Africa in a Beetle (1997)South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. July - September 1995.
When we set out for this first Africa trip, we didn't know what we had put ourselves into: Now we must, and we will, always come back (also see Africa in a Beetle). This journey took us from Johannesburg to Cape Town (rental car), around Zimbabwe (flights, buses, and trains) and to truly wild Botswana (organized tour). Maybe it's because it was the first time in Africa. Maybe it's because it's the first time we really travelled. At any rate, we will never, ever, forget it.
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Africa in a Beetle (1997) |
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Johannesburg, South Africa: Not a pleasant start for this trip in „the crime capital of the world" where hijackings and murder is daily business. Jo'burg and Gauteng Province in general is still the hope of millions of black people for a better future. A hope very quickly destroyed on arrival. |
N.b.: Soweto ("South Western Township" as it used to be called) is much safer than downtown Jo'burg.
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 Kruger National Park. Above: a hungry hyena. |
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Due to high traffic of tourists in the Kruger national park, the animals are very much used to them. |
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Shakaland - the site
were the film was made - can be visited today. It's a rather touristy display of Zulu
culture, but it's authentic, and a lot of fun.
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| The former homeland
Transkei - home of the Xhosa people - is still a very poor part of South Africa. The past lies hard on the tribe Mandela belongs to. We had the impression we are rather unwelcome in this part of the country. We don't judge that at all - they have all rights to do so. However, the Transkei has authentic village life, and the Wild Coast ranks amongst the best beaches in the world. |
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| A helicopter flight over the cape peninsula is by no means cheap - but there are things money can't buy, like this view of Cape Point in the foreground and the Cape of Good Hope in the background. The latter is a truly wild, windy and romantic place. On the way back to Cape Town, we spotted a whale from the helicopter. |
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 Cape Town - between mountains and the sea - has been called „the most beautiful city on earth". When we were there, I guess we would have agreed. Today, the crime rate is alarming. What's the future of these children out in the townships? |
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Believe it or not - it's made out
of one single stone. Shona stone sculpture outside the capital of Zimbabwe,
Harare. Stone fascinated the inhabitants of present-day Zimbabwe already in
earlier times - proof give the infamous Great Zimbabwe Ruins near Masvingo
(below). Buildings constructed without any cement in the 12th century.
N.b.: We flew to Masvingo from Harare on a 4-seat Zimbabwe airlines airplane. For the 300 or so kilometers, we paid about 30 US $, and it was great fun. Hitching to the ruins was absolutely no problem. The Zimbabweans are extremely friendly. |
This is
definately
one of the most beautiful places on this planet. The Okavango has its source in
Angola. It doesn't flow into any sea; the water just disappears in a vast delta
in the midst of a desert in Botswana. The Okavango Delta can be toured by
mokoros made out of one piece of wood.
As Botswana is expensive terrain, we booked a tour with Karibu Safaris
that took us through the delta and the Chobe national park. On the whole, we
didn't regret it. But nothing beats seeing wildlife from your own car or a hide
out, and not from a Mercedes truck with 11 other travellers.
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As of today (1998), we've been to 12 national parks in all of Southern Africa. Nothing, really nothing, beats the delta and Chobe park in terms of wildlife. It's an unforgettable experience to hear lions roaring at night while you are in your tent and to hear Elefants eating the trees around you. Sometimes, you are sure the next thing they'll do is tramp on your tent. They don't. |
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This is what
Victoria Falls was all about - before big money came in, pushed the locals
into suburbs and declared Vic Falls an adventure zone: An extraordinary
waterfall dropping down more than a hundret meters. No wonder there are some
of the most difficult rapids on earth when water assembled on a stretch of
1.5 kilometers is pressed into a gorge of 15 meters. |
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And if you really want to go for adventure, we can also recommend the free fall. Although it's a little bit more risky than the bungee - an accident about one in every 20'000, it's much more fun. But whether you spend 90 US $ (1995) to jump down a 111 m bridge or 150 US $ to jump out of an airoplane, the question remains why you want to feel what it is like to be afraid of death. |
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Talking about death, these trees at Lake Kariba are dead - they have become stone. When the huge man-made lake was flooded, thousands of animals died and thousands of local people had to flee their homes. In the meantime, a new eco-system has developped. Transforming life into stone - is that the legacy of mankind even in this wonderful part of the world.
Pictures by Marcel Stoessel
