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Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Transfăgărășan Highway, Romania

Acknowledgements

Son Doong Cave, Quang Binh, VN

Dedication

Kampong Phluk, Cambodia

always moving Foreward

Easter Island, Chile

Mexico City - part 1

Our Lessons

As we continued our walk through this beautiful world, it became clear that each country would find ways of completely surprising us. In Cuba, it had been the resilience, kindness, and generosity of its people, despite living with such limited resources, that truly captivated us. Now, as our plane descended into Mexico City, we were immediately taken aback by the unexpectedly modern sight of a sprawling metropolis with glistening skyscrapers.

"Wait, are you sure we are in Mexico?" joked Eric, as our air-conditioned Uber cruised along the city's well-maintained streets toward our downtown hotel. "This is definitely not the rugged, dusty landscape that Hollywood told me it would be! Look: I have free WiFi; Let me double-check our location!" Indeed, in 2021, Mexico City set a record for “the most public hotspots in a single free urban network”: a total of 21,500 Wi-Fi hotspots, which kept us connected at most parks, intersections, and popular streets—all without spending money on a SIM card! On top of that, transportation is easy, and rideshare apps are very accessible. We felt completely safe jogging through the different neighborhoods around the city center, as the streets were always busy and no one seemed to pay particular attention to us tourists. Truly, the more we experienced, the clearer it became: if our fellow Americans could just set foot in their southern neighbor's capital, 99% of the stereotypes they have about Mexico would quickly fade away.

Mexico City - part 2

Our Lessons

We strolled the pedestrian streets heading towards the grand Plaza de la Constitución, immersed in a delightful sensory barrage: We became one with a wave of hundreds of pedestrians, which swelled, then pushed through the center’s expansive intersections each time the Walk signal turned green. The sounds of countless chatting voices mixed with out-of-tune organillos playing on the street corners. The air was filled with smells of sweet and savory street food. Our eyes darted back and forth between the attention-catching colors of traditional art on display, positioned right next to modern abstract works—an impressive first encounter with the vast and modern Mexico City!

Though it was only the very beginning of December, and this place was fully ready for Christmas—even the city’s giant radio towers were decorated to look like massive Christmas trees. Oddly, most Christmas trees here seemed to have corporate sponsorship and were not afraid to show it: just about every cluster of decorations was riddled with the logos of well-known companies. The experience of winter festivities in hot weather was new for us; luckily, the Antara shopping mall made sure customers still got to enjoy a Christmas 'snowfall'—made of bubbles!

Mexico City - part 3

Our Lessons

Many of Mexico City’s downtown museums are free, making it easy for anyone to marvel at the works of famous artists like Rodin and Dali. However, I did not hesitate to pay a $13 USD entrance fee to see the living space and some of the best-known pieces of one of my favorite female artists: Frida Kahlo. The exhibit of her "Blue House" is not simply a collection of her belongings. Its presentation brings to life pieces of her personality; her strength; her emotions; her creativity; and her struggle. Frida Kahlo has not only become a hero in her homeland; she has become a global symbol of courage in the face of adversity—a genuine person who remained true to her convictions.

To this day, Mexico City stands out in our minds for its great food. In fact, even the fast-food chains had excellent flavors and service! Our favorite fast-food spot was La Casa de Toño, featuring pozole soup: a flavorful mix of meat, vegetables, spices, and maíz cacahuacintle, which is a type of large-kernel corn. The soup has the familiar aroma of tacos, and you can eat it with taco shells. For breakfast, Eric loved ordering the hardy chilaquiles: a blend of chicken, fresh cheese, green and red salsa, poured over crisp tortilla slices and eaten with a fork. For dinner, his hands-down favorite was the enchiladas with brown mole poblano sauce, which contains a hint of chocolate flavoring. We needed to save room, though, because freshly made churros could be found on just about every street corner.

Our favorite drink: the michelada: Tomato-based, like a bloody Mary, but mixed with beer instead. It is best enjoyed on the hectic streets of Tepito, in a giant cup, dipped in tamarind sauce and colored sprinkles. If this does not sound sweet enough, most vendors add a wooden skewer with gummy candies—what a unique combination!

Mexico City - part 4

Our Lessons

Mexico City - part 5

Our Lessons

“Tepito” is known as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Mexico City. It is an enclave within the city, with its own traditions, customs, and unwritten "laws." We were very curious about this place, so we asked a local to show us around safely. Being guided through Tepito’s incredibly bustling and maze-like markets was fascinating, and surprisingly, it did not feel intimidating during the day. We were told it is much more important to know which alleyways to avoid in this neighborhood, which is why having a local with us is so crucial. As Anthony Bourdain put it, Tepito is a place of many “levels.” Superficially, its markets are very fun to walk around. You can literally find anything here... including delicious street food (both fast and gourmet options), booming music with welcoming locals partying in the streets, and of course lots of cheap shopping. Many of the items for sale are either counterfeit... or stolen. Particularly attractive are the rows of watches of every high-end brand, glistening in the fluorescent lights of dozens of vendor stands, packed side-by-side.

Below the surface, however, we are told that drugs, guns, and prostitution are just steps away—and we did indeed observe a number of carefully "guarded" doors, as well as the police putting someone in handcuffs! Even our tour guide had her own scary story to share with us: she was once robbed at gunpoint while selling goods in this market. Locals comment that corruption runs deep here, and it is said that even the authorities are involved in black-market activities. With limited opportunities out of poverty and the relatively easy prospect of trafficking illegal goods, it is not hard to imagine how someone in dire straits might choose this path in life.

Thus, in Tepito, working in organized crime has become part of the culture—and even religion! Here, devout Catholics worship a unique “patron saint”: Santa Muerte (the Saint of Death). This unofficial saint is visibly exalted at several altars along the streets. Each altar houses a regally-dressed skeleton—surrounded by offerings of candles, cigarettes, and beer. ‘Outcast’ members of this society pray to Santa Muerte, who is thought to provide protection to all believers, regardless of their deeds.

Hearing stories such as this, one starts to wonder how corruption and quality of life might improve in Mexico if drug cartels suddenly lost funding from their largest 'customer': the United States. Those in support of legalizing and taxing drugs in the U.S. point to the resulting collapse of crime associated with organized drug cartels as one of the benefits of doing so.

Mexico City - part 6

Our Lessons

Unfortunately, like in many parts of the world, corrupt behaviors such as bribery have become expected 'norms' in parts of Mexico. Once such practices have become so integrated into the system, it is difficult to generate meaningful change. Today, even getting into a noble profession such as teaching requires under-the-table ‘gifts’ to school executives. Furthermore, it is reported that new teachers can be 'grandfathered in,' requiring no exam and no official licensing (i.e., with zero evaluation of knowledge on the subject one will be teaching!).

In 2013, Mexico's former president instituted a massive “education reform” campaign for the public school system to address this disconcerting issue. Changes included the roll-out of standardized exams for teachers to maintain their qualifications. Consequently, one tour guide told us that over 1,000 teachers lost their jobs when they were unable to pass their exams after 3 tries! Incredibly, the reforms and mandatory-testing policy were subsequently eliminated in 2019 by Mexico's current president—who secured his election victory in large part due to political and financial support from the teacher's unions.

On the topic of money: Who would have thought that along a random city block, we would meet the world-famous silversmith of Leonardo DiCaprio? Rafael Córdova is best known for having designed DiCaprio's rings for the movie Romeo and Juliet. DiCaprio visited Rafael's silver factory while on a tour of Mexico City, and he admired his work so much that he asked Rafael to be his designer. Since then, Rafael has produced replicas of other famous pieces... including my personal favorite, the enormous Heart of the Ocean gem from Titanic! Having this beauty around my neck for even a few minutes helps me understand why Rose thought this necklace was too heavy to wear!

Mexico City - part 7

Our Lessons

Organillos: giant, manually-cranked music boxes, played on the streets of Mexico City. This is truly an odd tradition, with a bright past but a sad future. Around the end of the 19th century, Germany reportedly gifted these portable organs to Mexico. During this time of musical and artistic renaissance, they became a beloved part of Mexican culture. In the absence of radio, professional organilleros attracted huge crowds in parks and public spaces, where people loved to relax to their soothing tunes. Over time, however, other forms of music overtook the popularity of these boxes, which have become too expensive to repair and can get damaged with even a few drops of rain! Now, it is said all of the organillos that remain are horribly out of tune. Nonetheless, these 75-pound machines, and the art of playing them, have been passed down from generation to generation. The professional organilleros continue to don their vintage khaki suits and classic hats for 12 hours a day, making a bleak living off of increasingly sparse donations (mostly from the nostalgic elderly population). We are told that younger generations hate the screeching sounds of the off-tune organs and that they no longer recognize the old tunes. The more out-of-tune the organillo gets, the more it is despised, and the fewer donations the organillero receives (a vicious cycle). Unfortunately, for prideful musicians struggling to make ends meet, switching jobs is a difficult step to take—particularly if they have known no other craft their entire lives.

Mexico City - part 8

Our Lessons

Mexico City, it turns out, is literally sinking. This sprawling metropolitan area of 26 million people (the 2nd largest in the world) sits on the ruins of the former Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, which was destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors. Google an image of Tenochtitlan, and one will find a gorgeous city that almost resembles Venice: a series of islands and canals, built in the center of a huge lake. The lake was eventually filled in by colonizers, and Mexico City grew massively in size... but just like Venice, it is now facing the consequences of the construction of heavy structures and the removal of groundwater from soft soil—such as the use of drinking wells. The shifting ground is visibly apparent in the city's old sidewalks and roads, which were obviously crooked as we walked along the historic center! Our tour guide stopped at various moments to show us older structures, which have sunken over time by more than one meter!

2021 predictions state that Mexico City will continue to sink, up to 65 to 100 feet over the next 150 years! This is a slow, uneven process that depends on the firmness of the soil in each spot—meaning that buildings, pipes, and infrastructure will tilt and break at points where ground settling occurs unevenly. Unfortunately, wells reportedly account for 70% of Mexico City's water supply, especially in low-socioeconomic areas; therefore, putting a halt to groundwater extraction is just not feasible. Furthermore, there have been no successful attempts in history to reverse ground settling by adding the removed water back (formerly loose clay, once dried and packed under the pressure of heavy buildings, does not re-expand when water is added). Worse still is the current lack of government momentum to address the problem, since the state may feasibly be able to fund gradual repairs to public structures, as needed. Mexican citizens, on the other hand, will have to fend for themselves, as the vast majority have no insurance for their privately owned homes. It is startling to think about the prospect of home collapses, broken pipes, and subsequently contaminated water supplies that may occur in time. However, given the slow-and-steady rate of occurrence, there is currently no unifying public support, or even awareness, about the necessity for intervention.

We learned that one possible alternative source of water could be recycling. Many countries and cities are now implementing water reclamation programs, which collect and recycle up to 100% of households' used water. Rather than being discarded, technology now exists to process and purify even the dirtiest sewage into ultra-clean drinking water. Places where this has been successfully implemented include California, Las Vegas, and Singapore. Water reclamation technology has become one of the cheapest and cleanest ways of maintaining sustainable water, and we wonder if it could be part of a successful solution for Mexico.

Mexico City - part 9

Our Lessons

Do you believe in miracles? The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the second most-visited church in the entire world (second only to the Vatican). The reason: it houses an original image of the Virgin Mary, one which has “never aged” since it appeared on a man’s cloak in 1531. As the story goes, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego, a man of Aztec descent, and asked him to build a shrine. In return, Mary’s spirit told Juan she would cure his ailing uncle. Juan presented his story to the town's bishop, who did not believe him and asked for proof. In response, the Virgin Mary guided Juan to find a garden of roses (an impossible task during the winter). Juan collected and brought the roses to the bishop, carrying them in his cloak. When he releases the roses, a perfect image of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared on the cloak. This imprint on the original cloak remains on display to this day, reportedly in its exact same condition, 500 years later. The story of this miracle was spread far and wide, and it is said to have galvanized the mass conversion of a huge portion of the Americas' indigenous population to Catholicism.

Staring up at the 5-and-1/2-foot-tall image behind the alter of the Basilica was quite the spectacle: the image has been mounted in such a way that tourists can stand on a conveyor belt and glide past it, allowing for a close-up view from below, all while church services are simultaneously taking place.

It was an honor to be present alongside people who literally pilgrimaged from half a world away, specifically to receive a blessing at this sacred shrine. We witnessed people bringing statues, food, pictures of loved ones, and all sorts of household objects into the church to be blessed! The church itself is massive, and it has a very warm, inviting, and ‘international’ feel. Flags from many countries hang to the left of the altar—a strikingly modern design, especially when compared to the centuries-old original Basilica next door. This original church is situated just several meters away, but it can no longer be occupied due to its shifting ground (a ‘leaning tower’ of Mexico City, as featured on the previous page!).

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe lives in as many churches in Mexico as it does in the U.S.—just one example of the similar things that Mexicans and Americans hold most dear. I guess we are more alike than our divisive news media wants us to think after all.

Teotihuacan - part 1

Our Lessons

On our recent visit to the Great Pyramids of Egypt, we were treated to an exuberance of knowledge about Egyptians’ 4,000-year-old civilization—in fact, modern humans have gathered so much information about ancient Egypt that historians and tour guides acquire a specialized university degree on the subject, known as Egyptology.

In stark contrast, today's archaeologists know relatively little about the largest pyramids of Mexico, despite their easily accessible location less than an hour away from the center of Mexico City. Even the name, “Teotihuacan,” is not the true name of the ancient city on which these pyramids were built; rather, Teotihuacan was the name given to it by the Aztec empire when they first found the abandoned city in the 1400s (not long before the arrival of the European conquistadors). Archaeologists continue to perform preliminary excavations on Teotihuacan to this day, and new discoveries are a fairly common occurrence. For instance, in 2017, archaeologists uncovered a tunnel under one of the pyramids that led to a miniature ‘model’ landscape, with tiny mountains and “lakes” made of liquid mercury. The tunnel’s walls were decorated with pyrite (fool’s gold), which reflects torch light in a way that creates the illusion of a sky dotted with stars.

Modern dating techniques reveal that the pyramids of Teotihuacan were completed ab300 C.E., long before the Aztecs. However, by 750 C.E., Teotihuacan was abandoned and reclaimed by the forest. Archaeologists have found evidence that some of the city’s major buildings were deliberately burned, suggesting an uprising or enemy invaders. Artifacts found here have features of various cultures known to Mesoamerica, including the Mayans, so it is proposed that Teotihuacan was an important trade center for travelers from distant lands. Overall, however, the collective findings at Teotihuacan reportedly do not fit any of the known Mexican cultures.

Teotihuacan - part 2

Our Lessons

Why, then, do modern archeologists think the mysterious citizens of Teotihuacan built these pyramids? Unlike the Egyptian pyramids, which served as tombs for royalty, it is now believed that Mexico's greatest pyramids were used as altars for ritual sacrifice of animals, and humans—a tradition that was well-documented by the Aztecs, who built similar pyramids over a millennium later.

The lack of available evidence about Teotihuacan's civilization has left plenty of opportunity for underqualified individuals to present their own embellished theories, many of which are only loosely based on facts. Honestly, the part we remember most about our tour here was sitting down at our computer back at the hotel, to fact-check the information our tour guide told us… only to discover that almost everything he said was either wrong or exaggerated!

For instance: it is true that the largest “Sun Pyramid” of Teotihuacan curiously has the same diameter as Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza (although it is only half as tall). Could mutual fascination with the stars and intricate knowledge of astronomy explain this? Perhaps; however, from here our guide proceeded on a fascinating tangent, in which he explained how the trio of pyramids found in both Giza and Teotihuacan are precisely aligned with the Orion's Belt constellation, “with an exact 23.5-degree offset.” His storytelling skills were captivating; his confidence and use of precise numbers made it sound all-the-more convincing. It was not until he began expounding on the 'scientific' theory of 'extraterrestrial' intervention that we began to raise an eyebrow...

Alas, in reality, neither trio of pyramids is aligned with a 23.5-degree offset, nor are they equally aligned with one another. This experience was a fascinating reminder of how easy it is to develop trust in someone who has learned to speak like an expert, but who lacks the right credentials! Without cell service, it also lent perspective on how difficult it was in the past to verify information "on-the-go," prior to the age of smartphones. Then again, perhaps the very comfort of being able to access purported “answers” with the mere tap of our fingers is slowly numbing our natural intuition—our ability to read or listen to something and say, “citation needed!”

One thing is certain: ancient human civilizations all around the world had an incredible understanding of mathematics and engineering. Instead of fantasizing about magical aliens, we feel inspired by the potential of our own human ingenuity!

Cape Town - part 1

Our Lessons

Of all the cities we have traveled to, Cape Town was unquestionably one with the greatest visible disparities. On one hand, its city center, bordering the pristine southwestern coast of Africa, is incredibly stunning. Modern skyscrapers are surrounded by crystal-blue waters and mountain landscapes. We spent hours roaming around the city's renowned Botanical Garden, which is arguably the most beautiful outdoor garden we have seen. It features a serene “canopy walk,” which snakes its way through and above the tree line, providing fantastic views of this land’s natural beauty. From here, we hustled past the iconic Table Mountain and ascended Lion’s Head peak, just in time to enjoy our first picturesque African sunset. Like a life-sized painting, the sun's rays pierced the ocean mist and bathed the distant cliffsides in brilliant orange.

Cape Town - part 2

Our Lessons

While living in the heart of downtown, we felt very safe navigating the city’s bustling streets on foot. As we walked around the Seaport, Waterfront, and other high-end areas, we encountered countless upscale bars and restaurants, featuring diverse cuisines from around the globe. However, it quickly became apparent to us that most of the customers here were white; whereas, most members of the workforce were black. A white tour guide pointed out that black workers may be overrepresented, due to affirmative action associated with “Black Economic Empowerment" (B.E.E.) policies implemented in 2003. He sourly noted that it had been impossible for him to find an alternative job during the pandemic, partly because of his skin color. However, a black tour guide reported that he had the same difficult experience. Interestingly, even the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a prominent black human-rights activist, expressed that B.E.E. policies unfortunately “benefit not the vast majority, but an elite that tends to be recycled.” For now, it is an objective fact that the majority of higher-class society remains white.

It is impossible to travel through South Africa without trying to understand its past and present history of apartheid: a concept which, we are told, originated not as a result of “hate,” but rather, as a result of "fear." While our tour guides of all colors were excited to share their country's complex history and current struggles with us foreigners, they all expressed the same wish: that more local white South Africans would attend their tours, because meaningful change will only gain momentum once their fear and prejudice are vanquished.

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate; and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love… for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” ~Nelson Mandela

Cape Town - part 3

Our Lessons

On the opposite end of the social spectrum, the heartbreaking reality for 60% of Cape Town's population can be felt while passing through its many “townships." These are the current-day remains of legalized racial persecution, which had been forcibly implemented during the apartheid period.

Apartheid, a government-mandated law of segregation based on race, is not a centuries-old policy. In fact, before the 1940s, we learned that many people of South Africa had been living in racially diverse communities, forming interracial relationships and having interracial families. Sadly, it was at this moment in time that the prejudiced ruling "white" class concluded that they could not continue to live a life of privilege if the "non-white" population continued to grow, gained political influence, and began receiving equitable shares of resources and opportunities. To hide these unspoken motivations, white leaders instead pitched the idea of apartheid to voters as a means of “preserving cultures"—and since only whites had the right to vote at that time, this propaganda campaign was a success, allowing apartheid to be voted into law in 1948.

From then on, racial classes were physically separated in every possible way in South Africa. White leadership voted to forcibly remove all non-whites from centrally-located districts—including the prominent District 6, where homes were completely demolished. Non-whites were divided into groups such as “Blacks,” “Coloreds,” and “Cape Malays,” and they were forced to live in designated far-away outposts. These outposts became known as "townships,” and they were indeed far away from everything: including access to jobs, groceries, and even clean water. Interracial families were declared illegal; racially distinct husbands and wives were divided and forced to live in separate townships. As planned by the whites, this and other horrible acts of persecution resulted in barely-survivable living conditions and stripped away any and all opportunities for success.

Cape Town - part 4

Our Lessons

On an immersive walking tour led by township locals, we had the opportunity to gaze over the empty lot of the bulldozed District 6, as we made our way to yet another eye-opening experience in "Langa." The very first racially segregated township, Langa had been a socially divided “working colony” since 1923—and thus it served as a 'testing ground' for the government's future plan to implement apartheid. During that time, only men were allowed to live in these working colonies, leaving their wives and children behind to live in rural areas. Their dormitories consisted of small rooms, shared by 5 men at a time.

Although apartheid was repealed after Nelson Mandela’s presidency in 1994, Langa's appearance has changed relatively little. Sadly, the situation remains complicated: in general, the township populations have not shrunk in size, due to longstanding socioeconomic barriers. "Freedom" has been bittersweet: now, families are allowed to live together in Langa's old, subsidized dormitories—but for our tour guide, “living together” means he shares a single room with eight other people, in a “hostel”-style environment. Space is so lacking in the rooms, that household members often roll out a mat to sleep on the common kitchen floor in these barebones multi-family structures. We are told the government has offered to “renovate” these dormitories; however, the subsidized rental price of a “renovated” home would increase sevenfold!

Another complicated issue: as of the 1990s, people of all races may once again own their own property and run their own businesses… if they can afford it. However, most people who suffered under apartheid still cannot. The dissolution of economic divisions has been slow, due to lack of adequate schooling or certification of skills in the townships. These are critically missing assets for anyone seeking a higher-paying job. For instance, our tour guide taught himself to speak seven languages. He is a respected member of his community who has completed the "Xhosa" rites of manhood, for which he embraces core family values and treats all people, especially women, with dignity. In spite of his status as a community role model and having a "township" high school degree, he has had no success finding a higher-paying job in the city center. His school, he explained, was not ‘reputable’ enough, and being self-taught is of little value without a reputable degree. He explained to us that while all public schools are free, the reputable ones are located in the center of Cape Town. Getting accepted into one of these schools often involves bribery over merit and values—limiting these opportunities to the wealthy. Likewise, school transportation, university, and other forms of higher education are also not free.

An interesting fact about the “Xhosa” ethnic group, which makes up 17% of South Africans: we are told that every man, around the age of 18, has to undergo a circumcision ritual, in which they live in a camp outside their township, receiving instruction on how to behave as a respected adult. When they return, all their boyhood clothes are given away, and they are recognized as having been initiated into “manhood.” Only at this point are their voices recognized in their community, and only then are they allowed to get married. In fact, we saw some young men dressed sharply in suits despite the hot summer weather, indicating their recent transition to manhood.

Cape Town - part 5

Our Lessons

Combined with the issues highlighted above, high property costs closer to the city center make it even more impossible for the less wealthy to move into areas of opportunity. This has created a prototypical example of “systemic racism”: persistent economic entrapment, even though many legal barriers to building a better life have been removed. The privileged (in this case, white) class remains in the beautiful downtown; while the formerly oppressed remain tucked far away in the city outskirts. As one guide bluntly stated: "Apartheid is still alive and kicking today, but in South Africa, it's not so much between the whites and the blacks. It is between the Haves and the Have Nots. It is quickly becoming a worsening global problem."

A possible guiding light to this: some of Langa’s most “successful” citizens (with jobs in the city center as doctors, nurses, etc) have now bought and own property within their township. They drive nice cars and enjoy a relatively comfortable lifestyle. Instead of leaving, they remain in Langa due to their sense of community, and they give back by purchasing local goods and services.

Despite their hardship, the people in Langa were extremely friendly and welcomed us into their homes. They expressed their desire to increase this type of “cultural tourism,” to provide insight to outsiders. Even though they don’t have a lot of material possessions, they seem to be rich in community. We are told that no one would walk past without a smile or a friendly greeting. As our tour guide noted: “If you greet someone twice, they are no longer a stranger; they become a friend. This is something we are all taught from a young age.”

Cape Town - part 6

Our Lessons

A street lined with shacks patched together with sheet metal, wood, and an occasional boxcar… with existing electric wires pulled from adjacent permanent structures, spliced and snaked all over the roofs. These tin shacks serve as an additional room or even a business. Judging from its haphazard appearance, one might assume this is the most impoverished part of Langa township, but the contrary is true: Why live in one room with 8-15 people, when instead you can “save up” and “upgrade,” by building your own private space directly in front of your dormitory?

On our tour, we had the privilege of entering one such building which had been made into a tiny bar. Within the confines of four narrow walls constructed from scraps of corrugated tin, this poorly ventilated space contained only a couple of stools and a metal trash bin, which was used as a fire pit in the winter. We were greeted with a 5-liter tin can of umqombothi... a home-brewed beer made from corn, malt, yeast, and water. Traditionally, for a lack of glasses, everyone simply takes turns drinking from the same bucket of beer! These watering holes remain a prime social hang-out for men after a long week of work.

Cape Peninsula - part 1

Our Lessons

With new friends and a rental car, we set out to explore the beautiful coastline south of Cape Town. Thankfully, Eric managed to adapt uneventfully to this tiny “right-hand drive” vehicle (a format that almost universally means "former British colony").

It did not take long for our first exotic African animal encounter; and surprisingly, that animal was a penguin! At Boulders Beach, less than an hour away from the city, we found a truly unique opportunity to become 'beach bums' alongside a colony of these tuxedoed birds. Unlike the elusive Galapagos penguins, these adorably nonchalant African penguins were calm and curious as we walked up, and sat down right next to them. Watching their comedically wobbly gait on land brought huge smiles to our faces, but we knew not to underestimate how fast they could be in the water. Additionally, these penguins have distinctly pink eyebrows. We learned that the hotter a penguin is, the more vibrant the pink color becomes. This is an adaptive trait to living in a relatively hot climate: by dilating these blood vessels, more blood passes superficially across the cool water as the penguins swim, allowing them to regulate their core temperature. For us humans, this water was certainly cold enough without pink eyebrows.

After losing track of time with the penguins, we rushed to our next stop before closing hours: the Cape of Good Hope. Oddly, this is known as the most “south-western” point of Africa… however, at least on modern maps, it appears to be neither the most southern nor the most western. We wonder how this latitude/longitude calculation was made...

Driving through this national preserve led to a few more surprises, including antelope and ostrich sightings. Memorably, we saw two ostriches lift their tail feathers and simultaneously drop enormous solid stools right next to our closed car window (in light of our recent Cuba mishap, a traumatized Eric reflexively checked for his wallet). With nightfall approaching, we made an exhaustingly hasty jog up the peak, to the Cape Point Lighthouse, which offered breathtaking cliffside views of the intensely crashing waves below. The natural beauty of the foliage and mountainous cliffs were amazing from here; well worth the 2-hour drive from Cape Town.

Cape Peninsula - part 2

Our Lessons

While cruising back across Table Mountain National Park, we reflected on the fact that we had observed a lot of homeless and/or jobless people in Cape Town. To our collective surprise, most of these individuals were pleasant, trying hard to appear in good spirits. Many dressed in orange vests and had taken up unofficial jobs as 'parking attendants,’ eagerly assisting (sometimes unwanting) drivers in their parallel parking, in hopes of getting a tip. Even when they were directly asking for change using signs, their written messages were more amusing than we are accustomed to. For example:

"At least you and I shared a smile today :)"

"Retired pornstar in need of $$ for penis reduction surgery!"

We are told by our tour guide not to give money directly to the homeless, as this may perpetuate bad habits like drug use. We were made aware of city programs that provide homeless people an opportunity to sell items gifted to them, like heart decals or newspapers, at a set price. As a result, many cars, city windows, and traffic lights are now ornately decorated with these heart stickers.

Taking a quick flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg, we set out to meet our "Big Five" friends: the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo. These aren’t necessarily the largest African animals; rather, they are historically “the most dangerous animals to hunt on foot." Naturally, the goal of any African safari is to get a glimpse of each of them, plus all of the other amazing wildlife the savannah has to offer.

After a very long journey from Jo'burg, we took a turn off the highway, onto a winding dirt path, eventually leading to a small compound surrounded by an electrified fence. At the front gate laid a pile of bleached skulls, bones, and horns: "Animals Killed by Lions," a sign warned—what a welcome to Tremisana Lodge! Inside, we met some jumpy troublemakers: the “blue velvet monkeys”, who are in fact gray, except for their prominent blue-colored scrotums! These mischievous monkeys were most often spotted in the trees above the outdoor kitchen, sometimes munching on bags of chips and other sneakily stolen food items.

Our 5-day safari at Kruger National Park was diverse, in that we were perfectly located inside a private game reserve, right outside the official national park. Kruger is known for its vast open plains, allowing safari goers to easily spot far-away animals. However, Kruger requires drivers to stay on paved roads. In contrast, our private reserve, Balule, was densely forested and hilly. Here, our enthusiastic park guide, Tolly, enjoyed plowing our 4x4 Land Cruiser off trail, through brush, rivers, and steep inclines, in an effort to give us the best possible chance to see the park’s elusive wildlife.

Kruger National Park - part 1

Our Lessons

Kruger National Park - part 2

Our Lessons

Beginning our adventure with a relaxed first game drive outside the protective wires of Tremisana Lodge, Tolly parked our Land Cruiser under a particularly large tree, and we watched the sunset over the unfenced savannah. A picnic table and fire pit were prepared for us, and we were handed shot glasses containing a sweet brown-tinged liqueur: Amarula. This delicious beverage comes from the fruit of the tree we were standing next to; the African marula tree, which locals also call the “Elephant tree” or the “Marriage Tree.” Like the elephants, we enjoyed these succulent, tart fruits right off the tree. However, unlike a large-sized elephant, we learned that we would need to be careful and avoid getting intoxicated by eating too much of these ripened fruits—which naturally ferment, and have been known to get even elephants tipsy! These trees are dioecious (male and female flowers are borne on separate trees) so they must grow in close proximity in order to produce fruit: hence their second name, “Marriage trees.”

As the sun went down, candles were lit, and we enjoyed a delicious meal including braaied (the South African word for “barbecued”) sausage, chicken, and pap grits under the bright stars of the savannah (a traditional Boma Dinner). We were assured that our numbers were sufficient to keep away any predators that might like to have us for dinner, and sure enough, not a single animal came into sight.

Our nighttime ride back to the lodge was exciting, as we used an old trick to spot the hidden animals. Just like the caymans of the Amazon, we found if we shined our flashlights outward at eye level, we could easily illuminate the many photo-reflective eyes looking back at us: large herds of zebras, giraffes, birds, and rodents, all hiding in the bush along the side of the road!

Kruger National Park - part 3

Our Lessons

“Animals are NOT ‘aggressive’ towards humans; they are ‘DEFENSIVE’”! Admirably, every park ranger we encountered in South Africa reminded us of this fact. In other words: stay out of their way, and animals generally will not go out on a limb to hunt you. As a classic example: the hippopotamus is known to be responsible for a large number of so-called “spontaneous attacks" and deaths of local villagers. However, a comfortably resting hippo in the water would have to be seriously taunted before they come out to chase a human. The issue arises when a hippo has left the safety of his home in the water to forage for food, and he encounters a human on his way back to the water. If a villager happens to be fetching water from the lake, the returning hippo may see this as a direct threat and is much more likely to attack. By the way: although hippos may look like waterlogged balls of gas, they will outrun any human! In fact, hippos can sprint as fast as 30 km/hr on land!

“Like most men and the U.S. Congress, Hippos spread their shit around.”~Tolly

In the savannah, we learned that a viral Youtube video of a “Hippo farting” is kind of real! Indeed, we observed multiple hippos spinning their tails and spraying their loose stools wherever they needed to go. However, hippos actually do not make noise when they fart; this was a fake sound effect added to the viral video. Truly, then, hippo farts are the definition of silent-but-deadly!

Kruger National Park - part 4

Our Lessons

“If you're hungry for a hunk of fat and juicy meat, eat my hubby Eric here 'cause he is a treat!” ~Me, to some friendly lions

Due to a pandemic-induced deficit of safari guides, Eric had a rare opportunity to serve as our tracker. During a safari game drive, a "tracker" sits on a completely exposed chair, which has been welded to the front bumper of the vehicle. In addition to enjoying an unobstructed front-row view of the path (or bushes, tree branches, or spiderwebs ahead), the tracker's job is to keep an eye out for animal footprints. The tracker is often the first person to have an animal sighting. This indeed happened to Eric, while he was carefully directing Tolly through the bush, to follow some fresh tracks. As the large footprints approached a clearing ahead, Eric looked up to find a family of 13 lions staring back at us! It was a magnificent yet hair-raising moment for me, fearful that my husband could become an afternoon snack. Thankfully, this did not happen. Tolly again demonstrated the point that animals are not aggressive, but defensive—by stepping out of the truck, and immediately the lions moved away. Further, he stated that animals typically regard safari trucks (and any passengers on or in them) as part of "one big passive animal," and therefore would not attack unless provoked.

Kruger National Park - part 5

Our Lessons

Hyenas get a bad rap. Long before the Lion King depicted them as Scar's cruel, dim-witted henchmen, some indigenous Africans associated hyenas with witchcraft or the devil, due to their shrill laugh and an unfounded rumor that they dig up buried corpses. Seeing a family of hyenas for ourselves, including the most precious, fuzzy babies, helped to change that stereotype for us. It turns out that hyenas, Africa's most successful hunters, are intelligent and loving amongst their own kind. In fact, they are known to form intricate social bonds that rival those of primates. As NatGeo notes, "Female hyenas are stellar mothers, investing more time in their cubs than most carnivores. Not only do they nurse cubs for two full years, but moms also wrestle and play with their offspring for hours at a time—another sophisticated, primate-like behavior." Furthermore, these apex predators are critical to controlling prey populations and preventing the spread of disease, particularly by eating every last bit of an animal (their powerful bites can break bone!)

Kruger National Park - part 6

Our Lessons

Off-roading through the fury of the storm: the Kruger region experiences its annual wet season during February. This is disadvantageous in that the rains promote the growth of taller, greener grass, making it a challenge to spot animals. However, when the clouds suddenly darkened during a game drive, escaping a deluge became a thrilling adventure of its own as the water began to pour! In a completely open 4x4 “bakkie” truck with no windows or windshield, Tolly decided his baseball cap and glasses provided him sufficient coverage to push onward. He clearly enjoyed the opportunity to drive at speed up and down the mud-stricken hills, in his noble quest to get us all "back to safety." No animals or humans were harmed in the process!

African buffalo never forgive and never forget! These grazers may not appear so different from the gentle water buffalo that children in my hometown used to ride and play with in Vietnam. However, the fact that their skulls have evolved to form irregular, battle-scarred 'helmets' should clue you in: the African buffalo is, in fact, considered the most dangerous of the Big Five! Buffalo, we learned, have killed more hunters in Africa than any other animal. Wait, but aren't they herbivores? we asked. Yes, but when wounded, buffalo become angry, and like a dog-less John Wick, they are notorious for seeking revenge on their attacker. Instead of fleeing, wounded buffalo will circle around, stalk their enemy, and counterattack. Buffalo are even known to remember life-threatening encounters the following day, continuing their own “hunt” for the hunter. Not to worry, we were assured: One can avoid becoming the next victim of this vegetarian-turned-Predator by not shooting him and respecting his space!

Kruger National Park - part 7

Our Lessons

Kruger National Park - part 8

Our Lessons

Dazzle (noun): brightness that confuses someone's vision temporarily. Also: the word used to describe a herd of zebras!

Not to our surprise, a zebra’s undeniably dazzling pattern of stripes is unique to each individual. There are many interesting hypotheses as to why zebras have stripes at all. Do the stripes confuse insects, making it harder for them to land on the zebras? Do the stripes cause predators-in-pursuit to “miss” while pouncing, or to bite accidentally towards the “wrong end,” buying time for the zebra to escape? Unfortunately, a quick internet search indicates none of these theories have yet been proven. In our experience, it is certainly at least a bit disorienting to try to focus on a moving dazzle of zebras!

A doctor’s random musing: As American medical professionals, we often use the term “zebra” as an analogy for a rare medical diagnosis. Example: “For her cough, we should try controlling her asthma before scanning her for cancer… When you hear hoofprints, first think of horses, not zebras!” However, in Africa, zebras seem to be more common than horses. Does that mean here, the medical students are taught the reverse phrase: “When you hear hoofprints, first think of zebras, not horses”?

Kruger National Park - part 9

Our Lessons

The Rhinoceros’ tragic disappearance: Roaming the endless savannas of Kruger National Park in an open 4x4 was an incredible experience, with one heartbreaking exception: no rhinos! We spent three days keeping our eyes peeled for these gentle giants. Yet, despite the serenity of empty roads during a pandemic-induced tourist deficit, rhinos were conspicuously absent. The reason: poachers have been killing them off, in order to remove and sell their horns.

How could anyone be so cruel as to kill Earth’s “last living dinosaurs,” we asked? Sadly, it’s complicated: COVID-19 has dramatically worsened living conditions for the almost 2 million locals who live outside the Kruger reserve. We learned that many starving families are descendants of those who were kicked off their lands over a century ago when the white-controlled government declared it a “protected area.” In this context, what if a Rolex-sporting member of an international poaching syndicate were to cruise into an impoverished town, and remind locals that bringing him “just one rhino horn” would pay enough to feed their entire family for a year? Meanwhile, the park service is likewise struggling to make ends meet, having earned minimal tourist revenue over the last two years. What if a syndicate representative was also to entice an underpaid, overworked park ranger with the promise of a life-changing amount of cash, in return for a simple “tip-off”? “Just tell us where you saw a rhino on your patrol and we’ll pay you!” Maybe the fatigued ranger is taking into consideration that tourism jobs are dwindling (in February 2022, we were told that our own tour organization was forced to lay off 5 out of every 6 of its employees in the last two years; now, only 8 employees remained, down from 58!). Furthermore, the likelihood of getting “caught” may be minimal: Kruger’s park rangers have to cover 7,500 square miles—the current size of Israel! All factors considered, it is a bit easier for us to understand how Kruger’s estimated rhino population dropped from 3,600 to 2,800 in 2020 alone.

There are two main reasons why rhino poaching is a longstanding, engrained tradition: First because the wealthy like to keep these rare animals as “trophies.” Second and more pervasively, holistic companies have learned to capitalize on false rumors of the ‘health benefits’ of rhinos’ keratin-rich horns. We learned that ground-up rhino horn has been highly valued in far-Eastern medicine for thousands of years. When it is mixed into powder to drink, it is claimed to help with a variety of medical ailments. Current medical research reveals no such benefit—not surprising since we know that rhino horns are merely composed of the same material as human fingernails! However, changing people’s generationally-entrenched beliefs is an arduous task, which can only be effective when done carefully and compassionately.

In the meantime, more funding is desperately needed for the out-manned, out-gunned National Park Service. Proper assistance and engagement must take place with the underserved populations on the fringes of these parks. Perhaps outside-the-box ideas should be considered: for instance, there has been a recent discussion of legalizing rhino horn sales by the national park! National parks have already begun safely removing rhino horns under anesthesia, in an effort to make killing these rhinos undesirable to poachers. What if the profits could be heavily taxed, or go directly to the park service? A thought to chew on... and in the meantime, chew your own fingernails instead of rhino horn (it’s free and equally ‘beneficial’ to your health!)

Kruger National Park - part 10

Our Lessons

On a happy note: Kruger’s elephant population has benefited greatly from South Africa’s anti-poaching and repopulation efforts. Here, this endangered species is once again growing in numbers, and we read that elephants from Kruger are now being shipped to repopulate other parts of the country. In fact, too many elephants in one place can be a bad thing. For instance, many species of birds nest in the savannah's trees, and they don’t lay eggs very often. Hungry elephants, meanwhile, have a habit of literally pushing over and uprooting trees, in order to eat the leaves. Thus, having an excess of elephants will result in the destruction of homes for many birds. Creating balance in nature is always complicated when we humans have gotten in the way!

Kruger National Park-part 11

Our Lessons

An “elephant graveyard” is no place for a young prince… and in reality, there is no such place. Nevertheless, we enjoyed learning about the very humanlike elephant behaviors that perpetuated this fun bit of lore, which goes back way farther than the Lion King! The false “elephant graveyard” legend states that older elephants, on the verge of death, will instinctively direct themselves to lie down far from the group: in the same place where their ancestors died. There is no evidence for this; however, elephants have been one of the few species of mammals known to have recognizable ‘rituals’ around death. For instance, elephants are known to show great interest in the bones of their own kind, gently investigating the bones with their trunks and feet while remaining very quiet. In fact, Anthony Hall-Martin, a South African biologist who had studied elephants, once documented his observation of elephants having a ‘funeral’: “The entire family of a dead matriarch, including her young calf, were all gently touching her body with their trunks, trying to lift her. The elephant herd was all rumbling loudly. The calf was observed to be weeping and made sounds that sounded like a scream, but then the entire herd fell silent. They then began to throw leaves and dirt over the body and broke off tree branches to cover her. They spent the next two days quietly standing over her body.”

Kruger National Park-part 12

Our Lessons

Elephant dung: waste not? We’ve heard of people using cow dung as mortar to build houses… but what about people eating elephant poop to stay healthy? While on a bush walk in Kruger, we came across large piles of elephant poo and I quickly joked, “Who is ready for lunch?” Our guide frankly said, “Go ahead and try it; it is good for you!” Say what? Though we declined, we were shocked to learn that some of our fellow travelers had tried some (“It’s not bad!” they told us). As it turns out, traditional healers in some parts of Africa believe that, given the large variety of plants that an elephant consumes every day, their dung can be considered a 'one-stop-shop' for herbal remedies. Healers are known to burn dry dung, or even give it fresh for consumption, which is said to work as a painkiller. The argument that one guide proposed: “If it is good enough for this giant elephant, it’s good enough for me.” Obviously, this raises concerns for medical practitioners like us: dose variability, toxicity levels, unclear ingredients, dysentery… the list goes on! Allopathic doctors recognize that knowing all of a remedy’s ingredients, and their quantities, is a much safer approach to keeping the human body well!

Of note, a less adventurous 'poo product' that we have tried was Luwak Coffee in Indonesia, which comes from defecated coffee beans that had been ingested by a raccoon-like mammal! Like Luwak coffee, we found out that ‘elephant dung coffee’ (a.k.a. Black Ivory Coffee) is cleaned and processed before brewing, and it is said to have a sweet, fruity, chocolatey, and cherry taste. There is even Unko—‘elephant poo beer,’ which is very popular in Japan! At least these varieties involve cooking/sterilization. Would you try it?

Johannesburg - part 1

Our Lessons

We departed the savannah to spend a few days in "the richest city in South Africa": Johannesburg. For a reasonable U.S. price, we were able to relax in a newly renovated condo-hotel, with room service and floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the city skyline from the wealthier Rosebank neighborhood. Unfortunately, our privileged experience here is the complete opposite of the reality that many residents of Jo’burg are forced to endure—a reality that we were able to observe firsthand.

Curious about Jo’burg’s current housing crisis, we visited the city's troubled neighborhood of Hillbrow: the most densely populated residential area in South Africa. It is a place where the country’s history of racism has created a nightmarish situation. Surprisingly, we were told that in the 1970s, Hillbrow was an affluent area, which had some of the nicest accommodations in the city... including the infamous Ponte City Apartments. Ponte City is an enormous cylindrical tower: a brutalist monolith that was meant to serve as a model for a ‘cosmopolitan society’ of the future. Unfortunately, its success was its downfall in the face of a government built around segregation, explained our current Ponte City resident tour guides. Because it quickly became a progressive “melting pot” for interracial couples, South Africa's apartheid government decided to “make an example” of Hillbrow and Ponte City, to punish its community for breaking the rules of segregation. To do this, the government designated the neighborhood a "Grey Area”: a zone of illegal racial residential integration. This designation apparently minimized governance, safety enforcement, and basic utilities. Homes began to lose access to electricity and water, and anyone wealthy enough to move out of the area did so.

Lacking jobs, opportunities, or government assistance, those who remained often turned to crime. Buildings forsaken by their landlords became occupied by “hijackers”—slum lords who cut the chains, and allowed people to live in the abandoned buildings... for a charge, despite the fact that they did not actually own the building. Gangs and drug dealers moved into neighborhoods in great numbers, and have stayed for decades. Even today, some buildings are still controlled by hijackers, because the police are said to fear certain death if they attempt to enter… or even interfere with crimes that are occurring on the streets in front of the buildings!

As we walked around, our tour guides pointed out hijacked buildings to us, which appeared more like concrete skeletons. Windows and sometimes entire front walls are missing, often covered only by cardboard or loose bedsheets. Children could be seen playing inside, while adults were cooking on open fires. Occasionally, we could see through the entire living quarters, which seemed to lack all normal household furniture. Out of respect and safety, our tour guides instructed us not to take photos of these areas.

Johannesburg - part 2

Our Lessons

The infamous concrete Ponte City building had once been Johannesburg’s most notorious hijacked structure—an iconic symbol of a “vertical slum” in a dystopian society. By the early 2000s, over 10,000 squatters occupied Ponte City, despite the building having no running water or electricity (no elevators to the 54th floor!). During our visit, we were able to stand at the base of the currently trash-free central core of the building. However, we have painted a surreal, dramatically different image of where our feet would have been standing just a decade ago. At that time, squatters had been discarding garbage and dead bodies down the building’s center, until it piled up to the 14th floor! This disturbing reality has been made famous in cinema worldwide, being featured in movies such as District 9, Dredd, Chappie, and Resident Evil.

Johannesburg - part 3

Our Lessons

Ponte City was repurchased before the 2010 World Cup. It took two years to evict all of its squatters, but today it is restored and home to people of various societal classes. The surrounding communities are likewise being gradually improved, we are told. Housing organizations like Ithemba have received grants from big corporations to help “clean up” the area. Ithemba fixes up formerly-hijacked buildings and pays locals to keep the streets clean. However, their methods of initially clearing hijacked buildings of squatters are controversial. Tactics include using the services of Red Ants: a brutal private security group that equips low-income workers with weapons, shields, and red suits. The firm trucks its workers by the hundreds to forcefully remove illegal tenants and their belongings—literally throwing people’s stuff out of windows and carrying small children out by their arms!

Apparently, unleashing this small-scale 'army' to clear crime-plagued buildings is felt to be a necessary evil by rent-paying locals of the community, who reportedly like the work that Ithemba is doing for them. However, we question what happens next for the former squatters, who are mostly undocumented immigrants. Our tour guide speculates that these people are being displaced to the townships on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Sadly, we are told there has been a major spike in xenophobia, and beatings of immigrants in these township communities as a result of this influx. We would have to research this further, but we wonder if Ithemba’s positive work for the Hillbrow community is just shifting the problem to another location. We are curious about what South Africa’s government is doing to support these people, to bring them out of this perpetual cycle of poverty.

Victoria Falls - part 1

Our Lessons

Leaving the concrete jungle of Johannesburg behind us, we made our way toward the lush rainforest of Victoria Falls. We touched down in Zimbabwe and made an uneventful pass through customs. Outside of the tiny airport, we were welcomed by the energy of enthusiastic locals, who were singing and dancing for tips. Monkeys played on the relatively inactive road in front of our taxi as we left the pickup area.

After a 30-minute ride, we began to get settled into our hotel room when the manager knocked on our door. He informed us that "immigration" was downstairs, asking to see us. To our surprise, there were indeed three uniformed officers standing at the front desk, eyes on us as we approached. I recognized one of the officers from the customs security checkpoint. In a serious tone, he advised us that they had come to collect the additional $20 USD bill that we “must have forgotten” to give when he was giving us our visas. Having already been granted visas into the country, I was confused by this statement and startled that they were demanding the money now, in cash, rather than having us return to the immigration office. Suspecting a scam, Eric unflinchingly stood his ground, advising that we had, in fact, paid the full $100 (which all three of us had counted, including the officer). Eric immediately took out the payment receipt, then pulled out his phone and asked to take photos of the officers' identifications. At this point, the primary officer awkwardly stepped back and turned around to notice that his two colleagues had left the room. He promptly stated that there must have been a "misunderstanding" and that he would pay the missing amount with his own money, and swiftly left the hotel.

Shrugging off this uncomfortable encounter and bewildered that three officers would take an hour out of their day to rip off just $20 from a tourist, we cautiously stepped outside to explore the town. It was not long before we were met with another unusual request: As we walked along the road, a series of men approached us, each with an air of desperation in his eyes as he tried to sell us handmade trinkets. After we declined, one man said to us, "My name is Joseph, please remember me. If you happen to go out to eat and have any bits of food left, could you please bring it back for me to eat?"

Indeed, conversations with other locals confirmed that money, and affordable food, are incredibly scarce here. This was the case all over Zimbabwe post-COVID, but perhaps even worse in tourist-dependent areas like Victoria Falls, as very few alternative jobs existed. Since the start of the pandemic, people here have earned almost no money, to the point that some were literally starving. The weather conditions, we are told, are not hospitable for large-scale farming in this part of Zimbabwe... however, the entire country has suffered from food shortages since the year 2000...

Victoria Falls - part 2

Our Lessons

Homeless ‘billionaires’: It has now been two decades since the tragic collapse of Zimbabwe’s economy. Formerly a rich country known as the "breadbasket" of East Africa, Zimbabwe's economy failed after a series of poor economic decisions made by notorious ex-president Robert Mugabe. Mr. Mugabe came to power in 1980, after the country won its independence from Great Britain. His initial agenda seemed promising: he improved access to education, provided universal healthcare, and promoted reconciliation and partnership with Great Britain. Britain, however, proceeded to pass crippling sanctions on Mugabe’s regime, as punishment after he voiced support for South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement. Without proper funding for his initiatives, over time Mr. Mugabe became calloused, and his mindset shifted towards aggressive condemnation not only of Great Britain but of all white people.

Victoria Falls - part 3

Our Lessons

Mr. Mugabe's view of himself as a “liberator,” from tyrannical "white" rule and persisting systemic racism, continued to amplify after two decades of setbacks. At this point, he decided dramatic action was needed, and he enacted a series of policies that would later be judged as short-sighted and emotional: In 2000, he encouraged the violent takeover of white-owned farms (which had formed the backbone of the country’s food production). Most of the seized land was given to his friends and political associates, who unfortunately lacked the motivation and experience to continue modern agricultural practices. Zimbabwe’s farms suddenly faltered—and sent shockwaves rippling through the economy. In an attempt to fight the deficit, Mugabe's government printed an excess of money, leading to a downward economic spiral. In 2008, inflation hit the rate of 231,000,000%—in fact, today we can buy old 100 Trillion Zimbabwean Dollar bills that locals collect and sell as souvenirs (at the peak of the crisis, this bill would only pay for a loaf of bread!).

Sadly, Zimbabwe’s economy never recovered. In 2017 a military coup forced Mr. Mugabe out of office and replaced him with the current president, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Still, corruption is widespread. Desperate searches for sustainable living have led many Zimbabweans to depart for South Africa. Unfortunately, most undocumented immigrants end up in slums and low-income townships, such as Johannesburg’s Hillbrow. We pray Zimbabwe's kindhearted people, who have suffered so much, will be given the opportunities they deserve to survive, and thrive, in their own country.

Victoria Falls - part 4

Our Lessons

Ranking a waterfall is "complicated." The massive Victoria Falls is 344 feet high, and it spans 6,400 feet in width. It holds the title of the longest "continuous sheet" of water in the world! The mist emanating from this immense waterfall can be seen from 30 miles away, which led local ethnic groups to name it "Mosi-oa-Tunya," which translates to The Smoke that Thunders. These humid sprays have effectively created a rainforest filled with dense vegetation and plant life that is otherwise rare in the surrounding area.

Statistically, Vic Falls is definitely not the tallest waterfall—in fact, almost ten times taller is Angel Falls in Venezuela, which cascades 3,212 feet down a massive plateau (and it was featured in the movie Up). Beyond this, for world-record purposes, "largest" can have many meanings! According to some sources, the largest waterfall "system" is Iguazú Falls in South America, which consists of 250 separate cascades that span over 1.8 miles. Meanwhile, the largest waterfall by annual flow rate is said to be Inga Falls in the Congo. However, Iguazú Falls once had a temporary storm surge with a flow rate of 45,000 cubic meters per second, almost double the average of Inga Falls. In comparison, North America's frequently visited Niagara Falls is less than half the height and one-sixth the width of Vic Falls, but it has an aggressive roaring power with almost twice the average flow rate of Vic Falls (2,400 cubic meters per second). One thing is certain: Vic Falls is the only waterfall currently listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and both Zambia and Zimbabwe get to share this honor.

At 365 feet high, many locals told us that bungee jumping off the Victoria Falls bridge was the most beautiful adrenaline rush of their lives. Likewise, for us, it did not disappoint! The Vic Falls bridge is one of only three crossings from Zimbabwe to Zambia (it’s the only one for over 200 miles, leading to a huge queue of cars and heavy cargo trucks lining up to cross, one at a time!). Logistically, the bridge is sort of a ‘no-man's-land’ between the two countries. It is interesting having to show our passports to momentarily leave a country... and then pray those passports remained safely in our pockets after bungee jumping, in order to get back in!

Aside from Eric's questionable decision to duct tape his cell phone to his hand for video-recording purposes, Bungee jumping in modern times is a relatively safe sport. It was not so in the past, however, and it was inspired by serious risk-takers. The first modern bungee jump was made just a few decades ago in 1979, from a 250-foot bridge in Bristol, England, by members of the Oxford University "Dangerous Sports Club." These well-rounded scholars were motivated after studying the "land divers" of Pentecost Island in Australia: For centuries, these men have built wooden towers 100 feet high, and jumped from them using nothing more than fresh-growing vines, tied around their ankles!

Victoria Falls - part 5

Our Lessons

Victoria Falls - part 6

Our Lessons

Did you know that the mighty Zambezi River, starting at the base of Vic Falls, has earned the title of "The Wildest one-day whitewater run in the World”? Neither did we… until we were rafting in it ourselves!

Somehow, the local tour agent failed to mention this detail, as he eagerly signed us up during the COVID-19 tourist slump. Without readily accessible internet, we jumped into this unknown adventure. These photos provide a tiny glimpse of our amateur face-off against the Class 4 and 5 rapids of the Zambezi, a river where crocodiles can be spotted casually watching us from the shallows. Epic mayhem ensued, repeatedly; luckily, injury-free for the entire team. One unwitting rafter got so sick that she started pleading to get off, but unfortunately, the only way out was forward, through another 10 km of rapids. As our water-soaked raft and battered bodies finally docked at the base of a canyon at the end of this gauntlet, we discovered one final 'surprise,' which was not mentioned in the brochure: To return to the road, we had to hike 230 meters back up with our gear, often skirting along narrow cliff edges. Exhausted, we pushed ourselves and made it to the top, while waiting another hour for the remainder of our group to follow suit. Clearly, this was an intense experience that was not made for everyone; but for us, it was an amazingly memorable journey!

Unfortunately, these rapids' world-renowned wave trains and dizzying whirlpools may soon be gone forever. On our ride back to the park office, our rafting guide spoke lamentably about the new Batoka Gorge Dam: a hydropower project that is set to begin construction approximately 50 km downstream of Vic Falls. Although this dam has the potential to provide much-needed energy for both Zimbabwe and Zambia, the resulting water buildup will drown the entire canyon and eliminate the rapids. As of 2023, project planning is underway but funding negotiations are still pending.

Victoria Falls-Zambia side

Our Lessons

On this day, we were reminded that safety ropes are sometimes just a "formality." Walking our luggage across the Vic Falls bridge and passing through Zambia customs, we were in for one final adventure before boarding our next flight. It is to Zambia's side that thrill-seekers must venture, to reach the infamous “Devil’s Pool.” This area of deep water right along the edge of the waterfall has an unusually gentle current, which allows tourists to sit comfortably and peer over the top of the thundering falls. Unfortunately, the Devil's Pool is only accessible when the water level is low. During the present rainy season, the pounding water flow made the Devil’s Pool too dangerous for us to enter. Instead, tour companies advertised to us “Angel’s Pool”... which is in a different section of the mile-long waterfall; less popular because it sits a few meters away from the edge. For this once-in-a-lifetime experience, we decided this was close enough.

However, there was another “silver lining” of post-pandemic travel, which we have experienced again and again: Since tourists were scarce, guides were eager to give us the best possible experience. Instead of the typical 16 tourists at a time, Eric and I found ourselves on a completely ‘private’ experience, with one guide per person. These gentlemen took it upon themselves to carefully guide us down into Angel’s Pool… then forward PAST the pool, in FRONT of the safety ropes, until we were literally being held by our ankles, Superman-style, peering over the edge of the waterfall! This unexpected turn of events happened so fast that I did not feel afraid until I watched the video afterward (and realized this was likely the craziest thing we have ever done). Although the current wasn’t that strong, had Eric and our guide simultaneously let go of me, I would have easily glided off the edge and into the abyss. I guess sometimes you just have to have a little faith in those around you… No different than a simple “trust fall” exercise, right? Right??

Luckily, the only ‘flying’ either of us did on this day was in an airplane. That evening we were off to Zambia's capital, Lusaka. Of note, despite being a mere 20 miles apart, an international flight from Zimbabwe's side of Vic Falls costs hundreds of dollars more than a domestic flight from Zambia's side. In this way, this short walk across a bridge was one of the simplest cost-saving activities we have done.

Lusaka - part 1

Our Lessons

This capital city, full of strong and hardworking people, is unmistakably poor. Our few short days in Lusaka became one of the most insightful experiences of our time in Africa. Lusaka is not glamorous: a few older highrises and ‘classy’ restaurants do exist, but as a nation's capital, it stands out in our minds for its complete absence of any sparkling buildings, fancy shopping centers, or really any significant skyline at all. Infrastructure is lacking; polluted canals line many of the open-market streets just a few blocks from the small central business district. In fact, for lack of a better option, some vendors construct their makeshift shops on stilts directly over stagnating, foul-smelling sewage canals, in order to squeeze their way into areas with the heaviest foot traffic.

Truly, everyone here is earnestly trying to make ends meet. When cars stop at a red light on the main highway, at least twenty to thirty people make their way up the lane of cars, each trying to make eye contact with drivers, to see if they might like to buy the singular item they are selling. The desperation is apparent: for a brief moment, while looking for sunglasses on the street corner, I had to take on the role of a conflict mediator. When a second sunglass vendor crossed the street to show me his collection as I was still looking at the initial vendor's items, the initial vendor threatened to “fight” him for trying to steal his customer. I did not feel personally threatened by their aggression towards each other, so by keeping a pleasant, respectful tone, I was able to diffuse the situation and buy the pair I wanted. However, this interaction demonstrated just how badly people feel they need to "hustle" to survive.

Lusaka - part 2

Our Lessons

From our experience, for what it lacks in luxury, Lusaka makes up for in genuine people and warm hospitality. Aside from making sure we were comfortable in our fully equipped cabin-style room, our homestay workers, Susan and Justina, spent hours braiding my hair as Justina's baby kept me company on my lap. Downtown, Rickon, a Lusaka local, provided one of the most memorable city/history/cultural tours that we have had. He demonstrated remarkable insight into the course of current events and measures that can help Zambia to develop and progress—in fact, measures that can help change the narrative of many African nations—in ways that will end the cycle of poverty and corruption. He has even had aspirations to run for Mayor of Lusaka. Rickon explained that he learned a tremendous amount during his travels through Africa and parts of Europe. For us, Rickon started off as a guide and quickly became a friend.

Lusaka - part 3

Our Lessons

Walking through Lukasa’s uneven, often unpaved streets, we were met with countless smiles and welcoming faces. If you are non-black, you will definitely stand out here; but even street vendors did not follow or harass us like in other parts of the world. Certainly in the context of our guided walk, we felt safer here than in some other cities we’ve visited. Rickon attributes this in part to Zambia’s universal low-cost primary education system, which has reportedly been prioritized more than other African countries. He is adamant in his belief that proper schooling helps people to hold themselves accountable, to take control of their lives, and to help improve society.

Unfortunately, Zambia’s past government was plagued by corruption. We learned that in August 2021, its leaders tried to rig an election… but such an overwhelming majority voted for the opposing candidate, Hakainde Hichilema, that he won in spite of this. At the time of our visit, Rickon happily informed us that Mr. Hichilema and Zambia’s newly-elected government passed recent legislation that made grades 1-12 completely free as of January 2022. He hopes that this will initiate the development of a new generation—who will approach societal problems thoughtfully and creatively, and who will be less likely to elect corrupt leaders based solely on popularity or unrealistic promises. Equally important, Rickon stated that Zambia’s government needs to provide greater support to local enterprises, to stop its brightest entrepreneurs from leaving their homeland.

Lusaka - part 4

Our Lessons

Sadly, during our visit, we saw many homeless children and many young children working in the street markets with their parents. As of February 2022, we read that many village families were still unaware of the new free-education policy change—and many who were aware remained skeptical about the benefits of education; thus, they continued to push their children to do manual labor instead of going to school. Their skepticism is not unfounded: unfortunately, formal jobs are hard to come by in many parts of Africa, and until this changes, obtaining a diploma may be less important than putting food on the table. We sincerely hope that word about Zambia's free education policy will be met with more domestic and international investments, to create job opportunities for these graduates.

In addition, Rickon recognizes that one way for Zambia to sustain its economy and create jobs for its people is to manufacture goods in its own country (instead of exporting raw materials and importing finished products at a higher cost, which is the current situation). He questions whether international corporations, Western powers, and consumers of Zambia’s raw materials are disregarding Zambia’s own wellbeing, in favor of their own. He hopes that the world’s leading countries can adopt healthy trade policies that truly support developing nations, instead of surreptitiously stifling their growth. Likewise, he hopes Zambia’s people can understand that policies that help those who are struggling can be an investment that will help everybody. Rickon ponders, “If you see your brother walking down the road as you drive by him in your car, wouldn’t you pause to offer him a ride? If we can all just think of each other as one family, maybe we would be more willing to truly help each other out… and close the gaps of racial and economic inequality around the world.”

Zanzibar - part 1

Our Lessons

The Zanzibar Archipelago is part of Tanzania today, but its history is quite distinct. While Christianity is the primary religion of Tanzania, Islam, and Islamic culture have been predominant in Zanzibar. This is because over a thousand years ago, Zanzibar's location made it an ideal outpost for Persian, Indian, and Arab merchants to acquire East African goods like gold and ivory. Its Middle Eastern influence led Zanzibar to be ruled by the Sultan of Oman in more recent times; in fact, the Sultan moved his capital to Zanzibar City in 1840. Sadly, we were told Zanzibar at one time was also the center for the East African slave trade—in which slaves were sold to the Middle East and other places via the Sahara Desert and the Indian Ocean. During this period before the formal abolishment of slavery from East Africa in 1909, it was reported that between 65 and 90% of the Arab-Swahili population of Zanzibar became enslaved.

While Oman ruled Zanzibar, Tanzania was under German control in the 19th century until the British took over after World War I. Zanzibar, meanwhile, continued to be ruled separately by the Arab dynasty, until it won its independence in 1963. At that time, the two nations merged to form the "United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar"—modern-day Tanzania.

Today, Zanzibar Archipelago is sometimes referred to as the "Spice Islands," due to its heavy production of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. It is also known for its production of raffia palm, a tree with the world's largest compound leaves. Fiber from raffia leaves is commonly used to make items such as hats, baskets, and mats.

Zanzibar - part 2

Our Lessons

After an exhausting series of delayed flights and full-out sprinting to avoid missing our connection, we questioned whether the additional two-hour midnight drive to our hotel on Zanzibar's northern Nungwi Beach was really necessary. Our answer was a resounding "yes!" when we pushed open our curtains the next morning: At of that moment, Zanzibar became our #1 world pick for the most beautiful ocean views! In all of our travels, we have never seen such a picturesque scene: white sand gradually melting into mesmerizing light-turquoise water, interspersed with sand bars that reveal themselves in between gentle waves. Because the water remains shallow, it retains its beautiful light color almost as far as our eyes can see. Exploring on foot just east of Nungwi beach, we became surrounded by the vibrant ocean colors while standing atop a perfectly placed pier, which extends far out over the water.

Zanzibar - part 3

Our Lessons

For us, Zanzibar crossed familiar Caribbean-island vibes with the exotic feel of African and Islamic cultures. Beachfront restaurants playing reggae music dot the shoreline of Nungwi Beach. Men of the Maasai tribe passed by on their leisurely strolls along the shore, wrapped in colorful kanga robes and carrying traditional sticks—while also rocking modern Ray-Ban sunglasses. Intermittently, the Islamic call to prayer canceled out the blasting music from bars, creating peaceful moments throughout the day.

Zanzibar - part 4

Our Lessons

From our economically priced top-floor balcony, we enjoyed views of the expansive Nungwi Beach on the island’s pristine north coast… but the real adventure was found in the water. Walking east at low tide, we left the restaurants of the commercial zone behind, finding ourselves completely alone. We were flanked on the right by a continuous outcropping: a picturesque ‘wall’ of porous rock that had been eroded at the bottom, creating a natural awning to provide shade from the scorching sun. We waded into the ocean, which is very flat here, forming a shallow tide pool that extends far out. Here, we discovered hundreds of brittle stars (the faster-moving cousins of starfish). They waved their arms back and forth in the shallow waters in a seemingly synchronous dance! But the real showstopper was when we discovered a colony of brilliant red-knobbed sea stars, whose vivid colors perfectly contrasted with the ocean backdrop. Venturing out farther on a boat, Eric dove into the water and brought back blue, green, brown, and orange starfish for me to see! We snorkeled all along these shallow waters, avoiding spiny urchins and admiring many types of sea life, while inevitably intensifying our existing African suntans.

Zanzibar’s north coast may be pricey to reach, but with U.S. currency, it was quite affordable once we arrived. For just $28, we had a tasty fresh-cooked meal of octopus and barracuda, with cocktails and dessert, served on white tablecloths at a candle-lit dining table right on the beach. Diners were entertained by local acrobatic dancers, who came by with their own boombox (as well as a donation box). They successfully created a three-level human pyramid, with the top man doing a handstand, before performing a graceful backflip down onto the sand!

Arusha - part 1

Our Lessons

“Jambo!” shouted Eric ("hello" in Swahili), from the top of an enormous baobab tree. No trip to Africa would be complete without climbing one of these thousand-year-old trees, he insisted, which are known for their single, massive trunks that can grow up to 10 m (33 feet) in diameter.

This and other unforgettable adventures awaited us as we boarded a tiny propeller plane headed from Zanzibar to mainland Tanzania. Watching the majestic silhouette of Mt. Kilimajaro pass by our airplane window, we landed in the tiny town of Arusha: the starting point of our whirlwind tour of the Serengeti. Here our driver, Ali, was waiting for us, and in a private yellow Land Cruiser, we promptly set off, wide open throttle. Custom-planning our 6-country tour around Africa without a travel agency was challenging; but the cost savings and schedule flexibility allowed us to bargain for this unanticipated add-on trip to mainland Tanzania, just a week before it started. This was all thanks to Yuri, one of our guides from Kruger National Park, who connected us with his associates here.

Arusha - part 2

Our Lessons

Ebony wood, one of the most expensive woods on earth, is valued at around $23,000 USD per cubic meter! On our way to the Serengeti, we made a quick stop at the African Galleria, an ebony workshop, which had some of the most intricate wood carvings on display. While talking to the artists, we learned that ebony trees are incredibly slow-growing, and they are native to only a few countries in Africa and Asia. This naturally black/brown-colored wood is unique in that it is one of the hardest woods—dense enough to sink in water, and when polished, it develops a mirror-like, glossy finish, making it one of the most valuable ornamental woods. Its value has been recognized for millennia, and it has even been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Given its density, ebony is extremely difficult to carve into, and we struggled unsuccessfully to hammer even a single nail through a piece that had been set aside for demonstration. The time and expert attention to detail that the artists put into these masterpieces is truly admirable. Perhaps one day we can afford a small piece, but not today!

Ngorongoro Crater - part 1

Our Lessons

A wildlife paradise on Earth, the Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unflooded and unbroken crater in the world. Geographically, it is considered a caldera like the Greek island of Santorini, as it was formed when a large volcano exploded and collapsed 3 million years ago. The view of its emerald-green floor while standing atop its outer rim is breathtaking: a continuous mountain ridge envelops the 100 square miles flat plain that makes up the center of the crater. From our 2,000-foot-high vantage point on the ridge, we saw thousands of tiny dots below: countless herds of animals, densely scattered across this incredible landscape.

We learned the hard way that the descent down to the base of the crater can be tricky. Met by a sudden deluge that immediately soaked the mud of the crater's twisty cliffside road, our Land Cruiser struggled to avoid sliding. Traffic ascending in the opposite direction continuously forced our driver to squeeze along the edge of the uneven road—eventually leading us to get stuck in a ditch! After an uncertain half-hour of being unable to get out and causing a major traffic jam, a convoy of fellow 4x4 drivers finally managed to pull us back on track using shovels and tow ropes. We thanked our lucky stars that the muddy truck was undamaged, allowing us to continue our journey. Little did we know, within the next 24 hours, luck was about to bring us our fastest back-to-back encounters with all of the Big Five animals!

Ngorongoro Crater - part 2

Our Lessons

A series of switchback roads led us slowly but surely down toward the base of the Ngorongoro Crater. Within minutes, we were greeted by a majestic but elusive animal: a leopard crossing the road! He paused, staring back at us with wide eyes, before darting into the thick forest once more. This was quite special, as we had already unsuccessfully spent multiple days in South Africa looking for this timid hunter in the wild. Spotting a leopard in the open is particularly unusual—even after making a kill, they are known to drag large animal carcasses up the trees with them, in order to stay hidden while enjoying their meal.

Finally reaching flat terrain, the thick tree cover opened up, and we were driving through the center of the crater—a massively vast plain with amazing visibility of the land, low grass, and sparse trees. This was a huge contrast compared to our time in the denser grounds of Kruger National Park, making this second safari immediately worth it for us. Binoculars were less useful in Kruger, due to the brush; however, here we were able to use them to scan the horizon for animals that were literally miles away. We freely browsed the plain, peeking our heads out of the open roof of our moving Land Cruiser, basically encountering the entire cast of The Lion King. Rhinoceroses were a rare sighting in South Africa; but here, we could see them as well, grazing amongst the African buffalo and elephants. It was truly a spectacular experience to be in the presence of these tremendously powerful vegetarians.

Ngorongoro Crater - part 3

Our Lessons

That evening, we pitched a tent and rested our heads in an open field, in the savannah just outside the Ngorongoro crater. Memories of the animals we saw ran through our heads... while actual animals ran right next to our heads, outside the tent! We were instructed to be careful of animals throughout the night; however, we did not anticipate that nighttime visitors would be having their dinner so close by. Eric awoke several times to the sounds of hoofprints and loud chewing. Apparently, he could not resist waking me from my beauty rest, whispering enthusiastically, "Don't move, they're eating next to you!" My heart jumped as I suddenly realized that nothing but a thin tarp was separating my head from the head of something very big, which was chomping on the grass inches away from the tent! When the noises finally died down, shining a flashlight into the field illuminated the eyes of dozens of zebras and giraffes—the probable culprits. How glad I was that they were vegetarians; and frankly, their presence was probably reassuring that there were no nearby carnivores at that moment. Eric's life, however, remained at risk as he stuttered in the face of my death stare, "...but it was too cool to miss! I had to wake you up for it!"

Serengeti National Park - part 1

Our Lessons

Departing the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, we crossed into the famed Serengeti National Park, to encounter what every safari goer present during this time of year has come to see: Wildebeest, everywhere, extending beyond the horizon in all directions! They are part of the "Great Migration": when an estimated 1.7 million wildebeest, followed by hundreds of thousands of zebras and other migratory animals, make their annual journey here. These massive herds come annually, all the way north from Kenya's Maasai Mara, to Tanzania's Ndutu region of the southern Serengeti. As we drove through the endless open plains of the Serengeti, wildebeest dotted every piece of open grass. Known to be timid creatures, they moved as a communal mass away from our approaching truck and returned to their original spots once we passed—creating a consistent circular pattern of separation from the truck, as if we were a drop of oil moving through an ocean. By the time we had arrived in Ndutu in mid-February, these wildebeest had already settled down and completed their mission: to breed. On average, they give birth to 500,000 calves per year! We saw many of these cute, lighter-colored babies playfully running around their parents. Given the sheer number, their cow-like grunting sounds were constantly heard everywhere we went.

Occasionally, we spotted dazzles of zebras intermixed within the herds of wildebeests. We learned that Zebras are smarter and have better eyesight, so they use the weaker and poor-visioned wildebeests as a first line of defense: easier ‘targets’ for predators to chase after, thus buying the zebras time to avoid being eaten themselves!

Serengeti National Park - part 2

Our Lessons

To our surprise, we have now seen with our own eyes that some lions can climb trees! This is actually quite a rare sight, we have been told; in fact, only lions in parts of Tanzania and western Uganda are known to display this behavior. This may be an adaptation to avoid the nuisance of constant insect bites from the ground below, as well as a way of reaching a slightly cooler place to relax on hot days. We saw one lioness lying way up on the high branches of an acacia tree. She seemed comfortable, hanging her legs and tail on alternating sides of the branch to maintain the center of gravity of her heavy, muscular body. We felt like we could just sit and observe these magnificent lions for hours, as they were clearly very content, cuddly, and playful with each other—with full bellies from the over-abundance of wildebeest that surrounded them. Like most cats, they clearly did not enjoy having to cross through a large puddle of rainwater; and each lion had a different (ultimately unsuccessful) strategy of jumping, or tip-toeing, through the water.

Serengeti National Park - part 3

Our Lessons

Upon returning to a hotel with Wi-Fi, we felt an urge to learn more about the “Lion King.” Here are some facts that we learned:

The live-action movie from 2019 takes place on Kenya's side of the Serengeti (known as the Maasai Mara). Surprisingly, the opening song of The Lion King, “Circle of Life,” is actually sung in Zulu, a language of South Africa. The recognizable line, "Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba, Sithi uhm ingonyama," sung beautifully by the voice of Elton John, is actually quite underwhelming when translated to English: "Here comes a lion, father. Oh yes, it’s a lion…" The 1994 producers said that the addition of the Zulu language was to represent “pan-African” inclusivity (however, the local Africans we met were adamant that grouping Tanzania and South Africa as one is like grouping the United States and Mexico… Yes, we are more similar than we will ever be different, but it disregards the unique cultures, languages, and traditions that make each place beautiful and unique!).

The names of the Lion King characters are common words in Swahili, the official language of Tanzania and Kenya, and generally East Africa. Examples include Simba ("Lion"), Mufasa (“King”), Nala (“Gift”), Sarabi (“Mirage”), Rafiki (“Friend”), Zazu (“Movement”), Timon (“He who respects; Honor”), Pumba (“Dim-witted; Silly”), Shenzi (“Savage”), Banzai (“Sulk”)... and, Ed just means, Ed

Maasai Village, Ngorongoro Conservation Area - part 1

Our Lessons

Driving through the countryside on the way to the Serengeti, we frequently saw men draped in colorful fabrics, carrying wooden sticks as they walked through open pastures. We quickly learned that these people are Maasai, a nomadic ethnic group that has lived for centuries on the lands that now make up Kenya and northern Tanzania.

Intrigued about their history, we later visited a traditional Maasai community. Upon being driven to a primitive roadside village surrounded by a wall of protective thorn bushes, we were greeted enthusiastically by the entire community of, perhaps, 40 people: with songs, dances, and an array of handmade trinkets for sale. Honestly, the display seemed purely "touristy" and unauthentic in our opinion. However, once we sat down and started talking and learning about the Maasai, it was clear there is more than meets the eye to these people and their culture.

Traditionally, the Maasai are pastoral cattle farmers, who live in a sustainable relationship with the ecosystem. They were known by early colonial powers to stand against slavery—in fact, their warriors protected other tribes from slave traffickers. As colonialism expanded, however, European and South African settlers began to permanently settle on the lands with the richest pastures, most fertile soils, and plentiful water sources. This created conflict because these were the same lands that were intermittently occupied by the Maasai, who moved their entire villages based on the seasons. The situation worsened in 1904, when the spear-carrying Maasai were forced at gunpoint to move exclusively into two 'reserves,' in order to make way for larger volumes of white settlers. This effectively robbed them of all the best parts of their land, which was then renamed, "British East Africa".

Maasai Village, Ngorongoro Conservation Area - part 2

Our Lessons

Being boxed into a limited, substandard space made living off the land difficult to sustain. As one Maasai author, Ntimama, wrote in 1994, "Outsiders have put up permanent fences so that now we cannot move our livestock as in the past. We are being pushed into a culture of dependency... We are being turned into beggars in our own territory, and we wonder whether we will survive the combined forces threatening us." In 2022, we observed this vivid description firsthand while walking around the Maasai village. Their living conditions seemed unimaginable: tiny homes made of cow dung, with cow-skin mattresses, limited clean drinking water, and zero infrastructure. This small, thorn-enclosed camp is just a hundred feet from a modern, noisy highway. When asked why the Maasai chose to maintain this lifestyle, the village leader told us, "This is our tradition; this is our way." However, he acknowledged that the situation has been worsening: he reported that they are currently dealing with droughts in this area, and without access to more fertile lands, this has been affecting their livestock, which is their primary food source.

A few steps from these homes is a tiny one-room school made of tree branches. About 15 smiling children of varying ages were being taught by one local teacher. Seeing this was saddening, but we reflected on the fact that traditionally, this culture values community and living off the land more than formal education. Such values have indeed worked for them for centuries when they had unthreatened access to a resource-rich territory. Unfortunately, in a world of manipulative land developers, the lack of easy access to competitive education has now set them up for a losing battle.

Maasai Village, Ngorongoro Conservation Area - part 3

Our Lessons

Shortly after we left Tanzania in 2022, the government initiated a new campaign to evict thousands of Maasai from the Ngorongoro and Loliondo region, to make way for a new “reserve,” where big game trophy hunting is to be permitted. These ancestral Maasai lands had been one of the remaining areas in which the Maasai had been allowed to live alongside wildlife, within border-protected areas. This year, Amnesty International released an investigation:

"On 7 June 2022, hundreds of security personnel from numerous government agencies traveled to Loliondo in a fleet of motor vehicles... and began to demarcate 1,500 square kilometers within Maasai territory... They violently dispersed members of the Maasai community who had gathered to protest... shot and teargassed members of the Maasai who resisted forced eviction, injuring at least 40 people... Many community members fled from their homes to hide in the wilderness. They hid for weeks with their relatives in the forest and national park, not in any specific place since they were constantly moving as they grazed their livestock... Livestock belonging to community members gets impounded by the authorities whenever they stray to the demarcated land and the owners are forced to pay exorbitant fines to have them released. Those who are unable to pay the fines have their animals auctioned off by the authorities, leaving them impoverished...

Many fled the country... As of May 2023, about 60 families were still living in Narok, Kenya. They are living in impoverishment and lack access to livelihoods. The violations are now everyday life for those that were forced to leave their homes."

"Presentism" is the act of judging the actions of people from a past era, based on the knowledge and moral standards that we possess today. For instance, it is true that just about all of Africa was forcefully taken from people who lacked a flag, border maps, and signed documents. As awful as that was, perhaps the perpetrators of those crimes in the era of colonization could be excused for judging themselves by a different set of moral standards.

Today, however, we have full awareness of the Maasai’s presence, their way of life, and the adverse effects that previous relocations have had on their people. In this present time, knowing what we know now, it seems appallingly immoral that the Tanzanian authorities could justify violently forcing the Maasai off the land which they depend on to survive.

Arusha - part 3

Our Lessons

Tanzanite: the next “big thing”? Surrounded by sparkly blueish-purple stones that change color depending on the light, it was unusually hard to pull Eric away from the jewelry store! Named by Tiffany & Co. after “Tanzania”, the precious stone’s deposits are still only known to exist here, in Tanzania! To this time, it is reported that Tanzanite’s presence is limited to a very small 7 x 2 km area of the ground. It is noteworthy for its remarkable trichroism: switching alternately between hues of blue, violet, and burgundy, depending on crystal orientation. Official estimates are that the world’s tanzanite mines may run out completely in less than 30 years. Perhaps the salesman innocently misplaced a decimal, because he told us the mines were due to run out in just three years, and pointed out that he even had one customer who took out a loan to purchase Tanzanite since it was “so certain” that it would go up in value. For now, a $15 set of ‘raw’ Tanzanite earrings from Eric is good enough for me.

"Kindness is a language which blind people can see and deaf people can hear." Founded in 2007, Shanga, a Swahili word for "bead," has trained and employed over 34 people with disabilities to learn the skills of weaving, glass blowing, beading, paper making, and metalwork—using mostly recycled materials. We saw the incredibly creative products that were made by these highly skilled individuals, and we formed connections that were beyond words. It was here that a warmhearted deaf woman patiently taught me how to weave, and gifted me with a friendship bracelet. We also met Masoud, the first little person to Summit Mt. Kilimanjaro! Truly, their craftsmanship and hospitality have turned their "disability" into a priceless "ability."

Nairobi - part 1

Our Lessons

Taking a bus across the border from Tanzania into Kenya ended up being more eventful than expected: when a shady immigration officer noticed our American passports, she politely asked us to step aside and wait while she processed all of the other people in line. When a new bus full of travelers arrived, she waved them over instead of us. Observing that all of the passengers from our bus had already been processed and were waiting outside, Eric interrupted to question why we had to wait to get our prepaid East Africa visas signed off. The officer responded nonspecifically that it was 'complicated.' An eavesdropping local tapped Eric on the shoulder and said, "She's trying to cheat you. She wants you to get fed up and offer her money to expedite your wait. Don't pay yet. I'll help you." The local man approached the counter in front of us and spoke with the officer in Swahili. Without another word, the officer frustratingly pointed at us, then gestured towards her colleague at the adjacent counter. We stepped up, and her colleague completed our paperwork within seconds. Breathing a sigh of relief, we returned to our bus just in time and reflected on yet another act of blunt dishonesty at a nation's border.

The streets of Nairobi are extremely lively, with countless vendors squeezing into every corner to find a space to sell their goods: under bridges, along construction barriers—even in between vehicles! Downtown, we frequently observed sellers laying their items on the ground, out on top of bedsheets between two parked cars. When someone needed to pull their car out, the seller would quickly scoop everything up using their sheet and then lay everything back out once the space was available again. Similar to Lusaka, there are countless vendors walking in between congested traffic, trying to sell just one or two specific items that they are holding. Sadly, another common sight here is parents walking with their children, begging for money.

Nairobi - part 2

Our Lessons

During our visit, a major highway project was about to be completed: the Nairobi Expressway. We learned this highway was a $585 million USD "investment," paid for entirely by China. In fact, it was reported that China has been investing in major infrastructure projects all over Africa, particularly in the last decade. African leaders have been pleased, applauding Chinese companies for getting the job done quickly (importantly, before those same African leaders are up for re-election!). The Economist in 2022 pointed out that a new construction contract with China can take just three months to negotiate and get started; whereas a contract with the World Bank could take five years to negotiate.

Why would China help Africa, we asked? At that time, The Economist highlighted the following reasons:

1. China can profit financially. In the case of the Nairobi Expressway, Kenya's government will have to repay China, by allowing Chinese companies to operate and collect all toll revenue for the road for the next 27 years. A similar 20-year revenue arrangement was made when China recently built Uganda's only international airport (our next destination). Furthermore, infrastructure projects put Chinese companies in charge of Africa's prized natural resources, including precious metals, which are key to the modern technologies we use.

2. New projects offer good-paying jobs... for Chinese workers. Apparently, China brings in its own citizens to work on these projects, instead of hiring locally—particularly to fill all of the best positions, i.e. the ones that offer higher pay and offer opportunities for vertical mobility up the workforce.

3. Power in global politics: At one point, thirty African countries had formal relations with Taiwan. Then, China began investing in infrastructure projects in more of these countries. Now, only one African nation continues to recognize and have relations with Taiwan (that's a lot of lost United Nations votes!). This is a clear demonstration of how the power of money can switch allegiances; however, there are also more direct reports of Chinese companies perpetuating corruption. For example, in Zambia, Chinese contractors selected road projects that would politically benefit China’s favored politicians, and they have inflated the estimated cost of those projects, to boost profits and kickbacks for those they support.

Unfortunately, it sounds like these projects are not really sharing wealth or opportunities with the African people; instead, they provide small financial wins and big geopolitical wins for China as it grows on the world stage. Yes, Nairobi does get a new expressway, which will improve the comfort of millions of commuters (at least, those who are wealthy enough to pay a daily toll). However, we wonder if well-intentioned companies could help more by choosing to invest in projects that are mutually profitable, while also providing opportunities that empower African citizens. As of 2023, perhaps a window is opening up for Western nations to show that they can do better. According to Japan's Nikkei Asia, Beijing's global infrastructure development strategy dropped by 55% in 2022. "'The decrease in funding could provide an opportunity for the U.S. and the E.U. to increase their engagement with the region,' said Uche Igwe, a Nigerian political economist."

Nairobi - part 3

Our Lessons

In the meantime, it seems like everyone in Nairobi is trying hard to pay the rent and put food on the table, especially during our visit in post-COVID times. This situation certainly applied to our local tour guide, Nicholas, who proclaimed his belief that “everyone needs to become an entrepreneur in Nairobi!” Nicholas shared with us his business ventures over the past two years: Prior to the pandemic, he had purchased secondhand used shoes from Europe to resell. However, when border closures occurred, he was unable to import more shoes. Once his supplies ran out, he shifted to advertising used cars on Instagram (he never even sees the cars in person, he explained, but he makes a commission off the sale by connecting sellers to buyers). Realizing the generalizability of this business concept, Nicholas then started doing the same thing with shoes—becoming a “middleman” for shoe sellers looking for buyers. "There are endless opportunities here; you just need to wake up, hustle, and be adaptable," he said. When Nicholas saw that being a tour guide could be profitable, he picked up this side gig as well! He spent months learning the history of Nairobi, talking to locals, and understanding the purpose and story behind each building along his tour route. He is slowly improving his craft... and he is even advertising himself as offering tours in Spanish, even though he is just learning Spanish now. Apparently, this is what you have to do when you live in a city of 4.5 million people and formal jobs are scarce. A favorite phrase of Nicholas: “Nairobi ti kwa nyûkwa” ("Nairobi is not your mother's home!"). “You have to create your own opportunities because no one can take care of you, but you!”

Indeed, a hustler’s life seems to be the necessary mentality for the majority of the people we encountered while exploring Nairobi. Just like in Lusaka, however, we appreciated that people here are very respectful: Walking its busiest market streets like Tom Mboya St., we didn't feel harassed or strongly forced to purchase anything that we didn't want.

Nairobi - part 4

Our Lessons

Due to traffic, sometimes it seems that getting around on foot is actually the most efficient way to navigate downtown Nairobi (on more than one occasion, we did exactly this). If the distance is far and the money is short, however, the cheapest way of getting around is the bus, called matatus. Matatu is a short way of saying "3 shillings" in Swahili, as this was the price that drivers used to shout when trying to solicit passengers. Matatus are old, privately-owned minibuses, that can vary substantially in quality based on how much passengers are willing to pay. For instance, if you have a bit of extra money and want to be part of a moving "party" during your commute, Nairobi is the city for you! Just hop on one of the many tricked-out, music-pounding matatus along your route. Each bus is elaborately decorated with a unique "theme"... for example, Batman, Jesus Christ, Jack Sparrow, Niki Minaj, and countless other rappers, music artists, and heroic icons.

Operating slightly “above the law” due to a bribe-based relationship with the police, we are told matatu drivers tend to stop anywhere to drop off/pick up passengers, and that police have been known to completely stop traffic to give matatus priority at the busiest intersections.

When the police are absent, however, all traffic here gets very, very chaotic. Pedestrian lights are merely a suggestion, and people here walk in between cars to get around Nairobi’s gridlocked streets. During rush hour, cars and mopeds hop across dirt meridians, and literally drive the wrong way against oncoming traffic, to avoid standing still! We experienced this firsthand during our first bus ride into Nairobi.

Of note, Kenya's presidential elections were approaching at the time of our visit. However, our guide Nicholas expressed his view that many Kenyans don't pay enough attention to national politics. This, he says, is because the nation consists of over 40 unique “tribes,” which have been arbitrarily grouped together into one country; hence, there seems to be less of a national identity. An “active” tribe, from what we are told, is a distinct cultural group that still clusters together in specific villages. Tribes speak different languages, and there are often still local conflicts between them. For Nicholas, moving from a small Kikuyo village to Nairobi for high school was initially very challenging, because all his life he had been taught certain stereotypes and assumptions about each tribe—which he quickly discovered were not true once he met his diverse classmates in person. Nicholas pointed out that Nairobi is really a "melting pot" of people of different cultures. As such, he hopes that the younger generations will develop more of a communal identity as "one nation," which looks beyond the tribal differences and prejudices of their ancestors.

Nairobi - part 5

Our Lessons

The word Giraffe actually means "fast-walker" in Arabic (although because of the size of their strides, they actually look like they run in slow-motion to us). Giraffes are indeed the world’s tallest living land animals, which explains why a group of giraffes is called a "tower." An adult male can grow to around 5.5 m… and as we experienced firsthand at Nairobi’s Giraffe Centre, they also have ridiculously long tongues! Growing as long as 20 inches, their rough, slimy tongues easily snatched food right out of our hands—although their tongue is more traditionally used to pull the leaves off the tops of thorned acacia trees. The bumpiness of the tongue is due to its thickened papillae, which helps to protect it from these vicious thorns. In addition to using their long necks to reach high branches to feed, male giraffes also establish social hierarchies through "necking”: a form of combat, in which giraffes swing their necks at each other like a weapon.

Nairobi - part 6

Our Lessons

The food of Nairobi seemed quite similar to the neighboring country of Tanzania. The base often consists of ugali (a mix of ground-up maize and potatoes), with lots of beef or chicken. Halal food is also popular, as there is a significant population of Indian and Arabic people living here in Nairobi! Eric was quite impressed with the discovery of delicious ‘smoothie floats,’ which were served to us at one Halal restaurant; however, his indulgence may have led him to come down with a stomach bug!

Looking at this bustling from above was an unforgettable sight—even when the horizon was covered in smog and dust. In the distant southwest, we see the outline of the awkwardly named district of ‘Karen,’ which we are told holds the majority of white, upper-class members of Nairobi society. Oddly, in our two days living in Nairobi's Central Business District, we were literally the only two white or Asian people that we saw! Sadly, our airport taxi driver informed us that wealthier members of Kenyan society almost completely avoid downtown Nairobi, because they consider it too busy, too crowded, and too dirty.

Kampala - part 1

Our Lessons

After a 1907 tour of Africa, Winston Churchill commented: “For magnificence, for variety of form and color, for the profusion of brilliant life — bird, insect, reptile, beast — for vast scale — Uganda is truly the Pearl of Africa.”

In contrast to Mr. Churchill, our first impression upon setting foot in Uganda's capital city of Kampala was slightly more intense, and intimidating. Admittedly, we had deliberately chosen to stay in an area that would provide us with a more authentic experience than tourists often get: the bustling transit hub downtown. However, we didn't realize that the hotel's only "drop-off" area was literally the central bus station for the city. As our taxi approached an open parking space, we were immediately surrounded by over a dozen men, walking alongside and leaning into our open windows as we pulled to a stop! Clearly working to earn a commission and hoping we were here to take a bus, each man tried his best to get our attention and even direct the car towards the bus they were working for. The overwhelming feeling of so many eyes and hands on us (and our luggage) gave us a false first impression that we would need to be extra cautious during our time in Kampala...

Kampala - part 2

Our Lessons

...Luckily, the rest of our stay would prove otherwise: Despite having grown up in a chaotic hustler's environment, every Ugandan we met was so kind—and ironically, very soft-spoken! It felt as if we were constantly having to ask the Ugandans we met to "Speak up, please!" (and we still ask ourselves if Ugandans have super hearing). One possible reason for this, we were told, is that most native Ugandan languages are tonal in nature. Many of these languages do not have a specific word for 'please'; rather, politeness is conveyed by the way words are expressed. When learning English in school later in life, Ugandans naturally maintain the soft-spoken manner of expression that they grew up with.

Kampala - part 3

Our Lessons

Uganda’s new, Chinese-built Entebbe Airport is accompanied by a modern, expansive highway, where glistening new highrise buildings can be seen under construction on our way to the capital city. Upon approaching Kampala city center, however, the scene changes dramatically: roads, buildings, homes, and everything in between are in various states of disrepair. From the open, unguarded rooftop of our hotel, we could visibly see the lack of infrastructure in almost all directions. Peering down in the northern direction, a shanty town extended right up to our hotel's side facade, with dirt paths and children playing in the drain water. To the south, a sewage leak spilled over the road in front of several restaurants, which occupy haphazardly constructed buildings. To the east, children cheerfully competed in a lively game of soccer in a large open field. A few blocks westward, we watched a beautiful sunset over the silhouette of the National Mosque.

Kampala - part 4

Our Lessons

We did not have to go far to find local goods being sold outdoors, as every inch of the city appears to be used as a makeshift storefront. In a sadly familiar scene, vendors have tarps laid out with food: underneath highways, over sewer drains, and sidewalks. ‘Daycare’ does not appear to be not an option here, as we often saw women keeping their children with them, even on their backs, or simultaneously breastfeeding, while selling their fruit or vegetables. I fondly remember all the smiling children (and their mothers), with whom I shared a bunch of bananas! Sadly, we are told public education is neither good nor entirely free here; so, many parents can’t afford to send their kids to school. Heartbreakingly, we observed a lot of children begging for food. Our tour guide explained that many homeless people are illegal immigrants from Rwanda, whose lives are even more difficult compared to local Ugandans.

Kampala - part 5

Our Lessons

Despite personally coming from humble beginnings, it is a ripping, devastating feeling for me to see the struggles of our fellow humans, who cannot even be assured that they will have the simplest necessities in life—food, water, and shelter. With all of our technology today, is it really impossible for us to end world hunger in the 21st century?

Kampala - part 6

Our Lessons

Similar to Kenyans, most Ugandans also have to do a variety of jobs to maintain financial stability, and once again, the pandemic amplified this. For instance, Tonny, our tour guide and friend, took us to the open meat market—which honestly seemed like the most unsanitary market we have ever been to. Here, individual meat vendors buy in bulk freshly butchered meats in the early morning, for resale at their station later. In the scorching sun, without refrigeration, ice, or packaging, these vendors are pressured to finish selling their portion by the afternoon. The odor was intense, and the blood of sliced meat poured like a stream across the market floor. This was the only place where we saw dozens of giant vultures perched over every nearby rooftop, all waiting to swoop down for a bite the moment a vendor left his post. Tonny showed us his own station: a tiny 3 x 4 foot counter space in the corner which he rents, for use on days he is not working as a tour guide. Tonny works almost shoulder-to-shoulder with rows of competing meat vendors, but he proudly says that some clients always choose him because he knows how to get quality products. He says the work is hard, but it is necessary if he wants to earn any savings.

Kampala - part 7

Our Lessons

As he shared with us his tribe's wedding traditions, we learned that saving up money is particularly important to Tonny at this time. In addition to financing a civil wedding, the man is expected to present a dowry to the bride’s family, which includes one cow and two sheep. He must also get blessings from the king of his tribe, to make the marriage official. Due to financial hardship in modern Uganda, it is common for this process to not need to be completed before husband and wife begin a life together as partners; indeed in Tonny’s case, he already has two children and is still working on getting the dowry together! Of note, Tonny is from the Buganda kingdom and speaks Luganda (the most common local language here and in Rwanda). As in Kenya, here in Uganda, there are still active tribes, with active kingdoms. Tribal kings have some influence on domestic policy as they represent their people, who are Ugandan citizens.

Kampala-countryside

Our Lessons

While riding across many different regions of Uganda, we unfortunately observed some of the most open, and unashamed acts of corruption. At several police checkpoints, our driver was openly asked by officers to give them money. Requests were not subtle, our driver said, with one officer blatantly stating: “I see you are working with tourists today, so you can share some money with me?" (This perhaps contrasts with a U.N. worker from Zimbabwe that we met, who notes that in his home country, such requests would be thinly veiled, with a statement such as "I could use a cup of tea today") Not surprisingly, most jobs in Uganda are acquired based on connections, not merit; likewise, quality medical care often involves a bribe, we are told. Despite knowing this action is clearly wrong, most ordinary people are forced to participate, to survive the system. As we've previously observed, it is clear that improved education will help gradually address these issues; however, a quicker way to jump-start change could be an international investment in honest businesses, which can provide sustainable wages and discourage corrupt behaviors.

The drive towards our first safari brought us across the Equator line—and for a moment, we felt like we were at the center of it all. Straddling between the Northern and Southern hemispheres, Eric commented that this far surpassed the “thrill” of standing on the border of two U.S. states at the same time. Expecting some heat at the Equator, we were surprised that it was actually quite chilly; in fact, the majority of our time spent in Uganda was cool, since we were always high up in altitude (even the capital city of Kampala is 1,190 meters, or 4,000 feet above sea level).

Queen Elizabeth National Park - part 1

Our Lessons

The landscape of Queen Elizabeth National Park was striking—with golden savannahs interspersed with enormous brilliant green cactus trees. The horizon was dotted with tall mountain peaks. The park is divided by a canal connecting two lakes (Lake George and Lake Edward), and the flora and fauna were quite different depending on which side we were on, resulting in never a dull moment as we journeyed across these plains.

Queen Elizabeth National Park - part 2

Our Lessons

One highlight for us was a boat tour along the Kazinga Channel, which was teeming with hippos (the most dense population of hippos in the world, we were told). Large families of hippos huddled close together as they relaxed along the sides of the riverbank. In an adorable moment, we witnessed one baby climb onto his mother’s back for a better view of our boat… but he ended up slipping, and rolling off onto the head of an adjacent sleeping hippo—creating a chain reaction of startled, jumping hippos! There were also tons of Nile crocodiles sunbathing, intermixed with elephants battling each other for territory and intermittently scratching their itchy backs on the dirt cliffs. Buffalo, baboons, warthogs, and countless bird species all made frequent appearances. Wow; this was definitely the most “high-yield,” densely populated animal experience of all the safaris we have been on!

As tourists, we were treated like royalty throughout Uganda. Service workers catered to our every need—even more than compared to other African countries, in our experience. At times, the attention was to an awkward level when we were the only tourists in an entire hotel; for example, standing with eyes locked on us intently while we ate, ready to spring to action the moment we needed anything!

Queen Elizabeth National Park - part 3

Our Lessons

Queen Elizabeth National Park - part 4

Our Lessons

“Now, I’ll begin with your Chimpanzee trek safety briefing… oh, wait! We have to run now, or we’ll miss them! Go fast!” These were the first words out of the mouth of our AK-47-wielding park ranger, as she rushed us to follow the sounds of a fast-moving family of chimpanzees through the dense jungle of the Kyambura Gorge. We were told that not every tour is successful in finding this elusive group, which consists of approximately 30 chimps. Luckily, after a lot of sprinting, scrambling up and down hills, and following them back and forth across a river using a fallen log, we eventually succeeded in tracking them down!

As we found out firsthand, chimps living in the wild are fast. Just following one casually 'walking' along a pedestrian trail requires a human to jog to keep up (yes, these chimps are smart and use the pre-made human trails instead of weaving through the bushes). Once the chimps came to a rest to feed, we were finally able to observe them close up—and they did not seem to be bothered at all by our presence. In a potentially heart-racing moment, two male chimps walked inches away from Eric as they passed us along the trail. However, both simply turned and made casual eye contact with him, then continued on, unphased. Moments later, we witnessed another pair lying down right in front of us, sprawled out on their backs. The young chimps were particularly cute, but unfortunately, they were too shy to get close to us. This was one of the most inspiring animal encounters for us, as we got to live for a second in the shoes of one of our inspiring humans, Jane Goodall!

Buhoma - part 1

Our Lessons

Making our way south along gravel roads, we skirted the edge of Uganda's western border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We settled for the night in the small town of Buhoma, where we partook in a community tour, guided by some locals. We were greeted by some of the most joyful faces at a private elementary school, which serves children aged 3 to 8. Similar to our local encounters in other areas of Uganda, the children enthusiastically waved at our colorful Land Cruiser as we approached—then immediately surrounded us when they realized we were there to visit them during their break. Our hearts melted as we looked at all those friendly faces and curious eyes staring back at us. The most memorable moment was when I started clapping and reciting the ABCs. They immediately followed, singing the entire song as a group… and not wanting the fun to end there, they proceeded to start counting, all the way from one to one hundred!

These little angels did not want anything from us besides our warm smiles and kind hugs. This is how children are, everywhere. It is up to each of us adults to help empower our children with proper education and opportunities so that they can grow up to be good people who will continue to pass down the core values of humanity.

Similar to the rest of Uganda, the level of poverty here was very transparent. While exploring town, we saw a child walking barefoot on the sharp rocky path, on the way home from school. Overtaken with emotion, I bought this sweet little girl a pair of shoes and socks. It is a heartbreaking sight to realize that some parents could not afford even this simple necessity.

Buhoma - part 2

Our Lessons

While here, we met up with a “traditional healer,” who explained to us his plant-based approach to providing care. As medical providers trained in strictly evidence-based practices, we obviously felt some resistance when it came to the questionable validity of “all-natural” treatment regimens. However, we can definitely see the benefits of partnering with trusted members of the community such as him. In an exemplary partnership, this healer works alongside medical doctors at a nearby hospital, and he does not hesitate to refer patients to the hospital for situations he cannot handle. Given their strong ties to the community and humanity's millennia-old perceptions of natural remedies, it is important to recognize that traditional healers and modern medical providers should be on the same team, given that we share one goal to improve the lives of our patients.

For instance: modern medicines are derived from natural plants, and in fact, most medicine is plant extract, which has simply been removed of toxic impurities and concentrated into measurable doses. In this form, patients can receive a safe and precise quantity of medication, based on their body's specific needs. It seems that the traditional healer we met understands this, and it is great to find a place where tradition is partnering with science.