Cape Town to Jo'burg--Ten Years Later

I am officially Africa-bound again. My boyfriend and I will be doing another promotional video for Drifters Tours. Ironically, I will be doing the same trip I did ten years ago. (See the photo of me at Fish River Canyon in Namibia.) We will fly into Cape Town, see a few friends and then make our way northward. We will travel through the Stellenbosch wine country in South Africa, then canoe on the Orange River in Namibia and hike around the rim of Fish River Canyon. On the coast we will be able to partake in some adventure activities such as quadding and sandboarding on the dunes before making our way to Etosha Game Park in the north. Once we cross into Botswana, we will visit the Okavango Delta. We’ll travel by mekoro, a dugout canoe, through the remote wilderness areas before making our way to Victoria Falls, the Adventure Capital of Africa. I’ve already white water rafted, taken a walk with lions, and ridden on an elephant. I’m looking forward to trying one of the new activities the town always seems to offer. We also get to experience some more game-viewing in Zimbabwe at Hwange before we make our way back to Johannesburg to catch up with some more friends before our flight home.

My Mercedes is Not For Sale

I just finished reading My Mercedes is Not for Sale: : From Amsterdam to Ouagadougou...an Auto-Misadventure Across the Sahara by Jeroen van Bergeijk, a personal narrative about a Dutch man who travels from Amsterdam through West Africa to sell his Mercedes. The book offers a great insight into the economy of those countries as well as the reality of traveling through the Sahara. While I was reading the book in the sauna at my gym, a young Moroccan noticed me looking at the map on the inside cover. He pointed to a small town on the coast and said, “I’m from there.” What a small world. Although I have visited Tangier, I have yet to make my way into West Africa and look forward to doing so someday soon. Unfortunately, no overland tours run during our summer, which is their rainy season. A preview of the book is available on barnesandnoble.com.

The Number #1 Ladies Detective Agency

My friend who was working as a safari guide in Botswana suggested that I read one of the novel’s from Alexander McCall Smith’s #1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Although I was excited about reading a book set in Botswana, I must admit that the storyline did not interest me and I didn’t get further than the first chapter. Recently, I learned that the BBC was broadcasting a series based on the books so I decided to give it another try and was pleasantly surprised. I immediately bonded with the lead female character, Mma Ramotswe, who is positive and independent. I also love Mma Makutsi, her overachieving secretary. The series was filmed in Botswana and offers a great deal of insight into the traditional beliefs. So far, I have watched the two-hour pilot and three of the 60 minutes episodes and am hooked. For more information about the series, you can visit their official website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jw6h4

Walk to School

Lateness to school is a big problem in the South Jersey high school where I work. I don’t have a great deal of empathy for these students. Most of them stay up late on the computer or play video games, so they don't get up in time to catch the bus or their ride to school. I can’t imagine how they would contend with having to get to school if they had to walk—sometimes 5 kilometers—as they do in many areas of Africa. I found a great video documenting a walk to an African school: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bigcat/video/#. I particularly liked the one excuse the Masaai student offered for being late: “I ran into an elephant.” My students couldn't top that.

Carnivore Restaurant

When I was in Nairobi, I had the pleasure of dining in Carnivore’s restaurant, rated by Restaurant Magazine as one of the best 50 restaurants in the world. This all-you-can-eat buffet features charcoal roasted beef, chicken and lamb as well as exotic game such as ostrich and crocodile. Before a bane was placed on some of the game, delicacies such as zebra, warthog, eland and giraffe were offered. Patrons could also try roasted mopane worms, which I did, but I only managed to eat half of the black morsel. On the outskirts of Johannesburg, there is another Carnivore’s restaurant that still offers a great deal of game.

To view a video of the Nairobi restaurant, you can visit their web site: https://wdexchange.wdeptford.k12.nj.us/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.tamarind.co.ke/restaurant.php?id=1

Jim Zuckerman's Photos

One of my favorite things to do is look at the photos taken by photographers who have visited the same places I have. Last night, I viewed the collection of photos that Jim Zuckerman took while visiting Africa. His work has appeared in 11 books, and he runs photography trips and offers online photo courses. I love the opening crocodile photo and his lion in sepia. His leopard, lilac breasted roller, and giraffes in front of a stormy sky are excellent: http://www.corporatefineart.com/-/corporatefineart/gallery.asp?cat=397&pID=1&row=15

South African Bank Robber

In the seventies, Andre Stander, a South African police officer, was dissatisfied with the corruption in the force as well as the prevailing system of apartheid and began robbing banks during his lunch break. Later in the day, he found it amusing to investigate his own crimes. In 2003, an American director produced Stander, based on this cult hero’s life. Stander was eventually imprisoned, but escaped and formed a gang with two other inmates. After fleeing to the States, he was killed by a police officer who tried to take him into custody in Florida. To learn more about Stander, you can visit the following sites: http://www.africacrime-mystery.co.za/books/fsac/chp20.htm or http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/11/stander.hughes/index.html

Movie Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r04uE3aKkmY