As a matter of introduction, I’m simply J.T. I am from Africa from the countryside of a country called Zimbabwe. Geographically that’s in the Southern part of Africa between the two rivers The Limpopo and the Zambezi River. on the south of Zimbabwe is South Africa and on the north is Zambia while Mozambique and Botswana flag it from the left and right. I am not a prolific writer at all but I would love very much to share my travel experience with you.
Tour guiding is what I do for a living, and i guess that is the reason I picked this pen today to say a bit about my work. Outside my work I love traveling a lot to different places, regions and continents.
Guiding Tours is a broad term but with the same principals of informing travelers where they are and a bit of stories of the places and physical features of places. Over-landing guiding involves travelling for days with a group of travelers, and taking care of there expectations and needs. The needs here referring to food and drinks and places to say. To make prior arrangements with the next destinations that all bookings are in place. Expectations is the happiness and relaxed time one ponders off when going on a holiday. Holidays are meant to release the pressure from work and responsibilities and a time to reset, rest and enjoy the moments. That is already a huge responsibility since I won’t be on holiday like them. So while we in the same space, our roles and responsibilities are way different yet they compliment each other.
We use customized buses that have been designed to carry passengers in the most comfortable way as well as the equipment that you would use for days on the road. So to start with driving has to be be profession and accredited as such to be able to drive comfortably. Secondly you have to be a good chef as most meals will be prepared from the truck. Thirdly information is key for good guiding; history of places; important events that distinguish the places; the people and their culture but most important animals and behavior. I will give detail later on the importance of this as I’m referring here to roads in Africa.
For this work I’m hardly at home. Many days I’m hopping from one country to another. My life is on a backpack. I have enough clothes to take me for the days I am away and I will have refills for my toiletries once I get to a major town. I live from one lodge to another hotel, a dormitory to a campsite, in communities and in national parks. An overland guide can be away from home for 2 months and still once I get a home it’s 3 days break and off I go on another assignment
My life is characterized by ‘hellos’ as I’m excited to meet a new group, new people and new characters. Its really like a theater and soapie that has so many series. No group is the same to the previous one and sadly all people all have different expectations, background and completely different cultures and sometimes languages. When you travel for 3 weeks with the same people you already become a part of them and they also a part of me. We share stories, observe the same things, share meals and of course you become a temporary ‘big family’ , at least for such a time. Before you know it you come to the end of your time together. The ‘Goodbyes’ are the most emotional ones when you know you had the opportunity to be together for such a short time and probably never would see each other again. That’s the nature of Over-landing in a nutshell
As sad as this might seem, I love this job. I like to know people from different parts of the world, how they do things differently from me and how and why they think differently from how I see the World. We are united here by a common interest and that’s traveling. And since we love the same thing we might as well take this platform to discuss our travel experiences
When I finally get my holidays I like traveling as well like you. I may one day be in your region so I already would know what to look up for and to expect. In my posts I will try to give as much information and interesting facts that you may take as travel tips!!