Part Ten - Zanzibar, Tanzania

Location: Zanzibar, 80km from the east coast of Africa
Languages: Swahili
Population: 1 070 000
Prices: Accommodation expensive, otherwise cheap
Attractions: The beaches, Stone Village
Info: A large semi autonomous island 80km off the coast of Tanzania. Eastern side is a very popular and touristy beach resort, while the northern and eastern areas are still quite unspoiled albeit a few backpacker lodges.
SA Recommends: Northern Zanzibar (not so many tourists, perfect beaches)

12.12.12 23:30 GMT+3

Our trip from Mbeya to Dar was unimaginably exhausting, yet the travelling part wasn't over. Our goal was to reach Zanzibar during the day, which we were (surprisingly enough) able to accomplish. We took a ferry from Dar to Zanzibar without problems (it was an hour late, but I guess here it's just kind of a given), we even managed to catch some sleep aboard the ferry.

From the harbour it was supposed to be an hour drive to our destination. That most definitely would've been too much to ask, so we weren't even surprised when we ran into some engine trouble and had a flat tyre on the road... TIA. After couple of hours in a minibus, we finally arrived to the northern end of the island. Zanzibar seems quite a nice place. It's a mixture of religions and cultures, all living in coexistence and harmony. Architecture is nice and the narrow streets give the cities a unique look.

After spending the last 3 days on buses, minibuses, taxies and a ferry, anywhere would feel like the best place on earth. But it doesn't hurt that we're in Zanzibar. Perfect white beaches with sunbathing girls, refreshing ocean breeze, beautiful palm trees, the most delicious fresh fruits you can find, cold drinks... Not even the daily power failures are going to ruin my mood. This is how it should always be. This is serenity. This is Zanzibar.

Over 6000km from Cape Town, we finally reached our final destination. We found ourselves a nice room near to the beach and for the next week, I ain't going to lift a finger. That includes this blog. I'm going to let the pictures do the talking.

Zanzibar over and out.

Next Destination: Tampere, Finland

Part Nine - Mbeya -> Dar Es Salaam

Trip: Mbeya, Tanzania - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Distance: 800km
SA Recommends: Take the train if possible

10.12.12 22:45 GMT+3

Our arrival to Mbeya was quite interesting. We were only planning on staying there one night before taking the train, so we didn't really do any research on the place. We didn't even have a name of a hostel/lodge in mind. We only found out on the bus to Mbeya, that it is actually a huge city, which made us kind of nervous, we were expecting a small town where everyone knows the few backpacker lodges the town has to offer by name and where you can walk all the distances. Turns out it's a city of 2 million people, where no one speaks English.

Luckily there was a really friendly local guy Issa in the bus, who spoke a few words of English and took us to a bead and breakfast and functioned as our interpreter since the owner didn't seem to speak English one bit. The cool thing about our new Tanzanian friend was that he didn't seem to be in it for the money like 90% of the helpful Samaritans you meet in Africa. We even shared a meal with Issa afterwards and even though our communication wasn't working seamlessly, he turned out to be really good hearted person.

The place where we ended up is also quite interesting. It is the only hostel we've been to so far, where there are no tourists whatsoever, only locals (excluding us). It wasn't very glorious, but it was cheap and there was a bed so it qualified for us.
Knowing how "well" the Malawian public transportation network works, we were expecting to spend at least two days on the trip from Nkhata Bay to the border and from the border to Mbeya, instead we arrived there on the Monday evening already. Our original plan was to catch a train from Mbeya to Dar on Wednesday but since we were so much ahead of our schedule, we decided rather to try our luck with the bus. We heard that the train might take two days to reach Dar and the bus should only take 12 hours so we might save a couple of days by taking the bus.

12.12.12 23:30 GMT+3

I've sat about 8000km in African buses during this trip so far, so I thought I had seen it all. Another 800km in a Tanzanian bus should be a piece of cake...
Or so we thought. Well, it was our last bus ride on this journey so I guess it would've been kind of boring if it hadn't turned out as infernal and unforgettable as it did.

If we thought the bus ride from Lilongwe to Nkhata Bay was a pain in the ass, we knew even less than nothing.

The bus was supposed to leave at 11:00 yet the bus was nowhere to be seen. Even the guy selling the tickets seemed kind of jumpy, since he wasn't able to get through to the drivers cell phone. Half an hour later the bus arrived and we rushed into the bus. Even though the bus was already 30 minutes late, the driver decided to wait for more customers, hour and a half later we finally left the station. Well, it was kind of a tradition in these African buses, that we had already eaten all our food and drank hald our water before the bus started to move, kind of like how in movies you always eat all the popcorns during the previews.

According to the schedule the bus was supposed to arrive to Dar Es Salaam around 23:00, but we knew that African buses tend to be few hours late, so we weren't really worried... Until around 17 o'clock (the supposed half way point) we saw a road sign saying "Dar Es Salaam 507km". We made a bet about when we would arrive in Dar Es Salaam. Our legs and backs were extremely sore because of the seats and nonexistent leg room. I  jokingly suggested we wouldn't arrive until five in the morning, turns out, I missed by three hours.

Dar, Finally

Around 8:00 the next day, after we had been sitting in the bus for more than 20 hours, we finally arrived to our destination, 9 hours late. I was able to fall a sleep for a few times, but only for a few minutes and I could barely keep my eyes open. But it was morning, so we decided to head straight to Zanzibar. We were only planning on staying in Dar for the night anyways and the night was over.

Next Destination: Zanzibar, Tanzania

Part Eight - Nkhata Bay, Malawi

Location: Nkhata Bay, Northern Malawi, eastern Africa
Languages: English, Tonga
Population: 15000
Prices: Cheap! Except petrol
Attractions: Lake Malawi, Mayoka Village
Info: Popular 'backpacker-paradise' on the northeastern shore of Lake Malawi
SA Recommends:
Mayoka Village (Nice place to meet other travelers. Though better to stay clear, if you're looking for a quiet place)

 8.12.12 17:30 GMT+1

If we thought the bus trip from Lilongwe to Monkey Bay was a pain in the ass, we knew nothing. I've never seen bus so overbooked. The seats were all full, some had more than one person sitting on them and the isle was packed as well, at least there were no chickens. We came to the bus a bit late, so we had to stand for the first four hours. After we finally arrived to our first stop Lilongwe, we were simply too exhausted to continue to Mzuzu and we decided to sleep one night in Lilongwe and go for the morning bus to Nkhata Bay instead. At this point our German friend unfortunately had to part ways with us as he left to Mozambique (Somehow we seem to attract Germans though, during our resting stop in Lilongwe we met a German couple who joined us for our trip to Nkhata Bay) so it was just the two of us Finns again.
After another uncomfortable 12 hours in a bus, we finally arrived to Nkhata Bay and just like in Cape Maclear it felt amazing to leave hectic Lilongwe behind and step out of the infernal Malawian national bus and relax at Lake Malawi. Again, we only traveled about 300km, but the local buses stop every fifteen minutes to buy vegetables from the street vendors and to drop people off and pick more up (which takes forever, since the buses are just ridiculously packed).

10.12.12 00:12 GMT+1

We thought that Nkhata Bay, Malawi would be one of the least well known and touristy targets along our route but we were wrong. Turns out Nkhata Bay is quite lively traveler commune with huge backpacker lodges right next to each other. We chose to stay in Mayoka Village, which was located right next to Lake Malawi. Sometimes I prefer to stay in more quiet and remote hostels, but every now and then it's nice to come to a place where you can swap stories with other travelers and maybe find some intel on your next destination. This was definitely one of those times and it was nice to meet a bunch of travelers with interesting stories from around the world. We even met three Finns (the last time I randomly encountered someone from Finland, was more than 3 months ago) who were doing quite respectable road trip from Nordkapp to Cape Town and had some quite interesting anecdotes from along the way. We also met couple of German guys, who were coming from Tanzania and gave us some tips about where to go in Zanzibar. Word of mouth is often the best source of information while traveling, since many of the African lodges/backpackers don't really have an internet presence and books aren't always helpful since things change around here a lot. After all we came to Mayoka village based on recommendations from other travelers we met in Zambia and Malawi.

We had a great time in Mayoka Village. But there isn't really a lot to write about. Much like in Cape Maclear, we spent our days doing absolutely minimum humanly possible (which, I reckon, is a really good way to have a great time). First day we spent mostly sleeping and recovering from yesterdays bus ride (as ridiculous as it may sound, sitting in a bus for a day really takes its toll on you) and since the climate in Nkhata Bay resembles Finnish sauna, we didn't have any energy for activities on our second day either (unless you count playing Bao, which at times can be quite exhausting for your brains).

Once again, would've been nice to stay longer, but our plan is to catch a train from Mbeya to Dar Es Salaam on Wednesday morning so we have to leave Mayoka Village the next morning. Number one thing I learned from this trip so far is to make a rough estimation of how much time you will need, and then double it. There's never enough time when traveling.

Next Destination: Mbeya, Tanzania

Part Seven - Cape Maclear, Malawi

Location: Cape Maclear, Southern Malawi, eastern Africa
Languages: English
Population: 1000-2000
Prices: Cheap! Except petrol
Attractions: Lake Malawi
Info: Probably the most beautiful place at Lake Malawi, near Monkey Bay. Slowly gaining more popularity amongst tourists and backpackers. Several nice lodges and hostels located inside a small African village, giving the place a unique feeling.
SA Recommends: Mufasa Lodge (cheap, peaceful, good food, beautiful scenery)

6.12 12:16 GMT+1

It was a struggle to get to Cape Maclear, but it was most definitely worth the horrible bus ride. The buses in Malawi really make you appreciate the public transportation system in Finland. This time it took 8 hours sitting in the bus to get to the Monkey Bay, even though it's only 250km (you have to get into the bus 2 hours before departure to secure yourself a seat, unless you really like standing in a bus). After arriving to Monkey Bay, we found out that the only ATM in the town does not work with our Visa-cards. Only option was to take a taxi to the nearest Standard Bank, which was half an hour away. Our streak of amazing luck continued and the next ATM was closed. Well, we had no other choises than to drive to the next ATM which didn't work with our cards either. Now the only option was to drive to the next city, Mangochi, where there should definitely be a working ATM. Our taxi driver was was getting the feeling we might not be able to pay the ride so he was getting restless, and so were we.
Finally in Mangochi we find a working ATM, are able to pay the driver and head back towards Monkey Bay. As it turns out, taxi's are quite expensive in Malawi because of the petrol shortage which is why all the petrol is sold in black market. But we don't care, we are at Cape Maclear and our expensive nightmare is finally over. We arrive to our destination only to find out that the lodge we were supposed to stay in is no more and in its place, there's a Mufasa lodge. I didn't have the best experience with the Mufasa lodge in Lilongwe but we decided to stay there regardless and we are lucky we did. We couldn't have hoped for a better place to stay and relax in.

The next couple of days were extremely uneventful, which was exactly what I wanted. We spent our days eating, sleeping, chilling at the beach, reading books in a hammock and playing local extremely addictive board game, Bao.

On our third day we ran out of money again, even though everything was extremely reasonably priced. We decided it would be too much of a hassle to go to Mangochi and come back to Cape Maclear again, so we cut our losses and decided to head straight back to Lilongwe. I was really sad to leave serene Cape Maclear and our wonderful host J, but there is still lot of places for us to see and it was time to move on.

Next Destination: Nkhata Bay

Part Six - Lilongwe, Malawi

Location: Lilongwe, Mid Malawi, eastern Africa
Languages: English
Population: 800 000
Prices: Cheap! (except petrol)
Attractions: Lilongwe wildlife center
Info: Lilongwe located in mid Malawi region, named after the river Lilongwe, is the capital and the largest city of Malawi. Lilongwe has a long history, since it started out as a small fishing village hundreds if not thousands of years ago. 1974 it was made the capital, despite Blantyre being the most developed and commercial city in Malawi.
SA Recommends: Get out of Lilongwe and go to Lake Malawi, as soon as possible. (Don't forget to withdraw enough cash, working ATMs are scarce in the more rural areas

2.12 13:54 GMT+1

Good morning Lilongwe! It's surreal for a Finn to think that it's December, yet sun is shining from almost cloudless sky, everything is green and the temperature is almost 30C. A lot of things are different here in Malawi. What catches your eye first as a European is of course the beautiful nature and the warm weather, but in truth, the things here are not that great for the locals. Economy is on a brink of a downfall while the nation struggles with lots of diseases and overpopulation. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Africa and the healthcare system is amongst one of the worst in the world. Local entrepreneurs (mostly farmers) struggle to get by and the multinational western companies only interested in harvesting profits are to be thanked for that. The local police seems to control the citizens quite eagerly, as on our 120km bus trip, we were pulled over three times. First of these stops led to a complete inspection of the vehicle and the identification documents of all passengers. Second time when we stopped for a police road block, our driver apparently got a bit impatient and slipped some money for the police, which granted us a free pass on the looming vehicle inspection this time.

There are some programs for improving things in Malawi and the healthcare is one of the things that have been improving lately, yet things don't look very promising as the economic downhill seems to be getting worse. Yet all of this hasn't managed to wipe off the smile from the faces of the people. Most of the people we meet during our first day, turn out to be as joyful and friendly as some of the Zambians we met, the small things in life are appreciated. Many Finns have made a job out of being depressed because of all their adversities. They love to complain how the free money they get from the government (for doing absolutely jack shit) is not enough, how our government is greedy and corrupt and how our healthcare is bad. All these Finns should definitely be shipped to Malawi for a three week intensive course to learn some life lessons from Malawians. Just to see how things are when they're actually bad and how to still enjoy life.

Our arrival to the capital city was quite interesting. It was the first city so far where a pack of aggressive and over enthusiastic taxi drivers didn't come to harass us immediately after we stepped out of the bus. We had to actually find a place to stay for our selves (usually the Taxi drivers always have a place in mind). The Austrian lady from Chipata said there's a nice and cheap place right next to the bus station, but it was nowhere to be seen. We ended up dragging our backpacks and walking around the city for about thirty minutes without any results, until we asked help from some local guys hanging around a gas station. Twenty minutes and 1000MK later we found ourselves in a lodge for backpackers.

For a hostel, our new place has quite an interesting business model. Music coming from the backyard bar was extremely loud which was alright at first, but when it kept going until the 5:30am, it started to get on my nerves. Usually offering a possibility to sleep is the only thing that the cheapest hostels offer, but here they didn't seem tho think it's a priority. I guess it would've been nice to join the fun and socialize with some other travelers, but after a long day with the taxi's, minibuses and border formalities, I just wanted to sleep. Luckily the morning here in Mufasa Lodge was silent and peaceful, which allowed us to catch at least couple of hours of sleep.

Our German friend who is still part of our exhibition for at least a few more days, has to figure out some visa-stuff in the embassy, so we're going to have to stick around for a couple of days in Lilongwe, even though my soul already longs to the paradisaical beaches along the Lake Malawi. But it's all fine since the food is good, people are nice and prices are cheap even here in the capital city and the backpackers we're staying at is quite comfortable, albeit being a bit too lively for my taste.

We had some discussions about our next destination, since two of us are heading north and one of us is heading south. We decided on Cape McClear, since our host from Chipata recommended it, saying it has the best beaches in Malawi.

Next Destination: Cape McClear, Malawi

Part Five - Chipata, Zambia

Location: Chipata, eastern Zambia near Malawi border
Languages: English, Nyanja
Population: 300 000
Prices: Services cheap, goods cheap or european prices
Attractions: South Luangwa National Park (125km out of the city)
Info: Chipata is an important gateway city for the traffic between Malawi and Zambia. Located near the border and good connections to the capitals of both countries. The nearby South Luangwa National Park also brings in some tourism during the high season.
SA Recommends:
 South Luangwa National Park,
Daves Hill View (best prices for accommodation. Peaceful and has the best view)

29.11 19:07 GMT+1

Once again a long and exhausting bus ride. Though I have to say, this was probably the most interesting bus ride I've ever had. First the bus was thirty minutes late so some local pastor started to preach via the incredibly loud PA-system that was about to burst our ears. After the preacher said 'amen' and my ears said 'thank you' we started heading towards Chipata. Even though we had half the leg room you get on Ryan Air planes and the bus was over booked as usual, the eight hour trip was surprisingly swift and fun. The scenery was spectacular the whole way, untouched nature acre after acre. Chipata is long way from Lusaka and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to notice that we're getting closer to the eastern coast. One of the first things that caught our ears when we got out of the bus, was the Islamic call to prayer from a nearby minaret.

Chipata is a town of 300 000 people, but it's quite relaxed, peaceful and definitely a refreshing change after dusty and chaotic Lusaka. Our taxi driver tried to convince us that he knows a nice cheap place for travelers like us and took us to some really expensive BnB of his friends. Luckily he caved in in the end and brought us to this three times cheaper traveler commune. It's off season in Chipata this time of the year, so we were the only backpackers in our accommodation. Couldn't see many tourists in the Town either and that's exactly the way I like it, serene. Our place is on a hill few kilometers from the center with a nice view over the whole town. You really can't beat sitting on a porch, belly full of nshima, watching the moon rise from behind the mountains near Chipata while listening to really catchy tunes sung by some African family in our neighborhood. And in the morning we were of course woken up by a rooster. Being away from everything I know feels so good. I have never before felt as
comfortable as I feel now that I got out of my 'comfort zone'.

30.11 23:57 GMT+1

Today we went to Mfuwe, a small village of five thousand located inside South Luangwa National Park known for its abundance of wildlife and beautiful nature. In the village, our driver brings us to a luxurious lodge full of rich middle aged safari hat and khaki vest wearing tourists, not really our scene, but luckily the lodge offers some safaris. After all what would a trip across African continent be without at least one safari. We head out to the national park with a couple of local guides and manage to see tons of different animals, I'll never get tired of seeing elephants. People saying South Luangwas nature is rich, aren't exaggerating, we saw elephants, zebras, impalas, a buffalo, a giraffe, a porcupine, a hyena... and the list goes on. We were expecting to have to stay in Mfuwe for one night, but all we could find was these luxurious tourist lodges, so we were extremely happy to hear that our man Mwansa, can take us back to Chipata in the evening. The car ride back was an adventure of its own since the african roads get quite chaotic during the night, but we got home safe and sound and saved a lot of time we otherwise would've spent struggling with transportation. Now we can head to our next destination day earlier than expected.

Back at our place we met an old Austrian lady, who had sold all her belongings couple of years back and plans on living the rest of her live as a nomad. She had spent a year in India and was now traveling around Africa. She gave some amazing insights about Tanzania and Malawi, which is where were heading next.  Zambia has been treating us extremely well, but regardless I'm extremely excited about going to Malawi, the first country on our tour where I've never been before. Urban legend says that everyone entering Malawi, will get either malaria or yellow fever, but the picture perfect beaches at Lake Malawi make it a risk worth taking.

Next destination: Lilongwe, Malawi

Part Four - Lusaka, Zambia

Location: Lusaka, mid-Zambia
Languages: English, Nyanja, Bemba
Population: 1 750 000
Prices: Services and gas cheap, goods, european prices or more expensive
Attractions: Soweto Market, The National Museum, Munda Wanga Environmental Park 
Info: The capital and the largest city of Zambia with almost 2 million citizens. Lusaka was an old tribal village, which European settlers later expanded into a city. It was chosen as the capital of colonized Northern Rhodesia and after Zambia gained independence it kept its status as the capital city.
SA Recommends: Lusaka Backpackers (dorm room, breakfast, electricity and internet for under 10€/night)

26.11 17:02 GMT+1

We arrive to the Lusaka bus station late in the afternoon and the difference between the chill and serene Livingstone and Lusaka could not have been bigger. The bus station is very hectic and the first taxi drivers try to sell their services to us before our bus has even stopped moving. Streets are full of people, but I don't see any other whites, which is not new for someone traveling in Africa, but the pointing/shouting/staring we get is more intense than anywhere I've ever been before. Everywhere you see mountains of garbage, since the local perception of recycling and waste management greatly differ from the European...

The Zambian laid back attitude and chaos of the city with 1,7 million in it, create quite an interesting combination. The traffic is slow as the streets are packed, yet nobody seems to mind or be in a hurry. Our taxi trip from the bus station to our hostel takes about as long as it would've taken by foot, but since the taxi drivers prove to be super friendly (like pretty much every Zambian we've encountered) it's definitely worth the money. Taxi drivers here seem to often give good insights on the country. You don't even really have to read any local newspapers if you just initiate conversations with your taxi drivers.

Lusaka is quite busy and stressful for my taste and even though it's a nice city, I'm already looking forward to going to the more rural and peaceful Chipata near the east border of the country. Lusaka apparently has a reputation as a city with one of the highest crime rates in Africa, and while we haven't (yet) encountered any crime, the city certainly seems quite unsafe. The Zambians are generally really polite and friendly, but the unemployment and poverty rates in Lusaka are very high which always will lead to higher crime rates. The state of affairs in Lusaka is highly unfortunate. Like in many African cities life of crime isn't really a choice, it's just a way to survive for the less privileged, the real problems lie elsewhere.

28.11.12:09 GMT+1

Our original plan was to first head up to Chingola, a city near the (Democratic Republic of) Congo border to meet our local contact, but due to lack of time we unfortunately had to skip that part and now our plan is to travel straight to east. We never really had a fixed schedule, but we do have nonrefundable tickets for a flight leaving from Dar Es Salam on the 21st of December. So we have to move forwards, as much as I'd love to stay here forever and see everything.

The warmness of the weather and people in Zambia have been treating us extremely well and Zambia still remains as my favorite country I've ever been to. We've pretty much gotten used to the almost constant raining, but it's still nice to know, that the eastern Zambia where we're heading next, is supposed to be very dry and sunny, even during the rainy season.

Next destination: Chipata, Zambia

Part Three - Livingstone, Zambia

Location: Livingstone, southwest Zambia
Languages: English
Population: 140 000
Prices: Services and gas cheap, goods, European prices or more expensive
Attractions: Victoria falls, Livingstone Museum, Game Safaris
Info: Livingstone, named after Scottish explorer David Livingstone was founded by the British Empire near the biggest tribal village in the region, Mukuni. It's still a major tourist attraction due to the world famous Victoria Falls located few kilometers out of the city.
SA Recommends:
Victoria falls (Spectacular scenery)
Local Market (Unique atmosphere, and you'll find fruits to try that you've never even heard of)

A: Cape town, B: Windhoek, C: Livingstone

24.11 0:19 GMT+1

After another long and exhausting bus journey we arrive to the town of Livingstone. The Zambian laid back attitude is already visible at the border post, where things are about as informal as possible. The friendliness and hospitality of Zambian never ceases to amaze me. And because everybody speaks really good English, traveler feels instantly welcome. We dump our backpacks to our hostel and go for some local food. I had lots of Nshima and local relish on my last visit to town, so I ordered an item called "chicken in a basket" from the menu. Needless to say I was surprised when it turned out to be quite literal description: 15 minutes later, I'm presented with a whole roasted and spiced chicken, in a basket.

As pleased as my mouth was with the chicken, my stomach and bowels didn't exactly agree and the next  two days and nights were pure agony. The incredible heat and humidity in Livingstone did not help with the sweating and sickness, but only an idiot would pass up on seeing the Victoria Falls especially since we were so close, so I had to power through. The magnificence of the largest waterfalls in the world certainly managed to save my otherwise quite uncomfortable day, even if I had to run to the bathroom every thirty minutes. The falls just as awesome as the last time I saw them, probably my favorite place in the world scenery-wise. I was hugely disappointed that I didn't get to see much of the city like last time, but seeing the falls pretty much made up for it.

During my last visit, I really enjoyed Livingstone and I had one of the greatest traveling experiences of my life and this visit didn't change my view of the town, even though my experience wasn't as great as last time. Tomorrow morning we'll travel to our next destination, Lusaka, which is the first city on our route where I've never been before. So the trip is definitely getting more exciting for me.

Next destination: Lusaka, Zambia

Part Two - Windhoek, Namibia

Location: Windhoek, In the middle of Namibia: Khomas Region
Languages: English, Afrikaans, Oshiwambo
Population: 322 500
Prices: Services and gas are cheap, accommodation and goods on European price level
Attractions: Joe's Beerhouse, Heinitzburg castle, Christuskirche, National Gallery of Namibia
Info: Capital city of Namibia, Windhoek was founded by Jonker Afrikaner on 1840. Later came the Germans who settled around the area, which is why Windhoek still has a prominent German presence. Dry air and relatively high altitude (1700m) make nosebleeds common for all the newcomers. Most of the Namibian tourist attractions are located far away from the capital city, yet it still offers a lot to see for an open minded traveler.
SA Recommends: 
Stellenbosch Wine Bar and Bistro (Nice restaurant albeit a bit posh, steaks so fine you can eat them practically raw. ),
Otjikaendu Den (delicious and authentic African dining experience, and you'll most definitely be the only tourist),
Fusion Restaurant (Family owned restaurant offering traditional African food)

17.11 8:27 GMT+1

After a sleepless night in a bus (which turned out to be almost two hours late, TIA) we're safely in Windhoek. It's early in the morning, yet the sun is shining brightly and temperature is almost 30 degrees and my sidekick Timo looks like a Milky Bar left in the sun for too long. Nothing has changed since my departure earlier this year, but I'm still as excited as ever. For me Windhoek is the closest thing to a home in Africa so coming back feels comforting. Taxi drivers greet us with unparalleled enthusiasm, which makes you feel like a celebrity for about ten seconds, after which the continuous harassing and sleeve pulling starts to remind you of a Mid-Eastern marketplace. But that's how it works in Windhoek. The absolutely horrendous public transportation network is replaced with gazillions of taxi's, that will take you anywhere in the city with maximum 18N$ (~1,8€) which is quite sweet deal, even if uninformed tourists will most likely always pay the maximum price. Sometimes the constant honking and shouting of the cab drivers will make you mad, but today the heat and our humongous backpacks make the wave of taxi drivers a welcomed sight.

20.11 8:27 GMT+1

The first things that really catch your eye in Windhoek are the traces of German colonization. Everything, from streets named after German composers, to churches that look like they were teleported here from late 1800:s Europe, make Windhoek seem very German at first. However anyone who spends in Windhoek more than a couple of days, will realize that the very kraut-y exterior hides inside lots of original African culture. One only has to take a 9N$ (90 euro cents) taxi ride north from the city center and all the signs of Namibia's black, red and golden big brother have vanished, except for the Volkswagens favored by the cab drivers.

1962 the imperialists in charge of Windhoek, in their unceasing wisdom, exiled the African population to a township few kilometers north of town and Katutura (Herero for "The place where we do not want to live in") was born. Apartheid is long gone, but the saddening crime, alcoholism and poverty stricken shantytown is larger than ever. Nowadays the conditions in Katutura are considerably better than 50 years ago, still it only takes a short tour around the township to make even the most spoiled Euro-hick to understand how privileged we are without even realizing it. During my last visit, through some friends in right places, I was offered the opportunity to visit a Katuturan orphanage, which forced even me (not the most soft hearted person in the world admittedly) to make promises to my future self about filling out some adoption papers. Like everywhere else, the hope of Katutura lies on the shoulders of the children. Education in Namibia is slowly getting better and better and the openheartedness and ability to enjoy the small things is something first world children might learn from children in Katutura. Unfortunately like in many African countries, poverty drives many less privileged kids to alcoholism and the better educated go straight to Europe or RSA, rather than stay in their countries to build a better future.

Katutura is definitely a must see for everyone visiting Windhoek. In addition to getting an eye opening first hand look of whats happening on the wrong side of the tracks, you find many opportunities to experience one of the most 'Namibian' things: meat and braaing (barbequing). Namibian nature offers amazing variety of game for all your culinary needs and since all the animals get to roam around freely their whole lives, even the more environmentally aware can enjoy the meat without losing their night sleep. Namibia is mostly dry and rough land, unusable for cultivation, so no wonder majority of the Namibian food pie consists of meat. Even though there is no chance any of the local meat markets would pass any standard western health inspection, the meat from a Katuturan braai (usually an old oil barrel cut vertically in half) is absolutely mouthwatering. As of Tuesday, I've had four dinners, three of which came straight from a braai.

22.11 22:40 GMT+1

Somehow the Windhoek-curse struck again and I've been bedridden by the flu for the past couple of days. Maybe it's a blessing to be sick now, since I was already quite familiar with Windhoek. Better to miss some action down here, than somewhere where I've never been before. Regardless of my unluckiness with the old !Xu, the last few days in Windhoek have been very relaxing and it's time to set our eyes on the future. Our networking in the area turned out fruitful: we found a German traveler to join us to our next destination and our somewhat dynamic Finnish duo has transformed into three international musketeers. Tomorrow 3 in the afternoon we begin a bus trip towards northeast, where one of the seven natural world wonders, Victoria Falls, awaits us.


Next destination: Livingstone, Zambia

Part One - Cape Town, South Africa

Location: Cape Town (Western Cape, southwestern region of Republic of South Africa)
Languages: English, Afrikaans, Xhosa
Population: 827 000
Prices: Slightly cheaper than Europe
Attractions: Table Mountain, V&A Waterfront, Long Street, Clifton, Shark Cage Diving, Robben Island
Info: Cape Town is one of the biggest cities in South Africa. Perfect natural harbor once made it one of the most prominent trading cities in southern hemisphere and "Mother city" has still maintained its status as one of the liveliest cities in Africa. The "clean up" during 2010 Football world championship games made the city much more tourist friendly than its South African competitors Durban and Johannesburg.
SA Recommends: Long Street Backpackers (12€/night, right in the city center, relaxed atmosphere), Table Mountain (one of the seven natural world wonders, absolutely breathtaking scenery)

14.11 0:19 GMT+1

Tomorrow, I'll be picking up my faithful sidekick from the airport and our trip can officially begin. But since we won't be spending more than a couple of days here, it's time to write this extremely uneventful entry, sharing some of my views about the Mother city.

For someone who has seen a bit more Africa, at first Cape Town feels like a European perception of Africa in a nutshell for tourists. Market squares, craft centers and shopping malls are filled with mass produced merchandise representing the continent as a whole and the pap served in restaurants is drowned in chili sauce. Because that's how we westerners prefer to perceive Africa: as one country with one culture, easily digestible version. Americans who booked their room in a five star hotel in Cape Town as a package deal with their business class flight tickets, can now bring home a West African drum as a souvenir and proudly declare, that they've seen Africa and they now know where the ivory for our towers come from. Then again who can name a modern city, which isn't ridden with commercialism these days. To think that African city can't be both, modern and traditional, is probably even more offensive and ignorant than to think that you haven't reached 'real Africa' until you see clay shacks, toothless prostitutes and naked heathens dancing around a tied up missionary about to be cooked for dinner.

Cape Town sure doesn't lack "original African culture" or history even though appearances might be deceiving. One of the most peculiar languages in the world, the click-language "Xhosa" (and other tribal languages) can still be heard in the streets on a daily basis. And despite the witch hunt conducted by the Dutch colonialist pigs, there are still original bushmen living in Cape Town, fighting for their rights, as apartheid unfortunately isn't over for everyone. The people who were denied higher education during the apartheid era, haven't magically been finding job hunting easier after the end of apartheid. The saddening class society still exists. Many Cape Towners are still reserved towards other races and prefer to hang out wit their own kind, which also makes it not as tourist friendly as some of the other African cities.

But every city has it's problems and there is no reason to say no to Cape Town and the best way to show that you care is to travel. Cape Town's spectacular scenery, intriguing history and the cultural  diversity, will most definitely make it worth checking out. Climbing up Table Mountain was one of the (if not the) most rewarding hiking experiences in my life. Cape Town might have ugly history, but today, Cape Town is definitely one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Cape Town also offers myriads of activities for people who do not like to stay still. There's shark cage diving, sky diving, bungee jumping to start with and the city is also well known for it's night life. Regardless, I couldn't
be more excited about leaving Cape Town and heading towards north. Now it's time to throw the laptop back into my bag and enjoy the night in Cape Town, chilling on a balcony with a view over Long Street, the never resting center of Cape Townian life, partying and culture.

As I'm writing this while my sidekick is still on his way here, I'm going to sign off the blog entry by quoting something that anonymous traveler saw fit to write on the wall next to me with a sharpie: "you're never alone with a schizophrenic".
Good Night.

Next destination: Windhoek, Namibia

Prologue

I am Jake, 23 year old student creepy unemployed guy from Finland whose passion is to see the world, meet new people and learn about different cultures. After volunteering more or less diligently for a few weeks in Cape Town, it's time to let my hair down and chilax. A week from now, I will leave my job in Cape Town, wait for one of my friends from Finland to join me and start likely mind blowing journey, towards north to Malawi and Tanzania.

Our travel route is not yet set in stone, but the plan is to start from Cape Town, travel via Windhoek (Namibia), Livingstone (Zambia), Lusaka (Zambia), Lilongwe (Malawi), Nkhata Bay (Malawi), Mwanza (Tanzania), Zanzibar (Tanzania) to finally Dar Es Salam, capital of Tanzania, from where our flight back to Finland departs around 6 weeks from now. Our goal is to not to take any commercial flights, but to only use local transportation to ensure that we experience and see as much of the African scenery and culture as possible. The whole journey is going to be around 6000 kilometers and take us through 5 countries in forty days.

I'm not sure how often we will have access to Internet, but I'll try to update this blog as often as humanly possible. I intend to write about  my personal experiences as well as provide useful information for possible future travelers and people who generally enjoy educating themselves about the world around them.