You are currently browsing the monthly archive for June 2009.
With frequent power outages, many long bus rides, and a lack of internet, I read quite a few books this past year. I wanted to share the list with everyone as most of them were quite good.
The Bang Bang Club: Snapshots from a Hidden War (Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva) – A great book about 4 photo-journalists who took photos during the apartheid era in South Africa, and the impact their jobs had on them.
Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson) – A bestseller about a man who opens schools for girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Invisible Cure (Helen Epstein) – Informative book about why HIV/aids in Africa is so rampant and what to do about it.
Dreams of My Father (Barack Obama)- Insight into our current president, and the childhood that shaped him into the person he is today.
Into Thin Air (Jon Krakauer) – A quick read about a deadly climb up Mt. Everest.
The Grass is Singing (Doris Lessing) – A waste of time….
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Jonathan Safran Foer) – An addictive but slightly strange book about a 9-year-old on a quest for answers.
100 Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) – A classic book that is beautifully written, but I found it to be a bit dragged out.
Swahili for the Broken-hearted (Peter Moore) – An account of a traveler from Cape to Cairo with many opinionated observations stated as facts.
They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky (Benjamin Ajak, Benson Deng, Alephonsian Deng) - A heart-wrenching, page-turner about two brothers and a cousins’ experiences of being lost boys of Sudan. The book is written by them.
When a Crocodile Eats the Sun (Peter Godwin) – A white Zimbabwean journalist writes about his life in the country under the oppressive Mugabe regime.
The End of Poverty (Jeffrey Sachs) – A must-read for anyone in development, but I personally don’t always agree with his ideas and found the book to be a bit dense.
The Constant Gardener (John le Carre) – Even better than the movie!
The Fate of Africa (Martin Meredith) – A historical account of Africa that is an essential read in order to understand Africa today.
Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Dave Eggers) – A mediocre fiction novel, which at some points is very comical.
The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver) – A beautifully written and engaging book about a missionary family to the Congo.
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families (Philip Gourevitch) – A great and informative book about the Rwandan genocide.
Dead Aid (Dambisa Moyo) – A great book on why aid isn’t working in Africa and some alternative solutions to ending poverty.
Shantaram (Gregory David Roberts) – A fantastic book about a criminal fugitive who builds a life in Bombay, India.
To get myself excited to be returning to the US, I made a bucket list on the plane of all the things I was looking forward to doing (or eating, for that matter) upon my return.
1. Getting a haircut
2. Getting a new license so I have some ID and can drive again (it was stolen last October)
3. Fettucini alfredo from Maggiano’s
4. Sleeping in a room with a/c and a warm duvet
5. A hot shower
6. Pizza
7. Starbucks
8. Unlimited fast internet
9. Dr. pepper
10. Late night pizza
11. A bowl of cereal
12. Fixed prices
13. Privacy (stayed in dorms mostly when I backpacked)
14. No mosquito net
15. Splenda
16. Talking on my cell and not worrying about running out of credit
17. Free tap water at restaurants
18. Fresh mozarella, pesto and tomato on ciabatta bread
19. Ability to warm up food in a microwave
20. Cafes
21. Personal space
22. To have more than 5 shirts
23. To see all my shirts at once
24. Washer and dryer
25. To blend in and speak English
26. Drive, on paved roads of course
27. Mac and cheese
28. Getting a wax
29. Chipotle
30. Netflix
31. Playing golf
32. Seeing the fam, Roy and friends
33. A bagel
This is more or less the route I took…
I spent the last few months backpacking on my own around East and Southern Africa. While I’ve taken a few other trips this past year, this is a summary of the last two and a half months.
I visited the following countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa.
Top 5 of my backpacking trip:
- Mt. Kilimanjaro and safari, Tanzania (Kili posts)
- Tofo and whalesharks, Mozambique
- Purim with the Abayudaya Jews, Uganda
- Rafting at the source of the nile in Jinja, Uganda
- The Ilala down Lake Malawi, Malawi
Approximate number of hours I spent on buses: 178 hours or 7.4 days or 10680 minutes. I have a feeling this is largely underestimated because I only added up the long bus rides from one destination to the next but not when I just moved around a place.
Favorite countries: Rwanda and Mozambique
Place I stayed the longest: Tofo, Mozambique
Longest bus ride: Nairobi to Kampala (~14 hours)
Most expensive activity: gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Worst hostel I stayed at: Doogles in Blantyre, Malawi
Best hostel I stayed at: Chimp-trekking lodge in Budongo, Uganda
Best beer: Kilimanjaro (500 ml) made in Tanzania
Only country with no international ATMs: Rwanda
Biggest avocados: Malawi
Country with least infrastructure: Mozambique
Best climate: Rwanda
Longest stretch I went without showering: 3 days
Most vicious mosquitos: Mozambique
Most unreliable guidebook: Lonely Planet
Safest capitol: Kigali, Rwanda
Most memorable meal: Macaroni and cheese (that I made)
