The Holidays

The holidays were great to spend with friends and family.  I spent Thanksgiving around Daytona with family, and Christmas/New Year's in South Florida with Shannon, family, and friends.

The exciting parts were a couple of canoeing trips.  One was a day trip on the Loxahatcheee River, near Jupiter.

Great Blue Heron on the Loxahatchee River

Then, for three days, we went on a canoeing trip through The Everglades.  I've done this trip once before, but The Everglades are always magnificent and the others in the group had not been paddling through there before.  Due to 'complications' (a leaking canoe), we only got one night on the water and spent the first night at a campground that also happened to be the Skunkape Research Headquarters (Skunkape is the Everglade's Big Foot).  Quite a quirky place, but very fun.

Sunset on Lopez River, Everglades National Park

Paddling through Cross Bay, Everglades National Park

Call for Holiday Giving: Camp Sky & D2D

I don't know if anyone still reads this, but if you do, it's that time of year again.  Camp Sky fundraising is going on now.  If you can give a little or a lot this holiday season, this is an awesome opportunity for the students of Malawi (and who are we kidding, the PCVs, too).  I donated, but will you?

Click here to donate to Camp Sky 2015.

Do you want to donate even more tax-deductible money to another cause?  Determined to Develop (our partner in the library project) is always looking for help with their projects.

Disclaimer: When I joined the Peace Corps, I swore I would not become one of the cliche aid workers that is always asking friends and family for money and using website with cheesy pictures of "Africans."  I am not trying to perpetuate the belief that only WE can help THEM.  However, these are two causes that I was involved with while there and are primarily aimed at empowering Malawians with the skills they need to help themselves.  It's not that they "need" us, it's just nice to help someone else when you can.  And you can.

Blueberry Travels

The Blueberry and my travel buddy, Shannon.

So, instead of being responsible and getting a job, I've been on a road-trip.  Here's a brief recap.

I had a layover in Denver, so I extended it to a 5 day layover to visit friends.

Then, I had my flight to Oklahoma City to stay with Donald in Edmond.  While there, he took me up with him for a flying lesson, we visited the Wichita Mountains, went mountain biking, and cooked many amazing meals.  Shannon picked me up the next week in her car, The Blueberry.

I joined Shannon in the Blueberry when she picked me up at Donald's.  From there, we stayed two nights at Lake Tenkiller State Park, one night in the Ozark National Forest at Lake Weddington, then we visited the Walmart Museum/first store before staying in Fayetteville for two nights.  After Fayetteville, we had an overnight backpacking hike on the Ozark Highlands Trail.

After a very late exit from the Ozarks, we drove overnight to Nashville to visit with Chris, Tori, and Abby (Chorby).  We stayed with them for a week.  Over the weekend, Shannon and Tori (Shori) went to Atlanta for the Southern Living Fair and Chris and I hung out in Nashville.  Following our stay in Nashville, we had a quick stop to walk around the University of Tennessee's campus, then stayed with a friend of Shannon's in Johnson City (I kept signing Wagon Wheel), before starting the Blue Ridge Highway at Grandfather Mountain State Park.

We entered the Blue Ridge Highway in North Carolina at Grandfather Mountain (mile marker 300) where we hiked and spent the night.  We then drove north the rest of the length of the highway, spending another night camping at Rocky Knob.  The Blue Ridge was incredible!  It didn't hurt that we were there when the trees were in full color, but after the major rush of visitors.

From the Blue Ridge, we proceeded to my old site-mate, Aaron's house outside of DC.  We spent Halloween in DC and I spent the whole next day exploring the capital.

After DC, I drove to New Jersey and stayed with Erol and his parents.

Rode a bus into NYC, then used the subway while I was there staying there a week in Brooklyn.  At the end of the week, I went back to Erol's where Shannon picked me back up.

We stayed with a friend of Shannon's in Phili where we saw Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, then stayed with my Aunt in Williamsburg (with a very brief visit to Jamestown and a ride on the Jamestown ferry).  From there, we proceeded to Wake Forest to have a late lunch with a friend and then camped outside of town.  Finally, we drove down to Savannah and stayed with Matt and Amber, where I finally got to meet their newest daughter, Penny.

Finally, after all that time on the road, we returned to the Sunshine State for a couple of Gator games.

Thoughts of America

Here are some of my random thoughts now that I've been back stateside for a couple weeks:

• There are a lot of fat people. 
• So much food!
• Seriously, 3+ full meals a day?  What is this, Christmas?
• There is no nsima, soya pieces, and veggies are expensive.
• Fruit has no flavor.
• But people are eating like there's no tomorrow.
• Did I mention the food?  I mean, seriously, these portion sizes.
• Not only portion sizes, but why does a menu need so many options?
• I want to order the dinner.  Don't complicate things.
• People know almost nothing about Africa or geography.
• Smart phones are ubiquitous, but direct human interaction is not.
• Almost every child out there is spoiled.
• Beer can actually come in more than 4 varieties, and tastes good.
• New Belgium is now available everywhere.
• Drafts!  It's even better than I remembered.
• Yet all this good beer, and everyone else seems to be a light-weight.
• Water comes out of taps and is already safe to drink.
• People drive really fast, but the cars are in such good condition.
• Taco Bell wasn't a fantasy, but a glorious reality.
• There are so many hipsters, it can only be defined as the mainstream movement, which makes my brain hurt.  
• And my soul hurts, too.
• Radio stations! We have them.
• In English.
• You can't make bad comments or curse in English in public places, because people know what you're saying.
• Pepper is a stable condiment.  Nice!
• So many napkins and paper towels.
• Petrol (gas) is really cheap.
• It isn't normal to go to bed when it's dark, but to use artificial light to stay awake for many hours, just to sleep way past sunrise using blinds to block out the real light.
• People are obsessed with money.  Well, that's about the same.
• Stories involving throwing rocks at dogs = not well received.
• Almost no one actually wants to hear about Peace Corps/Malawi.  Just quick answers.
• If you ask me what Peace Corps was like, and want a quick answer, I'm going to expect you to give me a quick answer on what the last two and a half years of your life was like.
• Also, don't ask me what Africa is like unless you're prepared to tell me what North and South America are like.  I lived in one small country.
• And no, I was not even close to the Ebola outbreak.  Europe is closer than Malawi.
• Gator Football...is miserable.  Let's be honest people.
• For that matter, the Bucs, too.
• But, the best part of all: CHEESE!!!

Back on the Road

After a week in the Daytona area catching up with family, and a weekend in Tampa catching up with more family and friends, I am now back on the road.  This week, Denver, then Oklahoma to visit Donald (old site-mate) before beginning a road-trip with Shannon (the one that visited Malawi).

I know, now that I'm back stateside, I'm far less interesting, so expect far fewer updates.  That being said, I will continue to maintain this blog through the end of the year, culminating in an epic finale.

Repatriated

Landing in the United States of America

Taxing into the airport, immigration, and my official return as an American citizen

Burj Khalifa

Food in Dubai

Restaurants Found in Dubai and not just in touristy parts of town

Hardy's

PF Chang 

Pink Berry

Papa John's

Subway

KFC

Burger King

McDonald's

Olive Garden

Chili's

Cheesecake Factory 

IHOP

TGI Fridays

Starbucks 

Panda

Panda Express

Tim Horton's

Dunkin' Doughnuts

Häagan-Daz

Baskin Robins

Cinna-bun

Nandos

Wing Stop

Wendy's

Debonair's

Red Lobster

Texas Roadhouse

UNO 

Gloria Jeans

Johnny Rocket's

Seattle's Best

Outback

Macaroni Grill

But, no Taco Bell!!!

P.S. I needed Google to find an actual Middle Eastern restaurant. 

Check out the name of this one

Goodbye Africa

Cam and I spent our last night in Africa, after 810 days straight without leaving, in Johannesburg (ok, Cam is still traveling through Morocco, but that hardly counts). Both of us had the same top priority: don't get shot or robbed.  Well, I'm happy to say that we succeeded.

Our "Last Supper", a late lunch when we got into Jo'berg, was at Carnivore. We are all sorts of meats, including zebra, springbok, impala, and kudu. It was amazing, and after two hours of waiters just bring big skewers of meat to our table and cutting us off pieces, we were stuffed. So, naturally, we had cheesecake.

That night was rather uneventful. We had a few beers, watched Mission Impossible 3 and most of Crank (until the bar where the TV was closed), then went to bed. Unfortunately, my mind was racing, so it took me 3 hours to get to sleep. 

The next morning, I was tired, but Cam talked me into following through with our plans (I didn't want to drive, but was definitely wrong) to visit the Apartheid Museum, where they currently have a special exhibit on Nelson Mandela. We spent 5 hours, and could've spent longer. Very educational with so much information. 

Then it was to the airport, some last minute curios shopping, a drink, and saying farewell to Africa...for now.

Swaziland

...is small. So small, that we drove across it, including through their biggest city at rush hour, and we were still on the road for less than 4 hours. 

...is a kingdom. With a king!

...has an awesome flag. The red is blood of the ancestors or the soil (depending on the source of information), the yellow is the gold found there, the blue is the sky, and the shield is black and white to show the countries racial harmony (which we only had two days to see, but it seems much better off than South Africa in this sense).

...has a hot springs tuned into a public pool. How cool is that?!?

...is beautiful.

Honoring Tom

A pretty cool set of events came together just right, and Amy, my Peace Corps recruiter and a Malawi RPCV, is in Eshowe, which we were already planning on passing by. So, we got to spend two nights hanging out with her. 

An even more amazing coincidence is that we would be spending September 3rd together. This year, September 3rd marks the fourth anniversary of the very tragic loss of Tom Maresco, a Gator PCV that was serving in Lesotho and passed away protecting a fellow PCV during a mugging gone very wrong. 

So, Amy, Cam, and I honored Tom the way any of us would have wanted, by celebrating his the life. We enjoyed a Black Label on the beach (his beer), saw zebras, then spent the evening back in Eshowe at Pablo Esco Bar, cheersing a life taken too soon.

Sanchia's

Sanchia, a good friend of ours and a former lecturer at Mzuzu University that left just about a month before we did, hosted us in Petermerytzburg for a few nights. It's was really neat getting to hang out in such a different setting from Malawi and her home-town. We got to experience the Indian-South African culture first hand. 

At one point, we went to a comedy show where we were heckled a little by one of the comedians (although, he showed his ignorance of the states when he asked Cam is Wisconsin was in the south). The funniest part of it was that, mid-joke, he'd stop walk over to where we were, and explain the South African context to us, in a very humorous way (we didn't really need most of the explanations, but still hilarious).

Change of Plans: Lesotho

If you haven't heard, Lesotho decided to have a coup less than a week before we got there. Word around South Africa is that the military has taken control and is patrolling the streets. Contrary to the news reports, it does seem to be a full-fledge coup and South Africa is not as neutral as they say (the Lesotho prime minister is being harbored here). Don't know what the ruling party expected when, in June, they suspended democracy. 

Anyways, for this reason, we've decided to reroute our trip a little. Lesotho will have to be saved for my next visit to Southern Africa. Now, we're planning on going to Swaziland. 

What is this witchcraft???

The Garden Route

Drive: Beautiful vineyards and fields of flowers (and one oil refinery)

Accommodation: Dijembe Backpackers

Comments: Really neat place in the forest with a total hippie vibe. 

Drive: Windmills and pastures

Accommodation: Island Vibe Backpackers

Comments: Great beach in this surfer community that resembled Daytona a little too much. 

Drive: Mountains

Accommodation: Buccaneer's Backpackers

Comments: Buccaneer's is a but off the paved road, and there really isn't anything to do there (the beach is through the woods and the bar didn't even open until 5p), but dinner was great (Mexican).

Drive: More mountains, then what resembled Malawi

Accommodation: Coffee Shack Backpackers

Comments: Probably our favorite stop on The Garden Route. Fun vibe, awesome beach, and the party would've probably been great if it hadnt started raining. Our room was on the other side of a "dry" river, that wasn't so dry after it started raining. We waded to our room. 

Drive: Even more mountains. 

Accommodation: Sanchia's

Comments: We got a late start, so we got into Petermarytzburg after dark. Mountain driving in South Africa (surround by South African drivers) at night is not as fun as it sounds. 

Overall, The Garden Route was amazing. Great variety of scenery, and some amazing beaches. 

Cape Town

"[Cape Town, Cape Town]

That toddlin' town. 

[Cape Town, Cape Town]

I'll show you around.

Bet your bottom dollar you'll lose the blues

In [Cape Town, Cape Town.]"

Ok, Frank was actually singing about Chicago, but it applies to Cape Town as well. 

We made it into Cape Town on the 20th and immediately met up with Travis, who had arrived the day before as part of his COS trip. Our first order of business was sorting out the few activities we wanted to do, and the manager, John, at our backpackers, Cat and Moose, was hugely helpful. 

That first night, we went out for dinner. Wow! We went to a place called Arnold's that John recommend and gave us a coupon for. I got a game platter with crocodile ribs, an ostrich steak, a springbok stead, and warthog ribs. They were absolutely incredible! The meat was delicious, but then the expert chefs cooked them to perfection with the ideal sauce. If you're ever in Cape Town, eat there. 

The next day was pretty chill. We went out for breakfast and walked Long Street. Unfortunately, in an attempt to withdraw money, the ATM ate Cam's debit card. We were told he needed his passport, so we went back to the backpackers to get it. Him and Travis went back to the bank to try and sort it out, but it turns out that the bank wouldn't give him his card back and the reason they said bring ID so that they could destroy it in front if him. That's messed up! 

The next morning was an early one. We went on a Great White Shark encounter. While I didn't get into the cage, I did get some great pictures. Unfortunately, it was rough (7-9' seas), cold (60°F both water and air), and a slow day for sharks (we only saw 2), but I still am really glad we did. The two sharks were about 2.5m and 3m (8' and 10'), so not exactly small fish. Small note of pride, excluding crew, Cam and I were the only two on the boat that didn't get sick, and neither of us took sea-sick meds. 

The next day we went up Table Mountain. It's labeled as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. I don't think that's quite justified, but it was really cool. It rises 1000m out of Cape Town and provides some spectacular views of the city and out to the Cape of Good Hope. It was, however, extremely cold and windy.

After Table Mountain, we headed back to the backpackers via a grocery store. An Ed13 PCV, Jake, just so happened to be arriving in Cape Town that day and came to have dinner with us, then we went out of Long Street for a little bit. 

Sunday was our Wine Flies tour. We tour five different wineries in the Stellenbosch region. The first one, Fairview, had cheese pairings, and was our favorite. Then we went to Simonsig for both normal wine and bubbly wine, we had lunch at Middelvlel, went to Demordenzln, and finished with chocolate pairings at boutique winery called Lovane.  Overall, it was a very fun day. 

Sadly, the next day Cam and I had to say goodbye to Cape Town. However, we were beginning our Garden Route road trip, so still happy. Before setting off, we wanted to visit the Cape of Good Hope and Jake wanted to join us. So, we went to the airport to pick up the rental car and then I drove (yup, for the first time in over 2 years and for the first time on the left in over 6 years) us out onto the Cape. Some spectacular views!

 That night, we stayed in Simon's Town, a great end to a great visit to a great place. 

Is this real?!?

"You are not special!"

We're in the Intercape Bus (super bwana/luxury, double-decker) crossing from Zimbabwe to South Africa. We all get out of the bus, get our passports stamped exit from Zimbabwe, load back up, and head onto the Biet Bridge. 

Our driver decides we shouldn't have to wait in the long queue of buses, cars, and semis. So, he pulls into the on-coming lane, passes everyone, and starts to merge at the vehicle inspection gate. 

One of the South African officials starts yelling at the driver. We can't hear most of what he said (we're upstairs), but we did hear him say the driver must make a U-turn and reenter the queue. When, apparently, the driver protested, we could clearly hear, "I'm not joking. You are not special! Don't think that you are."

Well, our bus had to U-turn, cross back to the Zimbabwe side of the bridge, make another U-turn (next to some very confused looking Zimbabwian soldiers), and then reenter the vehicle queue. 

Turns out, no more vehicles had cleared Zimbabwian exit customs, so we were right back where we started. 

Zimbabwe

What can I say about this place?!? Zimbabwe is amazing, and definitely an underrated tourist destination. My first reaction when we crossed into Zimbabwe was amazement, but I figured that was just the super touristy Vic Falls. Nope! Haven't ceased to amazing me. The people are extremely nice, people don't try to rip you off, they'll leave you alone if asked (for the most part), we haven't seen too many drunkards, the police are polite, and there are special tourism police around all the attractions, so it is super safe. 

There was also a train, which we took from Vic Falls to Bulawayo. 

Our two big stops here (excluding the falls) are Matopo National Park and The Great Zimbabwe Ruins. 

Matopo National Park was a stop so we could see rhinos (the last one of The Big Five for both Cam and I to see in the wild).  We also got to see ancient cave paintings and watch the sunset from the top of one of the tallest mountains in the park. 

Great Zimbabwe, the namesake of the country and where they found a stone carving of a fish eagle that is now the national seal, is a extremely underrated attraction. How more people don't know about it, I don't understand. It's 14th century stone ruins that are put together with no mortar. The biggest wall is 11m (36ft) high!