More from Africa

I had hoped to be able to post Yonas's story today. Yonas was one of the young men, just off the street, who was living in the Hope Centre in Ethiopia. He told me his story, as I've explained in a posting before, while I was visiting, and it was incredibly inspiring and touching. And even more inspiring was news that he came top of his class at the end of term a few weeks ago when he graduated. I have just received his permission to publish what he told me. However, much as I hate to disappoint, I have discovered that I've left a really important part of it on my laptop in Egypt. So sorry, you'll have to wait until I get home in January. But I promise I will do it as soon as I can after I get back.

So here are a few photos to tide you over....

Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a peaceful and healthy 2009

lots of love

Lyndall


The sun goes down over the dusty African grasslands - Botswana. This is often the time of day we would go looking for lions.





Elephants gather to drink at a small waterhole on the edge of the Kalahari


The mighty Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side. Omus Otunda - The Smoke that Thunders. That little bit of the local language was taught to me by a Zimbabwe man begging on the streets of Nairobi, Kenya.


Playing football in Kasane near the border of Botswana and Zimbabwe only the only sort of field available. Football (or soccer) is immensly popular all over Africa.



The camp helpers Amos and Timan get the water out to allow us to shower. All our water had to be carried with us on safari in Botswana.


The lion and the jackal - there's been a kill, the lion still has a little blood on his nose and fortunately he's too full for us to be of much interest


A hyena watches us warily - Botswana









Some of the children of Khwai village Botswana. We stopped here and visited the general store and these children were delighted to be given lollipops. They were friendly if a little shy, happy, delightful.


An injured young lioness rests up in the shade during the heat of the day - Chobe, Botswana




An elephant threatens with a head shake as we get too close in Botswana. The clapping of ears is a BIG sound up close

Botswana the beautiful - days 1 & 2

I promised I'd add more on Botswana at some time and now that I have more photos it seems as good a time as any. I've covered the main details of the trip so I'll use this as an opportunity to add photos so you can see what we saw - in a small way.


Lonni looks pretty cheerful while we're still on the ground as Dan (the pilot) gets organised - a slightly different story in the air although she appeared outwardly calm, if not exactly loving it

Botswana is a land of vast open spaces and large tracts of unspoiled wilderness. Four fifths of the country is covered by the Kalahari Desert and on our trip we skirted it constantly. Our trip however began at Maun, known as the gateway to the Okavango Delta. We flew in a light aircraft to Xakanaxa with Lonni slightly apprehensive and Jeremy in the back just about ill. However, as we weren't very high the flight gave us an excellent bird's-eye view of the delta formation. Dan explained that it was rather like a hand with fingers extended. The land surrounding the channels is very dry at this time of the year as October is the hottest month for the region. So sandy, hot, windy sometimes and very dry, some areas with grass and some just bare sand without a blade of grass to be seen between the low trees. And it was very exciting as we were coming in to land at Xakanaxa to see elephants in the shade of the trees, just near the airstrip.


Part of the delta as we fly over

Our first two days were spent in the Delta, but also in the Moremi Game Reserve. We saw plenty of game - even on the drive from the airstrip we saw quite a few animals and birds, the first being the ubiquitous impala - fast food as Kaiser calls them, for the Big M (like the golden arches) on their bums.


The ladies delicately cross our path


A clear view of the Big M

Game abounds in Moremi - birds of all sorts, including lots of water birds, elephant, lion, red letchwe, waterbuck, lion, wild dog, hippos, cocodiles, zebra, giraffe, hyena, warthog, baboons and so on and so on. We found quite a few different species on our first afternoon game drive, including lions.


Can you see the lion just a few scant metres away in the shadow of the truck?


Maybe now?

Of course the first night in camp we had the adventure of the lions very close by. Shelley told us she was so scared that she held her gum in her hand for two hours because she was afraid to even chew!

The camp awaits us for breakfast

On day 2 it wasn't long before we saw our first elephant ambling quietly from the bush and across the grass just in front of us. This lone bull really didn't pay us any attention at all although later in the trip we would definitely experience a couple of close encounters of the elephant kind.

Out for a leisurely stroll



Storks hunt for small fish and frogs in the delta waters

These baby francolin were right on the sandy track - it's a good thing that Kaiser has such sharp eyes

Mum, or maybe Dad, kept a close eye on us and called the chicks to order

On day 2 we also took a boat ride down the river. We saw very little game on this outing, but there was the great experience of seeing two elephants in the water having a playful little struggle. Of course there were lots of birds. And we had the unforgettable experience of taking a swim at the "safe swimming spot", which actually meant that it was shallow enough to see the hippos or crocs coming, not that they weren't there! The water was surprisingly cold but very refreshing in the heat of the day.

Reeds, grasses and papyrus line all the channels

Once the elephants had finished with each other one of them thought that we were getting a little too close

Taking a threatening stand

There was plenty more of course - Moremi is 18,000 sq. km. and covers the tribal lands of the Batawana people - the landscape has not only the waterways but also reed beds and mopane and knob thorn forests. I hope to be able to go back and see it after the rains when it is green and lush, but it is really worth seeing at time.

I'll put up more photos when I can - tomorrow is an early start to catch my flight to Addis Ababa - I have to be up around 4.15 am so I should finish packing and get to bed. Today has been a quiet day getting sorted out and ready to head for Addis tomorrow.

Thinking of you all

lots of love

Lyndall

Cooling off in Cape Town

And COOL is the operative word here! About 14 degrees at the moment and not a lot warmer during the day. But before we do Cape Town and all the things in between - let's finish off Botswana.

Our last afternoon and morning in Botswana unfortunately didn't produce a leopard, although a boat trip down the Chobe River brought lots more elephant, including babies, lions, crocodiles, all sorts of birds and some buffalo. Timan came with us and seemed to enjoy the trip. Kaiser picked us up at White Sands and we did a slow game drive back to camp. More of the usual suspects, including giraffes. Our last night at camp was uneventful although the elephants were very close and there were certainly hyenas about. We tried to ask all the questions to which we hadn't already had answers. Kaiser and I were last up and I managed to get lost looking for the loo, thank goodness he was still up and came to my rescue or I may still be wandering the Chobe bush. No, not true, Kaiser is an excellent tracker (and always ready to teach us, so now we can recognise lion tracks, hyena, wild dog, impala, elephant, hippo, cheetah, all of which will be of enormous assistance to us next time we go out into the bush) - I'm sure he would have found me by now. I'm ashamed to say I even had a torch and still couldn't find it!

Chobe is an interesting park, still showing the signs of the village and the industry that were there many years ago before the park was declared. It was still dry and dusty, but the river winding through it opened some incredible and beautiful vistas from the hills. The game had eaten it bare, so unless they are prepared to swim to Namibia or one of the river islands, or to eat the flowering trees, they need to travel up to 40 km from the river for food. No wonder the elephants sounded restless. So the game wasn't as concentrated during the day and we worked harder to see it. Elephants and impala being the exceptions of course.

Our last morning was really bitter sweet - lots of photographs taken and hugs given out. We waved goodbye to Amos and Timan around 8.30 and set out on our last game drive, with many comments being thrown around about last chances to find a leopard. Which we didn't. (But we won't hold that against Kaiser) . We did find a lion kill (completely stripped by the vultures) and the lions sleeping it off. A last visit to Kasane to tidy up the paperwork and look regretfully at the art gallery and it was off to Kasengula to cross the border into Zimbabwe.

Finally armed with our visas (a long and tedious manual system) and our Zimbabwe guide having arrived, we made heartfelt farewells and crossed over into Zimbabwe headed for Victoria Falls. As CC Africa had been late, we quickly threw our bags into our rooms and grabbed a taxi to the Falls to make sure we didn't miss getting a long look at them. Lon and I LOVED the taxi. You need pictures to get the real idea: yellow Mazda 323 around 20 years old (Osbornes think of the Colt with a battered yellow paint job) - one of the Executive taxi fleet. With the sweetest and most reliable driver! The Falls are truly mind-blowing, powerful and awe-inspiring, and deserve their place as one of the natural wonders of the world. If I could upload some images I'd show you - maybe tomorrow!

While JD and Shelley went back to the hotel, Lon and I did a little shopping (surprise, surprise!). We were frequently approached by people asking us did we want to trade our clothes, followed by children holding out begging cups and accosted by stall holders touting for business. The hotel didn't have water or virtually any soft drinks, and only 3 dishes on the dinner menu. The economy seems to be struggling to say the least. The people were wonderful however and we especially thank Rochelle who did our laundry on the morning we left in less than an hour - washed and dried and beautifully folded. All the hotel staff were impressive.

It was a looooong day the next day. We said goodbye early to Jeremy and Shelley with an agreement to meet in Cape Town for dinner on Friday night and then had a two-hour flight to Johannesburg first up, with around 3 hours at the airport to try and find Lonni's luggage. And yes, there it was eventually, only with a broken zipper and missing a whole bunch of stuff. Sad to say the losses from both our suitcases add up to around $7000 - so hopefully both Emirates and travel insurance will come through. Everything took so long that without the assistance of a great porter who got us checked through Alliance Gold Star we would have missed the plane to Cape Town. Then to top it all off we had the driver from hell pick us up at the airport to drive us for 2 hours to Groot Bos. Ten to twenty ks over the speed limit all the way (already set at 120), non-stop talker and so arrogant that we both struggled to stay calm and quiet. Lon escaped into her iRiver but I had the joy of the front seat!

Groot Bos (a private nature reserve), once we got there in one piece, proved to be a fabulous and very luxurious, quiet retreat. We were welcomed by Andre and Michelle and nothing was too much trouble - luggage delivered to our rooms while we had a quiet late dinner, and when we got to our rooms there was a fire going and everything was ready for us to fall into bed. Up early for whale watching and we saw lots, as well as penguins, seals and a great white. In the afternoon we were supposed to go off on some other activity but sleep overtook us both. Another enjoyable dinner and lots more sleep! There's something to be said for 5-star treatment on occasions.
Another fairly early start and Nzuzos took us on a beach and cave tour - a great deal of climbing down sand cliffs and over rocks, and steps and interesting caves used by the Koi people around 80,000 years ago as well as some time on the sand. The water is COLD though.

The same driver came to pick us up and I made Lon sit in the front - once again she escaped into her iRiver but this time I matched her, falling alseep not far out of Hermanus and only waking up a few minutes from our hotel. I thought if he snapped his fingers in front of her face just one more time she'd have them off at the elbow - much easier to sleep and pretend I heard nothing! That way I couldn't testify.

Anyway, the Victoria and Alfred on the waterfront is a beautiful hotel and Cape Town a pretty city. I'll have to tell you the rest tomorrow night - it's getting late and I still have to take the hired laptop back. Lonni is already showered and reading in bed and I need to get there myself.
Both cameras have been in for a clean at a camera repair place we found - I collect them tomorrow and hopefully everything will be in good working order for Namibia. They are also downloading all our cards, so maybe I can get some photos up tomorrow night. I can't wait to see them on the screen anyway.

Gotta go - will tell you about Cape Town and our activities tomorrow night.

lotsa love - L & L

Bewitching Botswana

We've had such an adventure since we last posted. I am here in Kasane just near the border of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia on the second last day of our magical safari through the Okavanga Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, Savuti and now Chobe. I will be very sad to leave it behind - I have been totally captivated by the landscape, the people and the animals.



We've certainly had an adventure getting from Dubai - our luggage didn't show up in Joburg and so we got a great guy called Sidney to take us to a mall where we got underwear and a change of clothes for the next day while the hotel provided a toothbrush. Hitting the airport at 7.00 am the next morning we discovered that our safari bags had turned up with the lock on Lonni's broken, my suitcase had been ransacked and gone are my laptop (with photos), a lens, some Oz dollars and my expensive 100th anniversary edition Mont Blanc fountain pen bought in Dubai. Unfortunately Lonni's whole big bag is yet to surface - we are just hoping against hope that it will be waiting for us in Joburg again. Her new jewellery is in it as well as all her chargers etc. and clothes of course and Dubai souvenirs. The jewellery is the big concern (no it's not it's the crappy I heart Dubai key ring I got Lahni as a souvenir, you can't replace that! - Lonni).



However, we determined not to let it ruin our trip and so faced Botswana with happy faces. And it has been amazing. On the fringe of the Kalahari and in the dry season it's hot (as Lonni keeps saying, it's hot, damned hot! - remember Good Morning Vietnam), dry, incredibly dusty (we've given up on fingernails, you're filthy again about an hour or two - or in Mum's case its more like thirty minutes - more from Lonni thank you, sweetheart) but totally bewitching, exciting, entrancing and magical (don't forget surreal). At least it is for me. The only animal we've really missed so far (there's still this afternoon and tomorrow morning to go) is a leopard and there are no rhinos here (though I would like to see more hyena).



We've had a fabulous and full of it guide (Kaiser) and two wonderful camp hands - Timan and Amos. I would bring them all home if I could (so would I you should see the muscles!). There are only four of us in the group, we are with a great young Texan couple called JD (Jeremy Daniel) and Shelley. Kaiser is always joking and smiling and is incredibly knowledgeable - we are often the first and only to find animals - but all the guides share information around. We've seen impala (Fast Food for the Big M on their butts), lions, elephants, hippos, kudu, sable and roan antelope, cheetah, warthogs, zebra, giraffes, steenbok, red letchwe, crocodiles, Cape buffalo, jackals, hyena, wild dogs, mongoose and squirrels, baboons and monkeys, honey badger and birds far too numerous to mention, except for the gloriously coloured lilac-breasted roller and the carmine bee eater. We've lunched with the hippos, taken tea with elephants and zebra, had lions around our camp scaring the **** out of the Texans the first night, us aussie girls were either excited (mum) or asleep (Lonni). And I managed to sleep right through a honey badger trying to get into our tent while Lonni almost had a heart attack. A hyena also trotted through camp while the boys were preparing dinner and raided the trailer one night.

We also have been through some small villages and stopped a couple of times to talk to people and buy locally made goods. The people are SO friendly and beautiful - we have all been totally entranced. The country is so dry I have to keep asking Kaiser - but what do people eat? How do they live? And speaking of that we've been having pa pa (mealie porridge) for breakfast - it's the local staple and we all think it's pretty good. Kaiser is a great cook as well so the food has all been fantastic.

Anyone who knows us well will be hugely surprised to know that we are awake before our 6.00 am wake up call as Amos or Timan pour warm water into our basins outside for us to wash faces, have a quick bite and go out on our first game drive. We have another cuppa and a biscuit whilst out (maybe at the hippo pool or beside the river watching zebras or elephants) and then back to camp about 10.30 for Kaiser to cook us a substantial brunch. Then maybe it's in camp in the shade, doing the washing or reading until we take a bush bucket shower and head out again around 3.30, have another cuppa out and back at sunset. Kaiser gets us a magnificent feast for dinner and under the brilliant stars (Scorpio right overhead), listening to hippos or lions or hyena or elephants, with a glass of wine beside the camp fire we chat away by candle and firelight (listening to Kaiser's stories as he answers all our dumb questions - often with a big fat lie until his contagious laugh gives him away) until at a fairly early hour everyone drifts away one by one to get a good night's sleep - unless the animals wake us up.

It's a wonderful life - I have no idea of the day of the week or the time and am totally relaxed!!! When I have more time I'll tell you more about Botswana, it's an interesting country and the way the villages are organised by community trusts an interesting model.

No photos to add - with the laptop gone and being unable to charge batteries or download I am starting to conserve and can't do anything here - maybe later. Hopefully what I have will last me until we get back to Cape Town. The 400D is on the blink - the dust is very pervasive and I suspect that's the problem. With the big lens gone I have been really lucky as Shelley has lent me one the same size but without stabiliser. She has been very generous.

Boat trip in around an hour so better go - down the Chobe River - we might even see a leopard! If we don't, as Kaiser says, there will be an excuse to come back!

Love to all

Lyndall & Lonni