The Sound of Silence

Horses, mountains, sand dunes, lakes, yaks, gers, and nomads. Mongolia has so much and yet so much nothingness at the same time. With the lowest population density in the world at about 1.7 people per square kilometer and some parts having only about .3 people per square kilometer, it would seem like there is just a lot of open space. Well, there is a lot of open space but believe it or not there's also lots to see and do out in the middle of nowhere.

I arrived in Mongolia at the end of August and had just completed almost six full months of nomadic travel. Obviously there would be no better place for me than to visit with the real nomads of the Mongolian steppe. I arrived in the capital, Ulaan Baatar and met up with some strangers who were looking to take a long trip out to the countryside. We got ourselves a solid Russian van, a driver we called D.C. (who spoke no English except for "lunch" and "sleep"), some camping equipment, plenty of food and water and embarked on our three-week adventure.

We began by heading south towards the Gobi desert. Usually when you think of the desert you think of sand and more sand. While there was plenty of sand there was also a constantly changing landscape. Each moment that I looked out the window it looked completely different from the last. Rocky hills turned into grassy plains and then instantly into miles of dry brush for as far as the eye could see.

One of my favorite parts about camping in the middle of nowhere was that I could experience absolute silence. It was kind of eerie at times and I can now understand people when they say "the silence was deafening". Being out in the middle of nowhere is an amazing experience. I recommend the Gobi to anyone who wants to get away from civilization for a while and feel like they're walking on the moon. Well, without the whole zero gravity and no atmosphere thing. While we were in this region the sky got so completely dark at night and without clouds so that we could see an absolutely amazing star display. It wasn't hard to spot a shooting star every few minutes.

The highlight of my time in the Gobi was when we visited Khongor Els. This is where there are gigantic sand dunes rising right up out of a riverbed area and in front of some very majestic mountains. The scenery was just unreal before and after an approaching storm that left a rainbow in its wake. We had lots of fun sliding on the dunes and not so much fun getting completely sandblasted when the wind picked up. I am also proud to say that I got to ride my very first camel.

Another highlight was getting to see 5,000 year old rock carvings that would obviously be a huge tourist attraction with hundreds of souvenir stalls if they existed in a western country. It is a much different experience getting to discover something for yourself instead of signs telling you what you're supposed to see and where to see it. I found the feeling similar to waking up after our first night of camping and getting to see huge wild rams butting heads with each other (the kind that stand up and run at each other on two legs). Or seeing little birds follow our van like dolphins playing in a ship's wake. And seeing gigantic eagles spread their wings and fly away as we approached.

From there we headed northwest towards an area that the guidebook said was not frequented much by tourists. We ended up being invited to stay with many different families and sometimes got to sleep in the gers (easily transportable Mongolian houses made of wood and felt). Even though we couldn't speak the same language we were able to communicate through phrase books and photographs. There were of course rounds of vodka and even airag which is fermented mare's milk. If you think that sounds gross you should see what they go through to get the milk. Those Mongolian horses are definitely half wild. And we thought the goats they taught us to milk were hard!

Mongolians move their homes a few times a year so they can't grow crops and rely almost entirely on their animals. In fact, after travelling over miles and miles of terrain we saw only one lonely potato patch. They eat a lot of dairy products and drink "tea" that's almost entirely made of milk. This is where I would love to say we had some fantastic goat, yak and cow cheese but am sad to report that Mongolia has a truly pathetic cheese scene. The Europeans in our group barely managed to suffer through the drought. However, no matter where we went we were always offered to try the beloved airul which is rock hard dried cheese curds. Sounds delicious, right? OK it wasn't all bad. I have to say the fresh yak cream with sugar and fried bready things were great.

Life on the road is not so glamorous. Water is scarce in Mongolia so that means people don't bathe much. Since we were camping every night and living the Mongolian lifestyle I had only one shower during our three week trip. Occasionally we would stop the van if we saw a creek or would wash ourselves if we camped near a lake but for the most part we were "roughing it". We were proud of the dirt under our fingernails!

Roads in Mongolia don't really exist as we know them. Most roads are just dirt tracks that wander around, merge with others, become eight lanes across and then disappear. Sometimes we would even have to make our own. The ride was so rough we even came up with a bump level system to warn each other about the likelihood of our heads hitting the ceiling. Most times we couldn't figure out how D.C. knew where he was going. There are absolutely no signs to tell you where you are and each rocky outcrop looks exactly like the other. We found it hilarious when D.C. would pull over off the "road" when we hadn't seen another vehicle all day. Or how some of the tourists sites were out in the middle of vast stretches of land but still had parking lots.

We eventually made our way up north to a lake region. We visited an inactive volcano and got to ride horses. A strange thing about the lakes that we saw is that there are no boats. They don't seem to fit into the nomadic lifestyle. And fish doesn't fit into their diets. So if anyone has been looking for a perfect fishing spot I can give you some pretty good tips.

By this time we decided we were a bit tired of Mongolian food and let me explain why. All Mongolian dishes can be created from these ingredients: noodles or rice, onions, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and meat of various animals. It's understandable that these types of foods fit in with their lifestyle but we were craving something that wasn't chopped up to little bits or boiled to death. We got D.C. to take us to town and after about a half hour search we found someone willing to sell us a cut of meat. We were expecting maybe some goat meat if we were lucky but we somehow managed to get ourselves a fantastic piece of yak meat. Since we didn't have a grill we improvised with what we had. We cooked that yak meat George Foreman style between two rocks we heated in the campfire. It was the best steak I have ever eaten.

And finally, I cannot write about Mongolia and not mention the man who created the largest land empire the world has ever seen. Mongolians view Genghis Khan not as a murderous violent ruler as he's perceived in the west, but a legendary revered conqueror. (Interesting fact: scientists have figured out eight percent of males living in the former Mongol empire are his direct descendants. That's .5% of the world's male population or 16 million people) He is honored today with a big statue in the capital and his name on Mongolia's top brand of vodka.

Next up: Korea!

Club Ukraine

When I first stepped out of the train station in Moscow my first thought was that it feels a lot like home. The streets are wide, full of SUVs, buildings and monuments are built on a gigantic scale and the weather was hot and humid. It came as a bit of a shock to someone who has been strolling around quaint (by the way the British love to make fun of Americans for using this word) European cities for a while. Moscow would fit right in if you lined it up next to most of the cities you see in the U.S. It got me thinking about all the things Russia and the United States have in common. For instance, both have an eagle as the national symbol but ours only has only one head.

But let me tell you what I have been up to since leaving Turkey. After a second failed attempt at a Russian visa in Bucharest (the first attempt was made in Turkey) I continued north and arrived in Kiev, Ukraine during the last days of July. It was no small feat finding my way to the hostel by Metro not only because of the lack of English but also the lack of signs. As I was exploring the city I found that more so than anywhere else I've traveled (especially Africa) people were mistaking me for a local. They would ask me something and I would have to communicate to them that I had no idea what they just said. I figured out the first two people were asking me for the time. When a third person asked me something I just held up my wrist for her to look at my watch. Maybe she was asking me where I got my stylish shoes or where I got my hair done because she was not asking me for the time. Anyway, it made her laugh. And I was told that in this part of the world when you make someone smile or laugh it is genuine. People here don't smile to be polite.

Finally I was standing in the Metro looking at my map and carrying my backpack when someone asked me something that sounded like "shapuchalsamgetusakaperchavoalaminski?". I don't understand how I could have looked any more like a tourist in this situation but then again I guess tourism is not that huge in Ukraine yet. Suddenly I realized what was going on. Since the signs in this city aren't really that great everyone just asks each other where things are. Why go to the trouble of putting up signs when you can just ask the person standing next to you. This would be a great system if everyone spoke the same language.

Another reason that I was surprised to be mistaken for a local is that I was not wearing high heels or a skirt. The women of Kiev do not leave the house without applying make-up or strapping three-inch heels to their feet. After a few "where could that girl possibly be going dressed in a miniskirt and halter top on a Tuesday morning?" I began to realize that everyone was not headed to a club and that this was just their normal everyday attire. It's a bit of a tourist attraction in itself really. Find a cafe that is located next to a cobblestone street and watch the women try to not to fall. I have spoken to a few travellers that suddenly became interested when I mentioned: "if you enjoy seeing skinny women in miniskirts and see-through tops then Ukraine is the place for you." Maybe they should put that line on their tourism brochures.

While in Kiev I was fortunate enough to celebrate the occasion of my birthday with a friend from back home. We had a great day touring her native city and her family was generous enough to treat me to a wonderful birthday celebration. So here's a big thanks to Maria and her family!

Since the Russians in Kiev were generous enough to accept my visa application (probably because I was able to refrain from laughing even though they talked like Borat) my next stop was Russia but had to wait two weeks before they would give me permission. So I headed over to "the new Prague" better known as Liviv, Ukraine. It has been given the designation of "the new Prague" because it is a lovely and very European-looking city that is yet to be inundated with tourists much as Prague used to be before cheap flights and British stag parties ruined the atmosphere of the city. It was a great place to spend some time relaxing and seeing the sights.

Then it was back to the ice-cream eating, underground mall shopping, manpurse and mullet sporting, buttery-filled food city of Kiev. I loved the gigantic monuments and grand Soviet-style boulevards but it was time to move on to Russia. Where I got to see more monuments and wide Soviet-style boulevards. Actually Ukraine and Russia seemed very similar in many aspects. Both have and overabundance of churches. And inside these churches are people running around kissing everything in sight. Something else I found amusing was that the women in revealing clothes suddenly considered themselves "decent" enough to enter the church once they covered their heads with a scarf. And forget about waiting patiently for tickets or food or whatever else you might stand in line for. A remnant of the communist era has left people with a blatant disregard for waiting your turn. And even if you do manage to get to the front of the line the lady will only sell you a ticket if she feels like it. And if you don't speak Russian you can forget about getting on her good side.

Moscow had some very cool tourist attractions such as seeing the dead, embalmed body of Lenin (a very strange experience) or St. Basil's Cathedral in the Red Square. Plus, there were many great museums to see. I have to say I felt much more cultured after spending a few days in Moscow. Which by the way is the world's most expensive city. (It's true, look it up: http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/23/cities-expensive-world-forbeslife-cx_zg_0724expensivecities.html )

Now it was time to embark on what I had come to Russia to do: take a Trans-Siberian train to Asia. I planned to leave behind the incessant click-clack of high heels in Moscow and ride all the way to Irkusk, a journey that would take a total of about four days and many bowls of instant noodles. Luckily, I met some awesome Russian guys that spoke no English but did speak the international language of vodka. As for the scenery it went something like this: birch trees...birch trees...birch trees...birch trees... multiplied by about four days. I have to say that I did get a good sense of the scale of the country much more so than if I had flown over by plane.

I finally made it to Irkusk and had to put on every item of clothing I owned after stepping off the train. Brrr!!! From Irkusk I made a journey with a few other travelers out to Lake Baikal. The lake is the deepest lake in the world and contains one-fifth of the world's fresh water. It actually looks more like an ocean when you stand next to it. The area surrounding the lake is not very developed and some places are only accessible by boat. For that reason the lake area has some beautiful untouched scenery and incredible views from the hiking trails.

Eventually I was able to get the Tetris song out of my head and that was when I knew I was ready to head south to Mongolia.

Yes, I'm Still Alive

Ah, Europe. Where people sip miniature coffees and oversized beers. OK, OK, I know that my blog is a little behind right now but I intend to brıng everyone up to date. I left Egypt and headed to Italy by plane and stopped in Milan before setting off for Eastern Europe.

I got a small taste of Italy while in Milan. Literally. I always thought it was a bit of a cliche to say that you love Italy. Everyone loves Italy. It is one of the top tourist destinations in the world. But one bite of a real Italian panini and I was utterly infatuated. I also took pleasure in seeing the Italian business suit in its native habitat. Very nice. And who could forget the people zipping around on scooters, beautiful statues and fountains everywhere and amazing designer clothes in the store windows. While there I was able to view Leonardo's famous painting "The Last Supper". It was much larger than I imagined and just remarkable seeing it in real life.

After Italy I made stops in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and now I have made my way back up to Ukraine. This sounds like a lot but going just a few miles in this part of the world puts you in a new country. Most of them used to be all the same country anyway. I have started to get used to traveling by train though bus travel is still more common and efficient. (The buses here have air conditioning and schedules!!) And it's almost as if there are as many Roman ruins lying about on the side of the street as there are in the museums.

As I got off the train that took me to Ljubljana Slovenia I was preparing myself for "Eastern Europe". I had heard from other people that Eastern Europe was much less developed than Western Europe and a whole lot cheaper. I was begining to think that those people were lying to me. Ok so I wasn't deep into the East but as far as first impressions go Ljubljana could easily be a random riverside town in France. There were nice restaurants, pretty bridges and even a hilltop castle to complete the setting.

Ljubljana would be a great place for a relaxing vacation but so would my next stop in Split, Croatia. The seaside city is full of cobblestones, beaches, and a picturesque stone palace that has been turned into a shopping center. I spent a day at the beach lounging and people-watching. One of the reasons that I wanted to visit Slovenia and Croatia is that a long time ago some of my family emigrated to the States from this part of the world. My mom always says that my younger brother gets his big size from that part of the family. I believe her. It looks as if the entire population has to shop at "Big 'n Tall" stores. And by watching the locals it seemed like the bigger the guy the smaller the bathing suit!

After Croatia, I headed over to Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a very scenic bus ride through mountains and along a winding river. Until we started to pass through the city of Mostar. I started seeing what looked like bullet holes in the building walls. And then, wow, they are bullet marks. So many of them! It seems like the fighting stopped long ago but there were a lot of very obvious scars left behind. The same was true when I arrived in Sarajevo. I dimly remember when I was young hearing news stories about "the fighting in Bosnia" but seeing things up close is a completely different story. All I can say is that it definitely makes an impact on you.

As a city, Sarajevo is still an interesting place to visit. The scenery reminds me of something in Switzerland but with Mosques. I enjoyed pleanty of sausages and fried dough things. I was also introduced to plain yougurt as a beverage which seems to be common in this part of the world. Yum.

Next was Belgrade in Serbia. Here was where I was really beginning to realize my ignorance of world affairs. I was on my way to visit the US embassy to get some extra pages taped into my passport. I noticed a couple of bombed out buildings on the way. I made a mental note to ask someone about them. Here is how the conversation went later with a Serbian:

Me: "So, who bombed out those builings I saw down the street?"
Guy: "You guys did. The Americans."

Turns out it was actually NATO but really mostly the Americans who took action. Hmm...maybe next time I'll just Google that kind of stuff. No wonder he liked Canadians better. Maybe the reason we never learned that in history class was because it wasn't history yet. I think the books only went up to the 80's.

The rest of my time in Serbia I spent at the big old fort by the river. There was some kind of medieval festival going on so I watched lots of fights with fake weapons. The fort contains the Military Museum so there were plenty of real weapons like tanks and cannons to look at too.

Next came Budapest, Hungary. No, being in Hungary did not make me hungry though plenty of people have already asked. It did however, make my fingers and toes very wrinkly from all the time I spent at one of its thermal baths. The thermal baths were great because they had a bunch of indoor and outdoor pools all with a different set temperature. You didn't have to worry about getting too hot or too cold because the next pool over was just the right temperature.

There are a lot of things to see in Budapest. I spent much of my time going to museums and admiring the incredible achitecture of the city. I won't bore you with names (OK so I don't really remember the names of most of them) but I enjoyed checking things out. A number of attractions centered around communism which was helpful because as I mentioned above I don't really know much about the history of this part of the world.

After running around to so many big cities I decided to stop and relax for a while in the mountains of Transylvania at a place called Brasov. There were plenty of castles to see and plenty of opportunities for great hiking.

From Brasov I stopped in Bucharest. Then it was on to two different cities in Bulgaria, Sofia and Plovdiv. These places have lots of Roman ruins in their museums and many visible traces of the communist era. I was introduced to the Cyrillic alphabet which makes street signs useless to someone who can only read English.

I have to say that it takes a bit of getting used to when a Bulgarian shakes his or her head back and forth instead of up and down when they mean yes. And I am glad that I will not be celebrating my birthday in Bulgaria since I would be expected to buy all my friends drinks! Who came up with that idea?

Next stop Turkey. Turkey has become one of my favorite places I have visited so far. The variety of the landscape, the history and the friendliness of the people has left a very positive impression in my mind. Best of all Turkey was where my mom and (honorary) Aunt Becky came to visit me!

I spent a little over a week in the country before their arrival. I ate kebabs just about every day and discovered I have the enviable talent of sleeping through the call to prayer even if the hostel is right next to a mosque. (This should come as no surprise to those who know me well.)

I spent some time in a region called Capidoccia in central Turkey. The best way to describe the towns would be for you to picture the Flintstones' town of Bedrock. It's a place where people carve their homes out of rocks or build underground cities. The rock formations are amazing and like nothing I have ever seen before. Well, except maybe in Star Wars. The hiking trails are great because there are early Christian churches and tombs carved into the rock and scattered around to peek inside as you go.

The tourist attractions like the monasteries, church clusters and underground cities are fun to climb in and around and kind of make you feel like you are a kid on a gigantic playground.

Back in Istanbul I met up with Mom and Becky. I have to say that the anticipation of seeing them was a little bit like waiting for the arrival of Santa Claus. It was a wonderful reunion and good to see familiar faces for the first time in over four months. They came prepared with Rick Steves' guidebooks and comfortable shoes. We were about to "do" Istanbul.

We saw the major tourist things like the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern, a Bosphorus cruise, museums, bazaars and palaces. I had the privilege of hearing them quote Rick Steves at every opportunity.

I reveled in being spoiled by sleeping in a real hotel bed, eating good restaurant food and not having to think about planning my day. What a life! The food in Turkey is considered to be some of the best in the world. I was certainly not disappointed. Even just the fruits and vegetables were some of the most delicious I have ever tasted.

We flew south to Ephesus where we did things like lie on the beach, see a show of traditional turkish dancing, view famous Roman ruins and drink a lot of Efes (the local beer). We rented a car and I got to drive a car for the first time in a long time. We stopped in Pamukkale for more Roman ruins and really cool water springs that leave behind rocks that look like snow. Then back to Istanbul for more Baklava.

Just as they were getting used to being called "lady" by the locals Mom and Becky were off for home. I was sad to see them because I had had such a good time.

Now I am on the hunt for a Russian visa. I tried without success in Istanbul and also stopped in Bucharest on my way up here to Ukraine but to no avail. I am in Kiev at the moment and will give it one more go. My plan is to take the Trans-Siberian over to Mongolia but I may have to find a plan B. The good news is that I will be meeting up with my Ukrainian friend, Maria while I am here. Maybe she can help me decipher some of this Cyrillic...

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for (unless you've already seen them), photos!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=27899&l=8e560&id=638697758

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28449&l=5c68f&id=638697758

Enjoy.

Tomb Raider

Egypt! Pyramids! Fast Internet connections! OK so I may have overdosed on fast Internet connections and American television since I've arrived but I've been a little deprived recently. And yes, the pyramids are just as impressive in person as you would imagine them to be. It is HOT here. It's understandable how the streets are busier at night than during the day. But not any less scary. It seems as though painted lines and crosswalks on the street are just a suggestion.

There's lots to see here in Egypt. I visited three cities, Cairo, Aswan and Luxor. I of course started with the pyramids and the absolutely overwhelming Egyptian Museum. In Aswan I visited the Nile dams and a few temples. I eventually lost track of the names of all the temples and tombs I visited in Egypt but the first was the Temple of Philae. The temple was originally built on an island but was flooded when the dams were built. So it was reassembled on a different island nearby and can only be reached by boat. I've had a very full childhood and it included going to amusement parks like Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens and Disney World. I realized that the boat ride to the temple felt a lot like the cheesy boat rides that take you past recreations of ancient ruins. So upon seeing the real deal it was almost disappointing that there were no shooting flames or a drop down a waterfall at the end. However, the temple itself was still impressive nonetheless.

From Aswan I took a trip down the Nile for a two-day, two-night felucca ride. It's basically a flat sailboat that you lie around on for the duration of your trip. It would have been absolutely lovely with the full moon and everything if I hadn't gotten my first bout of food poisoning. It's a good thing I was planning to lie around all day anyway. I was actually kind of surprised that it took this long to become sick. I've eaten lots of sketchy food so far on my journey. The other five passengers on the ride were very helpful in trying to make me to feel better. I tried to impress the French couple on the boat by speaking French to them. Sadly, they were not impressed. There were some really great conversations on that boat. My favorite part was when we were talking about how Americans are raised to think that they should achieve their full potential and believe they should strive to be the best. The Dutch woman on the boat said that in her culture people are raised to think that average is the norm and that being the best at something will make others look bad. When we asked the French woman, she said that "The French believe they are the best from the day they're born."

Next was the city of Luxor. Occasionally I would enter one of the many tombs or temples and say to myself, "I've seen this somewhere before, but where?" And then I remember that I've seen it probably a million times on a slide projection in Art History class. All the terminology like hypostyle hall and low relief comes rushing back to my memory. It's amazing to think that so much has survived through so many thousands of years. The paintings in some of the tombs look like they could have been made yesterday.

I took a break from Egypt for a while and spent a week in Israel visiting someone I met in Ethiopia. My first impression of Israel was "What have they done with all the old people?" It seems as though the country is run but everyone under 30. Also, there are lots of teenage soldiers running around with large guns. Not that I haven't gotten used to the sight of people holding large guns. I think it's Mozambique that even has an AK-47 on their flag. Anyway, my second impression was "Wow, it's expensive here and why does the dollar have to keep dropping in value?" I really wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived but I found that Israel appeared to me to be a very western and modern country. And you can't tear the shekel (the currency). Many people convinced me to try.

Israel was very much a vacation from backpacking because I took hot showers and stayed in a house. I felt like I was back home after spending so much time in Africa. Dogs are on leashes instead of wandering the street, women wear "revealing" clothing like tank tops and shorts, buses leave on time and there's toilet paper in every bathroom!

I recognized a lot of the names of the towns because it seems that most of them come straight from the bible. I'm always amazed at ancient things in foreign countries because we don't really have that stuff back home. I visited Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Jerusalem became a reality for me and not just a name that I hear on the news. I didn't witness any fighting but what I did see was a city incredibly diverse in culture. And the hummus was pretty good too. Tel Aviv was filled with young people and had a great night scene even in the middle of the week. The Dead Sea is quite a surreal experience. It's the lowest point on earth. The landscape is otherworldly and the water is so dense that you can lie back and float in the water like a sensory deprivation chamber. The Sea of Galilee is famous for being the place Jesus walked on water. It has a few nice beaches too.

Tomorrow I'm off to Italy.

Rich, Famous, and Seven Years Younger

I had not originally planned to visit Ethiopia. When I booked my ticket from Tanzania to Egypt on Ethiopian Airlines I had to change planes in Addis Ababa. The travel agent said that I could stay in Ethiopia for as long as I wanted with no extra charge. I didn't know much about the place so I just decided to stay for a week. When I arrived and got my hands on a guidebook that read "The bounty of northern Ethiopia's historical African treasures is only rivalled by that of Egypt's" I changed my ticket so that I could stay for three weeks.

Ethiopia was more than I ever expected. It was the only country in Africa to escape colonization. There was a brief period of time where Italy occupied but was never able to conquer. However, they were successful in leaving behind spaghetti on every menu. Because there were so few outside influences on the culture, Ethiopia is very unique. The food, landscape, music, dance, alphabet, and dress are all different from anything I've encountered in Africa.

Let's start with the food. My worried mother sent me an e-mail to ask if I was eating enough in the famine-prone country. My answer was "Yes! I've been eating like a king!" Most meals are a stew-like creation (wot) poured over a type of bread that resembles a pancake (injera) and of course, eaten with your hands (remember we're in Africa). For some reason Ethiopians really seem to enjoy raw meat. Don't worry, I didn't try it. Maybe one of the reasons I liked the food in Ethiopia was that it was so cheap. It's a strange experience sitting down to dinner with fellow travelers at the best restaurant in town, looking at the menu and saying "whew, this place is expensive" when there's nothing over four dollars on the menu. "What the heck, I feel like splurging today. I'll have the $3.50 steak dinner, please." It was then that I found out what it feels like to be rich.

Not only was the the food in Ethiopia delicious but everything I ate was organic and free-range (free to roam in front of oncoming traffic would be a more accurate label). This is a side effect of the subsistence agriculture that many Ethiopians live on. I absolutely loved the juice cafes. You could get a large glass of thick organic juice layered with mango, avocado (don't knock it until you've tried it) and papaya. There's also pineapple, strawberry, orange and banana to try. There's also a weird wine (if you want to call it that) made from honey that was...well I guess I would call it interesting. Not only is Ethiopia the birthplace of mankind (it's where Lucy was found) but it's also the birthplace of coffee. Coffee grows wild in many places. I've witnesses several traditional coffee ceremonies where a woman roasts, grounds, and brews the coffee right in front of your eyes. And nothing goes better with coffee than a delicious pastry (so many to choose from!) served in a cafe with the music of Bob Marley (Reggae has its origins in Ethiopia too) streaming through the air.

OK, so the food was delicious but getting around was quite a hassle. Ethiopia has a landscape that reminds me of an older, faded Arizona. There were parts that looked almost exactly like the Grand Canyon. I took many bone-rattling, nail-biting bus rides on dusty, dirt roads going right up to the tops of mountains. The scary part was that there were no guard rails. I just shut my eyes for those parts. The worst part was that Ethiopians don't like to have the windows open. It was pretty bad in other parts of Africa but Ethiopians live in the desert! They would rather wipe their brows, hand out barf bags and suck on lemons than crack a window. Even if I tried to open mine just a little someone would reach over and politely shut it for me. And there are no rest stops in Africa. The bus stops on the side of the road and everyone gets out to do their business on the side of the road. There are sometimes even bushes to go behind if you're lucky.

One time, as I was contemplating whether it was better to have a dry mouth or a full bladder, the barely-functioning bus that I was on inevitablely broke down for a third time. We had to wait for a new bus because the problem couldn't be fixed. Everyone got out to sit on the side of the road. I started to think about Snickers because I was having one of those "not going anywhere for a while" moments. But hey, why bother with candy when you can just have sugar cane? Which someone handed over to me to try. It's very hard to eat.

But anyway, it was the day before Easter. I had already celebrated Easter back in Zimbabwe but didn't mind celebrating again. Apparently the thing to do is tie a piece of grass around your head which my fellow riders were able to convince me to do. I was something of an oddity to them and they kept bringing me food and asking me questions. Oh, and the other thing that I noticed people doing was tying a live goat to the top of their cars so that they could have it for Easter dinner. I kind of figured it was Africa's version of take-out food. In the end my story has a happy ending because I got a ride from a group of engineering students who were on a tour of their country. They had a talent show near the end of the ride using the microphone that they found at the front of the bus. Of course being the ferengi (foreigner), I was forced to perform and most of you know how wonderful I am at karaoke!

One of the more appealing things about Ethiopia is that tourism is in its infancy. You can feel like the only tourist for miles. There was one time when I was very aware of this. I was in an SUV going over some really rough, muddy roads. I saw that Land Cruiser do moves I never thought possible. We eventually came up to this bridge that was blocked by a bus and a truck. Their sides had hit each other and could not be moved off the bridge until someone came by to determine who's fault it was. Meanwhile, there was another truck off to the left that had attempted to cross the stream without the bridge but was hopelessly stuck. Well, other people had to get through and someone had an idea to put all the rocks in the water to make a road for people to cross. Since there were tons of people standing around they all helped to move the rocks and dig out some dirt to help a few vehicles get across. Meanwhile, I was standing off to the side and casually looked to my right. There was a solid wall of at least thirty pairs of eyes staring at me. I guess they had never seen a ferengi before! One kid just couldn't take his eyes off me no matter where I stood. I thought to myself "this must be what it feels like to be famous." After a few attempts and a lot of pushing the Land Rover made it over to the other side and we were on our way. I don't know if I am more impressed that they would keep the bridge blocked like they did or that so many people worked together to get some people across. I know that back home if something like that happened there would be a lot of people standing around complaining.

There aren't a lot of tourists in Ethiopia but there is certainly lots to see. Ethiopia used to be home to a very prosperous ancient civilization. I visited lots of historic places with the most famous being the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. The churches were built around the same time as the medieval cathedrals in Europe but are unique in that they were each carved completely out of one piece of rock. The best part of exploring the area was daring each other to not turn on a flashlight in the pitch-black tunnels connecting the churches. There's not a whole lot protecting you from hurting yourself. There are no railings protecting you from a steep fall over the edge or anything to keep you from slipping on the well-worn narrow staircases. It was quite an adventure in a land without lawsuits. By the same token, there's not that much protecting the churches. There are awnings protecting some of the sites but the guards had no problem when people climb on stuff. I also visited some island monasteries in Bahir Dar. The priests come out and flip through a 900-year old illuminated manuscript to show you the pages. The books are well-worn because they still use them every day. The other town that I visited was Aksum. There are lots of tombs and palace ruins to see. When I visited they were in the process of re-erecting a stele that they had just gotten back from the Italians.

Ethiopia is a little behind on things, not just Easter celebrations. In Ethiopia it's the year 2000. Happy new millennium! Their clock also starts six hours behind ours. It's because they start their clock when the sun rises. It rises and sets at basically the same time every day so their one a.m. is our six a.m.

I liked all the tradition, pride and little quirks that Ethiopians have. They dance by violently shaking their shoulders. Their hair looks fit for prom. Their gasp at the end of a sentence means that they agree with you. I was sad to leave such a fun and adventurous country but now I've started a new challenge: Egypt. I've learned that walking like an Egyptian means stepping out into oncoming traffic and bravely making your way across. So far I've only been able to shadow other people doing it but I know one day I'll get it. I've already been to see the pyramids and they're everything I've always imagined they would be. Today I went to the Egyptian museum and had mummy overload. That place is huge and filled to the brim! I've signed up for a one-week tour of other sites along the Nile. I'll let everyone know how it goes when I get back to Cairo!

Safari

The safari was amazing! I got to see Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Oldupai Gorge (where the Leakeys uncovered evidence of our human ancestors), and the Serengeti Plains. Turns out that my visit to the Seregeti coincided with the annual migration and I was able to witness the migration of over 2.5 million animals, or in other words the largest mammalian migation on earth. Zebra and wildebeest stretched out on the plains as far as the eye could see. It's one thing to see something like that on the Discovery Channel, but it definitely doesn't compare to real life.

In addition to animals of the plains our group was able to get up close with elephants, giraffes, lions, baboons, rhinos, hyenas, impala, buffalo, gazelles, and even the elusive cheetah and leopard. Not only was the wildlife spectacular but the scenery was incredible. Especially the views from the top of Ngorongoro Crater.

The most frightening part of the safari was that we camped in areas where the wild animals live. You could hear hyenas and other animals making noises at night. We had a jackal vist the camp just to check things out. Our guides warned us to not leave our tents at night for any reason. And then they also told us about close encounters and people who had been attacked. Somehow I was still able to get a few hours of sleep at night.

I know all of you are anxiously awaiting the posting of photos and I am equally eager to share, but it seems that Africa has not advanced beyond dial-up and uploading anything takes a lot of time and effort. I promise to post once I find a fast enough connection.

Yesterday I had a chance to visit Tanzania's National Museum. As most of you reading this already know, in what feels like a former life I worked on museum exhibits. I know all of you guys back at G&A would enjoy hearing my impressions of African museums. I've been to a few now and have found that the standard is really just printouts and photos posted on corkboard. The artifacts are usually behind flimsy cases and arranged in some kind of grouping. There aren't any guards or security cameras. It's not really a bad thing, the effect is something like "hey, check out this really cool skeleton that I found in the dirt." And there are lots of really cool things too like witchdoctor tools and decorative masks but most use preservation techniques that made me cringe a little. There's no air conditioning in the hot, humid buildings and the ceilings leak a lot especially next to the wood carvings from colonial trade ships. I even saw a wasp fly in through the open window at Oldupai Gorge and happily continue making its nest in a million-year-old elephant fossil. But hey, that's Africa for you.

Tomorrow I fly to Ethiopia. I will be spending a week there before I move on to Egypt. Can't wait!

T.I.A.

There's a phrase that anyone who's traveled in Africa long enough is bound to hear. It's "T.I.A." or "This Is Africa". It's uttered at moments like the "8:30" bus leaving at 2pm. Or like when I walked into the local tourist office for some information:

Me: "Are there hiking trails in the area?"
Guy: "Yes."
(Long Pause)
Me: "So... can you tell me about them?"
Guy: "Yes."

It went on like this for a while before I finally was able to get some information out of him. It's not a language thing since most people here speak pretty good English, it's just an Africa thing. But more on that later. Let me update everyone on what I've been up to recently.

After Vic Falls I made my way across Zambia with a stop in the capital, Lusaka. Zambia seems to have much more empty, open space compared to most of the African countries I've been in so far. I guess the highlight of Zambia for me would be the gigantic market in Lusaka. It could be described as the world's largest thrift store. All the clothes Americans send to charity seem to have found their way to the Lusaka market. Your old tennis shoes don't look so bad when they've been thoroughly scrubbed clean.

I made my way quickly across Zambia in order to reach Malawi. I was yet again drawn to beautiful, sunny beaches. I stayed first at Senga Bay on Lake Malawi and then spent some time further north at Nkhata Bay where I met many travelers who had planned to visit the town for a few days and ended up staying for weeks.

Lake Malawi is an aquarium enthusiast's paradise. You can swim with all the cichlids that you see in the pet store. Throw on a pair of goggles, step into the water and it's as if you're swimming inside an aquarium. The fish are brightly colored and all hanging out right by the shore.

I am currently in the town of Arusha, Tanzania. It's a big tourist town since it's where most people base themselves for safaris on the Serengeti and surrounding parks. I've had to fight off lots of touts and it definitely wears down your nerves. But I've booked a four-day wildlife Safari which I am totally psyched about. I used to watch The Lion King over and over when I was younger. I'm ready to see some lions and hippos!

It's been over a month since I arrived here in Africa so I have a few observations that I thought I would share:

On people: Carrying things on top of your head looks to be a very efficient way to transport anything from food to jugs of water to really heavy-looking logs. I've considered trying to carry my pack on my head but I'm afraid of getting laughed at by the locals. The typical woman carries a load on her head and a baby tied to her back. Strollers don't exist here, not that they would do any good on the non-existent or heavily cracked sidewalks. Handshakes seem to be pretty weak compared to the firm western handshake. It's not unusual to see guys holding hands while walking down the street. It's not gay, it's just a sign of friendship. It's a sign of respect to touch your left hand to your right elbow when shaking hands or handing over money. It's important to ask about someone's well-being before launcing into a question. Hissing is a common way of trying to get someone's attention. Sometimes it's as if I'm surrounded by snakes. I have to introduce myself as "Jennifer, like Jennifer Lopez" because that's the only way people seem to understand my name. And even though I'm white I still get called "sista".

On food: Boneless chicken is a foreign concept over here. And chickens are everywhere. On the bus, in the road, you name it. I've woken up to the crow of a rooster many times even in the city. Everywhere you turn there's a guy selling boiled eggs with a little bag of salt. The food here is very similar to food in the Southeastern U.S. There's a lot of grits, collard greens, fried chicken and boiled peanuts. In Africa you eat with your hands. Instead of napkins you get a bowl of water or use a sink in the corner of the restaurant. And finally, I predict the newest diet fad in the U.S. will be vacations to Zimbabwe.

On drinks: Coke has apparently branded the southern part of the African continent. It's advertising is everywhere but once you cross the border into Tanzania it seems that Pepsi has cornered most of the market. Sodas taste a little bit different here. Not only do you drink them from a glass bottle but they're made with real sugar. I found out that the U.S. is the only place where corn syrup is used because it is less expensive than sugar. Any beer that costs more than the equivalent of two U.S. dollars is an expensive beer. In fact, you could get dinner with your beer and the total would still cost you less than one beer at home.

On transportation and communication: If you have a car, you have a business. You can buy just about anything from a bus window. I actully had someone try to sell me a full-length mirror while I was sitting on a bus. Silverware anyone? Electic razor? Large knife? Some of the stuff that goes on here would be material for candid camera shows. I once rode in a taxi where the guy filled the trunk with large sacks of maize that kept falling out only for him to run back and try to stuff them back in over and over again. Everyone here has a cell phone. Even if you live in a village with no electricity you can charge the battery at a shop in town.

On the environment: The night sky is absolutely incredible. I've never seen so many stars in my life. Africa is not very developed so there is minimal light and air pollution. It seems nobody here has heard of trash cans so they just throw everything on the ground or out the bus window. I decided to "do as the locals do" and tossed my banana peel onto the ground. A guy picked it up off the ground and told me not to do that. I was dumbfounded, but then again, this is Africa.