Tom and I arrived at 9 pm Tuesday night May 31, 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The natives call it Joburg. It was the beginning our 25th Anniversary celebration because we both love African safaris so much. Everything went almost perfect except for some rude passengers Houston to Amsterdam. When it was time to sleep, a man across the aisle started his violent nose blowing and it continued the rest of the flight, Just as soon as we would doze off, he would blow so loud and violent I don’t see how his nose stayed on his face. And behind us, just as we dozed off, a man screamed OH SHIT and it woke us up, and another and another. So we got off in Amsterdam begging for sleep!
Would you believe our connecting flight to Johannesburg was right next door to the gate we came in? We were in shock at this luck. Or should I say “sleep mode”. So we sat down and rested but were afraid to go to sleep because we sure didn’t want to miss that flight.
The flight to Johannesburg was perfect. I slept almost the entire flight. But finally decided I had better stay awake or I would not sleep when we got to our extra service luxury room Westcliff hotel. I just can’t get over the flight attendants. They are smiling and happy ALL the time! And they say they have been doing it for over 15. They even squat down to your level to talk with you. On the flight to Amsterdam, the Chief Purser talked personally for 5 minutes with each one of us! This is the kind of service the air carriers provide in the Far East and I wish ours did. She wanted to know who, what, when, where and why of our trip as she was interested in us and she thanked us for taking KLM. And, of course, they gave us Dutch gin and a little Dutch house. There are 91 different houses and they are collector items. I have 12 in my kitchen and will have almost 12 more soon after this trip.
KLM has upgraded and changed everything on the plane and it is so nice. The seats are better with more features and more modern and quality looking. They are comfortable and have padding instead of like the hard surface ones some planes have. They almost lie flat. The food has changed and will be changed every 3 months by a new chef. Tom and I loved the food to Amsterdam and we ate everything and ate and ate until we couldn’t eat anymore. Our favorite was a Dutch traditional dish-hutspot- like our roast beef with mashed potatoes, onions and carrots. The meat just melted in our mouth. And the dessert- dulce deleche-was to die for. It was vanilla chocolate flavored pudding on top of chocolate pudding on top of an Oreo cookie without the filling. Tom selected the big round chocolate cookie/cake but it was kind of bitter. So in the end, we both agreed the roast beef and dulce de leche were the best. And, oh yes, the wine and liquor were also the best.
KLM also has new dishes and silverware! It was designed by a man and I really like them. The salt and pepper shaker is like an hour glass. One side is salt and the other side is pepper. I’m bringing one home. The main course plate is ceramic and is either round or the shape of a shell when they serve fish. Sometimes they serve in ceramic half circles with the round edge wavy. I love the dishes. Each one has a plate under it. When they bring coffee, it is in a little plastic black plate the shape of an exclamation point. The round part is where the coffee cup goes and the long part is for the cream, sugar, and stirrer. Get this; the stirrer is a 4-inch piece of metal/steel and about 1/2 inches wide. And it is twisted! I think it is so cool. I love all of these different designs. The salad and other foods are served in plastic engraved clear dishes. These have an inner engraved wall and an outer smooth wall. They are like the glasses we have to keep food cold or hot-an inner and outer wall. And the glassware looks on the order of a hour glass shape. And the thing I loved the most was the condiments. They are in a little box that looks like it is a wrapped gift. Inside is butter, that salt and pepper hour glass shaker, a mint, a little bottle of olive oil with balsamic vinegar for your salad, toothpick, etc. I will also bring one home with me.
And when we got to our seat, the flight attendant brought us each a new designer kit with all the items we will need for the flight. The outside of each has the designer name- Viktor Rolf- is the same but inside the contents are pink for women and gray for men. I had needed a little black purse, now I have one and several extras. Even the silverware is new. The utensils are larger and have a design on the handle that matches the design on the plastic bowls. The design is geometric and I think it looks kind of like lace. And the silverware is real! His name is Marcel Wanders-and he designed all the silverware and dishes as I understand. And the new chef is designing all the food. I think all of these changes and improvements are well done and welcomed.
The flight to Amsterdam, I called THE VIBRATER flight. We shook all the way. And 3 hours out of Johannesburg, we started shaking, rattling and rolling again. Don’t know what is going on in this world but it sure affected our flights.
One thing interesting I thought. We entered Africa flying over Libya! Tom and I looked out the window and could see the Mediterranean Sea and the coastline of Libya or Africa, but no fighting could be seen. It was neat. And we came over Maun, Botswana—where we are going in 2 days.
We got our 2 checked bags weighing a total of 23pounds!!!!!! And met our A&K guy and went straight to the hotel. When we checked our 2 bags in Austin, the lady asked us 3 times if that was all we were checking. She just couldn’t believe 23 pounds for 2 bags!!!!!
So, now we are to go to sleep in our extra service luxury room at The Westcliff and I hope we do. We have a free day tomorrow June 1 and I don’t know what we are doing yet. The tour starts at 6 pm June 1 so we get to meet the other 8 people on this tour.
I plan to write an email to you everyday telling you what we are doing on this trip of a lifetime. However, not every camp we go to will have internet capability. So I will send them in clumps. You might get 2 or 3 and then none for a while. Also, things are happening so fast I can barely write it in my notebook. And then I have to spend time writing it on the email, which I do not have much of.
AFRICAN SAFARI-Pretoria, Soweto, & Apartheid Museum in South Africa
I lost my notebook on the wild safari ride in the Okavango Delta when we had to see the leopard, so I am recalling this day’s experiences without any notes. I take a notebook on every trip to write down everything I see, hear and observe so I can tell you every detail of this trip. And I did not have time to write this #2 email when I had the notebook. So now I have the time to write this email but I do not have my notes. So, I am recreating it from my memory.
On our free day in Joburg, we visited the capital of South Africa and I had never been there before. On a recent cruise, I met the former US assistant ambassador to South Africa, and he told me about several adventures while he was at the US Embassy, so I wanted to see Pretoria. And I got to see the US Embassy there. It is a large concrete looking complex.
Pretoria is about 30 miles or so from Johannesburg and it is a beautiful clean city. We just drove around looking at the city and didn’t visit any buildings as we had other things to visit and he only had until 5 pm. We saw the building where Nelson Mandela was sentenced to prison.
Plus, we saw the capital building and all the other government buildings. It was a rewarding visit. Our A&K Joburg greeter George said that I should also see Pretoria in October when the Jacaranda trees bloom. They entire city is full of purple/lavender blooms from the tree and it is a sight to behold. But I have been to Joburg in October, and that city is also aglow in purple/lavender blooms from the tree and it also is a sight to behold.
Next on our tour of the Joburg area was Soweto, a neighborhood in Joburg. And it is in the southwest part of the city. So that it why it is called Soweto, which is short for southwest township. It is the result of the Apartheid conflict years ago. Five million people live in Soweto and the area is identifiable by 2 nuclear power towers custom hand painted with the struggles of Apartheid and Soweto. They are beautifully painted and truly are an outstanding landmark.
Our driver took us to the affluent part of Soweto first and showed us Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife’s house and other beautiful homes. Soweto has the only street in the world where 3 Nobel Peace prize winners live.
My most favorite part of the Soweto visit was when we parked the car and walked down a street to meet the people to see what they were doing and how they lived. As we parked, we saw a lady sewing clothes right out in the open and she allowed me to take her photo. And a man was giving another man a haircut. And other people were selling things.
As we proceeded down the dirt street, I noticed that it was clean and so were the people’s yards even though these people may not have had the means to have a fine home. But the homes we saw were nice to them and clean and orderly.
Several of the homes we visited were day care nurseries full of young children. And of course, they ran up to us wanting their photo taken so they could see themselves afterwards in my camera viewing screen. It always is so much fun to photograph young children because they just go wild over seeing themselves in a photo. I often wondered how many of them have ever seen themselves.
Our guide took us to the home of Sylvia and she allowed me to photograph her in her cardboard, thin plywood house. She was so cute all dressed in red. The roof showed signs of severe leakage and the house seemed damp. The house looked like a mobile home and was 2 rooms, one served as a kitchen/living room/dining room combo and the other was a bedroom. I did not see a bathroom. She had a heater going as I was cold and it was powered by coal
or gas, I couldn’t tell. But she was a sweet older lady and was going about her
daily business in her house.
We continued down the street and saw day care center after day care center. It was a sunny day and every house either had the wash on the clothes line or others were hanging the daily wash on their clothes lines.
Our next visit was to a beautiful church where our guide told us that the police fired shots at them while attending church to scare them during the apartheid conflict and we were shown the bullet holes that still remain today in the stained glass windows. Several ladies were eating their lunch as it was lunchtime and they allowed me to take their photos. And before we left, a lady came to me and asked me to buy something from her souvenir stand and I got a handmade plaque with little tiles that spelled out Soweto for my extensive souvenir collection. I had to have that one!
Our final experience of the Joburg area was to the Apartheid Museum, a large concrete-colored building with the story of the Apartheid conflict in Joburg years ago. On special exhibit where we were there was the story of Nelson Mandela.
Finally, we met our tour group at the welcoming dinner in Joburg for our Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa safari. There are a total of 10 of us and we learned how to take photos of wild game. And we are so excited.
AFRICAN SAFARI-The Okavango Cruise in Botswana
We flew this morning from Johannesburg, South Africa to Maun, Botswana and the flight was about 1 ½ hours on a “commuter” plane like ours. Then we got on our private plane that seats 11 and we flew for 11 minutes to our camp, called the Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp on the southern tip of Chief’s Island. It sits among 260,000 acres of untamed African bush and borders the southern section of the famous Moremi Game Reserve.
The flood waters in the Okavango Delta start arriving in late April and will continue until September when the water level recedes. The level of water is unusually high this year, our guide told us, so we are very excited because when we were here last, the part we visited of the Delta was dry. It is the Okavango River that empties into the land delta instead of the ocean or sea, making this area the only one in the world like it. So there is big game here, including the elephant, lion, hippo, giraffe, leopard, cheetah, buffalo and wild dog. Our guide told us that yesterday a pack of 11 wild dogs came through the camp. We saw a male elephant on the way to the camp. Tom was the first one to spot the elephant.
Our Stanley’s Camp is all on raised decking to keep us dry from the water and to give us a great view of the bush. Everything is a tent. The lobby is a tent and the 8 private suites are tents. But, inside the tents are 5-star luxury hotels. It is just so much fun to experience and I have to remember to not lean against the wall as I will fall out of the room. The toilet is surrounded by a tent so I really can’t lean on that wall. The shower is just a glass box just like ours. There is a vanity, desk and chair, beds and night stands, safe, hairdryer, storage unit and all the amenities.
So when the 10 of us on this Abercrombie & Kent “Wings over Botswana” tour group arrived in the Okavango Delta, we boarded our 2awaiting 4×4 land rovers to take us to the camp. Our tour guide, TB told us we might get our feet wet so put our feet up and also our luggage. We did but we didn’t think it would be much. Well, were we wrong! We floated through 13little ponds as the Delta is extra full this year. And it was so awesome. It felt like we were on a cruise in a boat. It was like a theme park where you board a boat and go in a river and you can see the boat ahead of you as you go around the course. We did the same thing with our 2 vehicles. I never knew a vehicle could float in water that was just designed to be a vehicle, not a boat. We rocked back and forth and front to back and many times water came over the hood of the land rover. I was screaming with joy by now. It was so cool to be floating in the Okavango Delta. I had never experience this before and this was the 6th safari for me and 4th for Tom.
We went through 13 long and short ponds, some so deep that the water flooded our floor. The little lakes ranged up to 750 approx. feet long and several feet wide. Many times they were as wide as a one lane highway and other times, a multi-lane highway. When we finished the ponds, the guides would open their doors to let the water flow out. But the highlight of the floating trip had to happen to our van! We got stuck!
The other van had gone ahead of us. We entered one long pond and we just hit the bottom with a thud. And it wouldn’t budge. So TB called the other van to come and pull us out. So he arrived about 1 minute later and drove on the dry land to the back of us. Got out his huge belt and hooked it up to his and our van. And then he stepped on the gas and out we came from the water. We all had a laughing good time and had an experience to tell. We then went into the water route again, and this time we made it just fine. And now, the other group doesn’t want to ride with us because we get stuck!!! And so we all just keep our same seats and van on every safari!!
That evening, we went on our first safari in the Okavango Delta and we saw 22 elephants and 13 LIONS! Also we saw a beautiful giraffe, wart hogs, and many different types of birds. We just couldn’t stop raving over all we had seen on the FIRST safari. The elephants were in a family and they walked in parade style with Mommies, babies, boys and girls.
Then we passed a dead giraffe and out guide said it had been killed by 15 lions last week and the legs had not been eaten so we could tell it was a giraffe. Only bones were left, otherwise. We proceeded on and noticed a lion. Of course, we all come unglued even though we were told to be quiet at all times. Then another came and another and another. I counted 13 lions. TB told us they were the group that killed the giraffe last week and 8 of the lions were still cubs as they are smaller than the Mothers. So they killed the giraffe so all would have enough food to eat. And it took about 5 days to totally east the giraffe. Then they left and we followed them!
And we got such a treat. One then 2 then 3 and eventually 8cubs show up underneath a tree. And they just pose for us to take photos. One is lying down, on e is sitting up etc.etc and one is on the other side of the tree on look out duty. Then they start yawning and did the cameras
start clicking. TB told us they were waiting there for their 4 mothers. We only guessed that they might be out hunting again.
So we ended our day on a super high because it is so unusual to see that many lions and elephants on day 1 or any day!
Then we arrive back at Stanley’s Camp and awaiting us was a dinner in the bush!! We sat around a glowing fire for warmth as it was 40 degrees. We had beer, wine, chicken, streak, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, potatoes, tossed green salad, and chocolate soufflé for dessert. For our evening entertainment, the African staff sang African songs and did the monkey dance! It was a neat experience.
AFRICAN SAFARI-Eating with the Elephants in Botswana
Following is the email I did not send as things were happening so fast I didn’t have time to write you, plus the experience with the elephants was so awesome, I had to have time to comprehend it. Carolyn
I lost my notebook that I always have on every trip in the violent game drive in the Okavango Delta to see the leopard. Somehow, it fell out of my tote bag I had it in. So I will be using only my memories to tell you of this elephant experience. In re-creating my notes, I asked the other 8 on the trip to be sure I remembered correctly. So here is our story of eating with elephants in Botswana.
What an incredible experience it was to get to meet personally with 3 elephants. It was beyond awesome. Tom and I, along with the other 8 people on our tour, spent 2 hours with an up close andpersonal experience with 3 elephants. It may be THE highlight of this trip or at least one of the main ones. I was shaking the entire time I was so scared and Tom wouldn’t even get near them at first. They were so huge and domineering.
We drove into the bush in the middle of the Okavango Delta because we were staying at Stanley’s Camp. When we drove up, I never saw the elephants in the bush. We all waited for Lisa to come and greet us and take us for a walk. Lisa is entering Vet school at Ohio State in August and is in Botswana studying elephants. We walked in about 2 ft. high grass until we came to 3 elephants just standing in the wild unleashed eating acacia tree leaves, grass and anything they could find. The elephants were Jabu, Marula, and Thembi, 1 male and 2 females. Jabu, the male, was huge and at least 20 feet high. The females were smaller and more “feminine”. All were orphans that were rescued from culling operations from their family herds. Tom and I stood as far away from them as we could and still be with our group.
Doug Groves, the keeper of the elephants associated with Living with Elephants.org. and Grey Matters introduced himself and the elephants to us as we stood in the grass spell bound and frightened. We were taking photos like mad and I noticed that my hands were shaking and I couldn’t make them stop. So I hope all my photos turn out. Getting that close to wild, unleashed elephants just about freaked me out. I began hyperventilating I was so scared but I tried to not show it. I didn’t want Jabu to figure out I was scared of him. Elephants are very smart animals and have been known to retaliate.
So Doug started teaching us about elephants that can live for 70 years. He said he had been shooting a film involving elephants in the area in 1988 and that is how he became interested in elephants and wanted to be around them more. He and his wife Sandy started with Jabu, a 2-year-old, and formed Grey Matters for visitors to interact with his elephants and Living with Elephants to create harmony between elephants and people. They have devoted their lives to the elephants and he said he can only be away for a day or 2 from thembecause they miss him so much. Doug said the 3 elephants have already saved his life when they were out in the bush and came upon a lion that went after Doug. The 3 elephants saw what was happening and placed themselves between Doug and the lion and put their heads down to the ground and the lion backed off. Jabu is now 25 years old and his name comes from jaublani, which is Zulu tribe word for happiness. Jabu loves people and new challenges.
Then Doug told us how they do things with that trunk that is so sensitive and exact it can pick up a pea, blow air through it to trumpet to show alarm or rumble to indicate communication and of course to eat. Then Doug showed us a gland on the side of Jabu’s head, between the eye and he ear. He said when liquid is draining out of it, you know the elephant is in musk and is ready to mate. Then he explained the ear flap edge becomes torn and notched when an elephant is older so it is fairly easy to guess the age.
Also the teeth help with guessing the age. An elephant has 5sets of new teeth because they grind them down with so much chewing. “And they come in the mouth like a conveyor belt, one after the other.” And this continues until around 50 and then the elephant dies after the last set of teeth is gone because it cannot eat without teeth. And elephants eat and poop their entire waking hours, he said.
Then Doug invited us up, one at a time, to greet Jabu and to touch his skin. He told us to only approach Jabu from the left side. I have touched an elephant before and knew what it felt like, so I decided to touch Jabu. And when I did, Tom took a photo of me touching and hugging his trunk. But Tom would not get near Jabu. Several times he was invited to pet Jabu and each time he refused. Jabu has about 4-5-inch longhairs on his trunk and you don‘t even see them as they are scattered evenly all over the trunk. Doug said they act as antennas to indicate how close the trunk is to something. And he also has shorter hairs all over his body, but the hairs are every few inches apart. They are not like hair or fur, they are like wire.
I was just amazed at how Doug talked to Jabu. I could barely hear what he said because he talked so softly to him because elephants don’t like loud noises. Doug told Jabu to “come over here” to be closer to us about 5 times before he acted. But, from then on, he minded Doug on every command. I couldn’t believe how they interacted together. He told Jabu to open his mouth and he did and Doug showed us his teeth and tongue. Of course, I got photos of all of this. Then Doug told him to show us how he trumpets when he is alarmed and Jabu blew his trumpet sound so loud it scared me even further. Next he told him to make a rumbling sound and he did It and said that is how they communicate with each other and us.
It was just about the neatest thing watching the 2 work together and it helped me to warm up and be more comfortable around Jabu. Then Doug offered Jabu for photos holding onto his tusks and finally I was able to convince Tom to be in my photo with me, Tom on one tusk and me on the other. Doug explained that the tusk is an extension of the teeth-bone system. Next, Jabu showed us some of his tricks. And Jabu and Doug showed us how to do a trick first. Jabu would take off Doug’s hat and put the hat on his head and then put the hat back on Doug’s head. It was such acute trick. So then everyone was offered the opportunity to do the trick with Jabu.
By now, I was beginning to believe I could trust Jabu to not hurt me as Doug showed us how to interact with him. I offered to go first and Jabu took off my safari hat with his trunk, put it on his head and then put it back on my head. His trunk was so heavy as his trunk bore down on my head putting my hat back on my head! Again, Tom did not participate with his hat in this trick.
So then Doug brought up Marula and took Jabu to a place close by to eat while he showed us Marula. He explained that Marula and a male elephant were owned by a couple there in Botswana who bought the elephants from culling operations during the drought in the1980s in Zimbabwe. The couple took the 2elephants home to be pets but it wasn’t going well. The boy was getting into trouble and when he killed a man, the decision was to sell him to a park in South Africa. And the Park owners decided the only solution was to destroy him after he killed 7 white rhino and flipped over a vehicle. Marula was not implicated in the rhinocide but she wasn’t happy and became antisocial. So Doug was called to see if he would be interested in Marula and he decided to take her in 1994-baggage and bad behaviors and all- and trains her and gives her a good life. He said she was his Princess.
Next, Doug took Marula to a small tree nearby so she could eat while he brought Thembi to us and told us her story. He explained that elephants can eat everything on a tree—the bark, the limbs, the leaves-all of it. We stood and watched them chew up entire large limbs like they were candy, and eat huge sections of grass like it was nothing. Doug said they could each drink up to 200 liters of water per day.
Thembi is the baby of his 3 elephants and she was orphaned in Krueger National Park. Thembi is short for Thembigela, a Zulu tribe word meaning trust. He said she is a sweetheart and even though she is the smallest, she loves attention and loves to be with the other 2 and gets nervous when she is not. Thembi considers herself the protector of the herd, Doug said. When he got her, she was not adjusted and lonely. She would tear up trees to take out her frustrations. She is very sensitive, and now with Doug, she has self respect and feels she belongs.
So Thembi had to show us how she sleeps each night and how she gets down and up. First it was the back legs that bent and it looked like she was sitting on her knees and then it was the front legs that bent and she was down on the ground. Then the head and truck followed and she was totally laid out on the ground. Doug said elephants sleep about 5 hours each day and they stay in an enclosure by their house there in Botswana. So now with Thembi totally laid out on the ground, he showed us her feet. It was our first time to actually see the bottom of a wild elephant’s foot and their toenails. And Doug invited us to touch and inspect her foot. It was not smooth and kind of looked like cracked and dried mud caked on some parts and nothing on other parts. I had purchased a footprint of the elephant I rode-Diablo- in Zimbabwe in 2008, so that was the only “foot” I had seen. I thought it was very interesting to see an elephant in that position of lying down instead of standing tall and dominating over all of us.
We left and the 3 elephants waved goodbye to us with their trunks. It was another priceless moment. And as we drove by them in the bush on the way to lunch, Lisa was sitting on top of Jabu. I asked Doug how she got up there without a ladder and he replied that Jabu had been taught to lift his right leg up and Lisa got on it and got up that way. Then I wondered how on earth she would get down but I never found out. Jabu is 20 feet tall.
Now it was time for us to eat and it was at a Bush Lunch. Stanley’s Camp provided us with a buffet lunch out in the wild bush underneath a huge tree. While we were having pre-lunch cocktails, they joined us in our bush luncheon.
That’s right. Those 3 huge elephants came marching in right next to our table and ate lunch while we ate lunch!!! Tears came into my eyes as I observed and participated in this magnificent event. Neverbefore had I ever had such a wonderful experience with elephants, much less to have lunch with the elephants. It took me a few moments to process what I had just seen and observed.
Workers brought in big blocks of hay for each elephant and alarge trash can for each with special grains and pellets that they liked. Their food was set in 3 separate piles just like our plates of food for each one of us. Doug stood by Jabu and would not let him eat his grain for about 5 minutes while Marula and Thembi ate theirs. Later I asked Doug why and he said that if Jabu ate the grain at the same time as the females, he would eat his fast and then go steal Marula’s and Thembi’s grain!!!! Sounds just like animals doesn’t it! And when all of us finished eating everything, all 3 elephants just stood there perfectly while Doug answered our many questions.
Tom and I were sitting at the end of the dining table closest to the elephants that were 15 feet away and we ate with them behind us. I trusted the elephants by now and felt comfortable enough to turn my back on them. Of course, Doug was with them. Then, Lisa, the vet student, said for Tom and I to move about one more foot apart and we didn’t know why.
But soon we found out. All of a sudden, Jabu put his trunk between us at the end of the table. I just about lost my breath. You talking about a heart beating so fast, blood pressure must have shot straight up! I could only think of the things that could go wrong at that moment and I began to write my headline again “Carolyn and Tom killed by bull elephant in Botswana”! And the cameras were clicking to capture this priceless moment as Lisa and our other friends took photo after photo.
I hugged Jabu’s trunk for the photo and Tom just satthereby him. The entire photo session with Jabu only lasted about 5 minutes but It seemed like an eternity to me. I was so relieved when he backed away yet I was so pleased and honored that Jabu would pose in a photo with us at the table and that we could experience this gentle giant and his 2 female friends. All 3 truly gave us a priceless moment that can’t be duplicated. And as we left our bush lunch and elephant encounter, the 3 elephants were waving “Goodbye” to us!
PS If you wish to learn more about these 3 elephants and the programs Doug is associated with, www.livingwithelephants.org has the complete story and you can see photos of Doug and Sandy and the 3 elephants in Botswana.
AFRICAN SAFARI-Safari by Air, Sea and Land in Botswana
I hope you enjoy what it has been like going on a safari game drives by air, sea and land here at Chief’s Camp in the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. We left Stanley’s Camp yesterday morning and flew by private plane 25 minutes to Chief’s Camp in the Okavango Delta. We learned flying here that the water in the delta has been the highest in years the last2 years. Normally it is 2 ½ feet but now it is 4-6 feet and we believe it as we try to go from place to place and we have to “swim” through ponds in our safari van.
We like our room in Chief’s Camp as it is twice the size of Stanley’s Camp and is more like a suite, although they call it a salon. And it has more light so we can see. The weather has just been perfect the last few days. It is cool in the night and warm in the day and both temperatures are perfect. This IS THE TIME to come to Botswana.
The 8 other people that are with us are wonderful. We all are getting along great and we like every one of them. They are all rolling with the punch and they make a joke out of everything, good or bad. So we lucked out! Here at chief’s Camp, we have gone on game drive by air, sea and land. So we have doing it just about every way we can do a safari game drive.
As soon as we arrived by plane to Chief’s Camp inside Moremi Game Reserve, a national park of Botswana, we took the mokoro ride –a dugout canoe –through the Delta here at the camp. And we got to see the famous Painter Reef Frog. A&K used the frog photo on its summer catalog of tours so I thought it was big. Come to find out, it was about the size of a small fingernail. It looked to be no bigger than 1 inch long. And it was holding onto a reed and we would never have noticed it if it hadn’t been for the guide telling us. It was beautiful and looks just like it had been painted red and white in geometric designs. We were thrilled when we saw it because we didn‘t expect to. And we saw the water lilies and little pink flowers in full bloom .It was so quiet and peaceful. Tom and I enjoyed this water dimension of the Delta. It reminded me of a gondola ride.
Then, we went on a fantastic helicopter air excursion of the Delta for 1 hour and we got to see another dimension of the Delta from the air. And it was so wonderful to fly over the animals. We never got higher than about 4,000 feet high but when we spotted an animal, we came down closer. Tom got to sit up front by the open door and I got to sit in the middle next to him and the pilot. And the pilot is a gorgeous 23-year-old hunk from South Africa and he flies planes and helicopters for Mack Air here. Sitting up front, we got to see through the windshield and the open door so it was an incredible view. He would make a u-turn when we spotted an animal and it was so cool and so easy. The plane made 1/3 the noise of a regular helicopter, so we didn’t disturb the animals too much. We saw our camp which is right in the middle of the Okavango Delta inside the Game Reserve.
The first animal we spotted was 2 hippos and it was so big we could see it soaking in the Delta water. Next were 2 crocodiles and it was near20 feet long, Greg, our pilot, said. The animals were so large we could see them with no problem. Then we saw an elephants walking in the Delta water and Gregg said it is no problem for them to come into the Delta waters because they like water. Also in the remote areas of the Delta, it is safe for them from predators. And we kept seeing hippos, elephants and crocs.
Then, it was time to land on a remote island in the middle of the Delta for COCKTAILS! Standing on this island was like standing on a wet sponge. You just kept sinking. Gregg set up a table and put all the drinks and snacks out and chairs for us to sit in and we had a 30-minute private cocktail on an un-named island in the middle of the Okavango Delta. Priceless! There were 6 of us, including our tour guide, KB, who had never flown in a helicopter.
The helicopter has been operation for 2 years here and It the new feature for a safari. It is a new modern quiet design and the engine us German made and the body is French made. It is the largest helicopter in the area. Its landing pad is next to the runway and it has been flooded with water. So much so, they had to build a mud wall and they are pumping out the water as fast as they can. We had to walk on a sidewalk made of Sand-filled bags to get to the helicopter and the helicopter itself sits on a pad of sand-filled bags. They get the sand nearby because the Delta is part of the Kalahari Desert.
And while we were here, we were threatened by 2 huge Bull Elephants as we went on a land game drive. The first time, it came at us on my side and I almost had a heart attack. He just kept coming and coming up to 10feet from the van. I was praying and thinking of the headline you all would read in the paper “Carolyn killed by Bull Elephant on safari in Botswana on 25thAnniversary with her husband.” I was shaking so bad, I couldn’t even take a photo.
Then today on a land game drive, Tom’s side of the vehicle was threatened and stalked by another big bull elephant. He said he was so scared he couldn’t even take photos!! And he showed us his photo of half of the elephant. He came about 10 ft from us and Ali, our driver/guide revved the safari van engine to tell the elephant, “Hey we are bigger than you so back off.” We told him later, we never heard the engine revving up we were so scared!
We all felt so special and fortunate to have been able to see this Delta from all three angles.
AFRICAN SAFARI-The Race to see the Leopard
As I write this, we are flying on a 6-passenger plane from the Okavango Delta to Chobe National Park in Botswana. It is Monday around noon. We just finished a fabulous 4 days in the Okavango Delta and we just loved it. Four days are not enough but we must move on to other parks and other animals. Our flight is 1 and ½ hours and I hope to complete this email so I can send it to you when we land at the next camp.
I just have to tell you what we have just been through onour morning game drive here at Chief’s Camp and the Moremi Game Reserve National Park in the middle of the Okavango Delta. We left for our game drive at 7 am after getting up at 5:30, and breakfast at 6:30. It was just perfect weather. Just a tad cool and that is the way you want it. We drove and we drove and didn’t see any of the big game. It was our last game drive in the Delta because where we are going now is in the NE corner of Botswana and in the river area that drains into the Zambezi River.
Our driver was Ali and he was kind of a young, hot shot, aggressive driver. He would stop periodically instantly to look at animal tracks on the ground and he could tell if it was a lion, leopard, elephant, hyena, etc.etc. He also would suddenly stop and listen to the animals, particularly the impala, because they snort real loud when a predator is near. So this is how the drivers know where to spot the animals. It is like hunting a needle in a haystack. And it is the thrill of the hunt that makes a safari, and this morning was a true 100% safari!
So Ali opened the door and leaned out to look at tracks on the ground and said “Lions, that way.” And he made a U-turn and was driving down this trail and he said “here they are.” And none of us saw them. He said, “See they are right here and they were about 10 feet from our van and lying down in the cream-colored grass for an early morning nap”. Then they jumped up and stared at us for a while and then they napped again. It must have been a rough night as lions hunt mostly at night. Ali told us the lions were about 7-8years old and they are the dominate males in the area, known as the “Bocca Boys” after the river they had to cross to get there. They had dark brown full manes and were so beautiful. We remarked how such a dangerous animal could be so beautiful. We were about 10 ft. away from them. It just took our breath away because this was not the zoo. These were 2 wild killer animals and we were sitting there 10 ft. away, priceless!
Then Ali got a call on the radio-that is how they communicate safari van to safari van-and they can tell each other what they have spotted or that they need help etc. So, the radio came on and it was our tour guide KB who was driving the other safari van. KB said they have spotted a leopard! Leopards are very rare and very hard to fine. They are like a needle in a haystack. Now our decision was-do we stay and watch 2 precious beautiful young male lions or to leave and go see the leopard.
Ali makes the decision to go see the leopard as it would be a “great finale” for our final Okavango Delta safaris. Previously on all safaris, including this one, it was no big thing to leave what you were doingand go to where an animal has been spotted. But what we didn’t know was that this would be no simple thing.
Ali drove that safari van “like a bat out of hell.” We were all holding on for dear life. Ali moved Chris, the lady in the back, because she would be thrown out of the van. We soon learned what he was talking about. In all my 5 safaris I have never had such a ride. Even getting to and from Antarctica was not that bad. Ali took us through anything and everything like the US Marines and Team 6. And we did it at a high rate of speed. I am guessing averages of 40-50 mph. Now, that might not seem like a high rate. But we went over 10 inch logs on the ground, downed small trees, went through holes in the ground and water ponds, acacia trees covered with thorns, tree limbs that would hit us in the face, bumps that would just about throw us from the van and we were in the center!. We would come upon a roadblock of trees, brush, stumps etc. with no possible way of getting through it and we went right through it! Tree branches hit us and thorns cut us and right-left instant moves whipped us from side to side and crossing a 10 inch log would jolt us to the ground. But we had to see that leopard!
Now, another thing I didn’t tell you was that usually it takes less than 5 minutes to catch up with another van that has spotted an animal. But, not this time. It took 40 minutes of this rough riding to finally find that leopard and it took me a while to appreciate that beautiful cat because I was just totally exhausted-as was the other 4 in the van. And I wondered if it was worth all of that just to see a leopard. And we all wondered how many back surgeries we would have to have. I asked Ali if we were going to China it took so long. I thought the ride would never end. We were just crossing the Moremi Game Reserve. It sure is a big park.
But then, we finally locate KB and the other vans. They were in constant radio communication so they could lead Ali right to it. Each driver describes the area and they don’t need GPS. How they find their way around is beyond us.
The female leopard was walking constantly so we had to keep up with her and the wild driving continued. She was so beautiful and a gorgeous specimen. But when she would pause for a short rest, the cameras would click like machine guns. And we tracked her to 10 different sites and positions. Ali would move us around the cat to get the best view and camera shot. And we got some good ones.
Then Ali said, “I’ve got even a better leopard to show you.”So off we went on another wild ride through the bush. And again it was worth it. There in the tree was an absolutely gorgeous leopard with her breakfast, an impala. We really got some fabulous photos of the leopard because Ali kept moving us around until we did. He really earned his tip today!!!
It was a fabulous end to our safaris in the Okavango Delta. Two gorgeous male dominate full-mane well-fed lions and 2 leopards with absolutely fabulous skins and furs and they were both well fed.
But then, we had to get to our plane. We were supposed to leave at 10:15 am. Only we were far away from the runway looking at leopards and lions. So again, Ali drives “like a bat out of hell” to get us to our airplane. Through water, brush, trees, stumps, 10 inch limbs, you name it we went over and through it and made it to the runway by 10:16 am. And the 2planes were waiting for us and all went well.
And I have one more thing. Three minutes after all of this, we all had to stop and pee in the bush!!
So now you get a good idea what it is like to be on a safari in the Okavango Delta. When a big cat or elephant or something in the killer animal category is spotted, all hell breaks out to get the visitor to see it. And it was worth every effort. We thanked Ali and thanked Ali and thanked Ali for making our Okavango Delta experience a “beyond awesome” dream. It was all priceless!
AFRICAN SAFARI-The Thrill of the Kill in Botswana
So when I left you yesterday, we had landed in Kasane, Botswana and went straight to our next camp, Chobe Chilwero, a Sanctuary company that owes at the camps we have stayed in. We were shocked to land on a paved runway because all we had been doing in the Delta was dirt runways. And would you believe, we all have a suite. I thought it was only for us and then I learned all rooms are suites! We love this place. It has a huge bathroom and an outside shower, plus a luxury bed and all the trimmings. Only thing different is that we had to trade CNN for hippo calls and bat squeaks and lion cubs crying for mother!!! These noises and more animal noises either wake us up around 5 am or put us to sleep around 10 pm. It is priceless!
So again today it was a 7 am game drive in Chobe National Park in the north part of Botswana on the Chobe River. The first thing we saw was an elephant and then 2 and 3 and we just kept running into them the entire morning. Then it was lions and we just kept running into them the entire morning. This park will not let you leave the sand road. We cannot go into the interior of the park. We can only drive on the road in the park. So we did and we saw 10or more safari vehicles. In the Delta, we saw only 3 vehicles.
So then we watched lions. It was 2 males, 2 females and 2six-month old cubs. They were on the hill in the woods and then went down to the pond and then proceeded up the hill to a cool shady spot for the days rest. They were nice and full and had apparently eaten during the night. Lions only have to eat every 4 days. Their round bellies showed us they were doing just fine. And the cubs were so cute and followed their parents everywhere.
Then we went along the Chobe River bank and saw alligators and birds, an Egyptian goose and her 6 ducklings, the lilac-breasted Roller and it was just gorgeous. We have seen birds we did not even know existed on this earth. And we saw and heard hippos in the river making their honking noise. So we continued on the river bank and came across 2 female and 1 young male lions resting in the shade of the low brush and we all got several photos of them. They were skinny and we decided to watch because it is not normal that lions are up and active during the heat of the day unless they are hungry. As we sat and watched, a male warthog came to the river to have a drink of water. I noticed that he did not drink. Instead, he slowly turned around and started to slowly walk away.
Next thing we know, a chase begins. One of the female lions had noticed that the warthog was at the river and the lioness gave chase. She came within full view of us and the river running and the warthog took off. It was so exciting and thrilling to see this because neither one of us had ever seen anything like this, much less a kill. So the lioness suddenly stopped—put on her breaks—and Tom got this photo with dust flying up from her hind feet. He got a very good action shot. Now, that warthog ran faster than a bullet. We had no idea a warthog could run and the terror on his face was just incredible. His tail was up in the air and he ran right beside out van. And I got a photo of the entire event. Tom and I were the only ones to get a photo. That warthog ran for his life like a rocket and I just can’t stop laughing about how he looked. His male long beard and hair were flying in the wind and his eyes showed it was a fight for his life. But the warthog did not know the lioness had stopped chasing him when he passed our van. So it all turned out OK for the warthog and he still lives today and I kept worrying if he ever got a drink of water. He stayed around the river area for a while because we saw him several times and most of the time he was still running and still wanting a drink. Tom said, “You should have seen that little pig run.”
We kept hanging around the river bank because all the animals had to come there for water. So next came about 400-500 cape buffalo and we saw males, females and babies. And occasionally an elephant would come to the river bank for water or to cross to the other side.
This park is so much different that the Okavango Delta. It is polished, tamed and easy while the Okavango Delta is wild, rugged and untamed. And we love them both! They still have the thrill of a safari, looking for a needle in a haystack and the thrill of seeing a kill or chase. The safari vehicles here are like a Cadillac compared to the ones in the Delta. It has padded seats with seat belts and it is nice and smooth. Of course, the park roads are fairly smooth as you can’t drive anywhere in the park but on the roads. So we went from violent riding to nice and smooth today. It was a relaxing day
We were awaken this morning by a phone call and animal sounds, followed by coffee. In the Okavango Delta, we were awaken by a native lady knocking on our door saying “Hello” and carrying coffee, tea and OJ and animal sounds.
So here in Chobe National Park we then saw a cape buffalo coming down to get a drink. And as he was coming close to our van he noticed one of the lions and just froze in his tracks. The lion apparently decides he didn’t want to take on the buffalo so he made a U-turn and went into the bush. And when we left, the buffalo was still standing there, frozen in his tracks.
Then, we went for morning coffee and snacks in the bush. Our guide brought out the coffee, tea, cokes, juice, muffins, and other morning snacks and we had a little morning tea while we all went one at a time to pee in the bush! We do this refreshment time often and we all enjoy it. In the afternoon, it is cocktail hour!
Then it is back to the river and it is around 11 am and we decided to sit and watch the lions. Our guide tells us the longer the day goesthe more desperate the lions will get to want to eat. Then he noticed that a herd of impala were about 700 feet away in the river on a little area connecting to the shore. All of a sudden, one of the lions came from the bush onto the bank and started staring and pointing with her head. It was the look of danger ahead for those impala because one was lagging behind with a limp. And when we saw that, we agreed the survival of the fittest was in play here. She had her head pointed toward the impalas and it was low and long and she kept inching closer to them. Our guide then said you are getting ready to witness and kill.
Then the lioness took off and proceeded straight to the impala on the land in the middle of the river. She became full speed now and the impala scattered everywhere. Watching from about 700 feet away, we could see the lion didn’t have control yet and he did not get an impala. So now his third attempt for a meal in less than 2 hours had failed.
But I am telling you the thrill of the kill is something else. Our heartbeat must have sky rocked and we could barely take photos we became so instantly shook up and nervous. And it happens in an instant and it takes longer than that to be prepared. And we have just laughed our heads of fat the look of that scared male warthog for his life. It was truly a priceless30-second event!
And now, as we return to our room, a male baboon is looking in our door and checking to see if we home and if we just might have left the door open. The monkeys come right in and steal everything, including food and clothes. He was so cute looking into our room. I was taking a short nap and Tom woke me up to watch the show. Then Tom went outside and sat in the chair and waited for the baboon to return and he did. And he did and Tom got a great photo.
On this afternoon game drive in Chobe National Park, we saw8 herds of many elephants (one guy in our group said all 65,000 of them) and as we left, we saw herd # 9 standing on the edge of the Chobe River in the water. And there reflection was showing in the water. It was a great shot. And then they started to cross the river in single file like the march of the elephants .They were led by the dominant female, followed by babies, aunts, sisters, boys, dominant males etc. It was so neat seeing them cross the river and a fitting end to the safari game drive.
We also saw many giraffe, with 6 of them together. Three were eating the dirt because it is loaded in salt and vitamins and minerals and3 others were neck and head fighting. The young males were sparing and practicing what it would be like in a real fight as this is the way they fight each other. The other 3 were eating the dirt and to bend down to get it, they had to open their legs wide. And to do that, they had to move each separately, one at a time. It was really interesting watching them get that long neck to the ground. They all looked liked the letter A.
And for a final time, we went back to see if the lions had eaten yet and we saw the lions being chased away by the Cape buffalo. It was a shocker for us because we thought it was the other way around!
AFRICAN SAFARI-Victoria Falls and 3 Countries in One Day
Last night, as we just finished our dinner, we were surprised by the staff at Chobe Chilwero singing and presenting Tom and me with a 25th Anniversary chocolate cake. They marched around the table several times singing a song to their beat. It was a nice surprise and we thanked the others with us for a wonderful celebration trip.
We were awaken with a loud noise this morning at 4:13 am and I finally realized it was a thunderstorm and it was raining!! It lasted for about 20 minutes, so maybe now when we go on our game drive, it won’t be so dusty. I have to wear my mask and goggles all the time on the games drives because it is so dusty in the parks. But it was worth it all to be able to see these precious wild animals.
On our final game drive this morning in Botswana, we left again at 7 am, after having breakfast at 6:30am. We saw the lions and they were full so they ate the night before. We even saw a hippo under a tree which is unique because it was daytime and that’s when they are in the water to protect their skin as sun cracks the skin and wounds occur and this is not good. Our guide said he could be under the tree because of a fight and the only away to avoid a fight is to get out of the water and maybe join another group or pod of Hippos that doesn’t know him so he can live in peace. The fight is for dominance as there is only I male per pod.
So next was leaving Botswana and entering Zimbabwe and that took some while. We then knew why it took 2 hours to get to our hotel. Everything is done by hand. Remember how it was before computers? We saw one computer at the government customs and immigration offices and our hotel, Sussi & Chuma. Other than these 2, we never saw a computer anywhere. Everything is pencil, paper and carbon paper with pencil or pen.
After we cleared immigration in Zimbabwe, we went to Victoria Falls. It is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site because it has not been altered by man in any way. Niagara Falls has so it is not one of the natural wonders. KB, our tour guide, gave us heavy plastic rain coats with hoods to wear as you get wet from the mist as you walk along the falls on the Zimbabwe side. There are about 7 different spots you can stop to see the falls and the first 3 are dry. Then, as we proceeded along the walkway, it started raining mist and then it just poured. And this was just the mist from the falls. We all got drenched from the knees down because KB didn’t tell us our feet would get soaking wet, including our socks and shoes. So none of us were prepared and many of us had on nice leather shoes. We then knew why our guide had on flip flops. I was so happy. We were so happy we had an extra pair of shoes that we always have on trips. And we had water shoes and didn’t even have warning to put them on. So when KB offered us all another chance to see the Falls in its entirety, we all agreed we did not want to see it again, wet or dry!
So we finally made it to our hotel Soussi and Chuma. The hotel is named for David Livingstone’s (the English man who named it when he came down the Zambezi River) guides, Soussi and Chuma. All the properties we have stayed at are partially owned by Sanctuary Corp. which A&K owns an interest. After the Falls, we had our box lunch in the A&K van in the parking lot! It consisted of a cheese sandwich, juice, candy bar and apple.
Finally, we arrived at Soussi& Chuma Camp in Zambia, so we were in 3 countries in a total of 6 hours. And we luckily made it across the borders with no problem. The entire hotel is elevated one floor so the monkeys and elephants and all other animals can have free access to the Zambezi River about 50 feet away from the hotel. It is like a tree house. We could hear the roar of the falls all the time. And the river was fast moving and high. They had had a lot of rain upstream.
Then hotel had lunch waiting for us, so we ate another lunch at 2 pm. Then it was time for a boat ride on the Zambezi. I should have gotten a clue as it was a small motor boat that could seat 6 or7. And so we went on the Zambezi River which creates Victoria Falls, between the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. These 2 countries share the responsibilities of the falls. We toured the river looking for crocodiles, hippos, and any other wildlife we could see. It was a fairly smooth ride and starting to get a little cool but we all loved the temperature.
Our boat driver then stopped in the middle of the river for Sundowner Cocktails and he pulled out wind, beer and soft drinks with snakes for all of us to enjoy. We were fairly close to Victoria Falls, but not close which was right in front of the camp hotel. But again, we had a “bat out of hell” super fast beat ride with weaving in and out. And yes, I was beginning to get wet again. So we opted to use the protected method. Luckily, I had a thigh length raincoat in my carry-on bag and I wrapped it around my side facing the river because that is where water was coming from. Pretty soon, I was nearly soaking wet on that side. So now we are on a hellish ride and we did not know that we should have on water shoes, which sat in my duffle bag. I have been on many tours and the TD always prepares you for all possible conditions. But ours didn’t. Tom also got wet but he got wet after we left the dock and I got wet going back to the dock.
We just love the hippos and we have seen many on this trip. And we saw them on this boat ride. But the thing that gets us is that they live mostly under water and you can’t see them. They go totally under water often and stay about 5-6 minutes. And during that time, we don’t know where they are because they can swim and come up under you boat and turn it over. Or they can come up and kill you if you are fishing or standing. And hippos have killed more humans than any other animal. So when we are on a boat ride, I am very nervous until I get out of that boat because of the hips—as we call them. And they don’t give you any warning like an elephant does or other animals. They just attack instantly. So now you can see why I am so scared around Hips. They are like a submarine. You never know where they are.
AFRICAN SAFARI-Elephants and Lions and Helicopters, OH MY! in Zambia
Oh, what a day this was! We shall never forget it as long as our brain works! The day was full of activities non-stop and we did them all. It started at 6:45 AM when we went to walk with LIONS at Lion Encounter Park. It was so much fun and we never dreamed we would get to ever walk with or touch or interact with a LION. But we did.
After a short briefing, we went to join the lions out in the Mosi-oa-Tunga Park, the smallest park in Zambia. They were just waiting for us by a tree. They were 2 sisters, 6 month old. Lion Encounter only uses 6 month old Lions. After that it is too dangerous to have tourists with them. They were so cute and, even though they were still babies, they had the biggest feet and we could see their killer claws.
After walking for about 25 minutes through the bush, we stopped and each one of us got to pet Smarara as she was the calm one of the two. The keeper said that one freaks out when a person comes near her and she hisses and shows her teeth. But Samara was an angel and let us all pet her and have our photo made with her. Her hair was so soft yet coarse and we could tell she just loved the attention.
The purpose of Lion Encounters is to return the lions back to the wild by 3 years old so every day they take them out into the bush and let them learn skills on their own. They are allowed to roam free and if and when they do get lost, they always know where to find the camp. At night, they sleep in an enclosure and during the day, they go on walks with tourists and their keepers. But after 6 months they are on their own more so that by 2 ½ – 3years, they are living on their own in the bush. We had a photographer go with us on the 1 hr. walk and when we returned back to the camp, we got to see the movie he made of our walk on DVD and we could buy a copy to take home. And we got one! The money all goes to help orphans and the lion population in Zambia so that they can enjoy their life in the bush.
We hadn’t even come off the high of walking with Lions in the bush until it was time to go on a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls. And it was quite a ride! We ranked it equal or better than the helicopter ride in the Okavango Delta, but they were a close #1 and #2 because we loved them both. But this pilot was more aggressive and when he took off, he took off fast and went up fast. Tom got to sit by the door again, but this time, the door was closed and he couldn’t hang out. And to see the falls in its entirety from the air was incredible because on the ground, we could only see several of the 7 falls at once. Because of so much rain this year, the falls were really flowing well!
But the thing we really liked most was when he turned the helicopter banked sharply to the right and left. It was like we were flying, which we were. The closest thing that it was like was an IMAX movie. I always feel like I am flying when I see an IMAX film and now I know how that is done. The pilot took us down into the gorge right above the water where he said whitewater rafting is done on the “6” ranked river. Six is at the top of the most difficult ranking in white water rafting. And those rapids did look mean. This was the Zambezi River after the falls and a little further down was a hydroelectric power plant that services the region. The pilot showed us all around the area of Victoria Falls. We didn’t want that 30-minute flight to end it was so adventuresome and such a fantastic wild ride!
So then we got to visit a village in the area of Victoria Falls and it was so heartwarming to see the people and how they live. First, we went to visit a school that Sanctuary Corp. is helping remodel and build more buildings to meet the needs of the village. A mill for grinding their grains was finished and another building was under construction for the community.
Then, we walked through the unpaved streets of the village and met the people who were walking the street, sitting in their yards or working. I met one lady so colorfully dressed and she said I could take her photo. Our guide told us she was sick and the village had no clinic or medical help at all. To go to a doctor, they had to go to another community. As we continued on, the children started following us and pretty soon, we had about 20 kids. All of the kids gladly posed for their photo because they wanted to see themselves on Tom’s camera. And I got the cutest photo of these kids all packed together around him looking at and screaming at their photos. And one little kid couldn’t see so he got down on all fours and peaked in at the photo between the children’s legs!
As we continued walking, we noticed houses made out of mud using the rammed earth method of straw and earth. The yards were clean as were the surroundings. Many homes had clothes on the line because it was a nice sunshiny day. Other ladies were getting water at the tap that was provided by Sanctuary Corp. and another lady was washing her clothes using water from the tap. The village had only this one tap for its use. Our guide said that it was a popular meeting place to visit and pass the gossip!
We ended the visit at the “shopping mall” where people in stores made of plastic, cardboard, paper, plywood, and whatever they could find were selling fruits and vegetables and other necessary items for living and one could even get a haircut in a 4x5ft.plastic shop. Soon, we had to tell the children goodbye but they didn’t want us to go. But our guide explained to them that we have to go and they understood.
It was so rewarding to see that the people are making it as all are farmers, and they have land and crops for food, the children are getting an education in the village school and they have homes. The government has allowed each one to buy a lot 80×100 feet for farming and they had to purchase it for 250,000 Zambian currency. So they feel they have something to live for and can be proud that their work pays off for them in many ways.
And then a real surprise came. We went back to our Sussi & Chuma Lodge to join the other 8 and all 10 of us got into 2 vans for lunch. We were driving through the same park we walked with the lions. We drove and drove and we noticed we hadn’t had lunch, and Tom guessed it. We were being surprised with a lunch in the bush by the Zambezi River that flows into Victoria Falls. Well, even though we have had bush meals before, this was just awesome because we were 6 ft. from the Zambezi River. And I was worried about the hippos coming out of the river to join us and I was the closest to the river. So I kept a close eye on the river at all times. One couple who was staying at the camp with us had a table for 2 about 3 ft. from the river. It looked so romantic to us and we wondered if they were on their honeymoon but none of us ever found out. We had a cold lunch of tossed salad, fish bits, chicken bits, chopped vegetables and Tom’s favorite, lemon meringue pie. Of course, wine and beer flowed.
We arrived back to the camp just in time to go on the elephant ride in the same park. Four of us from our group went. We met underneath a shade tree in the yard and were given the rules and regulations of riding an elephant. The leader asked if anyone wanted to ride side-saddle or ride facing the elephant’s head. One of the men from my group said he had a bad back and would like to ride side-saddle so I told him I would also as the elephant could carry 2 of us. Tom therefore would get his own elephant to ride for 1 hour. As we were learning everything to do, we noticed coming toward us was a parade of ELELPANTS. It was awesome. And the big bull elephants were so huge. They were all ready for us to ride them.
The elephants were obtained from culling in the 1980’sdrought and famine in Zimbabwe which means they had too many elephants in a park and they got rid of them by killing them. So people took the elephants or bought them to keep them from being killed. They are all orphans and were brought to the camp where they could enjoy a normal life as much as possible. They don’t abuse the animals in any way and a mahout—the man who works and lives with each elephant-guides the elephants with their feet while we were riding on the safari in the park. They even got in the Zambezi River for a walk and drink and we were on their backs!!! They had a good time and we did not get wet. My elephant was Danny and he was 20 feet tall and so huge. Tom rode a female elephant and she was much shorter. They took a photo of us with me on my elephant way up high and Tom on his elephant way below me. They have 9elephants and we were on 8 of them.
But guess who went with us on the elephant safari ride through the bush. A baby elephant!!! He was SOOO cute and just followed us and the elephants the entire route. He would weave in and out of the elephant line and sometimes be in the back or middle and I would look down and he was way below us. The camp is letting him go and soon will start training him for safari rides but he has to be 7 or 8 years old first.
But you just wouldn’t believe how the camp got this 2 ½ year old male baby elephant. The elephants are allowed to roam free part of the time with their mahouts nearby. And on one of these times, they came across this baby who was alone on an island at 6 months old. No one knows how this baby came to be alone but they guess that the baby could not cross the water to get to the other side without drowning.. But would you believe these elephants brought that baby back to the camp and he has been living with the 9 elephants ever since. Isn’t that just a wonderful happy ending true story!!!
We had to climb up to a platform to get on the elephants. And I sat in a chair on one side of Danny and Milton sat on the other side and we were shoulder to shoulder. And we had a wonderful ride. When the ride ended, all the elephants got down and let us sit on their front leg and feed them a snack for the good ride!!!! And we got our photo taken of this. It was an incredible experience as I had never been so close to an elephant or been able to interact so much with one. As we were leaving, all the elephants told us goodbye by raising their right leg up in the air and raising their trunks. The entire experience was just priceless. And I told Danny he was the most beautiful elephant I had ever seen!
Then, if that was not enough, we got back to the room and found wrapped packages on our bed. I thought it was our laundry as they wrap our clean and washed laundry like that. Then I noticed and note and decided to open it. The hotel had given us each a polar fleece jacket as a 25th anniversary gift. We were just shocked at this and started wearing them immediately.
And finally, while we were having our farewell dinner, as always outside and always open to nature, a vervet monkey mother sneaked in and jumped up on the food table and patiently selected a snack of a fresh-baked muffin for her dinner. Her long nipples were hanging down and I knew which monkey she was because I saw her baby nursing on the way to the room that day. This is the same kind of monkey that stole my Fritos out of my tote bag in Tarangire National Park in Tanzania last year while we were having breakfast.
So that was the final event for an awesome day in Zambia!
AFRICAN SAFARI-Going to Namibia and Etosha National Park
Friday morning, was the end of our A&K Wings over Botswana tour and we left to go to Namibia and Etosha National Park as I had been told and have read that it is unique in that you could just sit b y a watering hole and watch the parade of animals. So we had to see it on this Grand African safari since we were so close. Namibia is on the west coast of Africa on the Atlantic Ocean, and South Africa is south, Angola is north, and Botswana is east.
So we left Zambia when our A&K guide picked us up and took us to Zimbabwe because that was the nearest airport. Everything went well crossing the borders until we got to Zimbabwe. We cleared customs OK but the guide had to pay a fee for the van to cross into Zimbabwe. There was a line and the people told him they had been waiting an hour so far to get the papers to cross in their vehicles. So Tom and I went to the van and sat and waited and we waited and waited. I just knew any minute he could come out the door with the papers. Finally I was right but we had waited an hour by then. And he was not happy because we were on a schedule to get to the airport.
I asked our guide how did it go and he said he finally had waited enough and started finding out what was going on. It seems that the entire approval for “vehicles to pass” department was meeting in a room to find out who made a mistake on something. And apparently they didn’t care that there was a line a mile long waiting to get a vehicle pass. Our guide said he just went back there and told them that he was a guide on a schedule with A&K and we had a plane to meet. And if we did not meet it and missed that plane, they were going to pay for all the expenses and damages. And that is how he got approval papers to proceed to Zimbabwe!!! Hey, you got to do what it takes anywhere in the world!
So we entered Zimbabwe with time to spare and we headed straight to the market where thousands of souvenirs were being sold. And I had one hour to shop at the market and did I have fun. Then it was straight to the airport where we had to wait another hour for a person to man the check in desk for my flight. They only have a few people and they rotate from flight to flight to security to customs etc.
Patience was a virtue in Zimbabwe! But finally, we got on our Air Namibia flight to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia and the largest city. The plane held about 45 people and only 13 were on it so Tom and I spread out and had a wonderful flight. Our A&K rep met us and took us to the German hotel –Hotel Heinitzburg-for one night.
The next day, Saturday, he picked us up again and took us to a private airport where we boarded a private plane to Etosha National Park and our hotel, The Fort, where all the rooms are suites. It sure is nice and our room is in its own building. It is like we have our own little house. At the main reception/dining and reception building is a water hole and you can sit there all the time and watch the animals come for a drink. I had read about the water holes and all of the animals. We proved it to be true on our first game drive.
We saw giraffe, elephants, zebra, warthogs, impala, springbok, greater kudu, buzzards, kori bustards, dik dik, banded mongoose, marabou stork, wildebeest, and blue cranes. At one watering hole, it was full of giraffe and impala, kudu, springbok and other animals gathered together just to get a drink of water. It was just as I had read and been told by others. My dream had come true because I finally got to see Etosha National Park in Namibia.
At one watering hole, there were about 8 giraffe and it was so cool to see them bend down and get a drink. Remember I told you how they have to spread out their front legs into a wide “A” shape. And they have to spread their back legs a little wider also. Then drink. And if they drink with their head down more than 5 minutes, they are dead because the blood gushes to their head and blows their brain. So they go up and down a lot to get a drink of water. And their reflection in the water was also neat. While they were drinking, we got a photo of that, plus we got the reflection in the water.
Next, we saw a herd of 12 elephants and 3 babies crossing one of the pans in Etosha National Park. A pan is a low flat area that goes for miles and acres and when the rains come, it makes a shallow lake. These elephants were crossing a pan and when they came out, it looked like they had on dark boots because the water left its mark on their legs and it was about 18inches deep. The water came up to the babies chest and their entire legs were wet. They were so cute. And when one of the babies stumbled and fell in the water, the mother elephant let out a loud scream. But the baby recovered from the fall and they went on their way. Also, none of the elephants, so far, have charged or threatened us, even though we have gotten fairly close to them. One elephant did indicate by her flapping ears and snort that we were too close so we back off a little and she went on our way.
Several things I really like about Etosha National Park are that you can see the animals far away and close up because there is no bush in the way. The pans are shallow water and each one goes as far as the eye can see because the land is flat. In the area that is the “bush,” the eye also can see far as there is no high grass or weeds etc. There are trees sparsely sprinkled around and you can see around the trees. We saw a cheetah and her 4 two-month-old cubs about 1500 feet from our safari vehicle. We would not have seen it in the other parks we went to because of all the brush and grass.
When on a game drive in the park, the vehicles have to stay on the paved and gravel roads. They cannot go into the bush like we did in Okavango Delta and drive anywhere and everywhere. And just driving down a road, you can see the animals as they cross the road or stand beside the road. This morning, a spotted hyena was just walking in across an open field and we spotted it from a ½ mile away and got real close to it. Tom was happy because he likes spotted hyenas. So, Etosha is an easy way to see wild animals. And when the animals come to the water holes, many came not just one. We saw nearly 1,000 guinea fowl this morning at the hole and many zebra and giraffe, all drinking water and not bothering each other. But, we also saw a lioness drinking alone.
So, in essence, we are water hole hopping! We went from water hole to the next water hole to see who was drinking water. And they have several of them on the east side of the park. We understand the east side has the most animals, but we have not gone to the west side at all.
On Sunday morning’s game drive, we had to up at 4:45 am, eat breakfast at 5:30 am and be on the game drive in Etosha at 6 am. That’s when we saw the lioness, cheetah and cubs, and spotted hyena. Later, we saw an Oryx, yellow-billed hornbill (better known as Zazzu in the Lion King), wart hogs or bush pigs (known as Pumba in the Lion King), a bunch of vultures together which were leopard faced and white faced, and a marabou stork. We also saw many blue wildebeest, an eland (largest of the antelopes), several jackals and South African Shield Ducks. Of course, we have seen 1000’s of impala, reedbuck, and the smallest of the antelopes, the dik dik.
Saturday evening, we had dinner in the open air patio dining room which overlooked a water hole in Onguma Private Game Reserve where we were staying at The Fort. It was so cold. I was bundled up with 5 layers and had them turn on the gas heater for outside use just to stay warm. I even had on a GREEN wool-lined skull cap with ear flaps and a Velcro clasp under the chin that I had bought in Johannesburg that said “South Africa” on it. You should have seen me. I was a hoot and a half!! But I was warm and had on all the clothes I had with me. Tom had on a short sleeve cotton shirt and said he was burning up from the gas heater. We laughed the entire dinner about how we were dressed. Even the waiter commented but we were having fun and we didn’t care how we looked. We were doing what it took to make it in the wild!!! Besides, we were told day one, on safari, it doesn’t matter how you look; it only matters if you are comfortable. So we followed this rule the entire trip and had a great time do it.
On Sunday evening’s game drive, our final game drive in Etosha National Park and Namibia, we saw Oryx, jackals, 3 elephants and a baby come to the waterhole and drank and walked around the water hole and drank and walked and drank and walked until they had completed the entire circle. Then, they left. And we saw a male impala with his long horns standing next to a female. He was just a hollering and honking and bellowing out loud. It was a sight to behold. Rector, our guide, said it was breeding time for them and we didn’t know if he was happy or mad. A giraffe was also standing nearby him.
Now it was time to leave the park as 5:15 pm is the deadline to be out of the park. So we left about 4:50 pm on the paved road out. And then it happened. We saw a white rhino! We had seen all the top 5 but a rhino here and had to leave without seeing one. But luck was on our side as we left. He was crossing the paved road to get to the other side, headed for the nearest water hole. (A couple who went on the morning game drive with us told us back at the lodge that he saw the rhino shortly thereafter at the water hole.) So we left Etosha National Park happy that our safari drives were awesome in every way. We enjoyed Etosha and all the other parks but we still LOVE the Okavango Delta May-August the most when it is full of water!
Now, it is back to Windhoek, Namibia by plane for a 1 ½ hour flight to the international airport and then on to Johannesburg, South Africa where we send the night Monday.
AFRICAN SAFARI-Sabi Sabi, Rhinos, Elephants, Lions and Baby
We made it to Joburg (that’s what the natives call Johannesburg) from Windhoek, Namibia and our A&K guide met us at the airport and took us to our hotel for Monday night. And Tuesday morning, he was there to take us to the airport for our flight to Sabi Sabi, a private game reserve adjacent to Krueger National Park, all in South Africa. When we arrived, our game driver at Sabi Sabi met us at the airport and all went smooth as a whistle!
So then it was to the Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge where we greeted the assistant manager, Lawrence, and he took us to Room #2 which was a suite because all of the rooms are suites. After a quick lunch, it was time for our first game drive in the bush. And guess what we saw!!! SIX Rhinos and I have hardly ever seen one on a game drive much less 6 together at once! It was almost impossible I thought. But there they were before my eyes eating grass and they were white rhinos because they have a wide square mouth. Black Rhinos have a pointed mouth. So the cameras start clicking non-stop trying to get everyone of them.
But then, we notice something else. One of the females Rhinos had a BABY and our guide said it was 4-6 months old. Oh, he was so cute. We took photos and took photos of that cute little male and sat there for a least 45 minutes just watching, enjoying and savoring every moment of the experience. He even had to nurse his Mamma for us. It was such a rewarding moment. I have been on 6 safaris and I had never seen a baby rhino until now!! So I have one more thing I have never seen and that is a kill in action in the wild, but we almost saw one in Chobe National Park with the lion and the wart hog!
Rico, our guide from South Africa, said that it is very rare now to get to see a rhino much less 6 of them together because poachers are killing all the Rhino in Krueger National Park. Sabi Sabi has an anti-game warden on site to catch poachers on their private game reserve and so far, no poaching is going on. He said that the South African Army has now moved into Krueger National Park to shoot and kill any poachers it has become so bad. In the Far East, a Rhino horn is an aphrodisiac and now it has just been announced by one guy that a rhino horn cured his wife of cancer. So poachers are really killing rhinos to meet the demand for the horn that is then made into powder. So getting to see 6 at once, plus a baby was priceless!
On the game ride with us was a couple from New Delhi, India and their 9-year-old son.
Of course, we saw elephants, many elephants, and one of them had a baby about 10 months old. So again, the cameras clicked non-stop on that cute little boy. His Mamma was watching over him like a hawk and so were the other 11 elephants in the group. But we sat close to them anyway—like 10-20 ft away. And then, a 7-year-old female elephant decided to check us out and came right up to the van on Tom’s side. She was so cute and curious. And right before she touched the van, she stopped and stared at us. Then she moved to the back of the van and did the same, and then to the other side and did the same. She scared the people from India but we knew from previous safaris that a 7-year-old can’t do much damage.
So this Wednesday morning, before leaving Sabi Sabi, we had the last of our 2 games drives. The natives named the river that runs through the area Sabi because “sabi” in their language means dangerous. The natives would go fishing there and many of them would be killed by hippos, lions, leopards, etc. Since we had been to Kruger National Park before for several days, we thought we would just experience one more day at another lodge.
The knock on the door came at 5 am for the Wednesday morning game drive and we left at 6 am in the freezing cold as it is winter in South Africa and the dry season. We set out to see a leopard, one of the top 5 killer animals in Africa. We drove around and around and the tracker, sitting in a seat in front of the safari van, constantly looked for leopard tracks on the gravel road. In the dark, he thought he had spotted one when some eyes shown in the dark. But upon closer examination, it wasn’t a leopard. So we continued to drive and drive and look and look and we come upon another herd of elephants and this one had a baby even smaller and younger and I was in heaven seeing that baby. Rico, our game drive, said the baby was 4-6 months old.
I just couldn’t believe all the babies we were seeing. Even though Sabi Sabi is a private game reserve next to Krueger National Park, there are no fences between them so the animals roam free. One day they may be in Sabi Sabi and the next day they have gone to Krueger. So you never know what you are going to see in the wild. Yet, in just 2 game drives, we saw more than we did in some parks in 4 game drives. And all of these animals we saw were 10-20 ft. from us, except the curious little elephant who came right up to our van.
Rico then took us to a water hole and there was a hippo all by itself. He said the hippo was a male and he had been run out of his hippo group by a younger hippo male. So we sat and watched him and he went under water and came up and bellowed a low honking noise telling us he didn’t like us there. But we sat about 20 minutes watching him go up and down every 3 or 4 minutes, and the little Indian boy enjoyed watching the hippo and learning about their characteristics.
But, as our last safari game run was coming to an end, our tracker and driver received a call on his radio in the van that lions had been spotted in a certain area of the reserve. We learned that these safari drivers have a code for the area of the reserve or park, and the gravel roads each have a name etc. So now we know how they find animals that have been spotted. So Rico drove straight to the lions that had been spotted by another driver.
And there they were, all SEVENTEEN of them. We were just blown away by the number of lions. Normally, we might see 1 or 2 by 17, priceless. Seven were mothers and 10 were cubs 4-6 months and 6-8 months. And they were lying in the beige grass, the same color as their fur, so it was hard to see them at first. Rico took us to a prime viewing spot and we sat and watched every one of their moves for 45 minutes. It was so neat to get to enjoy these animals. It reminded me of a litter of kittens, only these were killer cats. And, get this-2 of the Mother cats were nursing the 10 babies while the other 5 Mothers slept a few feet away. Apparently, they shared duties in raising those cubs. They looked just like the ones we walked with in Zambia. They were so cute and they growled and pushed each other away from nursing.
Rico told us about the male lions. The dominant male in the area was older and a new younger male came into his territory and they had a fight. The new, younger male won and forced the older one to leave his territory. The 7 Mother lions then hid their 10 cubs because if the new male lion found them, he would kill them since they were not his cubs. Rico told us this morning that the older male has now regained his strength and he thinks he will be back, but he hasn’t returned yet. In the mean time, the females have no male in their pride or territory except their own cute cubs. Survival of the fittest is alive and well in Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve in South Africa.
I am often asked what the food is like in Africa and I can tell you that the food we had on this entire trip was so good and just like on a cruise ship or going to a good restaurant for dinner. And the menu was varied all the time.
And I am often asked if you get to see the animals up close. Ninety per cent of the time we see all the animals up to 20 ft. away. That is close to me. Much closer would impose on their space and would put you in danger. All of these animals we saw in Sabi Sabi were 10-20 ft. away.
So now the end of our fabulous 25th anniversary celebration has come to an end and we are on the way back to the good ole USA!
AFRICAN SAFARI-Safari Walk in the African Bush Hospital
A walking safari in the bush is so educational as to what
the plants provide for us in natural medicines. With our safari tour guide,
Rico, in Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve next to Krueger National Park in South
Africa, we set out for a walk in the bush around the lodge.
We immediately headed for the 2-foot tall grass in the bush.
Now I have to be very careful where I put my feet as I can fall and break all
kinds of bones. So I had to hold onto the guide and follow his footsteps to
make sure I wouldn’t step in a hole and fall like several other people did on
our tour.
Finally, we made to out of the grass to the gravel road and
Rico decided to continue on the gravel road for about ½ mile and then return to
the lodge, making the safari walk about 1 mile. And I was so glad because I
could see the ground on the dusty gravel-dirt road!
While we were walking in the tall grass, the other couple
with us was from New Delhi, India and we all asked about the same time if there
were snakes in this tall grass. And he said yes. That confirmation really made
us decide to stay on the gravel road, even though he carried a gun. And we no sooner uttered that question
when our guide said, “Look, a snake. It was a Black Mamba, and it is the most
poisonous deadly snake in South Africa.” It was about 15 feet from us so we
didn’t panic, but our guide did have to coax us to continue on the safari walk.
Our safari walk in the bush consisted of looking at plants
instead of animals. But this was also fun because it was all new info that I
did not know. I had gone on a walking safari once in Tanzania with Tauck World
Discovery and tour guides told us about plants also in Kenya and Tanzania. But
it wasn’t until Sabi Sabi that I learned about plants in the southern part of
Africa.
The first thing we learned about was the Leadwood tree. The
natives pull off a little twig and make toothpaste from the white good that
comes from it. And if you mix milk, ash and water with it, you get white for
painting. It is a slow growing tree and is the longest living tree. The wood is
very hard and even termites can’t get into it. If you cut the tree down, you
get fined in South Africa. The tree we studied was 2,000 years old.
Then he showed us the Black Monkey Orange Tree and its fruit
is yellow-orange and is delicious to eat. But its pips are very bitter from the
strychnine alkaloids. It is eaten for a natural abortion in some countries. Its
strychnine is poisonous. Roots from the tree are mixed with hot water and are
taken orally to act as an emetic. A paste is made from the fruit for treating
jigger fleas. The natives gather the fruits of this tree and the Baobab tree
and make candleholders, candles, pencil tidies, pots and ornaments.
The red acacia tree was next on the safari and it has leaves
right next to the thorns, which are 3-4 inches long and they make perfect
toothpicks for all to use. I have seen elephants and giraffe eat this tree like
it is candy.
Now get this name, the Bush Velt NumNum Tree! It’s fruit is
good and sweet, but it has thorns and heavy green leaves, Then we looked at
giraffe tracks on the gravel road and our guide said you can tell which way he
is going because the top of the track is smeared and the giraffe dragged its
foot as it headed the way of the top of the track. Luckily, we did not
encounter one.
Next on the walking safari was a weeping boer tree which has
red flowers that weep with syrup-like substance, therefore, the name weeping
boer bean. And the beans can they use to make coffee. Also, it is called
farmers beans because of the edible seeds resemble the domestic broadbean. Rico
then looked down on the ground and noticed a lion’s paw print. He said you can
tell it is a lion because the back of the footprint is round. Next to the road
was a Euphoria shrub/tree which he cut and a white milk substance came out. He
said the substance is poisonous and caustic and should be handled with caution
as it can burn all parts of the body. It is commonly called spurge and the
poinsettia is in its family.
The black jack weed gets caught in the hair of animals and
then they spread the round burr and more weeds grow. And then my favorite tree,
the marula tree, which has a fruit that is sweet and when smashed, a peanut-like
seed comes out. Squirrels eat the seeds too. But get this; humans use the seed
to make liquor-Amarula. Well, that got my attention and Rico suggested I have a sample
of the liquor at the lodge and he said it was kind of like Bailey’s Irish
Cream. Oh, it was so good and it does taste like Bailey’s.
So our final tree was a Pepper Bark Tree, and the leaves
used add a peppery flavoring to curry, stews and mother foods. It is like a hot
chili. I did not try this seasoning! It is a very popular tree for medicinal
purposes and is, therefore, threatened by habitat loss. The Maasai people use
the plant to treat malaria. It also can be used as a snuff or smoked for
respiratory problems as a cough or cold. The fruit is given to animals and the
wood is used for firewood. And above all, this tree makes a good shade tree!
And I was enjoying the shade as he told us about it.
Our safari walk ended, thank goodness, with no dangerous
animals or reptiles, except the black mamba scare. But we did see impala. It
was a real eye-opener to some of the plants that are use for medicines,
seasonings firewood and alcohol.
My short stories Blog about different things I see traveling
is http://carolyntravels.wordpress.com
AFRICAN SAFARI-Memories of our Grand African Safari
1. The experience with 3 elephants in Botswana –Jabu, Thembi, and Marula
2. Crossing the water in the Okavango Delta in a safari vehicle and calling it “going swimming” because the 4-6 ft. of water many times covered the hood of the vehicle, in Botswana
3. The Mokoros (dugout canoe) ride in the Okavango Delta and seeing a Painted Reed Frog the size of a fingernail, in Botswana
4. The helicopter ride over the Okavango Delta and having cocktails on an uninhabited island in the Delta in Botswana
5. The race to see the Leopard in the Okavango Delta, Botswana and seeing two leopards not one leopard
6. The walk with the Lions in Mosi-oa-Tunga National Park, Zambia
7. The ride on the elephant in Mosi-os-Tunga National Park ,Zambia
8. Having a photo made with male elephant Jabu at our bush lunch in the Okavango Delta, Botswana
9. Both of us being charged by a bull elephant in Okavango Delta
10. Seeing a Lion chasing a wart hog, an almost kill, in Chobe National Park in Botswana
11. Seeing 9 herds of elephants in Chobe National Park, Botswana, and 1 herd crossing the Chobe River at dusk making it the March of the Elephants in Water
12. The awesome Helicopter ride over Victoria Falls, Zambia, and surrounding area like an IMAX movie
13. Seeing Etosha National Park, Namibia, water holes and sitting and watching the animals come for a drink of water
14. Leaving Etosha National Park, Namibia, only to see our first white rhino which was crossing the gravel road in front of us, thus completing the 3 of the top 5 most dangerous predators in the park.
15. Seeing 17 lions in one pride, all at the same time, in Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve in South Africa
16. Walking in high bush grass in Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, South Africa, only to learn the snake we just saw was a killer snake.
17. Seeing a rare, and our first ever in the wild, baby rhino 4-6 mo old in Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, South Africa
18. Seeing a mad cape buffalo chase 4 female lions away in Chobe National Park, Botswana
19. Seeing a Vervet Monkey jump on the buffet table, stealing a handful of food and then going to a nearby tree to eat it while looking up and down at Carolyn scolding and photographing him, as if to say “so what are you going to do about it” to Carolyn at Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, Botswana
20. Celebrating our 25th Anniversary seeing and experiencing all the fabulous things in 1-19.
Carolyn's TraveLog 