky & Hutch".
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1081823640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1081823640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1081823640/tpod.html Tue, 13 Apr 2004 05:54:49 -0400 Dogs In Lampshades and Other Adventures From the Road

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Durban, South Africa

Leaving India we were off for our longest journey yet as our ticket routed us Mumbai-Bangkok-Hong Kong-Jo'burg-Cape Town, South Africa. Initially Jan and I considered this route to be nothing more than an out of the way layover. If going east to go west is how the airlines want it, then bring on the air miles. Turns out I'd go even farther east than either of us would have thought.

Believe it or not I had a job interview in Chicago.

Throughout the year I had had phone interviews with a hospital in Chicago and after the last one from India they wanted to meet me in person. This posed a problem as (1) I 'm in India, (2) I'm a grungy backpacker. I don't even own two pairs of pants, let alone an interview suit. I've been a non-working international bum for nine months and now I've got to convince perspective employers that I am the right man for the job. The culture shock alone might kill me, let alone the logistics of getting there.

I won't bore you with the logistical minutiae, but I think the moon landing went off easier. So one minute I am watching the India vs. Pakistan cricket match surrounded by screaming Indian fans in a local bar in Mumbai and then BOOM I am in Chicago wondering what the hell just happened. My 36 hours there were a jet-lagged, surreal, foggy blur. I remember interviewing, hanging out with friends and almost breaking into tears at the sight of the snack aisle at Walgreens. But before I knew it, I was back on a plane for Hong Kong to meet Jan. For those wondering, Jan was so convinced that I would get the job, she spent four days in Hong Kong shopping. We met in the airport and were quickly off for Jo'burg then a short flight to Cape Town. In the end two really good things came from all the travel (1) I got buffalo wings and (2) I got the job.

After flying the wrong way around, I was restored to my status as an international man of leisure once again in Cape Town, South Africa. Cape Town is a stunningly beautiful city. Framed by Table Mountain, it really does look like a table; the city flows out toward Africa's southwestern most point, the Cape of Good Hope.

We balanced our time between enjoying the beauty of Cape Town and absorbing its apartheid past. We visited the District 6 Museum, a memorial to a community destroyed by apartheid. The government razed the houses and resettled the culturally diverse neighborhood into segregated areas of the city. At the museum we had the chance to talk with South Africans who grew up in District 6. Though troubled by the past, they were optimistic for the future as the district is now being rebuilt and families are moving back to reclaim the old streets.

The next morning we got a ferry out to Robben Island in the middle of Cape Town's Table Bay; this doesn't look like a table. Robben Island was the site of a prison for political dissidents during apartheid. Nelson Mandela spent 18 out of his 27 years imprisoned here. Seeing the lime pit where he toiled and the small cell he lived in for so long was incredibly moving. What he endured and his ability to persevere was astonishing. His capacity to forgive but not forget the past in light of all of the years of repression is remarkable, and what is more wonderful is how his attitude is shared by most of the South Africans we have met.

The next day we headed out to the Cape Peninsula National Park to see the Cape of Good Hope. I was a bit concerned because the weather was turning bad and we were hoping to do some biking. Our first highlight was a penguin colony; Janice didn't realize penguins were so cute when they walked. Then, into the park to bike to the edge of the Cape. The cloudy day made the stark coastal scenery even more dramatic as we could see storms brewing just off the coast. We headed down to the beach that marks the southwestern-most point of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope and were taking pictures when it began to rain. Undaunted by the turning of the weather, we decided to hike from the beach across an exposed ridgeline up a seaside cliff to the highest point on the Cape, the old lighthouse. As we climbed, fat droplets of rain smacked all around us and we could hardly hear the sea's roar below us for the thunder that boomed overhead. As lightning lit up the sky, I felt fortunate that we were hiking with several tall people, one of whom had confided earlier that he has a metal rod in his neck from a motorcycle accident.

Leaving Cape Town we headed for Stellenbosch, renown for its beautiful mountainous vineyards and its backpacker wine tasting tours. Our tour began with a two minute demonstration of how to taste wine, (1) swirl in glass, (2) sniff/snort audibly, (3) toss down throat, (4) hand glass back and ask for another. We were handed our first of twenty glasses which we tried our best to properly appreciate. However, appreciation on this scale can only lead to drunkenness. We both ended the day prostrate in the grass outside one of the wineries unable to "taste" another vintage.

We continued along the coast stopping at several seaside towns. All really beautiful but the only way to tell the difference between them was whether people actually lived there or only had holiday homes there. Our favorite was called Coffee Bay, a beautiful little place situated right on a beach, surrounded by bright green undulating hills dotted with pastel colored rondavells, traditional Xhosa homes. We went for a breathtaking coastal hike, enjoyed traditional dancing and drumming and I finally got to take a surf lesson. Surfing is a lot harder than it looks. I thought it was just hanging out in the water and occasionally riding a wave to the beach. But it's not. It was about me vs. the ocean. And me losing. Two and a half hours into the lesson, as I dove beneath a monstrous wave and the board smacked me in the head, I realized that I was glad I was moving to Chicago.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1079798040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1079798040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1079798040/tpod.html Tue, 30 Mar 2004 10:38:16 -0500 Dogs In Lampshades and Other Adventures From the Road

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Mumbai, India

Hi Everybody,

Well, after an entire week in Rishikesh under the tutelage of Mr. Bob it was clear Jordan would not reach enlightenment, so it was time for us to move on. Unfortunately, leaving Rishikesh also meant parting ways with our friend and former trip leader, Jenny, who had continued to shield us from the mayhem that is Indian travel even after our Intrepid trip was over. We were on our own for the first time in India, and had to get all the way south to Mumbai in one day. (Technically we weren't on our own as we were still travelling with John, an Irishman chock-full of historical trivia, but knowing the dates of 19th century British-Afghan wars doesn't help us get to Mumbai.) Needless to say we had our most harrowing travel day yet. I won't elaborate, but at one point an elephant walked by our stalled bus window.

Despite everything India had to throw at us, including a parade of orange-robed sadhus, we did finally arrive in Mumbai. Which is a good thing because we were meeting our very good friend Kim who came all the way from New York to travel southern India with us. Mumbai, formerly Bombay, was the gateway to India during British colonial days and even has a very impressive gate down by the harbour to prove it. Surrounded by water, modern office buildings nestle right up to stately colonial relics providing a modern, bustling feel without losing a sense of history. Crazy bazaars blend easily with lazy cricket games in the many parks. After recuperating from our travels and giving Kim a word of warning "Welcome to India, watch out for the poo", we headed to the India Gate to take pictures and catch a ferry for Elephanta Island. Despite the name, there are no elephants on Elephanta Island, which was a bit disappointing. We wandered among the 1500 year-old rock-cut temples filled with magnificent Hindu bas reliefs and sculptures all the while entertained by a wonderful tour guide telling stories from Hindu mythology. Jordan really enjoyed it, especially as there were monkeys everywhere trying to steal from the tourists, should have been Monkeyanta Island.

With only limited time to spend in Mumbai we wanted to make sure not to miss the highlights. One of which Kim found, Laughter Yoga. Jordan wasn't interested as he was loyal to the teachings of Mr. Bob but I managed to persuade him to go. Laughter Yoga began in Mumbai and has since spread all over India and the world. The premise is that by laughing with others you feel better. So each morning groups of people meet in parks and stand in circles going "He He He, Ho Ho Ho". Seems silly but that's the point. I found myself down by the picturesque India Gate in the early morning light standing in a circle with a group of Indians all going "Ha ha ha, He he he". Looking around at each other we all couldn't help but laugh for real, it was really funny. They even had special laughs, e.g. very reserved for Brits - Huh, Huh, Huh; Holding your sides and silent for Chinese. They asked where we were from and then were sorry they didn't have one for Americans, but they did have one for Canada so we all laughed as we pretended to shiver stamp our feet and rub our sides.

The other must do in Mumbai is see a Bollywood blockbuster. From the billboards plastered all over the city there appears to be two types of movies, drama = dancing and singing or action = guns, dancing and singing. We chose to go for the drama, no matter that it would be in Hindi, Bollywood movies aren't known for elaborate plots so I figured I could follow along. We saw one of the more popular movies Kal Ho Naa Ho. Basically a guy loves a girl, but she loves a different guy, but he has a problem with his heart and can't marry her. So the second guy tries to convince the girl to love the first guy, oh and there is a lot of singing and dancing and in the end everyone is happy except the one guy with the bad heart who is dead. The movie is a real tear jerker and Kim and I cried the whole time(except during the dancing - that was happy), Jordan and John claim they were dry-eyed but I definitely heard sobs coming from their direction.

From Mumbai we got the overnight train to Panaji down south in Goa. By this point we were experts at overnight trains and managed the long trip down south with no problem. The south of India is a very different place from the north, not just the palm trees, heat and humidity but also the colonial influence. Goa is a former Portuguese colony and the Catholic influence is very apparent, not nearly as many cows and the people aren't as lean - not sure if there is a connection. We spent an afternoon wandering around Old Goa, known for its colonial churches but were beaten by the heat and gave up our sight seeing to sit in the shade an drink fresh lime sodas - a drink designed for the south of India.

In the heat of the south there was only one thing to do and that was head for the beach. And that we did. After a short drive we were relaxing on the golden sands of Palolem, supposedly one of Goa's more "untouched" beaches. But I think the hundreds of thatch huts, English language menus, and ubiquitous sun-burned Europeans, indicates a fair bit of "touching." Because of our eternal summer of traveling Jordan and I were able to handle the sun, however John and Kim quickly burst into flames and sought shelter in the shade playing cards and drinking lime sodas. We spent the days relaxing on the beach, swimming in the ocean, playing cards and putting the lime soda vendors' kids through college. The biggest excitement of our time there was watching the local fisherman pull in a massive net one sunset. Men stood in the surf hauling in the large net as seagulls circled overhead and fish jumped in attempt to escape, all in the beautiful light of the setting sun. Colorfully dressed local people gathered along the shore to collect the fish. While fat pink Europeans gathered around the locals to take photos. The struggle of pulling in the large net lasted almost 45 minutes and Jordan and I both agree that it was one of the more remarkable sights we have seen while traveling.

From Palolem, we took our very last overnight train to Cochi in Kerala. The best part of arriving in Cochi is that after a week and a half we were no longer on our own. One of Kim's friend's uncle, Anthony, was there to meet us. Anthony lives in Kerala and was more than happy to serve as our tour guide and travel agent. He organized a great place for us to stay that we would have never found on our own, took us to the best restaurants, and helped arrange all of our sightseeing. Cochi is an old trading town with various influences from both East and West. Gorgeous Portuguese houses and narrow European lanes lead down to the waterfront lined with huge Chinese fishing nets. The town is so beautiful we wish we could have stayed longer. We even saw dolphins jumping as we took a boat between the many islands that make up this eclectic city.

The highlight of our stay in Kerala was the backwaters tour. Anthony arranged for us to have the best houseboat EVER. The beautiful houseboat, looking as if it was made of wicker, was truly luxurious. It even had a cushioned rooftop lounge from where we could sit and watch the world float by. We spent a day and a half cruising the narrow canals and channels gazing out as we watched village life go on upon the narrow spits of land that separated the winding waterways. We even saw a cricket game occur on a strip of land no more than five feet wide. They must go through a lot of balls. The bright sun, green pastures, blue waters and brightly clad locals created such a beautiful picturesque scene that we even stopped our ongoing card game, going on since Goa, to watch it.

Unfortunately it was time to say good-bye as Kim headed back to New York, John headed up to Goa and Jordan and I headed further south to Trivandrum to catch our flight to the Maldives. After six weeks in India we were ready for a week on a tropical island.

While traveling we had often heard that the Maldives was the perfect combination of world-class diving and beautiful white-sand beaches. Having spent lots of time in the South Pacific and southern Thailand, I thought I might be a bit hard to impress, but the Maldives are travel-brochure perfect. We even got the Fantasy Island treatment by flying in on our own sea plane. Jordan was slightly upset there was no midget there to meet us, I told him Herve Villachez is dead, to which he then mumbled something about Gary Coleman being available. But we both forgot about the conspicuous lack of a midget when we saw how beautiful the island was.

We spent a week on our tiny speck of a white-sand island surrounded only by other coral reefs and shallow turquoise waters making up an atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It seemed the definition of the middle of nowhere. Which is exactly the break we wanted, and our only activities each day were scuba diving,laying on the beach and eating.

Over the week we dove seven times. The highlight was a school of six or seven manta rays each 10-15 feet long and 7-10 feet wide and absolutely beautiful. We also saw a whale shark which is the largest shark in ocean (Mom, don't worry its a filter feeder, no teeth). We saw countless moray eels (big teeth, but not so bitey), enormous schools containing hundreds of fish, eagle rays, sting rays and of course the ever-circling white tipped reef sharks (big teeth, only bitey if you jam your hand down their throats). All this upon a backdrop of gorgeous hard and soft corals, sea fans and spectacular outcrops and overhangs that provided swim-throughs and caves. We even got to dive a wreck for the first time. I found it kind of eerie and swimming inside it brought back all my Borneo cave anxieties which really isn't a good thing 100 feet down, but at least there is no guano to smell underwater.

So, we are now back in Mumbai before beginning our next adventure in Africa. India proved to be all the good and bad things we thought it would be and so much more. It is definitely a place we hope to return if only to catch the sequel to Kal Ho Naa Ho - Dead Men Dancing.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1077819720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1077819720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1077819720/tpod.html Thu, 25 Mar 2004 09:26:10 -0500 Dogs In Lampshades and Other Adventures From the Road

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Rishikesh, India

Greetings once again from India. We are now about one month into our stay in India and still no major gastrointestinal side effects, knock on wood, or rather thank Ganesh. (Ganesh is the elephant headed Hindu god considered a harbinger of good luck, I don't think there are any gods specifically associated with good bowel habits so he will have to do.)

We left Mt. Abu and romantic honeymooners for Udaipur and James Bond. The beautiful lake side city of Udaipur was the site of the James Bond classic "Octopussy" and there is no way to escape this fact. Everywhere I looked upon entering the narrow lanes of the city were signs decrying "Octopussy" showings, which I assume meant film screenings. I hoped to avoid the James Bond kitsch and focus on the city's history and beautiful architecture, but this proved difficult. We stayed in style at a beautiful guesthouse with a view of the Lake Palace, a gorgeous gleaming white palace accessible only by boat that appears to float in the middle of the blue lake. As I gazed out from a rooftop restaurant our waiter immediately pointed out that the Lake Palace was the site of Octopussy's lair in the movie. He then pointed across the lake toward the surrounding hills to show me the beautiful Monsoon Palace off in the distance. Making no mention of how the former Maharaja would retreat to that far away palace on the hill top to wait out the intense summer rains, he did smile and nod as he told me "that was where Bond was held prisoner." I thanked him for the information and took some pictures trying not to picture 007 racing around the placid lake in a speedboat with a bikini clad damsel in distress. As Jan and I toured the city we received more helpful James Bond related information - "This is the temple they drive by in the rickshaw chase", "this is the dock where Veejay gets killed" etc. Because of all the James Bond uproar I was a bit concerned when we signed up to take a cooking class, from everything else we had been encountering I assumed the class would feature recipes from the James Bond's Licensed to Grill cook book. Thankfully we received a reprieve from all the 007 references and instead learned how to make some of our favorite dishes, it seems Bond wasn't a fan of Indian curries - and he calls himself an Englishman. Though I didn't want to think of Udaipur as a James Bond movie set, I eventually broke down. When Jan went off to a traditional dance cultural show I went off for a not so traditional "Octopussy" show. I watched on an open air roof top overlooking the Lake Palace with the dramatically lit Moonsoon palace shinning off in the distant night. As I watched 007 escape from the Monsoon Palace on the screen in front of me I could turn my head and look out over the lake at it shimmering in the distance, very cool indeed.

Leaving Bond behind we got an overnight train for Jaipur. Jaipur, home of the striking Amber fort, became known as the "pink city" after it was painted pink for a royal visit by Prince Albert in 1853. By this point in our India adventure we had been to the "blue city" and the "golden city", not to mention several forts, so a city really needed something special to make it stand out. Fortunately Jaipur has great shopping. Within an hour of our arrival Jan had arranged with some other eager ladies to hire a private car for the day to whisk them through the teeming streets to all the best shops scattered around the sprawling city. Breakfast was spent plotting the location of the best shops out on a map and punctuated by Jan looking up from a pile of business cards strewn over the guide book, staring me directly in the eyes and stating "I'll need loads of our cash, and the credit card."

As Jan was driven away in air-conditioned luxury I grabbed my camera and was joined by two friends, John and Jenny, to venture out into the streets to get a feel for the bustling city. Fortunately it was an auspicious day to be out taking pictures as it was Shiva's birthday. Shiva is known as "the destroyer" in Hindu mythology so it was guaranteed to be a kick ass party. We found a temple dedicated to Shiva and bought him birthday presents before entering, it seems Shiva likes flower wreaths, fruits and vegetables. Luckily he isn't into expensive gifts as Jan had most of our money. The temple was hopping, lines of people holding similar offerings dressed in their best clothes pushed and shoved their way toward the Shiva-linga at the alter. The Shiva-linga is a statue representing the most important gods of the Hindu pantheon, and water that flows over it is considered holy. As an outsider it is often assumed that I will do something "inauspicious", so I didn't feel especially awkward fulfilling expectations by bypassing a lot of people and pushing my way toward the action. Once at the alter I saw people rush up to the Shiva-linga to pour a mixture of water and milk over it. They would then dip a hand in the holy mixture and raising it above their heads drip the milky water over their foreheads and into their mouths before being quickly ushered out by some official looking men trying to keep everyone moving. One of these men motioned for me to throw my flowers and vegetables into the mix, in all the excitement I had forgotten I still hadn't given Shiva his birthday present. I then knelt down and pantomimed dipping my hand in the holy mixture and drinking. In India even a holy mixture might upset the god of good bowel habits, and I wasn't taking any chances.

Leaving Jaipur our next stop was Bharatpur, home of a world renowned bird sanctuary. The area is mostly marshland making it an ideal nesting site for migrating birds, and ideal hunting ground for the Maharaja. Unfortunately for the Maharaja, modern India frowns upon rich men riding elephants and shooting exotic birds, so the beautiful marshland once set aside for his private hunts has been changed from game reserve to nature preserve. Jan and I were driven around the sanctuary in a cycle-rickshaw by a wonderful guide. As he cycled along he would stop to point out and describe the birds we saw. Storks from Sri Lanka, eagles from Kashmir and ducks from Mongolia and Siberia among others. (I have to admit after eating only vegetarian food since I have been in India the ducks were making me hungry.) Our rickshaw driver had been a guide for fifteen years and not only knew a lot about birds but also about photography and offered me pointers on composition and lighting. Overall we had a fantastic time, he even let me pedal the rickshaw - making me even hungrier.

From Bharatpur on to Agra and the world famous Taj Mahal. I can't imagine anyone reading this hasn't seen a picture of the Taj before, nor been subjected to the trite line "The largest monument ever built for love". After so much build up I was expecting a let down, after all I had been to the "Taj Mahal Hotel Casino" in Atlantic City, New Jersey countless times and hadn't been that impressed. But upon seeing the real Taj Mahal in person I was awe-struck, we spent every spare minute looking at the Taj Mahal. We ate on roof top restaurants with views of the Taj, took nature walks around the Taj, and even when visiting other spectacular sights, like the Red Fort, stared off at the Taj in the distance. Up close its perfect symmetry is amazing, and from a distance it appears to be made of clouds. So despite the Discovery Channel it's hard to be jaded, it is truly one of the wonders of the world and I wish everyone could see it for themselves.

Leaving Agra we finished traveling with our Intrepid Tours group and had to start planning things for ourselves once again. A daunting task as we had been with groups since we left Cambodia and were out of practice in figuring out where to stay, what to eat, or what to do on our own. So we decided to continue travelling with friends who were going north to Rishikesh to chill out, do yoga and relax after our whirlwind tour of Rajasthan. By lucky coincidence, one of them happened to be our former trip leader who continued to plan everything for us. Rishikesh is situated in a bend of the Ganges river surrounded by hills in all directions. In the morning the wind blows down from the Himalayas ringing the bells of the ashrams adding a layer of sound to the ever present chanting. It is a beautiful, peaceful place - no wonder The Beatles came here to find their guru back in 1968.

Like the Beatles we were in search of a guru as well, or at least someone to teach us yoga. I was a bit concerned we would get someone who would be a bit too metaphysical. I enjoy the stretching and balance of yoga but didn't want to focus too much on breathing through my third eye. Turns out I had nothing to worry about in the teachings of Mr. Bob. Seeing a sign for Yogi Mr. Bob we called his mobile phone and arranged a session. Mr. Bob arrived on his motorcycle, loosened his pony tail and once sitting comfortably in his velour track suit began putting us through the paces with all the touchy feely-ness of an army drill seargent. We agreed that he was a bit unconventional but liked the postures and poses he taught us, so we decided to stick with him. So now twice a day I am a disciple of the teachings of Yogi Mr. Bob. I don't think I am in any danger of being enlightened.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1076710200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1076710200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1076710200/tpod.html Sun, 15 Feb 2004 10:55:47 -0500 Dogs In Lampshades and Other Adventures From the Road

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Mt. Abu, India

No cavities!

Both Jordan and I had exemplary reports from our Bangkok dentist. So with clean fresh teeth we left Bangkok for a wonderful day in Hong Kong complete with dim sum, sunset views from Victoria Peak and a bit of hotel luxury before finally leaving S.E. Asia for India. (Note: we hope this will appease rumblings among the masses who we have heard were bored with our extended stay.)

So, with great trepidation we boarded our plane en route to Delhi. For the past seven months we've heard nothing but horror stories from other travelers about ripoffs, cons, pollution, poverty and tainted samosas. So upon arrival in Delhi we had our game faces on, our packs held tight and passports stuffed safely down our underwear. After easily collecting our bags and sailing through immigration, we gruffly entered a taxi. We demanded to be taken to our hotel and stared straight ahead refusing to engage in small talk with our driver fearing he would take us for a ride, no pun intended. To our dismay, the pleasant well-groomed man drove us skillfully through the uncongested streets under a bright blue sky straight to the door of our hotel. Still expecting a ripoff we thrust the rupees at him and ran into the safety of the lobby.

Emboldened and a bit surprised that we hadn't been taken advantage of we decided to push our luck and hire a rickshaw for the afternoon to explore the city. Walking out of the hotel, game faces on, we were confronted by two of the nicest men we have ever met while traveling. Aadil and BD whisked us around the city in their little motorized rickshaw pointing out the sites and chatting about a daughter in college in Nebraska. They even ended the sightseeing by buying us chai, Indian spiced tea, on the street where we could enjoy it with them while they taught us useful phrases in Hindi. It was at this point I felt safe to relax my game face, which is good, because looking mean is well, mean.

That night we joined our group for our next Intrepid trip. Over a wonderful Indian meal we got to know each other and exchange common concerns for what the next three weeks would hold for us. At the top of the list was explosive diarrhea, normally not dinner conversation but hey, we are new travelers to India.

We woke up to another bright blue beautiful day in Delhi and had a wonderful time sightseeing from the Jame Masjid (Great Mosque) through the narrow streets of Old Delhi and ending at the magnificent Red Fort, where we sipped chai in the gardens and talked about how wonderful our first days in India had been. But we couldn't help wonder when the other shoe would drop.

After an overnight train, very cush indeed, we found ourselves in the Shekawarti region of Rajasthan where we greeted the dawn with a wonderful organic breakfast followed by a walking tour of the village, Nawalgarh. Once again under bright blue skies, our local guide led us through the dusty streets of this desert town past wandering cows, ambling donkey carts and women dressed in brightly colored saris. Along our walk we passed by gorgeous old havelis, ornate mansions built by wealthy merchants 150 years ago. The Shekawarti region, an important stop along ancient camel trading routes carrying silks and spices, became known for its rich merchants and their beautiful homes. Merchants displayed their wealth through the beauty of their havelis. Some were covered with richly detailed murals while others with intricate and ornate carvings.

After marveling at such beauty you can imagine our excitement when we arrived in Mandawa, another nearby village, and checked in to our very own haveli, cum hotel. Upon entering the inner courtyard we were struck by the sumptuousness of the architecture and the beauty of the murals painted on every wall. It only got better when we were shown our room. Dropping our bags in our own private courtyard, we passed through a second ornately carved door to enter the grand palace that would be our bedroom. Complete with daybeds draped with rich fabrics, a private sitting area under a vaulted carved ceiling and stained-glass windows looking out onto the narrow, dusty, market-lined streets, it was a room built for royalty, but would do for two dusty backpackers.

We spent two wonderful days in Mandawa, wandering through the amazing streets, indulging in excellent local food (still no signs of tainted samosas) and relaxing in our palatial quarters. In all the traveling we have done, Mandawa was like nothing we have seen before. Walking the frenetic, colorful streets I could imagine little has changed since the days of the old camel traders who built the havelis. Especially as from time to time we had to dodge the odd camel-drawn cart rushing on its way to market.

From Mandawa onto Bikaner, a town on the edge of the Thar desert known for its magnificent fort and camels. After a day spent wandering the narrow lanes of the old city dodging cows and avoiding the odd steaming pile left in their wake, we visited the camel breeding center. We figured we should learn something about camels before jumping on their backs and heading into the desert early the next morning. While I wasn't able to differentiate one camel from the next, supposedly there were three different breeds, I very quickly picked up on the signs of a male camel in heat. While snorting, frothing and groaning may not seem attractive to us, the female camels really don't seem to mind.

The next morning prepared with the knowledge of what to avoid in a male camel, we drove out to the Thar desert with a brief stop at the famous rat temple on the way. Which is just that, a temple full of rats. It is actually considered auspicious if a rat runs across your feet. Not wanting to feel auspicious I made Jordan get pictures while I stood not so safely behind him. Further into the desert we mounted the camels (Jordan says not in a breeding center way) and headed off under the hot sun. We rode along swaying in our saddles and I quickly figured out why all of our guides chose to ride in the cart with our supplies - riding a camel hurts. While graceful from a distance, sitting on them is a series of lurches and jolts designed to chafe areas I'd rather not have chafed.

After a leisurely lunch on blankets spread out under a shady tree to protect us from the hot midday sun and a few more hours of bouncing around, we finally arrived at the sand dunes where we would camp for the night. We dismounted our camels, nursed our chafes and gratefully drank the chai prepared for us while gazing across the beautiful sand dunes made even more striking in the golden evening light of the setting sun. Eventually we traded our chais for cold beers and turned around to marvel as we witnessed a brilliant orange moon rise dramatically out of the desert sands into the ink blue-black night sky. While our dinner was being prepared over an open fire we watched the silhouettes of camels under the moonlight and gazed up at the stars. Despite the crude kitchen our guides managed to cook a delicious dinner pushing food on us as if they were trained by Italian grandmothers. After dinner we gathered around the fire with our guides to sing songs, alternating between Hindi and English - no easy feat.

Our next stop was the golden desert city of Jaislamer, acclaimed for looking like a scene from 1,001 Arabian Nights. Stepping off the bus upon our arrival, we were not disappointed. We were immediately engulfed by the busy markets, colorfully dressed people, and ubiquitous cows plying the narrow stone streets. Once a major trade center, also located on the busy caravan trade route to Afghanistan and Central Asia, its early rulers grew rich by looting gems, silk and opium from the caravans. With this booty they built beautiful havelis and a magnificent golden sandstone fort rising out of the desert sands. It is really fortunate that they built all these beautiful things because Jaislamer is also known for its amazing shopping. So while I spent time in and out of silver and silk shops, Jordan was able to wander in and out of the streets taking pictures. Two sunsets, four bracelets and three shawls later, I still felt as if I could spend another week taking in the sights, wandering the narrow lanes and of course, doing more shopping. Jordan was ready to leave though, after all he was involved in a hit and run cow incident.

Reluctantly leaving Jaislamer, we were off to Jodhpur, the blue city. Jodhpur is known as the blue city because looking down from its imposing fort, reminiscent of Minas Tirth from "Lord of the Rings", the blue painted buildings create a striking indigo glow against the yellow sands of the surrounding desert. We spent our day in Jodhpur touring the fort, wandering the streets of the old city and ending the day at the Umaid Bahvan Palace, where the present-day maharajah still lives. We enjoyed gin and tonics as we watched the sun set over the beautifully manicured gardens leading out into the desert. Sitting here I could imagine I wasn't a dusty backpacker but daydreamed I was Indian royalty or just plain rich enough to afford a room at the Palace (being maharajah isn't what it used to be and he rents out extra rooms for $600 a night)- oh well, a girl can dream.

Leaving the luxury of the Palace we headed off to Bhenswara, a place so small it doesn't even register in the guidebooks. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in grubby, excitable children. As not many travelers make it here it is a big event anytime someone visits the local villages. As we walked the narrow lanes passing small thatch huts and animal pens we were always surrounded by an entourage of 20-30 children begging to have their photos taken. Fun at first, but after an hour or two it got a bit old. Thank goodness for the digital camera and the delete photo option. We didn't only take photos of the children however, the women were beautifully dressed in colorful saris and the men looked striking in brightly colored turbans as they brought animals in from the pastures for the night. We saved these photos. Escaping from the village visit we managed to watch the sun set in a beautiful, quiet, childless area known to still have wild leopards prowling the surrounding hills. I was more than willing to trade the possibility of a leopard attack for the certainty of 40 small grubby hands tugging at my jacket.

Waving good-bye to the children as we drove out of town we rode through the desert en route to Mt. Abu, a mountain retreat popular with middle class Indian honeymooners and all the kitsch that implies. The place is covered in sparkling velvet paintings of favorite Hindu gods, magic trick shops and knock-off jewelry stores. Forsaking the option of spending the day in a self-propelled swan boat on the mountain lake, we decided to go for a hike in the surrounding hills. Once outside the town and away from swooning honeymooners romantically riding costumed and bejeweled horses through the streets, we were able to enjoy beautiful views of the valley far below. Feeling invigorated from our day spent hiking, our first in a long while, we spent the afternoon touring the absolutely breathtaking Delwara Jain temples just outside of town. Built between the 11th and 13th centuries and considered to contain the most beautiful marble carvings in India, we were absolutely awestruck upon entering. This says a lot as we have become a bit temple-jaded in our seven months of travels. But our renewed excitement is not unexpected as we have become reinvigorated for travel by spending time in such a different, wonderful and exciting country. Still no signs of tainted samosas.

Next stop Udaipur, famous as the set for the James Bond film, "Octopussy". While I write this Jordan is out trying to find a cheap tailor to make him a tuxedo.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1075423320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1075423320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jmo/jmo_world_tour/1075423320/tpod.html Fri, 30 Jan 2004 10:05:32 -0500 Dogs In Lampshades and Other Adventures From the Road

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Bangkok, Thailand

Leaving our Borneo Adventure behind we have spent the last two weeks in beautiful southern Thailand for some much needed rest and relaxation. We flew from Kuala Lumpur to Phuket, Thailand and then hopped a ferry to Koh Phi Phi, a gorgeous island in the Andaman Sea off the west coast of Thailand. This lush green island is fringed by dazzling white sand beaches stretching out across crystal clear turquoise waters to an amazing coral reef teeming with life. Upon arrival it is easy to see why the movie "The Beach" was filmed here. We didn't have any time to look for Leo though as the instant we stepped off the ferry we were greeted by our good friends Vicki and Arnaud. They are on an around the world trip as well (see VickiArnaud in travelpod) and we were fortunately able to coordinate some time together in such a beautiful place. We spent the day lazing around on the white sands and in the warm clear water, and the night eating dinner on the beach exchanging travel stories and telling each other how good we all looked, not having a job obviously agrees with us.

How does one improve upon hanging out on a beautiful tropical island with friends... add more friends. So the next day we met Jake and Ali at the ferry terminal (still no sign of Leo) two good friends who came half way around the world on their vacations to spend time with us. I like to think it was just to see us and that we could have been in Siberia and they still would have made the trip, but it is possible the island had something to do with it. So another day of lazing around in the sun on a gorgeous tropical island and hanging out with wonderful friends. So wonderful in fact that Ali brought a care package for us all the way from the US. To my dismay, none of Mom's home cooking made it into the care package, mostly just a bunch of stuff for Jan's hair.

We spent another four days exploring the island, drinking the local whiskey, and working on our tans. One day we hired a longboat to take us around the two islands that make up Koh Phi Phi, Don and Ley. We motored around in the beautiful waters stopping in coves and bays to snorkel and swim or just laze on the beach. The snorkeling was fantastic, schools of tropical fish, loads of giant clams, and gorgeous corals. The beaches were pristine soft white sand and the views from the long boat spectacular. The next day we rented kayaks to revisit some of the gorgeous beaches we had seen from the long boat and do some more snorkeling. Kayaking was a blast, especially since one of our destinations was "monkey beach". It was hard to choose between watching the monkeys steal things from the tourists and snorkeling in such amazing waters, if only the monkeys were the "Sea" variety I could have had my banana and eaten it too.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and after an amazing week hanging out on Kohl Phi it was time to say goodbye and go our separate ways. Vicki and Arnaud went east to explore the rest of S.E. Asia, Jake and Ali went north to visit Chiang Mai and Jan and I went west into the Andaman Sea to the Simian Islands for three days of diving. The Simians are a beautiful chain of nine small tropical islands world renown for amazing coral reefs and crystal clear waters making for excellent diving. After a long journey out to the dive boat we would be living on for the next three days, we donned our scuba gear and hit the clear warm waters. It was everything I had hoped for, visibility was 80 - 100 feet and the water so warm wet suits was almost unnecessary. We dove past beautiful coral and among schools of fish as we swam through giant sea fan covered granite canyons along the edges of the small islands.

After such a fantastic first dive I was really excited for our second dive, especially as it was in an area known for leopard sharks, which I had only seen once before. We went down to depth, about 80 feet down, and I began eagerly looking around for sharks. I saw more of the same exquisite coral and beautiful tropical fish but no sharks. Then off to the left I could see what looked like a greenish yellow haze, it seemed out of place in the crystal clear blue water but I didn't think much of it at the time. We continued to swim along descending deeper searching for sharks when I noticed the dense haze drawing closer. I looked over at our dive master and saw him pointing behind a large coral boulder before quickly swimming behind it. Janice followed him and as I was about to join them I looked over my shoulder and saw the yellow green haze right on top of us. The water seemed to change instantly just as I got behind the boulder and found a hand hold. My first instinct as it swept over me was to hold my breath as the greenish yellow haze seemed toxic. The visibility went from 100 feet to almost zero and the temperature dropped ten degrees instantly causing us all to shiver in our thin wet suits. The current grew incredibly strong rushing past us with such force that if we hadn't been in the lee of the boulder we would have been swept away for sure. The change was so sudden it had the feel of a storm sweeping through the area, like a sand storm through a desert, or a thunderstorm over an open field. We held on as the freezing cold water rushed over us seemingly trying to rip us from our hiding place.

I looked over to the dive master hoping for reassurance but he was busy looking around for two other divers who had been with us a minute before and were now nowhere to be seen. After about five minutes, which seemed an eternity, the current became lighter, the water a bit warmer, and the visibility improved enough for us to leave our shelter. We swam along another ten minutes or so but were forced to surface as another diver in our group was running out of air. Fortunately when we came up, the two divers we had lost were at the surface waiting for us, they had surfaced as soon as we were hit by the "storm". It had been so rough under water I half expected it to be stormy on the surface, but I was greeted by the same sunny blue sky as when we had descended.

Once back on the boat the dive master explained we had been overtaken by a thermocline, a mass of cold water moving through the warm tropical waters. Usually thermoclines are followed by amazing sights. They are often rich in plankton and followed by little fish which eat the plankton, which are in turn followed by bigger fish which eat the little fish, the whole circle of life thing. Our dive master had been planning on riding it out to see what would come behind it but because we lost two divers and one other ran out of air we couldn't wait around to see and we rode it out for nothing.

Jan was a bit reluctant to hit the water again after our experience with the thermocline, but I was excited. The idea of riding out an underwater storm to be rewarded with huge predators in its wake seemed pretty cool. We dove several more times in the next two days and had some of the best dives I've ever been on. We saw leopard sharks as well as white and black tipped reef sharks, a school of barracuda, many sting rays and schools and schools of beautiful tropical fish, the Similans easily live up to their reputation.

Nearing the end of our trip I had given up on the chance to ride out another thermocline and see a huge predator. Then on our second to last dive we were once again diving deep looking for sharks when I felt the water get a bit colder and the current a bit stronger. The clear water began turning yellowish green and it became apparent we were about to be hit by a thermocline. Janice grabbed my hand and we sought shelter by lying flat on the sea floor behind a small reef. It became extremely cold as the water rushed over us and I no longer could see a thing more than a foot away. The dive master, who was lying next to me, held out his dive computer so I could watch the water temperature reading drop as we waited, in 30 seconds it dropped from 86F to 78F. As this time I knew what was happening I wasn't worried, and looking over at Jan she seemed concerned but calm, cool, and collected. We rode it out holding onto small bits of the reef and pressing ourselves into the sea floor. As the greenish yellow haze passed and the water became clearer we received our reward, a huge leopard shark, 7 to 9 feet at least, swimming right behind the thermocline.

Now we are back in Bangkok our point of departure from S. E. Asia to India after four wonderful months. Mostly we are just hanging around running errands, watching movies and eating fast food. But later today we head off to the dentist for a check up and cleaning - we have been on the road for seven months after all. Surprisingly Bangkok is known for it's dentists, hopefully Delhi is known for it's accountants, tax season is just around the corner.
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