Archive for the ‘South Africa’ Category

our ride

Friday, January 18th, 2008

nissan saniIt’s been nearly three weeks, and we’re finally ready to check out of Cape Town and discover the rest of south and east Africa. To prepare for our departure, we’ve been to every camping store in a 1 hour radius. I’m quite certain we have all the essentials to camp, and a lot more– tent, sleeping bags, lantern, gas cooker, plates, cups, forks, chairs, food, cooler, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, etc, etc, etc.

For those of you who don’t know, the plan is to drive from Cape Town up to Tanzania, and then back. The original plan was to head up to Kenya and Uganda, but I think we’ll stay clear from all the trouble going on in Kenya right now.
We bought a 1994 Nissan Sani 4×4 which we hope will make the 7500mile journey. According to the woman we bought it from, “She’s a really solid ride”. We had “her” tuned up and gave “her” new tires. For security, we installed a safe in the back of the truck.
To start off, we are taking the scenic Garden route along the coast of South Africa. Most people would say the Garden route is a nice transition into the rest of Africa, for me it will be a good way to ease into camping. I’ve never been camping before, so it’s a bit of a nature challenge for me.
I’m excited to give it a shot, but the odds aren’t in my favor. Considering I prefer driving to walking, A/C to fresh air, and clean bathrooms to shared out houses, the odds really aren’t looking so good. Not to mention I am a magnet for mosquitos, and I cringe at the thought of spiders, ants, or any other insect invading my personal space. But I want to give camping a shot and will be providing detailed reports on our progress to become outdoor sportsmen.

Afrikan Penguins on Boulder Beach

Friday, January 11th, 2008

These cute little guys live amongst the sun worshippers and are not at all bothered by the crowds. They walk down the cement walkways, pick their spot on the beach, and occassionally take a dip in the water to cool off.

Cape Town, South Africa

Friday, January 11th, 2008

For the last eight years my friend Neil has said to me, come to Cape Town, it’s the most unbelievable place on earth… Neil is sometimes prone to exaggeration, so I never made it a priority. Now that I am here, I can confirm that he was true to his word. The beaches are beautiful, the mountains are striking, and the seafood is so fresh and delicious.

Neil, lives in Los Angeles but is back in Cape Town visiting family and friends for the next few months, and has done everything possible to make us feel at home. Two weeks ago Mike and I flew from Tel Aviv to Cape Town via Johannesburg. Since then Neil has introduced us to his whole network of friends, taken us to all the best restaurants, cafés and shops. In addition, we are staying with him in his apartment, and he’s helped us get organized for our overland trip across Africa. It’s been so relaxing here that it’s no wonder we’re in no hurry to press on.

(here we are at Jade on New Year’s Eve)

Happy New Year

Tuesday, January 1st, 2008

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6ctZQ1fEq4[/youtube]