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Darren and Janet
Darren and Janet

Darren and Janet

traveled in 34 countries Read more🇦🇺Adelaide
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  • Darren and JanetTaiwan 2018Darren and Janet
    1Pig and strawberries. We had both.
    Pedestrians, cars and scooters share the road, Fengxia Night MarketRainbow Village1Taking your bird out for the dayLi-yu-t'an ReservoirBlack stinky tofu

    Stinky tofu, and other culinary delights

    December 1, 2018 in Taiwan ⋅ 🌫 20 °C

    After a fabulous breakfast of scrambled eggs, steamed buns, porridge, rice, vegetables and toast, we met our driver Steven to begin our tour of Taiwan.

    Being Saturday morning, the roads are full of locals heading away for day trips out of Taipei, so progress was very slow at times, despite being on a 4 lane freeway with additional raised lanes on both sides.

    We arrived at Longfeng Broken Bridge in time for morning tea, and Oliver jumped right in the deep end with a Taiwanese specialty - black stinky tofu (the name is extremely accurate). She and Steven had most of it, but everyone had a taste.

    We continued through the mountains on to Shengxing Railway Station, a town which was bypassed by the railway many years ago, and uses that, and its Hakka heritage, as a tourist attraction (think Hahndorf with noodles instead of wurst ☺). We also made some traditional pound tea by grinding herbs, peanuts and seeds in a mortar and pestle before adding hot water to make tea.

    We then drove to Taichung via the Rainbow Village, a former veterans village which was painted from head to toe in bright murals by one of the residents in a bid to save it from demolition. He is in his 90s now, and although no lives there anymore (it is purely for tourists), he was in the village today and happy to pose for photos for a small fee.

    Next stop was the Fengjia night market, famous for its imaginative food and drinks. It was here that bubble tea was invented, so we sampled sweet potato balls, fried quail egg balls, a hot dog in a hot dog (a pork sausage inside a rice sausage "roll"), deep fried suckling pig omelet, and a watermelon milk drink. We walked for over 2 hours and covered about half the market, so you'll get an idea of it's size!

    A short drive across town had us at our hotel around 8pm.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetTaiwan 2018Darren and Janet
    Ruin of St Pauls
    On the way from Senado Square to St PaulsSenado SquareShop front in the former red light districtEggs tarts being knocked out of their metal cases by the bakerWe're too early for most of the shops to be open

    The Ruins of St Paul

    November 30, 2018 in Macao ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Sightseeing day, starting with a bus trip to the southern island to visit Scout Headquarters, which is housed in an old fort.

    Our return bus trip took us to the number one tourist attractions in Macau, Senado Square and The Ruins of St Pauls, along with hordes of other tourists.

    Senado Square is a central meeting place where they hold community events and is surrounded by laneways lined with shops and market stalls. The tourist masses form a slow moving human train from Senado Square up to the Ruins of St Pauls, the facade of a 17th century church that was destroyed by fire in 1835.

    We walked back to the hotel for our late checkout and to catch the hotel shuttle to the ferry terminal. The ferry check in was integrated with the airport system, so we were able to book our bags through to Taipei.

    We took off about 20 minutes late for our 1 hour 40 minute flight to Taipei, negotiated their e-gate process on arrival, then caught the MRT train to the city of Chungli for our accommodation for the night, in preparation for the start of our tour tomorrow.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetTaiwan 2018Darren and Janet
    Macau Tower Skywalk
    Golden Reel figure of eight ferris wheelInside The Venetian... on level 3!Venice anyone?Supermarket, the most expensive stuff on the topshelf - cognac and baby formula

    Macau - tower, casino's and tarts

    November 29, 2018 in Macao ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    We departed the hotel just after 9am for a walk to the ferry terminal, bound for Macau. After taking a while to find the ticket counter, we bought tickets for the 10.45am departure, but were also told to line up in the standby queue for the 10.15am ferry... and got on that quite easily!

    On arrival in Macau we caught the hotel free shuttle bus, checked in to one room and caught the local bus to the Macau Tower. After a quick lunch, including our first Portuguese egg tart, KT and Chris braved the Skywalk, a vertigo inducing walk around an outside platform 322m up, secured by only a cable! The rest of us stayed inside and enjoyed the views across Macau and mainland China.

    After a cuppa and another egg tart, we caught one of the casino shuttle buses to the Cotai Strip, a Las Vegas style extravaganza of massive buildings, neon lights and copies of famous world attractions. We had a ride in "the world's highest figure of eight ferris wheel", suspended between 2 towers of the Studio City casino (we suspect it's the only one in the world!).

    Unfortunately we then made the mistake of entering The Venetian, a labyrinth of shops, complete with canals and gondolas, and spent the best part of an hour trying to find our way out! We found out later it's the largest casino in the world... no wonder it seemed to go on forever!

    By the time we emerged it was dark, so we caught a free shuttle to another casino near our hotel - the casino's are only too pleased to take you if they think you'll spend some money at their establishment, so they are a popular form of transport between the islands.

    Tea was a Mecanese and Portuguese buffet at the hotel (and more egg tarts), followed by a trip to the supermarket and a quick swim for KT, DC and Chris before bed.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetTaiwan 2018Darren and Janet
    Noodle lunch, Stanley
    A lot of pointing was involved ordering tea!Flower vendor among the banyan tree rootsStanley waterfrontForeshore park Hong Kong Island, looking towards KowloonYep, that's his whole shop, under the escalator, Causeway Bay

    STANLEY!!

    November 28, 2018 in Hong Kong ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    We took a trip down south today to the Victor Harbor of Hong Kong, Stanley!

    We caught the local bus via the Aberdeen Tunnel and Repulse Bay (home to a Ferrari and Tesla dealership!), and arrived just in time for morning tea - egglette (egg waffle) has become KT's favourite.

    We wandered the market, went for a beach walk (yes, there was a cache involved!) and had lunch in a backstreet noodle establishment (generous serve of mains were $5 each, compared to the waterfront where a gourmet cheese toastie was $20 at the "English pub").

    We caught the bus back to Causeway Bay (and found where all the traffic is in Hong Kong), visited Lot No 1 (the first parcel of land auctioned off by the British after the claimed the colony), and the Noonday Gun (as mentioned in Noel Coward's Mad Dogs and Englishmen).

    Street food for dinner tonight, literally! We bought pork buns, rice and other items of unknown ingredient from a small shop front and ate them on the street ☺

    Today's Tesla count: 75+ (he stopped counting!)    Read more

  • Darren and JanetTaiwan 2018Darren and Janet
    Double deck tram, aka Ding DingWorld's most expensive tree?Peak WalkHong Kong ParkRainbow cheese toastie

    Ding Ding to The Peak

    November 27, 2018 in Hong Kong ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    We caught the Ding Ding this morning, the double deck narrow gauge tram that runs past the front of our hotel, then walked to the lower station of the Peak Tram, the funicular up to Victoria Peak.

    Victoria Peak is where the classic photos of Hong Kong are taken, and the crowds were indicative of its popularity. Most people take some photos at the peak, do some shopping, then go back down, but we did the 90 minute walk around the Peak Track, a 3km circumnavigation of the peak. We got some great views of the docks and outlying areas on a very quiet (and pleasantly flat) track.

    Atfer a spot of lunch, and a rainbow cheese toastie for KT, we caught the funicular back down and walked to the underground station via Hong Kong Park, and visited the world's most expensive tree - a bit like the Burnside gum, this banyan tree was preserved when the area was redeveloped, at an estimated cost of A$4 million.

    During our walks we have been surprised by the lack of cars on the road (but the trains and trams are packed!), and the cars are either taxis or luxury vehicles. DC decided to count the Tesla's today and got to 24! (turns out HK had very attractive rebates for electric vehicles and sold 2900 in one month before the rebates were removed. By comparison, Australia sold 1400 for the whole year)

    The rain started again mid afternoon, so we ate locally at the Queen Street Cooked Food Market again for tea - highlight this time was the crispy pork in scrambled egg!    Read more

  • Darren and JanetTaiwan 2018Darren and Janet
    Central-Mid-Levels Escalator
    View from the cache, rooftop garden

    Star Ferry and Ladies Market

    November 26, 2018 in Hong Kong ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    We had a more leisurely start today, leaving the hotel just after 9am for a walk to the ferry terminal to catch the historic Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour to Kowloon.

    With a few detours for caches, we walked through Kowloon Park to the Hong Kong Scout Association, who have a large museum as part of a Scout branded hotel, which is also the tallest Scout building in the world!

    After lunch at a small noodle and dumpling restaurant we walked via the Temple Street night market (not much happening during the day), to the Ladies Market. This was very busy and continued for many blocks, so by the time we reached the other end we were ready for a train trip back to the ferry terminal.

    We spotted the Space Museum on the walk fron the train station, so DC paid a vist while we had coffee and cake at nearby Starbucks.

    We caught the Star Ferry back to Hong Kong Island and ventured up to a rooftop garden in search of another cache. Apart from a great view, there was also a burger bar on the rooftop with outdoor seating, so we stopped there for tea and enjoyed the harbour lights.

    The journey back to the hotel was partly via the Central–Mid-Levels Escalator, the world’s longest outdoor covered escalator system (800m in length with a 135m rise in elevation).    Read more

  • Darren and JanetTaiwan 2018Darren and Janet
    Street market, Tai ONot sure what practices prompted these rules!

    Long day on Lantau

    November 25, 2018 in Hong Kong ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    We arrived at 4.10am and caught the first train to the city at 5.50am. After a quick train change at Central we arrived at our hotel at 7am. Unsurprisingly our rooms won't be ready for a number of hours, so we decided to tackle our longest planned day - a trip to Lantau Island (back where the airport is!).

    To get back to Lantau we caught a bus to the ferry terminal, then ferry to Mui Wo on the east coast of the island. After a walk around town, a failed attempt for a cache, and a bakery visit, we had a winding, mountainous bus trip across the island to Tai O, a traditional Chinese stilted fishing village on the west coast... and all before 10.30am!

    Tai O, on the Pearl River delta, is also home to the rare pink dolphin, so we went for a boat trip through the village and toward the new Hong Kong-Macau bridge in search of some. We spotted one, which considering there are less than 50 left in the wild, is pretty good.

    It started to drizzle as we walked through the market, sampling some cuttlefish balls on the way, so we caught the next bus to Ngong Ping, home of the Big Buddha. It was raining properly by now, so we decided against climbing the 250 steps to the top and headed for Ngong Ping 360, a 5.7km cable car ride with views across the South China Sea, national park and airport. We knew it was all out there sonewehere, but the cloud was so low we had times we couldn't even see the carriage ahead of us!

    We caught the train back to the hotel, KT had a snooze and Oliver, DC and I went out in search of food. We settled on the accurately named Queen Street Cooked Food Market for some delicious noodle and rice dishes, then a quick trip to the supermarket for supplies.

    KT and Chris frequented the same food hall and got the full theatre of washing your own crockery before you eat, and complimentary tea service, then we all went to the coffee shop downstairs to discuss the next day's agenda over hot chocolates ☺    Read more

  • Darren and JanetTaiwan 2018Darren and Janet

    Night flight to Honkers

    November 24, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Adelaide Airport, Saturday night, ready for the much anticipated family holiday ... and did a virtual cache on the way in. It doesn't get much better than that. ☺

    Everyone has their own app... Chris has Travefy, KT and DC on Facebook, me on Find Penguins, Oliver has Notebook 1.0. Here she is sharing her app...

    Good flight, arrived 45 minutes early and an hour before the first train to the city, so plenty of time to... sit and wait.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Rooftop pool, Horizon Manor Hotel
    View from the roof, along Corniche, towards West BayView from the roof, towards souks1Newspaper censorship, Qatari style

    Doha - hot, damn hot!

    July 23, 2017 in Qatar ⋅ ☀️ 41 °C

    Weather forecast - 47°
    Activities planned - not much, it's even too hot to go caching ☺

    Woke late, breakfast in the room.

    Spent some time in the rooftop pool, then in the air conditioned gazebo by the pool.

    Went for a walk to the local shops, delicious shewamah for lunch.

    Watched some TV in the room - who knew The World Games are on in Poland at the mo, that Fin Swimming is a sport, or that Australia is in the bronze medal playoff in Ultimate Frisbee!!?

    Late checkout, 4pm, read the paper and ate snacks in the lobby until our airport transfer at 7pm.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Arch of Swords
    Toward Waqif SoukStreet scene near souk, Doha

    Return to Doha

    July 22, 2017 in Qatar ⋅ 🌙 33 °C

    Final morning in Jordan, so after a quick breakfast at the hotel we went for a walk down the street before our afternoon flight to Doha. As it's the last day of the weekend, the shops are just starting to open as we returned at 10am.

    Abed picked us up for the trip to the airport and on the way picked up the airport agent - once again he escorts us through the "Jordanian" queue at the airport to expedite our immigration experience!

    Nice flight to Doha, and arrived to another 45°C day! Settled into our room, then went for a walk as the sun was setting. Had tea in the Waqif Souk, then walked to the Arch of Swords, which was a popular meeting place on a balmy night.

    Dropped into a couple of shops and the supermarket on the way back to the hotel.

    Stayed: Horizon Manor Hotel, Doha    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Roadside date syrup vendor, bending over to pour a cup
    View of Rasun from Ajloun Forest Reserve lookoutRasun Museum (yes, the trees are the museum!)Roadside coffee stop, AmmanPolice checkpoint, Amman outskirts... in the same place everyday!Street stall, Amman

    North of Amman

    July 21, 2017 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Buffet breakfast at the hotel, followed by 8.30am pick-up for our trip north. We started at the village of Rasun where we met our guide for a walk through Ajloun Forest Reserve. In this park they revere their olive trees, and even have a museum in town to celebrate their 1000+ year old trees. The park also contains Roman era caves and pits used for grape pressing.

    We went to a local house for lunch, another feast of local dishes, including purslane (cooked like spinach).

    After lunch we visited Ajloun Castle, a 12th Century Muslim castle on top of the tallest hill in the region. It is a moated castle with 7 towers to allow the inhabitants to see invading forces.

    After leaving Ajloun we headed to Jerash, a city occupied since 2000BC, now most famous for it's Roman era ruins.

    We arrived back in Amman around 4.30pm, stopping on the way for a date syrup drink from a roadside vendor (3 cups for 1JD = $2).

    Around 7pm we went in search of dinner. We walked back towards the city centre to find the streets abuzz, with many shops still open and the street sellers starting to set up their stalls. We had a local burger each, chips and a drink (3JD = $6 in total). On the way back to the hotel we visited the bakery for dessert, and the supermarket for some drinks for tomorrow.

    Stayed: Toledo Hotel, Amman    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Amman street view, from citadel
    Qatraneh Castle, Desert HighwayBlue MosqueReady to enter Blue MosqueRoman Amphitheatre, Amman, from citadelTea, Jerusalem Restaurant

    Afternoon in Amman

    July 20, 2017 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We left Petra at 10.30am for the drive to Amman on the Desert Highway. The name is quite descriptive, a couple of small towns where the speed humps force you to slow down to about 60kph, but apart from that, nothing but sand and trucks (and the occasional flock of sheep and goats being herded across the road).

    First stop in Amman was the Blue Mosque - it probably has a proper name, but it's massive blue dome is a focal point in the city. We both had to robe up for the the visit, which was self guided.

    We then made the short drive to the Citadel, an ancient site on top of the largest hill, affording 360° views of the city. Entrance fee was 3JD each ($6) and 25JD ($50) for the optional guided tour - our driver had already advised against taking the (very persistent) offer of a guide - there is ample signage to make sense of everything without a guide.

    Abed then dropped us downtown for a 2km walk back to the hotel via the city centre. Given the traffic it was probably quicker to walk, and it was a great way to experience the buzz and noise of the city on a "Friday" night (the weekend here is Fri and Sat).

    After a fresh juice and some shopping in the main street we stopped at Jerusalem Restaurant for tea, grabbed a quick cache on the way home, then had a pleasant walk back to the hotel, arriving at dusk.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    The Treasury
    Blue Sinai LizardThe Treasury from aboveThe Siq, main path into PetraView from the High Place of SacrificeWith Hamsa, having tea at a souvenir stall

    Petra

    July 19, 2017 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    A full day walk around the ancient city of Petra, carved into rock around 300BC. We met our guide, Hamsa, at 8.30am, returning to the hotel at 3pm.

    Tickets to Petra vary whether you spend a night in the area (50JD = $100ea), or just visit on a day trip (popular with the cruise ships that dock in Aquaba on the Red Sea, 90JD = $180).

    We took the road less travelled today, leaving the main path not far from the entrance and climbing to the cliff top opposite The Treasury, the most iconic and best preserved building in Petra.

    From there we crossed the valley to the Obelisk and High Place of Sacrifice (finding a cache at both locations ☺), then descended into the valley to see The Treasury and Siq at ground level, before the long, hot walk out.

    We had a welcome swim in the hotel pool, had booked in for a Turkish Bath and massage, but no one was at the centre when we arrived, so grabbed a pizza and headed back for an early night.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Dead Sea float
    Mt Nebo3Bike ride, Mt Nebo to MukawirLunch with a local family1Dead Sea coast, with salt deposits as the sea level recedes

    Bike ride and Dead Sea

    July 18, 2017 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 31 °C

    After breakfast in the hotel restaurant, Abed picked us up at 8am and headed to Mt Nebo, only a few minutes from Madaba.

    Mt Nebo is, according to the Old Testament, where Moses saw the Promised Land before he died. On a clear day you can see Jericho and Jerusalem (that wasn't today), but we did see some more mosaics by early pilgrims which have been excavated and preserved.

    We met our cycling guide, Anas, in the nearby town at 9am and began our journey toward the Dead Sea. He was a member of the Jordanian Road Cycling team for 9 years so we were in good hands. The ride was 55km, and wasn't as easy as we'd been expecting, with many hilly sections and a bit of off-roading between the farms. Fortunately, we had a support vehicle follow us the whole way, so Oliver took advantage of getting a lift for a few kilometres of the steepest section.

    We arrived at Mukawir and went to a local family house for lunch. We had the traditional welcome coffee, followed by sweet black tea with fresh mint, then a delicious meal of chicken with rice and vegetables. Everthing we ate, except the rice, was grown by the family. This was regarded as a small family, with only 6 children - our host's brother has 24 children to 2 wives (Jordanian men can take up to 4 wives simultaneously, who each live in a separate house).

    After lunch we drove to the Dead Sea coast via the Mujib Nature Reserve, a green area on the map, but no green to be seen in real life. It was like a lunar landscape, barely a tree or bush in sight, but with spectacular mountain views and a steep, windy descent to the Dead Sea, 400m below sea level.

    All the "public" beaches are behind the hotels, so you have to pay to access them. Being so hot (it hit 43° later in the day), the hotel was fairly empty, save a few hardy souls swimming in the luke warm hotel pool. The beach was even more deserted, so we had our 10 minute float in the saline, oily waters, then caked a bit of (supposedly) therapeutic mud, before rinsing off in the warm outdoor shower and headed back to the air conditioned car quite hot and unrefreshed!

    We had a 3 hour drive to Petra for the night, but we extended that by an hour to take the scenic route via the Dana Biosphere.

    We arrived at Petra at 8pm, a quick shower to freshen up, and headed out for something to eat. It's a proper tourist town (the main street isn't called Tourism Street for nothing!), so everything is quite expensive, but we managed a shawarma (like yiros, but thinner bread and no salad), and a juice each for $40!    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    6th Century mosaic, Archaeological Park and Museum, Madaba
    View flying into JordanView from our hotel balconyMain street, Madaba6th century mosaic discovered under 19th century church

    Arrival in Jordan

    July 17, 2017 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    Our first view of Jordan couldn't have been in greater contrast to Rwanda - not a hill or blade of grass in sight!

    We were met before immigration by a rep from the Jordanian agent we booked through, and were expedited through the "Jordanian" queue with a free visa - getting it in Australia was going to cost us $400 each, or buying it on arrival was $80 each, but as we used a registered Jordanian agent, he arranged it for free.

    He handed us over to Abed, our driver for the next 5 days and we headed towards Madaba, 30 minutes from the airport. On the way out of the airport we were stopped by a police patrol. "If he asks, this is a free hotel shuttle service" Abed briefed us as we stopped. Turns out one of the senior politicians owns the taxi company, and he doesn't like anyone else getting paid to pick up people from the airport, so the police do his dirty work. Ah, that's so Congo...!!

    We stopped for a Turkish coffee from a roadside stall on the way, then straight to Madaba on a very quiet road. The roadside was dusty and barren, with piles of rubbish everywhere. Madaba is south of the capital Amman and is best known for the 6th century Mosaic Map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Made of two million pieces of coloured local stone, it is believed to be the earlist map of the villages and towns as far as the Nile Delta.

    After checking into our hotel, we went for a walk to the town centre and located the Church of St George. We'd just finished taking photos of the mosaic when a lady appeared and asked for our ticket, which we were apparently meant to buy from the gift shop before entering. Clearly no need for that now ☺.

    We then visited the Archaeological Park and Museum, which has the remains of several 6th century Byzantine churches and homes, even more impressive than the church. The guide also took us to a mosaic workshop where they are keeping the art alive, before we grabbed a drink and some pizza for tea on the way back to our hotel for a swim.

    Early night, ready for our bike ride tomorrow.

    Stayed: Mariam Hotel, Madaba    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Monorail, Doha airport
    Nice view of Doha from above

    Kigali Airport shenanigans

    July 16, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We got a lift with Carla to the airport, stopping on the way in for a security check. We all got out the car, unloaded our carry-on and check-in luggage onto a platform, and a sniffer dog was bought out and gave them the once over. At the same time the car was examined, including the boot, bonnet and underside. When all were happy, we reloaded the car and entered the airport car park.

    Carla went straight in, but as we were more than 3 hours before our flight, we couldn't enter the airport, so sat in the outdoor coffee shop for an hour.

    At the alotted time, we passed the first external security check (only passengers are allowed in the airport, no family or friends to say goodbye), then spent 25 minutes discussing the finer points of Jordanian visas with the second security check (he referred to his handbook, then his supervisor, then wanted to see evidence that our agent in Jordan was an authorised agent), before allowing us to pass through to the first bag security checkpoint (including compulsory shoes off).

    We checked our bags through to Amman, wandered the shops, before another full security check (shoes off again 😕), before entering a waiting lounge with 5 numbered doors that all led straight onto the tarmac!

    Short transit in Nairobi (didn't have to pay the advertised $20 USD transit visa), then on to Doha. Got hit by a wall of heat as we got off the plane just after 6am, so looked up the weather - it was 34°, feels like 47°! Inside, the monorail between terminals runs above the lounges.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Genocide memorial at Hotel des Mille Collines to the 6 staff who died
    Since the genocide, all streets have been renamed to numbers... not always in a logical sequence1Building scaffolding Rwanda style - there's a man balanced on each floor passing the bars up to the topAt museum cache, Oliver walking up the hill

    A Sunday at the pool in Kigali

    July 16, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Our last day in Rwanda, before our flight to Amman tonight. Qatar Airlines have cancelled all their flights to Kigali, and at the same time cancelled our onward flight to Amman - fortunately our travel agent was onto it quickly and rebooked us a Kenyan Airways flight to Nairobi, then Qatar Airways to Doha, and a new flight to Amman. The net result is that we don't have a 12 hour stopover in Doha and we get to Amman 4 hours earlier, so it's turned out ok.

    Late breakfast - massive smorgasbord of cereal, fruit, hot and cold meats, freshly squeezed juices (bush tomato was the favourite), pastries, cheeses and our favourite new term, active cooking!

    Aloys was available today to take people to the airport, shopping, to museums, church services and caching! A few went to the tail end a local church service (the full service was from 7am - 11am), while Kerry and Ruth visited the Natural History Museum and we went along to attempt the cache nearby.

    The museum staff first told us the cache was inside the museum grounds and we would have to pay $10 USD each to access it. The cache notes indicate it was outside the museum, so we declined her offer and undertook our own search. We found the spot indicated in the spoiler photo, but the cache was gone. The security guard told Aloys she knew the location, but she took us to the previous coordinates, so we went back to the correct spot and found an empty screw top container in the grass that looked like it could have been the cache container. We were carrying a spare log, so we put it in the container and found a more secure hiding spot very nearby.

    We returned to the hotel briefly before heading out again with Kerry and Ruth to the Genocide Memorial - Ruth to check out the souvenir shop, while we took Kerry in search of the cache we missed 2 weeks ago. We had it in hand very quickly this time, while 2 armed guards looked on quizzically - funny how on second look you wonder how you missed it the first time! We can now claim to have competed every cache in one country - I'm sure that won't happen again!

    Back to the hotel for packing, and the atmosphere has hotted up, with a live band playing near the outside bar. Sunday afternoon around this pool was the place to be seen pre-1994 - local families, expats, politicians, military and business people all mingled together and much of the capital's business was done here over a drink.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    View from our room, Hotel Rwanda
    The bicycle is the workhorse of Rwanda, but the terrain means a lot of walking the load uphill!Kindling transported on the head, usually by women and childrenHow to get your TV home on your bike!Free petrol for moto taxis todayBreakfast "active cooking", Le Bambou Lodge, Kinigi

    Hotel Rwanda

    July 15, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Our last morning in the volcanoes region, breakfast was 8.30 and we chose the "active cooking" option (omlette cooked while you wait).

    The drive back to Kigali is only 80km, but the winding roads and number of hills makes it a multi hour trip, especially when you throw in souvenir stops!

    We departed Kinigi at 9.40am, had a lengthy stop at the local souvenir market, then a stop in Musanze for water. The town was festooned with red, white and blue, the colours of the president's party, RPF - the general election is on August 4 and the current president, Paul Kagame, was due to visit the region this weekend. As part of his election campaign, he offered free petrol to all moto taxis, so there was quite a queue at the local servo.

    We made a stop at the halfway point for some supplies of banana wines and to sample some bbq'd maize.

    We arrived in Kigali at 2.30pm and headed straight to the Hotel des Mille Collines - the "Hotel Rwanda", as depicted in the movie. Lunch was under the verandah near the pool (NY Club sandwich for me, chicken burger for Oliver).

    After we settled into our room, we went for a quick shopping expedition. While we waited for the drivers, we looked for the cache in the hotel car park. It didn't take long with 6 sets if eyes looking! (for the record, muggle Vaal found it)

    Shopping was at a craft market for last minute souvenirs , then the supermarket for food supplies. Tea was in the hotel's outdoor restaurant (pork chops, Nile perch).

    Stayed: Hotel des Mille Collines    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village
    ArcheryQueen Carla and King PetePrincess Margaret plays the bride...and another gorilla from yesterday ☺

    Cultural Village

    July 14, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    After yesterday's trek we were grateful for a leisurely 9.30am breakfast (porridge, omelette and ginger tea), and 10.30am departure.

    The Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village is a tourist orientated display which employs residents of a former poaching village to display Rwandan heritage, lifestyle, food culture and dance. Each display is accompanied by a demonstration and commentary, and we were invited to participate in the dancing and wedding ceremonies,

    It was only a short distance from the lodge, so we were back for lunch at 1.30pm.

    We had a free afternoon to pack, wash, read etc, then an information session from Carla, before tea in the restaurant and bed.

    Being in the mountains, it's a bit cooler at night, so you have the choice of the staff lighting the fire in your room (each room has an open fire place), or a hot water bottle in your bed. Tonight we chose both!    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    The baby of the groupWe're heading up there!Sunset over the Virungas

    Gorillas in the clear

    July 13, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Mountain Gorilla Day!
    Up at the regular 5.45am for a 6.30am departure for the Ranger's station. Not as many people here today - the gorilla treks are always booked out (96 people per day), so there must be less on the monkey treks - so it didn't take long to get our allocated group. There are 12 habituated groups of gorillas, and only one group if trekkers visits each one, and we have been allocated the Umabano group, which is a family group of 15.

    The treks are designated as easy (up to 1 hour), medium (1-2 hours) or difficult (over 2 hours), but it's all dependent on where the gorillas move. Ours is usually a medium trek, and we've been fortunate to be allocated Francois as our guide - he's been working with gorillas for 36 years and was one of Diane Fossey''s guides, so he's fluent in gorilla and is a legend among the guides.

    It was a 45 minute drive to the start of the track, so we set off walking at 8.45am. The mountain gorillas roam all over the mountain, so we headed up and up, with the guides in radio contact with trackers who had gone up earlier to locate the group. It was a grueling walk, constantly uphill for almost 2 hours, with a number of stops to catch our breath. The altitude adds to the difficulty of the walk, and word came down that the family had been located at 2900m (as comparison, Mount Kosciuszko is 2,200m above sea level).

    About 100m from the group, the head tracker met us and we left our bags and porters and headed up with Francois. The first gorilla we spotted was the number 3 silverback of the group (unlike chimpanzees, gorillas have multiple silverbacks in a family group), who was pkaying with a younger male. We watched them for a while at close quarters, then went further uphill and saw both the head silverback and number 2. As we were moving uphill, a young male crossed the path between us and brushed against Oliver's leg with his hand!

    We spent over an hour observing the family playing, grooming and sleeping, then made our way down. The return journey was considerably quicker at 45 minutes.

    We returned to our lodge for late lunch, then went for a drive to the twin lakes, Burera and Ruhondo, and a sundowner at Virunga Lodge (the first lodge built after the genocide, to cater for gorilla tourism...but at $1600 a night, we won't be staying there anytime soon!)

    Returned for buffet tea and viewing of a gorilla DVD around the open fire before bed.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Golden Monkey
    Bamboo forestSouvenir market near Golden Monkey trekTeam Rwanda cycling team headquartersMount Sabyinyo, on the Rwanda, Congo and Uganda border

    Golden Monkey trekking

    July 12, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Another 6.30am departure and drive to the ranger station for registration. This is where the gorilla and monkey treks leave from, so there was a car park full of 4WDs and around 200 people there. This is the cash cow of Rwandan tourism and the government recently doubled the price of the gorilla permits overnight, from $750 to $1500... and there's talk they will double it again to $3000 to reduce demand whilst maintaining income. Hopefully they won't kill the goose that laid the golden egg...

    We're doing the Golden Monkey trek today, an easy 45 minute walk, firstly through the potato plantations, then into a bamboo forest. There are 120 monkeys in the family, and it didn't take long to spot them. Golden Monkeys are endangered and only found in the volcanic mountains in this area. They live in the mid region of the forest away from their two main predators - eagles at the top of the trees and wild dogs on the ground. They feed quickly and store the food in cheek pouches for later digestion, so look very cute with their chubby cheeks!

    We returned to the lodge for lunch, then headed into Musanze for some shopping at the local market. At 4pm we visited the Dianne Fossey Gorilla Fund Museum for a guided tour, and paid an impromptu visit into Team Rwanda cycling team headquarters on the way back. We spotted their sign on the way into Musanze, but the gate was closed when we got back - it didn't stop Aloys who soon had us inside, and got a tour of their facility! Unfortunately they didn't have any merchandise to sell 😕

    When we arrived back at the lodge there was a local dance troupe waiting to perform for us. It was an energetic performance, including some crowd participation (not only can we not jump, turns out we can't dance either!)

    Dinner was a buffet in the lodge restaurant, early bed at 9.30pm    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Some of the 1000 hills of Rwanda
    Head sling to carry goods - we saw a woman with 2 water containers on her back, 1 on her head, and carrying anPied Crow

    Driving via Lake Kivu

    July 11, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    After 5 nights in the south west, today we head north along Lake Kivu toward Volcanoes National Park.

    A full day driving - we left Kamembe at 8.30am, morning tea at Kibuye at 12.30pm (half way up the lake), lunch at Gisenye at 3.30pm (top of the lake), arrived Volcanoes National Park 7pm.

    The quality of the main roads in Rwanda is as good as any in Australia (but with a lot more pedestrians and bicycles, and constantly hilly and windy), and construction is still ongoing at a furious pace. Despite the long hours, it was a great drive with diverse scenery. The scenery was ever changing, so much so that we dared not take our eyes off the road for fear of missing another spectacular mountain or lake view, a bustling village, or a load of vegetables or building materials being balanced on someone's head or bicycle! And I think they underestimated the number of hills in Rwanda at 1000!

    Dinner in the lodge restaurant (buffet), before bed at 11.30pm.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Chimanuka
    3Us and Chiminuka!Machetes clear a pathChecking pants and socks for fire ants after the trekJungle checkpoint with orange plastic bag full of money

    Ramble in the Jungle, DR Congo

    July 10, 2017 in DR Congo ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Today is the most adventurous day of the trip, mainly because it involves a border crossing into the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the more unstable and corrupt places in Africa. We started early with a 6am departure, knowing that the border crossing may be a lengthy process - and we weren't disappointed when it took over 2 hours!

    Arriving at the Rwandan side at 6.10am, we joined our first queue at immigration. After getting the required exit stamps we walked across the rattly wooden bridge (with plenty of slats missing), into the Congo and met the vehicles on the other side. When we arrived, an official asked the drivers to park off the road, so we suspected we were in for a long wait.

    After presenting our passports and completing an immigration form, our yellow fever certificates were recorded in a manual ledger. We were told that the supervisor had to approve our access. He told us that another more senior supervisor also needed to approve us, and he contacted the national park we were visiting to confirm our identities. He received verbal confirmation, but had to wait for an email confirmation before we could continue. We finally got the go ahead just after 8.15am. As a side note, our driver paid the first bribe of the day to the border guard who said he'd need to buy some new pens because the driver was using his... so $20 USD should get him a few, and probably got us moving a bit sooner!

    The town of Bukavu is huge (population 870,000), but the main steet is mostly dirt with small sections of asphalt among the potholes - the difference between The Congo and Rwanda is like chalk and cheese - Congo has piles of rubbish on the streets, terrible roads and corruption everywhere (our second and third bribes of the day were a $20 fee to enter another district and a $15 "road tax" from a dodgy looking boomgate across the road). Unfortunately we couldn't take any photos in Congo as that requires a permit which was $250 USD per camera!

    We reached Kahuzi Biega National Park, 30km from Bukavu around 11am and had a briefing from the head guide before heading out with our convoy of armed trackers/guards/porters - we're not sure if the AK-47s were to protect us from gorillas or guerillas (there is apparently still some unrest in the northern part of the park, but we saw nothing in the southern area). On the way to the trek start point we stopped at another checkpoint where a soldier was collecting cash from vehicles and pedestrians and depositing it in a plastic bag hanging on a post (we didn't see any receipts handed out ☺) - there is a village on the other side of the park and the villagers cut through the park to the local market, an18km journey each way... and pay a fee for the pleasure.

    Trekking started with the lead guides hacking a path though the jungle with machetes - there are no defined paths in this park, so the going was quite slow. The terrain varied steeply up and down, from thick undergrowth, through tropical rainforest, bamboo forest, two creek crossings and a swamp, so it was a relief after 90 minutes to spot the first gorilla. These are Eastern Lowland gorillas, and the Congo is the only place in the world to see them. This group is lead by a 36 year old silverback named Chimanuka and has 29 members. We saw about 10, some in the trees, some on the ground, some very close to us - the silverback climbed down the tree and sat in the grass eating about 3 metres from us!

    We spent about an hour observing them, then hacked our way back to the road. We arrived back at the rangers station at 3pm, had a meeting with the park director - we are the first large group they have had visit this year, so he was keen to impress us, thank us for making the effort, and appoint us as unofficial ambassadors of his park!

    The return journey to Bukavu took longer, but the border crossing was considerably shorter on the Congo side. The Rwandan side took over an hour while we paid another visa entry, then lined up again to get our passports stamped.

    We arrived back at the hotel at 7.30pm, exhausted but elated after a long and groundbreaking day. Dinner was again on the deck (pepper steak and pizza), before a very welcome bed!    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Uwinka Overlook
    L'Hoest monkey by the roadsideLocal shopping1Mobile phone street charging stationKamembe driving schoolKamembe main street

    Uwinka Overlook

    July 9, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    A luxurious lie in until 7.30am, breakfast of cereal, fruit and toast and departed for the canopy walk in Nyungwe Forest at 8.45am. The canopy walk, officially known as the Uwinka Overlook on the Igishigishigi Trail, is a 200 metre walkway suspended 90 metres above the forest floor, which affords spectacular views across the valley and is supposedly a good spot for bird watching.

    We were joined on the tour by 5 local Rwandans and 5 Chinese nationals who live in Rwanda (Chinese companies manage a lot of the road building in Rwanda), so we were a group of 15. The Rwandan government is trying to encourage locals to visit tourist spots in their own country by offering discounts to locals - the tourist price for this walk is $60 USD, but locals only pay 5000 Rwandan Francs ($6 USD).

    It was a pleasant 45 minute walk down to the start of the canopy walk, then single file across the suspension bridge. We took our time making the crossing and loitered on the platforms for quite a while, but disappointingly only saw one Blue Monkey in the distance, and no birds for the entire journey.

    On the way back to the hotel for lunch we spotted a couple of L'Hoest monkeys (formerly known as Mountain Monkeys) near the road who hung around long enough for a few photos (lunch was Caeser Salad and a beef burger).

    We had a free afternoon so took up Aloys' offer of a lift to the centre of Kamembe for some shopping. Being Sunday afternoon not much was open, but we had some interesting chats and made a few small purchases.

    We had a briefing in the lounge in preparation for our trip to the DR Congo tomorrow, then dinner was in the hotel restaurant (fillet pepper steak and potato croquettes x2).    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    School issue shoes... most kids wear them all the time
    Forest walk to chimps1I'm getting good at these selfies!Baby sling demoRwandan bride strikes a pose just for us!

    Chimps at the crack of stupid o'clock

    July 8, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    This was the early morning we knew was coming! As chimpanzees build a nest to sleep in each night, the plan was to arrive in the forest just after they wake up and observe their morning rituals... so the alarm was set for 3.30am for a 4am departure.

    We had about an hour to drive to the start of the trek, then up to an hours' walk to where the chimps were likely to be - a number of trackers go out early to locate the group, then a guide with radio communication leads us to them.

    There was a mix up with the meeting time with another group we were joining up with, so we waited on the side of the road for about an hour before we headed to the Cyamudongo Forest. This forest is only 5 square kms and is separated from the main forest by farm land, so this chimp population is isolated. The long term plan is to reposess land in between to build corridors of native vegetation so the animals can commute freely between both areas, and avoid problems with inbreeding.

    We had quite a steep walk down the valley, at one point taking a shortcut through the vegetation to get to the next path, before the chimps moved on. We heard them in the distance before we saw them, so our first sighting of 2 chimps sitting on the path ahead, grooming each other, was rather surreal. They were much bigger than we expected and not quite as docile as we believed - about 3% of their diet is meat, so they occasionally kill smaller monkeys, or other chimps for food. They have also been know to kill humans, if they are threatened.

    There was plenty of movement in the bushes around us, with calls from both sides, then all hell broke loose as a younger male challenged the alpha male, in the bushes just above us. Teeth were bared, branches ripped as a show of agression, and screeching galore as the 2 males fought. It was a reminder that these are wild animals, and we were in their territory. Everyone remained calm and did as we were told (stay still and don't run, even if you think you should!), and the heart quickening moment was over in about 30 seconds. Carla has been observing chimps in the wild for 20 years and had never seen males fighting like this, so it was more special than we first realised.

    We moved around the corner and observed the rest of the group for a while, then moved away and ate our packed breakfast (boiled egg, jam sandwich, cheese and fresh fruit).

    We left the forest via a local village, had an impromptu demonstration of how to tie a baby sling, African style, and headed to the Gisakura Guest House for lunch (buffet of rice, potato chips, beef in tomato gravy, peas, and fresh pineapple)

    As it was the first time we have arrived in Kamembe in daylight, we drove the scenic route to the hotel, and witnessed wedding photos being taken up the road from our hotel. The bride struck a pose for us and we obliged as tourists do!

    As we came into the hotel, the reception staff suggested we order tea now to avoid waiting later - we were happy to oblige! (matoke (plantain) with peanut sauce for me, vegetarian lasagne for Oliver). We did some much needed washing, then tea and drinks on the deck.    Read more

  • Darren and JanetRwanda 2017Darren and Janet
    Black & White Colobus Monkey
    Hike to the waterfallWith youngWalk back through the tea plantation

    Nyungwe Forest, Waterfall Hike

    July 7, 2017 in Rwanda ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Cereal and fruit for breakfast this morning and a civilised 8.30am departure for the Waterfall Hike in Nyungwe Forest. The weather is a couple of degrees cooler in this area, but still pleasantly mid 20s and no rain.

    After a briefing at the rangers station we drove with our guide Christophe to the start of the trail. After tucking our pants into our socks to avoid getting ants up our legs, we set off through the tea plantations, but then the going got tougher once we entered the forest. The path was well marked, but had some steep sections, so the walking poles they provided came in handy. The valley was thick with lush rainforest undergrowth, but only a few birds spotted (and some toads).

    The walk to the waterfall took 90 minutes, so we were looking for a rest and snack. The return journey took a little longer.

    Lunch was at the Gisakura Family Hotel - buffet of beef in tomato sauce, cooked plantain, rice, spaghetti, potato chips and steamed pumpkin.

    After lunch we went in search of Black & White Colobus monkeys. The guide was in contact with some trackers who had located a group of about 30 near the edge of the forest, so we only had a few minutes walk. We spent almost an hour watching them jumping from tree to tree along defined "roads", playing, grooming and looking after the 3 youngsters in the group (about 3 weeks old, all white). Also spotted Dent's Monkey and a Blue Monkey, who was acting as lookout from the top of the tallest tree.

    Arrived back at the hotel after dark, had dinner in the hotel restaurant after an African "short wait", ie 90 mins! - whole tilapia for Oliver, chicken and maize for me.

    Bed just after 10pm in preparation for an early morning tomorrow.    Read more

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