I am completely unpacked and acclimatized to non-hostel lifestyle, however, over the last three days I feel I live in Africa. I think Africa, I dream Africa, I plan Africa. In two weeks I am flying to Cape Town for my two month adventure in Southern Africa. My knowledge about South Africa just two days ago was limited to two drawn maps by my fellow travelers. As always, everything seems overwhelming, confusing and complicated. In fact, it is not. South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana seem to be the most well-traveled countries one could think of. There are a number of tour operators who load trucks of 15-30 people and take them through a very standardized route that I have learned by heart visually (I cannot pronounce these long names like Swakopmund). Unless I am ready to pay A LOT more, I have to live with another "gringo" trail. But I am not complaining. What I am about to see should be at the very least amazing and breathtaking. The problem is my passport and all the visas I need to obtain before. Since I am not sure how it will work out with mailing my passport to Pretoria or Johannesburg (there is no Namibia or Zambia or Zimbabwe consulates in Cape Town), I am afraid to book the tour. The tours, however, are being booked quite quickly. It makes sense, most probably people book 30-day overland trips in advance, not a day before departure. It is not 3-day Uyuni tour I am talking about. So I am very busy - reading, comparing, sending out emails to embassies, making phone calls to South Africa and deciding on what to do.
As of today I am think I will do Garden Route and Capetown myself, then join a 22 day overland trip from Capetown through Namibia and Botswana to Victoria Falls, come back to Johannesburg, get another visa, then join another overland through Swaziland to Mozambique and return back through Kurger NP. If everything works out, it might be a trip of my life :)
Today I left my passport with the Indian Embassy (if all visa departments were like this one, my life would have been easy!). Next week I am braving the South African Embassy.
Meanwhile in Buenos Aires life is good. So far I have managed to
- eat steak three times
- shop in Palermo Soho
- go clubbing in Palermo Hollywood, San Telmo, Microcentro, Once
- wander around San Telmo's Sunday Market
- visit Puerto Madero
- get lost in Recoleta's cemetery and pick at Evita's grave
- make numerous walks through downtown of BA
- stroll through Tigre's market
Still have to visit la Boca, go to a football match, see a tango show. My next post will be about tango... sort of.
1 comment:
I wish you all the very best for your trip in Africa, and you are visiting the country where I was born during portuguese colonial times, the country and continent where I was living for about 21 years. I now all countries and places that you are visiting like the palm of my hand.
To be born in Africa at my times,( "50`s" ), be a traveler as I am today, was indeed something that you could not avoid. It is our blood...Grow up without TV, and etc, etc, to go out and travel was our destiny.I still go to Africa, but unfortunately the "Real Africa" is almost gone, and in some places gone forever. Is a tragedy, from AIDS to full scale corruption, but I still love Africa.
Well, be very, very careful on big cities/downtowns like JHB, where violence can reach levels that you may not believe. No values at all with you, just a "plastic watch" and a few dollars for to give to someone that want to have money by violent means from you. Cape Town is a fabolous town, and it may look very safe, but be very careful also.
Take good care, FFC
P.S-If you speak german, you pronounce Swakopmund very easy...
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