I kissed a Hippo

I kissed a hippo and I liked it. In fact, it was quite possibly my favourite travel experiences of all time.

Visiting Jessica the hippo was one of those things on our list that we hemmed and hawed about. We were afraid that the experience, advertised as a chance to pet and feed the world famous 'wild' hippo who lives with people, would be touristy and underwhelming. In the end we left the place agreeing that we would have easily paid triple the 10 dollar fee (each) to have had the experience.

As we parked in the driveway of the property and got out, we first got to see a baby male hippo that (like Jessica) had been rescued in a recent flood. Reaching over the 3 foot high, definitely not hippo proof, fence we stroked the one tonne creature behind the ears and even drew dads name in the film of mud covering its body. Two things I never thought I'd do.

Then came Jessica. Tonie, the man who had found the, then newborn, baby hippo washed up in a flood 18 years ago, gave us some background information; Jessica truly is wild, but chooses each night to come home and sleep in the garage on a mattress.

 We then brought two plastic coke bottles of sweet tea with sippy lids, and a bucket of dried corn down to a raft floating right next to the swimming hippo. She came up to our platform, I stroked her bristly nose, and she expectantly opened her mouth allowing me to shovel a handful of corn into her foot-wide jaw.

Next came the sweet tea which she guzzled down with gusto. But before she was done, I had enough time to lean forward and plant a big kiss on her huge wet nose. The same nose that roofed the foot long tusks (teeth?) that fight off crocodiles. It's incredible that these one and a half tonne animals kill more people then any other African mammal. And here I was stroking its leathery nose and running my fingers on its hard bumpy lip. 

After the whole excursion we watched Jessica do a terrific job of scaring away crocs (we didn't see any crocs so I assumed she was doing a good job), and chatted with Tonie about his experience of South Africa. All in all it was an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience that I'm so thankful we took a chance on.

The view from God's (Basement) Window

Our 1st venture off asphalt on the way to Blyde River Canyon

We left our campsite at Indabushe and headed for the Panorama Route along the Blyde River Canyon. Our first stop was at the highly anticipated God's Window viewpoint. I had read about this before we left and was really looking forward to it. Now, if you're going to name a place "God's Window" the view better be pretty freakin' spectacular. I'm talking puffy clouds, dolphins, and unicorns barfing rainbows or something. Well, in fact the view was....nice. I'm pretty sure this wouldn't be the view from God's upper floor balcony window or anything. This would more likely be the view from a lower floor utility closet window or something. Anyway, on to the Three Rondavels. 

Michelle got tired of Rick's use of the windshield wipers and took over driving duties for awhile

our first perspective of the Three Rondavels. South Africa is seriously beautiful.

A rondavel is a traditional African building. Round and typically with a thatched roof. The viewpoint looks like three rondavels stacked up against the mountain, hence the name. This really was quite impressive. A small entry fee and we followed the trail to the view point. Blyde River Canyon is billed as the largest (deepest?) green canyon in the world. And it really is fantastic. All you can do is sit and stare at the view and try to etch it into your memory. Pictures don't do the view justice. It is just so LARGE and grand. You don't want to leave, you just have a feeling of wanting to be immersed in the landscape. And then a tour bus shows up, spews out a bunch of noisy tourists and you get the hell outta there.

The 2nd perspective of the Three Rondavels from the resort. We had the view to ourselves and no tourist buses!

We camped at Blyde River Canyon Resort. This is a large resort with private cabins, conference centre, gym, activities etc. etc  and tucked away in one little corner 14 fully serviced campsites. As this was the winter season there were no other campers and we had our choice of spots.  The resort also had a spectacular view of the canyon and the three rondavels We lingered at the viewpoint for an hour trying to take it all in.

Our camping was in tents. Also, we avoided card games the whole time in africa. Why? Too many cheetahs! 

This being South Africa the campsite was in impeccable condition. As dusk arrived somebody came along and turned on all the little patio lights. For some reason ours was the only one that didn't work. No matter, in no time at all an electrician showed up to diagnose the problem. We had finished dinner and invited him for a beer. Super friendly guy and we eventually piled into his truck, back to his place, for a tour of his "chalet" on the grounds of the resort. He dropped us off about an hour later and we fell fast asleep. 

Night comes early in South Africa and we often were cooking to the light of our headlamps

 Monkeys! Vervet monkeys in the campground the next morning. We had missed them the night before but they were swinging in the trees, chattering, eyeing us suspiciously and, I'm sure, looking for a handout. 

Vervet monkeys, superior in every way to the large, scarier, more aggressive baboon cousins

Camping in style.

We arrived in Johannesburg at 10:00am and were picked up by Enver from South Africa 4x4 Rental whom we had rented a fully outfitted truck with roof top tents. We went on to the rental place to get the truck and receive a quick orientation. We met Darren who helped with the orientation, completed the paperwork and we were on our way. These two guys were great and very helpful. I should put a word in here, Michelle, while reviewing the tents asked for a second sleeping bag for each of us and an extra pillow. I declined the pillow thinking I wouldn't need it. I did not know that the pillows provided would be slightly thinner than a kleenex. I could have used 10 extra pillows. But the extra sleeping bags definitely were necessary.

Enver, Michelle and Darren

Right hand drive vehicle and driving on the left side of the road took some getting used to but it wasn't so bad. What I could NOT get used to was having the turn signal stalk on the right side of the steering column which put the windshield washer stalk on the left. By my estimation I turned on the windshield wipers to make a lane change about 1 million times. Embarrassing. By about the fifth day I was pretty happy with myself  that by noon I hadn't mistakenly turned on the windshield wipers when I meant to use the turn signal. By about 12:30 habit took over again and I was flashing my wipers at everyone again.

Our first night was at Indabushe Rest camp about 250 km outside of Johannesburg. We had picked up some firewood (or "brai hout" in Afrikaans) and some food at a grocery store and were quite ready to start camping. 

Two rooftop tents. We could get these packed up in about 15 minutes. Everything else we needed was in the back of the truck. BTW ladders, when you have to go pee at 2am, are a terrible idea.

Indabushe was beautiful. The people were friendly and like almost every place we stopped we wished we could stay longer. Every rest stop we stayed at had ablution blocks with showers, cleaning facilities and scullerys for doing dishes. Everything, everywhere was neat and tidy just like almost everything in South Africa.

Off to Africa

Rick, Michelle and an unidentified bear

Michelle and I left for South Africa June 15th from Vancouver facing three airplane rides and 30 hours of travel. We left YVR on a flight to Amsterdam then a short hop to Paris and an extended 5 1/2 hour layover that gave us just enough time to dash into Paris to see the Eiffel Tower then a 10 hour flight to Johannesburg. More on airports in a later post.

Catching up on sleep in Schipol Airport

Three years ago when we went to India we had a 12 hour layover in Paris which gave us ample time to get into Paris to see a few highlights.  BUT, it rained the entire day we were there. So, although a worthwhile experience we didn't see Paris in it's best light. This time we only had a few hours as we had to get back to Charles De Gaulle Airport  in time to get through security and make it to our gate in time. So if you have just a few hours in Paris and want to see the Eiffel Tower (and whatever else depending on your time frame) I think this is the best and cheapest way to do it.

Although there is a Metro Station that will take you out right at the base of the Eiffel Tower I think it's best to approach the tower from a distance so you can take it all in. For that reason we went to the Trocadero Metro station across the Seine  from the tower. The views from here are really good, and then it's just a short walk to the tower.

To get to Trocadero from CDG Airport. Follow the signs in the Terminal "To Trains". Buy tickets to Trocadero, and get on RER train towards Paris. Get off at Gare du Nord, and follow signs for metro Line 4, direction Porte d'Orleans. In the Paris Metro the direction that trains are going is named after the last stop on the route. So Metro Line 4 goes from Porte d'Orleans to Port de Clignancourt. In this case take the train headed in the direction of Porte d'Orleans, All trains are quite well labelled . Take Line 4 for to Chatelet Station and transfer to Metro Line 1 direction Esplanade de La Defense. (there are guides on line that will tell you to go to Strasbourg Saint-Denis however, this station is being renovated and you cannot transfer here. And after you attempt to, and have been travelling a long time you will get frustrated and study INTENTLY the huge complicated metro map that there in the station. Don't ask me how I know this) Anyway, take line 1 to Franklin D. Roosevelt station and transfer to Line 9, direction Pont de Sevres. This will take you to Trocadero. A Metro map will definitely help.

Big pointy thing in the centre of Paris

Walk out the station turn the corner and BOOM there it is in all it's glory. I have done this twice, and even the second time when I knew what to expect when I rounded the corner and saw the Eiffel Tower it sent chills down my spine. Seriously, it is a wonder to behold. Totally worth the effort of getting there. Take a picture, buy some bread and reverse your steps to get back to the airport.

Oh I forgot the best part! Some guy tried to pickpocket me on the Metro! I was quite honoured that of all the easy marks on the train he choose me, the biggest guy! I almost feel bad for pushing him to the floor. But not really.

How to cram a 4 day Roadtrip into 6 days

The plan was for a quick 4 day, there and back again, trip to Bonneville Salt Flats. It turned into a 6 day extravaganza of beautiful scenery, wide open spaces, digging ourselves out of the mud and the kindness of strangers to a level I could never have imagined. And a dead bird in a motel room, more on that later.

Those clouds would turn into a rain and lighting storm that chased us off the mountain and turned the road into a quagmire.

Step to the left!??! My left or your left?

We left Thursday night to get a few hours of driving in and found a great spot in the hills near Wenatchee. The weather turned and we were treated to an absolutely terrific thunder and lightning show. We kept expecting the weather to blow over but the storm settled in right on top of us. The lightning lit up the sky and the thunder rattled our bones. We didn't set up camp but we sat under the awning and enjoyed the show. However, as the rain came down the spot we had picked out for our tent turned into a lake. As the sun set we knew we couldn't camp here even as beautiful as it was. We got into the truck to head down the mountain and find alternate accommodation. The dirt road, although firm and flat on the way up , had turned into a soupy mess by the time we made our way down. Sheer cliffs on one side and a slippery road focused our attention. By the time we made it to the bottom we were both looking forward to a shower and a drink. After a little searching we found a seedy motel and checked into our room. Unfortunately the previous resident, a small grey and white bird, hadn't checked out and was still in the room, sleeping. On the floor. On his back. His little bird legs stiff in the air.  We asked for another room.

Our next night, just outside of Boise, Idaho we found a great place on top of a mesa in the middle of nowhere. We enjoyed dinner as the sun set.

It felt like we had the world to ourselves 

Front row seats to the greatest show on earth

...and not a bad encore either. The Moon and Venus made an appearance.

Lucy and her Mini-me

We made the Bonneville Salt Flats on Saturday about noon. I hadn't seen the Salt Flats covered with water before. The mirror like qualities of the water made the horizon melt into the sky. Really quite beautiful. We walked out as far as we could,  past the crowds so it felt like we were the only ones out there. 

Bonneville Salt Flats

Crystal clear warm water 

Not a fan of water that touches his tummy

We decided to explore the area North of the Salt Flats. Mostly flat gravel roads but then  onto what would be an absolutely massive dry lake. Driving on the lake was easy except for ooooooone little patch of mud which wouldn't release us from its grip until we offered up 8 hours of toil and sweat.

The absolute scale of Utah is incredible

Getting stuck in a little water-softened mud really tested our preparation and our resources. We had lots of drinking water and food with us, lots of spare fuel, tools, Hi-Lift jack and even some firewood we could use as support for the jack. We had cell phone reception and even emergency satellite communications. We scrounged around a bit and found some wood and started digging and lifting. After 4 hours it was dark and obvious that we weren't get out yet. Pam set up camp right there on the lake bed. If we weren't so exhausted we could have enjoyed a really nice view. We fell asleep dreaming of a mud-free world.

After 3 hours we just barely got some wood under the tires. 

It's difficult to overstate how thick and sticky this mud is.

 We were up early the next morning and after a quick breakfast started work again. Water that had seeped into the holes overnight added to the fun. Mud got everywhere. By 10:00 am I had the traction mats under the rear wheels and had wood under the front wheels. Getting into the driver's seat I started the truck with anticipation. Traction control options set, differentials locked, hope and prayers set to high......I drove right out.

Nothing to winch onto in any direction. The only solution was digging and lifting

Overnight water had seeped into the holes we had dug around the tires. It was a little dispiriting but in the end it didn't make much of a a difference.

Huge lake bed

The mud on our boots wouldn't come off until we were able to pressure wash them 3 days later.

We continued on our route. We couldn't travel above about 60 km/h as the mud stuck in the wheels threw the balance off. At the first town we got into we commandeered a hose and washed off the underside of the truck.

To the strains of Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere" we drove into Winnamuca, Nevada. Tacos from a food truck in a gas station parking lot never tasted better and we turned down yet another back road with incredible views.

We drove on looking for a camping spot but nothing came up. At one point we pulled into a gravel pit where I had camped last year while returning from Wyoming. The fields stretched before us in the gathering dusk as the sun sunk slowly in the west. I could read just one thing in the expression on Pam's face; it said "I need a freakin' hot shower". We got back in the truck, and left the gravel pit behind us. 

Pam is in this photo in front of the truck taking pictures of the sunset  I'm taking pictures of the truck in the sunset.  Priorities! 

The next day, freshly showered and after enjoying an outstanding breakfast at the Juniper Cookhouse in Burns, Oregon and with a pound of barbecued tri-tip in the fridge we hit the road again.

Crossing into Washington at the Columbia River. It was really windy! They really should turn off these fans.

Trouble brewing. A couple of miles from Yakima, Washington the truck overheated. I pulled into a parking lot and rigged up a fix but we only just got onto the freeway again when the temperature spiked. We pulled over and popped the hood and began to consider our options. In no time at all a guy pulled over in front of us and offered to tow us to his place where we could work on the vehicle. A total stranger offered us his help, insisted that we stay at his place and cooked us dinner. I couldn't believe our good fortune. Vince and his girlfriend turned out to be the kindest, most generous people we would ever meet. 

It was early afternoon when we pulled into Vince's place, pushed the truck off the trailer and had a look under the hood. In no time we discovered the problem The plastic thermostat cover had worn through and sprung a leak. A quick call to Land Rover Seattle for parts was no help. Amazon to the rescue. We ordered the part the next morning online and it was delivered the following day. Genuine LR parts, cheaper and doorstep delivery. That can't be beat.

Vince's little piece of paradise outside Yakima.

We took advantage of the downtime and emptied out the truck and started scraping mud off everything. Cooper chased birds and Lucy dozed in the shade. All in all we couldn't have asked to be at a better place.

Hammock time.

When the part came in we wasted no time in getting it installed. Everything worked great and we began packing up. It really was thanks to Vince who picked us up, welcomed us into his home, helped with the parts and generally made us feel welcome that this part of the trip ended as well as it did. It is inspiring to meet such a generous and selfless person. We left for the short 4 1/2 hour drive home, vowing to make the trip again in August when the farmers' fields are fully grown.  The destination for this trip was the Bonneville Salt Flats but was not the sole purpose. Getting off the main roads and not focusing so much on the final destination really allowed us to enjoy all the little in between areas. 

Schedules, Plans and Flexibility

In Mid May Pam and I decided to go away for the weekend as a sort of shake-down cruise in anticipation of our upcoming Bonneville Salt Flats trip. We haven't camped together before and we thought it would be a good way to become familiar with our camping supplies. We could make note of all the things we might be missing or what needs replenishing/replacement or even decide what we wouldn't bother bringing along with us again.

Our first fuel stop in Hope

The plan was to travel up to Boston Bar, cross the river and continue north up the west side of the river which is largely dirt road and very scenic. I have done this route before and the plan was to travel all the way up to Lytton, catch the ferry to the East side of the river again and camp somewhere in Cache Creek. Plans set, we set off and after crossing the river at Boston Bar I promptly missed a turn and we headed down to Nuhatlatch Provincial Park. By the time I realized my mistake we had travelled for twenty minutes. We decided to make the best of it and began looking for a camping spot. Although beautiful all the spots in the developed campsites we rejected for one reason or the other. We continued on and at the end of the string of lakes we noticed on the map a small waterfall with an adjacent road on the other side of the river. Throwing out all of our previous plans we headed for the falls and were amazed when we got to them. The recent rains and snow melt must have had an effect because the falls were spectacular!

Grizzly Falls were spectacular.

Beauty shot climbing the logging roads

Continuing up the logging roads we found a nice clearing and set-up for the night. The view was beyond belief, lots of firewood for gathering and the  weather was pretty warm for mid-May.

The view from our campsite

The next morning we backtracked before continuing on our original route with plans to go to Lillooet and continue home through Whistler. But 10km from Lytton the road was washed out and impassable. We tried a couple of different back roads but couldn't get around the washout. Changing our plans once again we headed for home retracing our steps. All along the route the views were terrific and the sun continued to shine. 

So for the whole weekend plans continued to change and evolve. By rolling with it and being flexible enough to deal with each change and discussing options we had a great weekend. The falls were really an unexpected bonus. We wouldn't have seen them had we not taken a wrong turn. And our campsite at the top of the logging road surrounded by nothing but trees was an added bonus. Some trips are meant to be discoveries. Make plans, stay flexible and enjoy the ride.

Tour? Solo? Mission Trip? The Benefits of Different kinds of Travelling

People travel for all sorts of reasons, as a vacation, to bond with family, to get to the basket (little basketball joke there for ya), to find themselves and for an unlimited amount of other deep, and not-so-deep reasons.
There is no right or wrong way to travel. We all know that avid solo-traveller who enjoys going to hard to reach places on the map and believes that travelling with someone will only hold them back and stunt there growth into becoming a bearded, kombucha drinking, open minded individual. We also know that traveller who's sole purpose is to drink beer in every European country and his main stories usually end with"those (insert country) people sure know how to partayyyy!".
But whether you travel alone or with a friend, looking to fill a void in your life, or just your stomach, no matter what, travel can be a fulfilling, life changing, inspiring experience.
Below I muse about the benefits of a few different types of travelling that I have experienced.

China. 16 years old. Trip that sparked my love for travelling.

Tour - 16 years old - China
My father and I took a tour throughout China. We used Explore! , a fantastic tour site that I would recommend to anyone interested in letting someone else plan the transportation and accommodations.
People tend to be apprehensive about tours, the may feel that they will not get an authentic experience, or it will be too structured and they could miss out on things that really interest them. These are all valid concerns (my father once took a tour that shuffled them through so many gift shops it was near criminal), but that is why choosing the right tour is so important. The most important things you should look for in a tour is:
1. Tour sizes (ours had only 6 people)
2.  Flexible schedules (lots of time to just explore a city on you own, everyday shouldn't be scheduled to the hour)
3. Knowledgeable tour guides (a  tour guide may not ruin a trip, but they can definitely enhance it with there knowledge and passion of what they are showing you).

With explore!, we got all three of these things, and it made for an enjoyable, stress free trip.

Mission trip to the Philippians with volunteers from my class. Spent time
building houses and visiting with the villagers. 

Mission Trip - 17 - Philippians
Mission Trips (aka. Volunteer Trips or Voluntourism). Have been receiving a bit of flack in the media lately. See this video describing some of the issues with volunteerism:.To be honest, trips that go to orphanages or build houses (as my mission trip did), usually don't make a great difference to the community. But it can, without a doubt, effect the travellers going. Some people will never have seen the poverty they experience abroad, for others it can be an eye opening experience to start their own charity work or at least be more aware of there actions, and in the very least, it can be a way to bond people from all over the world together. So yes, if deciding to embark on a mission trip or volunteer abroad, do you research and pick a company that you think can create an authentic experience and hopefully actually make a difference.

Taj Mahal, India. The contrast of these gardens compared to surrounding India is striking. 

Semi-Self Planned - 19 years old - India
India was the next trip I took with my Dad (after China) and instead of planning a trip completely on our own, we enlisted the help of Indiasomeday. Indiasomeday was one of the best investments ever. We sent him everything we wanted to do (from cities, to specific sites), our price range for accommodations, and how we wanted to travel. He responded with a full itinerary. It was like Magic! I corresponded with IndiaSomeday often as he helped me choose accommodations and gave recommendations. Basically, we chose everything (cities, transportation, accommodation etc), and he just booked it for us. We even took a little side trip to Mumbai to meet the man behind the screen, we treated him to a delicious dinner of his choice and stayed in contact with him throughout the trip. As a small, start up company, Indiasomeday really wanted us to have a good experience. It resulted in one of the most smooth, incident free trips I had ever experienced.

Peru. Told you I made friends!

Solo Trip (Self Planned) - 21 - Peru/Chile
Ah, the solo trip. The indicator of a true traveller! Right? No, of course not. Solo travelling isn't for anyone. And having the ability to sit alone in a restaurant eating your lunch without looking lonely does not make you a better traveller then anyone else.

However, there are some undeniable benefits to solo travelling. Travelling alone gives you the opportunity to meet way more people. Travellers seem to have this sixth sense of other solo travellers. I met people on planes, hostels, and in restaurants all the time. Over two weeks I ate a meal with someone new almost every single day! These people have become lifelong friends and I still chat with them occasionally via Facebook or WhatsApp.

In addition, and probably most importantly, confidence. After returning to Canada after two weeks abroad, buying my own flights, booking hostels, visiting 9 cities,and doing it all without a lick of Spanish, I was proud. And that alone is probably the number one reason anyone and everyone should take one solo trip in there lifetime, just to prove to themselves that they can do it.