"I am like a sausage" and other strange stories from Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa

I have been offline for the better part of the past ten days, and I must say that it has been quite refreshing. I checked my gmail account yesterday for the first time in many a moon, and had 123 email messages waiting. I refuse to check my work account; it's time like these that I take great pleasure in not having a blackberry. Goal #27 in life: never get a blackberry. Don't get me wrong, I like being in touch. But it has been outstanding to be thousands of miles away and without any work, social, investment, fantasy baseball, etc. worries. Of course, I don't need to be a continent away for that situation. Enter goal #27.

Sarah and I arrived to Jo'burg on the 7th -- an 18ish hour direct flight from DC wearing us down. Adam Newcomer is living here in Jo'burg while his girlfriend Danielle clerks for the South African Supreme Court, and they were at the airport to greet us. The first day was a blur -- jetlag got us both down.

The adventures started immediately the next day, as we embarked for Kruger National Park on a 3-day safari. It was a pleasant drive -- Sarah slept much of it and Adam and I planned our future world domination in the heads of states consulting industry. We arrived at Mohlibetsi lodge in the late afternoon on the 8th, and as their Web site promised, we were greeted with a "warm welcome." With barely enough time to drop our stuff off in the cute little huts (which were really 3 star accomodations and quite nice) we were out on our first game drive with Monica and James, our two guides for the next few days.

We went on a total of four game drives, and had a great time. Highlights included the funny occasion in which we had to stop so I could "relieve" myself, Sarah and Adam battling hangovers on the bumpy ride the next morning, and amazing sightings of 3 of the big 5. But perhaps the funniest memory came when an elephant chased our Land Rover, blaring its trumpet and stomping after us. In the height of the chase, a German tourist (that we later befriended) yelled out "I am like a sausage!" in a funny german accent. Needless to say, it has become Adam's favorite saying during the past week and the title to this blog entry.

All in all we saw lions, elephants, zebras, water buffalo, giraffe, monkeys, impala, warthogs, crocs, hippo, and more. Pics will be online soon!

From Kruger area, we ended up on a marathon car ride to the beaches of Mozambique. We stopped overnight in Swaziland -- dinner in the capital city of Mbabane and finally found (shoddy) accomodations in the commercial center Manzini. I'll keep the description of Swazi simple: I wasn't impressed and will not be heading back anytime soon. Perhaps one day you can ask Sarah about it; she might not be so kind.

We were up early for the final leg of the ride to Mozambique, securing a stay at the Motel Do Mar on the beach and a ride from the border (Adam's car couldn't go into Moz b/o insurance). After paying 30 bucks for a visa to enter the country, we only had to wait a few moments for the ride. With a misty rain beginning to fall, Adam and I climbed into the back of a tired midsize pickup truck while Sarah enjoyed a broken conversation in English with the driver in the cab. The ride exemplified why I love to travel, and why I tell my co-workers at Deloitte that I want to be an explorer one day. Adam and I hung on for dear life as we rolled through the sandy roads of Mozambique towards the beach. The 15 kilometer ride included about 100 meters of paved road -- the rest of the way we bounced and slid through the sand dunes on the way towards the Indian Ocean. Adam and I laughed as we passed small huts and children yelling for "sweets." It was a fun adventure. I loved it.

The Do Mar proved to be a sub-standard venue for lodging, but the location was amazing. I could throw a baseball from our balcony into the ocean; it was the closest I have ever stayed to the water. We had a relaxing evening, enjoyed a good Porteugese-influenced meal, and got to bed super early for a busy day at the beach the next day. During the night, Sarah was attacked by mosquitoes but despite being convinced that she had malaria she seemed to enjoy a dive off the coast the next day. Adam and I tamed the wild waters, swimming most of the morning and afternoon. That night we enjoyed another delicious meal; they even had green wine, which I've only ever had in Portugal. It was remarkable how much Porteugese influence remained in the country, despite being independent for nearly two decades (right?) and not anywhere near Portugal. One strange/funny thing to relate about our stay in Moz: there were no banks or ATMs in the town, and we had very little cash because of the visas at the border. There were only two places in town that accepted credit cards, so we were limited to eating at those fine establishments.

We left the Motel Do Mar on the 13th in an even sketchier pickup truck. Sarah snapped a picture of it and I'll post it online at first convenience. The drive to the Drakensburg Mountains was about 5 hours, and we there in time to clean up for a nice dinner at the very scenic lodge that Danielle had reserved ( we met her there along with her co-clerk Chris). The Drakensburgs are on the border f the tiny country of Lesotho and South Africa, and truly are a beautiful and relaxing getaway. JRR Tolkien was fond of the area; evidently the mountainous region provided much inspiration for content in his writings. We were up early on the 14th for a day-long hike and it turned out most excellent. We hiked up to the top of a small peak -- probably about 3100 meters high. That night we had a "brie" which is what South African's call a BBQ or grill out. The excursion was perfect -- a good mix of exercise and relaxtion. My only regret: we didn't get to ride ponies, although we did get to hang out with some on the first night when they charged toward our porch area!

We drove back to Jo'burg yesterday and had a great meal last night at a Vietnamese restaurant. This morning we visited the South African Supreme Court and got to see Danielle in the chambers in her robe and all. Then we were off to Soweto, which the most famous of the South African townships which were used as settlements for blacks during Apartheid. Later that afternoon we went to the Apartheid Museum. The day was very powerful, as we got to see close up the effects of years of Apartheid (the extreme poverty that still exists in Soweto) and then learn about the history of Apartheid at a really great museum. I plan on writing more about today's experiences in another blog entry; these brief mentions don't do them justice.

Tomorrow we are often to Cape Town. Hope to write more in a few days, then maybe one or two entries upon my return.