The Elephant Has Landed

After seventeen hours crammed into planes with questionable food, we arrived in Cape Town, South Africa last night. Thank goodness, both flights went nearly like clockwork and no issues at customs. A taxi driver was waiting for us at the airport and whisked us off to our hostel (Ashanti) which is quite nice and relaxed. We had a few drinks and crashed after very little sleep while in flight.

Today, we took it easy to get our heads into travel mode. We just wandered around Cape Town for the afternoon – along Long Street and down to the harbour. Near the end of the day, we took a short boat ride out into the harbour . The light was low and quite beautiful against the downtown buildings. For dinner, a Cuban restaurant… just because. We’re now putting plans together for the next week in town.

Why Africa?

IAN – Our bags are nearly packed and only a few things left on the checklist. After months of planning, I’m feeling pretty good that we are ready to go with 36 hours left.

Of course, I wish I had read more about Africa and made a few more contacts over there. But I guess part of the fun is learning new things and meeting new people while on the road.

Many people have asked why we are going to Africa. At the beginning, I don’t think we had a firm reason. But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized that it appeals to three big sides of my personality. I’ll let Gillian explain her reason in another post.

1. I crave adventure and challenges. Breaking out of a routine and exploring cultures and places really gets my blood pumping. I’ve brought back the most amazing memories from Asia, Europe and South America . I also love pushing myself to the limit. Back home, that has led me to long, gruelling canoe trips and marathons. On the road in Africa, I’m expecting some tough bus rides with no sleep, navigating strange cities with outdated maps, hiking Mount Kilimanjaro and dodging a few scams and trouble makers. I consider this the Indiana Jones side of my personality.

2. I’m becoming a stronger advocate for social justice and equity. The more I read and hear about the AIDS and poverty crisis in Africa, the more I want to see change happen. I’m very excited to be working with Friends of Mulanje Orphans in Malawi to help hundreds of kids get a good start in life. We’ve already raised more than $4,500 for the orphanage, and we’ll be spending a week there in August. I’ve also promised myself to spend some time away from tourist activities and observe the true conditions and realities that Africans face. I realize I’ll be looking at things with Western eyes and never tread far from safe neighbourhoods, but I’ll give it my best try to still learn and understand.  I consider this the Stephen Lewis side of my personality.

3. I also have an artistic side that wants to come out and play. I love photography and used to roam Toronto neighbourhoods with my old Pentax K1000. But it has collected dust in recent years while I was busy with other volunteer and work responsibilities. So I’ve bought a new digital Nikon SLR, and I intend to take plenty of time framing some great shots. And what better place to do it… Namibia’s sand dunes, Zambia’s Victoria Falls, Kenya’s Masi Mara plains, Zanizibar’s Stone Town, etc… This is the National Geographic side of my personality.

So I’ve leave it at that for now. We’ll try to keep you updated throughout our trip. First stop is Cape Town.

Eights Days To Go

For years we’ve talked about travelling through Africa. In eight days that dream becomes a reality. 

We fly out of Toronto next Saturday for Cape Town, South Africa. Then we’ll have three months to travel by land and water up the continent to Nairobi, Kenya.

During our trip, we’ll keep this blog updated on our antics and adventures. Internet access may be questionable in spots so don’t fret if we haven’t posted for a few days.