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Gabon part 2 🇬🇦

After finally finding the mandrills, we spent some time following them through the jungle before it was time to head back. Along the way, the rangers were setting controlled fires to clear the thick vegetation and expose food for the animals. We also got lucky enough to spot some elephants with their calves!

The next day, once the last group had returned from trekking, it was time to make our way back to Libreville.

Getting there turned out to be an adventure of its own. With people needing to catch flights and minivans not being allowed to drive after 8 PM due to past accidents, some negotiations (and a little bribing) were needed to get us to the capital.

We finally made it to our hotel around midnight, and unfortunately, Melissa had to head out again not long after to catch her flight.

Up next: Congo part 1 🇨🇬

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Gabon part 1 🇬🇦

The next morning we left early to catch our flight from Douala to Libreville, via Bata in Equatorial Guinea. After a somewhat longer immigration process than in Cameroon, we started the long drive towards Lope National Park.

We made a few stops along the way, including at the equator, before getting a little lost towards the end of the drive. By the time we finally reached our lodge, it was well past midnight. 😅

Our first day in Lope was a little more relaxed, with some time to explore the lodge before heading out in the evening to attend a Bwiti celebration. It was a fascinating traditional ceremony involving music, dancing, chanting and spiritual rituals, led by a Shaman.

The next day we were back out in the jungle for mandrill trekking. First we had to locate the radio signal from one of the collared mandrills, and once we had an idea where they were, we headed into the jungle on foot to find them.

Up next: Gabon part 2 🇬🇦

#wanderlust #gabon #travel #travelgram #travelholic

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Cameroon part 2 🇨🇲

After returning to Yaoundé, we had dinner and called it a night. The next day we did some sightseeing around the city, including the Reunification Monument, which commemorates the reunification of French and British Cameroon.

We then hit the road towards Douala, where we learned an important piece of local knowledge: gas stations do sell beer, but apparently you’re not allowed to take it outside the station. 😂

After arriving in Douala, we stopped by a local market before checking out the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul.

Once we checked into our hotel, we headed out for dinner and were joined by our friend Jess, who happened to be travelling through the region as well. Always nice when your paths cross in the middle of Africa!

Up next: Gabon part 1 🇬🇦

#wanderlust #travel #travelgram #cameroon #travelling

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Cameroon part 1 🇨🇲

After arriving in Yaoundé and getting through a surprisingly efficient immigration process, we headed to our hotel before grabbing dinner at a nearby local spot.

The next morning, we hit the road toward the Dja Faunal Reserve, home to some of the remaining Pygmy communities in Cameroon. Many of these communities have been displaced over the years by logging, commercial timber operations, mining, and even conservation restrictions.

We spent the night nearby before heading into the forest the following day to visit the Baka community that still lives traditionally within the forest. They welcomed us in and showed us a glimpse into their daily life and traditions before we began the long drive back to Yaoundé.

Up next: Cameroon part 2 🇨🇲

#travel #travelgram #travelling #wanderlust

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Equatorial Guinea Part 3 🇬🇶

We spent our final day in Equatorial Guinea exploring a few more sights around Malabo, including Plaza de la Independencia, St. Elizabeth’s Cathedral, and the waterfront promenade with the “I ❤️ Malabo” sign and the huge flagpole.

After that, it was time to visit Finca Sampaka, a local chocolate farm and factory. We started with an explanation of the whole process, from harvesting and roasting the cocoa beans to making the finished chocolate. At the end of the tour, we got to see the kitchen where the chocolate is actually made — and the smell inside was incredibly delicious. 🍫

The tour costs 10,000 CFA, but if you spend 10,000 CFA on chocolate, the tour is essentially free. Needless to say, we made sure to leave with some chocolate. 😄

After the tour, we headed back into Malabo for lunch before making our way to the airport for our quick flight over to Cameroon.

Up next: Cameroon Part 1 🇨🇲

#travelling #travel #travelgram #wanderlust #equatorialguinea

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Equatorial Guinea part 2 🇬🇶

After getting dropped off at our next hotel we made our way to the airport to wait for our friends to arrive.

We got dinner that evening and made our way back to our hotel since we had a road trip planned to “Eureka” which is one of the wettest places in the world.

During the road trip we stopped at some small sites, got a blessing from the locals before continuing to the waterfall, and we also saw some Russians swimming but the ocean looked way too wild (surely the vodka helps 🤣).

On our way back to the capital we also stopped at the “Batete church” which is the oldest church in Equatorial Guinea built in 1887. Once we got back we had dinner and called it a night.

Up next: Equatorial Guinea part 3 🇬🇶

#travelling #travelgram #wanderlust #travel #equatorialguinea

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Equatorial Guinea Part 1 🇬🇶

Melissa and I flew to Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, via Frankfurt and Addis Ababa. Fun fact: Equatorial Guinea is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa 🇬🇶🇪🇸

After arriving in Malabo, our first challenge was trying to exchange money at the airport… which failed miserably. 😂 Luckily, we found a taxi driver who was willing to take us into town to exchange money and then drop us off at our hotel. So far, everything was going according to plan.

After getting a local SIM card, we took a quick nap before meeting up with Tze Ru for dinner at a Lebanese restaurant. Afterwards, we checked out a local dance competition, which was definitely not something we expected to be doing that evening.

The next day was Sunday. We did not realize this until the actual day. 😂 This turned out to be important because apparently a lot of things are closed on Sundays. So our carefully planned day basically became: supermarket + Ethiopian dinner.

On day 3, we had a day trip planned to Pico Basilé, the highest mountain in Equatorial Guinea. The mountain is supposed to have some amazing views, but unfortunately 🌧️ we mostly got clouds and rain instead.

We drove all the way to the top and stopped at the Church of Our Lady of Bisila. Along the way, we also managed to spot some wildlife, including a couple of rhino vipers, various birds and some monkeys 🐍🐒

Not exactly the clearest views from Pico Basilé, but at least we made it to the top!

Up next: Equatorial Guinea Part 2 🇬🇶

#equatorialguinea #malabo #wanderlust #travelgram #travelling

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Helsinki Part 4 🇫🇮

Once we were done visiting Kamppi Chapel, we grabbed some pelmeni (Russian dumplings) for lunch before walking over to an event we had planned to attend, Craft Beer Helsinki. It featured a great mix of Finnish breweries along with quite a few international ones, so naturally we had to sample our fair share. 🍻

After getting a decent amount of beer in us, we grabbed a late-night snack at McDonald’s, where we somehow managed to catch a double rainbow 🌈🌈

The next morning, we had brunch at a cute spot called Pacifico before making our way over to Huvilakatu, a street known for its colorful houses. We also visited the Botanic Gardens and the Orthodox Church before heading to a nearby restaurant for my birthday dinner—and our final stop in Helsinki. 🇫🇮

Up next: Equatorial Guinea 🇬🇶

#travel #travelling #wanderlust #travelgram #finland

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Helsinki Part 3 🇫🇮

The next morning, we grabbed breakfast near our hotel before making our way to Hietaniemi Cemetery, where several former presidents of Finland and other notable figures are buried. One of the interesting people buried here is the son of Peter Carl Fabergé, the famous jeweler behind the iconic Fabergé eggs, which were created in the style of ornate Easter eggs.

We then stopped at Café Regatta, a cute little café situated right on the water, before walking over to the Sibelius Monument, a memorial dedicated to Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

From there, we continued our walk and stopped at Temppeliaukio Church, a Lutheran church built directly into solid rock. Our final stop for this part was the Kamppi Chapel, a peaceful space designed to give people a place to calm down and escape one of the city’s busiest areas.

Up next: Helsinki Part 4 🇫🇮

#helsinki #travelgram #wanderlust #travelling

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Helsinki part 2 🇫🇮

After spending some time walking around the fortress, we made our way back to the mainland.

We stopped at the Helsinki Cathedral and the National Library of Finland before walking over to the National Archives (which was unfortunately under renovation).

As we were winding down the day, we grabbed a drink at a tap takeover (Pulfer), then had Italian for dinner before heading to another tap takeover (Messorem). We wrapped up the night going back to the bar near our hotel.

We were craving dessert, so we stopped at a supermarket to pick up some cake before going to our hotel.

Up next: Helsinki part 3 🇫🇮

#helsinki #travel #wanderlust #travelgram #travelling

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Helsinki Part 1 🇫🇮

We arrived at Helsinki Airport around 3pm and made our way to our hotel by train (which was pretty cheap).

After a quick nap, we decided on Thai for dinner—only to find out the place was closed—so we ended up at a Georgian spot nearby instead.

We ended the night at a craft beer bar near our hotel, run by a Texan guy who moved here after following his high school girlfriend (an exchange student from Finland).

The next day, we woke up late, so what was supposed to be breakfast turned into brunch at the Old Market Hall.

Our last stop for this part was Suomenlinna, a fortress located off the coast of Helsinki—you take a ferry over to get there.

Up next: Helsinki Part 2 🇫🇮

#helsinki #travel #travelling #wanderlust #travelgram

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San Francisco / Oakland part 2 🇺🇸

After Lombard Street, we made our way to Ghirardelli Square, where we bought some chocolate and dropped it off at the hotel before heading to the other side of the Bay Area on BART.

We got lunch at World Famous Hotboys Chicken before starting our brewery tour of Oakland.

Our first stop was Ghost Town Brewing, followed by Original Pattern Brewing. At the third stop, Oakland United Beerworks, something unexpected happened—we ran into Melissa’s classmate Neil (he spotted us in the brewery and came over to say hi).

The last stop of the day was Faction Brewing, which offers a great sunset view of the San Francisco skyline. We also met up with Melissa’s friend Kellie here.

We then made our way to Hyphy Burger for a late-night dinner before heading back to our hotel.

The next morning, we had an early lunch with another one of Melissa’s friends, Noah, before making our way to the airport, where we said our goodbyes.

Up next: Helsinki part 1 🇫🇮

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