Seeing as though I am well into the second half of my trip I thought that this was an appropriate time to post a recap of where I have been so far.
I started in February in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe volunteering with United Children if Africa (UNICA) and running a few art classes at Mosi-oa-Tunya High School. I felt very at home with the young people working with UNICA and with the Dungeni family in who’s house I was living. The Vic Falls area is beautiful and although I was excited to get going when I left I definitely miss it now. I then made a quick pass by Zambia: White water rafting, Chibuku and my introduction to touts before heading to Malawi to spend the month traveling round its beautiful lake. I met more persistant-touts, got aquainted with Malawi’s particularly unimaginitive range of food and spent my time with lots of friendly people both – Mlawians and foreigners. I had a lot of fun in Malawi and again, although I left keenly looking forward to what came next I can’t help but smile when I think about my time spent in “the warm heart of Africa.”
On the other end of a 26 hour bus journey I arrived in Dar es Salaam. I spent the day relaxing on the beach with some Swedish doctors and then was on my way again to Mombasa, Kenya. I arrived at the Buccaneer Diving dive centre and together with a traveling Scotsman started my divemaster internship. We were packed off up the coast to Kilifi where a friendly American Peace Corps Volunteer let us stay weith her for the month. The diving season in Kilifi ended and so we returned to Mombasa to finish off our course. I left Mombasa a lot later than I had planned; the constant company of other travelers at the backpackers where I was staying and the routine and company at the dive centre were difficult to leave behind but I eventually did get on my way, exploring Mombasa, a trip to Lamu Island and a trek inland to visit a friend I had made at the backpackers. And then, before my Kenyuan visa expire and I became an illegal immigrant, I left for Tanzania. Moshi: a quick look at Mt Kilimanjaro and a mental note to come back and climb it. Dar es Salaam to take care of a bit of admin and then onto the train to Tabora – a trip through dry bushland with the excitement and charm that only trains can offer. A dusty busride to Mwanza and then a ferry trip accross Lake Victoria to Bukoba and up into the hills to Nshamba for a much appreciated break in the home of a family friend, reading and going for walks in the forests and banana shambas.
It’s been a good six months with pleasant turns I wasn’t expecting and stops I hadn’t planned. I’ve been lonely at times but that’s not always a bad thing – I’ve certainly had space to think and I’m begining to understand what’s important to me and what I actually need to keep myself happy. And now it’s Burundi – this feels like the begining of a new section of my trip and I’m excited to see what it brings.
Keeping up with me on my journeys in Africa 