Signs I may have been drunk last night

When it gets to the point that I am:

1. dancing
2. smoking
3. using a Zambian 50 kwacha note to light said cigarette

Then yep. I was off my face.

Village walk in Leshoto, Tanzania

Home made food

Roadside trash

The kids love you

Cliff top vantage

Stunning view

Lions

Nellies

Ballooning

View at dawn

And sunset

more

Photo highlights

Ngorongoro crater and Serengeti

Up close

Days 6-17: Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda

The undoubted highlight so far has been the gorilla trekking in the mountains of Ruhengeri, Rwanda. The day was a mix of frustration and elation.

The climb to see the gorillas is about 2.5 hours uphill, tracking through farms, mud and over rocks so it's fairly hard going. unfortunately I was grouped with an older Uruguayan couple, who were woefully prepared for the trip. A 5 hour return mountain hike, culminating in a half hour slog through thick rainforest packed with biting insects, stinging nettles and whipping cords of vine, and they show up in tennis shoes, 3/4 pants and without any water. I'm keen to hoof it to the top, but we have to stop every quarter hour so they can catch up.

When we finally reach the rainforest (which is now limited to a small pocket at the top of the mountains due to encroaching farms) we have a very slow pass to the gorilla nest. Even with trackers clearing the way, it's slow going as the vegetation is unbelievably thick.

But then we are in a clearing where the plants have been crushed flat- gorillas! The first thing I see is the male silverback- leader of the family. His size is amazing. Head the size of a mini-bar, arms like tree trunks and a massive gut which he uses to lean forward and rest himself on while he eats. I suddenly feel very small. The gorilla flares his nostrils, inclines his head slightly, and goes back to his munching. I relax a bit.

After the initial shock of seeing him, I begin to take it all in. The colours are stunning. The gorilla is jet black, with a glossy coat and matte face, and he is framed by the brilliant green of the jungle. There's only 2 colours, but it's the richest visual experience I've ever had.

An hour later and I've seen the rest of the family- another silverback, females and their young. Magic.

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One thing I never tire of is gazing out the truck window and watching the landscape and the people change as we drive across Africa. Waving to the children is endlessly entertaining, especially those who jump up and down with excitement as you pass, alternatively shouting 'hello', 'mzungu!' or 'how are you'. The latter not so much an enquiry as an exclamation to be shouted over and over.

There seems to be an age, around 8 or 9, where the kids stop waving, and become like the adults, who sit there regarding you with stoney faced scepticism, or at best a humourless curiousity. The adults are either working ridiculously hard- a woman ploughing a field with a baby strapped to her back, or sweeping a dusty forecourt with a handful of leaves- or are doing nothing at all.

These people are expressionless- the empty faces of the terminally unemployed, the hopelessly unengaged. There's not even a look of boredom, as boredom is the emotion of someone who is used to being entertained, or expects something to happen. They're simply passing the time.

Day 17- Jinga, Uganda

Today was a day of contrasts- the best of nature and the worst of people.

Crossing over the equator for the obligatory photo (even if the true equator was about 75km further north) we also had a chance to look at some pretty decent arts and crafts. There was some really nice stuff, for around $5-10 for an attractive wood carving or a couple of bucks for a bracelet. And in the hour or so we spent there, I saw maybe four or five people making purchases, so it's not like these shops are cleaning up.

So what motivates people to haggle the poor shopkeepers to death? I saw people bargaining viciously to save 1000 shillings (around 50 cents) on an already cheap item.

Arriving in Jinga, we set up camp and enjoyed a beer while looking out over the Nile and watching an intense lightning storm. Doesn't get much better than that.

Day 23- Arusha, Tanzania

Currently at a town called Arusha, which is essentially a staging post for trips into the Serengeti, where we are headed this afternoon.

This morning I went on a tour of a 'Masai village', the quote marks used because the majority of these exist solely for the benefit of taking money from tour groups. However, I was told that, as far as these villages go, this one was pretty authentic.

I learned about the traditional way of life in the village- the basics such as raising cattle, building huts and rites of passage for young men and women. And of course, the cornerstone of tradtional Masai life- rudimentary free markets in the form of arts and crafts stalls.

I thought that was a bit odd, and detracted somewhat from the 'traditional' tag. I was going to ask the Masai tour guide about this but he was talking on his cell phone most of the time. I'll text him later.

Selected photo highlights

Viewing platform, Africa style

Rift Valley, Kenya

Livestock transport

Alpha male- the silverback leader of the gorilla family Susa

Pair of apes

Nellies

Crossing the equator- although the map says it's 75k further north

Ugandan frog

Camp overlooking tea plantation in Kibale, Uganda

Giraffes- photos don't reflect the scale of seeing them walk

Africa!

It's proving a bit difficult to do regular updates. The power is frequently out in this part of the world, and when it's not, the internet is out.

It's day 18 of my trip and I've already done some amazing stuff- come within a couple of metres of a wild silverback, observed a family of gorillas, encountered giraffes, hippos, rhinos. There's a real thrill to see these things for the first time. One thing that tv doesn't prepare you for is the scale- there's no way to appreciate the immense bulk of a silverback until you see it with your own eyes. And watching giraffes stride among the acacias is amazing. Watching those long, languid legs glide around can only be appreciated when you can comprehend their real height.

It sure is wild here. You arrive in Nairobi, and it's a dirty, congested and noisy city like any other. Choking diesel fumes hit you. But there's something else in the air- the smell of damp wood smoke, and the smell of rich soil. And that smell reminds you that you are never far away from the wilds- whether that be the Big 5 animals, muddy, potholed roads or a massive thunder storm over the Nile, and men with AK47s guarding the banks. Even our last camp ground had a man with a shotgun patrolling at night.

I have a lot more to say, and will try to cover the places I've been so far. If the power is on. And there's a connection.