Steppes In Africa; A Disney-inspired Safari-D is for Dreadful History and a Final Departure- THE END (12/21)

[Steppesister]

Replies in the next few days... busy time right now!

 

[disneyAndi14]

Really enjoyed following your journey! Amazing adventure!
Thank you for the detailed report and all the beautiful pictures!
I say you are an adventurous solo traveler I will definitely follow your next big adventure!

 

[pkondz]

And this brings us to the final chapter of this most glorious trip of a lifetime.

And what an adventure!!

in addition to Bali and Tuscany, I would put this at the top of that definitely someday list.

High praise.

The price was very reasonable at around $5/pp

Not bad at all. Very reasonable, especially since it was so interesting.

includes a rather lengthy history of the cathedral, a view of the slaves’ holding dungeon, and a rudimentary, but explicit, museum on the history of slavery in East Africa

All of this. For $5? A steal.

the official end of slavery in Zanzibar of which David Livingston and the British government played a huge part.

Huh! I thought he was "just" an explorer.

(I like big butt-resses, and I won't lie.)

And it's a big butt-ress too.

The slaves mostly came from the interior by means of betrayal of their own or neighboring enemy tribes

Their own...

can’t remember some of the history, but know my heart grew heavy at the scope and depth of human suffering that took place on the ground I was on.

And especially since you were right where it all took place.

In essence, the English role shifted from participating in global slave systems (like the Atlantic trade) to being the primary force dismantling the Indian Ocean slave trade

Huh!

He shared that the black tiled lines are the exact lines that the slaves would stand along in order to be inspected prior to purchase.

Whoa...

That's really humbling.

A beautifully carved crucifix stands inside which is made from the wood of the tree that David Livingstone’s heart is buried under in a village in Zambia. His body is in Canterbury Cathedral.

I had to re-read that... Then I had to Google...
How very odd to be buried in two vastly different places!

One one occasion, the main builder who was overseeing the project decided to go on safari for a few weeks and left the crew to carry on the project themselves. When he returned he was shocked to find that they had installed the columns at the entrance upside down!!! In the end, he decided to leave them as is and they remain a quirky misstep in the cathedral's construction.


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The answer was a shocking 50-60.

In that tiny place?? Ugh!

The center recessed area, he explained, was for human waste, and once a day, the tide would wash up the drainage system “canals” and flush out the sewage.

Lovely...

the percentage of slaves dying in transit in the trans-Saharan and East African trade routes was significantly higher, estimated to be between 80% and 90% due to the harsh overland journeys.

The slave trade is bad enough, but this is shocking!

One fact that struck me as incredibly interesting was the fact that male slaves under the Islamic slave trade were often castrated therefore creating a perpetual and never-ending market for new slave labor.

Makes business sense... in an incredible amount of cruelty.

Yes, I was still temped to drain the gas before I gave it back.

By the time I was all boarded I was actually ready to go back home. I felt I’d had such a wonderful adventure but I was tired and ready to be in one place again for a while.

I can see that. You've had quite the trip!

what the heck is that??

Doha Airport. Ooh-la-la! Seriously, this is an over-the-top hoo-rah with gardens, fountains, creeks, art of all kinds, live music, high-end shops, nice restaurants, you name it!

I've heard of it...

Holy smokes!

This does not look appetizing.
You say both meals were good, so I'll give it a pass, though.

Disney actually does an okay job at re-creating a safari experience. The trucks are huge, but do accurately resemble the open-air concept you’d find on the African savannahs.

Huh. Interesting. I wouldn't have thought that.

The Disney movie The Lion King is shockingly also very good at depicting life on the savannah in terms of animal behavior and landscape.

Really!

my next big adventure is a 2 ½ week road trip through Central Europe and the Balkans in May.

More fun with Stepp!

I will likely start a Pre-TR sometime in April

Yay!

I know I am a very slow reporter and take forever to finish my TR’s.

Point of order...
You finish your TRs. Many don't.

I’ve made some wonderful friends along the way on the DIS.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Mortality Rates: Mortality rates during the Middle Passage across the Atlantic were high, at around 10%. However, the percentage of slaves dying in transit in the trans-Saharan and East African trade routes was significantly higher, estimated to be between 80% and 90% due to the harsh overland journeys.

I can't imagine the horror those people endured. The death rate shows how little they cared about the people they were enslaving.

If you ever get a chance to book a safari in Tanzania, DO IT!!! There is nothing scary or “roughing it” about it. The lodges are clean, safe, and very comfortable. You will see so, SO many animals every time you go out on a game drive. Honestly, it’s all very surreal.

My sister enjoyed her safari in November. But unlike your trip, hers has lots of people and tour groups. She said that it wasn't unusual to have 20 safari trucks watching a group of animals. And she had more expensive lodging, with air conditioning.

I’ll finish by letting you know my next big adventure is a 2 ½ week road trip through Central Europe and the Balkans in May.

That sounds fascinating. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it.

 

[zanzibar138]

Another thoroughly enjoyable Steppesister TR

I admire your resolve to endure the (emotionally) uncomfortable parts of travel as well as the good. I started reading your final update in depth, but had to skip to the end. I don't think I could have handled that level of emotion as my last activity for the trip!

My flight wasn’t until 10:20P, so I had a LONG time to kill. I sat in the entrance area by the one and only café and scrolled on my phone

Yuck. Better than being late though...

By the time I was all boarded I was actually ready to go back home.

I'm not surprised after such an intense trip!

My layover wasn’t long if I recall, but I amused myself with the opulence and muchliness of the Doha Airport.

It reminds me of Jewell at Singapore.

I’ll finish by letting you know my next big adventure is a 2 ½ week road trip through Central Europe and the Balkans in May.

Looking forward to this one! Although we won't end up having much crossover, I hope to read about your experiences around Salzburg (although being near the end of your trip, you may or may not get around to it before I leave!). My parents will have a bit more crossover (although they will be going at a much slower pace than you, with 2 weeks to drive just from Dubrovnik to Salzburg ), and I hope to pass on any of your learnings in Croatia/Slovenia.

 

[Skippy Rabbit]

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[Paulaparm]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[WDWNan]

I enjoyed and learned so much from your trip report! What an amazing adventure!
Thank you!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Another masterpiece following an incredible journey! Thank you, once again, for taking me along on an adventure I likely wouldn't otherwise experience. I appreciate your thoughtful reflections and all of the details and history you provide along with the fun!! Happy New Year, my friend!!