Home, Recovered, and ....

I am now home and recovered from my adventure.  I would add “ ...of a lifetime!”, but I’m selfish enough to want more....more travel, more experiences, more adventures!  People ask what was my favorite, and my answer is spending time with Michael especially in Oman and all the close-up animal encounters in Africa.  

What do I miss?  

Seeing the African sky at night in the bush with stars blazing and the Milky Way in a brush stroke across the middle.  Learning about the Southern Cross and how different the Southern Hemisphere sky is from the northern which only confirms we are a minute moment in time and space.

Seeing God’s creation whether it was the animals in their beauty and originality in Africa or landscapes carved by nature like Victoria Falls or inspired and built by man in Dubai.

Listening to the nighttime soundscape in the bush...hyenas, baboons, insects, and wondering what was just outside your door.  

Incredible sunsets to end the day!  

Hugging my son!

What do I not miss?

Packing and unpacking!  We were in 10 hotels and 10 flights over 4 1/2 weeks.  Only 1 was a 1 night stay, 3 were 2 nights and the rest were longer.  Amazingly, all luggage arrived with our flights which was a blessing.

Wearing the security bag around my neck and under my shirt.  I called it my 3rd boob!  Yes, in lots of pictures that is my bag and not my stomach pooching!

Trying to control my coughing fits during the night, and Robyn and I keeping each other awake with coughs, snorts, and snoring.  She was such a good sport, and I hope I was also.  It is never pleasant being sick but much worse on vacation.  You want to feel your best so you can enjoy what you’ve spent all this money on!

Wearing beige shirts!  I have become a fan of khaki pants, but my Goodwill beige shirts for the bush will be regulated to a back closet corner until my next African safari.

Watching water usage when I shower!

What did I learn?  

That cultures and religions are more similar than different and that we can and should learn from each other.  When you consider all the conflicts in the world, you have to wonder, “People, what is the problem here!”

That I am a country mouse at heart.  Cities are interesting to visit and have a lot to offer but nature and quiet and natural beauty makes my heart sing!

What advice can I share?

Remember that the best travel accoutrements are a sense of wonder and a gift of humor along with a healthy dose of prayer!

Pack light!  Luggage gains weight faster than you do on vacation even if you are not filling it with souvenirs.

Take the best camera with the highest zoom you can afford and learn to use it before your trip.

Listen more than you talk!  You will learn so much, and really, is your life that interesting anyway?

Unplug!  I thoroughly enjoyed days in the bush without wireless and phone reception.  You need to look up and out to see the world not down!

Hope you have enjoyed the blog and “traveling “ with me.  Thanks for your companionship!

Cape of Good Hope and ...

After yesterday in the city, I was looking forward to the coastal drive to the Cape of Good Hope, the most south-western part of Africa.  It is not the most southern tip which many people, including me, believe and the dividing point between the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans.  That distinction belongs to Cape Agulhas about 90 miles south southeast. 

The cold Atlantic waters crash into the warm Indian Ocean currents and turn back onto itself  from the southern African tip to along the Cape of Good Hope creating such dangerous conditions that the early Portuguese sailors called it the “Cape of Storms”.  To encourage exploration, the Portuguese renamed the area Cape of Good Hope.

The drive is similar to the USA A1A along California’s Pacific coast.  Leaving Cape Town, Table Mountain was wreathed in clouds, but as we drove south with the Atlantic Ocean on the right and craggy cliffs on the left, the sun broke through for a gorgeous day.  Sometimes we were at the top of the cliffs and other times we traveled right next to the water.

We stopped for several photo ops along beautiful blue coves including Long Beach where we could see horseback riders below.   As we reached the Cape Point, an animal that we searched for but never found in the bush was quietly grazing along the coastal road.  

We sent up a loud cry, “Ostrich!” as the van pulled over for us to take pictures.  These crazy Americans!  Who would have thought we would see wild ostriches at the Cape of Good Hope!  Africa continues to provide surprises.

The cape is part of the extensive Table Mountain National Park.  People were lined up to take their individual and group pictures by the sign so we joined the queue.  It was windy...hair flying...and rocky as you can tell by my pictures.

Next stop, the Cape Point Lighthouse built in 1857...actually this is the 2nd one...high above the shore on a cliff overlooking the craggy coast.  We boarded the Flying Dutchman, named for the legendary ghost ship, funicular for the ride from the parking lot to the paved walkway and viewing area.  After a few more photos and a quick debate with myself whether to climb to the top where the lighthouse is located, off I went.

 I wish I could remember the number of steep steps...I count in increments of 20s...but the spectacular views and ocean breezes are worth it plus you can rest at the top!  Shimmering sunlight, crashing waves, cliffs and beaches....it was fabulous!

Heading to Boulder Beach and penguins, we saw elands in the distance.  Another member of the antelope family, these are the largest which replaced the kudus which are actually smaller. 

A colony of 2500 black footed penguins live and breed along the rocky coastline near Simon Town.  Although they live in a semi-residential area - penguins can be seen waddling down narrow streets near the beach, these funny little creatures swim up to 30 miles a day searching for food.  Boardwalks have been built for tourists not to disturb the birds which even have little plastic igloo-shaped houses which some prefer to their sandy nests.  

Observing the penguins at close range, their faces and expressions are made for photographs...winks, yawns, beaks which seem to puck into a kiss, and eye coloring too cute to almost seem natural.  It was fascinating watching them interact with each other which included several “picking” on a young juvenile, I think.  This bird was in fluffy brown/beige plumage which was distinctly different than the tuxedo suited majority.  Penguins squawked, dove into the surf, waddled to their nests - it was a bustle of activity and entertainment!

Tonight is dinner in a local CapeTown family’s home.  They were very hospitable and loved talking about their children just like all loving parents.  Their son played professional soccer in Europe so we connected and talked lots of “football”.  

We also discussed the drought and water restrictions and how it affected their lives.  They cannot use the washing machine nor the clothes washer.  They are restricted to 30 liters/person, use hand sanitizer and only flush when necessary.  The dad travels to another area of Africa several times a week where he fills tubs with water for the family’s use.

Tomorrow is our final day in Africa before flying back to the United States,  Our flights carry us 9 1/2 hours back to Dubai arriving around midnight for a 2:00 AM departure and a 14 1/2 hr marathon to Dulles!  It has only recently occurred to Robyn and I why we are going backwards to Dubai before westward to the US.  Lesson for next time, look at flights more closely!

The breakfast buffet today had small yellow berries - gooseberries!  They are delicious and along with passion fruit a new favorite.  We are heading to Robbens Island (Dutch for Seal Island), the site of South Africa’s infamous prison and home to Nelson Mandela for 18 of his 27 year incarceration before the fall of apartheid.

An hour long ferry ride across the choppy waters of Table Bay provides photo opportunities of Table Mountain covered in clouds and Cape Town below including the Olympic stadium shaped like a Zulu woman’s hat.

The island has been used for centuries as a prison, military base, and leper colony and was finally closed in1996.  It is now a living museum, tourist attraction and UNESO site for thousands of visitors each year.  Landing at the pier and boarding buses, we are given a guided tour around the island...19th century village of admin buildings, parsonage, church, lighthouse, military structures, and the quarry where prisoners were forced into hard labor.

Former political prisoners told of harsh treatment working without gloves and only rudimentary tools along with “make work” where stones were moved from spot to spot.  Mandela’s eyes were so damaged from the sunlight that he would not allow photographers to use flashes when he was later in public life.

We arrived at the prison buildings and were greeted by a former prisoner who received a five year sentence for a student demonstration against apartheid when he was 19 years old.  He knew of Mandela but never met him.  We had a question and answer session about a typical day, treatment from the guards, conditions, etc. 

It was a sober realization seeing the bedding....mats on the floor before the Red Cross got permission to supply metal beds in bunk rooms in minimal security and the individual cells in maximum security including Nelson Mandela’s.  In the small recreation yards, some prisoners would attempt to grow tiny gardens and also where Mandela hid pages of his manuscript so it would not be found in his room and confiscated.

Returning to Cape Town by a quicker and smoother ferry, our group prepared for a final dinner at an Italian restaurant nearby.  It has been a great group to travel with, and I’m ready to go again!  A final packing and tomorrow is 24 hours in the air.

My last night in Africa!

CapeTown - Table Mountain to Witch Doctor and ...

I haven’t blogged about our 5 day post-trip to Cape Town in South Africa.  I returned to the states exhausted and jet-lagged, recovering from a respiratory infection, and carrying a GI bug which was perking on the final flight and hit me arriving home.  I was so thankful to have a bathroom close and also couldn’t complain when I lost a tooth crown a couple of days later.  Thank you, God!

However, to be complete I do want to document our final leg of the trip so here it is.

After an amazing 12 days in the bush, the small tourist town of Victoria Falls was pleasant and still seemed like authentic Africa.  Baboons and warthogs roamed the streets and wild elephants crossed the road in front of cars.  Arriving in CapeTown was a jarring experience for me.

A short flight from Victoria Falls deposited our group in Johannesburg which is a major aviation hub.  It was a quick and hurried goodbye to all but 7 of our group along with Noss who were all continuing to CapeTown.   Arriving early for departing flights back to the states and delays and more delays meant we spent an entire day traveling before reaching our hotel in Cape Town around midnight.

I was looking forward to our post-trip since I may never be in this part of the world again.  Cape Town - home of The Olympics, the bottom of the African continent, Nelson Mandela, and apartheid is what comes to mind.  The city is currently experiencing a severe drought, and we were warned there would be water restrictions.  However, we were told tourists would not be affected like the regular population.  Signs in our hotel bathroom stated a 3 minute shower used 9 liters and each flush of the toilet 3 liters.  Stoppers were removed from tubs and sinks so water could not be pooled.  Robyn and I agreed not to flush every time, and as long as I can shower, even a short stop and go one, I’ll be OK.

I will note here that water restrictions have affected tourist attractions.  Every public restroom I visited had signs asking you to flush only if necessary and most sinks had the water turned off or the handles removed so you would only use hand sanitizer.  Again, I think everyone was compliant; although, it did feel weird not flushing!

A beautiful breakfast buffet greeted us downstairs before we boarded a van to drive to Table Mountain, the iconic flat top mountain that overlooks the city.  It was a windy road full of switchbacks before arriving at the lower cable station.  Standing at 3,558’, Table Mountain is frequently wreathed in clouds and closed to tourists, but today was beautiful.

Boarding the cable car, we were told not to hold on since the car itself rotates during the trip to the mountain plateau.  It is an interesting sensation slowly spinning as you ascend, but it gives you a panoramic view of the city.

I initially headed down the cement pathway and then diverted to a dirt footpath watching my step and hoping not to twist an ankle.  I already felt “traumatized” by arriving in the city after the bush and having to battle cars instead of insects.  Noise and busyness and traffic; I needed some peace and nature and less people!  Gazing down into the rocky gorges was definitely soothing to my soul.

I realized our van driver and guide was close behind me, and as we talked and walked, he told me about his many trips to Table Mountain.  He showed me his two favorite places....one you had to jump a crevice to reach the next rock and the other you laid flat on the rock and looked over the cliff!  Getting up wasn’t pretty, but it was nice to escape the crowds and gaze at the city, Robbens Island where Nelson Mandela was a famous prisoner, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Our tour of the city continued with Kirstenbosch Arboretum filled with beautiful gardens and the most gorgeous gift shop.  I’m not usually interested in tourist gift shops but the botanical motifs on the items were striking.  I bought a fabric muffin carrier which lies flat until the corners are tied to form a basket with hand painted birds.  Although most of the garden was not in bloom, there were still enough flowers for me to capture some close-ups.

We walked the old market area which is now a pedestrian walkway and visited Bo-Kaap, a multicultural part of the city filled with colorful houses and cobblestone streets.  History explains that the area residents expressed their freedom by using vivid exterior paint colors.

Lunch was at the marketplace at the Victoria and Alfred...V&A... Waterfront.  It was a beautiful place to walk, shop and eat along with the bronze statues of South African Nobel Prize winners.

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District Six is a former inner city residential area in CapeTown which was populated by 60,000 residents mostly black, immigrants, and “colored” which means mixed race.  During the reign of apartheid in the late 60s and 1970s, the area was declared “whites only”; although, only 1% of the current population was white.   Residents were forced to move miles away to a deserted flat and the houses and businesses bulldozed.

The government gave four reasons for the removals:  interracial interaction lead to conflict so the races needed to be separate, District Six was a slum which was not fit for rehabilitation, the area was filled with criminals and crime, and it was also filled with immoral activities such as gambling, drinking, and prostitution.  Many residents believed the land was coveted due to its location close to the city center, the harbor, and Table Mountain.

Although plans were made for District Six, the only development has been a small educational facility.  Today, the area is memorialized for its distinctive history.  We visited the District Six Museum which remembers the sad era of apartheid along with the culture of the area.

I was spoiled (?) during our previous days where water was provided on all tours and in our rooms.  During the post-trip, the hotel only gave us ONE small bottle of water and none was available on the tour.  It was a hot day, and even though I had bought water at Table Mountain, I was soon dehydrated and not feeling well.  Along with the traffic and noise, I was not happy!

Purchasing a liter and another smaller bottle of water, I guzzled the liter without stopping and felt better.  Thank goodness so I could enjoy the rest of the day.  As they say, the best is yet to come!

Touring the townships and learning about apartheid was educational and depressing.  It is such a sad part of South African history that they are still struggling to recover from.  Many of the residents have small businesses, and we stopped by a local woman scraping and preparing sheep heads.  This is considered a delicacy where they are charred over an open flame.  If I had felt better, I would have welcomed this interesting afternoon snack!

We parked at our next stop, walked through a tight knit group of men, and ducked into a narrow dark opening where two candles barely illuminated the area.  Standing before us draped in fur robes of indeterminate origin was the local witch doctor!  

As we sit down on benches surrounded by hanging herbs and animal skulls and parts which all contributed to an interesting and not totally pleasant odor, he welcomed us and asked if anyone had a complaint he could cure.  I was dumb struck just taking in my surroundings!

He explained witch doctors are a special calling passed on from generation to generation and you are born into the profession rather than trained.  He receives many of his prophesies in visions, and his customers seek cures for medical ailments, spiritual problems, relationship and love difficulties and the occasional hex.  

He talked continuously while answering a few questions.  He was in such high gear I wondered if he was using some of his own special herbs!  It was one of the most fascinating and unusual experiences of my life!

CapeTown is experiencing a wave of crime,  and we were notified both through the US State Dept and Noss to be careful outside the hotel.  We were advised not to leave at all after dark and to remain in a group during the day.  Robyn and I had a quick dinner at the hotel and prepared for tomorrow.  

Another day in Africa!

Goodbye Bush and Hello Victoria Falls!

Hyenas were calling nearby from the mudflats last night.  I don’t see any carcasses, but we do find remnants of visitors during the night.  Baboon dung is all over our porch table, chairs, and walkway so they were definitely spying on us through the screens during the night.  

Our bags are packed, our final breakfast is finished in the bush, and we load trucks to fly back to civilization and the small town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.  We take pictures of our group - 16 fellow adventurous spirits.

Our guide, Go, is still tracking on the way to the airport.  We see Maribou stocks in the trees, and he stops to show us the path of a snake probably a boa constrictor last night.  By examining prints he can tell how old they are, but he brags on his father who can track in the bush at a steady run!

As we wait for our small plane, Noss gives us one more Learning and Discovery lecture on all the uses of elephant dung.  I’ve already mentioned several of these...insect repellent...didn’t try it and women in labor...definitely didn’t try.  Evidently, it is also helpful for nosebleeds! You grind up a little and snort it, and Noss had used this herself a couple of days earlier.  Drats, didn’t get a chance to try that either!

We’ve had lectures almost every day on multiple topics including the culture and economics of the countries we’ve visited.  Zimbabwe, which at one time was the wealthiest nation in Africa, is now one of the poorest.  The economy collapsed after the western world imposed sanctions due to policies of then President Mugabe and inflation of 8000%.  Unemployment is about 90%, but most people live through subsistence farming and street vending.  Banks still have no funds available since the nation’s currency has been changed several times and each time finds the previous money supply worthless.  I purchase several billion dollar bills; the only time in my life I’ll be a billionaire, at least in theory!

Zambia has an unemployment rate of about 80% with coal the number one resource and tourism number two.  Botswana is currently one of the richest nations in Africa due to its natural mineral resources including diamonds and a vibrant tourism business protecting 50% of its land in national parks and preserves.

Arriving back in Zimbabwe and heading to Victoria Falls, I gear up in poncho and sandals.  I learned earlier that shoes get soaked and take days to dry out.  We head out with a guide and thoroughly enjoy this natural wonder; although, it’s difficult to see it all at one time.  Zimbabwe definitely has the “better” side, and we are blessed to be visiting during the high water season.  Rainbows are everywhere today and during full moons, there are moonbows!

 Victoria Falls has a vibrant shopping market full of native vendors and another area of artisans.  It is also home of the luxury Victoria Falls Hotel built by the British in 1904.  Baboons and monkeys are on the streets with people, and the residents have been warned that a lion was spotted in town.  I am not in Williamsburg!

We have lunch at a restaurant with local foods including sorghum (no taste), kepente fish, and a big bowl of mopane worms.  I don’t feel the need to “enjoy” them again.  The afternoon is lazy with shopping and siesta getting ready for a busy morning tomorrow - a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls and an elephant encounter at a local preserve!

Morning has barely broken when Robyn and I head to the elephant sanctuary.  This area was established during the African drought of the late 1990’s and elephants were dying in the wild and babies were being orphaned.  Their current residents include 12 elephants which sleep in a barn at night, are cared for by veterinarians and caretakers, and provide rides and interaction with guests at scheduled times during the day.  Otherwise, they are free to roam the hundreds of acres doing elephant things!

Robyn and I climb aboard a large female named Kariba.  It is a surprisingly smooth ride, and I rub her thick rough hide.  Elephant hide can be 3-4 cm thick and is wrinkled to help increase surface area for heat dissipation.  They don’t have sweat glands and elephants coat themselves with mud which also helps to cool them down.

Amazing fact - elephants’ foot bones are aligned so that they walk on their toes!  They are extremely nimble and can move through the bush with amazingly quiet steps.  On game drives, we were charged once and mock charged another time, and they can also run fast.

Robyn and I are seated behind the guide, and he points out different foliage on our 45 minute trail ride.  Kariba eats along the way pulling up grass and breaking branches.  Arriving back at camp, we are invited to feed her food pellets which supplement her diet.  As I offer these small round morsels to her, she doesn’t want a couple at a time.  Her trunk is like a vacuum, and she sucks in a handful, plops them into her mouth, and comes back for more.  Her muscular trunk is a rough texture but curls and moves with a beautiful rhythm.  We take pictures of sitting on her leg and feeding her before purchasing a footprint that she painted to bring home as a reminder of our morning!

We say goodbye so we can enjoy a buffet breakfast before heading to our next adventure.  I have been quietly apprehensive about our scheduled helicopter flight over the Falls.  We are only in the air 15 minutes, but I hate the thought of crashing and accidents do happen.  However, I hate even more being afraid and missing out on living so be still my gut!

Seeing Victoria Falls from the air is amazing!  The falls are difficult to see in their entirety from the ground during the flood stage at this time of year.  There is so much water that the white water rafting trips at the base of the falls are cancelled due to too much turbulence.  The helicopter pilot flies in figure eight patterns so that we can each see the majesty of the falls from our window seats.  Unlike Niagara Falls, no human has ever gone over the falls and survived.

We have a final lecture by a local historian on David Livingstone.  We had visited a museum earlier dedicated to Livingstone and his extraordinary adventures in Africa.  Born to a poor Scottish family, at 10 years old, he spent his youth working in cotton mills 14-16 hrs/day 6 days/ week.  On Sunday, he attended church where he received his education - Sunday School.  Described as not especially bright but very determined, Livingstone taught himself Latin from a book propped up on his loom at the mill during the week.  At 19, he entered university and trained as both a physician and a missionary.

In 1841, Livingstone landed at Cape Town and took off on foot 500 miles.  During a time when the life expectancy of explorers was six months, he spent thirty years walking thousands of miles, endured 22 bouts of malaria, and mapped the land and documented the horrors of the African slave trade which he helped to end with constant pressure on the English parliament and people.  Described as the Neil Armstrong of his generation, he was the first white man to gaze into the abyss of an enormous falls and named them after his queen, Victoria.

Livingstone died on a final journey from typhoid, malaria, and black water fever.  His servants carried his embalmed body for months to the coast so it could be returned to England, but his heart was buried in Africa.

Tonight is our final group dinner as we cruise along the Zimbezi river watching hippos popping their heads up and a beautiful sunset send-off.  Part of our group will depart for home tomorrow, but seven of us will continue on a 5-day post-trip to South Africa and Cape Town.  I am already missing the bush and the animals, but I don’t know if I will ever have the chance to see Africa again so I need to take advantage of this opportunity to explore as much as possible. 

As our van heads back to the hotel, two different groups of elephants block the road!  One young male flares his ears and mock charges us.  A mother and baby are nearby, and we are thrilled that one of our favorite animals has blessed us with a final visit.  We feel they are personally telling us good-bye!

Another day in Africa!

Final Days in the Bush, Lions, and...

We have two more days in the Okavango Delta, and are visiting during the rainy season or rather the end of the rainy season when water is plentiful and lots of greenery.  Typically, this is not the best time for animal sightings since they are more difficult to see in heavy foliage and have a wider range without water restrictions.  Plus, it could be rainy and miserable for days.  We have been blessed with beautiful weather, and the only truly rainy day was rhino tracking.  Seeing all the animals we have and so close I couldn’t imagine a better time to be here!

Noss says she has NEVER had a group that has seen all of the Big Five....elephants, lions, Cape Buffalo, leopards, and rhinos in the wild!  Some groups never even see a lion, and we have been blessed to see them twice plus the elusive leopards - twice!  OAT uses different camps in various areas and most groups never see rhinos because they don’t stay in Livingston near Mosi-au-Tunya National Park.  This trip really has had multiple National Geo moments!

We tease our guides that we want to see more cats and more baby animals.  He finds “cute/ugly” warthogs with babies, and then on a wooded island lies a majestic male lion surveying his domain!  The sun is shining on his mane, and I just want to pet him if I didn’t know those large teeth would do serious damage. 

He rises from his perch and strolls down to a shady spot in the grass.  Our guide says he has a full stomach and probably fed last night.

Our day continues with tsessebe, another member of the antelope family.  These resemble wildebeast with their long faces but no shaggy beards.  We see numerous birds and the crocodile tree named for the bark resembling a a croc’s hide.  

A bull elephant lumbers by along with a family of giraffes.  We stop by a hyena den and there lies an old female hyena missing her ears which she probably lost in a fight.  Zebras are grazing before another gorgeous sunset sends us back to camp for dinner and bed.

Dawn breaks on our final day in the bush and our last game drive.  Tomorrow we fly back to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls.  We have seen so many animals, had so many amazing experiences, but we keep asking our guides for more.   They tell us “Let’s see what nature offers today”!

We have spent 12 days in the bush at four different sites and other than missing my family and friends, I would willingly stay.  Africa and the bush and these amazing creatures have cast their spell on me.

The delta wakes with wildebeasts and hyenas on their scavenging prowl.  We see a large male Cape Buffalo with a broken horn covered with mud.  Giraffes strut across the grasslands giving us numerous opportunities to photograph them.  

Our guide gets the call that “the water is arriving”.  We race off to see this amazing sight of the annual floodwaters arriving in the Okavango Delta.  This is the world’s largest inland delta which is the site of an ancient sea that dried up.  There is no outlet, instead, it empties into the sands of the Kalahari Desert.  75% of the waters that irrigate the delta comes from the north in Angola.  The waters flow into five major channels like the fingers of a hand and then spread out across the surface of the land.

The waters are late this year, and the residents have been eagerly awaiting them.  One guide scoops up a drink and washes his face with it.  We see a fresh water terrapin that has washed in with the waters.  Each day the waters will rise flooding the grasslands leaving islands for the animals.  The waters are not deep...inches to a few meters.  Soon game drives will be in flat bottom boats rather than trucks.

Today is a “monkey lunch” - a picnic outside which may be populated with monkeys instead of ants.  We don’t believe they will be much of a problem until they start stealing our food!  If you turned your head to talk to someone, a monkey would swoop out of the trees and grab whatever was available.  Noss had told us to grab sticks in the beginning, and we finally realize the only way to eat is with a stick in hand and ready for battle.

As we head out for our final game drive and our last African massage, we are still looking for cats.  Noss spots a beige area in the grass and announces, “Lion”!  We can’t believe she spotted another lion, and we speed over ruts to see the male lion from yesterday on his back spread eagle in the grass.  

He obviously is completely comfortable sunning himself with his belly exposed.  He looks hungry with his full belly from yesterday markedly shrunk.  He glances our way occasionally, scratches his face and rolls over.  Our guide says he knows we are there both by sight and an ear to the ground; however, he looks dead to the world!

This is a wonderful way to say goodbye to the bush.  Dinner tonight is kudu which tastes like venison!  We have a final Cultural Night enjoying the staff singing and dancing before we entertain them.  We conclude all together as we teach them the Hokey Pokey!

Another day in Africa!

Morula and Leopards and ...

I’m sitting on the porch at Camp Sebu watching my new elephant friend graze on the lush green grass of the Okavango Delta.  He is accompanied by a troop of baboon, but otherwise, it is quiet...whoops, here comes a monkey...on this lazy hot afternoon.  Birds also gather on the mud flat near camp, but I’m too excited to siesta after my animal encounters.  

Wake up drums were at 5 AM for our flight to the delta.  On the way to the airport, six hyenas lined the road for a final animal sighting as we said goodbye to Chobe National Park in the northeast corner of Botswana.

We boarded 10 seater planes, and an hour later we were flying over the waterways and grasslands of the delta.  Several people spotted elephants and zebras below.

After tea....yes, we have to eat our 5 meals a day!...we arrived at Camp Seba and were greeted again by scented washcloths and lemon and ginger sparkling water.  It’s a similar treehouse feel as Camp Baobab but looks directly out on the grasslands and a large mudflat.  Now a warthog has joined the other animals.

Lunch concluded, Robyn and I headed to our assigned tent...#1.  As we walked down the wooden raised walkway, a congress of baboons were jumping on our roof.  Suddenly, the biggest male baboon I had ever seen was on the roof and mating with a female.  She let out a holler, they both jumped down, and commenced eating the round green fruit of the morula tree.  Life in Africa!

Suddenly our escort stopped, ”Elephant”!  Right by our walkway, right by our tent door, was a formidable gray male elephant scooping up the same morula fruit with his long trunk.  He was very peaceful and was distinctive with a large chuck missing from his right ear.  Robyn and I couldn’t believe our up close and personal encounter.

Several of the camp employees tried to scare him away, but they only succeeded in him “hiding” in a bush.  

A guide put himself between the elephant and us, and we scooted into our tent to watch from the window.  Only a wooden walkway and a piece of canvas were between us and one of Africa’s big 5 animals.  We spent another 20 minutes watching from screen netting windows before he turned and disappeared into the foliage.  My thoughts, “He’ll be back for more fruit”!

Another new creature is also hanging around our deck.  He looks similar to an impala and is also part of the antelope family, but this is a bush buck with beautiful white markings.  

After spending time on the camp’s patio and watching our new “friend” in the grasslands, he headed back in the direction of our tent.  I packed up and ran...ok, I trotted...to our tent where Robyn was taking a siesta, but this elephant moved faster than I did.  He was already by our front porch so I had to stop to give him space and shouted quietly, “Robyn, don’t come out!”

I watched from a safe distance on the boardwalk while Robyn watched from inside the tent.  Our friend definitely wanted more fruit, and then he started stripping limbs of low growing bushes.  After about 15 minutes he turned to go, but instead of leaving, he calmly walked around our porch and down the other side of our tent to the back where the morula tree grew and more fruit was on the ground.

I ran inside, and Robyn and I were in awe as we looked out our screens to see this giant of the bush within reach of our hands and nothing but a piece of canvas separated us from him.  He seemed gentle enough, but that is when human and animal interaction can turn deadly.  Robyn and I watched quietly from the “safety” of our screens for 30-40 minutes, and at time I was either eye to eye or eye to trunk with him.

He knew we were there; elephants have extremely good hearing and smell.  They certainly should with those big ears and trunk!  Robyn and I were clicking away with our cameras and “Morula” (I named him after the fruit that he loves!) fascinated me as he sniffed the ground for fruit.  When he found one, he carefully picked it up and plopped it in this mouth.  Those trunks can be deadly and pick up trees, but they can also pick up a pencil.  He finally turned, walked right by our tent side, and back into the bush.  People pay big bucks for this!

I didn’t think we could beat that experience, but we loaded trucks for an afternoon game drive.  It was quiet...impalas, zebras, giraffes, elephants, warthogs, hippos in a pond; same old, same old.  Suddenly, our guide gets a call...a confirmed leopard sighting!  It’s the only animal in the “Big Five” that we haven’t seen during our trip.

We raced and bumped and turned off-road which is allowed here until arriving at a grassy area where a beautiful full grown leopard was resting.  It was difficult to take pictures since my camera wanted to focus on the grass surrounding him.  His spotted coat was exquisite, and he tolerated our presence until he stood, stretched, and headed to another shaded area.

The guide, Go, who found the leopard did so by watching giraffes nearby.  His father educated him growing up in the bush, and he is astute at reading animals’ behavior.  He noticed the giraffes were all facing one direction and were very watchful.  “A predator is close”, and he was right.

The leopard must have heard a noise in the brush because he crouched and started to slowly stalk his prey. One footstep, pause, two footsteps, pause, and each step was taken to insure silence.  We watched this performance for 10 minutes and left him to find dinner without our intrusion.

Dusk was falling, and our guide gets another call...another leopard sighting.  We had asked for one, and now we might be blessed with two!  Off roading again through tall grasses...not the place for allergy sufferers, and a much smaller lighter colored leopard is within sight.  With darkness approaching we watch him, and his interest in a small rank of impalas.  

Excitement that we might get to see a hunt ended when the impalas let out a warning noise.  The leopard had probably been smelled, and the element of surprise spoiled.  Our truck headed to camp, but the other truck’s adventure continued when a herd of wildebeast ran towards them and around both sides of their truck.  Suddenly, the small leopard jumped on a wildebeast’s back but was shaken off.  It was dark when we arrived at camp with the other group excitedly telling us about their adventure!

Wow; another day in Africa!