Backpacking Through Africa 4 – Cairo

 I met Mike in the afternoon as he rushed toward customs. He was also headed to Nairobi but decided to make the most of the eleven-hour layover. He’d pay over ten dollars for a one-day visa, but he thought it was worth it. He had the address of an Egyptian student he’d met in the Netherlands, who had promised to show him around the city by car.

By evening, he wasn’t so sure it had been the best decision.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 3 – Free Luxury Hotel

 I took the risk anyway. We had a layover in Cairo and had to wait from 2 PM until 1 AM. But for those eleven hours, they gave me a free, luxurious room in a five-star hotel just 200 meters from the terminal. 

I’ll never forget the cushioned loungers under palm trees around the hotel pool or the incredible feast they served us that evening. 

So much for Unreliable. 

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued) 

Backpacking Through Africa, 2. EgyptAir, is unreliable and dangerous

 
There was no internet back then. I had flown to Cairo from Athens, where I spent two days going from one travel agency to another, searching for the cheapest flight to Africa. The most affordable option was with EgyptAir, but the agent warned me against it, saying the airline was unreliable and dangerous—their planes were bad, the staff strange and hostile, and sandstorms in Cairo often forced long, foodless waits at the airport.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

Backpacking Through Africa 1 – From Athens via Cairo

"Ha! Nairobi! Africa; I'm here!" Mike exclaimed, suddenly overcome with euphoria on the bus, nearly jumping with excitement as we approached the center of Kenya’s capital. Allison and I laughed. Back in Cairo, he had already mentioned at least ten times that this was his first trip to Africa.

Janin Klemenčič (to be continued)

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Omo 389

 

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Omo 141

 

The (well) hidden charms of Arusha 3

 So we went out without backpacks, took taxis after 6pm and ignored and sent away anyone who tried to strike a conversation on the streets but we did find some nice things about this city and surroundings.

 The first thing was our hostel. Which was part of a catholic school and seemed like it used to be a missionary post. It was still run by nuns and they did a good job. A nice clean and inexpensive place where we were some of the few non-African guests. At breakfast we met a company of Rwandese women who were very happy to be able to talk some French for a while…and they all seemed to have some family in Brussels.

(to be continued) 

The (well) hidden charms of Arusha 2

 “So what were we doing here?” we started to think too, when we once again heard all the stories about dangers and crime. “You can’t wear any backpacks on the street not even during daylight. You will be sitting ducks for thieves and muggers”. 

“Don’t even think about walking back to the hotel after dusk even if it is only a 400m walk: take a taxi!!!”, “Watch out for pickpockets they are all over the place and don’t trust anyone on the street”. The whole ‘Nairobi thing’ all over again.

(to be continued) 

The (well) hidden charms of Arusha 1

  “You’re going to Arusha and you’re not interested in a safari” people were asking us in disbelief.  “Are you crazy, there’s nothing to do or see there only a lot of hassle and crime “. Even the (what seemed like hundreds) of local touts and hustlers that descended upon us, as soon as we left the bus,  would not believe we wanted to visit this place out of free will. Arusha is the city in Tanzania you go to, to fix a safari and or a Kilimanjaro climb. We had done the safari and had fixed a Kilimanjaro climb already.

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Jan De Roeck (to be continued) 

Kenia: Masai Mara 11

 That really made the safari complete and so we drove back to camp very satisfied with a quick detour for some close ups of mister ‘king of the jungle’.

For Caro it was her first safari and with the exception of a rhino, she got to see almost all of the big animals around.  A nice way to get started with our Africa trip don’t you think.

our 3 days at Masai Mara and the selection has been a lot of work: over a thousand pictures shot in only 3 days.

(to be continued) 

Kenia: Masai Mara 10

But there was more… Since we were very close to the spot where we missed the leopard the day before and because we were feeling lucky this morning we went to check it out once more. 

When we got to the spot, we noticed that the kill was still in the tree and had been partly eaten but the leopard itself was again not up there. But all of a sudden we noticed some movement in the bush under the tree… and yes there she was and she was absolutely  gorgeous!

 (to be continued) 

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