Thank you!

Thanks Mom and Dad! Mom for funding and encouragement, Dad for all your great ideas.

For advice, friendship, beds, and help along the way, I'd like to thank Jenn Brown, John Bailey, Tom Villalon, Justin and Nathan, Mr. Kurtz, Sulo and Richie, Victoria Baker, Katja, Mr. and Mrs. Ericson, Porter Schutt, Ann Copeland, Sharon and Steve, the Mongan family, and Danny, Gabe, and Ally.

Additional thanks to everyone who has been emailing or posting comments, to Jesse Saunders for help with planning, to Matt Mascitti for being patient, and of course, thanks to Matt Dinneen for putting up with me for six months and for being such a gentleman (even though I'm his sister!).

And, to everyone who has been with us, reading along, thank you for sticking with it!

The Final Tally

168 days
123 blog posts
26 books read
13 different modes of transportation used
11 countries visited
6 baggage carousels ridden
4 animal species frightened off runways
2 people
1 amazing trip

Johannesburg

The morning of the 16th, Matt, Nate and I woke up and packed our gear. Matt was feeling pretty crumby, so I rushed to make us something to eat, then the taxi arrived to take us to the airport. After 20 minutes of driving, with 10 minutes more until the airport and about 45 more until our flight, I realized I had left our phone at the hostel. Oh well. As Matt reassured me, "it's the best possible time to lose it!"

So, after a short flight we arrived in Johannesburg (to read the recent societal conflict in Joburg, please read the BBC article here), and after a few obstacles related to transportation, we finally arrived at our new backpackers. I investigated the hostel and nearby shopping center while Matt rested for a few hours. Then Nate arrived and, after some dinner, we decided on our plans for the following day before bed.

The next morning, we stopped by a pharmacy for Matt then headed to the Apartheid Museum. Before we walked through the front door, we were randomly assigned races then split up. We were reunited within minutes, but it underscored how suddenly you can be separated from people you care about. Personally, I think the skin color, family, and nationality any person is born into are a matter of chance. And I think everyone should be treated equally, without regard for those characteristics; but not everyone subscribes to that belief.

In the museum, we learned that the appalling system of segregation didn't end until 1991. We learned about the forced removals of families from their homes and the separate townships built hold different races. We learned about the Pass Laws, which forced people to carry identification so the police could monitor and restrict their movements. And we learned about the Sharpeville Massacre (which happened at a protest against the Pass Laws) and the Soweto Uprising (to oppose the teaching of children in Afrikaans). But we also learned about people like Mandela, Biko, and Sisulu and organizations like the ANC. It was a very emotional and educational few hours.


After we left the museum, it was time for Nate to catch his bus to the airport. We said goodbye and he hitched his ride. He headed home to the US to stay, for the first time in 4 years, and Matt and I were back to the original two travelers again.

That afternoon, Matt had a rest while took care of some last minute trip chores. I spent about an hour in the sun, trying to get the tan I knew people at home would expect and then showered before heading out. I walked quite a distance to a large market where I bought the souvenirs that I had been wanting throughout the trip (having to carry every bracelet and trinket on my back really restricted my souvenir purchases :). I took a taxi back to the hostel that evening and Matt and I had dinner before re-packing our bags (in the dark because of a planned power outage) for the final time and hitting the hay.

The following morning, we were up early for our tour of Soweto, or the south western townships of Johannesburg (to learn more about the famous area, please visit the Wiki article here). These were constructed during Apartheid to house the black population of the city but were not well-known outside of SA until the Soweto Uprising in 1976. As we drove around the area, our guide educated us on the different forms of housing and the evolution of the area into the 21st Century. We stopped at various landmarks like Nelson Mandela's and Desmond Tutu's former homes as well as visiting the Hector Pietersen Memorial Museum and the Regina Mundi Catholic Church. Pietersen was 13 when he was killed during the Soweto Uprising and his name has become synonymous with tragedy.



On June 16th, 1976, a large group of students set out to march in protest of the recent decision to mandate the teaching of children in Afrikaans. The students didn't speak the language and wanted instead to be taught in their native languages. During the protest, unrest mounted and eventually shots broke out. One of the first casualties was young Hector Pietersen who became a martyr to the cause. Afterwards, as his picture circulated throughout the press around the world, it garnered support against the Apartheid government.


After our tour of Soweto, we were taken back to the backpackers where we grabbed our bags and hopped on a bus. In a half hour, we were at the Johannesburg airport. We had to wait several hours there, sending postcards and reading books, before our flight left. It was a 19 hour flight with a long fuel layover in Dakar, Senegal where we weren't allowed to exit the plane. Early the next morning, we were excited to find ourselves in Washington DC, and one puddle jumper later, we were picked up in Philadelphia.

We were finally home.


The pictures in this post are: the South African Bill of Rights, barbed wire with newer and older homes in Soweto, the Madonna and Child at the Regina Mundi Church, and the famed picture of Hector Pietersen.

Nelspruit & Kruger National Park

I don't remember where this event happened, but if you have a few seconds to waste, check out this video.

On April 12th, Matt and I arrived in Nelspruit, realizing that it was one of the last times we'd fly before coming home. Every moment then, being so close to the end of our trip, was full of anticipation about what we had left to see in Africa, about making sure to do everything we had hoped, and about looking forward to hugging our family and friends again.

We arrived at our backpackers in the afternoon and after checking in, headed out into the town to find Nathan who had arrived by bus. We located him without much trouble and poked around the rather empty streets of Nelspruit looking for a bite to eat. Eventually, we relented and stopped for fast food at a gas station. After eating, I inquired if there was an internet café anywhere nearby. The kind lady behind the counter informed me that there weren't any nearby that were open. There was one we could walk to, but it was quite a distance and we were carrying Nate's gear (from 6 months in Zambia) and the city wasn't the safest for walking anyway. The lady even offered us the computer in the gas station office.

I told her she was very kind, but we couldn't intrude on her like that. Anyway, the three of us wanted to each spend about an hour on a computer. I told her that we decided to walk, and without hesitating, she asked her husband to mind the register while she drove the three of us, plus gear, to the internet café at the mall. It was such a nice gesture from a stranger and Nate, Matt and I showered her with thanks and compliments on the short drive.

After our internet time, we grabbed some groceries and hired a taxi to take us to the backpackers where we concocted a lovely pasta dinner then met some American students who were studying abroad. The following day was our day to relax; to get laundry done, to phone Johannesburg and formuate plans there, and to recoup and prepare for the last few days of our trip. Also, we had been bumped up to a fancy room because the students were occupying all the dorm beds, so our room had its own radio, a little kitchen and a bathtub! It was a lovely place to relax, and the hostel had lush, green landscaping and an aviary to check out. That evening, we made another yummy dinner and watched a movie in the main/lobby room over a glass of wine.

The next morning, Matt, Nate and I were up before the sun, piling into a van with our guide, Dave, to go explore Kruger National Park. We had to leave before dawn because the park opened at 6am and it was important to maximize our time there. It has "more species of mammals than any other African Game Reserve" (Wiki) and it's known that if you're only going to Africa briefly for a safari, that's the place to go. So, I'm going to give you a brief rundown of our day. We spent the majority of the time driving around (you're forbidden to exit your vehicle) so the interesting parts of the day are animals. I will refer to them by their collective nouns when there were more than one. And throughout the day, we saw the red and yellow-billed hornbills which might not sound familiar, but if you remember Zazoo from the Lion King, then you know who I'm talking about.


The first animal of consequence we saw was a leopard who just strode across the asphalt in front of our vehicle. We took his/her presence as a good sign since they're rather unusual to see. Shortly afterward, Dave spotted rhinos in the distance and we used the binoculars to find a crash of 9 white rhinos foraging together. After driving a bit more, we spotted a journey of giraffes and made a point of calling our friend, Suzanne, who wanted to come just to see giraffes, but was unable to join us.


Then, while we were driving, we slowly came upon a clan of hyenas. There were about 6 of them, adults and children, napping on both sides of the road. They were fascinating to see and they came very close to the van. After that, we saw a dazzle of zebra moving around in a haphazard fashion. When we slowed down to see what they were reacting to, we noticed a leopard sneaking around and trying to separate one from the group. After the excitement of the hunt, ahem, I mean, watching the hunt from the van, we headed to a rest camp where we stopped for breakfast.


Brekky was a great opportunity to caffeinate and check out the resident bats before hopping back in the van to spot as many animals as possible while the sun was still low in the sky. The first interesting beast we came across was a large martial eagle, in the crook of a branch, shredding the body of a monitor lizard. We watched in awe as it destroyed its prey before we moved on. Next, Dave spotted a Cape buffalo at the edge of the reeds by a junction of two rivers. Then finally, it was time for a light lunch and a break from the hot afternoon, but not before stopping with a group of vehicle to watch crocodiles and hippos near a large watering hole.



A few hours later, after reading a substantial portion of my book and having a shower, I joined Matt and Nate and we headed out with a large group of people and some park staff for a night drive. We didn't see many animals, and after it got dark the spotlights didn't help much. Everything was mediocre until we saw a leopard. We watched it step around the area until it found a nice spot and laid down. We must have stopped for fifteen minutes just watching that leopard relax. It was our miraculous third leopard of the day. Then we headed back to the rest camp where Dave had prepared a braai (barbeque). The four of us made quick work of meat, potatoes, corn and veggies before bed.


The following morning, we were all up before the sun (again). After eating a little breakfast, and waiting for the 6am park-entry gate to open, we were exploring again. And the first animal of consequence that we saw, that walked right across the road in front of us, was a leopard. Another leopard. Our fourth in two days.

A few moments later, and farther down the road, there were several vehicles gathered and when we came upon them we realized what they were looking at a male lion. After he disappeared into the bushes, a female lion appearred. The pair of them were trying to find an impala breakfast. We watched the lions interact with one another and walk on the road between the vehicles. When the female came nearby (video here), we realized she was blind in one eye. After we left the lions, we headed towards the exit from the park. On our way out, we spotted a ground hornbill (huge red & black bird), a couple of steenboks (my favorite), a duiker (another small antelope), and a few crowds of baboons and impalas sunning themselves together.


When we left the park, we drove for a bit and checked out some of the natural sights in the area. We saw a small but gorgeous waterfall, God's Window (a scenic viewpoint which was obscured by fog), and the potholes, which were cylindrical voids carved out of the rocks by the circular scouring motion of the passing river. But the most stunning sight we saw was Blyde River Canyon; the largest "green canyon" in the world. Now, I will admit, our day was a speedy run-through of the sights, but I think all three of us loved the time we spent at Blyde River Canyon, scrambling over the rocks with the lizards. And I can try to explain how incredibly deep the canyon was, or how verdant, or how breathtaking was the view, but it can't convey the beauty. I'll put in the picture to give you a better idea.



After our fun jaunt in the out-of-doors, we had some pancakes for lunch and headed back to the hostel for the evening.


The pictures in this post are: a yellow-billed hornbill (Zazoo), a white rhino, a hyena, the martial eagle with his food in this claw, a Cape buffalo, our lazy leopard, my steenbok, the potholes, and Blyde River Canyon.

Durban, Underberg, and Lesotho

On April 3rd, I disembarked from the plane in Durban and I was thrilled. I hadn't seen my friends from Peace Corps, Nate and Justin, for 9 months and over a year, respectively. Justin had been in a village outside of Durban, volunteering with Peace Corps South Africa, and Nate had been working with the Crisis Corps in Zambia.

When we arrived, Matt and I checked in to the backpackers then headed in to the town center. We showed up at a designated place at a designated time, and there was Nathan's smiling self, walking down the sidewalk towards us. The three of us explored the bustling city for a bit, then grabbed some groceries and headed back to the hostel where we concocted a dinner. Later in the evening, Suzanne, a friend of Justin's from AmeriCorps, arrived and we all became quick friends.


The following morning, Matt had some internet time while Suzanne, Nate, and I took a walk down the beach and explored Durban's coast, picking up shells and cooling our toes in the water. With the aid of cellphones, the three of us linked up with Matt at lunchtime and Justin, the VIP, finally arrived. After a long lunch and some catching up time, we explored the town further and stopped at the BAT Centre to soak up some community atmosphere and admire local art.

Afterwards, when we stopped to procure some groceries, we ran into the other girls coming to hang out in Durban. Jaime, Monica, and Kristen headed back to the hostel with us and we all got to know each other while cooking and eating dinner. After dinner and a glass of wine (or two) we all headed out on the town to spend the night chatting, drinking, and dancing.

The following day, we all explored busy, family-oriented uShaka Marine World nearby and hung out at the beach, putting in a few minutes of surfing. After some snacking, we all headed home and prepared another massive group dinner. That evening, we went out again and had another great time.

The next day the crew was a bit lethargic and we weren't able to round up all the troops until late in the day. Finally, we all headed out to the lush Durban Botanical Gardens where we listened to a popular, local band play as we explored the premises. The climate in Durban must be unusually hospitable because we saw flora in the gardens from all over the world. We poked the cacti, smelled the flowers and tasted the herbs in the "garden of the senses" and swung on some hanging roots from a banyan tree before heading out.

After our lovely garden stroll, we had lunch/dinner at an Indian restaurant where Matt and I ordered for everyone. It was a fun chance to try out our new knowledge of Indian cuisine and I think everyone enjoyed our selections. After dinner, we went out to a movie before returning and coordinating plans for the following day.

The next morning, we bid a fond farewell to most of the group while Matt, Nate, Suzanne and I headed out on a shuttle to the Sani Lodge in Underberg. The trip took most of the day and after we arrived, we ate dinner and formulated a schedule for the upcoming days.

The following morning, the four of us woke up and ate a hearty breakfast before heading out on a hike. The 5 hour hike took us up to some great viewpoints, over hills and across dales until we finally scrambled down to a river valley. By the time we arrived, we had been hiking for a couple of hours and the deep pool that we came upon provided too much temptation for us all to ignore.



After repeatedly leaping off of tall rocks into the welcoming but frigid waters, we dried out in the sun while eating our lunch. The rest of the hike followed the river for several miles past waterfalls, and tiny tributaries guarded by grassy hills. Eventually, we reached a gravel road which took us back to the lodge. That evening, we read, ate and packed up our bags for an overnight trip. Matt, Nate and I were up and fed early the next day and the three of us piled into a Land Rover with our fearless guide, Matthew, to head up the Sani Pass.

The Kingdom of Lesotho is formed of a massive plateau which towers above and inside of South Africa and it has the highest low point (got that?) of any country in the world. In the areas we visited, people sustained themselves by farming crops and animals. The land was very rocky and mountainous and many of the shepherds lived a nomadic lifestyle.


After the treacherous drive up Sani Pass, we drove about two more hours into the country, meanwhile learning from our guide about the Drackensberg mountains and the country of Lesotho. We were thrilled when we arrived at the home where we would spend the night. The family we stayed with were very caring and they lived in a beautiful spot beside a stream with a large yard and many fruit trees.


After we arrived, we were taken for a walk up into surrounding the village. First, we stopped at the healer's "office" where we learned about traditional herbal remedies and had our fortunes told. Then we walked by several homes until we reached a rondavel (cylindrical stone house with a straw roof) where we learned from a group of community women all about local crafts and songs for celebrations. Finally, we headed back to the house at dusk for a delicious dinner (no utensils please!) and bed.



The following morning after breakfast, we headed up the hill to visit the grade school where we did a lot of handshaking with eager kids then chatted with the teachers before classes began. We stood at the front of the eldest group of students and they asked us all sorts of questions like where were we from and how old were we, and do we have children. The chance to interact with the kids was great and I think both sides gained from it.


We left the school on horseback. What fun! I haven't ridden in ages and it was a blast to spend a couple of hours in the saddle. And the steep, gravel-covered mountainside paths definitely added to the excitement. After riding, we headed back towards Sani Pass in the truck, stopping first at the highest pub on the continent. When we arrived home we found that Suzanne was still around and had a nice chance to catch up on each others activities over the previous few days. Then it was time for dinner, and finally bed!



The next morning, we packed up all of our gear and headed back to Durban.


The pictures in this blog post are: Durban, the river valley viewed during the hike, the river, angora goats at the shearing building, little friends from the village, rondavels, the night sky including the Southern Cross, Nate at school, me riding and me helping to shear a goat.