In this series of posts, under the heading "Picture Portal", I let the photos do most of the talking. Sure, I'll throw in some brief anecdotes about memorable trip highlights, for those who are so compelled to read something. But let the photos be your portal to the experience. Why present it this way? Sometimes pictures convey far more than text, granting the reader free range for interpretation and appreciation without being bombarded by my two cents (isn't there a saying out there about pictures and a thousand words?). Or maybe the real reason is that so much was happening during the adventure that I (shamefully) couldn't find the time to write. Whichever reason appeals to you, enjoy the visual journey.
Cruising the Swahili Coast: An Overlanding Adventure from Kenya to Zanzibar
Date: 29 May 2010
Location: International House Cafe, UC Berkeley
Despite 22 years of foreign excursions, sub-Saharan Africa has
always remained rather elusive, probably on account of the incurred
expenses. Indeed, it is blatantly ironic that the poorest continent on
the planet would prove to be one of the most expensive places to travel
to. Nevertheless, such a milestone in my life as graduating from Cal called for a trip of greater extravagance. But you won’t find this
kid staying in 5-star hotels. Though still
heavy on the pocketbook, my idea of extravagance takes the form of three weeks camping in
the bush – setting up a tent under a lone acacia tree, cooking by an
open fire, and traversing the East African savanna via truck.
Extravagance means going to the pharmacy and stocking up on expensive
malaria, typhoid, and yellow fever medications. Extravagance means
withdrawing $3k in unblemished, post-2002 bills for communal groceries,
camp supplies, and wild game park permits. Extravagance means having to
pull the water purifier, mosquito nets, and sleeping bags from that box in the closet. And while this trip will be nothing short of
physically taxing on the body, I firmly believe that experiencing Africa in the raw
could take no other form but that of getting down and dirty! Traveling with the
Absolute Africa crew, this will be my first "overlanding" trip, a form of budget travel that has gradually been gaining more popularity for adventure-seekers of my age bracket. It essentially consists of catching a massive truck, travelers above deck and supplies below, then setting forth on a long road trip, camping along the way and being assigned work duties. Hopefully, I will not only have an amazing experience on this terrestrial "pirate ship", but meet some awesome new "shipmates" as well!
The Crew & Camp Life
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| The original crew, shortly after leaving Nairobi. Others would eventually hop on and off the truck along the way, but these guys started and finished the road trip together. Elton (middle) was our Zimbabwean guide. |
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| Our truck, "Shaggy". Shaggy comes with an upper deck for passengers and lower compartments for supplies and gear |
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| Goodluck, the sweet head cook |
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| Isaac, the comical truck driver |
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| We camped in many national parks and campsites along the way from Kenya down to Tanzania (Nakuru National Park) |
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| Pitching our tents out in the bush of the African savanna... |
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| ... or on tropical beaches of the beautiful Swahili Coast |
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| Evenings by the fire were magical, the sounds of growls and rustling complimenting the many glowing eyes peeping out of the surrounding blackness |
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| Everyone was assigned a daily camp duty, which rotated via a roster |
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| Cooking over coal, using fresh ingredients |
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| Some duties involved helping with cooking |
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| Or sometimes cooking with propane, when available |
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| Dinners always tasted great by the fire |
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| Other duties included dish-washing (likely the least popular). Everyone was expected to contribute to the "community" |
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| Sometimes the truck needed to be cleaned... or decorated for birthdays |
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| And when we weren't roughing it in the bush, we knew how to kick back in some of the chillest bars south of the Sahara |
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| Like this Chameleon lounge out on a cattle ranch in Central Kenya |
Five things I learned while camping and trucking through East Africa:
- Never cross paths with an angry elephant.
- In the Serengeti, my father insisted on the Land Cruiser making a closer approach. As babies were present, the mother began to loudly trumpet, flaring her ears outward in a mock-charge. Getting closer, the elephant grabbed dust and grass with its trunk, flinging it violently into the air. It wasn't until it took several massive stomps forward that we quickly had to put the vehicle in reverse and get out, lest our vehicle be knocked right off its wheels.
- Do not pet the lion
two feet from your jeep window, despite the temptation.
- In Ngorongoro, a fully-maned male lion walked alongside our vehicle within reaching distance. I was so consumed with taking photos, I didn't even realized that my window was fully rolled down.
- Opening a
package of cookies in baboon territory is a huge mistake.
- Judd's wife and Anneke can sure testify that opening any food in the bush, even for just a second, can result in a massive hairy blob pouncing onto you and disappearing with your snack in a flash.
- Warthogs
steal bananas, bar soap, and apparently like beer.
- Waking up in the middle of the night to your entire tent chaotically shaking and something trying to tear its way into it is one thing. Realizing the next morning you have no soap to wash with and no breakfast to eat is another.
- The answer to everything is
T.I.A. [This is Africa]
- Land Cruiser broke down? T.I.A... Locals stole your stuff? T.I.A... Animals stole your stuff? T.I.A, man...
The Colors of East African Landscapes
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| A cattle ranch in central Kenya |
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| Another overlanding crew makes their way around flamingos on Lake Nakuru, Kenya |
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| Early morning in Nakuru National Park, Kenya |
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| Rolling mist over the Nakuru savanna |
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| Boatmen wait to take visitors hippo watching on Lake Naivasha, Kenya |
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| A lion crosses a vast expanse of grassland, Masai Mara National Park, Kenya |
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| View over Lake Manyara, Tanzania |
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| From the top of the ridge, a view of the vast interior of Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania |
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| Light pierces through the rain clouds over Ngorongoro |
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| Clouds rolling over the "lip" of the crater, which has in itself become an isolated ecosystem |
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| A dusty road leads from Ngorongoro Crater to the gateway of the Serengeti |
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| Kopje rock outcroppings in the flat Serengeti, fall-out from the prehistoric eruption that created Ngorongoro |
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| Ballooning over the Serengeti |
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| Iconic acacia trees of the dry savanna ecosystem |
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| Dusk over the Serengeti |
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| Sunset overlooking Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar |
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| Quaint restaurants and bungalows line Nungwi Beach |
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| Wooden dhows along the Zanzibarian coast |
Safari: The King of Road Trips
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| Some safaris can be taken in a deluxe, private Land Cruiser |
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| Most safaris will go down in whatever Land Cruisers happen to be lying around |
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| If you're really lucky, your safari might be conducted in a vintage Land Cruiser |
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| Regardless of which one you get, they are all victims to flats here in Africa |
The Diversity of East African Wildlife
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| Vervet monkeys |
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| A tiny chameleon spotted at night |
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| Grey Crowned Cranes |
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| Hyena chilling on the roadside |
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| Ostriches are fairly idiotic birds |
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| The mighty African elephant |
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| Whole herds of elephants grazing in the Mara |
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| An elephant gets angry after my father insists on getting too close |
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| Male antelopes combat |
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| Pink flamingos |
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| Zebras rest their heads on each other for comfort as well as for defense measures |
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| One of many colorful birds |
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| A Cape buffalo nomming away |
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| A Masai giraffe in the sunset |
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| A pair of cheetahs lounging in the noon sun |
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| A Rothschild's giraffe |
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| The exceptionally elusive leopard. This one was in a tree hanging over our truck and, thankfully, it didn't pounce |
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| Endangered white rhino mother and calf |
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| A rarely seen, endangered black rhino |
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| A herd of topis |
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| A male lion passes within arms length of our Land Cruiser and I forget to roll up my window |
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| They're so cute when they're not trying to kill you |
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| Lions can apparently climb trees as well |
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| Elephants and hippos sharing a watering hole |
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| The virtual garden of Eden that is the Serengeti, as wildebeests and zebras embark on the Great Migration |
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| A cheetah looks out over the grassland for potential prey |
Nakuru National Park. Central Kenya. 11:30pm.
The night was dark, a dying fire softly glowed under a sea of stars. We had all just bundled ourselves
up in our tents and were ready to turn in for the night. Our guide continued to
sit out by the fire, chatting quietly some of his other guide friends. Suddenly, some baboons in a
nearby tree became anxious, chattering away and jumping in the branches.
"
Gruuaah!"
Elton, our guide, called out in an excited whisper.
"Ya hear that, guys?! That's a lion!"
Silence. Then louder.
"
Gruuuuaaah!!"
"It's chasing something. Don't worry, broo... Lions rarely approach camps"
"GRUUUAAAAH!!
"Fuck, broo! Run to the truck! Run to the truck!!!"
I was still in my tent...under the covers...
The Faces, Foods & Sights of East Africa
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| Shanty towns on the edge of Nairobi, Kenya |
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| The former plantation house of world-renowned, early 20th century Danish author, Karen Blixen |
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| Bananas, coffee, and camel milk - Kenyan specialties |
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| Tiny dried fish in a rural Tanzanian market near Arusha |
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| Four varieties of bananas and other sub-tropical fruits |
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| Going to the market with the latest harvest |
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| On a local bus, the shopping comes to you |
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| Kenyan students flee from a baboon on a rampage |
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| Tanzanian school girls visit us as we fix our flat tire |
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| Men of the Maasai tribe perform an adumu, or competitive jumping dance for initiated warriors |
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| A Maasai man with traditional headdress |
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| A Maasai women in fine beaded jewelry |
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| Trying to start a fire using a stick, a knife, and grass kindling |
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| Fire-making close up |
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| Taken from the dark interior of a Maasai dwelling |
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| The traditional low-roofed, mud and cow dung dwellings of the Maasai |
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| The Nairobi Giraffe Center is the perfect place to get kissed |
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| How can one deny such a face? |
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| Or even this face? |
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| A baby elephant plays with a soccer ball at the Nairobi Elephant Orphanage, just in time for World Cup 2010 |
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| The Arusha Cultural Heritage Center, in front of Mt. Meru |
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| Crab fishermen off the coast of Zanzibar |
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| Approaching Old Stonetown, on the island of Zanzibar |
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| Alley life in Stonetown |
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| Crowding around a television set in an alley to watch a World Cup match |
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| A smorgasbord of exotic grilled delights at the Stonetown night food market |
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| Fishing boats in Dar Es Salam, Tanzania |
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| A tribal herder with his cattle |
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| Maasai on mobile. Karibu to the 21st century! |
I met a friendly fellow once out walking about at Lake Naivasha, Kenya. He seemed a
bit off, slightly eccentric, but was otherwise social and welcoming. He even offered to show
us around the lake, to which we politely declined. Walking towards the peaceful waters the next day, we were
perplexed to see a hubbub of police trucks swarming the docks. Our light-hearted
local greeted us as usual, but this time while handcuffed and leading
armed guards. Confused, we'd later learn from a local newspaper that our cheery friend was actually a
deranged serial killer, notorious for having kidnapped and murdering a number of local
children out of ritualistic purposes. Having been caught, he was apparently leading local officials around the lake to the marshy
graves where two ill-fated youths were stashed.
Moral of the story:
sometimes unlicensed guides aren't the most cost-effective.
