Friday, Oct 10th, Cape Town, South Africa

 

With our flights beginning after dinner, and our transportation to the airport beginning at 3pm, there wasn't much time for anymore adventurrs.  Nevertheless, Wayne took us on a walking tour of an upscale waterfront just below Signal Mountain.  We watched paragliders land on the long grassy stretch next to the breakwater.  

At the end of the coastal walk, we turned inland and cut through the community park between the golf course nd the soccer fields, just in time to catch two youngsters cooling their feet in the stream.

We'll be flying tonight from here to Washington, DC's Dulles Airport, and then from there to San Fransisco.  Barring air traffic controllers going out on sick leave, we should be getting into the west coast tomorrow morning.

To see all of the photios we took this morning, click on Friday, Oct 10th, Cape Town, South Africa.

Thursday, Oct 9th, Cape Town, South Africa

Greetings!

Our second to last touring day found us stopping by the Iziko Natural History Museum to see cave paintings, and all the stuffed animals and birds we've seen on this trip (plus a few we haven't seen), the Jewish Holocaust Museum, and a cooking class taught within a local Malay community on a hill high above the city (Bo Kaap), 

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Thursday, Oct 9th, Cape Town, South Africa.

Wednesday, Oct 8th, Cape Town, South Africa

 

Today was a day of driving.  Not like most other drives, where miles of uninspiring dirt roads took us across desert and dying trees.  No, this drive was a coastal and mountain drive - to the gorgeous scenery which surrounds the city of Cape Town.  To see the 6.5 million inhabitants of the metropolitan area around Cape Town.  

We did see animals, and one in particular which we hadn't seen before (Ostrich).  And we made it to the southern most point (at least that's what the sign said) on the African continent.  

And we reached the Cape of Good Hope, one of the most photographed pieces of land.  We passed on waiting in line for an estimated 3.5 hours to ride the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain.  Instead, we derove up to Signal Mountain to see if any hang Gliders were taking advantage of the heavy winds.  None found, but plenty of tourists were finding just one more magical view. 

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Wednesday, Oct 8th, Cape Town, South Africa.

Monday and Tuesday, Oct 6th & 7th, Cape Town, South Africa

Today, we traveled from Livingstone to Cape Town.  Shortly after breakfast, we returned to the large theater in which last night we saw a wonderful performance of Simunye Spirit of Africa.  Today, we heard a lecture on Dr. David Livingstone, the first European to witness the magnificence of Victoria Falls.

Others in our group took helicopter flights over the Falls area, and were able to get up close with elephants at the Shearwater Private Reserve.  

After lunch, we were driven to the Livingstone Airport, and were flown to Cape Town for our Post-Trip experience.  We'll meet our new Trip Experience Leader (Wayne) when we land, and will be with him until our flight home on Friday evening.

We began Tuesday by visiting the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, which we had visited on our first trip to Cape Town eleven years ago.  Coming back to this Botanical Garden was the main reason Pat signed up for this trip, and the opportunity to share this spot with BT was important to her.  It didn't disappoint us, and our timing was perfect to see many of the most spectacular gardens ever.  

Next, we drove to the District Six Museum, the Homecoming Center which is dedicated to facilitating the resurrection of the community of 60,000 individuals who were evicted from their land during the height of the apartheid era in South Africa.  Beautifully presented in voice and visual contributions, the museum documents the history of the Group Areas Act of 1950 in the 1966 bull-dozing of a major municipal district.Adding to the tragedy is the complete failure to implement the restitution called for under international pressure.

Heading down to the waterfront, we were treated to a great young song and dance group performing in a square near the docks.  If there is one common characteristic evident everywhere in our African travels, it is that Africans have learned to integrate music and dance into their lives well.  And as we showed in our group's invitation to share our music and dance talents, we have none.

After dinner, our guide (Wayne) led us on a walk through the tree-lined, pedestrian-friendly streets which surround our hotel.  We scouted out the layout we'll need to know to visit more of the City sights on Thursday.  

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Monday, Oct 6th and Tuesday Oct 7th, Cape Town, South Africa.

  
 

Sunday, Oct 5th, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Greetings!

This is probably the day that we have all been waiting for - visiting the Victoria Falls.  The day began early with a short drive from our hotel to the entrance of the park.  Our Guide, Thompson, then hosted our walk along the Zimbabwe side of the Gorge to the 16 viewpoints.  Normally, the mist from the Falls requires raincoats, but this is the dry season, and we were able to negotiate the trail and rocks easily.

Each of you should include the Falls on your bucket list, and try to experience it within a group like those offered through OAT.  You'll also want to make room in your baggage to bring back your choices of the local carved and woven art displayed everywhere.

Returning for brunch, many of our group took advantage of helicopter rides over the Falls, and visits to local elephant rescue centers.  I'm catching up on blog posts, purchasing tickets for a local play tonight after dinner, and anticipating the arrival of custom t-shirts prepared to our specifications by a young entrepreneur we bargained with at lunch yesterday.

To see all of the photos taken this morning, click on Sunday, Oct 5th, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Saturday, Oct 4th, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

This morning, we got up early, said goodbye to the Camp staff, and were driven to our local airstrip to catch two small planes to the border of Botswana and Zimbabwe.  On the way to the planes, we saw another majestic -looking Sable Antelope.  At the border, we left Botswana and crossed into Zimbabwe.  We're all getting very good at clearing immigration and customs, with the help of our OAT Trip Experience Guide (Thompson),  

After lunch at our hotel, we walked into town to shop and retrieve some cash from a bank.  We're staying at the Shearwater Explorers Village,, very near the center of Victoria Falls. 

Finally, we were driven to selected resident homes for a dinner and evening to get to know the families.  This is a regular feature of OAT, and one we thoroughly enjoy.

To see the few photos we took today, click on Saturday, Oct 4th, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Thursday & Friday, Oct 2nd-3rd, Mbabe Camp, Botswana

These last two days of the main part of the OAT's Ultimate Safari Adventure are collapsed into one post.  This is partly because it has been somewhat more difficult to access the Internet, and partly because we've had a spectacular experience that was overwhelming to write about.

Long before we arrived, a large pride (21) of lions occupied this area.  Several males who were related had fathered many young lions with many females.  A more powerful male entered the area and killed the dominant male, causing the pride to split up, seek shelter in subareas, and separated the remaining males from their mates and the young lions.  To add to the trauma, one of the young mothers lost one of her daughters to a leopard in a violent attack.

Early in a morning safari on Thursday, we encountered three mothers and four of their young attempting to cross a river to pursue a herd of water buffalo approachng a few miles away.  Five safari vehicles lined up on the other side of the river from the lions, ands watched cautiously as the small pride carefully tested the riverbank and waters for the presence of crocodiles. 

It was almost comical to watch as they individually and collectively gathered their courage, tested the water surface, and dared each other to be the first to jump in.  Finally, one took the leap.  Pat caught it on video, and i'm going to try to put her video up on YouTube (with a link here).  After one made it with a leap almost all the way across the river, and the next one leap in and swam across unharmed, the others followed suit one at a time.

Shaking off the water on the other side, and following their moms, they played together testing each other's fighting prowess as the pride made its way across a large grassy plain toward the dense forest in the distance.

We raced ahead to try to arrive at the point where the lions could be expected to encounter the herd of water buffalo.  When there, our guides gave us their understandings of the many ways that an attack the herd could occur.  

We all hoped that we could be in the right place to watch such an attack, when we got a call on the radio that one of the other vehicles had witnessed the attack on a single, isolated buffalo aparte from the herd.  We raced off to the location, and found the seven lions attacking the buffalo in a coordinated manner.  One had a grip on the mouth, suffocating it.  One was gnawing into its back, and another tearing into the shoulder ner the ribcage.  The others waited their turn on the ground nearby.  The buffalo struggled to keep from dying, but was soon overcome.

We watched as one of the clearest examples of life's cruel requirements took place.  The survival of the lions depends on their ability to hunt and eat other beautiful animals.  We left during a pause in their eating, as most lie exhausted on the ground around it.

We continued our morning drive, spotting lots of other wildlife, and then returned to our camp for brunch, lectures, and some rest.  We also had to decide which of the hundreds of photographs we had taken this morning were perfect enough to make the final cuts in our collections.  Needless to say, we're still deciding.

Later Thursday afternoon, we revisited the kill site, and found the carcass still mostly whole, but still surrounded by possessive lions.  we wondered how long a meal it would provide, and learned that many others (hyenas, vultures, other lions) were becoming aware of the kill.  It was becoming a race to consume.

Soon, we were alerted that a single male lion was coming from the same are that the seen had earlier come from.  Attempting to cross the river at the same point, we saw the sheer power of experience and maturity. Following the same trail, the big lion roared his way to where he thought the kill would be.  Our guide positioned our vehicle just ahead of his pathway, and we wathced and listened as he beckoned their response.

We learned from our guide that the females at the kill site were more interested in making sure their young got the bulk of the Buffalo meat, and knew their response would bring him running.  Though the females would eventually need him to keep the hyenas away, he would claim the carcass for himself.

We left as the male wandered in vain, continually roaring and marking territory.

Friday was our last day of adventure safari experiences.  It was no less exciting, and included a pool full of yawning hippos, another bull elephant in search of sex, and a very patient owl above us at our sundown drink site.   Each of our two-hour outings brings us new animal species and greater number of those already seen.  It does seem like, however, we're getting a little bored with zebras, giraffes, elephants and hornbills

To see all of the photos taken on Thursday and Friday, click on Thursday, Oct 2nd, Mbabe Camp, Botswana and Friday, Oct 3rd, Mbabe Camp, Botswana.

  

 

Wednesday, Oct 1st, Mbabe Camp, Botswana

 

Today, we spent most of the day by plane and safari vehicle traveling between the northern most edge of Chobe National Park to the southeastern corner, to a camp in a private reserve between it and Moremi National Reserve.  

The camp is called Mbabe, and it's designedly eco-friendly.  It's set up each season,  and taken down at the end.  It operates on solar, and there's not much to go around.  

I wouldn't call the long drive through the private reserve a safari drive, even though we spent at least two hours searching for any signs of life out both sides of the vehicle through trees and branches. We did spot two Kori Bustards (state bird of Botswana) pistured on the right.  

Because we're in the Okavango Delta, the water table is higher, and the trees have many more leaves than elsewhere.  That made the lunch stop by a small bend in the river a complete eden.  A large elephant, several hippos, and a mother and young fish eagle can attest to that.

We're staying here for three days, then heading back to Victoria Falls for two days, and the going on to five days in Capetown, South Africa.  With wifi spotty, and lots of birds and animals seen, don't expect lots more photos.  We're having a ball, and enjoying all of our travelers.  Healthy and learning much, we hope that life at home is not as bad as we imagine.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Wednesday, Oct 1st, Mbabe Camp, Botswana.

Tuesday, Sep 30th, Baobob Camp, Botswana

 

Today, we drove all day into the central area of the Chobe National Park.  The roads were better getting into the park, but getting to the animals down at the river's edge required the same 4-wheel drive, major bumping capability.  In addition to the African Sable in the photo to the left, we saw four of the big five African animals: Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, and Elephant.  

And not just from a distance in a fleeting moment, up close and doing what they do.  but first, let's recognize that the main park contains 55,000 elephants, and what must be as many giraffes, and a serious amount of impalas, kudus, and (the birders amongst us can attest) an enormous number of multi-colored birds.

We encountered these two lions twice, and the big male let us know how upset he was that we were there.  We also found two brother lions on a hill overlooking thousands of impalas and zebra on a large watery plain.  Our travels today took us to scenes that were perfectly understandable from the view of who eats whom.  All prey were watching out for who threatens them, or at least could do them serious harm. 

Finally, we crossed a small tree-lined hill, and looked out at a stretch of grassland in Namibia that contained several hundred water buffalo.  it reminded us how Botswana is a land-locked country surrounded by eight other countries.  Cooperation is the name of the game here, as the animals don't pay much attention to borders.  Many of the parks are adopting common rules, and attempting to work more closely together, especially around the issue of poaching - a problem they all share.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Tuesday, Sep 30th, Baobob Camp, Botswana.

Monday, Sep 29th, Baobob Camp, Botswana

 

Baobob Camp is just outside the entrance to Chobe National Park.  Chobe is Botswana's first, third-largest, and most biologically diverse park.  It's known for having the largest number of elephants, and a large number of lions which prey on the elephants, mostly calves and juveniles, and subadults.

Leaving at 6:30am, we entered the Park on a well-maintained road and saw giraffes, baboons, wild dogs, and impala in the trees.  Our driver/guide soon took us onto the not-maintained paths down to the vast wetland savana and hills surrounding it.  

At this time of the year, near the end of the dry season, all see water.   We found lions overseeing their prey from the hills, and crocodiles waiting in the ponds.  Giraffes wary of both, but still taking their chances.  Jackals circulated among impalas too big to take down, and local fisherman in dugout canoes took fish from almost empty rivers.

Still having trouble uploading photos, the blog will be a work in progress.  To see those which were uploaded, click on Monday, Sep 29th, Baobob Camp, Botswana.

Sunday, Sep 28th, Baobob Camp, Botswana

Greetings!

On our drive from Zambia to Botswana today, we stopped at a community market in Livingstone.  Displayed everywhere was the Chitenge (a colorful wrap worn after puberty by women).  Just before leaving our camp in Zambia, were were treated to a presentation by one of our staff on its many uses.

Today was a combination of traveling and safari.  We drove back to Livingstone Airport, took a flight to the point where Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia meet.  We crossed from Zambia into Botswana (dousing our shoes with chemicals to restrict the spread of hoof & mouth disease), and then drove for a couple of hours to the Baobob Camp in Botswana.   

Arriving at another beautiful camp within a national park, we were given an orientation and assigned rooms.  The orientation consists mainly of explaining how we can stay safe both day and night in the midst of some animals which might attack us.  Chaperones with flashlights at night, and keen eyes and closeby rangers during the day.  There's also plenty of housekeeping information, and the schedule for the day.

Each day, beginning early in the morning, there is a safari drive in large open air Toyota 10-passenger vehicles.  It's a tough climb to the seats, but well worth it for the safety and view.   We split up into two vehicles, and try to rotate seats so no one has to sit over the bouncy back wheels to frequently.  The experience is known as the "Masai Massage".  We return for lunch and a short break before heading out in the afternoon for another safari.

I'm still working on uploading photos in a slow wifi environment, so this post will be short.  Click on Sunday, Sep 28th, Baobob Camps, Botswana to see a still incomplete album of photos taken today.

Saturday, Sep 27th, Lafupa Tent Camp, Zambia

Greetings!

Our camp is located in a perfect position to observe wildlife where two rivers meet.  Today, we took two small boats down each of them.  In between, we returned to the Camp, had brunch and rested.  

Among the wildlife seen was the Goliath Heron, the largest heron in the world.  Simply spectacular and regal-looking, it almost seemed to know exactly where to stand to hide from us.  

The Water Monitor, and a dead hippo, were also seen as we criss-crossed each river following our guides keen eyes.  And thanks to their laser pointers, we could spot what they found without too much trouble.  At sunset, we had our traditional tea stop, and enjoyed the sounds of all around us.

At day's end, after dinner, we joined around a campfire, and celebrated our stay at the Camp.  The staff sang and danced, and so did we.  

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Saturday, Sep 27th, Lafupa Tent Camp, Zambia.

Friday, Sep 26th, Lafupa Tent Camp, Kafue National Park, Zambia

Greetings!

 The terrain in these Southern African countries is not the same as Central and East Africa.   Though dry and endless, there are less wide open spaces for animals with speed.  Many more hiding places, and trees for birds.  This morning, we arose and went out early looking again before brunch in two safari vehicles.  Staying close gto the confluence of the nearby Lafupa and Kafue Rivers, we were there when all came to drink.

Our guide/driver (Akim) has the best spotting eyes in our crew.  If a small family on Impalas is in a field across the river, and he's weaving through thorned branches on either side of the narrow road - trying to keep us from getting us stabbed, he'll find the perfect view point for us to see what he sees.   He's also got eyes on the ground beside him looking for footprints, snake trails, and animal dung to inform us of those we crossed paths with.

At our tea/coffee stop before returning to Camp, we watched quite a few varieties of birds and deer evade crocodiles and hippos to parch their thirst.  At Camp, we filled our bellies at brunch in what one traveler called our "Ultimate Food Safari", and headed off to a short mid-day siesta.

To see the photos taken today, click on Friday, Sep 26th, Lafupa Tented Camp, Kafue National Park, Zambia.

Thursday, Sep 25th, Lafupa Tent Camp, Kafue National Park, Zambia

Greetings!

We just arrived at the Zambian tent camp that will serve as our home for the next three days.  It's located about 90 minutes by small plane from Livingstone Airport on the banks of the Kafue River.  Home to more bird species than all of Europe, this centerpiece to a planned five-country, 108,000 square mile park, will host us for boating, hiking, and driving adventures.

As Pat relaxes in a hot shower in our cabin, i'm sitting on the porch of our cabin overlooking the River, and hearing a hippo call out.  Some of the others have decided to join a nighttime cruise of the riverbanks.  These locations are extremely well-chosen, and combine access to the wild with the pleasures necessary to recover after long days of travel.

This morning, after leaving Zimbabwe, we stopped around lunch for another key feature of OAT - the controversial topic.  Today, we listened to a survivor tell the story of "The Untold Story of the Zimbabwe Genocide".  From 1980 to 1987, our speaker's family village, and many others in the northwestern Zimbabwe districts which are home to the second largest tribe (Ndebele), were ravaged by the current government's effort to consolidate power into a one-party state.  It is estimated that 100,000 were killed before the feuding groups ended the conflict.  Our speaker's presentation was powerful, horrifying, gruesome, personal, and inspiring.

As this was a long traveling day, there were few photos taken, but you can see them by clicking on Thursday, Sep 25th, Lafupa Tent Camp, Kafue National Park, Zambia.