Loving Africa

I am currently in Africa and absolutely loving it! Arrived here just over a week ago and spent a wonderful few days with Katalin and Rob in their lovely home in Cape Town. So easy to see why they enjoy living out there! Then I started my Acacia tour from Cape Town to Nairobi on Saturday so only been going a few days but as Internet access will be very sporadic from this point onwards I thought I'd do a post whilst I can!
We started off with a Township tour in Cape Town. Have to say it was a very weird experience for me. Having worked on TB in South Africa for so long and having given numerous talks on where my samples came from i.e. children in townships in SA and the conditions there,I found it partly quite upsetting to see for myself what the conditions are actually like but uplifting too when I heard the stories of how people either try to improve their situations or make the best of what they have. The trip was preceded by a visit to District 6, the area of Cape Town where Blacks were displaced in favour of Whites and it really explained the situation Black people had been placed in very well. Whilst at the township we visited various houses, some which had been renovated and others which hadn't, the difference being quite dramatic, and we had the opportunity to taste the "local brew" in a Shabeena in Langa which I have to say I won't be going back for another sip of, and then went to a restaurant in Guguletu for lunch - in "Mzoli's meats" which was delicious but not for the vegetarians (and if you can't pick that up from the name...!!) From there we carried on to our campsite which was in the middle of a vineyard. Great until the rain started - and yes I did say camping!
We woke up to a completely flooded campsite with the truck (not bus - we have to buy the next round for calling it a bus and so one girl on the trip will effectively be buying all our drinks tonight!!), but after a soggy start the weather improved dramatically and we spent next evening camping alongside the Orange River, recently renamed the Hareep river to tie in with the Hareep Dam.
The following morning we went canoeing. Sounds good, especially when I tell you we were going with the current not against it, but I was paired up with a Welsh chap called Mark who insisted we went near the river bank because we would see much more there. Unfortunately he couldn't decide which river bank so I actually think we got a good deal because we must have rowed at least 3 times the distance of anyone else but they still charged us the same price!!
From there we headed to the Fish River Canyon which really was a sight to behold and then we had dinner there watching the sun set. Magical!
From there we crossed the border into Namibia where we went to the Namib Naukluft National Park, to Sesriem where there was another canyon which Stephanie, our guide said wasn't all that spectacular but it was shallow enough to walk through which made it very cool - different to the campsite where we had 37 degrees!
Our jurney the next day took us to Solitaire which is the smallest town in Namibia. Consists of the campsite and, well, just the campsite really! But they did sell absolutely fantastic apple crumble which I think even though I haven't had it anywhere else in Namibia was so good it could just be accurate when it says it's the best apple crumble in Namibia!
From there we travelled today to Swakopmund where we have 2 nights, IN BEDS!!! Yeah! We're having a big night out tonight and then tomorrow after mooching in the day (shopping to get my secret Santa present actually!) I'm going quad biking in the evening which will take me through sunset and sounds great.
Can't believe this is my last 6 weeks away but if the first part of the Africa trip is anything to go by, I'm going out with a bang!!