We awakened the next morning, on the floor of an old military truck. Two mattresses had been laid down for five of us to sleep on after arriving back at our hostel in Nairobi only to discover it was full – of missionaries. Despite this, the warm and honest staff wanted so much to accommodate us that the cook insisted he would absolutely find another place to stay and we were welcome to stay in his home. Moments later, we discovered the old military truck, missing at least one wheel and propped on a few cinderblocks, was the home to which they were referring. Surprisingly enough, it was quite comfortable and after a long day biking uphill in the hot sun through the aptly named Hell’s Gate National Park, we were all too exhausted to care anyway. We took our turns showering the dusty day from our worn skin and devoured several more grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, washing them down with ice cold Tusker. One of the regulars at Milimani invited us into his room and shared several joints among us and one by one we each turned in. Marc, Justin, Janine, and I made our way to our military mattress bed and shut out the lights. In the darkness I found Marc and holding his familiar body we opened our mouths close to one another, teasing but never touching lip to lip, trembling with wanting. I desired him as much as ever and knew I would never be able to keep myself from fucking him in the ten remaining days of our trip, but for tonight the easy feel of his body on mine was enough. We fell asleep wrapped tightly in one another knowing we were to awake again before the dawn to continue on our journey.

The Chef's Truck at Milimani

As the packed bus heaved itself down the road to Arusha, my scent began to mix with the potent odor of the bus. I was barely able to read what I was writing as the bus violently shook, hurdling over the rocky and barely paved road. My legs were sticky with sweat and soda, which only reminded me of the ice cold Fanta we had at the Tanzanian border, and how far away that seemed. The scenery drew behind us in long stretches of trees and dust, interrupted only by the occasional town. These half mile stretches of road filled with Africans inexplicably wearing winter sweaters and long pants in the stifling heat almost invariably consisted of a few cinderblock buildings painted in wild magentas, each building constant and ubiquitous advertising for the mobile company Zain. Somehow, despite the seeming incongruity of these structures, they felt oddly at peace with the surrounding landscape, perhaps accenting the magenta flowers scattered between them. The vibrant greens of the acacia trees and the more subdued candelabra cactus trees were the only other colors speckling the otherwise dusty sienna landscape and muted plains.

Crazy Magenta Buildings

Candelabra, Acacia, Cacti

After much debate in the muddy rain about which hostel to stay in we finally went to the closest one, Arusha Backpackers Hostel, and checked in our large, wet group overwhelming the tiny lobby with our mountains of gear. As we split up into two different rooms and began to unwind from the eight hour ride, I realized my camera was missing, and that it was most likely on the floor of that jostling bus. Janine agreed to walk with me back to the bus station to ask if it had been returned. I had just about zero hope for this to happen, but it was worth a shot I guess. The rest of the crew went out to explore the city and we agreed to meet up later. Janine and I took a walkie-talkie and headed into the messy streets. Not surprisingly, the bus company had no fucking idea what we were talking about and assured us that no camera had been found. The bus we were on had already left. Fuck me. As there wasn’t anything to be done, Janine and I tried to meet up with the rest of the crew to book a safari company for the following morning. We had researched a few previously and wandered around the melee of the streets of Arusha until we finally found Sunny Safaris. Hot, tired, frustrated, and unable to rendezvous with the rest of the group, Janine and I decided to take care of the safari ourselves and everyone else could meet us whenever. Wandering the stifling streets aimlessly for hours had us both exhausted and frustrated. I wanted a cocktail more than I had words for, and wanted to get this shit over with even more than that. As we ran through the standard questions about what is provided and how much, our crew finally arrived and we decided to book the seven-man Land Rover for three days. As we were leaving the following morning at six A.M. we needed to pay now. In cash. A three day safari at $130 per person per day was a lot of money and we all wandered into the streets to drain the nearest ATM. Like the smart and careful tourists we are, the seven of us white folk stood in line at the ATM rambling loudly about the daily maximum of 400,000 shillings and how our bank statements told us we were millionaires. We deserved to get robbed at that point. Luckily, we didn’t, and we made our way back to Sunny to seal the deal. Despite all of the negotiating we had been doing for everything from food to bus fare, somehow it escaped us to try to bargain for the most expensive part of the trip. Trying to backpedal at the last minute Janine got some sleeping bags thrown in for free and we called it a day.

With the safari settled we went to get some much needed food and booze and explore the city. As Arusha is far more rural than Nairobi, the streets are filled with the Masai people in their vibrant shukas in deep reds, purples, blues, and oranges. We stopped to buy a piece of corn on the street, fresh roasted over a wood fire for two hundred shillings (about twenty cents) and I wondered as I ate how many pieces of corn this Maasai woman sells a day, and how much that twenty cents means to her family and to her village. The Maasai people, stretching through the countryside from Kenya to Tanzania are a tribe of herders, known for the colorful fabric and elaborate jewelry they wear. The Maasai live in tiny mud and thatch huts that dot the landscape for hundreds of kilometers. After our roasted corn snack and a little shopping we stumbled across an empty restaurant and unloaded our tired bodies at the table, drinking and sharing the paintings and carvings we had just purchased. Despite needing to awaken before sunrise yet again, we headed back to the hostel and straight to the bar for a long night of wine, beers, shots and card games.

Maasai huts dotting the road to Arusha

Masai Woman in the Serengeti

Jetzt also endlich der versprochene Reisebericht vom Wochenende:

Am letzten Freitag und Montag haben Constantin und ich uns freigenommen, um uns mal in Arusha blicken zu lassen. Die Stadt liegt nördlich und ist Ausgangspunkt für die meisten Safaris in die Nationalparks des Nordens. Entsprechend hat die Stadt auch einen Ruf als Touri-Ort, und das mussten wir ja mal überprüfen. Eigentlicher Grund war für mich aber mehr, dass ich endlich mal wissen wollte, wie es den Freiwilligen da wirklich so geht, nachdem ich bisher nur Mails (und was für welche) erhalten hatte. Und Constantin, naja, der wollte seinen Trip auf dem Kilimanjaro planen.

Also bestiegen wir am Freitag in aller Frühe den Überlandbus   nach Arusha. Der Bus war recht modern und erinnerte an ein Flugzeug – das lässt leider auch für die Beinfreiheit sagen. Dabei hatten wir extra einen High Class  Bus gebucht (ein bisschen teurer, und angeblich auch bequemer), aber der Ausdruck “High Class” scheint sich eher drauf zu beziehen, das wir nicht liegengeblieben sind. Genau das ist letzte Woche nämlich Olivia passiert.

Die anderen Freiwilligen haben ja zum Teil schon Überlandfahrten beschrieben – ich kann aber leider nicht von Horrortrips entlang enger Bergstraßen und dröhnender Musik aus Lautsprechern erzählen. Nur am Freitag morgen wurde ein südafrikanisches Konzert in voller Lautstärke gespielt. Nach etwa einer Stunde gab es dann aber Mr. Bean, was viel angenehmer war … Die meiste Zeit war der Fernseher aber abgeschaltet.

Die Fahrt an sich verlief recht trist, ich habe ja schon geschrieben, dass ich hauptsächlich gelesen habe. Ich hatte mir schön viel neue Musik runtergeladen (schließlich sind 10 Stunden doch recht lang), aber weil Murphy lebt, waren jene Kopfhörer, die abends noch funktioniert hatten, morgens kaputt.

Bei unserer Ankunft (etwa 18.00 Uhr) wurden wir von Tabea und Maria abgeholt und in ihre Wohnung begleitet. Dazu musste man erst mal etwa eine halbe Stunde bergauf laufen – ganz schön ungewohnt für uns Stadtkinder, die wir überall mit einem Bus hinfahren können. Was natürlich nicht heißen soll, dass Arusha keine Stadt wäre oder dass es dort keine Busse gäbe – nur halt irgendwie nie welche, die dahin fuhren, wo wir hinwollten. So wurde das Wochenende auch noch zur Bewegungskur, und Constantin ist bewusst geworden, dass er für den Kili wohl noch ein bisschen Training braucht.

Nach einem entspannenden Abend (mit Super-Essen) und der ersten Nacht starteten wir denn also fröhlich in den ersten wirklichen Urlaubstag. Wir waren auf kalte Nächte und durchgelegene Matratzen vorbereitet worden, was sich aber als maßlose Übertreibung herausstellte. auch die Befürchtungen, dass unser Wochenende eher verregnet sein würde, bewahrheiteten sich nicht. So hatten wir also genug Zeit, am Samstag die Stadt und den Arbeitsplatz bei Kakute gezeigt zu bekommen. Constantin konnte dabei auch gleich seine Infos einholen. Abends ging es dann zu einem Jazzkonzert, wo wir eine Weile zuhörten, bevor es zu Fuß zurück ging.

In der Hoffnung auf gutes Wetter war für den Sonntag ein Besuch am Lake Duluti geplant. Dazu ging es zunächst mit einem Dala gefühlt die halbe Strecke nach Dar es Salaam zurück, und dann mit einem “kurzen” Fußmarsch durchs Gelände. Letzteres war übrigens sehr angenehm anzusehen – der dauernde Regen verwandelt Arusha nämlich in eine wunderschön grüne Stadt. Auch der See war klasse, und wir verbrachten den ganzen Tag dort – lesen, Karten spielen, reden, Soda trinken, einfach gut.

Am nächsten Morgen hieß es dann Abschied nehmen – die Bus verließ die Stadt um acht. Das Wegfahren fiel uns nicht besonders licht (schon gar nicht mit einer weiteren zehnstündigen Busreise in Aussicht), aber man sieht sich ja schon in einem Monat wieder.

Die Rückreise gefiel mir besser als die Hinfahrt – das Wetter war besser. So konnte man die schöne Landschaft viel besser bewundern, es ging fast die ganze Zeit an bewaldeten Bergen vorbei. Überhaupt war die karge Landschaft, die einige von euch vielleicht noch von den Korogwe-Bildern erinnern, durch den Beginn der kleinen Regenzeit jetzt viel grüner. Wir haben sogar den Kili gesehen, was von Constantin mit den Worten “Jetzt gibt es kein Zurück mehr”  kommentiert wurde. Langsam beginne sogar ich zu glauben, dass er da im März wirklich raufklettert.  Wir erreichten Dar um halb sechs und waren nach diesem Power-Kurztrip wieder im Alltag angekommen.

Jetzt also endlich der versprochene Reisebericht vom Wochenende:

Am letzten Freitag und Montag haben Constantin und ich uns freigenommen, um uns mal in Arusha blicken zu lassen. Die Stadt liegt nördlich und ist Ausgangspunkt für die meisten Safaris in die Nationalparks des Nordens. Entsprechend hat die Stadt auch einen Ruf als Touri-Ort, und das mussten wir ja mal überprüfen. Eigentlicher Grund war für mich aber mehr, dass ich endlich mal wissen wollte, wie es den Freiwilligen da wirklich so geht, nachdem ich bisher nur Mails (und was für welche) erhalten hatte. Und Constantin, naja, der wollte seinen Trip auf dem Kilimanjaro planen.

Also bestiegen wir am Freitag in aller Frühe den Überlandbus   nach Arusha. Der Bus war recht modern und erinnerte an ein Flugzeug – das lässt leider auch für die Beinfreiheit sagen. Dabei hatten wir extra einen High Class  Bus gebucht (ein bisschen teurer, und angeblich auch bequemer), aber der Ausdruck “High Class” scheint sich eher drauf zu beziehen, das wir nicht liegengeblieben sind. Genau das ist letzte Woche nämlich Olivia passiert.

Die anderen Freiwilligen haben ja zum Teil schon Überlandfahrten beschrieben – ich kann aber leider nicht von Horrortrips entlang enger Bergstraßen und dröhnender Musik aus Lautsprechern erzählen. Nur am Freitag morgen wurde ein südafrikanisches Konzert in voller Lautstärke gespielt. Nach etwa einer Stunde gab es dann aber Mr. Bean, was viel angenehmer war … Die meiste Zeit war der Fernseher aber abgeschaltet.

Die Fahrt an sich verlief recht trist, ich habe ja schon geschrieben, dass ich hauptsächlich gelesen habe. Ich hatte mir schön viel neue Musik runtergeladen (schließlich sind 10 Stunden doch recht lang), aber weil Murphy lebt, waren jene Kopfhörer, die abends noch funktioniert hatten, morgens kaputt.

Bei unserer Ankunft (etwa 18.00 Uhr) wurden wir von Tabea und Maria abgeholt und in ihre Wohnung begleitet. Dazu musste man erst mal etwa eine halbe Stunde bergauf laufen – ganz schön ungewohnt für uns Stadtkinder, die wir überall mit einem Bus hinfahren können. Was natürlich nicht heißen soll, dass Arusha keine Stadt wäre oder dass es dort keine Busse gäbe – nur halt irgendwie nie welche, die dahin fuhren, wo wir hinwollten. So wurde das Wochenende auch noch zur Bewegungskur, und Constantin ist bewusst geworden, dass er für den Kili wohl noch ein bisschen Training braucht.

Nach einem entspannenden Abend (mit Super-Essen) und der ersten Nacht starteten wir denn also fröhlich in den ersten wirklichen Urlaubstag. Wir waren auf kalte Nächte und durchgelegene Matratzen vorbereitet worden, was sich aber als maßlose Übertreibung herausstellte. auch die Befürchtungen, dass unser Wochenende eher verregnet sein würde, bewahrheiteten sich nicht. So hatten wir also genug Zeit, am Samstag die Stadt und den Arbeitsplatz bei Kakute gezeigt zu bekommen. Constantin konnte dabei auch gleich seine Infos einholen. Abends ging es dann zu einem Jazzkonzert, wo wir eine Weile zuhörten, bevor es zu Fuß zurück ging.

In der Hoffnung auf gutes Wetter war für den Sonntag ein Besuch am Lake Duluti geplant. Dazu ging es zunächst mit einem Dala gefühlt die halbe Strecke nach Dar es Salaam zurück, und dann mit einem “kurzen” Fußmarsch durchs Gelände. Letzteres war übrigens sehr angenehm anzusehen – der dauernde Regen verwandelt Arusha nämlich in eine wunderschön grüne Stadt. Auch der See war klasse, und wir verbrachten den ganzen Tag dort – lesen, Karten spielen, reden, Soda trinken, einfach gut.

Am nächsten Morgen hieß es dann Abschied nehmen – die Bus verließ die Stadt um acht. Das Wegfahren fiel uns nicht besonders licht (schon gar nicht mit einer weiteren zehnstündigen Busreise in Aussicht), aber man sieht sich ja schon in einem Monat wieder.

Die Rückreise gefiel mir besser als die Hinfahrt – das Wetter war besser. So konnte man die schöne Landschaft viel besser bewundern, es ging fast die ganze Zeit an bewaldeten Bergen vorbei. Überhaupt war die karge Landschaft, die einige von euch vielleicht noch von den Korogwe-Bildern erinnern, durch den Beginn der kleinen Regenzeit jetzt viel grüner. Wir haben sogar den Kili gesehen, was von Constantin mit den Worten “Jetzt gibt es kein Zurück mehr”  kommentiert wurde. Langsam beginne sogar ich zu glauben, dass er da im März wirklich raufklettert.  Wir erreichten Dar um halb sechs und waren nach diesem Power-Kurztrip wieder im Alltag angekommen.

Jetzt also endlich der versprochene Reisebericht vom Wochenende:

Am letzten Freitag und Montag haben Constantin und ich uns freigenommen, um uns mal in Arusha blicken zu lassen. Die Stadt liegt nördlich und ist Ausgangspunkt für die meisten Safaris in die Nationalparks des Nordens. Entsprechend hat die Stadt auch einen Ruf als Touri-Ort, und das mussten wir ja mal überprüfen. Eigentlicher Grund war für mich aber mehr, dass ich endlich mal wissen wollte, wie es den Freiwilligen da wirklich so geht, nachdem ich bisher nur Mails (und was für welche) erhalten hatte. Und Constantin, naja, der wollte seinen Trip auf dem Kilimanjaro planen.

Also bestiegen wir am Freitag in aller Frühe den Überlandbus   nach Arusha. Der Bus war recht modern und erinnerte an ein Flugzeug – das lässt leider auch für die Beinfreiheit sagen. Dabei hatten wir extra einen High Class  Bus gebucht (ein bisschen teurer, und angeblich auch bequemer), aber der Ausdruck “High Class” scheint sich eher drauf zu beziehen, das wir nicht liegengeblieben sind. Genau das ist letzte Woche nämlich Olivia passiert.

Die anderen Freiwilligen haben ja zum Teil schon Überlandfahrten beschrieben – ich kann aber leider nicht von Horrortrips entlang enger Bergstraßen und dröhnender Musik aus Lautsprechern erzählen. Nur am Freitag morgen wurde ein südafrikanisches Konzert in voller Lautstärke gespielt. Nach etwa einer Stunde gab es dann aber Mr. Bean, was viel angenehmer war … Die meiste Zeit war der Fernseher aber abgeschaltet.

Die Fahrt an sich verlief recht trist, ich habe ja schon geschrieben, dass ich hauptsächlich gelesen habe. Ich hatte mir schön viel neue Musik runtergeladen (schließlich sind 10 Stunden doch recht lang), aber weil Murphy lebt, waren jene Kopfhörer, die abends noch funktioniert hatten, morgens kaputt.

Bei unserer Ankunft (etwa 18.00 Uhr) wurden wir von Tabea und Maria abgeholt und in ihre Wohnung begleitet. Dazu musste man erst mal etwa eine halbe Stunde bergauf laufen – ganz schön ungewohnt für uns Stadtkinder, die wir überall mit einem Bus hinfahren können. Was natürlich nicht heißen soll, dass Arusha keine Stadt wäre oder dass es dort keine Busse gäbe – nur halt irgendwie nie welche, die dahin fuhren, wo wir hinwollten. So wurde das Wochenende auch noch zur Bewegungskur, und Constantin ist bewusst geworden, dass er für den Kili wohl noch ein bisschen Training braucht.

Nach einem entspannenden Abend (mit Super-Essen) und der ersten Nacht starteten wir denn also fröhlich in den ersten wirklichen Urlaubstag. Wir waren auf kalte Nächte und durchgelegene Matratzen vorbereitet worden, was sich aber als maßlose Übertreibung herausstellte. auch die Befürchtungen, dass unser Wochenende eher verregnet sein würde, bewahrheiteten sich nicht. So hatten wir also genug Zeit, am Samstag die Stadt und den Arbeitsplatz bei Kakute gezeigt zu bekommen. Constantin konnte dabei auch gleich seine Infos einholen. Abends ging es dann zu einem Jazzkonzert, wo wir eine Weile zuhörten, bevor es zu Fuß zurück ging.

In der Hoffnung auf gutes Wetter war für den Sonntag ein Besuch am Lake Duluti geplant. Dazu ging es zunächst mit einem Dala gefühlt die halbe Strecke nach Dar es Salaam zurück, und dann mit einem “kurzen” Fußmarsch durchs Gelände. Letzteres war übrigens sehr angenehm anzusehen – der dauernde Regen verwandelt Arusha nämlich in eine wunderschön grüne Stadt. Auch der See war klasse, und wir verbrachten den ganzen Tag dort – lesen, Karten spielen, reden, Soda trinken, einfach gut.

Am nächsten Morgen hieß es dann Abschied nehmen – die Bus verließ die Stadt um acht. Das Wegfahren fiel uns nicht besonders licht (schon gar nicht mit einer weiteren zehnstündigen Busreise in Aussicht), aber man sieht sich ja schon in einem Monat wieder.

Die Rückreise gefiel mir besser als die Hinfahrt – das Wetter war besser. So konnte man die schöne Landschaft viel besser bewundern, es ging fast die ganze Zeit an bewaldeten Bergen vorbei. Überhaupt war die karge Landschaft, die einige von euch vielleicht noch von den Korogwe-Bildern erinnern, durch den Beginn der kleinen Regenzeit jetzt viel grüner. Wir haben sogar den Kili gesehen, was von Constantin mit den Worten “Jetzt gibt es kein Zurück mehr”  kommentiert wurde. Langsam beginne sogar ich zu glauben, dass er da im März wirklich raufklettert.  Wir erreichten Dar um halb sechs und waren nach diesem Power-Kurztrip wieder im Alltag angekommen.

No picture. Deal with it.
The UK’s Ghosts On Pegasus Bridge post a new demo entitled, “Hindsight” on their myspace today. It’s a pretty sick song. But if you’re into harsh screaming vocals, this might not be the band for you. If you’re into a beautiful singing voice, this is definatly the band for you. Nic Matthews is great.

Catch Ghosts On Pegasus Bridge on their tour of the UK with The Arusha Accord and A Textbook Tragedy:

10 Nov 2009
Brighton @ Freebutt
11 Nov 2009
Southampton @ Joiners
12 Nov 2009
Exeter @ Cavern
13 Nov 2009
Birmingham @ Eddies
14 Nov 2009
Milton Keynes @ Crauford Arms
15 Nov 2009
Peterborough @ The Park
16 Nov 2009
Nottingham @ Rock City
17 Nov 2009
Doncaster @ Rock Bar
18 Nov 2009
Leeds @ Rio’s
20 Nov 2009
Aberdeen @ The Tunnels
21 Nov 2009
Glasgow @ Capital
22 Nov 2009
Selby @ The Riverside Bar
23 Nov 2009
Sunderland @ Independant
24 Nov 2009
Manchester @ Moho Live
25 Nov 2009
Swansea @ Sin City
26 Nov 2009
Bristal @ The Croft
27 Nov 2009
Hitchin @ Club 85
28 Nov 2009
London @ Underworld
29 Nov 2009
Reading @ Facebar

Leave your comments about the song and follow us on Twitter.

Por ALC/ENI.

Observador Juvenil/El Esplendor.

La Federación Luterana Mundial ha elegido a un pastor chileno, el Rev. Martin Junge, como nuevo secretario general de esa agrupación que reúne a más de 68 millones de cristianos luteranos.

La elección fue anunciada después de una sesión a puerta cerrada del órgano rector de la FLM, su Consejo, que tuvo lugar cerca de Ginebra.

Junge es el sucesor del reverendo Ishmael Noko, un teólogo de Zimbabwe, que se convirtió en secretario general de la Federación Luterana en 1994, y fue reelegido para un segundo mandato en 2004. Junge tomará posesión de su cargo tras la próxima Asamblea de la FLM en Stuttgart, Alemania, en julio de 2010.

Noko había anunciado en la reunión del Consejo en julio de 2008 en Arusha, Tanzania, que pondría fin al servicio en su puesto a finales de octubre de 2010.

“Asumo aquí mi compromiso de diálogo. Acepto mi nombramiento al cargo, tengo planes y expectativas. Sé que algunos de ellos tendrán que ser revistos a partir de esta reunión de Consejo y el clima en el cual ella se realiza”, declaró Junge después de anunciada la decisión del órgano directivo, hoy, a las 11,25 AM de Ginebra.

El consejo tiene 48 miembros elegidos por la Asamblea y se reúne cada 12 a 18 meses.

Junge reside desde 2000 en Ginebra, donde está la sede de la Federación Luterana Mundial, siendo secretario del área para América Latina y el Caribe en el Departamento de Misión y Desarrollo. Anteriormente fue presidente de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Chile. Estudió teología en la Universidad Georg Augusta en Göttingen, Alemania, y fue ordenado ministro en 1989 en Chile.

La FLM se compone de 140 iglesias de 79 naciones con un total de 68,5 millones de personas.

Esta obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons.

Por ALC/ENI.

Observador Juvenil/El Esplendor.

La Federación Luterana Mundial ha elegido a un pastor chileno, el Rev. Martin Junge, como nuevo secretario general de esa agrupación que reúne a más de 68 millones de cristianos luteranos.

La elección fue anunciada después de una sesión a puerta cerrada del órgano rector de la FLM, su Consejo, que tuvo lugar cerca de Ginebra.

Junge es el sucesor del reverendo Ishmael Noko, un teólogo de Zimbabwe, que se convirtió en secretario general de la Federación Luterana en 1994, y fue reelegido para un segundo mandato en 2004. Junge tomará posesión de su cargo tras la próxima Asamblea de la FLM en Stuttgart, Alemania, en julio de 2010.

Noko había anunciado en la reunión del Consejo en julio de 2008 en Arusha, Tanzania, que pondría fin al servicio en su puesto a finales de octubre de 2010.

“Asumo aquí mi compromiso de diálogo. Acepto mi nombramiento al cargo, tengo planes y expectativas. Sé que algunos de ellos tendrán que ser revistos a partir de esta reunión de Consejo y el clima en el cual ella se realiza”, declaró Junge después de anunciada la decisión del órgano directivo, hoy, a las 11,25 AM de Ginebra.

El consejo tiene 48 miembros elegidos por la Asamblea y se reúne cada 12 a 18 meses.

Junge reside desde 2000 en Ginebra, donde está la sede de la Federación Luterana Mundial, siendo secretario del área para América Latina y el Caribe en el Departamento de Misión y Desarrollo. Anteriormente fue presidente de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Chile. Estudió teología en la Universidad Georg Augusta en Göttingen, Alemania, y fue ordenado ministro en 1989 en Chile.

La FLM se compone de 140 iglesias de 79 naciones con un total de 68,5 millones de personas.

Esta obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons.

10/3/09: Ngorongoro Reserve and Arusha, Tanzania

There’s an old African proverb that says, “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running.”

This morning I woke up and I had to start running.

It was so cold at camp on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, that after breakfast I decided to go for a short jog around the campsite. Almost as soon as I got started, I heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. To my surprise, just 50 feet away there stood a gigantic elephant.

We had seen many elephants from the comfort of our jeep on the safari, but it’s a totally different feeling when you’re standing there alone, staring down a who-knows-how-many ton beast. I motioned back to the campsite for others to come see, and pretty soon a crowd of about seven had gathered. We were all enjoying the moment, taking pictures and laughing about what would happen if the elephant charged at us, when all of a sudden… the elephant charged at us! We scattered in every direction, and as fast as the chase began, it ended. But I can now check “anger an African elephant to the point of attack” off my life’s to-do list.

…

Back at the Meserani Snake Park in Arusha before dinner, a couple of us decided to go for a run of our own choosing. (It’s amazing how little exercise we’ve gotten since coming to Africa. We jogged around camp for a little while, but when that wasn’t enough, we asked the Masai warrior guarding the camel stables if we could run around those as well. Not only did he agree, but he offered to run with us and show us his village. Before I knew it, I found myself with two other out-of-shape safari-goers, running stride for stride with Taiko, a Masai warrior, and saying hello to everyone in his tiny village in Arusha.

me, Taiko and Siuha the morning after our run

And to think, just over three months ago I was sitting at a tiny cubicle in an empty office in Charlotte pondering the meaning of life.

[Side note: We did two laps around the village, and on the first I give one little kid a high five. He was very excited to see us coming the second time around, so I held out my hand for a high five again. We missed, and he took two steps to turn and run with us anyway, and then, out of nowhere, he looked at me and shrieked as if he had seen a ghost. I have no idea how I frightened him, but little kid, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry!]

_____________________________________________

Puzzles for Postcards

Rhyme Time! (Solve three of these four greedy rhymes)

The machine that organizes some of your larger coins
A relative of a hundred dollar bill
When Kenyans put their money where their BBQ is
A large display of people’s earnings

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Picture of the Day: Our tour group is really just a bunch of kids who like to climb trees.

It took me a while but I have finally finished putting together a video picture montage of my trip to East Africa this past summer where I was studying (near Arusha, Tanzania). I hope you’ll like it; the pictures are mostly in chronological order with my journey. Please enjoy!

After the first couple songs of The Arusha Accord album, “The Echo Verses”, I was pretty close to giving these guys a 100% negative review.
They’re that kind of band that play those riffs that sound like they’re all over the place. Know what I mean? They do it well, if that’s saying anything. However, they do actually have some pretty epic pieces in some of their songs.
And on top of that, some of the best bass playing I’ve heard lately in metal/hardcore. That’s a big plus in my books.
I do like the use of the dual vocals, they pull it off. However, I think it would be more effective if the screams were significantly different. They both sound rather monotone.
Aside from all the bitching, I’ll still listen to them occasionally. I’d say if you’re going to get the album, download it. There’s lots of room for improvement so I’ll pick up their next recording if there is one.

Overall rating: 2.5/5 (.5 because I really like epicness)

If you wish you can check them out on their headlining tour of the UK with A Textbook Tragedy and Ghosts On Pegasus Bridge:

10 Nov 2009
Brighton: Freebutt w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
11 Nov 2009
Southampton: The Joiners w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
12 Nov 2009
Exeter: Cavern w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
13 Nov 2009
Birmingham: Eddies w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
14 Nov 2009
Milton Keynes: Crauford Arms w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
15 Nov 2009
Peterborough: The Park w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
16 Nov 2009
Nottingham: Rock City w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
17 Nov 2009
Doncaster : Rockbar w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
18 Nov 2009
Leeds: Rios w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB Leeds
20 Nov 2009
Aberdeen: Tunnels w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
21 Nov 2009
Glasgow: Capitol w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
22 Nov 2009
Selby: The Riverside Bar w/ A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
23 Nov 2009
Sunderland: Independant w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
24 Nov 2009
Manchester: Moho Live w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
25 Nov 2009
Swansea: Sin City w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB Swansea
26 Nov 2009
Bristol: The Croft w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
27 Nov 2009
Hitchin: Club 85 w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
28 Nov 2009
London: The Underworld w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
29 Nov 2009
Reading: Face Bar w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB

The UK’s metalcore act, The Arusha Accord released their debut album Thursday entitled “The Echo Verses” through A Wolf At Your Door Records.

Track Listing:
1. Dead to Me
2. The Tightrope
3. Desolate
4. The New Face of Revenge
5. Night of the Long Knives
6. The Echo Verses
7. The Resurgent
8. You Cried Wolf
9. The Death of Thieves
10. Solace
11. The Last Rise of the Fallen King

I can’t wait to check out this album fully, it’s sure to be heavy-hitting. Also, be sure to catch The Arusha Accord on their headlining tour with A Textbook Tragedy and Ghosts On Pegasus Bridge:

10 Nov 2009
Brighton: Freebutt w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
11 Nov 2009
Southampton: The Joiners w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
12 Nov 2009
Exeter: Cavern w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
13 Nov 2009
Birmingham: Eddies w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
14 Nov 2009
Milton Keynes: Crauford Arms w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
15 Nov 2009
Peterborough: The Park w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
16 Nov 2009
Nottingham: Rock City w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
17 Nov 2009
Doncaster : Rockbar w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
18 Nov 2009
Leeds: Rios w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB Leeds
20 Nov 2009
Aberdeen: Tunnels w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
21 Nov 2009
Glasgow: Capitol w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
22 Nov 2009
Selby: The Riverside Bar w/ A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
23 Nov 2009
Sunderland: Independant w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
24 Nov 2009
Manchester: Moho Live w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
25 Nov 2009
Swansea: Sin City w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB Swansea
26 Nov 2009
Bristol: The Croft w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
27 Nov 2009
Hitchin: Club 85 w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
28 Nov 2009
London: The Underworld w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB
29 Nov 2009
Reading: Face Bar w/A Textbook Tragedy and GOPB

9/30/09: Meserani Snake Park in Arusha, Tanzania

We spent most of today driving from Nairobi to Arusha, Tanzania. We’re camping tonight at the Meserani Snake Park before we get up early tomorrow morning and head to the Serengeti. Now just stop and think for a minute. We are camping outdoors at a campsite that calls itself the Meserani SNAKE PARK. I don’t know about you, but I think these guys need to hire a new public relations person. Because really, I think a swimming pool and satellite TV would be a bigger draw.

Anyway, it turns out that the snakes at the campsite are actually in glass displays, not wandering around the tents looking for people to bite. I was quite relieved when I found that out. The campsite is owned and run by two Aussies who also opened a free clinic for the local Masai people. So guess what kinds of ailments the Masai coming to the clinic have? Colds? Pneumonia? Malaria? Nope. Snake bites. (And also burns from falling into fires.) The purpose of the long display of snakes is actually so the Masai who come to the clinic can point out which snake they were bitten by. I thought that was pretty clever, and apparently so do the area hospitals, because they often refer their snake bite patients to the Meserani Snake Park clinic. The only thing is – if you go to the hospital with a deadly snake bite and they refer you to a clinic that’s an hour away, is that really helping things or is it hurting things?

They also have crocodiles at the snake park. I guess the Aussies have a penchant for deadly animals.

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Picture of the Day: Mr. Turtle and I are millionaires in Tanzania

9/30/09: Nairobi Kenya to Arusha, Tanzania

[Editor's note: We have finally found some decent (and I use that word loosely) wi-fi, so pictures have been added to all blogs posts. Thanks for reading!]

I can think of the names of four people that we knew in Kenya but weren’t making the trip with us to Tanzania: Pamela, Tracy, David and Two Tooth (the last two being our drivers in the Masai Mara National Reserve). Pamela flew out of Nairobi back home to Italy, and David probably didn’t know enough about anything to leave the country (no offense to him, because he was a really nice guy, but we were just hoping that he’d teach us more about the animals on our game drives, but it was clear that he did not know a lot).

Today we left Kenya for the greener pastures of Tanzania, and we weren’t the only ones. We ran into both Two Tooth and Tracy at the border – that’s 50% of the people we knew in Kenya that were trying to escape.

…

Is it too late to go back to Kenya?

Tanzania is the dustiest, dirtiest, hottest place we have been to yet (and I would venture a guess that it is the dustiest, dirtiest, hottest place in the entire world). I have yet to see anything resembling the color green. This is probably not necessary to add here, but even my boogers are brown, as I’ve sucked in more dust that a vacuum on the beach. Every tree visible from the road has a dust coating thicker than a fine New England clam chowder. After twenty minutes in this country, Zhou rubbed her fingers through her hair and came out with nice brown French-tipped fingernails.

I don’t want you to get the wrong impression of Tanzania, as we’ve only just begun our visit here and we still have to look forward to Serengeti game drives and seeing Mount Kilimanjaro. But if there’s no post tomorrow, you’ll know Zhou and I are passed out from inhaling too much dust.

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Picture of the Day: Dust storms here are more common than Starbucks in America

“Goodmorning visitor. Welcome!” chanted a chorus of 25 navy blue clad six-year-olds standing at attention.

As such are all visitors to the School of Saint Jude greeted. All 1100+ students split between two campuses dress in identical blue uniforms, stand at the beginning of each class to greet their teachers in unison, and speak only English to one another.** All have passed a rigorous entrance examination. Most impresively, all come from homes that have not more than two rooms and/or do not have electricity.

The School of Saint Jude in Arusha, Tanzania, which I visited at the end of August, was named for the saint of hopeless causes. It has quickly become on of the most sought after schools in the country. Founded in 2002 by Australian Gemma Sisia, the school exists to provide opportunity to the bightest and poorest of the poor. It strictly and rigorously follows the national curriculum, testing all students at the end of each year to earn passage to the next grade. But the school’s tests set the bar significantly higher than the national standards, guaranteeing that if students can pass the school tests, the national tests will be a breeze. From grade four students are required to board – even if they live next door – to ensure that they have time and light for homework. All primary students pass the 8th grade examination and continue on to secondary school.

In order to fully grasp the scope of this feat, one needs an understanding of Tanzanian education more broadly. Tanzania had acheived nearly-universal primary education by the early 1980’s. After President Nyerere stepped down in 1985, primary education rates fell drastically and have wavered between 50 and 75% ever since. However, even when enrollment rates are high, very few 8th graders pass the national examination required for entry into secondary school. The few who do pass are challenged by school fees (primary school is free), increasing family pressure to work, and, often, long commutes. As a result only about 5% of Tanzanians graduate from secondary school, and fewer still continue on to university.

I asked a number of people why the Tanzanian education system continues to languish in mediocrity. Teachers in Tanzania are poorly trained and poorly paid. Many purposely fail students in order to make extra money with private tutoring. The government often does not have the money to pay their wages. As a result, many skip school regularly in order to pursue other sources of income.

The country is littered with vacant and crumbling school buildings that lack teachers, students, books, funds, or some combination of the above.

In this land of failed and abandoned development projects, Gemma Sisia has done something right. She didn’t just build the school or provide funds for teachers. She took a wholistic approach. She used the funds she raised to build the school, train the teachers, start a farm (to provide food for students and staff), buy books, computers and supplies, design and implement entry exams, curriculum, and benchmarks, buy buses, hire drivers, and even to visit the homes of every student to ensure they meet the poverty requirement. She has done this so successfully that the institution she has built has about 3 times the computers and twice the library volumes of the similarly-sized public school in New York City where I worked.

(As an educator I would prefer to see less rote memorization and testing, more focus on creativity and critical thinking, and a generally more progressive approach to education, especially in a country whose economy is so desperately lacking in innovation. But given the general state of education in the country, perhaps a back to basics approach is the place to start. Innovation can come later.)

More institutions like these could go a long way in improving Tanzanians’ access to education. Ideally such operations would be undertaken by Tanzanians, but it is unlikely that Tanzanians would be able to access the fundraising resources available to someone from a wealthier nation. But what is most needed is a massive government overhaul of the education system. On the teacher end this means comprehensive teacher-training program, increased wages, supplies, anti-corruption mechanisms to ensure that students are not cheated of their education nor parents of their money. On the student end it means no school fees through the secondary level, a chance to re-take the entry exam for secondary school, and transport in places where the nearest school is too far to walk.

Unfortunately such an undertaking is prohibitively expensive for the government of a people whose avergage GDP is less the $400, whose tax revenues are proportionally meager, and which is still reeling from an IMF-imposed “structural adjustment program” to pay off debt from previous international aid packages. Meantime, we should all hope that there are more Gemma Sisias in the world.

** The first language of most Tanzanians is any one of almost 200 local tribal languages. Swahili and English have been designated as the national languages and both are taught in schools in an effort to linguistically unite the country. In order to get any of the “good” jobs – in the government, the UN, NGOs, international corporations, or high-end tourism – you must be fluent in both, but very few Tanzanians reach this level, especially in English.

Michel Bagaragaza, un proche de l’ancien président de la république du Rwanda,  Juvénal Habyarimana, a déclaré devant le tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda (TPIR) avoir eu un rôle dans le génocide contre les Tutsis en 1994. Au moment des faits, Michel Bagaragaza, ayant une solide fomation d’agronome était le directeur de la filière du thé au Rwanda.

Michel Bagaragaza

Michel Bagaragaza a espéré  très longtemps que son jugement se déroule en Europe. Michel Baragaza avait témoigné contre  Protais Zigiranyirazo, beau-frère  de l’ancien président Habyarimana.

To travel from Arusha to Dar es Salaam is easiest by air, however, this will cost about US$200 per person. The cheapest alternative is to travel by bus, which is never advised by tour operators. However, it need not be a nightmare as there are some good companies operating in Tanzania.

The most well known bus company must be the Scandinavia Express. They operate probably the best, safest and most comfortable transport between the two cities; it is, of course, the most expensive private bus option – at US$25 per person – and to book in advance is essential. In Arusha the offices for Scandinavia have moved to Kilembero Market – which is close to the Shoprite supermarket. Scandinavia have recently been in huge debt and have had some of their buses seized by the police; this has made the headlines in the East African news papers. It has also made booking in Advance more essential as the fleet is depleted.

The ‘Dar Express’ bus service comes a close second to Scandinavia or maybe an equal first place. They have different classes of busses and when at the booking Office – which is situated close to the Kimahama Bookshop [about 500m up hill from the Arusha Stadium] – it is essential to say you want the first class bus which should cost about US$18 per person. Dar Express are, without doubt, my favourite company and I would recommend this company above all others. However, some of the coaches do not have a toilet – although this may in fact be a blessing – as you travel in the African heat [and especially if you are sat toward the rear of the bus] a toilet may not seem such a luxury after most of the passengers have taken advantage of the service. The smell can become quite overpowering and the journey is a long one – about ten hours.

If you opt for the cheaper end of the market, most busses leave from the Bus Station close to the ‘Stadium’. Buffalo seem to be a favourite but they travel too fast. Speed is not a good thing as in places the road is single carriageway, it winds and there are hills; slowly slowly is the best way to ensure you get from Arusha to Dar es Salaam alive.

I would recommend either Fresh Coach or Amazon Coach – the ticket price must be negotiated and do not pay more than US$10 per person. The last of each of these coaches leaves Arusha Bus Station at 8 am sharp. Tickets are usually sold by freelance workers and as the commission is good – the more they charge the more pay they take home – competition is fierce. If you are a westerner then you will be targeted and you will be surrounded by enthusiastic ticker touts. This experience is not for the faint hearted. Hang onto your luggage and watch out [as you would as a tourist anywhere in the world] for pickpockets.

Fresh coach and Amazon travel to Dar es Salaam at a more leisurely pace and they are safer than the full steam ahead express buses.

If you want to leave Arusha and travel by bus to make the ferry crossing to Zanzibar in a single day – I would suggest leaving Arusha around 6 am to ensure you are in Dar es Salaam by 2pm. That gives you a good couple of hours to get from the Bus Station into town and to the ferry, buy your ticket.

The site http://www.tanzania-info.co.uk has full details and timetables for Zanzibar Ferries, flights and Buses in Tanzania – and http://www.betheladventure.co.uk has safari information. Use responsible tourism to make a difference to the countries and peoples you visit.

[tags]Tanzania, safari, bus, time table, Scandinavia, express, Arusha, dar es salaam, dar,[/tags]

Do you like yoga? Yeah?

What about travel? Of course you do!!

Got some time in February 2010 to travel to Africa and do yoga? Yes??

Well then, you should really sign up for Linda Sama’s Yoga Adventure in Africa!!

Man, if I could afford it, I’d sooo be there. And who knows, maybe things will change (as they often do) and whaddyaknow… I’ll be Africa-bound.

That would be so cool!

This is Linda...

Anyways… even if you can’t go, how about doing Linda a favour and spreading the word to your yoga community? Someone’s gotta stop her nightmare from manifesting.

This is part of my campaign against such an outcome. So, go! Spread the word! Here’s a few ways you could participate in the word-of-mouth campaign:

• Write a blog post (kinda like this one, just maybe use different words!)
• If you’re on Twitter, tweet a link for Linda’s Yoga Adventure in Africa
• Post a link on your wall in Facebook
• Offer to interview Linda on your blog about this event
• Download Linda’s ad, print it out and take copies to your yoga school

And if you can afford the time/money, go book yourself a spot. Like, now!

Not only will you be doing yourself a favour, but you’ll be helping others as well ($108 from each participant’s fees will be donated to the Seva Foundation)!!

~Svasti

A quick update from the road – I’m in Addis Ababa, enjoying free WiFi again and getting to catch up a little bit with the digital world from the past 3 weeks.

I had an amazing time in Madagascar with ToughStuff – I spent about 6 days in Antananarivo, and another 6 days on a road trip to Toliara (Tulear), Madagascar on the southern coast of the island. Alot of people there have limited access to electricity – and rely on kerosene or candles for light at night. The villagers were really excited for the possibilities of ToughStuff, especially for the entrepreneurs that were able to borrow or afford several lamps to rent out to others that can’t afford to buy them yet.In comparison to kerosene, the lamps save them money (which they’re able to save or use for “luxury” items like sugar) – are healthier for them (no more chemicals burning in small spaces) – and require no maintenance or upkeep.

It was so cool to get to be a part of the launch there, and to see first hand just how these products are invigorating people that are so far off the grid. Of course, there’s still a long way to go to lift areas like this out of poverty…this can’t solve everything… but the most important part is that it’s a step in the right direction – and a really simple concept for people to grasp and develop into their own businesses.

A couple notes on Madagascar: foreigners are called vazahas – so everywhere I went I would hear kids shouting vaaazaah!. There was a noticeable emphasis on waiting for everyone to receive their food before digging in – I think it was especially apparent because the rice (staple of every meal, no exaggeration) would arrive at the table almost immediately – but everyone would wait until all the accompanying dishes – chicken, pork, or fish would be brought out to everyone…Coca Cola dominates the drink market (no surprise) and owns a majority of the single major bottler in Madagascar, Star Brasseries – and apparently has even blocked a few other bottlers & breweries from entering the market.

The beggars in the capital were far more persistent than beggars I’ve encountered anywhere else – often following me for several blocks until I learned to just stand still and engage in a staring match until they would realize that I really wasn’t going to give any money up. That being said, I never felt very unsafe at any point – but also didn’t wander around too much by myself like I have in Arusha.

I’ll be covering Madagascar more in detail for Gadling in the upcoming weeks.

Being back in Arusha was strange and comforting at the same time. Great to see familiar faces…to be recognized by acquaintances (after 8 months – something that definitely won’t happen in HK)…and to see what has changed (or more often what hasn’t). There seems to be some light at the tunnel for CCF, the organization we spent our time documenting last year – the boys have taken the initiative to draft a new constitution for a new organization that they will attempt to run…and have secured their living space for at least 2-4 more years.

As I leave, I think I was definitely able to strengthen a few friendships that I didn’t really appreciate before – and I was able to tie up alot of the things that felt unresolved from last year. I was lucky to have the chance to go back so soon – and have a feeling I’m not completely saying goodbye to Arusha this time either…

Sorry if this is just a written stream of consciousness, but it’s all I’ve got in me at this point – for those of you in the States, I’m planning on making a return in the next few weeks & would love to see any and all of you that are in the southern california area…

PS! Recent Gadling posts are HERE.

September 1, 2009, Arusha, Tanzania

I spent a day observing the proceedings for two different cases currently before the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.  It was fascinating and utterly disturbing to hear the testimonies of the witnesses. However, even just a few hours of observation highlighted the difficulty of implementing justice in such situations.

“What did you do on the 16th of April, 1994?”

Only the most meticulous of diarists could answer such a question thoroughly and accurately.  But witnesses’ answers to such questions are largely the basis for these trials.  I heard a witness asked this question during his testimony on behalf of a defendant indicted in 2004.  Even if the depositions of the witnesses occurred immediately after indictment, witnesses were still required to remember ten years back in time.  Additionally, both the prosecution and defense referenced the evidentiary problems surrounding missing documents.

It is impossible to deny the horrors of the Rwandan genocide, and difficult to disagree with the contention that the perpetrators should be held responsible.  Knowledge of the perpetrators and the victims is widespread, especially at the local level.  But in a court of law “everyone knows it” is not good enough.  Given the scope of the atrocities in Rwanda, the temptation to convict on mere shreds of evidence is strong.

But this is a peculiar situation in that in many cases bringing the perpetrator to justice requires ignoring (or thoroughly bending) the rule of law. One is forced to decide the lesser of two evils: acquitting known murderers or degrading the integrity of the legal system.

My take: In order for the proceedings to maintain their integrity or to serve as a model for other communities in need of transitional justice, the tribunal must uphold evidentiary standards and the rules of procedure.  This may mean the acquittal of known perpetrators.  Though it pains me to believe that some known perpetrators of genocide should be let go, I also optimistically believe that in the long run, adherence to the rule of law and the upholding the integrity of the legal system will speak louder than retribution.

August 28, 2009, Tanzania

We visited an African village called Mtu Wa Mbu as part of a “cultural tourism program.”  I had read about the proliferation of such programs in Tanzania, and their alleged benefit to local communities, but I was hesitant to participate. However, I was eager to see more of rural Tanzanian life.  

The whole program felt grossly voyeuristic.  Paternalistic. Colonial.  Condesending. (Relatively-)rich-white-person-goes-to-see-how-poor-Africans-live.

That said, I can’t say that it felt exploitative. In fact, I wonder if participating isn’t one of the best contributions I can make to rural economic development.  The programs are locally run, and proceeds benefit community development projects.  Since the Mtu Wa Mbu program began in 1996, they have used revenues to expand the school and improve the irrigation system. Now they are working on building additional water taps,to improve clean water access for more of community members.  Participation in the program by villagers is voluntary.  It creates jobs and provides a source of desperately needed cash flow to villages that otherwise have no major source of income.  But it remains to be seen whether the disruption of culture and traditions caused by the regular intrusion of Westerners into traditional villages outweighs the economic benefits.

Father and son woodcarving team

Arguably the local and homegrown nature of such ventures is far better economics and development practice than any kind of internationally-sponsored project, bank loan, or volunteer system.  And, on a selfish level, I learned a lot about local agriculture, education, religion, and culture in the process.  It may be just another perfect symbiotic relationship of the African bush. 

I am very much looking forward to our arrival in Malawi in a few days to start our volunteer work, and I do still believe there is a place for and value in doing such work.  However, in terms of pure, direct, bang-for-your-buck benefit to local economic development, I wonder if paticipation in cultural tourism is the better way to go.

J’ai été très troublé par le dossier fort étoffé que m’a fait parvenir Bernard Desgagné qui accuse la Société Radio-Canada de se faire la complice de Paul Kagame, “le plus grand assassin sur terre depuis Hitler”. Il accuse notre télévision d’État de perpétuer l’histoire convenue du génocide rwandais qui, selon mon correspondant, ne serait pas du tout aussi simple que ce que l’on nous a expliqué sur toutes les ondes.

Dans son dossier, Desgagné résume que la fable véhiculée par Radio-Canada est assez simple: des extrémistes hutus fomentaient au Rwanda un génocide des Tutsis depuis des années et sont passés aux actes entre avril et juillet 1994. Selon la version officielle, Paul Kagame, chef du Front patriotique a chassé ces extrémistes du pouvoir et mis fin au génocide, devenant ainsi un grand héros. Ce qui aurait permis au même Kagame d’obtenir des milliards d’aide internationale, argent qu’il accuse d’avoir été détourné pour alimenter la “machine à tuer” qu’est L’APR (armée patriotique rwandaise).

“Croire à cette histoire il y a quinze ans était normal à cause de la désinformation appuyée par la Grande-Bretagne et les États-Unis. Mais on dispose aujourd’hui d’éléments très probants qui la contredisent et qui maintiennent au pouvoir un psychopathe assassin, complice d’un massacre qui a commencé en fait en 1990 lorsque l’ARP a attaqué le Rwanda à partir de l’Ouganda, et ça se poursuit de nos jours”.

Le 18 décembre 2008, le Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda a rejeté les quarante éléments de preuve qu’un procureur avait présentées pour démontrer qu’il y avait eu entente en vue de commettre un génocide. Toujours d’après ce dossier l’absence de preuves de planification par les supposés extrémistes du régime Habyarimana et la responsabilité probable de l’APR dans les assassinats ciblés s’ajoute à beaucoup de nouvelles informations qui contredisent la version officielle que transmet Radio-Canada.

Les témoignages recueillis par Peter Verlinden au sujet des massacres d’avril 1994 sont très importants. En effet, des témoins directs, ni hutus ni tutsis affirment avoir vu des soldats de L’APR se livreer au massacre de dizaine de milliers de civils innocents dans une seule région !

“Bref, les corps qui flottaient dans les rivières, c’était l’oeuvre de l’APR”, selon ces renseignements. Il y a bel et bien eu génocide, mais il n’a pas été planifié et exécuté comme on a tenté de nous le faire croire. Comme a dit le ministre belge des Affaires étrangères, Willy Claes, “Paul Kagame est au moins en partie responsable du génocide rwandais”.

Dans sa page Web, Radio-Canada affirme que, le 6 avril 1994, l’avion du président rwandais Juvénal Habyarimana a été abattu “par des extrémistes hutus” et il affirme que le FPR a arrêté le génocide et que le gouvernement de Kagame y a mis fin.
Affirmations pourtant contredites par les enquêtes de la justice française et espagnole qui ont pris connaissance des preuves accumulées contre Kagame par l’enquêteur australien Michael Hourigan.

Ces massacres qui auraient fait 7 millions de morts auraient été entrepris, selon ce dossier, par l’APR qui aurait planifié le génocide et commis une bonne partie des massacres mis sur le compte des hutus, y compris l’élimination d’un grand nombre de tutsis sacrifiés pour la cause.

Je ne puis rentrer dans tous les détails, dont certains font frissonner d’horreur, mais je pense que s’il est vrai que ces crimes contre l’humanité sont demeurés impunis à cause de la complicité anglo-américaine, il y a lieu non seulement de poser des questions, mais d’exiger une enquête impartiale au niveau international afin d’inculper, s’il y a lieu, celui qu’on compare à Hitler, Pol Pot et autres fous furieux de ce monde.

Je vous incite donc fortement à prendre connaissance de ces dossiers explosifs avant d’arrêter votre opinion. L’adresse est la suivante: http://web.mac.com/bernarddesgagne/Rwanda/Accueil.html

Source

 Africa…Land of the wild and free!

We departed Mumbai, India early morning on 6/20/09.   This whole day was a trip.  It actually started the night before, as we needed to make arrangements for the Safari.  We had been working with an agent in Colorado called Adventures Within Reach.  Now I know it is cutting it close but after 1 year of research we were still undecided on who to use for the trip and how we were going to make it work.  I was intent on seeing Tanzania’s Northern circuit, which includes all of the classic “Africa” areas.  Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro NP, Tarangire NP and the Serengeti NP.  During our early research we were told that no safari companies would take kids into the northern circuit area, as it was not considered safe.  I refused to believe this and so set out to find an outfit that would accommodate our family.  Most companies would not take children under 16, however I found one that would.  They wanted 25K to give us a 10-day safari (private vehicle) that would cater to kids.  I had a problem with this big time.  That is $2500 USD per day to go camping in a grassy plain.  I don’t care what you cook for me or what level of safari you provide, this is just f-ing insane.  The same goes for the lodges at $400 per person per day.  What the F@#$ could you possibly provide for $2000 per day for my family to possibly make this worth it.  And of course, as usual, Lonely Planet insists you should be able to exist on midrange accommodations for $50USD per day.  WWFFFF what are they smoking?  Oh yeah, they also say in a different section that most people join planned safari trips (no shit) and they should cost $200 per day per person for mid range lodges.  OK So what the F am I smoking????  Fast forward to last night.  We finally, agree on price and Itinerary with the above named Tour Company and set into motion the plan.  Mind you it is 1:30 am India time, our flight departs 5:30 am (remember this is India time, so nothing is ever on time) so we need to be there at 3:30 am for international check in.  I send my last email at 2:30 am trying to firm up details of where we are staying etc. and get a response that we will be staying at one of two hotels (whichever has availability) when we arrive. Ok, this is close enough for me.  I need to wake the kids and get our bags downstairs as the shuttle is ordered for 3:00am   Tristi and I both manage to shower and get the kids up and all bags downstairs by 2:55am.  Now I stayed awake working on our booking and updates for the Blog, as I was way behind on that and also knew we would miss our flight if I fell asleep.  As the hours passed and the same old Indian news droned on, an emergency bulletin popped up.  Russian Military Aircraft intrudes an Indian airspace and is brought down by Indian Military.  Where did they make the forced landing…  Mumbai of course.  The Airport was shut down and the Russian jet was surrounded.  I am thinking at this point, we are definitely going to be late into Ethiopia and miss our connecting flight to Kilimanjaro.   Reports kept coming out as to the situation.  It was determined that the jet was not carrying any bombs, weapons or ammunition, and they had began interrogations of the crew.  They reopened the airport for international flights around 1:30am.  I never did get any follow-up to the situation, as we were just a little busy.

As predicted the flight was delayed, not as a result of the Russian jet situation but just that of Indian Time.  Some flights were on time just not ours.  We stopped into a coffee shop and got some drinks and began making some PB and J’s when out of nowhere a rat runs across the shop floor.  The staff looked like the 3 stooges trying to catch the thing.  It bolted past them and right up on the set of chairs where Sara was sitting.  It was hilarious.  Sara jumped 3 feet in the air, let out a high-pitched scream and the jelly sitting on her lap crashed to the floor.  Everyone in the vicinity ran over to see what had happened.  It was absolutely one of those priceless moments.  Embarrassing as hell at the time but priceless nonetheless.

We finally arrived in Tanzania, figured out which hotel could accommodate us (Le Jacaranda) after checking both.  We settled in and finally were able to get something to eat and relax.  I do want to add a couple of side notes here.  On our flight in we flew over Mt. Kilimanjaro, it was spectacular.  Also of note, our drive in was very surprising, as the landscape was lush tropical flora.  There were banana trees and coffee plantations along with endless cornfields and beautiful flowering trees and plants all over the place.  The streets were clean and the sides of the roads groomed and looking very welcoming as well.  The weather is surprisingly cool being late June and so close to the equator.  As far as hotels go this was a 4.  No Heat or hot water, we asked for additional blankets and they brought us each one.  That’s one per room!  The kids had 3 beds and found it hard to share the blanket.  We had our lightweight sleeping bags with us so we managed, but that says a lot for service.  Of course we did not come to Africa to be pampered and there were no complaints from any of us.  After checking email (painfully slow, but at least available) we crashed out.

We woke at 6:15am and got packed up, woke the kids (which is always a chore) and managed to get to breakfast by 8.  We headed out on our first day of safari in Arusha National Park.  It wasn’t long past the gate and we had our first sighting.  We saw a family of baboons.  We watched the family interact for a while and then continued down the trail.  Off on our left side of the Jeep was a small group of giraffe.  We were tripping over ourselves to get a view of these long necked creatures.  It finally hit us; we are on safari in Africa.  How cool!  Seeing giraffe in the wild is much different than seeing monkeys, at least for us, as they were all over Southeast Asia, china and India.  As we drove on we saw water buffalo, zebra, warthogs, and impala.  We concluded our first day of safari, tired, hungry, and fully satisfied with our sightings in the field. That night the power shut down around 10:30 pm as the generator is always shut down at this time.  With no power, there were no lights, which means plentiful stars.  The Milky Way was ablaze, and the big dipper was still in sight but you could also clearly see the Southern Cross.  The star clusters are clearly thicker in the southern hemisphere, partly to lack of light pollution but also because there are more stars in the southern view.  It is a toss up between New Zealand and Africa to which view is better.  Both places we were able to view with no moon that makes viewing spectacular.  I do have a feeling that once we get out into drier savanna the moisture content in the air will significantly drop and allow for even better viewing.  It was a shame that we had a full moon cycle while in the Australian outback, because this may have truly been the best.  Soon after my viewing was over I crawled into bed and fell asleep.

Day two of safari started with breakfast at 7 and hitting the road by 8.  We had to stop into town and pick up some supplies, and hotel/lodge vouchers prior to hitting Lake Manyara National Park.  We finally arrived around 1:30 pm and got right into action.  We were able to see our first African elephants, Hippopotamus, wildebeest, gazelles, dik dik, blue mongoose, several varieties of hornbill, and a host of other really interesting wildlife.  Even though we started late we felt like we got a lot of action for those 5 wonderful hours.  We headed up to the top of the ridge where our hotel was waiting.  A wonderful staff greeted us and the hotel exceeded our expectations.  The meal was superb, as was the atmosphere.  The views are to die for.  We were overlooking the lake, and black skies offered spectacular views of the Milky Way and the Southern Cross.

Days 3, 4, and 5 were spent in the Serengeti, home of the Lion King.  We spotted a Cheetah hiding in the bush, and a leopard sleeping in a tree. There were a nice variety of lion, several hyenas, a monitor lizard, several crocodile, herds of Zebra, antelope, wildebeest, and much more.  One of the most spectacular sights was stumbling upon several spots in the park where the migration was in full play.  There were thousands upon endless thousands of animals covering the plains as far as the eye could see.  Now I wish I could say we were in the thick of it, but the massive herds we saw were actually the second wave of the great migration.  The primary wave was already north of the central Serengeti.  Day 5 brought us within short reach of the Kenya border but the herds were already north into Kenya.  We missed the migration; in it’s most concentrated form however what we saw was spectacular.  Day 6 was spent driving south, back to the center, and then continuing east towards Ngorongoro National Park.  On the way we saw many herds, some new species not yet on the list, and a very rare sighting of a mature pair of lions mating.  We apparently got the male pissed off as he charged the vehicle.  Our first experience, of up close, pissed off lion was not enough.  He stopped about 15 feet from the Land Cruiser after letting out some very serious grunting roars.  Our guide pulled the vehicle to safety just in time to thwart his mighty assault.  The lion casually strutted back to his female and lay down next to her.  The guide backed the vehicle up for us to take another watch at the happy couple.  After licking his mate several times he stood up and broke out in full stride toward the truck, this time with full repeated roars and his mane standing on end.  The guide dropped it in gear and tried speeding away, with one eye on the road and the other on the lion.  He swerved off the road and up an embankment and almost tipped the rig over.  We were all shitting ourselves, while all the time trying to take photos and video.  Had we dumped, we would all be dead.  This is an open roofed ride with sliding glass windows all the way around.  Lucky for us the guide was able to get back on the trail and speed away enough to hold off the lion until he got tired.  It was so close that I could not film him in the chase.  I was hanging out the top and trying to hold on and focus on the lion at the same time, without luck.  I reviewed the tape and only after we stopped, both the lion, and us, was I able to focus on him again.  It was an amazing experience.  I think this chase had more adrenalin than both skydiving and bungee jumping put together.  I have never been so scared and excited as I was staring down the snarling mouth full of teeth less than 5 feet from my face.  All he needed was a good leap and it would have been good-bye arm or face or worse he could have landed in the Jeep and tore us all to shreds.  The guide had never seen such aggression from any lion ever.  He was speechless for quite some time after leaving the area.  We drove for at least a half hour before he would really talk about it.  It was probably closer than we even realize.

Lion Love

Charging Lion!  This is why they are the king of beasts!

We arrived several hours later at Ngorongoro Crater, and checked into our lodge.  This place is located right on the rim of the crater and the views are spectacular.  This crater is actually a completely in tact collapsed calderas, or core of an erupted volcano. What we see today is all that remains of a once mighty mountain.  There is a lake at the bottom, some 600 meters below our lodge, and filled with thousands of resident game herds, 21 black rhinoceros, and the highest concentration of predators per land area of any place on earth.  Our 2 days in and around the crater proved to be just shy of spectacular.  We totally enjoyed the terrain and the flora both inside and outside the crater, but we were unable to see any leopard up close, and the real disappointment was that we only saw one rhino and it was from some distance.  The rhino are very shy and are usually hiding in the tall grasses during the windy times, as was the case while we were there.  We saw plenty of game and added a few new ones to the list, so we really shouldn’t complain.  We completed our afternoon game drive and headed up to our lodge.

Day 8 began with a 2-hour drive to Lake Eyasi where we dropped our gear at the Tented Camp, and headed out for an afternoon game drive.  Day 9 started very early as we went out on a hunt with the Wathadzabe tribe.  Noah and I prepared our bows and arrows and headed out with the men of the tribe.  The girls were able to follow, but not hunt as this is traditionally left for the men.  We ran thru the forest following one of the guys, as they all went different ways.  Our guy lost us so we hunted by ourselves.  I took one attempt at a squirrel, missed, and spent the next 20 minuets looking for that damn arrow that was made from the same sticks as those laying on the forest floor.  On my way back to camp I spotted a white face monkey (the tribes favorite food) and figured I was not close enough to take him out (also, I don’t think I could take out the monkey, even though the tribe would have been grateful) so I passed on the “shoot and search for arrow” routine.  The kids, decided to call me squirrel man for the rest of the day.  Unlike my hunt, the tribe was able to get one squirrel and one fat game bird, not enough to feed the tribe but better than I could provide!  We drove to the lake to watch the sun set and then went to our lodge.

Day 10 was spent in the Tarangire National Park.  This is where they have the famous Raffiki Tree or bao bab tree (from Loin King).  There were also tons of different bird species to add to Nika’s game list.  The best part of Tarangire was that we got to see 3 different lion prides hunting Zebra.  None of the hunts ended in blood, as one would hope, but all 3 were near misses that definitely got our blood pumping.  Day 10 ended quietly, as we were tired from so much safari, and we are looking forward to 9 days of beach fun in Zanzibar, Tanzania, just a short plane ride away.

Zanzibar was a wonderful, restful and absolutely beautiful Island getaway.  We managed to rest a couple of days and found a full day snorkeling trip to Mnemba atoll and 2 days diving the reefs to occupy some of our time.  We also took a day tour of the famous Stone Town and it’s markets.  Take out some transportation time and this leaves us 3 days rest on the beach and in the hammocks in and around the resort.  We played some games and went for sunset walks along the beach, and even found our way to the pool once or twice.  In all we managed to log in 15 dives as a family, sleep in past 8am several days, and do absolutely nothing only one of the days.  Compared to our busy schedule of the last 6 months this was a welcome break.  It felt like a vacation not a journey.  Like all good things they must end, and so we flew into Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania for an overnight stay, before flying off to Livingston, Zambia and the “Smoke that thunders” Victoria Falls.  As many things we have come to expect while traveling, missing our flight was not one of them.  We keep an itinerary book, hand written, that tracks hotel reservations, airline flights and airport to hotel transfers.  Some how, when reading the printout for our flight, I gave Tristi the wrong flight time, from the connecting flight on the following day.  Most of our tickets were booked as single flights but this one, included the flight from Dar Es Salaam to Johannesburg, one-day layover (yes one day, these flights only happen once a day if you are holding your tongue just right) then to Victoria Falls, and back to Joberg and same day to Cape Town.  So we missed our flight to Joberg, that morning, (The plane was at the gate when we arrived, but customs, visa exit stamps, departure taxes to be paid, ticketing, baggage check, security screening, and the usual “I’m hungry” call from the kids, had to take place prior to boarding.  Needless to say we were SOL.  I went upstairs to check with South African Airlines to see if I could use our tickets for the following flight, same time tomorrow, same flight number.  The flights for the next two days were fully booked, but we could try to get 5 passengers on with standby status.  The gal that was helping me was very nice but offered little assurance of getting to Joberg anytime soon.  I contemplated purchasing hard tickets for the next available flight (three days later) but instead decided to take my chances.  We would have to pay for new tickets either way but our schedule that was already tight was now in panic mode.  If we chose to stay for three days we would miss Vic Falls (#3 of the worlds 7 natural wonders) but it is not up to us it is by the mercy of the airline gods, whether or not we would be denied the pleasures of the falls.  We headed back out with all of our luggage (10 large backpacks) and got a taxi back to the hotel we stayed at the night before, to see if they could give us another night.  That worked out, thankfully, and so Tristi and I walked back to the airport, the only place for miles that had any Internet, so we could re book our overnight layover in Johannesburg, and our 3 nights in Vic falls that just became 2, if we are lucky.  We got to the airport, tried two different Internet café’s, both of which were down, and also tried to hitch a ride on some airlines wi-fi signals also without luck.  We did have a phone number for the hotel in Joberg and called them, so they would not go to the airport and pick us up, as it is $45 one way.  I don’t believe I’ve told you before, but every thing in Africa is expensive.  While we were sitting there in the airport (actually outside in the airport, most of the airport, including waiting areas, and boarding ramps are outside) without internet we were thinking, what the hell do we need internet for anyhow, it’s not like we know when we will arrive in any of the places, and so who cares about stinking internet anyway.  We laughed (instead of crying) bought some more phone minuets, so we could check in with our families, and walked back to the hotel, where we left the kids behind.

5:25am comes very quickly, this is when we arrived at the airport, and checked in with the airline to see about standby status.  There were already 20 people ahead of us in line for check in, and finally at 6:15 I got up to the front to see what our chances were.  After much confusion, they told me to step aside and let them check in all of the other passengers, which were out the door by this time.  We all had a sinking feeling as we stood waiting for everyone to check in.  Nika was using the Secret to get us 5 seats on the plane, and I was somehow hoping that some family of 5 were equally late getting to the airport this morning, so we could get to go.  After most of the people were checked in I got back in line and waited my turn, at which time the man that was also in the office the prior morning, and knew our dilemma, called me over and told me that he thinks there are just exactly 5 seats open.  I quickly shelled out the cash (no credit cards accepted here) and got us checked onto the plane, with minuets to spare.  We still had to go thru all of the above-mentioned procedures, less food for the kids, and just made the plane.  We sat in different spots on the plane and had to keep our bags in our laps as there was no room in the stow away compartments.  We were just happy to be on board.  I squeezed in between a 2 gals, one with a baby (which I got to hold and play with on the flight) and the other happened to be a dive master that we dove with in Zanzibar (her parents own East African Diving).  Small world A. 

We arrive in Joberg, and are met by our driver who took us to the shuttle bus, and then ran me back in to the ticketing booth, to see if we could get on the next days flight to Vic Falls.  We did the waiting game, checked flight status, shelled out the bucks and got confirmed seats to the falls.  Funny how things work, sometimes.  We were supposed to be flying into Livingston, Zambia (as this was the preferred side, Zimbabwe’s economy collapsed and there are political issues here – No, Really?)  But the flight showed Victoria falls, Zimbabwe instead.  As it turns out, the place we tried confirming, but could not get a hold of by phone or Internet, just happened to be on the Zimbabwe side anyway.  So what, no ATM (hell, no banking system – they use USD, and also SA Rand), no Internet, no fuel, but at least the stores still have some food on the shelves (the food issue was recently resolved).  Who needs food, we were coming to see the falls!  We arrived at our hotel in Joberg (taxi cost $65, as he waited an extra hour for our ticketing fiasco) and headed across the street to the shopping mall.  Yes a mall, with real stores, something we have not seen in months.  As we walked thru the parking garage, we were surprised, BMW, BMW, BMW, Mercedes, Mercedes, Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Chevy? What?  Most of the cars were high-end luxury cars, and nearly all were new.  Lonely planet, warns us to take pre-arranged transport, never walk the streets, even in daylight watch you’re back, and so on.  WHAT?  The airport is first class, and the accommodation is high-end condo living, the mall has $100 Levi’s and mostly high-end retail, and did I mention the parking lot? So much for a scary layover in the armpit of Africa!  Will somebody check in with Lonely Planet and ask them WTF?  We prepared our own meal that night in our kitchen (we had Cesar salad, Italian bread dipped in oil and balsamic, and fresh cut fruit).  This is the first time in months that we were able to have salad and fresh fruit, as both of these are not sanitary in many of the places we have been (SE Asia, China, India, Most of Africa).  YES, I SAID MONTHS.  It was sooooo Goooood!  We are learning to appreciate the simple things in life.  Oh yea, we actually had 24-hour power in Joberg as well.

Victoria Falls

The next morning we catch our flight to Vic Falls, and grab a taxi to our Bed and Breakfast that we never were able to confirm.  We arrive around noon, the gate is shut and we are honking and banging on the gate to see if the place was even open.  As we are getting ready to hop back into our 2 taxies and find another place, the Stewart opens the gate, Tristi goes in and I wait with the kids.  She emerges several moments later with the all clear, we have rooms, and somehow everything works.  The balance of the day was spent shopping and lounging around the pool.  In the morning the chef prepared a wonderful breakfast, and the driver took us to the entry of the falls.  We strolled the stone paths and anticipation mounted as the roar of the water grew louder and louder.  The mist from the falls was showering down upon us as we walked thru the palm-lined path.  Soon the mist grew into a rain and the thunder was roaring, still obscured by the trees, we rounded the corner and into view came the far left side of the falls.  Never have I seen so much water flowing/falling in any one spot and any one time, and this was only the left edge.  As we walked around the park, the full immensity of the falls becomes evident.  The falls seem to stretch for miles and fall endlessly into the canyon below.  There is no doubt in our minds that this truly is one of the 7 natural wonders.  We spent nearly 3 hours just checking out different viewpoints and taking video and pictures every few minuets.  This was definitely one of those family high 5 moments.  We then walked from the park to the suspension bridge linking Zimbabwe with Zambia.  We went thru border control, and made our way across the bridge into Zambia.  We hung out on the bridge and watched the great Zambezi river flow far below, hung out and talked with the locals, as tourists were doing the bungee off the bridge.  We soon left as we had an appointment to get our fill of adrenalin as well.  The kids had scheduled three activities in the gorge that afternoon.  We hopped in the van and headed to the horseshoe bend area of the Zambezi. Where there were cables slung from Zimbabwe to Zambia.  First the kids did the Flying fox, a harness strapped to a cable and pulley where you run off the end of the cliff and Sail across the gorge and back again.  Next on the list of near suicidal acts was the zip line, where you drop off the edge of the cliff and reach speeds of 100 to 120 KMH as you are zinging across the gorge.  The third and final piece of body and mind torture was the bungee swing.  Unlike a bungee jump, this one combines vertical drop (freefall) with pendulum momentum, like a huge swing, the fear of a bungee with added forces on the body, pretty cool.  Sara dropped into the canyon using a handstand/flip approach; whereas Nika did the backward flip headfirst approach.  Sara screamed her brains out, while Nika was cool, calm and collected.  Both enjoyed the adrenalin junkies’ tour and wanted to repeat but the sun was getting ready to set and the crew wanted to go home.  We were especially proud of Noah for doing the flying fox, even he was bummed that there were no repeats that evening. 

The following morning we boarded a plane Back to Joburg and then on to Cape town, South Africa.  We picked up our rental car at the airport and while we were there, we picked up a GPS unit and a SA Sim chip for our phone.  It is interesting to note that the Car rental company (Thrifty) did not have GPS and we had to rent it from a cell phone company in the airport separately.  In any case our travels from Vic Falls to Cape Town Took all day (over 12 hours) and by time we got to our B&B we were wiped out.  We managed to waste the better part of the day sleeping in and eating, before setting out to see the city.  We went down to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront, which is an African version of the wharf in San Francisco, Ca.  When you think of Africa, The Lion King and the Savanna pop into your mind or possibly the Masai Tribal people dressed in animal skins.  Wrong Again… This is a modern city, filled with all of the finest shops, restaurants and amenities you can imagine.  Oh, did I mention Debars Diamonds.  One might think that while you are in South Africa (the diamond capital of the world) you would be able to pick up some great diamonds at a reasonable price.  What we found from our survey is that they were approximately twice as much as the US retail market but this was the first time I was able to find colored diamonds (at astronomical prices) anywhere.  Now we weren’t on a buying spree but the curiosity was nagging at me.  Several shops later we had found our answers.  Aside from shopping and eating, we walked along the piers and managed to spot a seal swimming among the barges in the wharf.  After watching this guy for some time, we headed to the Marine aquarium and spent 3 wonderful hours, looking at their many displays including the penguins.  The following day we drove south to a penguin rookery and sanctuary in route to the Cape of Good Hope.  It was really cool to see the Jackass Penguins so healthy and in such large numbers, enjoying the beach and it seemed as if they enjoyed our family visiting them as well (at least they didn’t mind). 

Now our visit to the Cape of Good Hope nature preserve was all about adding another first for our family.  This is on the southern most tip of Africa (there is one place even further south, more on that in a second) and is the place where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.  On many days you can see distinct color variations between the two oceans, depending on tidal conditions and sun angle.  We were there late afternoon (around time for sunset) so the sparkle of the sunlight and the not so perfect tides, denied us of the clearly divisible line between the two.  We tried very hard to make them look different, without avail, however the two different oceans do tend to collide due to the opposing currents and big temperature differences.  We could actually see the waves crashing into each other perpendicular to the shoreline in one area (I think where the shelf comes up, but need to look this up) and that was enough to convince me this was the place where two seas meet.  We climbed to the top of the rocky cliff where the lighthouse stands, looked out over the two oceans, False Bay, and the setting sun, and for just one moment I felt as if I were floating above myself as I took in a deep breath of cool sea air. The park was closing so we had to race to the exit before they locked the gates on us.

Don Leino takes the bait! 

The highlight of the SA trip had to be the cage dive with the Great White sharks.  Our guide for the day was Mike the Shark man.  He has been on Animal Planet and shark week Discovery Channel, BBC, and a host of others.  Mike is the crazy bastard who free dives with these guys and he is just amazing.  He has such a sense for these creatures, and has studied them for so long that he knows where they are based on weather and time of day, and can find them every time.  We headed out to sea about 20 minuets or so and soon we were in the fish.  The crew lowered the cage into the water close to where mike had spotted a white breach the water.  We then circled the cage in a 50 meter or so birth and set the plastic seal in the water about 15 to 20 meters behind the boat.  Within minuets we had a full breach hit on the seal.  This huge white shot from the water holding the plastic seal in its powerful toothy jaws.  The sound of the teeth hitting the mannequin was sharp and loud!  BAM!  Several minuets later we had another breach.  Again… BAM!  And just for show we had a third hit by yet another shark.  This was shaping up to be a spectacular day!  We suited up and got ready to drop into the cage.  The Danish team got first dibs at the cage.  The crew chummed the water and set the tuna head out for bait.  Within minuets we had sharks checking us out.  The Danish team got about 20 to 25 minuets in the cage, a pretty long time, considering I heard that the average cage dive lasts between 7 and 14 minuets.  Next was the Cohen family and a wonderful lady from northern cal who was in constant competition with her son to do the craziest stuff.  Later that day she gave me her card, which announced her name and simply gave her title as Adventurer.  She was one of the coolest ladies I have ever met!  GO GIRL!  Back to the dive.  I hung close to mike and found the best spot in the cage to be for the close calls and best pics.  He got me in and started chumming the water like mad.  We got to stay in for 20 minuets and then he pulled a people switch.  He let me stay in and told the others I was filming!  Sweet!  Thanks Mike!  The balance of the morning he kept switching people in and out so every one got a turn and some got 2.  He left me in the entire time!  The crew was really working the chum and the bait hard.  The best one was when they were trying to pull the tuna head back in on the rope and a white took hold, thrashing back and forth hitting the cage and the shark actually touched me!!  I really wanted to reach out and touch one, and this cured me.  By the way, they have a similar feel to catfish or dolphin if you have had the chance to experience either (not scaly).  One minute they are docile silent creatures gliding thru the water, the next, very excited when feeding.  Well he took the tuna head right off the rope, and while the crew was preparing another chunk of bait we changed our shorts!  In all honesty, these fish are very majestic animals, and having been able to observe them for over and hour, I feel I better understand them, and how they hunt.  I hope someday to come back and get a chance to dive with them and Mike outside the cage, when South Africa allows.  Currently, open water shark dives are prohibited, even by permit, and Mike has more dives with them than any other researcher by a long shot.       

Mike and the crew pulled us from the water and then hoisted the cage on to the back of the boat.  He took us out to a small island covered in fur seals.  There is an estimated 50 to 60,000 seals on this island, and boy did it smell like it.  This is where the seals have their young and teach them to swim.  The fur seal is the Great White’s favorite meal, and after watching them swim thru the water and seeing the shark hitting them so hard as they did our plastic one, I can see why people can be miss taken as a seal.  Black wetsuit = fur seal.  This is why surfers are hit, moving thru water looking like a seal is not a good thing.  Most surfers are spit right back out though as this is not an intended food.  Ouch!  We finished our day with a short drive up the coast, following Mike and one of his friends, to a quiet little bay, where southern right whales are known to come close to shore.  As we pulled up Mike spotted a spout in the distance, and we watched as Mike checked other lookout points along the bay.  He came back and said this was the best spot.  He left us to watch the whales as they headed off to grab a beer or two and watch the sun set over the bay.  We stayed there for over an hour and were able to spot 3 whales, one of which came in close to shore and followed the shore line for about 15 minuets.  It was an amazing day!  As a side note the coastal route passes by the southern most tip of Africa, a point hardly recognized by anyone.

Next stop…. The Middle East!