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Southeast Africa

January - March 2023
  • Philipp Jacobius
A 65-day adventure by Philipp Read more
  • Philipp Jacobius

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Backpacking, Digital nomad, Hiking, Nature, Work & Travel
  • 26.7kkilometers traveled
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  • 72footprints
  • 65days
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  • Philipp JacobiusTravelerSoutheast Africa

    Day Zero

    January 25, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    Today was supposed to be the starting day of my adventure, but a ground personnel strike at the airport in Berlin resulted in my flight getting canceled and me having to push back the start of my trip by 24h. This wasn't critical, but quite annoying, as it meant I wouldn't be able to use the first night in the accommodation I had booked and I also wouldn't be able to join an activity with friends that was meant to happen on day one.

    Overall, I appreciated the extra day at home, because I had gotten lazy with the packing and only realized last minute that my old backpack from my backpacking days that I had planned to take to Africa this time around was no longer up to the task, and I really needed that extra day to procure an alternative 😎    Read more

  • Philipp JacobiusTravelerSoutheast Africa
    Starter and Dessert of my free dinner.Main courseAn amenity kit I got from Turkish Airlines. Toothbrush, slippers, mask, earplugs. Neat!The 04:30am dinner.Convenient coworking at IST Airport.The Turkish candy shop where I felt compelled to invest some funds into Turkish delights.

    An Istanbul Layover

    January 26, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    I had purposefully opted for a connection with a long layover in Istanbul because I wanted to test the layover experience program of Turkish Airlines called Touristanbul.

    The flight there from Berlin was unspectacular, with a decent chicken dish that was served. The only noteworthy thing is probably that the flight was done in a wide-body aircraft - an uncommon occurrence for medium-haul destinations.

    Once there, I just missed the city tour I wanted to leave on, and then ended up on something called a shopping tour. I didn't care all too much, as I was planning to walk around freely and see if the dinner that was included in the trip was worth it.

    Overall, the layover experience was lacking some elements, because it was a lot shorter than expected, and we didn't go to the places that were written in the itinerary. Dinner was okay in general, but seeing how I didn't pay for it I have zero reasons to complain.

    We ended up driving for more time than we had our feet on the ground, and I felt that was a wasted opportunity on their part. Concluding, I wasn't amazed by the program, but would do it again if I find myself with a long layover in Istanbul. Hopefully with an arrival that doesn't miss the more interesting excursions by mere minutes.    Read more

  • Philipp JacobiusTravelerSoutheast Africa
    Anne, my friend and travel buddy who inspired this adventure!
    The bathroom in question....Clouds streaming down from Table Mountain.Evening sun near a sea water pool.

    First Day in Africa

    January 27, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    My first trip to South Africa was back in 2013, and the country immediately earned a special place in my heart. As a matter of fact, I had pledged to myself that I would visit the country again within five years, because I enjoyed it so much.

    Now, I clearly failed my pledge - seeing how it took me ten years instead of five to return here. But I made it!

    My flight landed on time, and after spending around an hour with waiting in line for passport control, I took an Uber to our Airbnb which we had booked in a central district. The Airbnb was a great place with two bedrooms, but also the most absurd bathroom construction I've ever encountered anywhere else in the world. Two separate doors, but with a half-height wall in between that held the wash basin. You always have to operate both doors when using either 😅

    After I took a quick nap, we walked around the neighborhood, had a welcome drink at a nice bar, and enjoyed some nice dinner at a food hall. Then I had to go and sleep 😴    Read more

  • Philipp JacobiusTravelerSoutheast Africa

    A Windy Weekend

    January 28, 2023 in South Africa

    Originally the plan was to hike up Table Mountain today. But unfortunately the weather turned for the worse, with horizontal rain and super strong winds of 70+km/h, with the frequent gusts often exceeding these speeds.

    So instead, we made it a relaxed morning and decided to try to get some work done instead so we are more flexible during the weekdays. We got quite literally blown away when we decided to walk back to our place.

    In the evening, Arlett and I tried out an Ethiopian restaurant that did not disappoint. Great food 😋    Read more

  • Philipp JacobiusTravelerSoutheast Africa

    Oranjezicht

    January 29, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We went to a local farmers market just before it closed. I managed to buy some locally made flip-flops made of cork and recycled rubber, an item I was missing for this trip. We also enjoyed a delicious burger made of locally raised wagyu, and I got some wagyu jerky to take home. We got to speak to the owner of the farm who told us some curious anecdotes, such as these being the only wagyu cows on the globe that get to enjoy the beach.

    Then we continued to another local market, where I had a delicious mix of orange juice, honeybush tea and sugarcane juice. We also spotted superman during a literature break.    Read more

  • Philipp JacobiusTravelerSoutheast Africa
    With Anne and Arlett, who is also joining in this trip for a few weeks.
    On a super cool pathway along the tree tops.

    Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

    January 29, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    We went to an outdoor concert in the botanical garden of Cape Town today. Super good vibes, great music, and super authentically African. The artists playing were Sun-El Musician and Simmy. It was a mess trying to leave from there again because the traffic police blocked off the road for taxis and we had to walk out and pay a large surge pricing rate, but it was a very fun evening. We also took the chance and explored the botanical garden a bit before and after the concert, and learned a thing or two about the local flora.Read more

  • Philipp JacobiusTravelerSoutheast Africa
    1

    A Sunset Sprint

    January 30, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    After getting plenty of work done during the day, both Anne and I had our evening meetings canceled simultaneously. In a spur of the moment decision we decided to hike up the local Lion's Head hill/mountain to see the sunset from there.

    We thought we were running quite late, because we only got there at 18:00, with the sunset scheduled for 19:45 and the signs saying that we should expect to need two hours to reach the top. We came armed with our water bottles only, and that really motivated us to head up quickly so we would still enjoy stunning sunset views.

    It turned out that we only needed 45min to reach the very top, so I don't know if the test walkers are super slow or if we were flying up the mountain. But we ended up with a looot of time on top before the sun settled, which gave plenty of opportunity to reflect on our situation and talk about our vision for the trip ahead.    Read more

  • Philipp JacobiusTravelerSoutheast Africa

    A Proper Setting for a Birthday Lunch

    January 31, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Once we got back to the flat, the girls told me we had some activities planned for the afternoon. I had mentioned in the previous days that I am quite fond of surprises, so they didn't tell me any details. When we got out of our Uber, we stepped out at a local country club renowned for their great seafood offerings, where I tried a fish unknown to me so far - a kingklip. Everything was delicious and so were the afternoon cocktails we got there 😍

    After the late lunch we walked over to a nearby beach, for a quick dip and to enjoy the sunset. From there, we took a taxi back into town, where we practiced our patience while waiting in line to get into a venue with live music. We spent over an hour chatting away while in the queue, but ended up getting inside and seeing the last bit of live jazz before a DJ took over. But no, we didn't dance the night away, but made sure we shook out some dance moves before heading home to get some rest.    Read more

  • Philipp JacobiusTravelerSoutheast Africa
    2

    Imagine Dragons

    February 1, 2023 in South Africa

    After a regular work day we headed off towards the local stadium, where Imagine Dragons were playing as the final stop of their recent world tour. We managed to get some tickets the week before, but the day of the concert it was fully sold out with 60,000 concert goers.

    Anne and I were running a bit late and didn't manage to have proper food beforehand, so Arlett was nice enough to bring us some Flammkuchen from a nearby food market, which obviously was not permitted to bring inside the stadium. We ate most, but had fun giving the remainder away to others in the security line.

    The show was great, the music was fantastic, and I really enjoyed the lead singer. Super good vibes, and they touched upon a lot of important topics. Climate change, the importance of the younger generations, seeking help when depressed, and they were even sporting trans flags on one of their guitars.

    It was a complete mess trying to get a taxi after the concert, but some 40min or so later we were finally headed home.    Read more

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