- World Cup camaraderie. Based on Facebook status updates I detect that some people I know watch soccer, but it's nothing like Africa. We got to talk to so many people we wouldn't otherwise have had an easy opening with -- taxi drivers, waiters, hotel staff -- everyone is on the same page when it comes to soccer, and everyone has an opinion. We're already sold on Brazil 2014 -- World Cup is a special time to visit a country.
- Face painting. We got our faces painted nearly every day. People at restaurants would come up and offer to paint your face and we loved it. We got all sorts of designs, dots, flowers, flags, etc... and no one thought it was weird.
- Sofi 24/7. How did we manage to not fight at all spending every single waking and sleeping moment together? Who knows. We were meant to be.
- Vuvuzelas everywhere all the time. In the street, in restaurants, in malls (despite the "please refrain from blowing your vuvuzela indoors" signs.). Also, impromptu vuvuzela bands. It's amazing what people can do with those things.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Things I Miss
Monday, June 28, 2010
Observations/Chaps
Observations:
Things that chap our asses:
- Afrikaaners don't like to wear shoes. Not children, not adults, no matter what the rest of the outfit is like. Not in parks, not in parking lots, not in restaurants or rest stops, not at the cheetah reserve, not in the supermarket. Nowhere is off limits for bare feet, apparently.
- The Jay-Z New York song is much better outside of NY
- Everyone from Zimbabwe is nice. Everyone.
Things that chap our asses:
- Invasions of personal space. We've had several encounters of this sort. Most recently, a lady grabbed Sofi's head during dinner to make her turn around so she could show her friends how beautiful she is. Then she found out we were American and got two inches from Sofi's nose to tell her how arrogant Americans are. We know, lady, we know.
- Dutch soccer fans, British soccer fans, Americans generally. Although we do enjoy the look we get when a Dutch person falsely assumes Sofi's orange Ivory Coast zip-up is for the Netherlands. Not everyone likes you, okay?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Maputo (Mah-poo-too)
So please excuse the out of order posts -- we wanted you to know about Mozambique, but we also needed to get out the Ivory Coast/Brazil details. So here follows the scoop on Maputo, Mozambique.
Due to a twice-weekly flight schedule from Dar es Salaam to Maputo and the pre-booked tour to Kruger, our trip to Mozambique didn't last much longer than it took to stamp our passports. We flew LAM (Mozambican airline), which was a [typically African] experience. Tiny plane took off from Dar and made TWO stops before landing in Maputo. We were like, oh, did we take a public bus instead of an airplane? TWO stops! The first was in Pemba, Mozambique, which we didn't even realize had an international airport. Everyone had to get off the plane, walk across the tarmac to the teeny airport and go through immigration and customs. We called the Mozambican embassy before leaving the States to confirm that we'd be able to get a visa on arrival, and the woman I spoke with was like oh, no problem. And when I asked how much for a short-term single entry visa, she was like "$20, or $70, or something. It depends." We got to Pemba and it's $25, so that's one pro for Mozambique.
On the plane we made friends with three American aid workers based in Maputo who had been vacationing on Zanzibar. I had met with a co-worker's friend before the trip to get tips on things to see and do in Maputo, so when they asked us what we were planning to do during our ONE DAY in Maputo I pulled out the pages I'd ripped from my guide book with notations scribbled in the margins. They approved of our activities, and helped us add a few more and put the destinations in the best order for walking around. We exchanged numbers and arranged to meet them the next evening at this swanky hotel with a beautiful view for sunset drinks and soccer.
I successfully haggled for a taxi in Portuguese outside the airport in Maputo (only to be ripped off because we had no idea what the exchange rate was and the taxi driver refused our old American money -- new notes only, please!), and we showed up at Fatima's Place backpackers hostel late that night. Interesting crowd there: a middle-aged couple bicycling the planet -- somehow they got from Seattle to all of South America to Africa. We stayed in a dorm with two Peace Corps girls. [Side note: nearly every American female we've met on this trip has been in the Peace Corps -- Southeastern Africa is swarming with them! I guess my previous travels to Western Europe haven't given me a lot of opportunities to bump into Peace Corps folks. ]
Maputo, as we discovered the next morning, is a really interesting, vibrant city. It feels a lot like Europe to me (Portugal, unsurprisingly), and Sofi says a little like Havana. There's a lot of foot traffic, and cafes with sidewalk seating. We started the day with pastries and espresso and people watching. After Tanzania we were used to be harassed by vendors and touts, so we were pleasantly surprised to find that you can say "no thank you" to people once in Maputo and they go on their way.
We took a longish walk through town, past the chicken market, to the central open-air market that sells food, clothes, spices, souvenirs, and anything else you could want. We bought bottleof water for like 20 cents, and our packets of spices came with free Tsonga lessons. We took a cab to a very popular chicken restaurant, where I gave up vegetarianism for an afternoon.
After a little more shopping and wandering, we hopped in the African version of a pedicab -- essentially a motorcycle with a little covered seat behind. They make for bumpy rides, but are cheaper than taxis, and not really geared for tourists. It was funny to pull up to one of the nicest hotels in Maputo in one.
We got dinner with the American aid workers at their second-favorite Thai place (the first favorite was closed). Their favorite dish at this place is a green papaya salad, but when the waiters said there was no more green papaya, they were like, but what about that papaya up there in that tree? So the staff got out a ladder, climbed the tree and pulled down a not-yet-ripe papaya to make our appetizer course. Sofi especially wasn't cool with that -- it seemed a lot to ask of the staff, and rather stereotypically American.
The next morning we took Intercape, a fancy bus company, from Maputo to Joburg. Intercape, as the guide book failed to tell us, is owned by evangelical Christians who seize the opportunity to bombard you with Jesus propaganda while you're stuck on the bus for 10 hours. So most of the programming was re-enactments of bible stories, or little pieces on behaving morally, and why stem cell research is bad, and a special movie they'd commissioned about a girl who prays her way out of death by cancer and converts all her teenage friends along the way. Oh boy.
We're in Observatory, Cape Town, now. We'll try harder to catch up on our posts!
Due to a twice-weekly flight schedule from Dar es Salaam to Maputo and the pre-booked tour to Kruger, our trip to Mozambique didn't last much longer than it took to stamp our passports. We flew LAM (Mozambican airline), which was a [typically African] experience. Tiny plane took off from Dar and made TWO stops before landing in Maputo. We were like, oh, did we take a public bus instead of an airplane? TWO stops! The first was in Pemba, Mozambique, which we didn't even realize had an international airport. Everyone had to get off the plane, walk across the tarmac to the teeny airport and go through immigration and customs. We called the Mozambican embassy before leaving the States to confirm that we'd be able to get a visa on arrival, and the woman I spoke with was like oh, no problem. And when I asked how much for a short-term single entry visa, she was like "$20, or $70, or something. It depends." We got to Pemba and it's $25, so that's one pro for Mozambique.
On the plane we made friends with three American aid workers based in Maputo who had been vacationing on Zanzibar. I had met with a co-worker's friend before the trip to get tips on things to see and do in Maputo, so when they asked us what we were planning to do during our ONE DAY in Maputo I pulled out the pages I'd ripped from my guide book with notations scribbled in the margins. They approved of our activities, and helped us add a few more and put the destinations in the best order for walking around. We exchanged numbers and arranged to meet them the next evening at this swanky hotel with a beautiful view for sunset drinks and soccer.
I successfully haggled for a taxi in Portuguese outside the airport in Maputo (only to be ripped off because we had no idea what the exchange rate was and the taxi driver refused our old American money -- new notes only, please!), and we showed up at Fatima's Place backpackers hostel late that night. Interesting crowd there: a middle-aged couple bicycling the planet -- somehow they got from Seattle to all of South America to Africa. We stayed in a dorm with two Peace Corps girls. [Side note: nearly every American female we've met on this trip has been in the Peace Corps -- Southeastern Africa is swarming with them! I guess my previous travels to Western Europe haven't given me a lot of opportunities to bump into Peace Corps folks. ]
Maputo, as we discovered the next morning, is a really interesting, vibrant city. It feels a lot like Europe to me (Portugal, unsurprisingly), and Sofi says a little like Havana. There's a lot of foot traffic, and cafes with sidewalk seating. We started the day with pastries and espresso and people watching. After Tanzania we were used to be harassed by vendors and touts, so we were pleasantly surprised to find that you can say "no thank you" to people once in Maputo and they go on their way.
We took a longish walk through town, past the chicken market, to the central open-air market that sells food, clothes, spices, souvenirs, and anything else you could want. We bought bottleof water for like 20 cents, and our packets of spices came with free Tsonga lessons. We took a cab to a very popular chicken restaurant, where I gave up vegetarianism for an afternoon.
After a little more shopping and wandering, we hopped in the African version of a pedicab -- essentially a motorcycle with a little covered seat behind. They make for bumpy rides, but are cheaper than taxis, and not really geared for tourists. It was funny to pull up to one of the nicest hotels in Maputo in one.
We got dinner with the American aid workers at their second-favorite Thai place (the first favorite was closed). Their favorite dish at this place is a green papaya salad, but when the waiters said there was no more green papaya, they were like, but what about that papaya up there in that tree? So the staff got out a ladder, climbed the tree and pulled down a not-yet-ripe papaya to make our appetizer course. Sofi especially wasn't cool with that -- it seemed a lot to ask of the staff, and rather stereotypically American.
The next morning we took Intercape, a fancy bus company, from Maputo to Joburg. Intercape, as the guide book failed to tell us, is owned by evangelical Christians who seize the opportunity to bombard you with Jesus propaganda while you're stuck on the bus for 10 hours. So most of the programming was re-enactments of bible stories, or little pieces on behaving morally, and why stem cell research is bad, and a special movie they'd commissioned about a girl who prays her way out of death by cancer and converts all her teenage friends along the way. Oh boy.
We're in Observatory, Cape Town, now. We'll try harder to catch up on our posts!
Côte d'Ivoire v Brasil
Bittersweet is probably the best word to describe the Côte d'Ivoire/Brasil game. It was amazing to be at this game, in this beautiful stadium. The stadium at Soccer City is supposed to look like a calabash, and the layout pretty much allows a great view from anywhere. Despite the over-representation of Brasil fans (I'm convinced Lula bought out this game for nationals), the atmosphere was all kinds of fun. I guess I should ease up on the complaints though - Côte d'Ivoire could have played England and I could have gotten a beer bottle cracked over my head for screaming Elephants in some hooligans face. The stadium was packed to capacity - 85,000 fans, 84,500 of which supported Brasil. On the walk up to the stadium, Molly and I (fully decked out in Côte d'Ivoire gear) must have been stopped by at least 20 people, who wanted to take our picture. The reasons being (1) Two girls attending a soccer match by themselves seemed out of place and (2) Anyone not supporting Brasil stood out like a sore thumb. Can I also mention the fact that this a World Cup in South Africa and maybe one or two of the vendors actually had Côte d'Ivoire gear (WHAT?!?!?!). I was trying really hard to find a big ol Elephant hat and all I saw was Samba Kings b.s.
We managed to find another group of Côte d'Ivoire supporters (from the US), increasing our numbers to 5. As a group we managed to attract two camera crews. The first - a Brasilian crew, strategically placed Molly and I in the center of the guys, and proceeded to ask the 3 guys their names and reasons for not supporting Brasil, while Molly and I were ignored. Of course, this infuriated me and I nearly hissed at the camera man after. So when the next camera crew, South African based, approached us, my body language must have commanded attention because the camera man came straight to me. And I proceeded to profess my undying love for the Toure brothers, Drogba, Kalou and Eboue, while talking some randomness about supporting all the African teams.
That's the man with the plan - DROGBA! I'm sure everyone can recognize the drip perm from miles away! At the game we met up with Molly's counsins (Tim and Brian and Ashley). Kedenard managed to find us as well - I think because the bright orange was easy to spot in the sea of green.
The game itself had us on the edge of our seats. I don't think I moved for 10 minutes after Fabiano scored his first goal. And the second was worse - I must have screamed every profanity known to man when Fabiano got away with that handball. Even the hardcore Brasil fan sitting next to me turned to me and acknowledged that foul play. Watching the Elephants slowly go down was the most painful game yet. And it's much easier to hide your pain in the privacy of your home, compared to a stadium packed with fans cheering for the opposing team. The only redemption came in Drogba's header at the end. When the whistle blew at the end of 93 minutes, I actually cried. The thought of South Africa hosting the first World Cup on African soil and not having a single African team move forward was too much for me to handle. And yes - I realize how corny that statement sounded, but I stand by it. And after this I'll go back to being an Arsenal supporter - I swear you cannot call yourself a fan unless you are constantly in a state of pain (excuse the Man U/Real Madrid/Brasil fans). At this point, all I can say is Go Black Stars!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The Pros and Cons of Wearing Your Ethiopian Scarf in Jo'burg
So we're sitting in an internet cafe in Soweto, waiting to catch a shuttle over to Soccer City for the Ivory Coast/Brasil game (GO ELEPHANTS). Instead of filling y'all in on the last couple of days, I'm going to run through the issues concerning a contentious scarf.
Pros
1. When walking around Little Ethiopia in Jo'burg, Ethiopians are happy to see one of their kin donning the scarf. This usually leads to random conversations (mostly about Ethiopia, but sometimes people branch out). Bottom line - people are friendly.
2. That may be the only pro.
Cons
This applies to wearing the scarf within the club, specifically. When wearing you scarf, the following may or may not happen:
1. Drunk Ethiopians may attempt ridiculous conversations, despite your clear disinterest in them.
2. Drunk Ethiopians may take your scarf and wave it in the air, screaming "Etyopia, Etyopia, it is ze best!". And not when Waving Flag is playing - when a 50 Cent song is playing.
3. Drunk Ethiopians may grab your scarf and smell it, while reminiscing about the mother country.
4. Drunk Ethiopians may get into bar fights when other men approach said woman with Ethiopian scarf.
Gosh, I love my people.
Pros
1. When walking around Little Ethiopia in Jo'burg, Ethiopians are happy to see one of their kin donning the scarf. This usually leads to random conversations (mostly about Ethiopia, but sometimes people branch out). Bottom line - people are friendly.
2. That may be the only pro.
Cons
This applies to wearing the scarf within the club, specifically. When wearing you scarf, the following may or may not happen:
1. Drunk Ethiopians may attempt ridiculous conversations, despite your clear disinterest in them.
2. Drunk Ethiopians may take your scarf and wave it in the air, screaming "Etyopia, Etyopia, it is ze best!". And not when Waving Flag is playing - when a 50 Cent song is playing.
3. Drunk Ethiopians may grab your scarf and smell it, while reminiscing about the mother country.
4. Drunk Ethiopians may get into bar fights when other men approach said woman with Ethiopian scarf.
Gosh, I love my people.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Pool with the Maasai
Our first night in Kendwa (North coast of Zanzibar - super beachy) was the most interesting to date. We were hanging out at the hotel restaurant/bar and noticed a group of Maasai warriors playing pool (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maasai). We wanted to talk to them, but were shy, so this British guy we met who's working in Dar was like no problem, asked them all in Swahili what they were drinking and bought them beer. So now we've played pool with the Maasai. Needless to say, the hunting skills make them very good. Also, everytime they missed a shot they uttered a string of popular American curse words. We think they're only in Zanzibar for the high tourist season because all of them said they're from the Kiliminjaro area. They sell jewelry and sarongs on the beach, and we heard that some of the women work as prostitutes. I also think of them was courtng me on the downlow. Lord Jesus!
Yesterday was a very relaxing day. We woke up around 9, had breakfast, sat on the beach, went on a short trip to Nungwi to see a turtle conservation/hospital center. The sea turtles live in a large "aquarium" that's fed by the ocean -- it's like a tidal pool. The water is super clear, so you can sit or stand on the path over the
water and toss seaweed in to feed them. They get to be almost three feet long. We saw one that was 25 years old, and she was only just reaching sexual maturity. She was pretty good at bossing around the small turtles.
We took a dive trip yesterday -- I snorkeled & Molly dove. Molly's obviously spoiled by the dives in Cozumel. Her report: It was okay diving. Lovely coral, nice fish. Visibility wasn't fantastic, and someone saw a turtle but we missed it. Did catch a small ray, hiding under a rock (at this point I actually had visibility with my shitty goggles).
And now for a new segment we will call:
Random Observations and Things that Chap Our Asses
1. Immodest women in Zanzibar. It's a fucking Muslim country. Please respect the culture and put on a fucking shirt and pants (ahem German man in speedo and polo).
2. Loud Australians, Americans and Brits (but mostly the first two). Indoor voices, please. And it's very nice that you meditated in the Himalayas with a Buddhist monk, but the whole bar doesn't need to know that.
3...And on that note, bragging, elitist backpackers.So you went gorilla stalking in Rwanda...that does not make you cultured. Talk to a Rwandan. See what they think.
4. Female tourists with the "I just got my hair braided on the beach" look. You're not Bo Derek.
5. The abundance of Manchester United Fans in Tanzania (and largely East Africa). What is the deal? However, many West Africans are avid Chelsea fans. I'm wondering if I can make a career out of exploring these alliances.
Sidebar...We may sound like a bunch of haters, but at least our blog is keeping you entertained. Despite the hateration, we've met some pretty cool people I've managed to do some productive networking, thanks to Molly pushing me. We talked to a guy who works in Malawi for World Food Program, a Serbian guy who's working for an anti-corruption and election supervision NGO in the south of Sudan, a British guy
volunteering in northern Tanzania building schools, and one girl spending two weeks of her gap year volunteering at the Nungwi turtle sanctuary. Not your average Caribbean crowd.
It's our last night in Kendwa, so we're gonna go look for the party. Also, our Serbian friend has taken to reading my journal, so we need to go check on that. Ma'salamma!
Yesterday was a very relaxing day. We woke up around 9, had breakfast, sat on the beach, went on a short trip to Nungwi to see a turtle conservation/hospital center. The sea turtles live in a large "aquarium" that's fed by the ocean -- it's like a tidal pool. The water is super clear, so you can sit or stand on the path over the
water and toss seaweed in to feed them. They get to be almost three feet long. We saw one that was 25 years old, and she was only just reaching sexual maturity. She was pretty good at bossing around the small turtles.
We took a dive trip yesterday -- I snorkeled & Molly dove. Molly's obviously spoiled by the dives in Cozumel. Her report: It was okay diving. Lovely coral, nice fish. Visibility wasn't fantastic, and someone saw a turtle but we missed it. Did catch a small ray, hiding under a rock (at this point I actually had visibility with my shitty goggles).
And now for a new segment we will call:
Random Observations and Things that Chap Our Asses
1. Immodest women in Zanzibar. It's a fucking Muslim country. Please respect the culture and put on a fucking shirt and pants (ahem German man in speedo and polo).
2. Loud Australians, Americans and Brits (but mostly the first two). Indoor voices, please. And it's very nice that you meditated in the Himalayas with a Buddhist monk, but the whole bar doesn't need to know that.
3...And on that note, bragging, elitist backpackers.So you went gorilla stalking in Rwanda...that does not make you cultured. Talk to a Rwandan. See what they think.
4. Female tourists with the "I just got my hair braided on the beach" look. You're not Bo Derek.
5. The abundance of Manchester United Fans in Tanzania (and largely East Africa). What is the deal? However, many West Africans are avid Chelsea fans. I'm wondering if I can make a career out of exploring these alliances.
Sidebar...We may sound like a bunch of haters, but at least our blog is keeping you entertained. Despite the hateration, we've met some pretty cool people I've managed to do some productive networking, thanks to Molly pushing me. We talked to a guy who works in Malawi for World Food Program, a Serbian guy who's working for an anti-corruption and election supervision NGO in the south of Sudan, a British guy
volunteering in northern Tanzania building schools, and one girl spending two weeks of her gap year volunteering at the Nungwi turtle sanctuary. Not your average Caribbean crowd.
It's our last night in Kendwa, so we're gonna go look for the party. Also, our Serbian friend has taken to reading my journal, so we need to go check on that. Ma'salamma!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Jambo!
After a day of travelling, we reached Dar. Despite the length, the journey was good (I would highly recommend Emrites- they are balling out of control),aside from me getting "randomly selected" for a pat down at JFK. Partially my fault since I wore an Ethiopian scarf (obviously, easily mistaken for terrorist garb)and talked openly about how "random searches" were inherently, not random.
Dar is hectic. The ride to the hotel reminds me very much of Addis - cars weaving in and out of traffic, overcrowded minibuses with football players on the back, and people coming up to you selling the usuals. After settling inn, we checked into an internet cafe only to discover Drogba broke his arm and is not playing in the World Cup! One word: heartbreak. I curse the Japanese for eternity.
Headed to Chefs Pride for dinner. Met the owner - a lovely man from Zanzibar sometimes called Ali Baba. Ali pretty much took us under his wing - told us about Dar and Zanzibar and which places to go and see, and which safaris had the best value. Plus the food was delicious (curry fish!).
Highlights of our first day in Zanzibar - catching the 7am ferry and sitting through the most ridiculous Jean Claude Van Damme movie ever. The guy sitting (sleeping actually) next to me woke up suddenly as we pulled in, introduced himself (apologized for sleeping since he had partied the night away in Dar)and offered to meet up with Molly and I later. Once off the ferry we decided to walk to Karibou Inn, much to the dismay of the many cab drivers outside. Since then we've had delicious food (octopus,spiced tea and coffee),seen a couple of old palaces,and haggled successfully for a fake Barcelona jersey.
We spent the day seeing some old palaces from the Swahili kingdom and having people say generally ridiculous things to us. Example:
Homeboy selling goods: What is your name?
Me: Sofia
Homeboy: Oh what a good Muslim name... My name is Loverboy.
Also:
Random Guy - You are mixed race? Yah, you look like cappuccino!
And there's much more where that came from. At night we opted out of the local restaurant for an open seafood market- probably the best seafood ever. Kingfish, tuna, prawns, shrimp...you name it, we ate it. Afterwards we hung out around the waterfront and made some friends. Then headed out to the Sunset Bar at the swanky Africa house. I was reunited with my lover, Savannah Cider! God is good! We also made friends with a particularly drunk Tanzanian who demanded to be photographed and bragged about the 12 languages he spoke and the 48 airports he's been to. All in all, an interesting couple of days.
We're about an hour and a half north of Stone Town now, in Kendwa. Incredibly beautiful beaches. Will post about this later. Dinner calls!
Dar is hectic. The ride to the hotel reminds me very much of Addis - cars weaving in and out of traffic, overcrowded minibuses with football players on the back, and people coming up to you selling the usuals. After settling inn, we checked into an internet cafe only to discover Drogba broke his arm and is not playing in the World Cup! One word: heartbreak. I curse the Japanese for eternity.
Headed to Chefs Pride for dinner. Met the owner - a lovely man from Zanzibar sometimes called Ali Baba. Ali pretty much took us under his wing - told us about Dar and Zanzibar and which places to go and see, and which safaris had the best value. Plus the food was delicious (curry fish!).
Highlights of our first day in Zanzibar - catching the 7am ferry and sitting through the most ridiculous Jean Claude Van Damme movie ever. The guy sitting (sleeping actually) next to me woke up suddenly as we pulled in, introduced himself (apologized for sleeping since he had partied the night away in Dar)and offered to meet up with Molly and I later. Once off the ferry we decided to walk to Karibou Inn, much to the dismay of the many cab drivers outside. Since then we've had delicious food (octopus,spiced tea and coffee),seen a couple of old palaces,and haggled successfully for a fake Barcelona jersey.
We spent the day seeing some old palaces from the Swahili kingdom and having people say generally ridiculous things to us. Example:
Homeboy selling goods: What is your name?
Me: Sofia
Homeboy: Oh what a good Muslim name... My name is Loverboy.
Also:
Random Guy - You are mixed race? Yah, you look like cappuccino!
And there's much more where that came from. At night we opted out of the local restaurant for an open seafood market- probably the best seafood ever. Kingfish, tuna, prawns, shrimp...you name it, we ate it. Afterwards we hung out around the waterfront and made some friends. Then headed out to the Sunset Bar at the swanky Africa house. I was reunited with my lover, Savannah Cider! God is good! We also made friends with a particularly drunk Tanzanian who demanded to be photographed and bragged about the 12 languages he spoke and the 48 airports he's been to. All in all, an interesting couple of days.
We're about an hour and a half north of Stone Town now, in Kendwa. Incredibly beautiful beaches. Will post about this later. Dinner calls!
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