Video Reel

Driving through Mozambique, our first roundabout:




John let's the African air take hold off his body:



The transition to the 'real' Africa, on our way into the wilderness @ Limpopo Park:



The Giraffe Pellet Incident:



Our B&B in Durban, an amazing end to a 20 hour all night drive:



Wrong turn in Johannesburg:



The reason I did not purchase a vuvuzela. No goals were scored during this video, only possession changes; and this continued throughout all 90 minutes. Swiss people...

The Bird Incident

(For the full story, see Sid's post: The Bird)





Without further ado, here is the much anticipated Bird Incident video:

Island Pics

On our first full day in Mozambique, we took a ferry two hours off the African coast to two islands in the Indian Ocean: Inhaca and Portuguese Islands. Here are the pictures.

The Mohawk, and Country Pride

Providing a visual, of the All-American Tailgater, for all those Africans who just don't know...

We were blasting either "Jack and Diane," or "Ring of Fire"

Represent, pre-game USA vs. Slovenia

The Bets

Now that I can't calm down after the dramatic US win, I might as well post some pictures. As promised, here are the losers of the bets, in all their glory:

Last Match

We are preparing for our last match: Brazil vs. Ivory Coast. So far we have lucked out with some really exciting matches, seeing the 3 highest scoring matches thus far. Summarizing the match experiences will take a much longer entry. In this entry I wanted to say two things:

1) We are all very excited to see Brazil and the best African team play tonight. What a way to go out!

2) Sid lost the latest bet last night, taking the under at 2.5 goals in the Demnark v. Cameroon match. Look forward to the pictures of the loser at game tonight sporting some interesting face paint.

The Bird

Our stay in Durban was fantastic and we reluctantly left it's warm temps for the much colder [35-40F] climate of Johannesburg. The road was quite straight and as I took over driving the last 3 hour stretch at 730a, I was hitting some pretty solid speed. In the States, cars/humans have a deal with birds and other small critters that occasionally wander onto streets and highways; George Costanza says it best: "They get out of the way of our cars; we look the other way on the statue defocations."

This is not the case in South Africa. Didier and I were cruising along at around 90mph jamming to the sounds of the 90s [Candlebox - Far Behind], and in the distance, I noticed a flock of large turkey sized birds hanging out, for no reason, in the middle of the highway. As I neared, most cleared the road but one of these arrogant bastards stayed his ground...it was too late for me to swerve or John, who was calmly sleeping, moustache glistening in the rising sunlight, would have woken up grumpy and pissed. The deal was off: it was if I hit a small bag of flour and the thud reverberated through the cars pedals and was still loud enough for John to wake up, grunt, and shake his head disapprovingly as Kenny, Fuge and I laughed in utter shock and disbelief. I quickly turned on the wipers to remove the pink/red 'body parts' that had relocated to the windshield.

We soon needed to fill up and about 30 miles later we pulled into the gas station, slowing our speed. As I did this, several feathers, arranged too perfectly to be remnants were standing up with the wind resistance lowering. No one said a word until we stopped, and Kenny got out with video rolling. I first remember, Kenny yelping/laughing and unable to keep his composure as we all realized that that arrogant bird, who stood his ground, had travelled the last 30 miles with us, embedded in our grill, ass out. The local gas station workers hurried over asking us to pop our trunk. As if it were a twig stuck in a tree, they quickly pulled it out taking some pieces of our grill out with it. If anything could make this situation even more ridiculous, two of the attendants took the bird out as if it was a prized catch and rushed over to the nearest trash can and began plucking off its feathers. Our final image of this situation is seeing these two run off to the back of the station with a plucked bird for what purpose is anyone's best guest.

After a quick duper from John, we got the hell out of there asap. Luckily, the removal of the bird was caught on video and we'll post that and other pictures/videos as soon as we can get the data off of our cameras. As Kenny later stated, this literally could have been a scene from a Chevy Chase, "African Vacation" movie and we are all still processing this situation with so many ridiculous turns.

The Damage

Notes from Afar

Sid and Kenny have the narrative format for their blogging paradigm, so I'm going to stick with bullet points. In no particular order here are a few random thoughts and stories:

- The South African highways live up to their reputation. The range of speed is anywhere from 50-100mph. Pedestrians will randomly walk in front of you. People missing your bumper by 2 feet is not uncommon. Tractor trailers on fire have already been encountered. And then there is the occasional bird. But I'll leave that for Sid to write about.

- On the safari our guide talked us into a competition. He explained to us that the dung from herbivores is not dangerous to put in your mouth, only dung from omnivores or carnivores. He then explained that it is a camping game to take giraffe turds (small, somewhat hard pellets about the size of a hershey kiss) and see who can spit them the farthest. Clearly skeptical of this, the guide and some other safari staff showed us how it was done. Now all 4 of us can honestly say that at 7:30am one fine Mozambique morning we had a competition to see who could spit giraffe turds the farthest.

The Giraffe Pellet Incident:


- Megan Crain: I believe it was Kenny who mentioned you were wondering what I smell like after 4 days of not showering and being in the woods. Peaches with a dash of rosemary....

- So far I think Argentina has the best fans. There is a deep, calm enthusiasm that permeates the stadium that turns into a melodious roar, with thousands of flags waving from everywhere. I also liked the crowds participation in their national anthem.

- I never thought the Swiss had such audacity. Walking back along the boardwalk in Durban after the Switzerland - Spain game, we were brushed aside by two Swiss guys in a rickshaw yelling "Part way for the winning team!"

- I wish I could say my mustache is bold and beautiful. Kenny should be condemned for his support of the North Korea team.

- Another favorite moment with the Swiss was being in a beach-side bar with John Denver's 'Country Roads' playing in the background. With their faces painted and wrapped in flags they walked in and immediately started belting it out. We all know the Blue Ridge are better than the Alps.

- So far I think Germany looks like the best team.

Blogger out.

The Bet

The Germany-Australia match was incredible. The Durban stadium is gorgeous, and we lucked out by getting one of the more entertaining matches thus far. Germany put on a clinic, and look to be a favorite. Now its off to Spain - Switzerland. Very pumped.

But before I head out, let me inform you all about "The Bet"...

Background: John and I haven't shaved in quite a while.
Story: We were at Buccaneer's - the Ragtime of Durban - last night watching Brazil v North Korea. 35 minutes into the game (tied 0-0) John makes a statement that Brazil will end up winning 3 or 4 to nothing. I said, ok, I'll put the over/under on Brazil's goals. Gentleman's bet. Well John, never one to be accused of being a gentleman, decided that wasn't enough. He came up with the idea that if Brazil hit the over, I would have to keep only a mustache for the rest of the trip, and post a picture of it as my Facebook profile picture for two weeks. If it was under, then John would have to do so. The over/under: 2.5. It was a stressful second half, but in the end the North Korean backline, nicknamed the "DMZ" by me, held on and only gave up 2 goals. So, I am now typing next to a guy with the weakest trash stache you've ever seen. Its hysterical. Look forward to the Facebook profile pic!!

Durban, the Oasis

Leaving Mozambique was a welcome transition. I have experienced the laziness and disrespect of many third world nations' inhabitants, but it seemed only here that that attitude has spread like an infection so that it plagues the culture into a perpetual state of poverty and malaise. Although the experiences there were wonderful [isolated beaches, an amazing safari, etc.], the people, as I later dubbed them "Dicks/Dickheads," ruin any chance I may return.

Our plan was to drive to Swaziland on the way to Durban, but Didier Dusty [our Honda Civic] had taken quite a beating driving the potholed highways and unpaved roads of the African wilderness. Instead, we chose to skip Swaziland and head straight to Durban, South Africa. Our drive started at 11am on Friday as we dreamed of our first shower in 4 days. We all switched off driving in shifts of several hours and traffic and border crossings went surprisingly smooth as we passed into South Africa at around 830pm that night. The drive to Durban continued into the morning...

Exhausted from 24 hours of driving, immune to the smell our ourselves which must have been quite apparent to any others, and expecting another third world nation's beach town, we arrived on the Durban beach at 7:30am Saturday morning. The drive was the equivalent in driving time as that of Washington, DC to Denver, Colorado.

Durban was and is the golden oasis we had not even hoped for or expected. As we drove into the World Cup host city, we headed straight for the beach not knowing if we could check in early to our Bed and Breakfast. The sun was rising on the most pristine city beach with clean wide boardwalks with many locals jogging and running, and long stretches of white immaculate sand before the clear blue/green water welcomed many surfers and swimmers. We were truly in awe and felt instantly our all-nighter was well worth it.

We walked the beach for 30 minutes which immediately surpassed any city beach I/we have ever been to. This town has truly impressed us with its gorgeous beaches, clean streets and strong World Cup 'vibe' we felt buzzing in the air. We then headed to the nearest McDonalds for some long awaited hashbrowns followed by a trip to the local casino where we picked up our tickets to the matches. While getting the tickets, a friendly lady in the parking lot offered to wash our car which we gladly welcomed noticing the battle scars Didier had taken during our Safari leg. Kenny contacted our Bed and Breakfast and reception was more than willing and ready to receive us. We drove to what is known as the 'Beverly Hills' of Durban and pulled into a neighborhood located on top of a bluff overlooking the Indian Ocean. As I walked into the small home turned B&B, I slowly began to realize that the interior of the home was not only beautiful, but it had an amazing balcony as well. We walked out not knowing or expecting what we saw next. Only pictures can really explain the awe inspiring view of the vastness of the Indian Ocean. For some time, I was not able to process that we were in this place. This was paradise.

The Palm Breeze:




Tonight, we head to our first match [Australia vs. Germany] and hope to update all quite soon on that experience.

Safari

First, the story of the epic drive to the Safari:

Our Safari started off with a potentially disastrous situation. First of all, half of the 6 hour drive to the Limpopo National Park was spent on roads packed with massive potholes. It was actually comical, we would weave back and forth through lanes trying to avoid popping a tire. Then, when we got to the gate of the park, we were to drive anouther 50km on unpaved road. Keep in mind we are rocking a Honda Civic (affectionately referred to as Didier Dusty). We should have known when the Rangers started laughing at us that we were attempting to drive the roads in such a car. However they eventually told us it would be ok, we just needed to "drive slowly." Two hours of rocky, sandy, bumpy roads later we made it to our meeting point. Only no one was there to meet us. With no cell phone service, and dusk approaching we assessed our options and decided to drive back to the main gate. At this point we didnt know if we'd be missing the first night, missing the safari all together, or what. Tensions were high amongst the Afrikaan Americans, as we all were picturing getting stranded in the middle of big 5 country. Just when it thought all hope was lost (right about after the second time we literally had to part a sea of cattle on the road while driving through sand) we got cell service and called the Safari Organizers. There was a miscommunication about the meeting point. They ended up sending someone to pick us up in a 4x4 truck at the main gate, and let us stay in the "Luxery Campground" the first night. It meant Didier would live to see another day, and we would have a proper toilet for one more night. Disaster avoided.

The Safari
The first night we went to bed to the sounds of crocodiles clamping their jaws in the river right next to our tents. I thought I heard a lion, but it turned out to be Fuge's snoring. We took off the next morning for the safari. We were guided by our fearless leaders: Greg - an American who has lived all over Africa, and Julius, a native Mozambican, and the man with the rifle. We had been informed that lions were in the vicinity, so we set off to find them. We did not find them, but did see poop from some of the scariest jungle animals you can imagine. Day two was my favorite. The highlight of the safari came when we spotted an elephant in a river valley. It was amazing seeing an elephant in the wild. Later that day we saw a group of zebras, and the next morning a crocodile, about 20 meters from where we slept that first night. On the safari we also saw impalas, water buck, several varieties of birds, scary looking insects, and tracks from giraffe, water buffalo and lions.

We were so happy we decided to do a walking safari, it made us really feel like part of the jungle. We walked about 40km total. What started as a potential disaster ended up being an unforgettable experience.

First Impressions...

The mohawk is real, for those doubting.

Tomorrow we begin the second leg of our trip in Limpopo, Mozambique. Although some find the thought of me camping laughable, it is nonetheless a reality that we will all be 'roughing it' in a Mozambican wildlife preserve for 3 nights starting tomorrow. Animals we hope to see include, Lions, Rhinos, Leopards, Elephants and Giraffes.

So far, Kenny claims to have seen 3 monkeys, but none of us can verify this information. What we have surely seen is a lot of annoying street vendors, too much seafood, poverty, old cars, beautiful landscapes and troublesome border crossing activities.

Being in some of the most remote regions of the planet, we have seen beautiful, untouched beaches, mountainsides and dry plains. One drawback however, is the exorbitant amount of seafood which my 3 other companions swear is quality. Today, I spent most of the day watching them tear away at shelled, stank creatures which have marinated in the polluted coasts of this impoverished nation. Chicken is my best friend.

As of today, no one has experienced any real sickness, injury or pain. We hope to continue this trend through the end of our trip but with Kenny and I still getting comfortable with driving on the left side of the road with a right side steering wheel, one can only hope for the best.

Congratulations to my little brother and Matt for taking the plunge and satisfying their significant others' long term angst and frustration!

Random Thoughts and Safari Predictions

- This evening I brought some zebra cakes from the supermarcado. Here they are called Blanquitos. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what Little Debbie's African cousin has in store for us on the road to the Limpopo.
- Yesterday we were on a small island in the Indian Ocean. The small vendors had hand-make wood trinkets that I must admit I found impressive. Today I found out that those same wood trinkets were all over the city of Maputo. Apparently, Maputo has a mass-distribution system of commodities to street vendors. They say Che Guevera is a hero but Capitalism is the dominant force.
- Tomorrow we head out for 4 days for the hiking safari. Kenny informed us that he is going to take Immodium-AD for the four days.... but seriously, what kind of wussy man isn't willing to take a crap in the woods? I don't expect in any real danger from the safari. Since it is the winter here we do not expect the bugs to be bad, or to see any cobras, black mambas, etc. Even though I think it would be awesome to see a black mamba, I have been told that is extremely unlikely. Other than that we might see a few of the big 5, but overally I think the safari will be a nice walk through the Mozambique hills.
- See yall in Swaziland for the World Cup.

Blogger out.

Part 1

First of all, somehow a rumor got started that I flew first class over here. I vehemetly deny these claims. I spent the night on a bench in JFK and flew 15 hours economy from New York to Johannesburg. Its a backpacking trip, Im keeping it real!

Ok, now that I dispelled that rumor, let's get to what's been going on here. I was the first one to arrive on Friday, and was graciously picked up at the airport by Bonnie, a friend from JMU. Little did she know that I would ruin her afternoon when I left my phone in her car, causing a scare that I wouldn't be able to make it from the part of the city I was dropped off on to the airport. Naturally, I hitched a ride from an American that I met in a Fish N Chips shop and everything worked out. Meanwhile in her concern for my wellbeing she was off driving around Newtown, Johannesburg asking cops and locals to be on the lookout for a white guy in a red hat. Sorry Bonnie, I appreciate everything!!!

So at the airport I met up with Sid. Due to a delay, the other two didn't get in until 230am. So Sid and I caught 4 hours of sleep at Bonnie's, met the other two at the airport, and set off on a 7 hour journey to Mozambique. It was a beautiful ride, and didnt take too long adjusting to the left-side driving. The border crossing was unnecessarily stressful, but went fine.

For the past 3 days we've been based in Maputo, capital city of Mozambique. The highlight of the trip thus far has been spending the day on Portuguese and Inhaca islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique. I don't think I've ever been to such a remote location. Portuguese island was beautiful. We were 4 of 6 people on the entire island. We've had lots of good seafood thus far, topped off with some delicious lobster and prawns made to order at the seafood market.

Tomorrow we head off to the safari. While some will question my strategies going in, Im confident that my techniques will prevail. We will let you know...

36 Hours

- they have hippo crossing signs here
- according to the South Africa Airways sommelier a person's taste buds lose up to 30% of their sensitivity while flying in a pressurized cabin
- I had Barracuda for dinner. Sid had chicken fingers.
- at our hostel we met a guy who claimed to be the nephew of the Pakistan Minister of Agriculture. After he told us about being in a Chinese prison for three days he informed us that Mozambique does not make very good cocaine.
- Kenny and Sid have a tough time seeing the locals (black people) on the side of the highway at night. Locals here are fond of walking along the highway at night.
- fruit roll-ups here are ridiculously hard to eat. They do not come in special shapes either.
- Fuge thought his 'Tropicalissimo' drink was too fruity. Kenny thought his 'America' drink was unpatriotic.
- They sell Che Guevera posters on the beach.... we are staying on Mao Tse Tung avenue... someone call McCarthy the commy's are everywhere.
- unfortunately we did not see any sharks while hanging out at Inhaca and Portuguese islands, but we did see some intense starfish.
- American country music is alive and well in Mozambique. While we were trying to figure out if chumbo was gasoline or diesel, the guy next to us rocked out to some Keith Urban while refueling his 1982 Toyota. On the ferry ride a local Maputo homeboy danced and sang to Bryan Adams. Apparently 12,000 miles is not far enough to get away from American music. Actually Kenny just informed me Bryan Adams is from Canada. Whatever, I made my point.
- and finally I'll leave you with some Mozambique wisdom: "be aware of the falling coconuts".

Blogger out.

Flight

On my flight now. So great seeing the number of people dressed in soccer garb representing countries around the world. My favorite is the guy already draped in an American flag.

15 hours to Johannesburg...

8 Hours Til Departure