Flying north over the entire continent of Africa, I pondered all the sites below, helped by the map tracker on the TV screen--Over Zimbabwe, I looked down on Lake Victoria. A few hours later, the dry desert of Somalia, then Ethiopia. Next, we crossed the Red Sea (which I hadn't seen in over 6 years!), before entering the Arabian peninsula. After a layover in Bahrain, I had a short flight to Muscat, Oman. There, I had a 12 hour layover, where I tried to get a bit of sleep on the floor while at the same time making sure my stuff didn't get stolen (which really made it hard to do either). Finally, I boarded the plane for Katmandu, joined by several hundred Nepali men returning home from working in Qatar. Leaving the middle east, I realized that from this point on I was now further than I'd ever been from home, going a thousand feet further every second. Nepal, in case you don't know right where it is (I didn't until recently), is a tiny country sandwiched between the giants of India and China (actually, it's Tibet) I was hoping to be able to get a view of the Himalaya rising out of the plains of India, with Tibet in the background. Unfortunately, I didn't have a window seat, so I didn't get to see much of anything :(

I've only been here one day, but walking the streets today was the first time in quite a while that I've truly had a sensory overload. Sights, sounds, and smells, that were completely foreign to me, all within a mass of people as thick as I've seen anywhere. Now I know how people feel the first time visiting Times Square. The streets are very narrow--the ones that the cars don't fit on are perfect for motorcycles, so you need to walk with care. The smells of incense and exotic spices are lovely, while the raw fish and piles of garbage are less so. By coincidence, my arrival coincides with the Hindu festival of Diwali--the festival of lights (which I remember from my days at Hopkins). All the houses and streets are decorated with colorful lights, and people on the street have red paint on their foreheads. There are also powerful firecrackers everywhere, which are fun but a bit startelling.

I planned to do one of the walking tours recommended in my Lonely Planet, but soon realized that, since streets aren't labelled here, trying to follow the route would take so much concentration I'd never get to enjoy the sites (not to mention the Lonely Planet seemed to be an incredibly powerful magnet for people trying to sell you stuff). So I was quite content wandering aimlessly for the afternoon, completely absorbed by a completely new environment.

I did have one unpleasant experience which bothered me. The touristy places in Katmandu, like any tourist destination, are full of people that want to "help" you--some want to sell you stuff, others want a donation, others want to rob you, and sometimes its a combination of all (within 3 minutes of leaving my hotel, I had one guy try to sell me a little statue, then ganja, then offered to be my tour guide, and finally just gave up and asked if I'd buy him some milk). The desperation of the country's economic situation is reflected by the desperation of some street vendors, and it's often quite difficult to explain that you're not interested. Unfortunately, because of this situation, as a tourist (as much as I hate that word there's no denying that's what I am on this trip) you need to be suspicious of anyone that approaches you on the street, as benign as they may appear. Moreover, it becomes so frustrating, that sometimes I just ignore the person shouting at me, perpetuating the stereotype that Americans are rude. (Once I tried pretending that I was from Spain and didn't speak English, but this didn't work very well after the man pointed out that the guidebook I was reading was printed in English!) This is unfortunate, because some people are just curious and want to talk to you, but it's very difficult to seperate these peope from ones that just want your money.

As I was stopped on the street looking at a map (or trying to at least), a well dressed man came up to me and started a conversation in very good english. He explained that he was studying law, and would finish school in one year. As we were talking, he suggested we walk together towards where I was going. I was still skeptical, but was enjoying the conversation, so agreed. After a few minutes, as he started to explain to me about the sites and temples we were passing, I realized he wanted to be my tour guide and would expect me to pay him. I explained to him that I was happy enjoying the sites on my own, and he asked if I'd give him a tip for the few minutes we had already spent together, which I declined. He proceeded to inform me that Americans (including myself, I assume) are "without morals", that our country had "bad politics and bad people". I told him I was sorry he felt that way, and offered to discuss the matter with him and why I didn't give him money. He declined and walked away.

The encounter really got under my skin. Throughout my travels, I have faced countless uncomfortable situations like this. While I clearly have far more money than the average person in the countries I've visited, if I gave money to every needy person I encountered, even a litte, I'd be without a penny before long. And what does giving money to people really do in the long term, other than create an association between foreigners and money? Nonetheless, it makes me uncomfortable, to say the least, to realize that during my 4 month trip, I will spend more money, PER WEEK, than the average Nepali person makes IN AN ENTIRE YEAR (about $220USD). I don't see how any Western traveller in developing countries can escape this inequality, and the feelings it causes. Nonetheless, I do think it's a good thing that I am at least exposed to the problems and unpleasant realities in the world. Through this trip I now realize, or at least appreciate, more than ever how wealthy and fortunate I am in comparison with others. Hopefully, through my knowledge and position of priviledge, I can contribute to making the world a better place in my lifetime.

I am planning a 17 day trek through the Himalaya, around the Annapurna mountains, beginning tomorrow, so I will be out of communication for a bit. Its supposed to be one of the best hikes in the world, so needless to say I'm very excited!

Looking at the two dots in the distance throught the binoculars, I saw that they were, in fact, Rhino's. I was impressed--not just by the Rhinos, but by the fact that our guide John had actually spotted them from so far off. Soon I found out, however, that this was just the beginning of our experience in the Hluwlie-Imfolozi park, and the wildlife viewing here was unlike anything any zoo could dream of. As we continued through the park, we began to see animals every few minutes--herds of Mpala (Antellope), Wildebeast, Buffallo, Warthogs, and Zebra. We were very excited to see a lone Elephant, and a few more Rhinos. After a picnic lunch--where we were joined by several begging Warthogs, a grazing Zebra, and a Water Buck, we headed back out to explore. We were astonished to drive right up to a group of 5 White Rhinos, including one baby, grazing right by the side of the road! I was sure that would be the highlight of the day, but shortly after, we chanced upon a group of 7 Giraffe eating leaves from the trees by the side of the road. But the real highlight of the day came right as we were leaving the park-- right as we were coming to a river, our jaws dropped to see a herd of 20 elephants (we counted) mixing with a group of at least as many Africa Bufallo. We watched as they moved closer and closer, and eventually walked right past our vehicle, taking absolutely no notice of us.

The following day, we headed out to the St. Lucia wetlands estuary, located in the area between lake St. Lucia (the largest in Southern Africa) and the Indian Ocean. After a bird-watching walk (which I'll admit wasn't the most exciting thing I've ever done) we went on a boat ride on the river, where we saw various Nile crocodile and numerous Hippos--including a family of about 10. In the afternoonwe headed to a big cat sanctuary, where we got to see lots of large felines, including several Cheetah, being fed.

Today I headed back along the coast to Durban, and will head to Johannesburg tomorrow (11 hours on the bus :( ), and fly out the following morning. I will spend almost 2 days getting to Nepal, via Bahrain and Oman. I'm not excited about spending the next 3 days straight travelling, but am getting very excited to see the Himalaya!

I've seen alot in a little time in South Africa and am very satisfied with how I've made use of my 2 weeks here. Overall, the trip is going very well so far and I'm still less than half way done. 2 continents down, 2 more to go...

I have neither the time, nor adjectives, to adequately describe my experiences along the Wild Coast of South Africa, so it will have to suffice to call it a paradise! I had a simply unforgettable time in Cintsa hanging out at Buccaneers backpackers, especially once the clouds disappeared and we got some nice weather. Every day they have a free activity complete with 10 liters of free wine which guarantees a great time no matter what-- I learned how to play cricket on the beach one day, and had a great game of volleyball (the Aussies beat us!) the following afternoon. I spent a day mountain biking, visited a lion park where we played with baby lion cubs and a young cheetah (who fortunately didn't bite TOO hard when he was playing), did some kayaking, and also hiked around quite a bit. I'll miss the beach, the bar, and all the great friends I made in Cintsa!

From Cintsa, I headed to a tiny beachfrong village called Bulangula, a completely unspoiled paradise where I got to learn about the native Xhosa culture. It's most unique aspect is possibly its language which is characterized by various "clicks" mixed in with its other sounds. The hostel I stayed at, while a bit chaotic, was unforgettable-- Westerners mix with locals, creating a very international environment-- my first night while eating my dinner, I was joined by some girls doing their math homework. After dinner I relaxed by the fire and watched shooting stars before heading to my tent (which, to my dismay, had been raided by a pesky dog--fortunately nothing was missing) My first day, after taking a shower in their paraffin "rocket" shower--which sounds just like a fighter jet taking off-- I hiked along the beach to a nearby waterfall, with some spectacular scenery, plants and animals including freshwater crabs and a rhinocerous beatle. In the afternoon I took a tour of the village, including visits to several local homes. The omnipresent circular mud huts are quite pretty, and different from any I've seen before.

Yesterday I made the 9 hour, 20+ mile hike from Bulangula to Coffee Bay with Nigel and Marjorie, a nice couple from England, as well as Simon, our local guide. In addition to being one of the most challenging day-hikes I've ever done (with lots of rolling hills up and down), it was also one of the most beautiful. On our way out in the morning, we say a pod of dolphins from the beach, and noticed several of them "surfing" towards shore on the enormous waves. After an hour, the trail cut inland, and we passed through untouched Xhosa villages for the next several hours. We crossed several small rivers, and alternated between grasslands and forrest terrain. After lunch we descended into a river valley, and the remaining few hours were spent back along the coast, with spectacular cliffs, rocky beaches, and exotic plantlife, all made even more dramatic by the fading colors of the late afternoon sun. Exhausted and dehydrated, we were quite relieved to finally arrive in Coffee Bay at 5 p.m., after 9 straight hours of difficult hiking. Our happiness was shortlived, however, when we discovered that our baggage, which we had arranged to be transported to Coffee Bay, had been left at a gas station halfway, so we were forced to go to bed in our sweaty, dirty clothes, without brushing our teeth (or taking my malaria medication :( A few beers and a local band helped ease the discomfort before passing out from exhaustion. Fortunately we caught an early shuttle out this morning, and were relieved to find our bags locked in the Shell station office, waiting for us safely.

I spent the day on the bus to Durban, and am looking forward to a 3 day Safari into Zululand beginning tomorrow. More details to come...

After saying my goodbyes to Lucas and his parents (who graciously brought me to the airport!) in the Buenos Aires airport, I boarded my plane for Capetown, South Africa. After my short 7 hour flight, I deboarded the plane in a new continent. On my way to the hostel, I had an interesting discussion with my shuttle driver about racial politics in this young democracy, which ended racial segregation only 12 years ago. Once I was settled in my hostel, I decided to explore Capetown on foot. I made my way to the waterfront, where I made a reservation to visit Robben Island, South Africa's version of Alcatraz, where Nelson Mandela was held in prison for 27 years. I also looked into cage diving with Great White sharks, and found a great deal, so I decided to make a reservation for the next day. Exhausted from all the travel, I headed back to my hostel to get some rest.

The next morning I was picked up bright and early for my shark dive. After a 2 hour ride along the coast, we boarded our boat and headed out to "Shark Alley", where the nearby colony of 40,000 seals makes shark citings secure throughout the year. After less than 30 minutes we saw our first shark! We all took turns being in the shark cage, and over the next 2 hours we spotted 6 different great white sharks, ranging in size from under 5 feet to over 15. It was a dream come true to get to see these animals so close. It was very dramatic, but not scary at all-- The sharks were very graceful, but not agressive. They took the tuna heads used as bait, but were clearly not the bloodthirsty killing machines they're made out to be. I got lots of great photos, both from the boat and withing the cage (which I'll post as soon as I can)

On our way back to Capetown, we stopped in Hermanus and saw several enormous whales from the beach. I'm still amazed by how easy and predictable it is to be able to see such huge animals here in South Africa!

The next morning I headed up to hike Table Mountain with Stephen, a nice German guy I met at my hostel. From the base of the mountain all of Capetown was visible, and the entire ocean was covered with clouds-- it was quite a spectacular view! As we headed up the mountain the clouds began to clear, slowly. We reached the top of the 3,000 foot mountain in a bit over an hour, and were rewarded by a panaramic view of all the surrounding area-- including the Africa's tip, the Cape of Good Hope. We hiked around the top of the mountain (which, as it's name suggests, has a flat plateau on top) for a few hours before heading down.

In the afternoon I headed back to the waterfront to catch the ferry to Robben Island, only to be disappointed that the ferry was canceled due to bad weather :(

The bad weather continued the next morning, when I boarded my shuttle out of Capetown, and it rained on and off all day. Since the weather was so bad, and since I only have 2 weeks to get to Johanessburg, I decided to travel the entire day--all the way to South Africa's "Wild Coast", where hopefully I would find better weather. I stayed in the bus 14 hours--the only highlight was getting my first glimpse of the Indian Ocean. I stopped to sleep in Port Elizabeth, and continued another 5 hours the next day, where I arrived in Cintsa, a small town right on the beach.

The sky was still overcast, but I went for a walk on the beach, and was rewarded by beautiful waves, new species of birds which I had never seen, and unspoilt beach. On the way back I met three nice African ladies trying to cross the River-- they were speaking amongst themselves in their own language. When I asked them what their language was called, they told me they spoke Xhosan (which cannot be spelled correctly in English because it begins with a "click" which, when I tried to pronounce, was promptly laughed at by the locals)

In the afternoon I played pool at the hostel and signed up for surfing lessons for the next day. I had a great time meeting new people in the bar-- there are tons of English and Australians here, but I've met only a few Americans. I headed back to my tent (I'm camping) and went to sleep.

I headed out to the beach bright and early this morning, armed with surfboard, wetsuit, and sunblock. After a short lesson on the beach we headed out to try out our skills. It was pretty difficult, and very tiring, but I managed to stand up several times. After lunch, I went for a short kayak ride in the river, and surfed for a bit more without much success (the waves had changed alot, making it more difficult). I'm going to try to go mountain biking tomorrow.

My plan is to continue up the coast into Swaziland, then further north into Kruger National Park before heading out to Nepal. I'm kicking myself for not giving myself more time in South Africa, but am trying to make the most of the time I have.

I can't post pictures from here but will post them as soon as I can.

-Travis

Hi Everyone, welcome to the blog for my 2006 World Tour, where I´ll post pictures and updates from my trip. The idea is to see 5 continents in 4 months-- South America (Argentina, Chile); Africa (South Africa, Swaziland); Asia (Nepal, Thailand, possibly Singapore and Malasia); Europe (England and whatever else I have the time and money left for!)

I arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina on September 2nd. I stayed for a few days with my friend, Lucas, and his parents. It´s great being back here after 2 years to see old friends and places. After 2 days in Buenos Aires I took an 18 hour bus ride straight across the Andes to Santiago, Chile, where I visited Sofia. I visited the Pacific port of Valparaiso for a day and stopped to hike at Campana National Park, made famous when it was visited by Charles Darwin in the 19th century. From the top you can see the snow-capped Andes on one side, and the distant Pacific Ocean on the other. Back in Santiago, I spent a day skiing with Sofia at Valle Nevado, where we had a great time hitchhiking to the mountain.

Back in Mendoza, Argentina, I did some mountain biking and decided to spend a few more days skiing in Los Penitentes, located high in the Andes on the border with Chile. The snow down at the bottom was icy, but I was able to hike a bit and find some great steeps with softer snow, which was alot of fun! The highlight was hiking up to get a far off glimpse of Cerro Aconcagua--the tallest mountain in the western hemisphere at just under 7,000 meters.

I met up with Lucas and Ariel, 2 Argentine friends I met while studying at the University of Buenos Aires in 2004. After visiting a few local wineries and and olive oil factory we left the mountains of Mendoza headed north to the more desert-like province of San Juan. We made our way to Ischigualasto National Park, also known as Valley of the Moon for it´s barren landscape, extraordinary natural features, and variety of fossils encountered.

After bidding goodbye to Ariel, Lucas and I made our way north, where we hoped to visit Lucas´ family in La Rioja province. We were disappointed to find that there was no direct bus service from where we were so, feeling up for an adventure, we decided to hitchhike the 200km through the desert to La Rioja. A man working on an electricity project for the government brought us the first 60km and dropped us off at an intersection in the middle of nowhere. As the sun sank closer and closer to the horizon, it looked like we would be spending the night camping by the road (fortunately we had a tent and plenty of water!), but luckily, right as the sun was about to set an incredibly warm couple stopped to pick us up and brought us the rest of the way. We rented a beautiful cabin in Valle Union and continued on to Lucas´ Aunt and Uncle´s house in Chilecito the next day.

I often find that the best way to get to know a new place is to walk around (coincidentally, the cheapest as well), so Lucas and I spent alot of time walking around in Chilecito. The sights were just spectacular—enormous cactii, mountain streams, and the kind of wide open spaces that I love. We climbed 2 nearby mountains with Lucas´ great uncle Miguel who, at 69 years old and still in great hiking shape, is my new role model and motivation to keep excercising! We also spent an afternoon exploring an old abandoned mining station. As beautiful as everything was, the town is very small and off the beaten tourist path.

Our last day in Chilecito, Lucas´ aunt had a party with all of her friends to celebrate the first day of Spring. Someone called the local radio station to send a greeting to the party, and must have metioned that I was there as well. I couldn´t stop laughing when the radio host announced that a person from the United States was in attendance at the party - not once, but 3 seperate times!!! That shows just how off the beaten path we were!

Having taken over a week off from school and work, Lucas had to get back to Buenos Aires, so we spent another 18 hours sitting on a bus crossing the vast Argentine pampa. I´ve been here for the last week relaxing, walking around the city, and visiting old friends. We went to see Cadena Perpetua, a punk band from Buenos Aires. I got to spend time with Muchy, my Argentine mother, and her daughter Mariana. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that my friend Cliff from the Hopkins cycling team is studying here, after I recommended it to him 2 years ago! We hung out a bit and went to the nature reserve south of Puerto Madero. Yesterday, after enjoying a delicious Sunday afternoon asado (Argentine barbeque) with Lucas´ family, we went and played soccer. I was afraid I´d embarass myself, but to my surprise I held my own pretty well.

I´m leaving in 2 days for Capetown, South Africa tonight, and am eagerly awaiting my 2 weeks there. I´m planning to make my way northeast along the Indian Ocean into Swaziland, back into South Africa to do a safari in Kruger National Park, and arrive into Johannesburg to catch my flight to Nepal. I´ll try to write more frequent updates from now on. Comments and encouragement are always welcome...

Also, if you want to see my photos you can go to the following link (You´ll need to create a snapfish account to view the pics)

http://www1.snapfish.com/shareereg/p=96441159970943370/l=212921203/g=7234898/pns/share/p=96441159970943370/l=212921203/g=7234898

-Travis, Oct. 2^nd, 2006