Wednesday, 19 August 2009

Cape Town.

I think both Freds and I now have a new found love for train travel. Think of a box, then a smaller box, then an even smaller box, then half it. That's how small our "first class" apartment was on the 26 hour journey from Jo'burg to Cape Town. AMT (Africa Maybe time) was inevitable though as the train was three hours late getting into Cape Town. We found it very hard to stay awake during the journey, but then very hard to stay asleep at night. The beds were not the most comfortable. Neither the warmest, we donned our sleeping bags for the majority of the journey. Food was good though and resonably cheap.

Arrived in Cape Town around 3 o'clock, gutted to arrive to rain. Our first since a slight drizzle at Chitimba, Malawi over 3 weeks ago. With our heavy bags in tow (we both have bought a ridiculous amount of wood carvings...) we sought out trying to find Ashanti Lodge, our home for two nights. Much to Freds annoyance we walked in the rain, but my excellent navigation skills found the way and we arrived around half and hour later. Freddie is now yelling at me saying "WHATEVER!!" Darling...its true. :P The Lodge is lovely. The most amazing showers with actual real tiles on the floor and a glass casing!!! WOW!!! That evening along with two other girls sharing our dorm room we set off for the famous Long Street (according to the LP guide) in search of a decent restaurant. We stumbled upon a little mexican with interesting character and your own personal sombraros. Wonderful. Stuffed us right up good and proper. The other two headed off back to the hostel but Freds and I decided to sample the local nightlife. Well...we went to a bar called Zula where an acoustic music night was going on. Two guys Matt and Max were brilliant, and entertained us for a few hours. Dads...(Katie's) They did a brilliant cover of Mark Knoflers Romeo and Juilet...made me think of you!!

Today...woke up to gorgeous sunshine, even though the forecast was dyre, the gods are with us! Headed straight for Table mountain to make the hard trek up the side. Via cable car! Gorgeous views despite our toes getting frostbite. Note...dont wear open toed sandles next time! Then caught the sightseeing bus across the city to Sandy Bay, the posh area of town where all the rich cool kids hang out. Suited us then! Had lunch in a upmarket restaurant then paddled in the sea and watched the waves crash around whilst still sitting directly underneath Table Mountain. I can see why this idilic place is the setting for many photo shoots and film documentries. Utter beauty. We then got on back on our bus and headed to the V&A Waterfront. Wandered around the shops and through the craft market. I think I now want to live in Cape Town, it's just so gorgeous!! Even through the cold (probably around 15degrees) it was all just marvelous. Back on the bus, we headed back up to Long Street for a tad more shopping and to get food for dinner tonight. We're staying in, cooking for ourselves in the hostel kitchen and slobbing out infront of the tv for hostel movie night. niceeeee.

Tomorrow is more shopping (there is a brilliant line of vintage shops near our hostel, very excited!!) and visiting some of the gallerys and museums. Fred flys home tomorrow (boooo) so we are getting a taxi from the hostel to the airport around 2.30pm. As she checks in, I get picked up from the airport and taken to my project around 20km away in Hout Bay.

It's been fantastic having Freds with me. This would no way even have been close to as much fun without her.

Let the adventure continue!!!

Love you all
miss youuuuuuuu
love Freddie and Kates
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Sunday, 16 August 2009

Maun - Jo'burg

Hi everyone, I have 8 minutes left on my timer so it's going to be quick! (it's Katie btw!)

I ended up staying in Maun, Botswana for five nights when the rest of the African Trails group headed off into the Delta. Had a good lot of time to catch up on stuff and just chill! (the tan has progressed quite a lot...it was boiling!) I chose to endure an hour flight over the Delta with the Candians, Sam and Liam who had also stayed behind. I hate flying. I hate it even more now! A tiny five seater plane...my worst nightmare! The Delta though was beautiful, from the 500 feet in the air you could see for miles...just bare wilderness. The curvature of the earth you could see even. Lovely, but I could have done with going up for 5 minutes then coming straight back down.

The African Trails truck left us behind in Maun with the 7 others leaving for Jo'burg...was very emotional as had become quite close to a lot of the group! I'm sure there are going to be many a trip round the country and across to Oz and Canada hopefully!!

Freds and I flew out of Maun this morning with Air Botwana to make the hour and a half flight to Jo'burg. Yet again showing my fear of flying. We are now in the Backpackers Ritz in Jo'burg, buzzing with people and ready to get drunk tonight to say goodbye to the rest of the group here with us before we make the 26 hour train journey to Cape Town early tomorrow morning!

Wish us luck!!
love you all
miss you all so much...

Freddie and Katie
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Livingstone, Zambia - Thebe campsite, Botswana

freddie here again, wooooooo!
the next day was spent still in Livingstone. we didnt have amything planned till the evening so we did things like washing in the morning, how exciting? however i had brought some washing powder and for africa our clothes were amazing and actually smelt nice we wondered into town to look at the markets. i traded a pair of shorts and an elastic band for a souvenier. the sellers wanted the strangest things! Katie and i were having heart palpatations by the end of it because ever stall hastles you and tells you their life story. I manages to give one guy some stall layout advice for which he seemed very grateful. After that we went back to the campsite, swam in the coldest and dirtiest pool you can imagine and got ready for the sunset booze cruize. the boys dressed up as girls ( i now own a stretched dress) and i dressed up as a boy, well i wore one of their afican tops as a dress! on the other hand katie and canadian katie dressed up as what can only be describrd as a chav! it was a all matching tracksuit, meant for a little child!FIT! but it was absolutely hilarious when we arrived. Too say the form of transport, that was taking us down the river, was a raft was a slight overstatement! it was like planks of wood attached to steel barrels with another layer on top. So all the drinks on this trip were included. can you imagine the state we were in? i cant either because i dont really remember much. we met these people who were on world challenge and they had met up with dixie!!!! and knew richard simpson! ha! we stumbled off the raft and there was a bonfire which we got to dance around and bang some drums. i would like to add that i was amazing! then we had a dance in the bar and this local girl was grinding on me, lovely experience. i would love to tell you what kate was doing at this point but i dont have much recollection of her throughout the night. then it was time to go home and me and kates were in bed by 10.30!

the next morning it was some bright sparks idea to go white water rafting. everyone felt a little worse for wear! first we had to climb down a gorge. we were told flip flops were fine but it was like climbing down the side of a bloody mountain.
our raft group consisted of kate and rob, andrew, canadian kate and shana, katie and i. we told our guide that we wanted to be an extreme group but when one of our team couldnt grasp paddling forward and backward, i think he made it as easy as possible. (that wasnt me by the way!) The first rapid was the best but after that it was quite tame. we all agreed ot would have been better to be way more hardcore but nevertheless we loved it! we were aloud to jump out of some of the rapids. katie got stuck in a whirlpool and i shot down so fast that i had to get in someone elses raft for a few minutes. when we got to the end we had an amazing lunch and the driveback consisted of chanting and drinking. that night everyone was in bed by 9 O'clock.

the next day was our drive to botswana. my bum was in agony, which was odd when everyone elses arms and legs ached! so sitting on a bumpy truck was not my fav activity for the day. it was our shortest journey yet. when we arrived at the campsite we watched the rafting DVD. one girl, ellie, had fallen out of the raft and when she was pulled back in her bottoms had come down. she was praying that this wasnt on the DVD. not only was it on there, but it was on the highlights at the end in slow motion 5 times!

the next day was a very long journey 8-6.

missing you all loads. but its not long till you will see my tanned face again

lots of love

freddie and katie
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Tuesday, 11 August 2009

Quickie....

Hi everyone! Freddie has written an excellent (or so she tells me) blog that we were going to upload today but she has forgotten to bring her journal which she wrote it in with her into town, so no blog until after she gets back from the Delta i'm afraid!!

Just to tell everyone that we're both still having an amazing time. We're in Botswana now, about an hour or so away from the Okavango Delta in a town called Maun. Botswana isn't the most inspiring country, as our guidebook tells us Maun is the most tourist-friendly town in the whole of the country...I was bored 10 minutes after arriving!!

Freddie is off on a two night wilderness stay in the Delta early tomorrow morning, I've decided not to go and chill in our campsite for a few days with the Canadians Katie and Seana, and Jenna one of the new arrivals we picked up in Livingstone. We're going on a hour long flight over the Delta on thursday which is supposed to be the best way to see the river and animals, so I'm very excited about that!

Hope you are all keeping well and can manage to hold in your excitement for Freddie's next installment...

Love you lots and lots
Freddie and Katie
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Thursday, 6 August 2009

In Transit and now Zambia!

Katie's back. Wow, internet in Livingstone, zambia is not the greatest so I'm hoping that this manages to make it through to you all!

When we left Llongwe, we also left Ellie. Second year medical student at Notts uni...we're already missing you lovely! Emotional goodbye as the truck set off to enter Zambia and leave Malawi behind. Our main destination is where I'm writing this from in Livingstone but we had a few transit stops along the way... our first was a couple of nights in Croc Valley campsite in South Luagana national park. My favourite campsite that we've been in. Slap bang in the middle of the park our main companions in the site were hippos, elephants and crocs. Based with a gorgeous view on the river we could see crocs and hippos lazing around on the banks and occasionaly moving in the mud. hippos are rather boring creatures I've come to realise! Elephants and giraffes grazed on the other side and seemed oblivious to our presence. The majority of the group went off for either a morning or night game drive but Freds and I decided to stay back to save money...as it turns out the drives proved dissapointing compared to the Serengeti.

Our next night was a bush camp! No campsite, just off roading in the middle of nowhere! The middle of nowhere though turned out to be in the middle of somewhere for the Zambians as a group of youngsters seemed to turn up as soon as we got our tents out and sit round the fire with us all evening. Freds and I volunteered to be on truck watch and ditched our tent for the comfort of the truck roof! very exciting to sleep with the moon in view. Rather chilly so was very grateful for my sleeping bag. (which has a distinctive odour about it now...)

We had another night at some campsite two nights ago but all I can remember of it now is some very cute dogs that Seana named Beans and Toast, and Fish and Chips. A lot of conversations nowadays are about food. hmmmm food.

So last night we stayed our first of four nights at the Grotto Camp in Livingstone. About 20 mins drive from Victoria Falls. Camp is really nice, very busy as there were three other trucks staying there last night. (also lovely to be woken up at 6.30 by them packing up) We arrived and were shown a video of all the adreliline and animal things we can do over our stay here. Bungys, gorge swings, helicopter rides, rafting...exciting!!!!!!!

I booked in for a bungy jump which I've just done! Actually the most terrifying thing in the world. Looking over the drop and thinking i'm just about to plumet 110m down there I thought my pants weren't going to make it! Luckily they did and it was amazing!!! I bought a video and the photos i'll try to put up shortly! The bung was off a bridge just next to Vic Falls, so me and Seana (who was also jumping) and the rest of the gang who had come along to support us walked over to the Falls.

BEAUTIFUL. We got pretty soaked but they are just about the most fantastic natural things I've ever seen. It's a gorgeous day today as well which is just as well, we dried off pretty quickly in the sun. (tan is peeling...booooo)

Tomorrow we are off on a complusory booze cruise set by our driver Karl in the afternoon so we're gonna spend the morning exploring Livingstone which seems quaint with some lovely little markets and shops. I might trade in all my clothes for new ones =) Saturday is white water rafting day which i am SO SO excited about! The Zambezi river is acclaimed to be the best place in the world to raft down...woop!

Hope everyone is having fun at home/abroad whereever you may be! And that the weather is as nice as here!

Love you all, miss you tons and tons
Freddie and Kates
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Thursday, 30 July 2009

freddies first and probably only blog...

hi guys just like to let you know that i have been sitting beside katie when she is writing these blogs but usually im not allowed to touch the keyboard!
also im sorry about the spelling mistakes and lack of grammar and punctuation!!!!

after the first night in Chitimba we decided to go on a huge trek up mount livingstonia and it actually turned out to be 35km not just 32...and it seemed a hell of a lot longer with the steep incline! we walked to the base of the mountain and i was quite positive at that moment. literally after the first ten minutes i thought i wasnt gonna be able to do it!! ha! but then it got a little bit easier and made it up in 3 1/2 hours. pretty good going really? dad i hope you are proud of me!

the view on the way up were absolutely amazing and you could see to the other side of the lake. on the way we got so hungry we were fantasizing about what food we were gonna have the moment we got back to england....ollie on the drive home i am so having a McDonalds! so when we got to the top you can imagine how heartbroken everone was...not only that there was no fast food restaurant but there was no where to eat at all, everything was closed!!!. we ended up waiting 2 1/2 hours for this local guy to cook us some rice and tomatoes. the experience was amazing thou and he had obviously got out his best gold, plastic plates. bless him. we paid him like 30p each and headed back down the mountain! it felt so amazing but as soon as we stopped my legs basically siezed up so we went for a swim/shower and crashed!

ooo forgot to say that on the way up we saw the most gorgous water falls ever....we were planning to swim in it but it turned out to be far cooler than we anticipated and wimped out.

the next day my knees were in agony but kates pranced about as usual. we then drove to kande beach stopping off at this wood market on the way... the things were beautiful! (mum would u like anything cus they have mahogany salad bowls/servers, boxes, games etc and i dont wanna buy you something you will. Also will you please answer my emails i have sent like 5)

kande beach is exactly the same as the one in chitimba but theres just a bit more going on. yesterday me and katie....or katie and i spent the morning in a sleeping bag in a hammock...it was freezing but so nice! i felt like i was a baby in the womb again!! in the afternoon we hired a pedalow with the Canadian girls , kate and shaana that are on our tour (my favs), and went to these rocks that were about 400m away. katie pulled put out the orienteering skills and led us to these 6 foot high rocks that we decided to jump off. Loved it!

today i did an introductory dive course.... only went for a little bit but i have the bug for it now. katie on the other hand, for some strange reason...

(just to let you know there was a power cut at this moment and i am now in a totally different part of malawi finishing it off)


.... decided to go on a horse back ride in a forest and down the beach!! when she came back it was like the set of a old western movie! katie can even pose on the back of a horse!!! she was holding the reigns with one hand looking veryy relaxed....it made me laugh thou.

we celebrated our last night in kande beach and today we drove down to lilongwe.

Hope everyone is ok
lots and lots of love
missing you all
FREDS and kates
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