I was determined to do the Simien Mountains without joining a tour. Partly because I knew it would be cheaper, particularly for a group, and partly because most people joined a tour, so I wanted to buck the trend. The…
Avoiding the stellae dogs of Aksum
After our good bus karma in getting to Hawzen, we knew the trip to Aksum would not be as smooth. After 30 minutes on our second minibus (and our second argument about not paying for bags), we heard a faint…
The Hassles of Hawzen
I had been warned that Ethiopia was a bit of a hassle. But I also figured that I had just spent months traveling around Africa, and so would be fairly prepared. This experience helped, but it also meant I was…
Finally, the end of rainy season- Kisumu, Kenya
After two matutu (minibus), one boda boda (motorbike), and another matutu ride, 7 hours after I left Mbale, I arrived in Kisumu. I walked to the de-facto hostel which was really a hotel that was reasonably priced, in a good…
Sipi Falls and Mbale
After a week in Jinja, I was rested and recovered and ready to move on. Of course, a 3 hour road journey ended up taking 7, but I arrived in Sipi Falls before dark, giving me time to set up…
Shivering on Lake Bunyoni- Uganda
As I drank my fifth cup of tea for the day, I realized it was only just after noon. I had slept in til nearly 8am, a result of the one hour later sunrise in Uganda, the pouring rain and…
Hiking the Congo Nile Trail- Rwanda
After a hearty breakfast at the hostel in Gisenyi on Lake Kivu, the four of us were ready to go. As we stepped outside, it started to rain and we immediately put on our rainjackets and backpack covers. Welcome to…
Transiting in Tanzania Part III- Kigoma to Kigali, Rwanda
I woke from a very light sleep with a kink in my neck and a returned awareness of the pain in my legs and my back. I checked my phone and saw it was 1:15am and that we were finally…
Last Stop on Lake Malawi- Nkhata Bay
After recovering from the crazy journey from Mulanje to Likoma Island, I was rested up and ready to tackle the ferry from Likoma to Nkhata Bay. There were 7 of us leaving the island that day for the journey, so…
Zomba
After a week in Cape Mclear, I was planning to take a shared taxi to Zomba, but was lucky enough to get a ride from someone heading that way from Monkey Bay anyway. It was about a 4 hour drive,…