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The Purple T-Shirt Revisited
Two years ago, when I visited Madaba, Jordan on a weekend trip from Amman, I stumbled across something that left me speechless. I saw a young Jordanian boy walking down the streets of the city with a South Eugene Axemen T-shirt–the T-shirt of my very own high school in Eugene, Oregon. I clearly recall the feelings of astonishment that consumed me as I processed what I had just witnessed. I remember gaping in amazement as I repeated over and over “I can’t believe it. That is my high school T-shirt! My high school T-shirt!.” And I can…
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Finding Paradise on the Shores of Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi has long been described as a sort of travelers black hole. It is a place where itineraries change and plans are forgotten as tourists become seduced by the beauty and tranquility of the water. During our few short days in Monkey Bay and Cape Maclear, my friends and I met some of these people who—after having traveled for months on end—visited Malawi and never found the desire or motivation to leave. And from the moment I set foot on the lakeshore, I could immediately see why. The place…
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The Harare International Festival of the Arts
Our wonderful trip through Southern Africa involved careful planning, endless research, a large dose of wanderlust and a bit of luck. Sure, even without the extra bit of luck, we would have had a fantastic time, but arriving in Harare while HIFA (Harare International Festival of the Arts) was in full swing was just about the luckiest thing that could have happened to us. We were not expecting to spend much time in Harare. I had wanted to stop by the city briefly to visit my friend from Macalester, but…
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Great Zimbabwe Ruins: The House of Stones
In 1871, German geologist Karl Mauch set off in search of the biblical city of Ophir—a place that once supplied the Queen of Sheba with an abundance of gold for the construction of the Temple of Solomon. And when he stumbled upon the ancient stone structure of Great Zimbabwe in the beautiful, green highlands south of Harare, he believed that he had at last stumbled upon the fabled city. Great Zimbabwe is one of Africa’s most incredible archeological sites. Yet—even amongst avid travelers—the ruins remain largely undiscovered. The wonderfully preserved…
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Okavango Delta Mokoro Safari in Botswana
If you’re traveling overland across southern Africa, the vast waters of the Okavango Delta may come as a bit of a surprise. Like the outstretched palm of a hand, they fan out over northern Botswana—creating a patchwork of blue and green across the parched Kalahari sands. The Okavango is the world’s largest inland river delta. It is sprawling, expansive and wildlife-rich. The vast system of waterlogged marshes attracts a diverse array of birds and mammals. It is largely regarded as one of the best safari destinations in Africa. THE…
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Things to do in Swakopmund: Three Day Itinerary
Described by my trusty lonely planet guidebook as being “more German than Germany,” the town of Swakopmund is a quaint mixture of Los Angeles and Bavaria that sits on the border between the vast, Namib Desert and the mighty Atlantic Ocean. It is quite a peculiar town, where modern buildings, fancy restaurants and multi-million dollar houses seem to wipe away any sense of being in Africa. My WorldTeach friends and I traveled to Swakopmund for a long weekend at the end of our first semester of teaching in Namibia. After…
