Another reality. Travel to West Africa. east africa travel

about the materials of the Portuguese intelligence officers and the Jesuits already in the 80s. 17th century a map of Ethiopia was drawn up, and the Europeans knew it better than any other African country, except, of course, the Mediterranean. And at the end of the XVII century. french doctor Charles Jacques Ponce finally established its connection along the Nile with the Mediterranean Sea (the Portuguese penetrated there from the Red Sea). In 1698, Ponce, while in Cairo, was invited to Ethiopia by its sick sovereign (Negus) Iyasu I. Having joined the Jesuit mission at the end of May, Sh. Ponce climbed the Nile - bypassing the rapids above Aswan through the Nubian desert - and In February 1699, Nilu reached Sennar (at 13 ° 30 "N. Lat.), where he spent three months. From this city he traveled east to the capital Gondar, which lies on the Ethiopian highlands north of Lake Tana. Having cured the Negus, S. Ponce set off on his further journey, crossing the mountainous Northern Ethiopia from Gondar to the port of Massawa on the Red Sea, where he arrived in September 1699, thus linking his route with the usual Portuguese route, through the Red Sea he returned to Lower Egypt, and from there To France.

In 1762, a Scottish doctor was appointed to Algiers as an English consul. James Bruce. He learned - during his service - Arabic and some other languages ​​​​of North Africa, visited, "exploring the ruins of the Roman period", all the southern Mediterranean countries from Morocco to Egypt. In 1768, D. Bruce went from Alexandria to Ethiopia, probably on some special assignment. He went up the Nile to the city of Kena (at 26 ° N. Lat.), traveled by caravan route through the Arabian Desert to Quseir on the Red Sea, went around on a ship its northern shores and along Arabian coast moved to the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, and from there to the African coast and reached Massawa, having completed the study of more than 3 thousand km of the Red Sea coastline. From Massawa he reached Gondar (February 1770).

D. Bruce lived in Ethiopia, practicing medicine, until 1772, visited Lake Tana and again - after Pedro Paish - established that Abbay - the Blue Nile, mistakenly accepted by D. Bruce as the main source of the Nile, flows from it; he knew from hearsay about the second source, but considered it a small river. D. Bruce returned to Egypt, following down the Blue Nile and the Nile, that is, he repeated the path of S. Ponce in the opposite direction. “Bruce made few real discoveries, but he himself was very reluctant to recognize the achievements of his Jesuit predecessors” (D. Baker). His book "Travels to discover the sources of the Nile in 1768-1773." in five volumes, completed by publication in 1790, made a great impression in England and drew the attention of geographers to Africa in general and to the problem of the Nile in particular. Another important result of his expedition was the astronomical determination of many points along the route.

The left bank of the Bahr el-Abyad (White Nile) - the Kordofan plateau and especially Darfur lying to the west of it - remained for the Europeans of the 90s. 18th century "mysterious country", although it was connected by busy trade caravan routes with Ethiopia (through Sennar, on the Blue Nile) and with Upper Egypt (through Asyut, on the Nile). From Asyut to El Fasher, the capital of Darfur, led the so-called "forty-day journey" - about 1700 km through the chain of oases of the Kharga depression, deserts and dry savannahs; and the first of the Europeans passed through it in 1793, joining the Sudanese caravan, the English archaeologist William George Brown. In addition to trade, which may have been a disguise, he wanted to explore Darfur, but the local sultan did not allow this. And Brown spent about three years in El Fasher and its environs, until the Sultan allowed him ... to return to Egypt by the same “forty-day journey” (1796). Despite the limited opportunities for observations and collection of materials, Brown wrote a valuable report, which until the end of the 20s. 19th century In 1824, the German Eduard Rüppel passed through Darfur and (for the first time) through Kordofan during his six-year journey through Northeast Africa. remained the only book that gave some idea of ​​Darfur (the area of ​​this country, now part of the Republic of Sudan, is about half a million square kilometers).

In West Africa, Europeans in the interests of the slave trade primarily explored the Senegambia rivers. In the 17th century the British operated mainly in the river basin. Gambia and in the first quarter of this century rose along it 600 km from the mouth, but stopped there. Only in 1723, that is, after more than a hundred years, did an Englishman Bartholomew Stibs proceeded another 500 km up the valley of the river. Gambia, to the northeastern massifs of Phuta-Jallon. He established that it was not connected with the Niger, and came to the correct conclusion that the Gambia begins somewhere nearby, on the massif. A few years later, British officers W. Smith And D. Leach filmed the entire river. Gambia and put it on an accurate map (1732).

The studies of the French operating in the Senegal basin were distinguished by a large scope. By the second quarter of the 17th century. they scouted the lower and middle reaches of the Senegal well. By the end of the century, as a colonial explorer, he stood out Andre Bru, director of a trading Senegalese company. He ruled the colony from 1697 to 1702 and from 1714 to 1725. During this period, having surveyed the Atlantic coast between 16 and 12 ° N. sh., Bru was the first of the Europeans in Tropical Africa to move from the "point colonization" of the Portuguese type, that is, from the establishment of trading posts on the coast, to the organization of colonial territorial arrays by penetrating into the interior of the mainland. He twice ascended the Senegal to the confluence of the largest (left) tributary of the Falem and placed Fort Saint-Pierre (now Senudebu) on the lower Falem. One of his agents followed Falemé to the first rapids. A group of other employees of A. Bru, after a month-long journey up Senegal, reached the waterfalls, that is, they reached the Futa-Jallon plateau, from which the river originates. Bafing, after the confluence with the river. Bakoy, which is called Senegal. But the sources of the river were still unknown, and its connection with the Niger was assumed. The reports of A. Brew, compiled on the basis of his observations and on the basis of interrogation data, were processed by the colonizer of Guadeloupe, the missionary Jean Baptiste Laba and published in 1728 in Paris under the title A New Description of West Africa. This book is a valuable primary source for the study of the life and pre-colonial history of the peoples of tropical West Africa.

Major African geographic issues

1788 on the initiative Joseph Banks(satellite of D. Cook), the British "African Association" arose. The task of the new society was to explore the inner regions of Africa in order to develop British trade there and establish British dominance. In the last quarter of the XVIII century. these areas of the mainland were known much more than European historians and geographers usually believe, but they are familiar not to scientists, but to “practitioners”, mainly to Arab slave traders who penetrated far into the interior of the mainland from the north and east. The European slave traders - the Portuguese, the British and the French - who carried out their unclean operations on the Atlantic coast of Africa, from the mouth of Senegal to the mouth of Kunene, inclusive, also had information about a lot. But, unlike the Arabs, they themselves rarely went to the hinterland, as they acted mainly through local agents and the African tribal elite. These slavers were very reluctant to share scientific world with their geographical knowledge. Before European geographers at the end of the XVIII century. were primarily four major problems associated with the four great African rivers: 1) Where are the sources of the White Nile? 2) Where does the Niger begin, how does it flow and where does it flow? 3-4) Where do the Congo and Zambezi begin and how do they flow? (Only their lower reaches were known.)

The fifth problem is the study of the tributaries of the great African rivers in order to determine their basins and the possible connection between them. Among other things, the probability of a bifurcation of their converging tributaries was assumed, therefore, the possibility of trans-African inland waterways from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean (Congo-Zambezi), from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean (Nile-Congo-Zambezi) and to the Gulf of Guinea (Nile-Niger ). The sixth problem is the study of the East African great lakes and Lake Chad and their connection with the great rivers. The seventh problem - finding out the main features of the relief of the African continent - was resolved along the way.

Since the interests of England and her rival France were at that time most connected with West Africa, the African Association at first attached the greatest importance to the solution of the Niger problem. She sent several expeditions to reach this river from the Mediterranean, since the caravan routes across the Sahara to Timbuktu, which lies on the middle Niger, have been well known for many centuries. But all such attempts ended in failure or death of travelers. Then the association decided to organize research from Upper Guinea and for this purpose invited a 24-year-old Scots doctor Mungo Parka. He probably needed a job and agreed to risk his life for a small reward: his expedition cost the association only £200.

In 1795, M. Park arrived in the Gambia. In December, he went east with two African servants: an adult (he is also an interpreter) and a boy. For himself, he acquired a riding horse, and for cargo (supplies, trinkets and tobacco for exchange) - two donkeys. M. Park tried to pass through areas where Islam had not yet penetrated; yet several times it fell into the hands of the Moors (Muslims), who, according to him, sometimes plundered it, but did no other harm. After a while, the adult servant refused to go any further. On July 21, 1796, M. Park, moving east, reached a large river near Mount Segou, which the Africans called Joliba. M. Park had no doubt that this was Niger: “Under the morning sun sparkled before me ... the majestic Niger, which ... in this place is almost as wide as the Thames at Westminster. He slowly rolled his waters to the east ... ".

At this time, M. Park was ill with tropical malaria, was very emaciated, his clothes turned into tatters, the “goods” were used up or stolen. He decided to confine himself to inquiring information about the further course of the river, he heard that it was about two weeks' journey from Segou to Timbuktu, but did not learn anything about where the river flows further and where it ends. "Who knows? .. Maybe at the end of the world!". A few days later, having passed the Joliba coast for about 50 km (to the village of Sansanding), he turned back, referring in his report to the onset of the rainy season and to the possible danger from the "merciless fanatics" - Muslims. Due to illness, he spent several months in a village between Segu and the mouth of the Gambia. Only in April 1797 was he able to continue his journey to the sea. He arrived in England at the end of 1797. His book Journey into the Deep of Africa in 1795-1797, published in 1799, made a strong impression on the public. However, experts clearly understood that M. Park, in fact, did not even approach the solution of the Niger problem: after all, he saw only a short section of Joliba carrying its waters to the northeast, whose upper reaches, middle course and mouth remained unknown. About the second expedition of M. Park and his death in the section "Journey of the Park".)

middle of the 17th century. the Portuguese tried several times to penetrate into the interior of Equatorial Africa. The Franciscan missionaries acted mainly on the Congo: from the mouth of the Congo they rose above Stanley Pool Lake, apparently reached the mouth of the river. Kwa (Kasai), the left tributary of the Congo, rose along the lower Kasai to the mouth of the river. Kwango, and according to the latter - a great distance to the south. Although these achievements were kept secret, some information about them penetrated into Europe: geographers of the late 17th century. the strip between the Kwango and the ocean was described as an explored area. To the south, the territory between the river. Kwanza and the ocean, where the most important centers of Angola - the cities of Luanda and Benguela - arose.

Unlike the Franciscans, the Italian Capuchin preachers, sent by the pope to the Congo with the consent of the Portuguese king, It was a forced measure: the locals "for some reason" stubbornly did not want to convert to the Christian faith. made no secrets from their geographical observations. One of them, Giovanni Antonio Cavazzi, in 1654–1670 traveled all over Angola, showing "such exorbitant" apostolic zeal "that he introduced blacks to Christianity by repressive measures: he burned idols, severely condemned tribal leaders for the ancient custom of polygamy, subjected to painful tortures those who refused to accept the new faith." (J. Verne). In 1687, in Rome, he published notes containing the most reliable characterization of the nature of Angola and the Congo. This work formed the basis of the work of the already mentioned J. B. Laba. From the notes of D. Cavazzi, it can be determined that he penetrated "into the outback" 1100 km from the coast, having visited the upper Kwango and through the upper reaches of the numerous left tributaries of the Kasai reached the sources of its right tributaries near 10 ° S. sh. and 23°30"E

The Portuguese achieved significant success in the Zambezi basin, where not only slave traders and missionaries operated, but also gold seekers. The gold-bearing country of Monomotapa continued to attract them especially. There is no doubt that Portuguese slave traders, gold prospectors and ivory traders penetrated as early as the 17th century. along the Zambezi to the west, deep into the mainland, much further than the rapids of Quebrabas. Maps of the 17th-18th centuries testify to this, giving some idea of ​​Central Africa on both sides of the Zambezi. However, quite reliable, historically proven Portuguese travels into the depths of Central Africa date back to the end of the 18th century.

Francisco José Lacerda, Portuguese colonizer (originally from Brazil), in the 80s. served in Angola. In 1787, he explored the Kunene - the largest river in West Africa, between the Congo and the Orange (its length is 945 km) - and found that it was navigable in the middle reaches to the rapids. Then he became convinced that its headwaters were approaching the headwaters of another large river - the Kubango, The Kubangu River (in the lower reaches of the Okavango) is lost in swamps, the so-called Okavango Basin, in Central Africa, at 20 ° S. sh.; its length is 1600 km. flowing to the southeast, and decided that that river was connected with the Zambezi. This incorrect assumption was refuted only half a century later. David Livingston.

In the 90s, while serving in Mozambique, F. Lacerda was alarmed by British expansion in South Africa: he believed that it threatened the disunited Portuguese coastal colonies. In order to avert the danger, Angola and Mozambique should have been connected by a continuous strip of Portuguese possessions in the basin of the upper and middle Zambezi, then almost unknown to Europeans. F. Lacerda seduced the Portuguese government with the significant benefits offered by the direct trans-African trade route between Angola and Mozambique, and received funds to organize a large expedition to the "country of Kazembe" Kazembe (military commander) - the title of the hereditary rulers of the outlying regions of the state of Lund, which existed in the 17th-18th centuries. in the southern part of the Congo basin and in the adjacent part of the Zambezi basin. located in the river basin. Luapula, the right tributary of the river. Lualaba (upper reaches of the Congo River). The expedition, which included several African merchants, was led by the traveling merchant Manuel Pireira. In 1796 from Tete, on the river. Zambezi, accompanied by a detachment of armed slaves, he headed northwest through the mountainous terrain and reached the middle course of the river. Lwangwa, a major left tributary of the Zambezi. After crossing the river, he crossed the Muchinga Mountains, the watershed of the Zambezi and Congo basins, and reached another large river - the river. Chambeshi. Although the African companions called it the Zambezi, they explained to M. Pireira that it was a different river.

Continuing the route to the north-west, the expedition crossed a large shallow lake - most likely, the travelers moved through the Bangweulu swamp, which in the rainy season forms a single reservoir with an area of ​​​​up to 15 thousand km² with the lake of the same name. M. Pireira's companions informed him that this swamp lake is connected by channels with the river. Chambeshi and from the river. Luapula, along which the expedition reached the residence of the ruler of the "country of Kazembe" (near 11 ° S), east of Luapula. Having received an audience, M. Pireira, accompanied by the country's ambassador, returned to Tete by the same route, having covered more than 2.5 thousand km in both directions through unexplored terrain. He exaggeratedly assessed the possibilities of trade with the "country of Kazembe", but his message was an extra trump card in the hands of F. Lacerda.

M. Pireira was the first European to enter the Congo basin from the Indian Ocean. A description of his journey was published in English in 1824 in London. But the geographers of the first half of the 19th century, like the contemporaries of M. Pireira, failed to appreciate the importance for geographical science of the news he brought about the river system. Luapula, sometimes considered the main source of the Congo.

The route of M. Pireira was used by F. Lacerda. In October 1798, with several companions, he reached the "country of Kazembe", but soon died there of malaria. The rest of the expedition set out in July and returned to Tete in November. They collected a lot of geographical material, but, as always, it was classified. And half a century later, D. Livingston had to explore the paths to Central Africa almost anew.

the Portuguese in the Cape area Good Hope did not establish a permanent settlement. When they were ousted from the southern seas, the Dutch victors settled near Table Bay and built there in 1652 a settlement from which the “City of the Cape” grew - Kapstadt (now Cape Town), which became the starting base for expansion into the deep regions of South Africa on east and north. To the east of the Cape, search expeditions until the middle of the 18th century. explored all the coastal regions of South Africa up to and including Natal. Note the expedition August Frederick Beutler, which in 1752 penetrated the river. Great Cay, which flows into the Indian Ocean at 28 ° 30 "E. Due to hostility, the Bantu had to return.

North of the Cape Party Yana Dankarta in 1660 opened the river. Olifants, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean at 31 ° 30 "S, and the Olifantsrifir mountains, stretching for 150 km along its left bank. Further progress to the north slowed down: the Dutch found there the Upper Karoo semi-desert plateau, unattractive to them, where they only occasionally met itinerant bushmen hunters.Only in 1682-1683 the Swede Olaf Berg in search of " copper mountains"carried out two expeditions to the north of the Cape. For r. Olifants, having reached about 30 ° 30 "S., he encountered great difficulties and retreated. His attempts prompted the governor of the colony Simone van der Stela in 1685 organize new expedition. In December, at the end of a phenomenal rainy season, he reached the semi-desert country of Little Namaqualand (at 29 ° 30 "S) and discovered a copper deposit. To the north, the area seemed even more barren (the Dutch did not know that a large river flows 80 km ) and returned home at the end of January 1686. Searches to the north were stopped for a long time.

Only in 1760 did a Dutch farmer and elephant hunter Jacob Coetze, passing from the Cape to the north, crossed the Small Namaqualand and for the first time reached a large river, which he called the “Big” (and it was the Orange River, correctly Oranskaya - see below). J. Coetze traced it for about 80 km, crossed it near the mouth of a short drying tributary and for the first time found himself on the territory of Namibia. J. Coetze met here several Hottentots, who told him about people with long hair, supposedly dressed in linen clothes and living six days' journey to the north. In mid-August 1761, a large research expedition of the government commissioner set off in search of them. Hendrik Hop, which included several scientific specialists and J. Kutze as a conductor. North of the river Orange in October, the Dutch discovered the desert mountainous country of the Great Namaqualand plateau. After a successful hunt for giraffes, X. Hop, with the main part of the expedition, in search of people in linen clothes, penetrated to about 26 ° S. sh. - beyond the northern tip of the Karasberg Mountains (top 2202 m). Further north, into a dry country with dry rivers, the Dutch, scorched by the heat, did not dare to go and in April 1762 returned to the Cape.

Swedish naturalist Andreas Sparrman, student of K. Linnaeus, Another of his students, the botanist Carl Peter Thunberg, made three long expeditions in almost three years of his stay in South Africa, discovered and described many new plant species. His fundamental work "Cape Flora" made him famous as "the father of Cape botany". The published travel diaries of K. Thunberg contain an ethnographic description of a number of South African tribes and their relationship with each other. a participant in the second voyage of D. Cook, completed a 10-month (end of July 1775 - mid-April 1776) journey through the southernmost part of Africa, quite well known to the Dutch colonists. A. Sparrman made no geographical discoveries, but in 1779 he compiled the first map of the coastal strip about 200 km wide between the Cape and the river. Great Fish, which flows into the ocean near 27 ° E. e. He also gave the first scientific description of the Bushmen and Hottentots, which is of historical and ethnographic interest even today, described the quagga, the two-horned rhinoceros, the wildebeest and the hippopotamus.

In 1777 a Dutch captain of Scottish origin, later a colonel, Robert Jacob Gordon, having passed to the northeast through the Big Karru depression with sparse vegetation, he climbed the Big Ledge west of the mountains Snowberg and went out on upstream"Big River" at its southernmost bend (near 25 ° E). In honor of the then ruling Orange dynasty in the Netherlands, he christened the Orange River (later distorted into Orange). Going down the river valley, he discovered the mouth of the river. Vaal, its largest tributary. A year later, an employee of the Dutch East India Company, a Swede Henrik Vikar- it is not known how - reached the river. Orange near 20°E and discovered the Augrabis waterfall - one of the largest in the world (146 m high). He traced the course of the river to the mouth In the XX century. river mouth area Orange "gave" a sensation: in 1908 to the north, and in 1926 to the south of it, rich placers of diamonds were discovered, and the marine placers of the region, according to experts, are "fantastically rich". over 500 km. In the same year, 1778, the Scottish botanist William Paterson, collecting plants for the estate of the Scottish countess who sent him, proceeded from the Cape to the river. Great Fish, simultaneously completing the determination of the coordinates of a number of points. In mid-August 1779, he and R. Gordon visited the mouth of the river. Orange. Returning to the Cape, W. Paterson observed numerous herds of African gazelles, numbering 20-30 thousand heads (these animals were soon completely exterminated), and gave the first description of giraffes. A. R. Gordon walked 850 km up the valley of the river with a survey. Orange to the mouth of the river. Vaal.

At the end of the XVIII century. farthest north of the Cape penetrated the expedition of a Dutch farmer Willem Van Renen, confident that in the deserts north of the river. Orange should be gold. Having crossed the lower reaches of the river in November 1791, he set up a base camp in the mountains of Great Namaqualand and completed a number of search routes from there. To the west, the Dutch advanced to the Bay of Whales, now Walvis Bay, near the Southern Tropic, and opened a strip of seaside Namib Desert- one of the most barren in the world, and to the east for the first time got acquainted with the semi-desert and desert part of the huge (about 630 thousand km²) Kalahari depression. The longest (15 days) route is to the north, to approximately 19° S. sh., made a member of the expedition Peter Brand passing through the semi-desert highlands of Damaraland for the first time. He loaded the wagons with "gold" ore - actually copper - and returned to the camp. The expedition of W. Van Renen returned to the Cape in June 1792.

gent of the French East India Company, wealthy and educated nobleman Etienne Flacourt, settled in Fort Dauphin ( southeast coast O. Madagascar), was unable to establish peaceful relations with the Malagasy, neighboring and distant, but nevertheless, for five years (1650–1654), at the head of expeditions, he completed a number of routes to the interior of the island. Without obtaining the consent of the company, in February 1655 he left for France, where in 1658 he published his "History of the Great Island of Madagascar" - a detailed and thorough summary of the information he collected about the nature, resources and inhabitants of the country. His "History" to the XIX century. remained the only one and is still the most valuable historical document, as well as his second work "Report ...". Both works were published in Paris in 1671, at the beginning of the 20th century. the latest edition has appeared. E. Flacourt was the first to report a giant bird that received in the 19th century. name epiornis; it was destroyed by man in the 17th-18th centuries.

The small French settlers were repeatedly attacked by the Malagasy tribes that inhabited the southern hinterland of the island. The company, having declared in 1665 the whole of Madagascar as its possession under the name "Dauphin's Island", was interested in increasing the number of colonists and in every possible way assisted everyone who wished to go there to settle. She was clearly in a hurry: by that time, the French had entrenched themselves only on a narrow coastal strip of the east coast, and even then not everywhere. Officially, this part of Madagascar became a French colony in 1670. In 1667, about 2,000 Frenchmen, including women and children, arrived at Fort Dauphine. The threat of famine immediately arose in the city, and then a merchant advanced Francois Martin. Along the east coast, he walked more than 900 km and organized the purchase of rice on the river. Maninguri, which flows into the ocean near 17 ° S. sh.

In order to get cattle from the Sihanaks, that is, the lake people, he led a detachment of 19 Frenchmen and 4 thousand coastal Malagasy, whom the Sihanaks had long raided. With these forces, F. Martin penetrated into the center of the northern part of Madagascar, climbing the Maninguri. At the height of the summer rainy season, through the forest jungle, at the end of December 1667, the detachment reached the shallow flowing lake Alaotra, the only relatively large (about 200 km²) natural reservoir of the island. But there were many Sihanaks, their villages were well fortified - and the coastal Malagasy fled, and F. Marten retreated.

Despite the fact that the history of the exploration of Africa began before our era, travelers became seriously interested in this continent much later. We can say that the African continent was the last of the six discovered and developed. The researchers of Africa and their discoveries will be discussed in the article. So, let's begin.

Features of Africa

There is nothing surprising in the fact that it took centuries to explore the continent, no. Together with the islands, the area of ​​Africa has more than 30 million square kilometers. This is the second largest continent. This area of ​​Africa contains 55 states - more than anywhere else.

The African continent is called the cradle of mankind, because it is here that the most ancient remains of the ancestors of modern man were found. About a billion people now live in Africa.

First studies

The history of African exploration began about four millennia ago. The pioneers were the Egyptians, who began to be interested in unexplored territories outside their state. They explored almost the entire northern part of the mainland, went from the Gulf of Sidra to the west and to the Suez Canal - to the east, studied the lands through which the path of the great Nile River ran in the north.

The next geographical exploration of Africa was taken up by the Phoenicians. For 600 years BC, they managed to walk on the water around the whole of Africa and get a rough idea of ​​its size. A century later, a native of Carthage, Gannon, rounded it from the west to the coast south of Cape Verde.

In the 2nd century BC, Spanish fishermen made frequent voyages to the Canary Islands, and a couple of centuries later, the eastern coast of the mainland became well known to Indonesian sailors. They were the first to find the island of Madagascar and founded the first colonies on it.

During the medieval period, from the 7th century onwards, north coast The Arabs set foot on the dark continent. They explored vast areas, including deserts, Lake Chad and some major rivers. In the 12th century, a map of northern Africa was drawn up, at that time the most accurate.

At the beginning of the 15th century, the Chinese traveler Zheng He, passing through the Red Sea, rounded the Somali Peninsula. After making his way along the east coast of Africa, he found the island of Zanzibar.

Around the same time, the Portuguese became interested in the African continent, looking for sea ​​route to India. Then the history of the discovery and exploration of Africa by Europeans began, the period of great travels.

Henry the Navigator

Henry, or Enrique the Navigator, is a Portuguese prince who laid the foundation for many years of exploration of Africa by the Portuguese. By his efforts, many expeditions were equipped to explore the western coasts of the mainland, which served as the basis for the creation of a strong Portuguese colony.

In 1415, Henry, together with his father, took part in a military campaign, the result of which was the capture of the Moorish fortress of Ceuta in the Strait of Gibraltar. From there, the Portuguese ships moved along the African coast; during such travels were opened Azores and Madeira Island. In 1434, after many fruitless attempts, a sea route to western Africa was found, and Henry himself was nicknamed the Navigator.

Vasco da Gama

The next and perhaps the most famous Portuguese navigator was Vasco da Gama. In 1497 he was appointed by King Manuel first as leader of an expedition to find a waterway to India.

On July 8, the armada left Lisbon and headed along West Bank along the already known path. On November 4, travelers had to make an emergency stop in an unnamed bay, which was dubbed the Bay of St. Helena. An armed clash with the natives took place there, as a result of which Vasco da Gama was wounded in the leg by an arrow.

Having bypassed the Cape of Good Hope, the flotilla anchored. Here the sailors stocked up on provisions, and also exchanged local jewelry made of bone for goods they brought with them.

After that, the Europeans moved along the eastern coast. They made a stop in Mozambique, but the Arab authorities met them with hostility, knowing full well that the Portuguese could seriously compete with them in the future. Vasco da Gama could not leave the desire to harm the expedition members unpunished, and just before sailing, he fired at the port city.

By February, the sailors reached Mombasa and Malindi, where they met Indian traders, and on May 20 they finally reached the coast of India.

Mungo Park

Mungo Park is a Scottish scientist and explorer who made two expeditions to West Africa.

His first journey took place in the spring of 1795, from the mouth of the Gambia River. The park set out to explore inland territories West Africa and try to find the city of Tombuku, known to Europeans only from the stories of local residents.

The traveler headed up the river, but after six days of travel he caught a local fever, which delayed him for almost two months. Not having time to recover from his illness, Mungo went further inland.

On the road along the southern borders of the Sahara, he was taken prisoner and was able to escape only months later. In July 1796, a man reached the Niger River and made interesting discovery- it has nothing to do with the Gambia and Senegal, although before the Europeans were sure that the Niger is divided into these two rivers.

The purpose of the second trip in 1805 was to be the exploration of Niger, but from the very beginning the expedition was unsuccessful. Most of the Park's companions died from disease or were killed by the natives. The survivors were attacked near the city of Busa, where the traveler died in the Jolib River, trying to escape from the arrows of local residents.

Heinrich Barth

The explorer and geographer Heinrich Barth set out on his first journey in 1845. Leaving Morocco, he crossed almost all of North Africa and Egypt, climbing up the Nile. He passed through the Sinai Peninsula, Palestine, the countries of Asia Minor, Greece, where he tirelessly collected ethnographic and biological materials.

In 1850, Bart joined another expedition heading to Murzuk. Despite the fact that its main goal was practical - to find a convenient way to Sudan - the participants decided not to miss the opportunity to explore territories that have not been described so far. They moved through the desert of Hamada al-Hamra and safely reached Murzuk.

Travelers studied the Damergu and Air plateaus, explored the basin of Lake Chad, the Niger River and its tributary. After his death in 1851 and 1852, Heinrich Barth was forced to lead the expedition. Alone, he continued to explore the Sudan, crossed the Sahara and returned to London six years later.

David Livingston

The Scot David Livingston went to Africa as a doctor and missionary. He successfully treated diseases and even opened several local schools, but the craving for research eventually forced him to change his occupation.

In 1848, Livingston, passing through the Kalahari Desert, was the first to discover Lake Ngami. After that, the researcher decided to seriously study the rivers of South Africa in search of new ways inland. Two years later, he discovered the Zambezi River.

Inspired by the first results, Livingston undertook another expedition and in 1854 went to the coast of the ocean, and also marked several new rivers on the map.

The next goal of the traveler was to follow the Zambezi to the Indian Ocean. After two weeks of travel, an impressive waterfall opened up to his eyes, to which the man gave the name of the English queen - Victoria. He reached the ocean in May 1856 and at the same time became the first traveler to cross the entire African continent from west to east.

Upon his return to England, Livingston published a book detailing his research, and in 1866 he returned to the Black Continent in the hope of finding the origins of the Nile. Unfortunately, the traveler did not have time to carry out these plans - seven years later he fell seriously ill and died.

Vasily Junker

Russian explorer Vasily Junker first set foot on the African continent in 1875. His goal was to visit Tunisia and Egypt and test the veracity of the theory about the displacement of the Nile. Along the way, he visited Coptic monasteries and learned Arabic, which greatly simplified communication with the local population.

Later, Juncker made two more trips, as a result of which he thoroughly studied Central and East Africa, the languages ​​and culture of the indigenous tribes.

Results

The less unexplored the continent became, the more Europeans arrived there. The large states of Europe equipped more and more new expeditions, seized new territories, founded vast colonies. There was a struggle for lands rich in gold and diamonds, and Africa itself was divided for many years into spheres of influence of the greatest powers.

Africa. Distant, mysterious, inaccessible, but so desirable. Strange, but we hear about Africa almost from birth. Of course, this is all Chukovsky: “Children do not go to Africa for a walk”, “Aibolit” and “The Stolen Sun”. Later Hemingway: "Green Hills of Africa" ​​and "Snows of Kilimanjaro". Again Nelson Mandela with his struggle. Eh, Jah? Ras Tafari I, Selassie I Ai-n-Ai…

Africa. Distant, mysterious, inaccessible. My journey there was long and strange. It all started in the mountains. For the first time I heard about the climbing program "7 Peaks" in the distant 95th year. The idea was to

climb the highest peaks of all seven continents and parts of the world. A very ambitious and attractive, I must say, idea. That year, just a group of climbers from Yekaterinburg and Perm went to Africa to Kilimanjaro - the highest mountain (volcano) of the Black Continent. Then I could not afford such a trip, but the dream lit up in my soul with a small spark and began to smolder, waiting in the wings.

A few years later, a financial opportunity arose. I called the most famous and the only organizer of expeditions in Yekaterinburg at that time and asked about Africa. “There are no people on Kilimanjaro. Let's go to Alaska, let's go to McKinley (6194 m) - the highest mountain in North America. "But there

it's probably cold..." "So dress warmly." And instead of hot Africa, I went to the snows of Alaska. A couple of years later: “Is there anyone in Africa?”, “No, but there is a group in South America on Aconcagua (6962 m) - the highest peak". "I'm going." A couple of years later, I got a call: “We are going to Australia to the highest mountain - Koustsyushko (2224 m). Let's go to New Zealand too." At least it's warm there - "I'm going." Then there was highest mountain Europe - the Elbrus volcano (5642 m) and only in 2006, exactly 10 years later, the spark of a dream could finally flare up into the flame of Travel.

So we went to Africa. The program of the event included climbing Kilimanjaro (5895 m), a safari in the National Parks and several days in Zanzibar. All this happened on the New Year from 2005 to 2006. As a result of this expedition, I even had a personal exhibition at the Metenkov Photographic Museum.

What is the path - what is the road . Apparently it's not so easy for me to get to Africa. We've been going for a day now. Yekaterinburg - Moscow - Dubai - Nairobi. We met the new year 2006 in the United Arab Emirates somewhere between the plane and the airport. short New year's night at the hotel and again for registration. What is today's date? Is it still January 1st? It can't be: we've been driving for ages. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas! Happy new year! the black kids shout at us as we drive the minibus through the squalid villages. Someone congratulates, someone shows the fact ... Happy New Year! We are driving from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to Moshi, a town at the foot of Kilimanjaro.

To be honest, there are simply no first impressions of Africa. Is it unusual to feel white among the black population. The road from Nairobi to Moshi is not a short one. The road goes in the sun-scorched savannah. The landscape is dull.

The road is quite good. Someone saw a zebra. Everyone clung to the windows, but they had already passed. Toward evening we arrived at the border of Kenya and Tanzania. Wooden barn, $50, passport stamp.

Tanzania immediately hit the road. European class track! The highest quality roadbed, curbs, signs, markings. Special ceramic tiles in the asphalt cause noise in the tires and warn the driver that he has approached the curb, a turn or a pedestrian crossing. Marvelous! There are few such roads in Russia now, but then ... The guide accompanying us explained that these were Germans

built a road here as compensation for the colonial period.

That's it.

Toward midnight, we finally arrived at the place. The bus drove through some gate and stopped. The hotel is a few two-story houses among the trees. Little lighting. In the dark we went to the reception. Divided by numbers. The hotel attendants grabbed their backpacks and carried them from room to room. My backpack is left. I threw it on my shoulder and wandered into the darkness after those who had gone ahead. With lighting, they have a clear savings. I make my way in the darkness among the bushes, when suddenly a peasant appeared in front of me; a black man in a cape and with a Kalashnikov at the ready! Heart skipped a beat. "Oops!" - I think, "Got it!". The man took the key from my hand and beckoned me to follow him.

"Ugh, damn you. Apparently the guard. This is true. Led to the house and disappeared into the darkness. There was no more strength left and everyone fell asleep.

In the morning, finally managed to look around. The hotel is quite decent. With garden and pools. In the distance we can see our goal - Kilimanjaro:

We had breakfast, repacked, left unnecessary things in the storage room and, closer to noon, went to the entrance to national park Kilimanjaro. There are several routes on Kili. Ours was the simplest - Marangu. We passed the checkpoint, registered. Around the pre-launch fuss: some kind of belongings are being packed, porters are dismantling the goods, something is being weighed-outweighed-shifted. We stand on the sidelines. The porters put the trunks on their heads and go forward. We are going next.

The first day of the journey is very short. We walk along the road through the tropical forest. It's cold in the forest. We have two guides with us. One in front, the other closes. The first one goes deliberately slowly and does not let anyone go forward: “Field field,” he says to us: “Hush, do not rush.” This is right. Almost no one has acclimatization, plus many of those who are in general for the first time in the mountains. I'm going slowly. "Jumbo!" the descenders greet us in Swahili, “Jumbo!” we tell them back. Halt after an hour. An hour later they came to a clearing with several huts. This is the Mandara camp (2700 m). Around everything is cultural and well-groomed. Toilets, washbasins, large dining room. Similar to pioneer camp, only the beer kiosk does not fit into the familiar picture a bit.

It got dark quickly. We are almost at the equator, but in the Southern Hemisphere. Showed people the Southern Cross. The cook prepared dinner: soup, scrambled eggs, cakes, some fruit, tea. After dinner - jokes, whiskey, preference; the evening flew by. We slept on the second floor, or rather in the attic, the dining room side by side on the floor.

Morning breakfast and back on the road. "Field". "Jumbo!" - "Jumbo!" The forest is thinning and we are entering the zone of alpine meadows:

The wide road leads us into the distance. Soon strange plants began to come across:

Neither grass nor tree. The guide calls them Sinicia. They say these are endemic plants - they grow only on the slopes of Kili. Later I subtracted the name: Dendrocross or Dendrosinitia. Grow in groups:

or one by one:

In general, we walked and walked and in 4 hours we came to the next camp - Horombo (3700 m). We were settled in triangular houses:

They really do look like zebra stripes.

The walk is quite pleasant and useful, because we climbed above 4000 meters. Necessary acclimatization before climbing. We returned to the camp. Lunch, whiskey, preference, dinner, whiskey, preference. The jokes are over.

Morning breakfast and transfer to the next camp. The weather is incomprehensible: clouds have stretched and it is not clear whether it will rain or not. I would like to go up the mountain in good weather. The road leads us into the foggy distance through the thickets of Sinicia:

Closer to dinner, the clouds rose and we saw Kilimanjaro:

Gradually, the vegetation ended and we entered the high-altitude desert zone. The transition from the Horombo camp to the Kibo camp (4700 m) is quite difficult and tiring. It is felt, nevertheless, that acclimatization is insufficient. Nevertheless, we are moving forward. Down carry several victims of altitude sickness. The locals adapted a wheel and shock absorbers to the stretchers - it turned out something like a wheelbarrow, in which the unfortunate climber is placed and run down so that he does not die.

In general, climbing Kilimanjaro, despite the apparent simplicity of the route, is quite an extreme matter. You need to prepare for it. Work out, run cross-country, go hiking. Plus height. 5895 meters is no joke. Health must be excellent. Heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys, musculoskeletal system. And, there are some German grandmothers, grandfathers, American fat men ... They are then taken down on carts. The movement of motor vehicles in the Park is prohibited. At least die.

But, it seems that a fighting team gathered in our place and everyone reached Kibo's hut. Stone house with many rooms and bunk beds. Settled. I advised those who were in the mountains for the first time to take a walk up, and fell asleep, because the exit was coming at night. People left and returned. Not everyone went. Someone was knocked down by a miner. They lie without strength and emotions. It seems that not everyone will go upstairs ... Dinner, a drop of whiskey, sleep.

Harsh light, noise, uproar, clatter of dishes ... It seems that he has just fallen asleep, and already getting up; how much you don’t want to ... Nevertheless, we get up, get dressed. We were fed with some kind of soup, backpacks were collected from the evening. Since the evening? So it's still evening! Time 23-00. We're going to attack.

A headlamp picks up a yellow circle underfoot from the darkness. We go up the path. Step by step. Ski poles - knock-knock. Step by step in pitch darkness somewhere up. The black sky is all in the diamonds of the stars. Unfamiliar constellations cover the celestial sphere of the Southern Hemisphere. The Southern Cross indicates where the South is. We pass a stone on which the numbers are written with paint: 5000. Meters above sea level, presumably.

It seems to be not cold, but the body is somehow chilly. I'm trying to go faster to keep warm - "Polepole". The group stretched out. Ahead above and behind below are the fireflies of headlamps. I go at my own pace - not fast, but confidently. It's getting cold. Cold fingers and toes. I look - among the stones there is a stream. So the temperature is above zero; why is it so cold? But because acclimatization is weak; the body lacks oxygen, it produces more red blood cells

bodies for delivery to the O2 organs, the blood thickens and does not pass into the capillaries, from which the body experiences oxygen starvation and produces even more hemoglobin ... Insufficient acclimatization. But what can you do! The edge of the crater is already visible above. Wow, that means light! Indeed, in the pitch darkness, the outlines of the slopes began to be drawn.

Altitude 5500 meters. To the right, a part of the Big Dipper Bucket appeared from behind the slope! Wow! From this height you can look beyond the equator! The North Pole Star is not visible, but the Bucket is almost all. Both the Cross and the Bucket. I haven't seen this yet.

Step by step. Ski poles - knock-knock. Dog cold. Freezing, of course, will not work at positive temperatures, but walking without feeling your fingers and toes is not very pleasant. The sky is turning gray. Someone has already reached the edge of the crater and shines a flashlight down. Step by step. Ski poles - knock-knock. In the predawn haze, I rise to the edge of the crater of the Kilimanjaro volcano. Gilmans point (5685 m).

The guide holds out a cup of hot tea. Very handy! And a glass of cognac. Ah, this is just wonderful! Cognac instantly dispersed in a hot wave through the body. Her stiff fingers warmed, her cheeks flushed red. Great! You can go further!

I was about to put on a backpack, as I froze, amazed by the beauty - the Sun was rising over Africa:

Clouds flowed in a wide river into the valley separating Kilimanjaro from Mawenzi (5334 m) - the second highest peak in Africa.

While admiring the sunrise, it finally dawned and it became possible to look around.

Inside the crater, on the South side, a small glacier was discovered:

Here they are - the legendary Kilimanjaro ridges:

Having admired the opened views, we went further, to Uhuru peak - highest point Mount Kilimanjaro. The path led to the left. We walked among lava rocks and rubble placers. The stones underfoot were covered with frost:

This is the breath of a volcano. He sleeps, but steam rises through the cracks from the bowels of the earth and freezes with frost on the outside.

Someone was already descending from the top, which could be seen ahead:

A little more, and here it is - the top!

The highest point in Africa - Uhuru Peak 5895 meters above sea level! The dream came true! Uhuru means freedom.

It is difficult to describe in words what you experience when you reach the top. For this, perhaps, there are simply no words.

The journey from Gilmans Point to the summit took 45 minutes. I tried calling home. There seemed to be a connection, but the call did not go. God bless him. Stone from the top to the backpack. Traditional photo for memory:

Descent from the cone of the volcano along the scree slopes. It's not difficult if you know how to run on sypukhs. a little more than an hour and I'm down. After a while, people began to move in. One of the guides came. He said we could get some sleep in the hut; up to 12-13 hours. I looked at the clock - it was 9:00 am. And it felt like it was already evening.

We were fed soup and I fell asleep with pleasure and a sense of accomplishment.

Closer to noon we were awakened, fed and we went downstairs. Along the way, he clarified who did not ascend. It turned out that not everyone reached the top. Someone did not come out at all, someone turned from 5000, and someone only reached Gilmans Point. But in general, the result is good - about 80%. Even very good, considering that there are only three participants with experience in high-altitude ascents, and the rest are in the mountains for the first time.

Down, not up. We walk downhill with a confident step and arrive in Horombo in 2 hours. Another Russian group from Kemerovo led by two legendary climbers was found in the camp. They wish us a Merry Christmas. And it's really January 7th!

At dinner, the Siberians presented us with a 5-liter bottle of whiskey on a special rocking stand. Happy Mountain and Merry Christmas. Guys! I respect! With such a prezant, there is no time for preference. "Oh frost, frost ...", "Black Raven ...". The bottle is sort of bottomless. Far after midnight, swaying, they dispersed to their houses.

A little uneasy this morning, after yesterday. But you still have to go. We have breakfast and down. The body is slowly getting back to normal. Three hours later, they dumped right up to the entrance to the National Park - Marangu Gate. Here it is our entire route (and me):

Participants and porters come up. The cook cooked an awesome goulash with meat, potatoes and bananas. Someone thought to lower the unfinished bottle down. Very good! We ate, drank, gave tips to guides and porters, said goodbye to them.

We get into the minibus and drive to the hotel. We parted ways. It is necessary to stretch a little after the Mountain. In the evening, a festive dinner. The representative of the host company issues certificates to everyone confirming that he was at the top (for those who did not reach - max height). Cheerful gatherings after dinner. We were at the top - we have the right!

We go on safari in the morning. Several members go home. Muscovites. Affairs. We bring them to Kilimanjaro airport and go on safari. Instead of a minibus, we have jeeps. Land Cruisers and Land Rovers with a removable roof. The safari program includes visits to three National Parks: Lake Manyara, Serenghetti Valley and Ngorongoro Crater.

The superroad soon ended and the jeeps covered the dirt road with dust. Wild animals began to come across:

We are strictly forbidden to get out of the jeeps. And, here are the indigenous people - the Maasai, walking around the savannah completely fearlessly:

They look extremely colorful: bright clothes, earlobes drawn to the shoulders, beads-earrings, bracelets. Men always walk with a stick or with a spear. However, they rarely go. They mostly sit under trees.

If there is a tree, then a Masai is sure to sit under it:

Probably because it is noon and very, very hot. The sun just beats. Here they are hiding in a stunted shadow:

On the way, we decided to stop by the Masai village - to look at the locals closer. The village is a fence of thorny acacia branches with a single entrance to the perimeter. Inside, along the fence, houses made of branches and straw, plastered with clay and manure. In the center is a kind of Maidan, where the Maasai keep cows. The village is not entirely authentic. Built near the road to lure tourists and cut dollars. So be it, but the Maasai are real! They took $10 from us and we went inside the village.

It turned out that for $ 10 we will still be shown a performance. While the Maasai were getting ready for the performance, I quietly went to the side and took a few photos.

But, he was caught by an uncle who claimed that he was a leader:

And escorted to the place of performance. Everything was ready there. First, the women sang a Masai folk song in unison. Then the men gathered in a semicircle and began to stomp and rhythmically pronounce: "Yh-Yh-Yh-Yh ...". Suddenly, one of them jumped into the center and began to bounce:

Jump high. Very high! There was even a feeling that he was hanging in the air for a moment. Amazing spectacle! Having jumped enough, the men went home, and the women set up an impromptu market. We were offered bracelets, beads, earrings, Masai sticks, utensils and even traditional spears with a wide blade. Interestingly, white people used to come here and exchange their land with the Maasai for beads, but now the Maasai exchange white people's dollars for beads. Here is such a cycle.

The people plunged into bargaining, and I into photography. The Maasai cheerfully took pictures if you buy something from them and turn away if not. I bought various trinkets ($1-$2) and took a photo:

In the end, we were also led to a hut on the outskirts:

They said it was a school and asked for donations for the education of Masai children. All this was naive and comical, so no one regretted a couple of dollars.

Masai men came out to see us off:

We said goodbye to them, disinfected with antibacterial wipes and drove on to Lake Manyara.

We arrived at Lake Manyara National Park in the evening. They say that the animals are active only in the morning and in the evening, and the rest of the time they either hide from the sun or sleep.

Lake Manyara is a relative concept. As such, there is no lake at all; some places swampy plain and forest around the edges.

Apparently the lake is a lake only in the rainy season. Now is the dry season. It's a little stressful. “Head, will there be animals?”, I worry and ask the leader, “There will be, there will be - don’t worry.” The drivers removed the roofs from the jeeps and we drove into the forest. The beasts were not visible at first; only huge heaps of dung spoke of the fact that elephants were found somewhere here. We drove a little further into the depths and suddenly, unexpectedly, right in front of our car, an elephant came out of the thicket:

The driver immediately stopped. The elephant crossed the road and disappeared into the thickets. It was cool! Safari has begun! The jeeps kept going. There were more and more animals. Elephants graze peacefully by the roadside:

Giraffes roamed the bushes:

Zebras grazing in the meadow

Hippos lay in muddy puddles:

The views around are simply amazing:

There aren't many animals, but they do exist. Live for themselves, graze; we go, I photograph them. Very interesting, actually. I just really liked everything. However, the safari was not very long. Soon it began to get dark and we left the Nat. park in a neighboring village for the night. We were settled in some hotel in tents in a clearing on the shore of the pool. The cook has prepared dinner. We celebrated the first day of the safari and dispersed to the tents.

The next day we got up not very early. We swam in the pool, had breakfast and went to the Serenghetti Valley National Park. The way to get there is not close. It feels like 300 kilometers. And all on a dirt road. Heat, dust, mirages on the horizon… The Maasai were struck. No, no, let's meet one of them. They go somewhere. no circle settlements, nor their villages, but they go. Spear on the shoulders, hands on the spear and go. There is no water, dry land all around, wild animals, and they are coming ...

In the afternoon we finally arrived in the Serenghetti:

I understand that the Serenghetti differs from the rest of the savannah by the presence of umbrella acacias there:

As you know, the Masai Mara and Serenghetti valleys extend over two hemispheres - Northern and Southern, and two states - Kenya and Tanzania, respectively. The animals that live there migrate from North to South and back twice a year, following the rainy seasons and consequently water, grass and meat, depending on who eats what. January is the dry season in the Serenghetti, and those herds of antelope shown on Animal Planet graze in the Masai Mara. But there are plenty of animals in the Serenghetti. Most Antelope Impala:

Lots of zebras:

And elephants:

We drive on specially laid roads, we look at everything and take pictures.

Or rather, we only take pictures of the three of us. Film Adepts; the rest of the digital devices and batteries have long been depleted, and there is nowhere to recharge. We travel and take pictures of everything:

There are cars with groups from other countries. In fact - a complete international. During forced stops:

We talk with fellow tourists, share our impressions. Drivers also find out from each other who, where and whom they saw and take "their" tourists to interesting places. Of the big five, we have seen only elephants and giraffes so far. The driver finds out that a leopard has been spotted somewhere. This is a fairly rare animal. We're going somewhere. A cluster of cars, Germans with meter lenses on the most modern cameras, spotted skin in the bushes. They stand and wait. Tourists - when leans out, leopard - when tourists leave.

I photographed a baboon in dry grass:

And we drove on. Despite the dry season, there are many animals. Probably it's still right to go to Africa in the dry season. For climbing Kili - definitely! There are a lot of animals, but there are no malarial mosquitoes and tse-tse flies at all. And dry heat is easier to bear than wet heat. Meanwhile, the driver showed us a pride of lions:

The king of beasts sprawled near the carcass of a buffalo, and the lionesses lay peacefully on the sidelines:

It was a waterhole. Different animals periodically approached there and drank water. Various antelopes, zebras, elephants. We even saw a hyena, but it was already getting dark and it was dark to photograph. There is also a pride of lions near the waterhole. In the bushes, a young lioness purred torturing the carcass of a zebra. A disgusting sight. I won't even post pictures...

It was evening. Our other jeeps arrived. The driver asked: “Finish?”, We nodded and he took us to the camp. Two or three turns and we stopped at a small clearing. Finish.

Eee! What a finish! Are we going to spend the night here??? "Yes-Yes ...". Eee! And the fence??? Grid, lattice, cage??? Wild animals are all around... The truck with the kitchen and tents is already here. The guide and drivers, laughing at our confusion, begin to put up tents. “We must,” I say, “occupy tents in the center! The last ones will definitely be devoured at night ... ".

The sun is setting. Marabou storks perched on an acacia for the night:

Sunset in the Serenghetti Valley. Beautiful and solemn.

We walked across the field. Camping, several gazebos - dining rooms, a large tank of water, toilets a little to the side. The water is warm, almost hot. Washed off the dust, watering each other from the ladle.

Almost in the dark, the rest of our jeeps drove up. Crazy people poured out of them and began vying to tell how a lioness killed a zebra in front of their eyes. The spectacle apparently made a strong impression on the guys. They waved their hands, shouted, interrupted each other. We had to urgently “disinfect” them, after which the people calmed down a bit and a storyteller was appointed, who told that after our jeep left, a herd of zebras came to the watering hole. The lioness, who was sitting in the bushes and already eating a zebra, left the prey, crept between the jeeps to the herd and pulled up another striped horse. And, they also say that a predator only kills when it's hungry! No one was filming anything, because the batteries of photo and video cameras were finally exhausted, but the bloody scene shocked everyone to the core. In fact, people rarely witness such a hunt. It turns out that we are very lucky. But looking at the impression the hunting scene made on the guys, I don’t even know if I would like to be there, in their place, and see all this ...

In the meantime, it was completely dark. Several more groups arrived at the clearing. Everyone settled in tents and dispersed to gazebos-canteens. The cooks prepared dinner. It turned out that the camp was still guarded: rangers with rifles were walking along the perimeter. After dinner, we sat for a long time under some tree, in the light of lanterns (it is forbidden to kindle a fire), sipped whiskey, listened to the story of the lioness hunt for the 25th time, and shared our impressions. Long after midnight, two sleepy, swollen and shaggy French women came to us and asked us to take them to the toilet, otherwise they were very, very, very scared. We were also scared, but volunteers for this noble cause were appointed by lottery.

Night in the savannah... It's great!

The night passed without loss. Early in the morning rise, breakfast and a little more safari. Antelopes, zebras, elephants, giraffes, baboons. Lions were not met. Toward noon, we set off on our return trip. A couple of hundred kilometers along the dusty road of the sun-scorched savannah and we arrived at the Ngorongoro Crater National Park:

The crater is really huge. It is difficult even to imagine the forces that led to the formation of such a huge crater. While the rest of the jeeps were waiting, I bargained with the Maasai who approached us (see photo above) for a spear for $ 20. There it is; stands in the corner by the battery, pleases the eye ...

Finally, all the cars are assembled and we are rolling down the serpentine. The Maasai are driving a herd of cows to meet us. We wait for the cows to pass and go further. Cows in Africa are somehow small; like our calves, only with adult horns and a big hump. The Maasai calmly graze them in the National Park:

Wildebeest graze nearby:

And the lions rest

We drove somewhere across the entire crater. On the way we stopped and watched different animals and birds. We got:

Boar warthog:

Soon we arrived at the shore of the lake and stopped there for lunch. Hippos swam in the lake:

Eagles circled in the sky

We tossed pieces of bread from the dry ration to the top, and the eagles grabbed them on the fly. Beauty! But life in Africa is not so cloudless:

After lunch, we went to the so-called "Hippopo pool" to watch hippos:

Of course, it should have been better done before dinner - the stench is unbearable! But hippos are hilarious:

Here are some more birds:

When it became no longer possible to breathe these "aromas", we drove to the exit from the crater. At the very edge of the forest they saw an elephant with huge tusks:

Apparently it was a very, very old elephant.

We climbed in jeeps to the edge of the crater and drove to the clearing for the camp. The tents have already been set up. dining under open sky. A large barrel of water and showers - very handy! While sorting into tents and standing in line for a shower, an elephant came out of the forest and began to drink water from a large barrel:

Got drunk and left. And SMS messages went to Russia that we have an elephant walking around the camp. While everyone was staring at the elephant, Marabou storks crept up behind the tents and began to rummage through our things. But, unlike the elephant, the guides drove them away with sticks.

After a while, we were fed dinner. Quickly, as is usual in the equatorial zone, it got dark. And it got suddenly cold. The altimeter showed 2400 m. We climbed into the trunks for jackets and sweatshirts, which were already stuffed to the very bottom after the ascent. At least we had clothes, but those European tourists who arrived only on a safari, except for shorts and T-shirts - nothing. There was a bonfire in the center of the glade and the guides lit a large pioneer bonfire. Half the night we sat around the fire and bawled songs throughout the savannah.

In the morning we woke up from the noise of screams and inhuman screeching! The guides drove warthogs around the camp, who came to profit from our leftovers. We laughed at the situation, then washed up, had breakfast and drove back to Moshi.

On the way, we were taken to a store selling ebony crafts. Everything was kind of expensive. On the way, we spotted a wild market on the way “there”, and, having bargained enough, we bought ebony knick-knacks and other Masai products.

By evening we returned to Moshi. Tomorrow we were scheduled to leave for about. Zanzibar.

One more night gatherings by a finally friendly company. I was always amazed how strangers with very different interests, views on life, social status, become good friends during joint ascents.

After breakfast we drive to Kilimanjaro Airport. He is nearby - 30-40 minutes. There are 2 (minus two) in our team. They're going home. Muscovites. Affairs. The airport is small but neat. At the entrance there is a metal detector frame. Masai ornaments, which we hung ourselves with, ring like natives. Uncovering. Gone, again wearing countless bracelets. Let's land right away. There's another frame; again uncovered by the friendly laughter of friends.

The flight is less than an hour, but they still bring lunch: a hot dog and a can of beer. Soon the edge of the African continent and the line of the surf of the Indian Ocean appeared below. The coast is uncomfortable: rocky steep banks, high waves, white foam of the surf. We fly over the ocean. Soon the color of the water below changed: instead of cloudy milky, the ocean became blue-turquoise; emerald banks appeared. The plane is landing. The coastline, the unreal color of the water, long dugout boats with white triangles of sails sway on the waves, the white sand of the beach, coconut palms on the shore. Amazing picture!

The plane landed at Stone Town Airport. Stone Town is the capital of Zanzibar. It used to be independent state and the center of the slave trade during the colonial era. After gaining African states independence, Zanzibar merged with Tanganyika and got the state of Tanzania (Tanzania).

We are met. We get on the bus. We ask the guide to take us to some supermarket for "disinfectant", which began to come to an end, but it turned out that the elections had just passed (with a crazy election campaign, with clashes, shooting and casualties; this struggle was even covered on the Central Television and almost forced us to abandon Zanzibar), “Good” won and now there is a holiday in Zanzibar and all shops are closed. What can you do, we will solve the problem on the spot. We're going to the hotel. The road goes along the outskirts of Stone Town. Shacks, white houses, workshops, junk shops. All possible surfaces are covered with portraits of former candidates. Soon the signs of the city ended and the road wound through the rainforest. Some time later we went to East coast and drove south.

We drove long enough, among coconut trees and white coral sand, and finally arrived at a certain village of white houses with thatched roofs. It turned out to be our hotel (for the life of me, I don't remember the name). Not presentable at first glance. We settled in a bungalow. Inside, a couple of beds, a shower-toilet, and a refrigerator were found. No electricity, no tap water.

They gathered in the yard: several crooked stationary umbrellas, home-made deck chairs, they already wanted to make a claim to the leader. However, the turquoise ocean, snow-white sand, coconut palm trees evoked in my soul the feeling that we were in Paradise. We swam in the ocean - it's like Paradise! Yes, and the leader is our good old friend ... The chef put out a bottle of tequila. Someone saw a lime tree along the way, someone went to the dining room for salt. Everyone got it, spilled it, licked it, salted it, drank it, ate it. Raaaaay! "Let's go, let's swim again ...". “Oops! Where is the sea??? "This is not the sea, this is the ocean ...". "Yes, don't care! Where is the water?" There was no water

The ocean is gone. Low tide. Everyone turned to the leader. He spread his hands, saying that he definitely had nothing to do with it, and poured more tequila for everyone. Wow, how fast it all happened. It seems that they just swam, and now we have a snow-white desert, though with puddles and algae. Barrier reef. Children jumped among the puddles and collected some seafood:

The territory of our hotel was fenced with a flimsy fence made of crooked sticks. Apparently, having heard that they had brought tourists, the local black people reached out to the fence. They behaved quite peacefully and did not go beyond the fence. Except for one boy; he said that he would be our assistant, he would always be there and we could ask him for anything. Fine. We asked him to drive away the onlookers and, believe it or not, he drove them away! Hakuna Matata - no problem. Dressed, despite the heat, the boy was all black, plus he was completely black, for which he immediately received the nickname: Black Broker. We asked him about the sea. He said that the sea comes and goes on schedule twice a day and we have a couple of hours before high tide. Hakuna Matata. We decided to devote these hours to gluttony and went to our dining room:

We ordered a variety of seafood dishes. Yes, ahh ... Such an abundance, lobsters, crabs, shrimps, squids, octopuses, cuttlefish, maluskov, not to mention fish, for such ridiculous money, I have never seen anywhere else.

With the onset of darkness came the sea. The Black Broker came too. He offered to ride a junk in the sea and see white sharks, which, according to him, are apparently invisible in the sea behind the reef. Hakuna Matata. We indecisively went down with him to the water. He asked to wait, ran away somewhere and sailed already on a dugout boat under a holey triangular sail. A kerosene lamp hung from the top of the mast, illuminating the flimsy structure of the ocean-going ship with scant light. The captain, who was also a sailor, smiled at us with snow-white teeth in the night and puffed on a huge cigarette, with a painfully familiar smell. We looked at each other and laughed. The captain could not stand it and whinnied along with us. "No-No-No!" No white sharks! On this boat! This is a one way road. Hakuna Matata. We gave the captain-sailor a couple of bucks for the run, and he sailed somewhere into the darkness rolling with laughter.

We returned to the restaurant. There's a new batch of lobsters. Lunch smoothly flowed into dinner. Our leader discussed with the manager of either the hotel or the host, possible excursions on the island. We were offered several trips: to Stone Town (its historical part), Turtle Island (turtle reserve), Kizim-Kizi (a place where you can swim with dolphins) and something else. Personally, I read about all this and decided at home that I would go to Kizim-Kizi. The people partly decided to go in the morning to Stone Town. In town? From the sea? In January? Bring some disinfectant. Hakuna Matata.

We returned to the hotel. There was electricity and water. A small refrigerator tried to cool the beer from +40 to at least +20, but did not have time. We sat a little more on the sun loungers, listening to the sound of the surf, and went to the bungalow. Some remained sleeping on the street. Hakuna Matata.

In the morning after breakfast, the people partly left. Several people remained. At about 10 am, the tide began to ebb. Local residents reached for the water: men naked to the waist, women wrapped from head to toe in bright scarves (Islam predominates on the island), barefoot children. Adults loaded into dugout junks, hoisted the sails and set sail with the tide. The kids saw them off and scattered around

coast. 15 minutes of busy bustle and silence: no ocean, no people - low tide. Someone went into the house; no water, no electricity. Really! What for? Everyone went to sea… Hakuna Matata.

We decided, while it is not very hot, to take a walk along the exposed shore:

We walked and walked and came to strange plantations:

Pegs, ropes are stretched on them, algae grow on the ropes:

The view is absolutely surreal. Women feel the algae, sort them out, wash them in puddles and put them in bags:

"What is this?" Women cover themselves with a scarf from the gaze of the infidels and are silent. Nevertheless, the landscape and views around are simply not earthly:

The edge of the barrier reef was visible in the distance. There loomed the sails of the junk. Apparently, the men fished, and the women looked after the sea gardens.

We returned to our hotel and lounged in the shade on sun loungers. Hakuna Matata. The Black Broker supplied us with delicious fruits. The light breeze was pleasantly refreshing. The smell of the sea. The whole environment evoked in the soul just a heavenly feeling.

Hakuna Matata. As the afternoon progressed, the wind picked up. There was a noise from the reef. The tide. The ocean came right to your feet. Powerful and confident.

Along with the ocean came the boats. Men unloaded boxes with fish, lobsters and huge (up to 2 meters) squids. The women are sacks of seaweed. Seafood was quickly carried away somewhere, and the algae fell out on the shore right on the fine coral sand to dry. It's strange: the women very carefully washed each branch, and here - in the sand. Someone remembered that there is such a thing called Agar-agar. Apparently this is what it is.

However, you can also have lunch. Looking for a new place? We went along the coast. Hotels like ours, restaurants. A canopy of palm leaves, a makeshift bar counter, several rickety tables and chairs. In the corner sits a young man in Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt, reading a crumpled newspaper. "This is a restaurant? Will you feed?" "Yes Yes! Please come in, have a seat! Here’s the menu…” While we were seated, the man disappeared. Well, at least he gave me a beer… We looked behind the counter — there’s a refrigerator, it’s not hot beer. We opened it, sip, relax. Our bartender showed up. barefoot. A snow-white towel over our hand. We almost fell off the chairs from surprise. We leaf through the menu. This is, this is not. Made an order: "Bring everything that is." He nodded his head and ran away. There was no bartender for a long time. We drank another drink a couple of beers while he returned. He returned with fish, lobsters, squid, chicken and a piece of meat. He changed clothes behind a translucent screen and began to fry and steam it all. Then he changed clothes again and set before us large plates on which ketchup and onion arrows were made intricate pattern. Well done man! That's generally unexpected and very exotic! Soon served dishes. Everything was fresh and very tasty. Very, very tasty. The bill is less than $ 10 per person.

Well done man, pleased! Left a generous tip. However, we ate for 3 hours. We say to the owner-bartender-waiter: "My friend, you cook dinner for us, and we'll come up at eight o'clock, so as not to wait ...". “Sorry,” he smiles shyly, “but you just ate all the food in this village. There is nothing more. Come tomorrow, we'll get something for you ... "That's it!

The next morning, I took one of my best photos:

It's called We're Photographers. In 2007, this photo won 1st place in the Epson Photo Contest. My favorite photo".

Then there was a trip to Kizim-Kizi and swimming with dolphins. It is very interesting. The people also went to Turtle Island. Me not. More and more he sat on the shore under a palm tree and looked into the distance. The boundless distance of the sea-ocean ...

Three days flew by like one. Zanzibar is heaven, but it's time for us to go home. Early in the morning we were taken to the port of Stone Town. Not without incident, they boarded the ship. We sailed to Dar Es Salaam. We sat until the evening in the park of some hotel. We moved to the airport and flew home. To cold and snowy Moscow and beyond, to simply icy Yekaterinburg.

The dream came true. The journey has taken place. I was there, it seems, not for long, but Africa remained in my heart forever.

Many thanks to our leaders: Sergey Kofanov and Lyudmila Korobeshko. Best wishes to all of us!

Alexander Verevkin

Tanzania-Yekaterinburg

May 19th, 2014

AKWAAABA * GHANA AND BURKINA FASO
Author's journey of Ulita Lipskova

West Africa is about people. different. About kings and backgrounds, colorful Ashanti ceremonies and elegant initiation rites. About weddings - streets and funerals - quarters.

Here you can sit in Accra or Abidjan or Bobo-Dioulasso and drink mango juice by the road. Just. And watch life like a movie. Here you can observe how Muslims and animists, voodoo and mganga coexist peacefully.

Akwaaba - welcome

Day 1. Arrival
Arrival at Vnukovo airport at 03:30. Flight. Arrival at 19:25. Transfer to the hotel.Night V hotel.

The Cassena people and their traditional way of life

Day 2 Accra Ghetto And Coffin Factory . Ghana is famous for its hospitality and originality.visit Embassies of Burkina Faso. visit Nima ghetto - an area inhabited by immigrants from Ghana, Niger and Chad. Visit to a workshop in the areaTeshi, where coffins of various shapes are made, from submarines to large scorpions. City Tour. Dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

Night in the ghetto

In the workshop of an undertaker from Ghana

Fort at Elmina

Day 3. VOODOO RITUAL. In the morning, meeting with one of the most powerful voodoo sorcerers of Accra and participating in a voodoo ritual with a goat sacrifice lasting 4 hours. Traditional lunch. Meeting with the traditional leader of the Kumasi region. Free time. Overnight at the hotel.

Kente fabric is made up of brightly colored stripes that are woven into intricate patterns and have a symbolic meaning.

Day 4 . SLAVE TRANSFER FORT . visit National Parka Kakum, famous his cable car Expensive, sprawling on altitude from 20 before 41 m above level land. visit most major V past fort By transfer slaves from Western Africa V America. Fort Elmina (in Arabic mina-el - the fortress was founded inXVcentury, and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site).Night V bungalowon the ocean.

In the Kakum forest

Day 5. AQUASIDAE FESTIVAL . We leave early in the morning V Kumasi - the capital kingdoms Ashanti And king asantehene, once revered most influential leader V empire Songhai, Later - V Ghana. Pvisiting colorful festival aquasidae. Sutb festival: ablution golden chair - symbol faith And power, on which once seated king Ashanti. Asantehene Osei Tutu II himself will appear in all his glory and with royal regalia. In the past, kings wore up to 50 kg of gold.Festivalheld on Sundays every 42 days.He is interesting more And because on him going big quantity people, men And women V traditional dashiki, kufi And clothes ashanti. The people are having fun and dancing. The action takes place in the Mankhia Palace.An opportunity to greet the king in person. Traditional dinner.Night V hotel V Kumasi.

In the fishing village of Fanti

Day 6. VISIT A VOODOO WIZARD. In the morning aboutdeparture to Tamale.In the evening, visit the voodoo sorcerer - the leader of the village Vovagu - Tuu Nana. This sorcerer talks to animals for slaughter and lulls them with his spells, and they go to another world. Overnight at the hotel in Tamale.

At the sorcerer

Day 7. VILLAGE OF WITCHES. Moving to Endy.

In the village of witches

In the village of witches

villages witches - This West African « chip». Usually « sentence» rendered topics, whose relativesor acquaintancesBy Which- That reason suddenly died. The average African simply does not accept natural death. Hence the belief in the other world, fetishes associated with Thanatos and other magical things. Speaking of Africa, especially Western, one must really distinguish between a sorcerer and one who is calledInyangaor Mganga - a herbalist, he is also a healer.We will visit a non-tourist village of witches. Usually This elderly, But Not Always, women. There are few men here.They will tell us O his everyday life And O volume, How found themselves Here. After lunch - moving V Bolgatangu. Visit to the local handicraft market, where there are a lot of leather handicrafts. Dinner andoh V hotel V Bolgatanga.

Zotentaari - No. 1 sorcerer in Northern Ghana

Zotentaari's domain south of the palace

Continued here:

Africa is one of the largest continents, with a lot of attractions that are definitely worth a visit. If you go on a trip to Africa, be sure to visit at least a few of the places listed below.

Africa is so exotic and diverse that every place will surprise you with something unique. If you visit at least one of the places we have listed, you can deservedly consider your trip to Africa useful and interesting. Unfortunately, these destinations are not in great demand among tourists.

Ait Ben Haddou

On the edge of the high Atlas Mountains in Morocco lies the incredible city of Ait Ben Haddou. It is also known as the City of Mud Bricks. This ancient defensive fortress has long been a haven for travelers on the way between the Sahara and the city of Marrakech.

While visiting Ait Ben Haddu, you can take a tour of the traditional mud dwellings, explore the ancient hilltop granary, and even visit the Ben Haddu Mausoleum.

Isalo Park

Off the coast of Mozambique, in the waters of the Indian Ocean is the island of Madagascar. This island nation has many natural attractions, among which you should definitely explore the Isalo National Park. The park is famous for its wide range different types landscape.

Be prepared to encounter huge canyons, lush palm-fringed oases, and even unique sandstone sculptures, among other attractions of Madagascar. The best way to explore Isalo National Park is on a walking tour with an overnight camping stop. Such a unique experience of communicating with wildlife happens only once in a lifetime.

Zanzibar

Semi-autonomous archipelago off the coast of Tanzania - indeed unique place destinations in Africa. Zanzibar offers travelers an interesting mix of architecture that combines Arabic, Middle Eastern, Moorish and Indian styles. It has a wealth of world-class beaches, vibrant sights and well-preserved history. Be sure to spend time in the capital of Zanzibar, Stone Town ( stone city), which has some fantastic museums and an old fort from the 17th century.

Jenna

The most historically and architecturally interesting city in all of Mali is Djenne. The city was an important point in the trans-Saharan trade in gold and other commodities, and is still a regional center thanks to its impressive weekly market that draws residents from all around. By far the most amazing landmark in the city is the Grand Mosque, the largest mud-brick building in the world. The Islamic Mosque dates back to the 13th century, although it was not officially completed until 1907.

Lake Malawi

One of the largest reserves fresh water in Africa are found in Lake Malawi. As the name suggests, most of the lake is located within the borders of Malawi, also covering parts of Tanzania and Mozambique. If you want to see Lake Malawi, one of better ways to do this will be a visit to the national park of the same name, located at the southern end of the lake. The park has miles of walking paths, not to mention countless viewpoints where you can admire the lake and take breathtaking photos. With a depth of 706 meters, Malawi is on the list of the deepest lakes in the world.

Etosha Park

The second largest game reserve in Namibia is the Etosha National Park. It was created around the Etosha salt flat where numerous animals congregate. As a result, the national park has become an exciting place to watch Africa's wildlife. Be sure to bring binoculars with you to get a better look at the zebras, springbok antelope, lions, giraffes, elephants and other wild inhabitants of the park. Three holiday camps provide visitors different types housing, allowing you to observe amazing animals in comfortable conditions with all amenities.

Lalibela

The city of Lalibela in Ethiopia is known as a popular pilgrimage destination. Lalibela is famous for its 11 churches carved into a monolithic rock, each of which will be of interest to travelers. Most of the inhabitants are Egyptian Orthodox Christians, and most of the churches were built in the 12th and 13th centuries. If you only have time for a tour of one church in Lalibela, be sure to choose Bet Giorgis. The amazing church is carved into the rock in the shape of a cross.

Virunga Park

Near the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a few minutes from Uganda, is the Virunga National Park. Virunga was founded in 1925 by the Belgian King Albert, becoming Africa's very first national park. In the past, poaching was a major problem in the park, but now it is popular place destination for tourism. Virunga National Park is best known for its mountain gorillas, but you can also spot the Tongo chimpanzee here, or hike to the top of Nyiragongo Volcano to see the world's largest lava lake.

Fish River Canyon

The incredible Fish River Canyon in southern Namibia is one of the largest canyons in the world. It is truly a breathtaking natural attraction in Africa and one of the natural wonders of the continent. It is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. You can take a trip along the canyon walking trail, or book a helicopter tour to admire the colorful rock formations against the backdrop of a raging river.

Merzouga

a small village Merzouga in Morocco is a popular travel destination. Set in the Sahara desert, the settlement is surrounded by the huge dunes of Erg Chebbi. Most of the local population are indigenous Berber nomads. After visiting this place, you can go on a camel safari, conquering the dunes and learning the traditional Berber way of life. In addition, you will have the opportunity to explore the life of migratory birds migrating through these parts in the spring.

Praslin Island

The second largest tropical island in the Seychelles archipelago, Praslin is located in the heart of the Indian Ocean. The island is dotted with numerous luxury resorts, but Praslin's two main attractions are Anse Lazio and the Valle de May Nature Reserve. Magnificent beach Anse Lazio with clear sea and amazing snorkeling opportunities will captivate you at first sight. The Valle de May Reserve is a protected palm forest that is home to countless reptiles and birds, including the very rare Seychelles Black Parrot. Praslin is one of the most beautiful African islands.

Okavango Delta

At the meeting point of the Okavango River and the Kalahari Basin, you will find the Okavango Delta. This is a great place with untouched nature definitely worth a visit. Thanks to the source of water, the wildlife of the Okavango is particularly diverse. In addition, this is a popular safari destination where you can enjoy the amazing landscapes of Africa. A fantastic and unforgettable way to explore the Okavango Delta is an aerial tour by plane that allows you to see all the local beauties in detail. This wonder of nature in Botswana is worth visiting at least once in a lifetime.