Mysterious Africa

After remaining hidden from the world for 3,000 years, the mummified face of the Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun has been revealed on Saturday. The skin is black and crackled with a leathery texture. The ‘buck teeth’, which is a family trait of Tut’s family, is conspicuous.

According to the Dr Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s head of antiquities, the face of Tutankhamun needed immediate preservation to prevent it from pulverizing from the heat and humidity generated as large number of visitors visited the sarcophagus everyday. The mummy was taken out of the lavishly decorated sarcophagus and was been placed in a climate controlled glass case in the tomb. The face and feet of Tutankhamun are visible while rest of the corpse is covered by linen. It will now be easy to monitor the mummy.

Virgin forests, impenetrable jungles, vast expansive grasslands and the eventual merging into the Kalahari Desert. A lonesome cheetah tracks your movements perched on a tree and contemplates its next move. The cheerful birds chirp in the blazing African summer heat and the saga of the African wilderness continues unmindful to the changes the rest of the world has seen. The parched earth cracks and the smell of earth hits you as the reddened skies turn gray and it rains in torrents, bringing the much-needed moisture to the dehydrating flora and fauna. Botswana, a land of unspoilt natural habitats and the epitome of a true African experience, has for the discerning traveler, a great experience awaiting.

A true African success story, Botswana today is a country that has left it’s history far behind and races towards progress. A country with one of the best infrastructure, employment rates and investment friendliness in modern Africa, modern Botswana is a tourist hotspot with unsurpassed wildlife parks and reservations. The country is already well known for it’s safari and gaming reserves, though gaming is strictly prohibited in reserves and national parks. The prosperity of the nation and the relatively good infrastructure when compared to other African nations, attracts tourists from all over the world for that unique African safari experience.

Night brings on a dangerous yet active time for all wild animals for this is the time when the heat cools off. The night is full of dark mystery, terror, silence and predation.

Crepuscular creatures began to stir with the dying of the light. You could be a part of this memorable experience by going on night drives into Africa’s game parks.

The opportunities range from Kruger National Park, Mkuze Game Reserve, Mountain Zebra National Park and Itala Game Reserve. And budget night drives cost under $25

Mountain Zebra National Park: one of South Africa’s most ruggedly beautiful but least-visited preserves, offers night drives for 100 rand (about $13 at 7.6 rand to the dollar) a head. The park’s mix of dry river valleys, high grassy plateaus and recessive mountain chains rising in the distance to 7,000 feet, with black rhino, Cape buffalo and herds of foaling zebra.

Addo Elephant National Park: Night drives at Addo cost 180 rand a person. Here the vehicle are bigger and the guides more. Elephants have to sleep on their feet in brief power naps. Given the bulk they must support, elephants don’t dare to rest too long from eating.

Night drives force us to develop our senses. We’re reminded how much we lean on sight and how, by animal standards, we’re amateurs.

Well if you do go for the drive, hope for a guide who enriches the experience with silence and is yet informative.

Source: The New York Times

Single tourists and other backpacker-mass-tourists slipping into Ghana have resorted to preying on truant and delinquent kids idling on the beaches and streets by luring them with money, immigration abroad and other gizmos. This is the sordid byproduct of an increase in the international student educational tourist flood.

In some cases, parents have even condoned the involvement of their kids in gay pedophilia and child sex for money. Some of the hotel and lodging operations in Ghana are pimping for such tourist and using child sex tourism as a promotional tool for their businesses.

The tourism sector in Ghana, both public and private, do not seem to be doing much or taking the issue seriously and neither those agencies responsible for the protection of children. Moreover the international community should make some arrangements to put a stop to such nefariously disgusting activities.

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Source: All Africa

Sipi Falls is one of Uganda’s most romantic and beautiful falls. There are three levels of falls, but the two upper levels are fairly small compared with the main drop.

The fall is about 55km north of Mbale, in the foothills of Mt Elgon and not far from the town of Kapchorwe. The falls and the views of Mt Elgon above them are awesome.

Sipi Falls lodge:

Sipi Falls Lodge is located in the Mount Elgon National Park, some 5 hours northeast of Uganda’s capital Kampala. It offers superb views of the Sipi waterfall.

There are five comfortable thatched bandas with private facilities and stunning views of Sipi Falls and the Karamajong plains. It is the perfect base for exploring the foothills of Mount Elgon or just relaxing and enjoying the surrounding scenery.

It is well worth spending a night or two in this peaceful and pretty place.

Source: allafrica

Perhaps, the political upheavals and poor economy of Libya are not strong enough to bury the charm of historically renowned city of Timbuktu. The mysterious land remained unnoticed until date and its old literature stamped under the hot and humid Sahara desert.

If literature mirrors society, then Timbuktu is all set to rise like a phoenix from its vanished glory with the antique annals of manuscripts that endured eleven generations of open neglect. These records set its claim for the renaissance of the city and of its culture with its roots reaching to far regions like Spain.

The annals of the baroque but forgotten Arabic scripts that are held by Diadie Haidara, belong to sixteenth century. The world was apparently oblivious of the treasure until now however, with the musty and fragile pages, these unique scripts have the potential to provide second chance for Timbuktu to regain its faded glory in the erudite hearts of Africa.

Empowered by the past records of ancient scripts and books that are brought by the visitors from all over the world in the past, the city craves to make an Alexandria for the Black African. The city is at the verge of renaissance, but this time will not allow it to diminish unlike the camel hooves on the sands of Sahara that recedes eventually.

With this development, the thousands of books and scores of scriptures will be revealing the prevalent socio-political scenario of the time to researchers for the first time. And with this the European governments, including US, UK, and Mideast have conferred thousands of dollars to revamp the dilapidated and neglected libraries to attract the scholars from all over the world to explore the hidden past.

Timbuktu, a trading post set by nomads in the 11th century, is making a slow comeback for years. Its manuscripts began to emerge in the mid-20th century, when Mali got freedom from France and the city was declared a UNESCO world heritage site.

These manuscripts are the treasure of Islamic history that include biography of Prophet Muhammad form 13th century. The study of these manuscripts will definitely bring the facts of Islamic history to the fore, thus flourishing the Islamic learning. With the funds that are conferred to it, the city will come out from the shackles and the ebbs of the lost glory, rejuvenate the learning euphoria in the city, and the plans like digging the canal while hoaxing the big sand mountain will bring the life giving water of river Niger to Timbuktu.

Via: NYTimes

The serene and wonderful ILHA DO IBO of Mozambique, Africa is indeed a great place to relax for a few days. The Times Online foreign correspondent Christina Lamb selected this particular island for solitude after being shot at by the Taliban during her assignment. The northern Mozambique island helped her sort of come to terms with things after her terrible ordeal.

No more web cafes, no more hustle bustle of the city. Just imagine yourself and the waves coming at you. The experience at Ibo island can be quite surreal indeed. The island is a part of the recently created Quirimbas archipelago. The ancient mansions with their grandeur and wrought iron terraces attract many tourists to the island. These mansions are actually home to visitors of the island. Also available are the island lodges.

Fishing and tourists are the two things that Ibo dwellers thrive on. As Christina Lamb mentions in her article, the island is controlled by tide. Tides can make it or break it. Boats take off early in the morning during high tide known to locals as maji-mwingi. This is when traders guide their boats through the local mangrove forests. I would like to try out the guided mangrove excursion.

Along the fishing adventures, tourists can experience scuba diving with a qualified local guide. Ibo also offers sea kayaking for the adventurous. To get to the island board a flight from Dar-Es-Salam. The room rates at Ibo lodges vary from $80 to $280 and children over 12 can stay for half price. I think this sounds like a great island to get away from the hustle bustle of the city.

Image Credits: Eyesonafrica, Technoserve, Akdn

Timbuktu is not a city of the imagination it very much exists! Not much has changed in this ancient trading center, apart from the means to get to it. Before the late 20th century, the only way to reach the legendarily remote city was to take a lumbering five-day boat ride up the Niger, or to travel hundreds of miles across the Sahara.

Bamako, Image credit

The best point to get to it is from Bamako, Mali’s cheerful, sprawling capital on the Niger. The great city flourished on a bend in the Niger River for more than four hundred years.

Port of Timbuktu, Image credit

Timbuktu was at the end of the camel caravan route that linked sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa and Arabia. Gold, ivory, and kola nuts passed through Timbuktu, but the most important commodity was salt. Timbuktu was located near several salt mines. Caravans hauled salt.

Timbuktu dudes, Image credit

Tales of Timbuktu’s fabulous wealth helped prompt European exploration of the west coast of Africa. Among the earliest descriptions of Timbuktu are those of Leo Africanus, Ibn Battuta and Shabeni. The place name is said to come from a Tuareg woman named Buktu who dug a well in the area where the city stands today; hence “Timbuktu”, which means “Buktu’s well”.

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Timbuktu began as a trading city, but in time the developed into the intellectual and spiritual center of West Africa. Manuscripts found in Mali dispel myths of literacy in ancient Africa. The city of Timbuktu was a center of learning and culture many years prior to the intervention of European colonialism.

Sankore mosque, Image credit

Sankore, as it stands now, was built in 1581 AD (= 989 A. H.) on a much older site (probably from the 13th or 14th century)and became the center of the Islamic scholarly community in Timbuktu. They claim it to be the the world’s largest mud structure.

Image credit

Non-believers are formally banned from the mosque after an unauthorised French fashion shoot with skimpily-clad models, but for a fee you are allowed briefly to wander the cool, dark, vaulted interior, with its 94 pillars and delicately-moulded mihrab facing towards Mecca.

Local transportation, Image credit: abdiallo78

Caravans of swaying camels still trudge into Timbuktu carrying great slabs of salt hewn from mines deep in the Sahara.

Waiting for customers in Timbuktu, Image credit: Wedan

Tuaregs and members of the Bella people, their former slaves, make regular journeys there, travelling in the cool of the night and navigating by the stars.

A peek out a restaurant’s window in Timbuktu, Image credit: Barry Williams

Timbuktu is a land far off where the desert, not the town, dictates the rhythms of life in gentle sway.

Source: Telegraph

Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient Egyptian noblewoman’s large stone coffin while they were digging a site near crumbling pyramid of Unas in Saqqara built during the reign of Ramses II. Named Sekhemet Nefret, the coffin is said to be built more than 600 years before the nobleman’s death and it is the first find from Egypt’s 27th dynasty.

The stones of which the walls of the burial shaft was made are said to date from the even earlier reign of the pharaoh Djoser, who was buried in Saqqara’s distinctive step pyramid. The coffin was found empty and archaeologists believe that the body had been stolen by grave robbers.

The inscription on coffin identified the noblewoman as the mother of a priest who presided over a cult devoted to Pharaoh Menkaure, the 4th-dynasty king who was buried in the third biggest Pyramid of Giza. This finding made archaeologists believe that noblewoman lived in the 5th-century B.C. and was buried in a coffin built in the 12th century B.C., in a shaft made with carved stone slabs from the 26th century B.C. The coffin is believed to have been used by Nefret’s family for burials well into Egypt’s 30th dynasty.

Source: National Geographic News

Thinking about your next vacation already? Are you considering an island or beach resort? If climbing ancient volcanoes, and snorkelling is fun, check out Principe sland. With a population of 6000 people roughly, this might just become your deserted island getaway.

Off the coast of Central Africa, this tiny island is yet another heavenly paradise. You might ask yourself: Why do I want to go to this tiny little island? Isn’t it boring?

Well, I don’t think so. Principie island offers:

* exotic BOM BOM resort. BOM BOM means ‘good good’ in Portuguese.

* The island is just a small part of the Sao
Tome island. So, it is rich in history and culture. Back in time, these islands grew sugar and coffee as well as cocoa.
You can drink the best coffee in the world here!

* Check out the unique blend of African and Portuguese cultures here.

* Activities offered to visitors are big game fishing, scuba diving, Rainforest tours, historical tours and the list goes on... In other words, theres lot to do on this little island.

You can also climb ancient volcanoes on this island.

What are you sitting home for? Get on a flight from Lisbon & experience the exotic Principie between June to September.

Image Credit: Saotome