Last week, Gimpy gave us her thoughts on our African Adventure. This week Muscles gives us his reflections on this trip!
1. What were your top 3 highlights of the trip?
Highlight #1: The pyramids! Seeing them in person, posing in front of them, touching them, climbing them, entering them, and marvelling at the magnitude of how they were all constructed by hand.
Highlight #2: Seeing the beauty of Cape Town from atop Table Mountain (over 3,500 ft above sea level
Highlight #3: Spotting the elusive leopard not once, not twice, but THREE times on the same nighttime safari excursion
Honorable Mention: How can I not mention being present when a dear friend gets proposed to?! Congratulations again Gimpy and Fiance!!!
2. What was your favorite meal or thing you ate?
It was a tie between grilled ostrich steak (medium rare) in Cape Town and the traditional Nubian family dinner in Egypt. One can never complain about grilled meat (unless it’s over done) nor complain about having a chance to experience a splendid flavourful and colourful meal prepared by the local peoples.
3. If you could change any element of the itinerary what would you change?
Wishful thinking, but it would have been cool to start a week (or two) earlier and hike Mount Kilimanjaro first (of course this just means I’ll be going back to Africa at some point!)
4. What caught you by surprise on this trip?
That I actually used my down jacket (it got really cold during the early morning safaris) and how much I enjoyed sour apple Fanta soda (I’m not normally a fan of anything sour apple). Surprisingly, Dubai was somewhat of a disappointment. I envisioned glorious towers of gold and precious metals as portrayed by Hollywood. Instead, it was typically sandy and brownish everywhere and construction cranes littered the skyline.
5. Share one memorable story from this trip
Being able to say I’ve been to CrossFit boxes in Africa and the Middle East is truly memorable! Kudos to both the Minion and Gimpy for not only encouraging me to drop by (especially when it meant missing out on other things) but even escorting me through some seemingly dodgy streets in Cape Town. (In Dubai I braved the transit system solo, and Abu Dhabi was all about cabbing)
6. Did you pack properly for this trip? What would you have done differently?
I should have left the Leatherman pocket multi-tool at home (it got confiscated leaving Abu Dhabi even though it passed through security at all the other airports). Also, bringing the Starbucks coffee tumblr instead the S’well water bottle wasn’t the greatest idea because I originally thought I’d be drinking lots of coffee! The reality was I was downing cold water much more frequently, especially in the Egyptian heat.
7. Any regrets?
Missing out not once but TWICE on some amazing “life chats” that the Minion and Gimpy had (feeling a tad left out here guys…) haha kidding! The only regret was not having sour apple Fanta more often and not asking to borrow the Minion or Gimpy’s camera for the hot air balloon ride which may have yielded nicer shots
8. Any advice for people considering similar trips/destinations?
Invest in merino wool – long sleeves and short sleeves, under garments and outer garments! The stuff is GOLD in cold and hot weather regardless of where you are travelling. Learn to pack and travel light – light enough to not have to check anything in at the airport. (because being able to just hop on and off the plane without having to wait at the conveyor was an amazingly free feeling)
9. Final thoughts?
It was a trip of a life time with many new experiences, made all the better because I travelled with two great friends!
Thanks so much Muscles for making this trip full of amazing memories, I’m sure there will be many more “life chats” in the future!