Heppytour in Africa

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Kenya

Mikey V Driver		Brian Co-driver
Charlie		Joe
KT		Kit
Liz		Mark
Mille		Nicki

Start the tour in Nairobi. We have a couple of days to acclimatise in this bustling, noisy, hot, tiring city. We wander the streets trying to replace my fleece, which carried on to the Seychelles without me. But Nairobi has no need of fleece.
The museum is well worth visiting, if only to see the cross-section of an elephant skull which makes it clear why there's no point shooting them head on.
Meet up with the gang.
And we're away. Out of the shanty towns around Nairobi and rising quickly to views over the Great Rift Valley. By mid afternoon we're pitching camp on the shores of Lake Naivasha. Time for tea at Elsemere, home of Joy Adamson, punctuated by a visit from a troop of Colobus monkeys.
Lie awake listening to the alien noise of Africa, until, a little before 2am, hear some less alien noises. Poke my head out of the tent to see Brian and Nicki crouched in the half-light of a lamp, and beyond them, a hippo chowing down. Wake KT rather abrubtly with "er, there's a hippo outside the tent." Feel inducted.

Uganda

Enjoy the first border crossing. Attempt to get in on student visas, but having decided that we're entymologists, the girls cower from a large bug that flies into the truck. Our cover blown, we get a lecture from the border guard.
Camp at the source of the Nile (don't know why it took so long to find - there's a damn road leading to it). It's very restful sleeping with the sound of Bujagali Falls cascading below our tents.
Bike taxis in Jinja to buy food - many stalls, all selling exactly the same veg. Everywhere we go, the locals, especially the children wave at us, grinning.
Sit up front with Mike and Brian. Driving through Kampala, Brian (who's not done this route before) pulls a strop on map reading (this is the first time in two years that Mike's been through, following the shootings at Bwindi). I get tossed Lonely Planet and try to navigate us through this crowded city on a half page line drawing.
Pull cook duty on our first bush camp - although we appear to be close to town as cowherds sell us milk on their way through. First fantastic African sunrise. Carry on west to Bunyonyi, then through the hills with great views of the Virunga chain of volcanoes to Mgahinga N.P. After three days of playing cards, relaxing in our tents at night listening to gunfire, waiting for the Mountain Gorillas to come back from their sojourn in Zaire, we eventually decamp.

Rwanda

The local Mr. Fixit, Sheeva, has arranged for us to leave Exodus and go and see the gorillas in Rwanda (against FCO advice). There's a one hour time difference at the border, so we have to go down the night before to 'leave' Uganda, as the borders open at 6am local time and we can't wait for 6am Ugandan time. I sit in the front of the pick-up having Sheeva sing to me whilst the rest of the gang cling to the back as we bounce along mountain tracks. I have to sing something for Sheeva in return. Oh dear, poor chap. After a quick beer in Rwanda, we return to camp in Uganda, ready for an early start.
A change of road side at the border - just switch over to the right whenever you feel ready.
We climb into the forest supported by a guide and army rangers and a hush falls as we catch our first view of inquisitive faces watching us. We have an hour or so tracking these creatures, who push us off the narrow tracks in their search for food. There are a very limited number of passes available to see the gorillas (there are only 600 Mountain Gorillas left in the world), the experience is highly controlled, and we feel privileged to have seen them. An amazing experience.

Kenya

We drive north through Kenya, running the gauntlet of bandits (we inadvertently outrun our police escort). From the highlands of Uganda, we've dropped into hot, bumpy desert. After, a long, sandblasted day, we arrive at our oasis - the hot Eliye Springs, which provide a relaxing soak. We're on the shores of Lake Turkana, where the Leakeys made some of their early (and recent) discoveries. (For le Carre fans, Oasis in The Constant Gardener is here, disused and rundown). It's hot, damned hot. We spend a few days relaxing and learning about the local way of life, which, for men, seems to be mostly about relaxing. Result. Sleep under a mossie net on the beach, listening to the gentle waves against the shore, and Kit swearing that she could have "had a fortnight in Fuerta Ventura for this" as she battles with her mossie net, whilst metabolising cheap red wine. In the heat of the day, despite having a ringer for volleyball (Mille), we are put to shame by the local lads. Joe shows us why it's advantageous to have a trained chef on board, as he works his magic with some fresh caught tilapia.
But, all good things come to an end, so we pick up a hunk of dead cow, remove the flies and run past the bandits again, stopping for a quick photo beside the huge termite mounds. Joe and Charlie cook the meat for ages (in the rain) while the rest of us retire to the bar in the bizarre warren at Raj's place.

Anna		Kath		Liza		Mikey B
Regi		Sonia		Taline		Trine

Next morning we shop and Brian brings in the rest of the gang, most of whom will be with us until Cape Town. Feel a bit resentful about having to give up some of the space on the truck, but at least it means that we'll not have to cook so often. Except today, KT & I have to show Mikey B and Anna the ropes as we cook for 18. We're at the gates to Lake Nakuru N.P., and the resident monkeys decide to make the job of making lunch somewhat tricky. Mike and Anna look somewhat bewildered as we chase the monkeys away, and away, and away...

We get some good game views - last wet season wasn't, so everything's tinder dry - Rothschild's giraffe, white rhino, impala, zebra, Thompson's gazelles, buffalo, jackal, and lion. The lake is full of Greater Flamingoes, their pink softening the brilliant white of the salt flats.
Mikey V shows the newbies how to pitch their tents, using ours as an example, whilst we cook. But fails to tell us which one, which is a nuisance as all the new crew have pitched in a neat, tight row either side of us, after hearing lions clearing their throats a little way away.
An uncomfortable camel ride on a huge estate north of Rumuruti, with a bush camp and the largest, hottest camp fire I've ever cooked on. Camp fire stories from the white farmer who owns the property - he has 30,000 acres, 1,000 cattle, and supports 120 staff and families.
Track truly wild elephant (rather than those habituated to tourists in game parks) on foot and camel, and are rewarded with an awesome close encounter.

Tanzania

Topi and wildebeest are our introduction to the Serengeti, shortly followed by a huge pod of hippo and a lioness. The vastness of the savannah is clear, with the scrub looking mostly dead after the extended dry period. All sleep huddled together under a boma, trying not to look like lion food. Spend our second day in the Serengeti watching zebra, hyena, lion and cheetah.


Out of the National Park we come across a colony of rock hyrax and soon see their somewhat larger cousin - a herd of elephants. Stop at Oldupai Gorge - the "birthplace of mankind" - to see the prehistoric footprints in the sand. Pass sullen painted Masai on our way up caldera to the Ngorogoro Crater. Our cold camp is disturbed by hyenas searching for scraps. Down in the crater we see a plethora of wildlife - hippos and flamingoes in the lake, lions playing with a python and trying to climb on our jeep, massive elephants, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, hyena and, most rare, black rhino (female and baby).
A few of us visit a Masai village close to Snake Park, talking to a matriarch in her dark bedroom. Stop for a welcome beer or three, regaling in our tales of the bush. Then its on to a camp with a fantastic view to Mt. Kilimanjaro. Anna and I take sulphur tablets designed to help cattle digest grass, as the excitement runs through us. Seems to work, but not enough for us to join the advance party climbing to the first hut on Kili. KT keeps the Hepworth mountaineering team on track.
Finally reach the coast - all rush into the Indian Ocean for a cool dip. Wonderful.
Enjoy the chaos of Dar es Salaam (memorable for me as I had to write out 100 lines on it many years ago). Watch 'Titanic' on the ferry over to Zanzibar. It sinks as we arrive.

Zanzibar

Brilliant place - loved the bustle of Stone Town with its higgledy piggledy streets and amazing wooden doors, and some interesting history.
Our coy guide refers to the Sultan's hareem as a place where "comfortable times" were had. And some. Had words with our co-driver after he starts arguing prices with the guy giving me a cut-throat razor shave. Bitten to buggery by mozzies (note this). Went diving, but managed to throw up when I got down to 20m (Dive Master, bless her, blamed my anti-malaria drugs), so KT & I spent the afternoon on a desert island watching crabs. We then headed for the East Coast for pure tropical - white sand, blue sky, azure, warm ocean, palm trees, no people, etc. M

Malawi

Continue to hit lucky with game as lions, elephants, buffalo and warthog wave to us from the roadside.

First night in Malawi and we pitch our tent on the shore of Lake Malawi, then head further south to a campsite where we splash out $10 on a beachside chalet. Great fun playing in the freshwater surf and chilling on the beach. Each of us had to buy outrageous clothes for another person for a fancy dress night, but we are then stiched up when we have to wear what we have bought ourselves. Cue the Hepworth bunny girl replete with ears, high heels and bow-tie. Luckily no mirrors to see this horror.

Manage to start feeling ill as we head to Lilongwe with classic timing for our wedding anniversary. M


Zambia

On into Zambia and South Luangwa game park. As I'm not feeling so good, we opt for a chalet rather than a tent, and some distance away from everyone else. After dinner, head back early with a bottle of Champagne (an anniversary thought from the gang), but hear rustling behind our chalet. Two elephants appear, munching on bushes 10 ft from where we are sitting. We watch for a while, and six more crash through, including two babies. You don't get this in Maidenhead, I can tell you. Next day we take a morning and evening game drive and manage to complete the big 5 as we get a short sighting of a leopard.
We leave South Luangwa and spend the day travelling on bush roads (bumpy, bushes jumping into the truck, dry river crossings - not unlike the M4 really). We bush camp again, which passes me by as I have got seriously ill and have to be treated for malaria. M



Zimbabwe

We arrive at Lake Kariba and have two nights on a houseboat by a National Park. I spend two days asleep whilst the gang go out game viewing on motor boats and have a belter of a party.

Spend two days travelling to Victoria Falls, meeting some of the nicest folk of the trip on the way.
KT goes out seeking adrenalin on the Zambezi whilst I convalesce.
This consists of taking tea at the Victoria Falls Hotel and then a massage from big Bertha. Boy can she find those deep muscles. M

Heppy picked up a bit and so we went on a full day horseride with Sonia in the Vic Falls N.P. - an awesome experience, as you get much closer to the animals than you can on foot or in a vehicle. It's quite something being so close to buffalo that a 28mm lens is not wide enough, and being mock charged by an elephant gives a better adrenalin rush than those grade 5 rapids that I swam through the day before!
The day after riding, we were walking like cowboys - think Heppy should have had his massage that day! I chilled out having a facial - clean for the first time in seven weeks! KT


Pick up some more muppets.

Flavia

Karen

Lance

Marianne

Sean Co-driver

Botswana

Over the border into Botswana; to Chobe N.P.


Couple of game drives here where we saw lion stalking buffalo (and the buffalo turn round to chase the lion away). I also thought I spotted a crocodile walking through our campsite, and was rather relieved (but felt rather foolish) when I realised it was just (!) a five foot long monitor lizard.


From Chobe we had a long drive to Maun, from where we flew into the Okavango Delta. This is an amazing place, full of reeds, papyrus and hippos. We were taken from the airstrip to our island camp in mokoros (little boats powered with long poles, rather like punts). It was a very relaxing way to travel, complete with rendition of "Row, row, row your mokoro, gently down the delta, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, let's sit and swelter."
Three days at an island camp were idyllic, if a little smelly by the end, due to lack of showers. We spent the morning and evening doing game walks, and the days basically doing absolutely nothing - it's a hard life!
Our trip out of the Delta was almost as exciting as the flight in, as we hurtled down the river in speedboats, past crocodiles and hippos (close encounters of the large, not really hairy, but still scary animal kind).
From the Delta, we had a couple of long driving days down straight, boring roads through the Kalaharia Desert into Namibia. KT


Namibia


After a couple of nights getting clean in Windhoek, we headed north into Etosha N.P., where we had another game fest - one waterhole had twelve different species at it. Needless to say, camera film manufacturers are doing rather well out of us.
After a couple of amazing days in Etosha (including our first night without a mossie net - the only inquisitive creature is a jackal), we stayed for one night at a cheetah farm. Here, cheetahs that are captured on farmland are taken in to save them from being shot. Although technically in captivity, the pens are huge and the animals are beautiful. There are also a number of cubs - apparently the first ones ever bred in captivity. As well as the 'wild' ones, the farm has three 'tame' cheetahs that were hand-reared, that you can see and pet (as long as the owners are there). One of them decided to walk over me whilst I was trying to take a photo!

The scenery in Namibia is stunning, and we had a couple of days driving through the mountains to the Skeleton Coast, with an 'under the stars' bush camp on the way (it's amazing to sleep out in the middle of nowhere without a tent or a mozzie net, watching the stars). The Skeleton Coast is bleak and desolate, a fascinating environment. We marked the occasion by swimming in the Atlantic Ocean. We've now been overland from coast to coast - six weeks ago we swam in the Indian Ocean.

After picking up the smell of a huge colony of Cape Seals, we spent an unwashed night at Spitzkope, the 'Matterhorn' of Namibia (lots of rock scrambling) before heading to Swakopmund for a bit of adrenalin (and showers - welcome by all who came near us).


Didn't do the skydive (got to save something for New Zealand) but did go sandboarding (climb up a big sand dune, lie down on a piece of plywood and hurtle down head first). It's absolutely amazing, and if they had lifts, we'd have stayed there all day. As it is, you have to climb up the dunes carrying your high tech transport device under your arm, and it's absolutely exhausting (but still fantastic). We also went quadbiking over the dunes, hurtling over the sand at 40mph - weeeeeeee!!!!!



Swakopmund was also the place for a few big beer nights (beer, white wine and sangria don't mix) so as well as the adrenaline stuff, a day was spent doing absolutely nothing (sometimes nothing just has to be done).
Then we headed to Sossuevlei and Sessriem, the area with the largest sand dunes in the world. After one failed attempt because of bad wind conditions, we managed to get a dawn balloon flight over the dunes - another amazing experience.


We had a fascinating visit to the San Bushmen at Intu Africa, where they live undisturbed on the game reserve, but participate in bush walks and demonstrations of their way of life at a 'mock' village.


Unlike many of the village walks we have done in other places, there was no feeling that the people were being exploited - they are there on their own terms, and get all of the money that is paid for the walks, and any money that is spent on their crafts. KT



Suddenly, hot Africa has got cold, and in the open truck, many of the troop are huddled in sleeping bags and wooly hats. But it's not too cold to spend the evening with a few stiff G&T's, some cards and good company. And to sleep out under the stars, watching the satellites swing past.
Intu Africa also has game on its land, so we spend an afternoon looking for wildlife - and trying to avoid it when we break down. The evening is also spent avoiding smaller creatures, as scorpions abound at our braai, before we head out on a mad night gamedrive.
We try for sunset and sunrise at the mighty Fish River Canyon, but the weather is against us.


We then drive down into the canyon to stay at the deserted resort of Ais Ais. It's a site of hot springs, so we spend hours outside in the cold, enjoying the warm water. M



South Africa


After a long drive (and a rainy night in a bleak campsite - our third dampening since we got out here) we arrived in Stellenbosch. It's a really nice town, home to the best university in South Africa, and surrounded by vineyards. KT

So in true overlander style, we look around us, are pleased with what we see... and try to drink it. Let's just say that Mikey B and Trine took a tactical passout at lunchtime...
By winery number four, I stick to Champagne and Port, as it's about all I can distinguish. But, even though not fully sober, I swear we did see the goat tower. (Yes, as it reads).
And so on to Cape Town. Penguins, rugby and massive, er massif.


We say goodbye sadly to the troops as they dribble away. Some on Harleys.
And then head out east. Drive through and past some spectacular scenery - hills and mountains hugging a rugged coast. We stop overnight at Hermanus, and are rewarded for this as we walk along the coast in the morning - we see Southern Right Whales in the bay.
We carry on to Wilderness, where a mix up over our booking means we're in a 2 ft high attic room. But a fantastic breakfast and the best room in the place more than makes up for this. We walk to the beach, taking the hostel dogs (but not the pigs) with us, managing to wear them out eventually. But we're made of stronger stuff, so go riding in the wooded hills, catching occasional views out over the ocean.
A really chilled place to stop before we get all hot and sweaty again.
Into the Karoo. Desert and ostriches. It is not too difficult to ride these, but they have phenomenal acceleration, so hold on tight!
The flora is amazing - the Cape 'Kingdom' is the most diverse for its size - and we see many different fynbos. The scrub desert is punctuated with great swathes of Wimbledon colours! The roads are unpaved, so the switchback passes through the mountains are a little hairy (the sign at the summit says "Die Top", which I hope is Afrikaans for 'the' top), but the scenery makes it worthwhile - as does the thought of a decent beer at the end of it.
One of the advantages of travelling on our own is that we get to meet a much larger number of people. So often we end up in late night conversations - such as a medic berating the government policy on AIDS. M

and on to Oz
Links:
Exodus

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