tim morch

Kenya to Cape Town

In October 1998, I flew to Nairobi, Kenya, with my partner Kelly. We landed in a sombre city not long after the U.S. Embassy was bombed. The view of the rubble from the window of our taxi left a lasting impression. Our primary objective was to get out of the city and reach the coast north of Mombasa. This proved an adventure on its own.

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Over the next six months, we travelled through eastern Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and down the west coast of South Africa to Cape Town, hitchhiking most of the way and sleeping in a tent. Our experiences were as diverse and colourful as the countries we visited and the people we met along the way. Naturally, the stories piled up in my journal.

In Cape Town, we hired a car and followed the coastal routes all the way to Sodwana Bay, near the border with Mozambique. The ocean, beaches, and surf breaks were always out the right side window. Heading inland, we drove around Swaziland, crossing to Kruger National Park and finally Johannesburg.

The countries we visited were diverse in so many ways. From language and culture to climate and geography, the experience was challenging and rewarding.