Traveling Africa: The best and worst

I spent about 55 days on the road in Africa, visited untold numbers of cities, and traveled over 2300 miles as the crow flies, much more with all the zig zagging. The adventures were endless and each day held something different. The horizons before us changed nearly every day along with the animals and people. Every place was new; every day was new.

With all that newness came a lot of great discoveries and also some that I could probably have done without. Here are some of the best and worst of my days on the open road:
　
Best hostel/backpacker/hotel: It's hard to say really, I think I stayed in about 18 beds, ranging from ferry and train beds, hostels scatted all over the place, and my trusty little tent. If I had to choose though, I think Jolly Boys backpacker in Livingstone Zambia impressed me the most. Partially because of it being built just the way I'd build it, and partially because of it's nearness to the great Victoria Falls, it was really an awesome place

Worst hostel/backpacker/hotel: Near Tete, Mozambique I ended up getting a room at a little truck stop in the middle of town. There was no electricity or water that night, and along with my key, the reception lady gave me a little candle. My door would not lock, and I had to put the bed in front of it to keep the hookers that i saw outside out. ( they don't see many white folks I guess). The open window with bars instead of glass was right next to the parking lot with big trucks running all night, letting in sound and fumes alike. The up side? It only cost $5.

Best meal: Sea food in Zanzibar. Fried barracuda and red snapper, grilled lobster, shrimp and calamari. All locally caught and minutes old... Need I say more.

Worst meal: Fermented fish and pineapple... again, need I saw more.

Best drive: It wasn't really a drive, but the long train ride through Tanzania provided some of the best views ever. My sleeper had a huge window that completely opened, allowing unimpeded photo opportunities. It was an unforgettable ride.



Cape Town's Camps Bay



Worst drive: There was no ATMs in Monkey Bay Malawi, so I ended up hitch hiking to the nearest town, about two hours away. I rode in the back of a small truck, and was the only one for a while, but the guy driving was intent on not letting anyone in Africa walk. By the time we arrived I had been in the back of a small Toyota being crushed by 23 other people for more than an hour. I've never been so glad to arrive somewhere in my life.

Best experience: Getting scuba certified. After that, diving became not only a passion, but an addiction.

Best city: Cape Town. Modern and beautiful, cultured and fun. I love this city near the coast.
Most shocking: Cage diving in S. Africa was epic, but even with a wet suit the water was heart stopping cold.

Favorite thing: The freedom of the road. Forging my own path and discovering the undiscovered that lay before me. There is something truly exhilarating about waking up to something new each day.

My first hitch hiking experience

Some time around December I was in Livingstone Zambia, and the group from my school was still traveling with me. I was getting pretty low on funds at the time, so when my friends decided to go rafting on the Zambezi river, I decided to stay behind, and plan an adventure of my own. I knew that since the group was going home soon, and I would be in Africa on my own, I should probably get use to traveling solo.
Livingstone is very close to the Botswana border, and when I asked for advice on how to get there cheap from the owner of our hostel, she told me that some people hitch hike, if they had more time than money. I thought that would be the ultimate adventure, all while getting me use to a new cheap way of getting around.
I headed out the next morning, finding my way to the highway that leads to the border. From there I just started walking, refusing touts from numerous taxi drivers or mini buses. I wasn't walking down the road waving down cars for too long, as within 20 minutes a little truck picked me up. I can't remember the guys name, but he said he was a Botswanian returning home after visiting relatives. He said it was very curious seeing a big white boy walking down a lonely highway in the middle of no where, waving down passing cars, and I'm sure it was.

I remember this event well, because of a few important factors. First off, it was my first time striking out completely on my own in a foreign country as remote and strange, and some would say hostile as Zambia. It was liberating almost to know that I had what it takes to just go out and do what most would never even consider, especially since I had many more months of similar adventures planned.

Another reason I felt this little adventure was worthy of mentioning, was because on the way to the border, along the long lonely highway, I got glimpses of my first African big game animals. The driver was kind enough to pull over for me to get pictures a few times, when a giant giraffe was hanging out on the side of the road, or herd of gazelles ran out in front of us. It is a pretty memorable moment, seeing these huge animals up close, in their natural environment, and not on t.v or in zoos.