Our next stop was the Tsauchab River Camp. This place was about 95 km drive from Sesriem. At the reception we were given the choice between a few photo’s of different campsites, all of them a few km drive away from the main reception building. We chose Naukluft View about 9 Km from the main place. We bought a bottle of wine and some fire wood at the small shop and drove to Naukluft View witch had 4 secluded sites. At our camp site we met Jan. He took great care of us! He gave us a key for our own private facilities (a toilet, washbasin and shower just for us!). That was a pleasant surprise. The campsite was very private and had its own fire place, a water point and a wash-up basin. Jan lighted candles from the campsite to our little facility building when the sun went down. That was really magical! If you are looking for somewhere to camp in this area we would highly recommend this place!!

It was raining that followed with hailstones on our way to Soweto. Soweto or South Western Township was a sprawl resident from shanty town house to million dollar mansion. The area is nowadays associated with events in the struggle against Apartheid. Tourist only allowed only with the local to drive around. It was dusk when we arrived just after the rain. Mousa lives there. One of the highlight was the resident of Nelson Mandela was in the same street as Desmond Tutu.

Two of the world Nobel prizes winner living opposite of each other. How cool is that!

For a day that I stayed in Johannesburg I got the feeling everywhere is not safe. I was afraid to get out of the car even Mousa was beside me. My instinct always feeling uneasy with the atmosphere. The guide book mentioned some part in Jo’burg in a no-go area even during the day. It’s a weird feeling not to be able to go out in the evening. Not necessarily good or bad but Johannesburg is a strange place to travel for me. During the day I was rushing from one place to another and stuck in the hostel in the evening.

Cost me 1000 Rand (€100) for Pilanesberg Game drive where usually it cost 1300 Rand (I like to believe that it’s a discount, it might have been a rip-off on the flip side). South Africa is cheap to travel by European standard but anything to do with safari cost you a fortune. That 1000 rand was too much for a day activity. Soweto Township tour cost 450 Rand and 800 rand if it’s a night tour. Mousa has secret agenda. I didn’t though that Soweto Nighttour was an additional payment outside Pilanesberg tour I paid earlier. My mistake that I didn’t get a clear understanding about this 2 tour.

I had to pay additional 800 rand for Soweto Night tour however Mousa asked me to pay only 300 ( discounted price for a daytour) with a condition that the Hostel has no idea that did the Soweto Tour. The reason being was the hostel taking commission from the tour operator. Simplest explanation is the 300 Rand goes solely to Mousa’s pocket. The hostel didn’t have to know about that and I just tell them it was traffic jam that made us reach the hostel late. The tour operator is relying on the Hostel Guests that’s why they charged commission from taking their guests. The hostel already has their commission from the Game drive tour.

I didn’t know who to believe.


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01. The First Castle of San Marino, San Marino. (Blog Entry: 07-147)

Me and Mousa ( the driver who picked me from the airport) left the hostel at 7am to Pilanesberg Game Reserve to hunt the BIG FIVE- LION, ELEPHANT, CAPE BUFFALO, LEOPARD and RHINOCEROS.




The Pilanesberg Game Reserve is located in North West Province of South Africa west of Pretoria. The park borders with the entertainment complex Suncity. I didn’t know there was more than 1 place to see all the wildlife as my thought Kruger was the only ultimate one. The Kruger National park itself is the same sime as Wales. Concerning a very short visit in Johannesburg, Kruger game Reserve would be better to do if I had weeks there. The park itself so big and took 3-4 hours to drive from Jo’Burg. I also wanted to see Soweto in the same day. So Mousa convinced that can be done if I choose to go to Pilanesberg and return to Johannesburg before late noon.


The first half of the safari, I didn’t get to see much of the wildlife but after lunch I was a bit lucky to see the Elephants. There was a family of elephant heading on the same direction as our car on our right. I wanted to get a closer and better angle so I sat on the car window that half of my body was outside. The elephant came closer to us until he overtakes us and stood on our way. He was aware that it’s me snapping his picture and got annoyed! It was just 5 m in front of us and he’s spread his ears and ready to confront us.

I was scared and so was Mousa hahaha. Mousa pressed the pedal and the engine made the elephants ran away. I enjoyed this adrenaline rush. Later I saw a lot other wildlife ie giraffe, Zebra, Impala, Springbok, Kudu (didn’t remember which one is that). Didn’t see any cheetah and lion. Maybe if I get off the car and put myself in the middle of the savannah, they probably had come. The safari was big that I covered only a quarter size of it. If you see the elephants this time, they would be within a kilometer the next couple of days. That’s the tip from Mousa. I left the safari at half 3 back to Jo’Burg for Soweto township. Visiting South Africa is not complete if one does not visiting South African township.



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From Kenyatta to Jo’burg I flew by Kenya Airline and half emptied seats in 3 hours before midnight. Upon arriving at OR Tambo Airport I was scared to know the airport pick up that arranged earlier was not there. Earlier I made reservation for the hostel to pick me up and they confirmed to be at info desk just beside arrival gate. I was approached by 2 men from the hostel or so that I thought. They approached me and said "I’m from your hostel to Jo’burg" but they didn’t have my name. So I showed them my reservation and they (apparently) called the number and put the mobile into my ears, meaning they are real and not scam.

I felt uneasy about it so I left them. How come you didn’t have any info about me and claim that you supposed to pick me up. They realized that their tactic fail so didn’t bother to convince me after. This scam is more ‘give it a shot tactic’.

Luckily the information counter was there to help and they called the Hostel asking where the driver was. All the sudden there was a guy came up from behind looking for Amin Yunus. The information lady at the counter had a talk with the driver since this could be a problem if I have had fall for the scam earlier. Mousa the driver from the hostel didn’t have my name either but he knows the name of the passenger. The airport was 25 km from city center. The hostel was spacious and there was no other guest. A week before there was a lot.

Arriving at midnight and only had couple hours sleep, I wanted to go to Kruger National Park for a daytrip. But that’s just a ridiculous idea. Visiting world’s famous wildlife park the size of Wales for a day is totally crazy so I changed my mind to Pilanesberg Game Reserve. The Big Five game ie LION, ELEPHANT, CAPE BUFFALO, LEOPARD and RHINOCEROS can be seen in Pilanesberg Park nowadays. The Game reserve located about 80 km Northeast of Jo’Burg. On the way I’ve seen a glimpsed of Johannesburg.


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Common speaken the North of Madagascar has a dry climate. Montagne d'Ambre has its own. It had more rain and a rainforest is established over here.

Next morning. Check out at Colbert. As mentioned before we made farewell with mixed feelings. Outside the hotel our crew was waiting for us. The guide was the leader of the crew and his name was Francois. We estimated he was around 45 years old and his English was quite fluent. However, some words did have their our antonation. If he talked about ships, he said sheep.. and so on. It was sometimes confusing and hilarious, but never boring.  While our luggage was packed upon the 4*4, we got a briefing. Summarized he told us in many words that we were not going to camp, but will sleep in a bungalow the first night at Montagne d'Ambre. The other three nights will be at a lodge nearby Ankarana reserve. In his eyes we were 'king and queen', so everything else was up to us. We said:"Heeey, Francois, you are the local here, show us, what you want us to show." So that was the deal. We got in the car and went straight to Montagne d'Ambre.

Our last full day over here, so we had do some mad shopping. No problem over here. I bought two shirts and Sabine fell in love with an artisan shop downtown. Totally profit: things for the kitchen, a lamba for her mom. And something for our relatives. The Italian restaurant what was closed yesterday, had opened her doors on Monday. We had a really good meal, having fun with the girls, who where obvious chanting to passengers to come in. Besides that, the streetlife is much more relaxed over here. I really like this city. So much better than Tana and Antsirabe. If we ever, ever, ever come back, we will return and see much more of the area. Because it was a glimpse we had seen.

Comfortable sleeping, awaiting for our last 'adventure' a 4-day camping with our crew. How cool is that! 

After 9 hours journey the plane landed on Kenyatta Airport, Nairobi Kenya. For 2 hours there's nothing to do apart from wandering around at the airport lounge corridor having look around at touristy stuff.

Our first night on the road with our new home from home… our little camper. We stayed at the Sesriem camp Site. We got assigned a beautiful spot with a big camel thorn tree for shade and a stunning view over the surrounding landscape. All the campsites looked very private, ours had a round wall with its own fire place and water point. The shop at the entrance was well stocked and the restaurant next to it had good food and cold beers! The staff in the restaurant was very helpful, the people at the reception on the other hand seemed distracted and not very interested.

We had the same cabdriver. Montagne des Francais sil vous plait! It is half way to Ramena, the hiking begins at Kings Lodge. Unfortunately, this lodge has been closed. Only a guard remains, with his dog. Anyway, we started over there and followed the crosses everywhere up the hill. Soon enough other little paths crossed the mainpath. So, we had to decide. Let's make a choice and see where this ends. Well, it was marveluous! Ok, no lemurs again. But, we saw boababs close by. Very rare species. Than the forest appeared. Not very later the big rocks of the cliff emerged and we went through some half-caves or tunnel without our head torches. Sabine overcame here fears and after spotting several birds and an encounter with the famous flatid leaf bug nymphs we reached the zenit. Oh my.... what a view. You could almost see the whole bay. Coincidentally, there were some loggers (illegal?) nearby so we asked them another way back down. The other path seemed to be much more saver and less steep. Did not matter. It was a great walk and had touched some baobabs, yeah!

At mid-day, the ship was underway again, this time towards Aswan.  Ossama scheduled a lecture in the lounge for 5:00 and said that we’d be passing through the lock at Esna shortly thereafter.  He warned that as we approached the lock we’d be surrounded by small boats loaded with people trying to sell us things.  As he described it, they would “open fire”, throwing stuff up on deck.  Sure enough, he had not finished his lecture when there were shouts from outside.  The lecture abandoned, we ran on deck to witness the event.  Shouts from every side enticed us to buy all kinds of wares and occasionally packages would land at ones feet.  We all simply ignored them.  If one really wanted to buy something, I can’t imagine how the transaction would be carried out; throw money down in the hope that it would be caught or land in a boat??

Hello

I'm back in Kumasi again! Btw Kumasi is the nearest city to where I stay and it is 1hours tro tro ride from Banko (my village here).  This week at school has been short as the children are on leave from wednesday dinner to monday which means I get a extra long weekend!

Yesterday was a pretty bad day, my family here have had some meat which they have paid for some lads to go and catch some rats and grass cutter, this may sound pretty rank to us, but its very valuable here!  The family had prepared the meat ready for sale and had it in their fridge at the house, when somebody had stole it over night.  The family had not paid for it yet, and they would pay out of the money they received when it was sold, therefore it leaves them with a 50c debt, which is about 25pounds to us! So the family had been pretty upset and the police here is shocking, so its left me in a pretty awkward position, but i have already paid out quite a bit for the family for fans for the rooms!  Hm.....

This weekend I have come back to Kumasi and tonight I am stopping in the hostel i sayed in last time, and tomorrow I am going to meet one of the teachers in the town centre, where i will find a different hostel to stay in!  On Saturday I am going to the hair dressers to see if they can sort my mop out !?! Yeh my roots are pretty bad, so I was going to see if they can dye them for me as they have a hairdressers here which specialise in white peoples hair.  Everybody here is saying i should get my hair braided, but I don't know if it will damage my hair or not, so if somebody can find out text me it would be great!!

Sunday I am going to some sort of crafts place or something, and then will go back to my village of Banko where I will start another week of school!!

The school is pretty good, but there is no english silabus and my english is pretty poor, as you may of noticed from my blog!  So i'm trying to help them as best as i can, but they don't complain so its ok!!

Ne ways im shooting!

Byeeeeee xx

This Indian restaurant is located in the Coral Strand Hotel on Beau Vallon Beach. Just a 15 minutes drive from Victoria. The interior is a bit boring and uncharming and it could have done with some nice music, but the service was good and the food excellent. As we were waiting for our dinner several Indians came to eat, which was a good sign. Other people were welcomed back, another good sign that it must be good. After we had enjoyed our appetizer, the main course was served very efficiently. We had ordered FISH MAPPAS :Jobfish cubes in a mild coconut gravy tempered with mustard seeds and BAGHARE BAIGAN: Eggplants cooked in exotic gravy of peanuts, cashewnuts, sesame seeds and tamarind. Both dishes were very good. I had never heard of jobfish before, but it has sure become my favorite fish. It is a big white fish, which is tender and very juicy. Prices are a bit high compared to what you get, but nothing is cheap in the Seychelles. A fish curry cost $ 35. The staff was nice and the food was good. During our dinner the chef came over to our table to ask if we were enjoying the food. I would absolutely eat here again.