Preview of Bronwen's blog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Akwidaa, Ghana Entry Title: "Akwidaa" Entry: "Oooh, it's hot and humid in Ghana - people pay good money at home to sit and sweat in a sauna like we're doing. First stop on the tourist trail after crossing the border from Burkina was Mole National Park - a chance to see some more wildlife and enjoy the luxury of sitting around a swimming pool during the heat of the day, the whole event made more interesting by the fact that a local baboon has realised that entering the camp is a very easy way of getting food and drink (a bit scary when he stole the water bottle off our table though - he was a lot bigger than those Barbary apes in Gilbraltar...). The highlight at Mole is taking an early morning walking safari (with armed ranger) to see the elephants drinking and swimming in the water hole (the elephants were swimming, not us). Another very worthwhile stop we made on the journey south was Boabeng-Fiema Monkey sanctuary. The monkeys living in the nearby forest have become sacred to the extent where they are given a ritual funeral when they die and more importantly (for them) they are not allowed to be eaten. Literally anything that moves in Ghana is looked upon as food and eaten - people catch bushrats and sell them on the side of the road and it's not unknown to eat dog or cat in the north of ...
A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Serengeti National Park, Tanzania by TravelPod blogger Spoonball titled "I bless the rains down in Africa". TravelPod is a company of TripAdvisor™. Spoonball's travel blog entry: "DAY SIX (Wednesday, September 9, 2009) Ain't no way to hide your LION eyes. Today was our sleep-in day. No need to depart until 9 am. However, today we departed our luggage as well. We were limited to our Tauck duffel bags for the next two nights. We will have a reunion with our luggage in Arusha when we transfer to Kenya on Friday. Our traveling companions today were Stephanie Foote and Carol Sobol of Denver; our guide was Assand. First up as we left Ngorongoro was a Big Sky Montana view of the Serengeti Plain. And appropriately enough, our first encounter was with giraffes, which is the animal I normally associate with the area. It turns out the giraffe is the national symbol of Tanzania, because it can't back up, it can only go forward. Tanzania officials loved the symbolism, AND the fact that the giraffe is the most peaceful animal in the plains. Next was a long and very bumpy ride out of Ngorongoro where the roads are pitiful and into the Serengeti where at least they are graded. We arrived late morning at Olduvai Gorge (see description on Day Five). FYI, a gorge is the same as a canyon, only not as deep. We had a lecture on the archeological significance of the gorge and the anthropologists who have made history there. We headed to Nobi ...
A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Johannesburg, South Africa by TravelPod blogger Indianajill titled "Soweto" Indianajill's travel blog entry: "The one thing we wanted to do during our short time in Joberg was to go to Soweto, the site of some of the the first anti apartheid protests. In advance of our trip I had searched for a guide and we were lucky to find Nel Redelinghuys, a former history lecturer at the University. Her knowledge of Soweto was impressive, her love of the people easily evident. She has been very involved with people in Soweto and we had a wonderful, very personal tour. Nel took us to see the original area of Soweto, which was very different from my expectations and not the slum I had expected it to be. Soweto was originally a settlement for the workers in the gold fields. The houses while not very big, were sturdily constructed of brick. Even after the end of apartheid it is strictly a black community. It is recommended not to go into Soweto on your own, but the same is said of Johannesburg. First we visited Freedom Square where we viewed the Eternal Flame, walked in the market square and had a light snack in the parking lot. Nel had prepared a snack and beverages for us thinking we might not have had time to eat after arriving. We viewed Nelson Mandela's house as well as that of Desmond Tutu. We had a lunch and drinks in a restaurant in which we were the only whites. We were made to feel very welcome, everyone greeting and ...
