Thuli Khoza's adventures

........... I woke up in the early hours of the morning to join the pilgrims in Varanasi as they made their way to the river Gangis. As I step outside the air is crisp and fresh, its still a bit dark outside and the dew is still on the grass. I decide to take a cart from the youth hostel to the river. As I arrive at the river Gangi's, I am perplexed by number of people at the banks and the happenings around me. Suddenly I notice that people around me are perplexed by my presence in their mist. Everyone turns to look at me, some people want to come next to me ; some laugh and point at me hmmm interesting indeed. As if people's reactions towards me wouldn't get worse, they then approach me and ask : ' can I take a picture of you please' or : ' Can I take a picture with you please' of which I calmly decline ( not meaning to be rude but sometimes it does get annoying people staring and then wanting to take a picture with or of you). As if that was all some people then approach me and ask:'please if you could just touch my kid' they say that as they push their kids towards me. I am perplexed what? , touch your kid ???? I decide to ignore people's reactions towards me and concentrate on the morning happenings of the river Gangis: I soon notice that this place looks like the Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai but smaller: people doing laundry, some are bathing, some are shaving their hair .. both young and old, male and female; sick & healthy. The plan of the day was to take a boat ride into the River Gangi's. Before attempting the boat ride I decide to take a video on the happenings around me.

Suddenly I felt something on my hand, my initial thoughts were maybe someone has just touched me. I decide to ignore whoever could have touched me and continue taking a video of the happenings. Suddenly it happens again, this time I notice that people are looking at me. I then slowly turn to see what is happening,as I turn I notice a big huge black animal next to me, it's a cow!!!. I scream and it then dawns to me that this cow is busy licking my hand, the intensity of the licking increases. I am frightened by this and I am hopping someone will come to my rescue to push the cow away or pull me away. Basically I wasn't hoppping for much but just that someone will come to my resue. I notice that everyone around me is just looking at me & smilling ,no one comes to my rescue but everyone looks as though approaving of what is happening. The roughness of the cow's tongue soon proves to be irriatating, just imagine a sand- paper on your hand. All of a sudden my hand is filled with thick-slimmy saliva. The cows lips prove to add on the roughness as well. With fear and discomfort written all over my face I look at the people around me hoping that someone will come to my rescue. The only reaction I get from those around me is approval of what is happening , it looks as though everyone around me is happy that this cow is licking my hand. I am confused , what should I do?. I suddenly remember that I am in India & I am infront of the Gangis in Varanasi. This basically implied that whatever my reaction is in this scenario is I must make sure I don't annoy the crowds around me. I try to be calm assuming that the cow will get tired of licking my hand but the roughness continues as I deliberating on what to do, suddenly the cow starts chewing my leather jacket. I think to myself :'How on earth could this cow decide to eat its own skin ?'. Soon I realise that wearing a leather jacket, leather boots & standing infront of the Gangis maybe wasn't such a good idea.Its too late to start thinking about my wadrobe chooices I need to be focused and get this cow away from me. As the chewing starts getting rough & intense I realise that my leather jacket will be damaged and that is motivation enough to do something about this scenario. I slowly & quickly pull my hand away making sure that I don't touch the cow itself . All of a sudden my hand is free but the cow is still next to me I then quickly move away from the cow, it follows me for a short distance , finally it decided to go roaming again. All of a sudden everyone looks happy about what just happened , everyone is smilling at me I then realise that they are happy about what just happened . Still terrified of what just happened I decide to ignore their reaction and concentrate on my relief of being away from that cow . As I try to disapear from this scene a young man suddely approaches me and asks : 'do you want to take a boat-ride on the river Gangi' I respond : what ??? let me see : a) people have been asking me to bless their kids, b) I have just been liked by a cow at the banks of river Gangi's in Varanasi ( a holly site for Hindus) & 3) you want me to take a boat-ride in the river Gangi ??? . Maybe I am paranoid all of a sudden I think : What will happen if the boat capsizes? hmmm I bet no one will come to my rescue again. I gues what has just happened this morning is a sign and surely taking a boat ride in the Gangis this morning might be a terrible idea. As I walk away I meet a man with a snake in a box, he catches my attention and then opens the box infront of me. This time I am thinking this is seriously wrong I can't have a snake licking me as well , I seriously need to get out of this place ASAP.......

...You are hangingout with your travel buddies from : The land -down and under; your girlfriend/boyfriend from across the pond & some of your budies from Europe . The topic on the agenda is: 'backpacking holiday to South America', everyone starts mentioning visas for some of the countries you might pass through. Suddenly you remember your green 'AFRIQUE DE SUID PASSPORT', the thought of a visa in the same line of thought with your passport elicit an uncomfortable feeling in you... right ? Soon after that your travel buddies say:' yeap I know I need a visa for this country' and some say :'maybe we should avoid this country since we need a visa lets do the other countries instead' ... since this conversation is occuring while you are having a few drinks with your travel budies the brilliant thought everyone comes up with is : LETS backpack most countris in South America, especially the ones to be done.

Opps you then starts getting worried, the question (s) on your mind are :do you need a visa , as you might be backpacking 10 countries do you need a visa for each, suddenly apparently you might have to spend more than you anticipated. The fact that the next round of drinks is on you, sends a much more chilling thought in you, hmmmm that could pay for 1 visa you know? As the night concludes it has been decided that you will be backpacking most countries in South America and since this is a brilliant idea you thought it will be great for you to go as well.

Early the next morning after you have sorbered up , you decide to check your visa requirements as a South African passport holder.

1) You google the internet: ooops there is so little reference to South African passport holders on visa agency sites.

2) You then check each countries embassy sites , some are clear on your visas status but some get you even more confused with the small print at the bottom of the screen : please note that visa requirements might change without prior notice... oooops you are South African maybe you should be worried

3) You then decide to call the embassies you are not certain about , the phone rings and no one picks up... ohh there is a massage in Portugues or Spanish that doesn't help you does it ( that is if your Portugues/ Spanish is as good as mine.. none existance)

4) You then email the consular service, yeap that should work shouldn't it.. you send the email .. days pass and you still havent heard if you need a visa or not...

This time all your travell budies are informing you that they are sending in their visa application forms.... Before you book a day off work to accompany your travel budies to their visa application etc STOP and read:

I backpacked South America on a Afrique de Duid passport ( October 2011). My planned trip for this journey was to travel by road through the following countries

Brazil - Paraguay -Argentina - Uruguay- Chile- Bolivia- Peru- Equodor-Colombia- Venezuela

BRAZIL - NO VISA
As I prepared: No visa was required for Brazil, but its when you are in a que in immigrations at the airport that you start wondering as other people are showing their visa and you don't have one. As I approach the immigrations officer, I hand in my passport ( keeping my yellow fever certificate with me). The officer looks at my passport outside - ooops my emblem is no longer visible, he then opens to the backpage, South African he says looking at me.. with a smile I nod yeap....He flips the pages I try to look relaxed while he does this and then he calls out to his collegue and the next thing my passport is stamped... yeap NO VISA required in Brazil ( I get 90 days on my tourist card) I look at the officer and smile while saying :'thanks' later I learned to say 'Obrigado'

Paraguay- NO VISA
While at the Foz Iguacu --- I decide to make a half-day trip to Paraguay. As I am queing at the immigrations I start thinking hmm this is one of those countries I didnt get a clear answer on whether I need a visa or not I hope I don't. I approach the immigrations officer, he flicks the pages of my passport, scans my passport & she then stamps it yeeyyyy : 'NO VISA' 90 days ( but I stick to the plan half a day) by the afternoon I am back in Brazil.. this time I say:' Obrigado' to the immigrations officer

Argentina - NO VISA
Its rushhour and all the tour buses are going back to Argentina from the Brazilian side of the Falls, I join the que .. as I approach the immigrations officer he looks at my passport.. flips it to the front page - he then reaches for a stamp - then takes a look at me and he: STAPMS it ,90 days granted on my tourist card : 'NO VISA REQUIRED '

Uruguay - NO VISA
When I get to Bueno Aires I decide to make a side trip to Uruguay to spend an afternoon in Montevideo... I take a 3 hrs boat trip across. I have to deal with immigrations again, pls do not be confused on this one you must make sure both Immigrations officers stamp your passport i.e. exit Argentina & then enter Uruguay etc any confussion you are in trouble with your tourist card for either.. I am granted 90 days in Uruguay yeeep 'NO VISA' required.. after spending time I cross back to Argentina

Chile- NO VISA
As I approach the Argentinian- Chilian border I am begining to wonder if I don't need a visa or not.. what if I do I have just spent almost 28hrs hours on this bus the thought ohh noooo... I approach the immigrations officer on the Chilian border post, he flicks my passport which by now is almost full. She then shouts something in Spanish, her collegue shouts something back & her response is Afrique de suid... the response is No visa.. by now I am grinning from one cheek to the next.. passport stamped , tourist visa card stamped 90 days: NO VISA required.

Bolivia - NO VISA
Is my visa free luck runnig-out ? As I que on the Chilian- Bolivian border post ( I join the que on the Bolivian side- please beware when crossing this border post, it could be confusing since both the Chilian & Bolivian immigrations are in the same place next to each other, que first to exit Chile and then que to enter Bolivia or else you might have to start afresh if you mis one). As there is only one que for eveyone (locals & foreigners) I find myself behind two American backpackers and as they sortout their visa payments I approach the immigrations officer who speaks no word of English. Not only that but I bet besides American passport holders she had no idea of a South african passports and visa exemptions. According to the Bolivian embassy I do not need a visa for Bolivia.. well she looks at my passport , I see the confussion on her face.I bet I disapointed her by not being American, frankly I just might just have messed up her day. She tries to inquire about my passport apparently no one knows. She then makes a call but no one picks up, she informs me to wait while she awaits for a call back.As she stamps other people passports I am looking at the phone anticipating it to ring and it doesn't. Finally my bus driver keeps bothyering her regarding me, she then says then :' she says US$ 30.00 in Bolivian Boliviano. I am confused, I figure I can either urgue with her regarding that. Since I cann't speak Spanish nor can she speak English I figure it urguing will not help me at this point. I ask for a cambio to change my US$ into Bolivianos, I locate it and I change my money as I go back to pay. A visa sticker is atteched on my poassport and I am granted 90 days on my Tourist card ... yeeyyyy that wasn't bad. YOU DO NOT NEED A pre-arranged VISA for BOLIVIA

Peru - NO VISA
As I cross the Bolivian- Peru border post at Lake Titicaca ( Copacabana) I approach the immigrations officer ,the officer looks at my passport. By now I have realised that most immigrations officers in South America are not familar with my South African passport. As always the immigrations officer inquires from a collegue regarding my passport and the next thing, my passport is stamped and I am granted 90days on my tourist card : NO VISA required

I soon realise how huge South America is and since I spent a few extra days in Peru due to a 4 days long weekend holiday I realise that I cannot make it all the way to Venezuela. This implies that I cann't make my way to Equidor- Colombia - Venezuela but for those countries: SOUTH AFRICANS DO NOT NEED A VISA .. From Lima (Peru) I fly back to Rio ( Brazil) ....

So while your travel budies are applying for visas ... do not fret my South African peeps YOU DO NOT NEED A VISA for :

Brazil - Paraguay -Argentina - Uruguay- Chile- Bolivia- Peru- Equodor-Colombia- Venezuela

This is a note from me to you..
I am extremely greatful because you were there when a dream journey began, you were there durring the dream journey and you were there when the memories were formed. You probalbly have forgotten my face, my name, where I was from & where I was going BUT I haven't forgotten you & this is a quick note to say : 'how greatful I am that I met you durring my travells'

I am greatful that as we were queing for our flight you kept me company by chatting to me, because then just then I realised that I might have left home alone planning to backpack solo but I will never be alone durring this dream journey
I am greatful that you smilled when you saw my face & nodded to acknowledge my existance
I am greatful that you kept me company when we awaited our connection flight
I am greatful that you asked me who was I, where was I from & where I was going
I am greatful that you told me who you were, where you were from & where you were going
I am greatful that you called my seat number to make sure I was having a comfortable journey & you kept me company during the long flight
I am greatful that even though you were a stranger in a strange-land as I was, but you kept me company durring those long bus ride
I am greatful that you thought it will be fun if we shared our expenses and shared a taxi to our destination
I am greatful that you greeted me when we met in that hostel's dorm
I am greatful that our conversation about your bed above mine resulted on us hikking together
I am greatful that even though we had langauge barriers but you smilled each time you tried to communicate & you kept smilling when you realised that we cann't communicate due to langauge barries..
I am greatful that you had a chat with me durring breakfast.....FYI yeap there were odd scenes in that 10 bed dorm but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I loved the snorring, the smelling feet, people returning back in the morning drunk, single bed occupied by more that a single person
I am greatful that you allowed me to join the tour group with you, to tag along as you went sight seeing, to tag along as you went for dinner/ drinks
I am greatful that took to the dancefloor with me that was a fab night
I am greatful that I was a foreigner amongst you and you treated me with such respect
I am greatful that you taught me useful phrases in your langauge
I am greatful that shared you local cusines with me and you taught me how to eat it
I am greatful that you allowed me in your house, you introduced me to your family and you celebrated my birthday with me.. I was at home away from home
I am greatful that I have never felt in danger because I met you and you were around me
I am greatful that you treated me with care & understanding even though I didn't understand your customs

I am greatful that in this present age and time with the current state of affairs in the world I can still trust my fellow beings & not fear being around others because I met YOU & YOU kept me safe

==Attending== Catholic mas presented in Italian while in Nazareth was a shock to me. A few logistics made this ordeal shocking, firstly: I am not catholic and secondly: I do not speak a word of Italian. Apparently life is full of suprises and this evening was going to be one of those.

The ordeal started when I arrived in Nazareth from Tel aviv around 21:30, upon arrival I took out my lonely planet travel guide and started looking for a youth-hostel to spend the night. I choose a highly recommended youth-hostel 'sisters of Nazareth convent'. I wasn't in any way about to take the vow of celebecy but I figured it will be a nice place to spend an evening. Due to my inabilty to read a map, I attempted to no avail to locate the youth- hostel. I even tried to ask people for directions but since most people in Nazareth spoke Arrabic I soon realised: salam & shokran were not sufficient for asking directions nor for understanding directions when offered either. Each time I asked people they pointed me up towards a hill. As I hikked the the hill I met a group of Italian tourists who were going to the same direction as I was. I asked their tour guide for directions, he informed me that I should come along with them since they were going to the same place. I simply assumed he knew where the hostel was. After 30 minutes of hikking we finally reached our destination. Suprise- suprise our destination was a convent. The tour guide approached a nun & I saw them looking at me. For a second I thought shortly I will be taking a shower; locating a nice resturant and having a well deserved rest . The nun then appraoched the group and said something in Italian. Everyone started going inside the church and I followed as well ( I couldn't be left outside in the dark). As I entered the church everyone looked at me and they started smilling and nodding. A few people attempted saying something to me but I gues they figured out that my Italian was non- existing they resorted into nodding & smilling. To my suprise the nun returned and started presenting a sermon in Italian... what!!!! not only that she started reading from a book, Communion was served and then I saw people approaching the front of the church lighting candles & saying their 'hail Mary' prayers etc . After an hour of this experience I was speechless, I stood aside seriously confused and wondering how did I get myself in this dalema. Finaly the mas concluded horay!!!, excitedly I expected the nun to inform me where to go. Suprisingly the nun disapeared and the group approached the second church buliding, I followed the group again , as we entered the second church building everyone sat down and another nun started speaking in Italian again, at this moment I decided not again. I left the church bulidling and managed to locate the nun who conducted the initial mas service. She invited me into her office and she made a phone call. She spoke Arrabic on the phone, then she attempted speaking to me in Itailan and my confussed look gave her an idea that I can't speak Italian, she then attempted saying something in Arrabic of which I said 'nay Arrabic' either. She then proceded on her telephone conversation, durring which she then made a sign of numbers with her fingures , I then realised she is informing me of an amount. I decided to take out all the New Israeli Shekels from my wallet and placed them on the table. She picked the money she wanted and I realised how much the room was going to be, of which she made a point of showing an eating sign.. hoorray its a 'bed & breakfast' yeeyyyy I agreed. Finally I could visualise a clean nice room, clean shower & a comfy bed. She then hanged up the phone and she pointed down the road. I could see she was giving me directions but I couldn't hear what she was saying, all I knew is that I had to go back down the hill and from there I couldn't tell you where I was meant to go. I think she figured there was no hope of getting me to understand anything she was saying the next thing I heard was : yala- yala- yala ( that I understood she meant go-go-go)

Two hours later after arriving in Nazareth, with my rucksack firmly in place I started hikking down the hill again: shwai -shwai (slowly) I hikked back down. I had two options at this point to be stressed out about the fact that it was midnight and I still didn't have a place to sleep or to laugh out this experience . I opted to laugh at the experience and I reminded myself that these are the joys of backpacking. Its midnight : I am tired; I am in need of a nice hot meal ; I am in need of a shower and mostly I am in need of a clean comfy bed to lay my head on. It was midnight and I was roaming the streets of Nazareth without a clue of where I was going to spend the evening BUT I knew there was an empty bed in a hotel/hostel out there which had my name on it , I just needed to find it. Luckly I managed to find a nice youth-hostel just outside the ' Basilica of the Announciation' ( it is the largest church in the middle east and it stands at a proposed site where it is believed the Angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin mary that he will bear a son) . I checked into an 8 bed-sleeper dorm horray I had my long awaited shower, instead of a meal I settled for a falafel sandwich and finaly I had a bed to sleep, funny enough I did not hear any snoring in the dorm that evening but I gues that was because I was too exhausted. What a night indeed

BEIRUT known as the Paris of the Middle East, it was when I arrived in this wonderful city that I realised why its known as the Paris of the Middle east. All of a sudden I hear 'Bonjour' 'Cava' instead of 'Merhaba' or 'salam', suprisingly I start saying 'merci buku' instead of 'shokran'. When I approach people to ask for directions I am asked : la franco/ Arrabic.. my response is 'Nay- no French / Arrabic' only English this is followed by head shaking and confused look hmmm .Language is not the only reminder or difference from the rest of the middle east but the lifestyle of this city is surely different from anywhere you have been in the middle east. You also get the American influence in this city.

Church next to a mosque

As you walk down the street you see a churche standing next to a Mosque.The church-bells starts ringing: 'ding dong- ding -dong'!!! and all of a sudden a call of prayer is heard from a mosque next to it. After spending three weeks in the Middle East durring ramadan this occurance was very odd indeed, I thought to myself it can only happen in Beirut. As you stroll the streets you notice the multi-culturalness of this city people from all walks of life, nation and race etc. The long robes and Hijabis are replaced by woman wearing skimpy shorts walking hand in hand with their boyfriends. The small coffee shops which sell Arrabic coffee in small glasses are replaced by many American style coffee shops, all of a sudden you have an option of ordering American late instead of Turkish/ Arrabic coffee.

As you procede in the streets of Beirut you notice the past this city has been through. Bullet holes on buildings walls, this is a reminder of the horrible past this amazing city has gone through.You also notice placards with missing persons notices all over the place, family members searching for their loved ones who went missing durring the war. In all this you still notice how this city has recovered and rebuild itself after the war, new buildings around this city makes you to realise this is a resistance city indeed.

As you navigate this city you see the big american style cars, you notice their emergency numbers, police cars etc you might be forgiven to think for a minute that you were in America. To make matters worse when you enter a shop to purchase a drink you are priced in US dollars or Lebanese pound (L£/ Lebanese Lira (Arrabic)) which has equivalent exchange rate with the American dollar , this made it the most expensive city in the Middle East (this was before I went to Israel). As I proceded in my navigation of this city I noticed a billboard for 'Ushers' concert to be held in a weeks time oppps its pity I will have left in a weeks' time, I would have loved seeing Usher in Beirut.

In the evening Beirut is a totally new game ball at hand. Tourist in youth hostels take out their make-up bags (large amounts of sun-screen are replaced by make-up foundations etc, hair gets transformed -hair - straigthners come out of bags and dormicilary rooms in the hostels become hair saloons with everyone having to wait for the plug to connect their straightners. Day outfits (khakhi trousers/jeans etc) are replaced by little black numbers, all of a sudden travel budies become hot ladies on a mission. You will be forgiven to think that you are in one of the party cities in the world. Going out for a meal in Beirut needs some serious arrangemnets to be made prior to attempting to enter one of their renowned resturants. Families celebrating birthdays or any other occasion,women well dressed seating in company of their male family companions or not , some strange seating arrangments can be observed as well which make you to wonder if they are family members, wife /wives, girlfriend or female companion for the evening ??? you can be bewilded as you observe the occurances in this resturant. After finishing my wonderful Lebanese meal, I decided to navigate the streets of Beirut by night. Strolling along the streets you notice people heading to the night clubs of Beirut,you hear music busting from the night clubs, you can party till the early hours. You will also notice families out and about, the night suddenly became a day. My watch tells me its midnight but BEIRUT tells me its midday...