I just bought a one-way ticket to Cape Town, South Africa.

Yep.



I'd been planning to travel Mexico/Central America starting this winter, but out of the blue a friend I met (on the first day of my six month Asia trip I might add) and traveled with in the Philippines messaged me asking if I wanted to do a big Africa trip with him. I said yes. No, scratch that. I said HELL YES.

The plan right now is to fly to Cape Town, South Africa to meet my buddy (he is from there) just before New Years, then meet up with a friend of his in Mozambique shortly after. He is buying a 4x4, an old Land Rover or something, and we are talking about spending up to a year driving north to Egypt. Along the way we will be spending a lot of time SCUBA diving (and hopefully surfing!) on the east coast of the continent as well as exploring inland a great deal.

I leave in just over a month.

It's just starting to set in really. Every time I think about it I smile and laugh.

Last week was exactly a year since I left on my big Asia trip, I spent the summer on trips in Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Alaska and Montana, now I'm going to Africa for as much as a year... I've officially kissed normal life goodbye.

Well, have fun.

Yep, this sounds epic! I have a ton of friends in Africa right now working with the Peace Corps and none of them can stop talking about how awesome it is.

I'm hoping that you'll be regularly updating the blog?

Stop by the US base in Djibouti and say hi to my friends! You have to go over to the Sinai (in egypt) and dive in Sharm el Shiekh, lived there for a few months, its fantastic. Then up the road an hour or so to Dahab, its like a backpacker's retreat thing, very chill. Good luck and don't stay in Cairo for longer than 8 hours, its a beast of a city!

Fuckinay Fiddy!!! Africa is so much cooler than Mexico/MidAm.

Of course! I will have FAR less internet access than I did on my Asia trip, since in guest houses I pretty much had the internet every day, but I'll make it work for sure

Need to start figuring out visas....

Kick ass! Can't wait to read the blog. But don't forget, if you get AIDS the cure is to rape a baby.

That sounds surreal! Question: how can you afford a year of trave without working down there? Is the exchange rate just that good where you can just go down with a pot o' gold and just live happily ever AIDS?

...which is where the AIDS comes in. He's going to suck his way across the continent. There, I said it.

So when did you win the lottery? I mean, I hope you have a good trip and stay safe. But man, ever consider you may be getting in over your head a bit? Africa is certainly not all sunshine and rainbows, with lots of love for the white man.

Nah, I think he'll be fine. As long as you stay out of known trouble spots (Somalia, Liberia, Darfur, etc) and aren't waving the American flag everywhere you go, it should be safe enough. I wish I had had the stones to take such a trip at his age. Well, in reality I was already raising a family and couldn't have. So I'm kinda jealous actually. Jah speed Tweak traveler!

i'm totally jealous. The amount of traveling you do in the fashion you do it, wish i could do that. Actually i try to get around but obligations such as work,money and such make it impossible. Whats your secret dude ?

money isnt a huge issue when traveling and staying with friends and stuff, you just have to control your spending and not go crazy

Get some black nay-nay.

This. And I agree with MSP on his comment about the age and kids.

If I hadn't married, or my wife and I were more adventurous earlier on in our relationship, we would probably be doing month long vacations to places exotic, and then working like buggers to pay for the next big trip.

Alas, she got knocked up, multiple times. Now all my wife can say is "We should go to Mexico or Jamaica". Pffft...with mortgage, three kids, vehicle payments, and one of us working like a dog, while the other stays at home and makes money while taking care of our kids...hard to do.

I envy you, fiddy.

What, this part?

It is. Babies = virgins. However, if you follow the Book of Mormon, a frog will also suffice.

[video=youtube;zEGDlC9MVEk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEGDlC9MVEk[/video]

south africa has more white people than black.. dunno if you'll fit in, but you'll have fun for sure.. one of my friends went, and the women seem to be hot... she raised a pet lion... and has scars all over and is proud of it..
anyways have fun 950 im jealous of you.. how the hell do you afford to randomly go out like that anyways