Our journey by the numbers

We're in the airport here in Siem Reap, Cambodia, about to board a plane and begin the final leg of our long journey home. After a daylong stopover in Seoul, Korea, we'll arrive in Seattle on Dec. 15th-- first time on American soil since we left for Swaziland back in June 2008. Are we excited? yes, very. Are we a little nervous? yep. Tired? uh huh.

Anyway, it hasn't been easy to update this blog since leaving Ethiopia, and I'm not prepared to attempt any narrative summary of travels-past at this late stage, so I'll not try. After all, we'll soon be seeing everyone in person. So instead, here's a numerical summary; a by-the-numbers look at our trip from Swaziland to this airport in Cambodia... we had some time on our hands while riding a bus yesterday and started counting things.

# of days on the road: 130

# of countries: 12 (including Korea; not including Bahrain 'cause we never left the airport)

# of different motels/guesthouses/hostels: 47

# of different campsites: 11

# of train rides: 6

# of boat rides: 19

# of (large) bus rides: 26

# of motorcycle rides: 2

# of taxi rides (we always try to avoid): 18

# of bicycle-rental days: 5

# of plane rides: 7 (including the 2 we're about to take)

# of packages mailed back to the USA: 8

# of times we got sick (combined): 6

# of sunglasses lost/broken: 5

# of islands visited: 16

# of bribes paid: 0

# of books read: 12 (6 each)

# of Hollywood movies viewed (in theater): 3

Gigabytes of photos taken: about 20

# of bottled-waters purchased (we always try to avoid): 1

# of transports shared with vomiting passengers: 5

# of times the vomiting passenger was one of us: 1

See you all very soon!!

heading to Cairo

It's our last day in Ethiopia-- been here nearly a month now-- and we are looking forward to Egypt. First stop: Cairo.

Exploring Ethiopia has been very challenging and rewarding. We stuck to what's commonly called the "northern circuit," visiting the towns of Bahir Dar, Gonder, Debark/Simien Mountains, Axum, Lalibela, and of course Addis Ababa. We did it using all public transport, and with mixed success. Sometimes trying to get a public bus or minibus proved really hard, other times it was easy.

Getting harrassed as a foreigner has been as commonplace as anywhere we've ever travelled (it's on the level of India), and that is a pretty big annoyance. But we've also met some great people and forgec genuine friendships. In fact, later today we'll visit the home of our new friends here in Addis, meet their kids, have a meal, etc.

More on Ethiopia later-- just wante to let you all know that we're headed on to Egypt now. New language, new foods, new sites and sounds and adventures...

Visa Talk: Current info on East African Country Visas

A word about the Sudan visa situation for us lucky Americans...

There's a lot of conflicting info circulating online about what's required and what things cost.  This is what we've learned firsthand (and it's been backed up by some other US passport holders in the past few days).  First of all, there is currently no cost difference between the transit visa and the single-entry tourist visa. I know-- that makes no sense.  But the Embassy made it clear, that is their current policy.  Secondly, the cost is USD$200 per visa.  I know-- outrageous; no comparison anywhere else in Africa that I'm aware of.  We've elected NOT to pay this fee, and are instead spending the money on a flight from Ethiopia straight to Cairo, foregoing Sudan altogether.  Which is a bummer, because we badly wanted to travel through Sudan... but not THAT bad.  But if you're planning on getting one here in Addis, here's what the Sudan Embassy (here in Addis) told us on Sept. 24th.  you'll need:

- 1 passport photo (but bring 2)

- copy of visa from your country of onward travel (if headed north, then they want to see your Egypt visa as evidence that you intend to move on)

-a photocopy of your passport (make it a nice color copy- don't give them any excuse)

- $200, US currency only

Notice that a "letter of introduction" was not mentioned to us, though it may come in handy while transiting through Sudan. I don't know. And also note that you will be expected to "register" once in Sudan proper, which involves a fee as well.  So if/when you get your visa, the fun is not over.

And a quick note about acquiring Egyptian visas here in Addis: there is a 15 day processing wait, and apparently no way around it for Americans. UK citizens, Aussies, and plenty of other Western country nationals can get this time down to just a few days, but there is nothing that the helpful Embassy staff can do for us Americans-- we simply must wait. Also, the Egypt visa fee at their Addis Embassy is the same low price you'll find at the airport: US$20.

Lastly, here's what we've experienced regarding Kenya and Tanzania visas for Americans.  Tanzania is crazy. each border post seems to give a different price and policy.  Most Americans are currently paying US$100 per visa at the borders-- a multiple entry extended stay document. In this scenario the border officials will insist that the US$50 single-entry visa is no longer available to Americans (because the US has made it especially hard for Tanzanians to enter into the US!).  At the airport, Americans have recently been paying US$100 as well, but we've heard a few sporadic reports of US$50 at the airport as well.  at Tanzanian Embassies abroad, the US$50 single-entry visa seems to be the standard (this is definitely true for the Maputo embassy).  What WE did at the Tanzanian border was this: we insisted on a US$30 transit Visa, which gave us 14 days.  But be warned: in Zanzibar they'll likely spot this and explain to you that, if you're visiting Zanz, you're not really "in transit."  At that point, simply play dumb and insist that you "upgrade" your transit visa to the regular single-entry visa for an additional US$20.  This way, you've avoided the US$100 nonsense.

In Kenya, the visa situation for Americans is also variable, depending upon which border post you happen to be crossing.  We crossed the Southern border, between Tanga and Mombasa (on the coast), and were charged US$50 for a single-entry 3-month visa. BUT, Americans that crossed in from Uganda have been paying US$25 for the same visa-- and an american that flew into Nairobi paid just US$10 at the airport for it (though her receipt said $25).  So there is no consistency at all.

As for Ethiopia... oh boy. where to begin? actually, right now, for Americans, it's quite simple: the ONLY visas they're issuing to us, whether transit or otherwise, is at the airport. Period. No overlanders are being granted visas at the border crossings or neighboring embassies.  So currently the only way to get an Ethiopian visa is to fly into Addis. And once you're there, it's very simple: US$20, takes a few minutes in a small office adjoining the Customs gate.

Pictures!

finally- a few pics from our travels. We're currently in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), and will leave the city tomorrow for some extensive traveling in the north of the country.  We're looking forward to leaving Addis: smog, traffic, sidewalk chaos, and not much in the way of sights to see.  Though we did enjoy the Ethiopian National Museum, and we are loving the cafe culture-- coffee is amazing, pastries are delicious, and food in general is really great.  Oh, and the cost is cheap: coffee for like 25 cents and a fancy lunch for 2-3 bucks. Beers: about 75 cents.  

For the first time since June 2008, we're in the Northern Hemisphere. 

A cuddly 500-pound kitty we saw along the roadside in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Park.

downtown Mombasa waterfront from the Old Town District's Fort Jesus.

Stone Town, Zanzibar: beautiful doors & alleyways, fascinating people, great street food.

Pangane, a tiny fishing village in N. Mozambique. stayed a few days, could've stayed a few weeks.

The view from our dhow, island-hopping through Mozambique's Quirimbas Archipelago.

Tim atop a giant termite mound on the island of Ibo, Mozambique.

Jamie and Jason checking the trusty Moz guidebook on Ilha de Mozambique.

Hi from Nairobi

We're in the big city of Nairobi and enjoying the cosmopolitan feel of things. It's been a while since walking down a big, urban sidewalk.

Since last posting, we've spent time in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania. It's a fiercely autonomous section of Tanzania, and its cultural influence is more rooted in the Middle East than the interior of Africa. It's 99% Muslim, and we were there for the big festival that marks the end of Ramadan-- Eid al Fitr. That was great: lots of good food and families dressed up and enjoying the cool night air.

Zanzibar is a totally unique place, blending Arab, Indian, and Swahili cultures. In fact, it's the birthplace of the Swahili language. Fascinating history to this island, and overall it's one of the highlights of our trip so far.

After spending 5 days there, we took an overnight ferry north to the neighboring island of Pemba, but we didn't get off the boat until it landed back on the mainland in Tanga. From there, it was back on buses (2 nice ones in a row-- unheard of thus far in our journeys) to Mombasa and then west to Nairobi. Mombasa was interesting but mostly charmless (except its Old Town area), and Nairobi is, thankfully, not living up to its big bad reputation for crime (nickname: Nairobbery). Maybe things here have improved recently... we're having a good time and are enjoying the lack of attention we get as westerners wandering the streets. Crowds are friendly, mostly uninterested in us, and even helpful when we need assistance, but there are still plenty of touts trying to sell us safari packages. And we bought one.

So tomorrow we head out on a 3-day safari trip to the famous Maasai Mara National Park. It would be sort of a tourist crime not to visit this place while in Kenya, and we're good, law-abiding tourists. Once we return from the safari we'll spend one more day in Nairobi and then fly to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). Apparently, the only way to obtain an Ethiopian tourist visa right now is through the airport. Overlanders are having lots of trouble getting them from the Embassy, and no luck at all getting them at the borders. no idea why. so we'll fly to avoid the hassle (and overland through Northern Kenya is said to be really tough-- glad to miss it).

Leaving Mombasa for Nairobi marked the end of our Swahili Coast travels. No more Bahr al-Zanj (that's what the ancient Arab traders called this section of the Indian Ocean). From now on we'll stick to the interior regions. And it's been an amazing portion of our trip, traveling through island chains and fishing villages, sailing on dhows, strolling along plenty of empty beaches and swimming in vivid blue waters... truly unforgettable. For us, the highlight of that section was traveling with our good friends, Jason and Erica. 4 is a good number in which to travel. Together we endured some pretty wild transport adventures and saw some unparalleled beauty-- land and people-- and we'll never forget it. Personal highlights include: Maputo, 1 (and only 1) decent surf session in Tofu, Ilha de Mozambique, playing music with new friends in Quilemane, sailing through the Quirimbas Archipelago and the mainland fishing village of Pangane, a long and wild day of crossing the Moz/Tanzanian border, street food in Dar es Salaam, and wandering through Zanzibar's surreal maze of alleys in Stone Town.

So on to the next section of this voyage home: Nairobi north to Cairo, spending most of our time in Northern Ethiopia. From Cairo we'll hang a right.

We'll be home soon, but not too soon.

We're In Dar Es Salaam

After a great month in Mozambique, we've made it to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania's biggest city. Just offshore is the island of Zanzibar, and we'll be ferrying over there in a few days. We've been on public transport the whole time-- which has included boats, motorcycles, trucks, minibuses and big buses... it's been quite an adventure.

Mozambique was amazing. We spent most of our time along the coast, visiting fishing villages and cities on the mainland and venturing out to islands just offshore. I caught a few waves in Tofu, then we met up with our friends, Jason and Erika, in Vilankulos-- which is not really much of a town. But the Bazaruto Archipelago just offshore is beautiful, so we spent a day boating around. Then we all went north to the city of Biera, Quilemane, Pemba... and after Pemba we found ourselves in the far north of Moz-- a very remote place. The most impressive thing in the north was the Quirimbas Archipelago, a string of over 2 dozen white sand isles surrounded by azure waters and coral reefs. It took some effort to get ourselves out there, but once we did, it was paradise. We spent a few days on the main island of Ibo, and then another 3 days island-hopping on a dhow (traditional sailboat), snorkeling and camping on uninhabited islands.

Back on the mainland in Pangane (maybe the most beautiful setting for a fishing village I've ever seen), we hit the road once again, aiming for a remote coastal border crossing point into Tanzania. The roads from this point onward were... interesting. From endless washboard dirt roads to deep-sand ruts winding through forests, this section of the trip was pretty hard on our butts. We spent some quality time in the backs of pickups and got filthy. The border crossing was difficult. I dodged a bribe attempt on the Moz side and dealt with a difficult border post agent on the Tanz side (suddenly the $50 visas were $100... we ended up paying $30 for a transit visa, giving us 14 days to get out of Tanzania). All this was followed the next day by a long and bumpy bus ride into Dar. We'll be staying put for a few days before moving on, mainly just to catch our breath and nurse our wounds.

wish we could post some pics now, but maybe next time.

first stop: Maputo

We kicked off our post-service travel in Mozambique, just across the border of Swaziland, in Maputo. Our gracious hosts were Kim and Peter, who both teach at the international school and live in a great downtown neighborhood. We found Maputo's grid layout easy to navigate and spent a couple of days walking around and finishing a few errands.

Maputo is a vibrant city. We noticed renovation projects and new construction sites every few blocks. The mix of architectural styles juxtaposed on Maputo's streets is an interesting window into Mozambique's history. Portugese tiled roofs and iron-fenced balconies, round corners and embellishments of art deco, the cement block buildings of the soviet era--all together on the same street. We had a good time admiring them all.

Maputo has a cafe and siesta culture. Nearly all businesses close from 12-2pm and some even until 3pm for siesta hours and many people take this time to sit at the sidewalk cafes and have a shot of expresso and watch the world go by.

Maputo also has a variety of markets, each with a maze of stalls and vendors selling fresh or frozen seafood, tropical fruits and vegetables, handicrafts, curios, and spices. I (Jamie girl) need to brush up my bargaining skills again. Current edibles in abundance right now include tomatoes, oranges, tangerines (naranjites), roasted corn cobs, and a rainbow of other fruits and veggies.

We've planned our stay (unintentionally) during a very pleasant weather period in Mozambique--dry, breezy, and mild, with the temperatures during the day hovering around 70-80 F. It feels so good to step outside and feel the warmth of the sun on our skin and a light wind on our faces. We woke up this morning to a cloudy sky, but it had burned off by 8am.

We plan to visit the promenade and the beach today before leaving Maputo tomorrow very early (4:30am) to head northward to Inhambane and Tofo, where Jamie boy hopes to do some surfing if the conditions allow it.

Mozambique's modern history is really interesting, especially from about 1962 onwards. The symbols on its flag say it all-- does any other national flag feature an AK-47? Maputo displays those turbulent chapters in its architecture and street names (many of them Communist icons like Mao, Lenin, Marx, etc). For further info on the main players of this country's independence from Portugal, Soviet/Marxist experiments (which proved thoroughly disastrous), and current one-party Democratic/free-market system, check out the following topics: Frelimo, Samora Machel, Renamo, and Joaquim Chissano for starters.