Nineteenth Stop - Bratislava, Slovakia

Thanks to our good friends at Groupon, we were able to tag on a trip to the capital of Slovakia. For those who have seen the movie "Eurotrip", you will know what we were expecting. For those who haven't, well, it looks something like this.


However, the city turned out to be nothing like it - well, we only saw the downtown. But what we saw was a neat city, friendly people who couldn't quite figure out where my foreign accent was from, and cheap, yes, cheap, Christmas markets.



And finally, if anyone knows how this guy did it, please leave a comment.

Thanks.

Eighteenth Stop - Vienna, Austria

"Haben Sie Wien schon bei Nacht geseh'n...?" - Inspired by the musical makings of Mr. Fendrich and Jenn's desire to see some K&K, we decided to go on a short trip to Vienna.


Despite having only two full days, we managed to get a clear picture of the wonderful life of Empress Elisabeth aka Sisi and some other royals, some of it from high above.


Other than that, the trip was dominated by visits to various Kaffeehäuser and by Schnitzel, Schnitzel, and more Schnitzel. Finding the best and largest Schnitzel in Vienna (unofficial home of the Schnitzel) turned out to be a daunting task which could not be completed in such a short time. We tried anyways and Jenn gave it her very best.

For those who plan a trip, two recommendations. Lodging at Pension Aviano is incredibly central and room 308 is almost like a trip back in time ... almost.


For those with a giant appetite for some true Viennaise food, try "Zu den 2 Lieserln" in the Burggasse. You won't be disappointed.

Seventeenth Stop - Tofo, Mozambique

Who the hell goes on vacation to Mozambique?!

Well, we did.

And, it was surprisingly exciting.

Basically, there is one road in Mozambique, the EN1, that goes from the capital Maputo in the South all the way to the North. The road is probably 3000 kilometers long and pretty much the only tarred road in the entire country. We took it for about 500 kilometers. It was in surprisingly great condition and had a police post every 25 kilometers to check for speeders.


We spent the first couple of nights at Bamboozi Lodge, which we can only recommend to our worst enemies.

According to CIA world factbook, the GDP per person in Mozambique is about US$1000 per year. So, you would think that a US$80 per night hotel is quite nice, right? Well, at Bamboozi you get a straw hut, prison beds with mouse droppings, mosquito nets with giant holes, occasional electricity and running water, and a toilet with no seat where the shit hits the fan when you flush ... literally. Not fabulous!




After three nights sleeping fully clothed because of the mosquito net holes, we moved to Casa do Mar, which is run by a lovely South African couple and provides EVERYTHING, yes EEEEEEVERYTHING (I am quasi-quoting Dr. Andy Colombiano from the bar at the Tofo market) you could want on a beach vacation for only US$8 more per night ... including breakfast. Fabulous!


View from hotel room.


Martin and Gregor at "breakfast included".

There is not much going on in Tofo, so we spent the days playing games on the beach with local junior "brrrracelet" makers wagering pens for bracelets and letting them win on occasion.


A fabulous place, if you can take the 30 hours it basically takes to get there.


Other observations:
- A lot of foreign aid in Africa must go to toll collect stations and radar speed traps
- If needed, you can always get free condoms at border posts in South Africa, Swaziland, and Mozambique - for real
- Do not change money at the border, you might be had ... even if you come prepared
- Do not buy third world service at first world prices

Sixteenth Stop - Kruger Park, South Africa

It has been a while and, this time, I am traveling with my brother.

It is a ten hour flight from Munich to Johannesburg and then another four to drive to Kruger Park, one of Africa's most famous wild life reserves. For someone with limited access to wild life, the sight of zebras, elephants, and buffaloes crossing the road right in front of you is intriguing, but that is exactly what you will get.

Impalas are everywhere ...


Zebras also.


Elephants show up on occasion.


And sometimes ... they all appear at once.


And then, there was this guy, the "Tamboti trash bin scavenger".


The hotels were quite unique - and, yes, I accidentally shaved my beard off.


We stayed there for four days and did a one day excursion to Swaziland, which is run by King Mswati III, who has something like 20 wives and over 60 children. It is good to be king, I guess. The place itself is not so inspiring, but, for one day, we were the only whites we saw.


Other observations:
- Africans are in no rush until they get behind a steering wheel
- Trucks can be overloaded
- It is cold in Swaziland
- There is massive money to be made in process efficiency improvement consulting in Africa