Isabel

__**Journey to Africa **__

Hi! My name is Isabel and my family and I are going on a trip to Africa. I won the all-expenses paid trip for my family in an online contest. My family and I will be spending 20 days in Africa, and we will be traveling to 10 different countries; Morocco, Egypt, Chad, Mali, Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar. We are going to spend two days in each country.

__**North Africa **__

**Morocco **

**Day 1, May 6th **

Yesterday, May 5th, my family and I drove to the airport early in the morning. We boarded a plane to Morocco, the first country in Africa that we would visit. The flight was over ten hours, and we were on the plane for most of the day. We arrived in Rabat, the capital of Morocco, late last night.

On the long flight yesterday, I read about Morocco in a book on Africa I got for the trip. I figured I would use this book a lot, and I brought it with me. One thing I learned was that most of Morocco is mountainous, and it has some plains and valleys across the country. It borders the Mediterranean Sea on the North and the Atlantic Ocean on the West. I could see this was true once we flew into the country, and I could see Morocco out the window. I learned that Moroccan culture is based on Arab, Berber, and African traditions. The main languages spoken in Morocco are Arabic, French, and Berber.

Today, May 6th, we went around Rabat, because there were lots of things to do and see. We all wore shorts and T-shirts because the weather in Morocco was pretty warm- around 60 to 70 degrees. We spent the rest of our day there. It was a very interesting city. We went to many places like the Hassan Tower, a famous place in Rabat. This was a mosque that was intended to be the largest in the world but was left unfinished.

We walked around Chellah, which is the site of the ruins of a Roman town known as Sala Colonia. That was interesting to see. We saw markets in Rabat with people selling things such as wares made of copper, brass, and leather. The farmers at the markets sold things like sugar beets, grains, fruits, and vegetables that they grew. There were also artists in the markets that sold carpet, jewelry, pottery, woodwork, and brass ware.



We ate dinner at a restaurant in Rabat. They served us the national dish of Morocco- tajine, a lamb or poultry stew. In Morocco, they eat bread at almost every meal, and usually use bread to eat instead of spoons or forks. We also got mint tea, which is another very common food in Morocco.

**Day 2, May 7th **

On our second day in Morocco, my family and I left Rabat and drove to the Todra Gorge, a trench of gigantic rock walls that run through the Atlas Mountains. It is close to the town of Tinerhir, Morocco. On the drive from Tinerhir to the Todra Gorge we could see Berber villages. The Berbers, an ethic group in Africa, first settled Morocco. Descendants of the Berbers still herd and farm in the Atlas Mountains, like their ancestors did.



We arrived at the Todra Gorge and walked in it on the paved road that leads through it. The scenery was beautiful, and we took lots of pictures. We even saw some local people who lived in the area herding their goats and camels along the road.



After we had visited the Todra Gorge, we went to Ouzoud Falls. Ouzoud Falls is a waterfall in a town called Tanaghmeilt. It was very beautiful. We hiked around the area for a while, enjoying the scenery. We ate dinner there, in restaurants right by Ouzoud Falls.



**Egypt **

**Day 3, May 8th **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The next country my family and I decided to visit was Egypt. We flew to Egypt, all of us wearing shorts and T-shirts because the weather was supposed to be even warmer here than in Morocco. While we were flying over the country we could see that most of Egypt is covered in deserts. We also saw the big Nile River, which flows through Egypt. I did some research on the computer during our flight and found that Egypt's main crops are cotton and sugarcane, and Egyptian factories make food products, textiles, and consumer goods. I also discovered that the main language in Egypt is Arabic.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">We got to Egypt, and the first place we visited was the Great Sphinx of Giza. The Great Sphinx of Giza is located on the Giza Plateau, which is on the west bank of the Nile River in Giza, Egypt. People believe that ancient Egyptians built this statue a long time ago. It has the head of a human and the body of a lion. This was pretty neat.



<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">By noon it was very hot outside, and we ate a quick lunch before leaving to visit the Great Pyramid of Giza. The Great Pyramid of Giza is pretty close to the Great Sphinx of Giza. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the World. People believe that ancient Egyptians built the pyramid as a tomb for the fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu.



**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 4, May 9th **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">On our second day in Egypt, we went to Cairo, the capital of Egypt. We visited the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities and saw many interesting ancient Egyptian artifacts. The museum had about 136,000 items on display. There were things like statues, a sarcophagus, and even mummies from many ancient Egyptian tombs of the pharaohs throughout Egypt. It was pretty interesting. Here are some of the things we saw:

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Throughout Cairo, we could see many Islamic mosques, since Islam is the main religion in Egypt. We went to a Cairo market, Khan El-Khalili. This market had hundreds of stalls with people selling many different things like jewelry, spices, perfumes, and souvenirs. We also heard people playing music throughout the streets.



__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 300%;">West Africa **__

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 270%;">Chad **

<span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%; text-align: center;">**Day 5, May 10th**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Next, we flew to N'Djamena, the capital of Chad. Again, I read from the book on Africa during our flight and found some facts about Chad. Chad is a landlocked country in the middle of the Sahara desert. Oil, cotton, and cattle are among its main exports. Most of the people in Chad speak French, Arabic, Sara, or Sango. People speak French because Chad was created by the French, and gained its independence in 1960.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">When we got to N'Djamena, we decided to take a boat along the Chari River, which runs right by N'Djamena. A guide came with us and showed us large flocks of birds along the river, as well as a few local people fishing, too.



<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">We spent about a half hour enjoying the sights along the Chari River before returning to N'Djamena to look around. We saw mosques, since most of the people of Chad are Muslim. We saw the Grand Marche, a large market in the center of N'Djamena where people sold things like local produce and fruit.

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**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 6, May 11th **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today was our second day in Chad. We decided to visit Lake Chad, not far from N'Djamena. We rode in a boat around the lake, with a guide who told us all about Lake Chad.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">We were told that Lake Chad was once Africa's largest water reservoir in the Sahel region, but the lake is slowly disappearing and getting smaller. It is one of the most important agricultural heritage sites, providing a lifeline for many people in all four countries- Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. The average depth throughout this lake is between 4-5 feet.

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**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 270%;">Mali **

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 7, May 12th **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The next country we went to was Mali. We arrived in Djenne, Mali at around noon. We saw the Great Mosque of Djenne. This mosque is made of adobe, or mud brick. It is the largest adobe structure in the world. It was very impressive. Set up around the mosque, we saw a large market with lots of people selling lots of different things.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">We walked around the market for a while, and looked at the interesting things everybody was selling. We were told by some friendly people in the market that Mali’s major export is cotton and its major import is machinery. We also heard that Mali’s economy suffers from its landlocked location and lack of good transportation.



<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">We saw other mosques throughout the city, as well as Islamic schools where students study Islam, the main religion of Mali. We learned that Mali is located in an area known as the Sahel. The Sahel receives little rainfall and only short grasses and small trees support grazing animals. Mali has also suffered from desertification by overgrazing and drought.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">While we were in Djenne, we also heard from some people that Mali was a country created by the French and it received its independence in 1960, just like Chad.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 8, May 13th **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today we went to Dogon Valley in Mali. This valley is the home of the Dogon people. These people are well known for their architecture, wooden sculptures, mask dances and mythology. They still live in the traditions of their ancestors. To get to the Dogon Valley, we had to walk there from the nearest town. We hired a guide to take us through the village.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The village had a lot of interesting architecture. The Dogon people used to build their houses against cliffs, but they no longer do and the old houses are abandoned. It was interesting to see.

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__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 300%;">East Africa **__

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 270%;">Kenya **

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 9, May 14th **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The next country we flew to was Kenya. The western part of Kenya contains highlands and the Great Rift Valley. We went to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya, a very well known reserve located in the Great Rift Valley. The plains are full of wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, lions, hyenas, and even more interesting animals.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">On our first day, we went on a long safari around parts of the Maasai Mara Reserve. The guide that took us through told us a lot about Kenya and the reserve. One thing we were told was that Kenya’s two official languages are Swahili and English. The people of Kenya are divided among 40 different ethnic groups, the main group being the Kikuyu people.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">There was very beautiful scenery. We drove through huge savannahs of golden grasslands, and the skies were big and bright blue. We saw several giraffes, a pack of hyenas, and some cheetahs. We returned to stay at a lodge after staying on the safari all day.

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**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 10, May 15th **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">On our second day in Kenya we went on another, shorter safari in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The guide we had today told us more facts about Kenya. She told us that farmers in Kenya grow corn, bananas, cassava, and sweet potatoes. The guide also told us that Kenya was a colony made by the British in 1920. The people of Kenya protested and Kenya gained its independence in 1963.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today we rode by the Mara River and saw hippos, as well as a crocodile. We saw a herd of zebras and a herd of impalas out on the savannahs. We even spotted a pack of lions from a distance. Everyone took tons of pictures.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">At around noon, the safari ended and we went on a hot air balloon tour around the reserve. We could see all across the reserve. It was amazing.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 270%;">Tanzania **

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 11, May 16th **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Tanzania lies in between Kenya and Mozambia, and borders the Indian Ocean. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">On the flight to Tanzania, I read from the book I brought again. I learned some facts about the country. I found out that Tanzania was formed in 1964 when the island country of Zanzibar united with the former German colony of Tanganyika. Most Tanzanians work in farming and herding. Important export crops are coffee and sisal. The two main religions are Christianity and Islam.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today we went to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania. This place was great. We saw Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcanic mountain in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania. It is the highest free-standing mountain in the world, at 19,341 feet above sea level.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">We went on a hike around the national park. We saw elephants, as well as a number of other animals. We had tons of fun.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 12, May 17th **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">We went to the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania today. This crater was formed many years ago when a huge volcano erupted and collapsed. It is now home to more than 25,000 animals. We really enjoyed the beautiful scenery here, as well as seeing all the animals.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">We saw so many animals, including zebras, elephants, wildebeests, rhinos, gazelles, as well as tons of different kinds of birds. It was fun to see them all. We spent the whole day exploring the crater.



__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 300%;">Central Africa **__

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 270%;">Democratic Republic of Congo ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 13, May 18th **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Now my family and I are visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo. This country has about 23 miles of coastline. Throughout the rest of the country, there are high mountains, savannas, and rainforests.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today we went to the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, which is in a part of the Ituri rainforest. The okapi are native to this rainforest. Okapi are mammals related to giraffes, and while we were at the reserve we saw lots of them. The full grown ones were bigger than I expected- 4.9 to 6.6 ft high at the shoulder.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">We went on a tour through the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, and also saw tons of other animals besides okapi. We saw some elephants, a few chimpanzees, and tons of different birds.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 14, May 19th ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today we visited Zongo Falls in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It looked amazing. We sat and looked at it for a while as a tour guide told us some things about the Democratic Republic of Congo. We learned that the Democratic Republic of Congo was once ruled by dictators, but became a representative government in 2002. The guide told us that the country exports gold, petroleum, diamonds, and copper. We also learned that there are more than 200 ethnic groups and that 75 percent of the people here are Christian.

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**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 270%;">São Tomé and Príncipe **

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 15, May 20th ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">My family and I went to Sao Tome and Principe next. I read from the book on Africa I brought with me and here are some of the facts I learned about this country: Sao Tome and Principe is made up of two islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is Africa's second smallest nation. Cacao, used in making cocoa and chocolate, is the biggest export. Most of the people in Sao Tome and Principe are Christian.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">So, today we went to Sao Tome Town, the capital city of Sao Tome and Principe. This town was really nice, and we could walk everywhere. We went to the old Fort Sao Sebastiao, a Portuguese fort which is now the Sao Tome National Museum. The exhibits in the museum were mostly of African and religious art. The guide at the museum told us that Sao Tome Town was founded by the Portuguese, who had control of Sao Tome and Principe before the country won its independence from Portugal in 1975. We also saw other historic buildings in the town.

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**<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%; text-align: center;">Day 16, May 21st **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today was our second day in Sao Tome and Principe. We went to Banana Beach in Principe. The water was so clear and bright blue! We only spent a little time there, though, because we also wanted to visit Pico de Sao Tome, the country's largest mountain.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">I remembered hearing about Pico de Sao Tome in Sao Tome Town yesterday, and I wanted to see it and look in the rainforest surrounding it. The mountain is located in the Obo National Park, so we went there next.

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__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 300%;">Southern Africa **__

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 270%;">Zimbabwe **

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 17, May 22nd ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today my family and I went to Zimbabwe. As we flew over the country, I saw that the country is studded with huge outcrops of rock. We went to the Victoria Falls. This waterfall is located on the Zambezi River, which flows through northern Zimbabwe. Victoria Falls is right on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. The view was breathtaking. The Victoria Falls were beautiful.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">I did some research online at our hotel in the town closest to the Victoria Falls, which was actually called Victoria Falls, too. I learned lots of things about Zimbabwe. I learned that most of the country's income is provided by mining gold, copper, iron ore, and asbestos. I learned that Zimbabwe got its name from an ancient African city; Great Zimbabwe. The country gained its independence from the British in 1980, and was renamed Zimbabwe. I also read that there are many forms of art and music in Zimbabwe. I observed some of the forms of art and music in the town we stayed in. I saw artists making wood sculptures and a few musicians playing talking drums.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 18, May 23rd ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today my family and I went to Mana Pools National Park. This is a popular park in Zimbabwe. Four main pools and several smaller pools are scattered along the river course. We went on a safari around the park. It was great. The park is home to elephants that return each year to the same places, so we went to see them.

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**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 270%;">Madagascar **

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 19, May 24th **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">My family and I went to Madagascar next. Madagascar is an island in the Indian Ocean. It has tons of plants and animals not found anywhere else. First we headed to the Avenue of the Baobabs. The baobab trees are over 800 years old, and there were lots of them, too. I heard that the baobabs can grow to be 16 to 98 feet tall, and their trunks can be 23 to 36 feet wide. They were really big! We drove down the dirt road that went past all the baobab trees. There were lots of people walking along the road.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Madagascar produces most of the world's vanilla beans. Only 22% of Madagascar's people live in cities. I read all these facts from the book on Africa I brought in the car with us as we rode past all the baobab trees. I also read that Madagascar was once a French colony, but gained independence from the French in 1960.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Day 20, May 25th ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today we went to the Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar. It is one of the nation's most popular parks. We went to the eastern side of the park, hearing that it was more scenic there.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">We saw bamboo thickets, orchids, and moss-covered trees. The Namoroma River flows through the park. We kept a pair of binoculars with us so we could see all the different birds. We saw this bird, called a red-fronted coua, at the national park.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The Ranomafana National Park is home to the endangered golden bamboo lemur. We saw only two of these, but it was still really cool. These lemurs eat bamboo shoots that would be lethal to other animals, but the golden bamboo lemur eats it without any ill effects.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">We spent most of the day in the national park because there was so much to look at. We had a good time.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Today was our last day in Africa! I had lots of fun here. Each country was a little different, and I liked them all. I learned a lot. This is the end of my journey to Africa! Bye!

__**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 300%;">Works Cited **__ <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Famous Wonders of the World – Best Places to Visit & Travel. (n.d.). Famous Wonders of the World – Best Places to Visit & Travel. Retrieved May 31, 2013, from http://famouswonders.com

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