TravelStream™ news feed for member rcoales on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/rcoales en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 13 Apr 2006 14:04:53 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/argentina_2004/1101407880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/argentina_2004/1101407880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/argentina_2004/1101407880/tpod.html Thu, 13 Apr 2006 14:04:53 -0400 ILPH Cattle Drive and Patagonian Adventure

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Iguassu Falls, Argentina

The Iguassu Falls straddle the border with Argentina and Brazil. Iguassu means 'big water': no kidding! These are the most spectacular falls I've ever seen. Mist rises hundreds of metres into the air, so high you can see it from the plane, and certainly from our hotel several kilometres away.

70% of the falls lie on the Argentinian side, but the Brazilians have made the most of what they've got and developed a 'theme park' around it. It's well managed though, and the paths and viewpoints are placed to best effect for photos and for avoiding other tourists. I found it astonishing how different the Brazilian tourists were from the Argentinians. I think Argentinians are a bit like the British - a little reserved and contemplative. The Brazilians, on the other hand, really know how to party...even at 2 in the afternoon, wooping and yelling from our jetboat trip along the river.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/argentina_2004/1163676960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/argentina_2004/1163676960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/argentina_2004/1163676960/tpod.html Thu, 13 Apr 2006 13:51:15 -0400 ILPH Cattle Drive and Patagonian Adventure

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San Martin de los Andes, Argentina

Estancia Huechahue (pronounced "wah-chew-ay") is situated in Neuquen province in northern Patagonia. It lies 45m east of San Martin de los Andes. The name means 'battleground' in Mapuche Indian. The indigenous Mapuche tribes of Argentina and Chile were driven from their native lands in the 18th and 19th centuries. They now reside mainly in reservations.

The estancia is owned by Jane, a British lady who moved out to Argentina with her husband, now sadly passed away.

My steed for the week was Migifou, a gorgeous chestnut part-Criollo pony. They are remarkably hardy and sure-footed. Migi was no exception, and he was also unbelievably cute - my best friend by the end of the trip. He did seem to have an aversion to cattle, however - not great for a cattle-driving horse!

Juan was our lead gaucho. He is half Mapuche Indian. His mum lives in the nearby reservation of San Ignacio, but Juan lives on the estancia grounds with his beloved satellite TV!

On the days we were not on the drive, we took long rides into the surrounding hills. The scenery was stunning - hills roll out to the horizon like giant pillows, only interrupted by the odd table-like plateau, on whose thermal heights condors soar.

One day we went on a fantastic trek that took us through a narrow gorge, bounded on both sides by towering pillars of basaltic rock. This was followed by a 10-minute gallop in the driving rain across the plain until we reached a sheltered hollow where lunch was already waiting - chorizo, morcilla and meat asado washed down with a mug of red wine...bliss!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/argentina_2004/1100257560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/argentina_2004/1100257560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/argentina_2004/1100257560/tpod.html Thu, 13 Apr 2006 13:03:33 -0400 ILPH Cattle Drive and Patagonian Adventure

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San Martin de los Andes, Argentina

For centuries, the wild gaucho horseman has been celebrated in poetry and song. These nomads of the vast plains of Argentina would slay cattle at will, ensnare ostrich with their boleadoras and lasso unruly colts. Despised by the city-dwellers, the gauchos were persecuted; sent to the frontier to fight the native Indians or forced to become estancieros when the pampas was fenced off and gifted to the wealthy.

Skilled riders, drinkers and knife-fighters; these now-mythical figures are proudly held close to the hearts of many Argentineans. It is with great anticipation, therefore, that we set out as novice cattle-herders from 'Huechachue', our estancia nestled in the valley of the Alumine River with 160 Hereford cattle. Destination: lush summer pastures 70km away in the foothills of the Andes.

It quickly became apparent, however, that our gaucho hosts - Juan, Manuel and his two sons Juan and Emillio -have adopted some more 'modern' methods of cattle herding compared to those detailed in the history books. I doubt that the phrase "Hulavaca!, hulavaca!, eh!, eh! ,eh!" made it into the renowned gaucho poem 'Martin Fierro' and am fairly certain that the gaucho rattle - a cola bottle half-filled with stones - will never become a museum piece! We all became skilled users of the rebenque, however; a whip-like instrument designed for slapping your boot or, more effectively, cattle haunches to help them on their way.

Lunch was always taken in traditional style: ribs of beef roasted on an asado (BBQ) eaten straight from the facón (knife). Washed down with a mug of malbec and sips of maté (tea), it certainly was a hearty meal.

Our remarkably sure-footed horses were criollo-cross bred; clambering over boulders and through streams with an effortless grace that would bewilder their more timid English cousins. My beloved steed for the drive was Migifou (right); although not particularly fond of cattle, he always fancied a good gallop along the dusty tracks. Dust, in fact was an unforgettable part of the experience - riding behind some 160 sets of hooves kicks up a dust storm that I was still coughing out of my lungs days later!

The drive itself was surprising slow. Cattle really are rather dumb and would get stuck in the most ridiculous places; in wire fences and - if they managed to get through - in neighbour's fields. Our trek led us up valleys, over ridges and through forests until we came upon the serene shores of Lake Lolog in the northern-most parts of the Argentine Lake District. Here, the cattle finally reached their grazing pastures for the summer where they would get fat on the lush grasses and make little cows. A certain calf, whom we named Norman, managed to be the slowest and most cheeky of all our herd and without exception was always last - even at our final destination. We were proudly crowned honorary gauchas for our new-found talent of herding, pulling off the drive in magnificent style and actually managing to enlarge the herd by one stray cow in the process!

Although sore bums and rebenque-related bruises were suffered by all - we did, without doubt, have the most fantastic experience!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1142958540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1142958540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1142958540/tpod.html Thu, 06 Apr 2006 05:27:44 -0400 Great African Expedition

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Cape Town, South Africa

And so to my final entry - and possibly my finest day so far! I didn't tell you before, as I knew some amongst you would be worried, but today I went shark-cage diving. Rose at an ungodly hour for a 2 hour transfer to Gansbaai, east along the coast from Cape Town. I went out in an alarmingly orange boat (it reminded me of Easyjet!) with White Shark Projects - reputedly the best in the business for conservation and education about the Great White sharks. As it's low season, we had only 7 divers, and so had plenty of space on the boat and time in the cage. We were so lucky - 6 different great whites ranging from 2 1/4m to about 4m in length. I made it into the cage second, just after Dave from the UK who was possibly just slightly more mad about sharks than I am, although I was trembling terribly! That all went when I caught my first sight of a shark underwater. They are so beautiful and graceful, yet menacing too....one female later eyed us up in a spine-chilling manner. We also had an exuberant shark crash into the cage in full flight having nicked the chunk of bait at the end of our line - we got a faceful of teeth and tuna! Amazing!!! Great way to end a fantastic trip.

I do have two days left, but plan to doze on the beach and perouse the shops, so will have little left to say I reckon. So to wrap up, some of my highlights and lowlights...

Highlights - meeting the gorilla family, cheetah and leopard kills in the Serengeti, bargaining with the local market-sellers, monopoly money in Zimbabwe, friendly people in Malawi, the landscapes of Namibia, the less opulent areas of Cape Town and of course the sharks of Gansbaai.

Lowlights - bed bugs and jellyfish in Zanzibar, dry-wretch-inducing long drop toilets, hangovers in Uganda, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia...well, pretty much every country, I guess ;-), Victoria Wharf shopping centre in Cape Town (so like Bluewater its unbelievable!) and unfortunately coming home (sorry, but I have and do miss you all....but i don't like the sound of 2 degrees centigrade!)

Thanks so much for keeping up with me - its been great reading your comments (well, those I understood). See you back in the UK soon
Love Bex xxx
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1142611500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1142611500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1142611500/tpod.html Thu, 06 Apr 2006 05:14:12 -0400 Great African Expedition

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Cape Town, South Africa

We've finally reached Cape Town after 56 days on the road. Only a few minor breakdowns and one incident getting stuck in the sand to report - well done to Stevie our driver! We've all moved into a backpackers in Sea Point and are free (at last!) to do whatever we please!

And so, we've climbed (down!) table mountain (up by cable car...so lazy, I know!), imbibed large quantities of Constantia wine (oldest vineyard in Cape Town), toured the Cape Peninsula and visited Nelson Mandela's cell at Robben Island. The highlight so far, however, has to be visiting the townships. We met some inspiring people, struggling to make ends meet in - what seemed to us - appalling conditions, but so friendly and (relatively) happy, well compared to us whinging pommes anyway! We met Rosie, a single mum who runs a soup kitchen handing out breakfast and lunch to school children (and early advice about HIV and AIDS - particularly prevalent in the township as a result of conditions and culture). She had a soya beef stew and rice on the boil when we arrived. She does this from 6am til 7pm, 7 days a week, 365 days a week with help from her children and donations from community churches among others. We also met Golden, who along with his wife Phumla, make flowers out of tin cans. He came up with the idea in a dream about flowers on the rubbish tip. I bought a rose made from a can of Coca-Cola.

We also visited the former site of District Six - a once thriving, multi-cultural community of all races, which was demolished under the Group Areas Act between 1966 and 1984 as it was declared a White Only area under apartheid rules. A museum has been developed to capture the mood and feelings of the former residents in a bid to create a permanent record of the incident to avoid anything like that happening again. Residents were moved to townships in the Cape Flats area (far out of the city - blacks separated from coloured people) and whites to more prosperous city areas. Most shockingly, nothing was ever done with the land that was claimed - it remains virtually empty apart from the remaining church and mosque. Since 1994, when Mandela handed the 'keys' of the land back to the former residents, some new buidlings have been built on the site and residents invited to return, but few have taken up the offer, wishing to remain in their current dwellings than be moved again.

Coming back to the prosperity of the city centre, and the almost sickeningly commercialised Victoria & Albert Waterfront, I saw Cape Town in a more balanced light. It is so like the UK here in parts, its scary, but then you realise on a tour like ours that the vast majority of non-whites still live in the more disadvantaged areas. As our guide said, Cape Town post-1994 is like a growing child - at 12 years old, a child can't know everything - Cape Town, as the rest of South Africa needs time to grow and learn as it evolves post-apartheid.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1142351580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1142351580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1142351580/tpod.html Thu, 06 Apr 2006 05:09:30 -0400 Great African Expedition

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Sossusveli, Seriem, Namibia

Oh I'm so in love with Namibia! First the vast, lush hills of Damaraland, the dry deserts of Namib-Naukluft, and now the stunning dunes of Sossusvlei. We rose early to catch the sunrise from the top of Dune 45, named for its distance from the sea and relative to the 68 other dunes in the desert area. Well, I say top, but actually it was just a bit lower than that as i nearly had a collapsed lung (or so it felt) trying to get to the top!! Sooo unfit! But then we were walking one step forward and two steps back up a narrow sand crest, with a 100 foot drop either side.... think i did quite well really! The sunrise was fantastic wherever - turning the surrounding dunes deep crimson and apricot.

After breakfast, we joined Frans (the bushman) for a walk around the vleis. A vlei is a lake or pan of water; well, it is unless you talk about deadvlei, which as the name suggests is void of all life and water except for a valley of fully standing, dead trees - some up to 900 years dead (not sure how old they were when they died though). This is the scene that everyone uses to portray the area, and you will see why when I return with my photos - absolutely stunning! Frans showed us a trapdoor spider by annoying the poor creature, opening up its trapdoor lid and pouring sand into it, until the disgruntled spider came up to slam the door shut...pretty cool to watch though!

And so it is that I lost my heart in Namibia. It was unexpected, but thoroughly deserved. You must, must come to this country (despite the previous comment....mum!) as it is amazing. That's all I have to say.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1141897260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1141897260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1141897260/tpod.html Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:43:18 -0400 Great African Expedition

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Swakopmund, Namibia

Greetings from Namibia. I'm in Swakopmund, and its really German here - had bratworst and sauerkraut yesterday for lunch!!

Two days ago we stayed at Cheetah Park a in the NE of Namibia. We met three tame cheetahs - sindy, zwee and tweu. We were able to pat them and watch them roll about on the lawn and play with the resident jack russell - amazing! The guy who runs the park, Mario, brought them up from cubs, but he also rescues wild cheetahs that have got into trouble with local landowners. He keeps them in a huge fenced reserve, and feeds them each evening - we went out into the reserve in an open truck and ended up being surrounded by 12 growling cheetahs....bit scary! That's the second time, after the croc experience in Zambia, that my heart rate has soared!

The next day, we drove through what I would argue is some of the most beautiful scenery I've seen so far - Damaraland. Beacuse of the recent rains, the hills and vales were very green with trees, grasses and cacti. There were huge table-like mountains and others that looked like nipples sticking up into the sky! I could just imagine myself galloping through this scenery, which I think I will do one day - definitely coming back here!

We then passed into the Namib Desert and visited the Cape Cross seal colony. There are tens of thousands of Cape Fur seals here - the biggest population in the world. And the smell......well, it was gut-wrenchingly bad! We watched seals and their pups sunbathing, swimming and fighting for about an hour. Really wonderful experience, although it took about an hour for the smell to leave the truck once we'd left!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1141458960/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1141458960/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1141458960/tpod.html Wed, 05 Apr 2006 15:38:54 -0400 Great African Expedition

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Okavango Delta, Botswana

It's rather disconcerting sitting in a dugout tree truck, floating only centremetres above the waterline - with your beloved camera trussed up in a drybag - but here I found myself, roaming the narrow channels of the Okavango Delta. Otherwise known as a mokoro, our canoe is given momentum by Kenneth and his rather long pole. He's from the local village, and part of a team of polers who are taking our group through the southern delta to our camp for the next two nights.

It's a bit like being in a gondola, except without the exquisite waterways of Venice, the greasy Italian and for that matter, any romantic atmosphere. Instead we have crystal clear, cool waters, white water lillies tinted with blue and purple hues and acres upon acres of reeds.

It's a skilled job is poling - we found this out when we had a go ourselves later that afternoon, without our worldly goods in the canoe in case of capsize! In fact, my poling attempt seemed to take us more on a tour of the fringing reeds than the channel itself due to my directionally challenged attemmpt at steering.

Our camp was at the edge of a large island. We had our own 'swimming pool' - a clear patch of channel supposedly free of crocs and hippos! We went for 2 walking safaris to view hippos, zebra and gazelle roaming the plains. We also saw a bull elephant - a little unnerving when you're free from the comfort and protection of a safari vehicle!

Cruising the channels in a mokoro gives you little appreciation of the splendour of the delta. To do that, you need to take to the skies - and so I did, in a little four seater 1975 Cessna. Bit bumpy and stomach churning, but cruising 500 feet above the delta you could see the massive extent of the flooded lands, channels, islands and game. Beautiful!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1139315520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1139315520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1139315520/tpod.html Wed, 05 Apr 2006 15:16:30 -0400 Great African Expedition

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Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Note> i advise vegetarians to take care when reading this entry!

Cheetah Training Day
We spot two cheetahs in the fading evening light; one on lookout from a termite mound, the other sheltering in the long Serengeti grasses. The lookout jumps of the mound and heads towards a large, mixed herd of wildebeest and zebra, graciously strolling past the assembled throng of safari trucks. We spot a young wildebeest, probably only a few days old, leaping with youthful exuberance and our hearts sink as we know his minutes are numbered. Surely enough, our cheetah spots the young beest and begins to slowly creep in his direction. The final dash is over in seconds, but instead of putting the young beest out of his misery, the cheetah holds the live beest down and lies down next to him. We wonder why, until it dawns on us when she starts to softly call for her cub, the other cheetah we saw, to come over a finish the kill. He does so cautiously, given the throng of viewing trucks. The cub childishly leaps on the poor beest, although with the shock of being held down by a cheetah, i think he's probably given up anyway. Fascinating to watch a young cub on his training session.

Leopard V Wildebeest
On our second day in the Serengeti we spot a leopard sitting in the shade beneath an acacia tree. As if witnessing a kill on our first day wasn't amazing and horrific enough, we now see that the leopard is holding down another young wildebeest. But this time, he gives as good as he gets. This beest has balls! He's probably only a few hours or a day old, but he jumps up when the leopard loses comcentration for a moment and then goes head to head with, arguably, the most beautiful of all big cats. We witness a baby wildebeest headbutting a leopard! Not once, but about 10 times. Even when the leopard has hold of the beests leg, he tries to run away. The spectacle comes to its inevitable conclusion, but we were all routinbg for the beest....but hey, i guess that's nature. Compelling viewing but pretty cruel....as nature is.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1140295380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1140295380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rcoales/africa_2006/1140295380/tpod.html Wed, 05 Apr 2006 15:03:39 -0400 Great African Expedition

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Chitemba, Lake Malawi, Malawi

Just before you all start thinking that i'm having an amazing time, let me tell you a few things about overlanding;
- The amazing sights like the Serengeti and gorillas are invariably interspersed with days and days of driving. Sitting in a tin can with windows staring out at the world outside. Its dull, very dull! It helps when you have fantastic scenery, such as in Uganda, southern Tanzania and Malawi. Also, the children screaming 'mzungu' (whiteperson!) and waving also raises the spirits.
- There is no room for independent thought. You do as you're told (which includes having your tent down by 5am on some days!), follow the rest of the group and don't ask too many questions about africa and its people!
- Lunch is ALWAYS the same! I'm sure that there is an art to making cheese and ham sandwiches pleasurable after 30 days, but i haven't mastered it yet.
- Bread in Kenya is foul!
- Tour leaders have as little knowledge of Africa as you do
- Your tent always leaks and you end up sleeping with your feet in a puddle of water (this happened again last night after a 2.5 hour storm with crashing thunder and lightning just above our tent!)
- You really do start to lose your marbles! Eg. we have spent the last 4 weeks thinking up extreme sports for goats (please, don't ask why?!), have been thinking up aerobics moves for flapping our dinner plates (no teatowels here, you 'flap' until they are dry!).....and you know you've really lost it when you start saying how nice lunch was today!

But hey, its an experience. I am having a fab time despite the whinging! Have made some good mates, sampled the beers, toilets and breads of East Africa and am slowly starting to tan. Also met some new friends in Zanzibar - bed bugs - eurghhh! I am now staying with my thermorest mat for the rest of the trip as at least I know nothing horrid is living in it!
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