Summer 2012 and the afterglow

This morning's light with a soft breeze billow the dining room curtains--love to see them flutter in the breeze. Open windows define summer for me. Granted, air conditioning has its place, but it's never truly summer unless the breeze shimmers through the rooms along with birds' calls and melodies.

People ask me what the highlights of the African trip were--and I have to pause before responding, since the entire 15 days was an adventure. Each day was like a gift box. We opened it and lifted out adventures of people, animals, sights, sounds, foods, smells, held them in our hands, examining and delighting in them. A true gift to be able to surround myself with such things.

So what does travel like this do to us? We grow in knowledge of other cultures and traditions to be sure, but it also keeps us from becoming so self-satisfied with our situtation, so centered on ourselves. Travel enriches us and continues to transform us as our life's path unfolds. We must remain curious, interested in the world beyond ourselves. Yet what surprises and delights us can't grow into something we expect and even feel we're entitled to. If it does, the magic is gone--it's vanished at the expense of expectation. If our perspective is that of gratitude, if we remain grateful, what a world to enjoy.

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O Luggage! Where Art Thou?

The wings seem so HUGE on this South African Airlines plane.

We arrive back in Minneapolis on a concourse neither of us has seen before--complete with massage area. Nice. Down to baggage claim where Jane's hubby and son Jay meet us. The carrousel honks, the light blinks, the silver surface begins to rotate, and perhaps a dozen suitcases plunk off the chute. That's it--and we wonder where our bags filled with grubby clothes actually are--still in D.C.? At this point neither of us has the energy to be too upset, and we decide that if something crazy had to happen, we're glad it's on THIS end of the journey. Delta assures us they'll find the bags and deliver.

Sunday: Delta comes through and our bags are delivered to our doorstep. All's pretty much intact, and I finally have the USB cable to connect the camera to the ipad. Now we can publish the last few days of this odyssey. But here comes the tough part--re-entry into everyday life. Harder than one might think. We'll probably add some final reflections of the trip as time goes on. So memorable and I know Jane and I are different people from the two that flew out on the 9th. So much in life to discover.

Sat. June 23

Sometime over Africa between Johannesburg and Dakar where we refuel, Friday changes to Saturday. After 8 hours, we land in Dakar and passengers disembark, the cabin crew spiffs the place up a bit, everyone with a carry-on in the overhead has to claim theirs for a bit, so the crew can see that nothing suspicious is left behind. Then the carry-ons can be placed back in the bin, new passengers and crew load, and in an hour we're off. Housekeeping "sanitizes" the plane with a spray that nearly chokes us, but we hang in there. Another 8 hours ahead of us to Washington.

We've decided that Dulles is one of the craziest airports around. After landing 30 min. late, we're loaded onto a transport, dropped at immigration, taken to baggage claim, then through passport control, more security (since we're transferring flights) and finally we're free to find the Delta gate. We transfer terminals and search for a Starbucks, feeling so delighted as we sip our drinks, set down our bags and begin our 3 hour wait for the bird that takes us back to Minneapolis. We pass the spot where we had our margarita the night we left, and we realize we look and feel very different from that night 2 weeks ago. We ask a gal to take our photo and one can clearly see the bleary-eyed Janes looking worn, but happy. Thinking ahead to a nice shower and our own beds tonight!

Friday, June 22

For the first time we awake to clouds, wind, and cold. Yes, it's mid-winter here, but 46 degrees after our sunny skies seems a cruel joke for our last day in Africa. We don't fly out until 6 pm, so our day takes us on a tour of Soweto, Mandela's House, the Hector Pieterson Museum, and the Apartheid Museum. Initially I'm cranky and even strong coffee doesn't help my mood. At this point I just want to get on the plane. However the tours give us a glimpse into several essential aspects of South Africa and Johannesburg--the people, Apartheid, and the anti-Apartheid movement, and today's challenges.

Our tour guide for this part of the adventure is Queen, a woman who experienced June 16, 1976, in Soweto and all that transpired afterward. I have a list of subjects to investigate when I get home, but both Jane and I feel we are seeing yet again a history of race struggle, which unfortunately continues today. We see Freedom Square, more "traditionally built" women than ever before.

Left: Mandela's house in Soweto.

"Traditionally-built women" (phrase thanks so Alexander McCall Smith)

Soweto's Freedom Square where the new constitution is laid out in the round building below:

Notice the last line above.

Above is the market in Soweto in Freedom Square

The Apartheid Museum. The rocks within the wire represent the lives lost while working in the gold mines in South Africa.


 One rock, one life.

The ropes here are a symbol of the number who committed suicide while imprisoned for taking part in the apartheid struggle.

We have a great lunch at the Apartheid Museum where we're impressed by a great set of beaded pictures of six people important to South Africa: Brenda Fassie, Steven Biko, Barack Obama, Miriam Makeba, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. Obamas's father had been from the Bantu Tribe and we've seen his photo displayed several times throughout the trip. They're obviously very proud of him and of Oprah Winfrey as well.  Her girls' school is about 60 km from Joburg.


We arrive at the airport and are met one last time by tour guide James who takes us again through check-in, security and immigration--then a good-bye. I imagine he'll enjoy one huge beer after seeing us off.

Since our group of 16 will now split up and return to various points in the US, a group of us sets a time and place for a farewell cocktail, just one last aperitif together. With an hour and a half until then, we do the only logical thing--we shop. Jane hits the stores with wild abandoned and emerges at the bar laden with packages--she's even bought a rolling carry-on to accommodate her purchases. My kind of gal.

The chatter during our bitter-sweet gathering centers on reviewing and re-living some of our trip's highlights, and I realize I'm going to miss some of the humor and personalities around this table, yet I'm eager to get on my way home. We've had no national or world news and I've relished the cocoon of isolation I've spun for myself--it's been a magical self-imposed menagerie of adventures.

The boarding is more cumbersome than most--each of us goes through a pat-down, so two lines are formed. I'm delighted the women's line is much shorter than the men's. We remove shoes, take off jackets, pat-pat-pat, take our carry-ons and parcels to a table for a cursory search ("Finish the water in the bottle please"--I gulp it down), then stand in line and wait for boarding. We cram into our seats, which will be our home for the next 17.5 hours. We are used to the routine--we set the electronics to "airplane mode," check which movies are avaiable to watch and make ourselves as comfortable as possible. One thing we hadn't tried was the African liquor called "Amarula," which is a bit like Bailey's, so we order bottles of that as we take off.

Thurs., June 21

Yesterday's lovely massage that Gillian gave me has left me so relaxed. I awake early--4:30 or so--and decide to try to record the sounds of early-morning Africa. The crickets are in fine form--a white noise of their vibrations. The hippos don't perform well, so very little of their grunting. Too bad I can't record the gorgeous starry, starry morning and the shining moon. Magical. Then back to bed.

We awake before the alarm--6:30 or so--and since we'd forgotten to drop one of our tent's shades, we enjoy an early morning sunrise--orange in a violet sky--from our mosquito-netted boudior. We pack, set out our luggage for pickup, and take our last stroll to the lodge for a good cup of morning coffee and breakfast.

We'd been texting Sue Bolthouse with the possibility of meeting her briefly at the Lusaka airport. Originally we thought 11:45 would be OK (according to tour guide James), but then this morning the story changes--10:45 instead. Emailing Sue of that time change is a problem--wifi down, so Jane texts her, but we have no clue if she's gotten the message.

Below is our charter landing as the last of our group joins us at the landing strip.


The 20 minute flight from the airstrip to the Lusaka airport is uneventful--the beauty of the African plain lies below us. Arriving Lusaka, we a have about a 20 minute window to meet Sue before boarding and...there she is! She'd tackled the Lusaka traffic and flew into the terminal. I get what I really wanted--a Lusaka hug to give to her mom Arlene when we arrive home.

Security checks, immigration (yellow fever certification essential), and a bit of shopping before the 2 hr. trip from Lusaka to Johannisburg.

Another uneventful flight. Cold here (50's?) Hey, it's mid-winter here--the winter solstice. We'll have to drink to that tonight. Have a feeling we'll sleep well. 6:30 wake-up call tomorrow, breakfast, then a trip to Soweto and the Apartheid museum. We'll get to the airport around 4 pm to board for our return trip. Looking forward to my own bed and seeing you all!

Carmen and I have enjoyed this so much, and I have a special rock for my benefactor's head stone. Here's to you, PHK! I've been blessed.

Wed., June 20

A good night, few grunting hippos, though we both heard something sloshing wildly through the river--figured it was an elephant having a bath. The morning's purple light shows us our Mr. Elephant has apparently swum to the island across the way. There's a big guy there, at any rate.

We depart at 7:30 for a 45 min. boat ride to a native village and cultural center--"native" in the sense of extremely poor and primitive. We pass several posh lodges and then ironically women dressed in colorful prints washing clothes on stones along the shore and drying them on the bushes nearby. The "haves" and the "have--nots" clearly evident. The divide widens when we arrive at the village. Huts--round with dirt floors and outdoor cooking, children in well-worn clothes, barefoot, runny noses, women gathering around the well. We find the market and someone buys the popped popcorn they grow, then distributes it to the children. They go wild.

Eventually we're given a tour of the cultural center and are shown the "headman" and a variety of traditional rituals and dances the tribe still does. The men beat the drums, the women dance, and eventually we're dragged onto the dance floor, but not one of us can find the rhythm of the drum. So slow of foot! We're shown how grain is ground, flour made and how several are looking out for the orphans of AIDS parents. It's a huge problem, mostly because the men demand sex when they themselves are infected, though they insist on unprotected sex (you don't enjoy a banana with its peel on). So the women are infected, both die, and not only are kids left without anyone to care for them, but the numbers are growing. Very grim situation.

Tues., June 19

Jane took a DNA morning (Do Nothing At All) and slept in. I grabbed a morning game drive, just to see how this terrain differed from Chobe. There all the animals were relatively used to vehicles, being in an animal reserve and all. Here, they're very wary of us. So impala scatter and run, jump--seem to arc across the landscape. I'll never look at a Chevy's impala emblem the same again!

We were actually on the hunt for leopard, even finding some fresh footprints and following them, but nothing panned out. The guides hang their heads over the right side as they drive, looking for any fresh prints, then chatter in their native dialect (one can only imagine what they're REALLY saying...) and we navigate the wilderness on red, sandy roads.

The Zambezi's canals make for great greenery and crocodile viewing. We see a honey badger lying in the shade--reddish eyes seem evilly surveying us. Bushbuck and Waterbuck hid in bushes--the only animals plentiful for us were the impala and baboons. The birds kept us entertained, especially the one that calls "koo KOO a" or as the locals call it, the "work HARD-er" bird.

A double gin/tonic on the shores of the Lower Zambezi in Zambia

Later: I'm trying to get a good spot for wifi reception and Steve tells me it's quite good by his cabin. So I'm treking down toward his place and OMGOMGOMG! There's a freaking elephant rubbing its tush on a brick wall just ahead. I gape. Can't be...but it is. I realize I have the ipad in my hand, toss it down, then fumble so I can utilize the camera on it. I begin filming video and eventually one of the lodge dudes grabs me (stupid tourist) and ushers me back to the lodge itself. I'm giddy with glee over my video and we all enjoy looking at it--until we realize the elephant is making its way THROUGH the camp. We're warned to stay a fair distance away, but the critter ends up spending quite some time directly in front of our tent cabin--note the photos! We have our own personal "Wild Kingdom" for 30 minutes or so before Mr. E (for Elephant) moves on down the way.

Mr. E. just outside our tent.

When all the excitement settles down, we boat to a tributary of the Lower Zambezi and put in for a most relaxing canoe ride, made even better by the fact we just drift--the current takes us. We move to one side or the other depending on the crocs on the edge, or the hippos in the way or, the grumpy looking African buffalo along the shore. Brilliantly colored bee-eaters entertain us and we see them peeking out of their little holes on the red cliffs along the shore. Most relaxing hearing the calls, the grunting of hippo, the water lapping the canoes.

This is the life!

The "work HARD-er" bird begins calling "gin TON-ic," Jane and I think. At the end as we disembark the canoes before returning to the lodge we enjoy "tea" on the shore, but it's actually our double gin/tonic. Tough life, such hard work we're doing here.

Sherry awaits us on the dock as me motor in, dinner follows an hour later, but we again have South African red wine under the stars around the firepit before dinner. Lit by candlelight with the Milky Way above us, the food rivals Crescendo.

Gillian with our sherry as we approach the dock following the canoe ride.

Monday June 18

A rather restless night with all the night sounds. Since the animals roam freely (like just feet from the tent), we hear lots and lots of calls, swishes and thunks in the night. The hippos are probably the most vocal--they actually grunt more than honk, I guess. What I noticed was that the GRUNT grunt-grunt-grunt-grunt-grunt-grunt GRUNT was answered by GRUNT grunt-grunt-grunt-grunt-grunt-grunt GRUNT. The cadence was answered in the same fashion. James says the dominant male announces and the rest respond in like kind. grunt grunt (hippo). Hoowhee? (hyenga) purring snore (Jane).

After an early morning knock on the door by our guy Martin, we had a light breakfast of tea, coffee, yogurt, cereal, juice. Then off to our activities. Here it's like camp--you choose an "activity": one in the a.m. and one in the p.m. Jane went on a game drive and I chose to do a bush walk this morning. This afternoon I think we'll both fish for Tiger fish. Those on the bush walk took a boat about 5 min. down the river to the park where we picked up a guy with a rifle to accompany us and checked out the "smaller" critters--saw soldier ants (a platoon of them) on their way to find termites. The tall termite hills and the harvest termite teepees dot the landscape. We came across recent elephant, leopard and hippo footprints--even a hippo's resting place for the night. One could see its hide's wrinkles still imprinted in the sand. Interesting fact: the male hippo spews his scat, sort of like a manure spreader. The female is much more discrete and just plops.

Below is a small mound made by the Harvester Termite--notice the little "chimneys" on the top

We also found a Baobab tree that's more a succulent than a tree. HUGE thick guy. This one's about 1000 years old. Then naturally we saw the Umbrella Thorn tree, the symbol of Africa.

Close up of the bark:

Above is the Umbrella Thorn tree


Treated to brunch at 11--then we'll have tea at 4, dinner at 7:30. Rather spoiled here. Think Downton Abbey on safari.


Lodge photos (all in the open air):

Tent photos:

Later: We fish for Tiger fish (good fighters) but first have to catch our bait. That doesn't prove to be an easy task. Our guide hooks worms to lines and we fish close to shore, but only get three small tiger fish for bait, not what he was looking for, but it will suffice, I guess. We motor out into the current and Jane and I each have a line out with a 2x4 inch piece of bait and a rather large hook. But...we drift, tangle lines, drift, Jane hooks a hippo and her line breaks (those guys were close to the boat and the guide thinks one stepped on her line--only in Africa).

Jane's rather impatient and I catch her reading and fishing at the same time. After a fruitless 90 minutes, we head back to the landing in the violet dusk to the welcome of that glass of sherry waiting for us on the dock. We're getting very used to being spoiled.

After a shower, we join others at the firepit and enjoy a late dinner under the Southern Cross and scorpio, which nearly all of us can now find in the southern sky.

Lights out around 10--we're both pooped!

Sunday, June 17

Happy Fathers' Day! We ladies toasted the men at the breakfast table, acknowledging their role in procreation and wishing them well.

More immigration forms, a Zambia visa application and the $50 fee, and passport control. Yet this time when we left, we left Botswana for Zambia via boat. The junction of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers joins the four countries of Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The crossing (one operational ferry) causes trucks with large cargo to wait, sometimes for a week, before they can cross. But we had a little speedboat waiting for us, and after a 5 min. ride, had zoomed over to Zambia, to a new country, bus, and driver. Just an hour to Livingstone.

Livingstone airport was small, yet we did go through a security of sorts and after an hour boarded our 18-seat twin engine that flew us to a private landing strip in the middle of the bush--the Royal Zambezi Lodge. We buzzed the airstrip once to get any animals off of it before landing.

OMGOMGOMG. I knew something was up the second I saw six uniformed-in-khaki gents waiting to assist us--shorts just below the knee, short-sleeved buttoned shirts with collars, name tags, all exquisitely pristine and pressed. It's the type of place that welcomes royalty, and I could imagine that the prime minister of Australia had, in fact, been here the week before as one person mentioned. Each member of the staff lined up at the door to welcome us, one with a tray of juice in stemmed glasses for each of us as we entered the lodge.

We've been instructed not to move around here at night without an armed guard, since elephant, hippos, buffalo (even cats?) roam freely. During the day--no problem, but after dark, which is 6 pm on, we need to have a guard with us. Feeling a bit like a princess here. Oh my. Could get used to this. There's real coffee here, no need to use the Starbucks Via. And wifi! Supposedly it's available near the bar, so we'll see. I guess it's a new addition to the place.

The lodge had been built by a former president of Zambia and now hosts small groups. I think the 16 of us with the guide James will be the only ones here during our stay. Right now I'm on our private veranda with the Lower Zambezi flowing 20 feet in front of me, the breeze jostling my hair a bit, hippos grazing just down the way and a croc on the sand just across the way. Our private tent/cabin is exquisite and we have everything, everything, everything. Jane says we'll sleep well--like being alone at the lake with just the breeze and the rushing water, although I've heard the hippos honking every now and then (yes, it's really a

honk!).

But it's the natural sounds that seem to massage us, both mentally and physically. That 7th hr. class and the end of the school day could not be further from my mine. The only way I know what day it is, is by reading it on my vitamin pill box I brought with me. Bliss.

The tent/cabin has a solid wooden base it sits on with walls of screen that are rolled up/down as we wish. The bathroom is gorgeous, and an elephant fashioned out of one of the towels awaited us, along with two terry robes.

Our cabin shares a "family area" with another tent, a raised area with chairs, sofa, tables with games, etc. all in the open air under a roof. Now with few bugs, this luxury wraps its arms around us and seems to be rocking us into contentment.

Later: Just returned from an evening river cruise--hippos whose eyes look like submarine periscopes emerged, then submerged, crocs, buffalo, elephants along the opposite coast of Zimbabwe, and again the great saddle-billed stork. Then suddenly we pull onto an island and there the boys are with full bar set up on the shore, appetizers galore. Jane and I can't resist a double gin/tonic. The twilight deepens, and a quick ride home. Disembarking we step up from the dock onto the deck, and there's another guy with a tray of glasses of sherry for us. lah-di-dah! Our escort takes us back to our cabin and we've asked for him (Martin's our "guy") to return at 6:30 to bring us to evening dining on the terrace--open air. Ahhhhhh....

Sat., June 16

Another early start. We're getting this down to a science. Lay out the clothes the night before, set the alarm so we can have a Starbuck's Via before clamoring down to the vehicles and our trip to the park. Eliot was still peeking out from the back of the mirror as we dress. This morning we again see our baby hippo, but it seems weak and James feels it's sick--that consequently the mother's abandoned it and it'll soon be dinner for lions.

New animals are the side-striped jackal and squirrel, but alas, no leopard yet. Great view of giraffes and vultures still munching on the elephant carcass. Tea, coffee, biscuits on the beach, a stretch break. We're back at the lodge by 9, have a nice breakfast of croissants, juice, eggs, bacon--actually anything one's heart may desire.

Good news! So the internet may be operational! We buy an hour's worth for $10 and see if it's really going to work. Botswana's internet seems a bit trickier. Tomorrow it's on to Zambia via a charter plane.

Jane and I walk into town, have a Coke, and try to remember to look right first, not left, when crossing the street, since the traffic drives on the left. This gal was happy to have her photo taken as long as we paid her.

Various photos--internet's too slow here to load with the text, so you can figure out what's what. Amazing stuff!

Above is Mishak, our guide; below is a monkey on our balcony here in Botswana

Giraffe on Saturday morning

Our Eliot the first night--the game changer. He's since moved to the wall behind the mirror. This perhaps doesn't show how big this sucker is, but believe me...he's a bit intimidating.

His majesty... We were actually so very close to him. Beautiful.

Vultures awaiting their turn...

A hyena. She has two pups (black for now) that will hunt with her when they're older

Later:

Jane and I opted out of another afternoon river cruise and relaxed, got the blog up to date and then had a drink and figured out our bill before dinner. Earlier as I was sitting in a lounger by the river, suddenly a family of baboons waltzed by--the little ones scamper, the youngest riding on mom's back, sliding to ride underneath. Papa baboon took the lounger two down from me and just sat for a bit, but before I could get my camera out, he lept up into the tree and rustled around there. We have to get used to these guys roaming about. Then as Jane and I were having a local beer at the bar (Black Label--quite good, actually), we heard a sudden splat and we saw what appeared to be an artfully carved half of a grapefruit, or guava or something, facedown on the tile. A monkey must've grabbed it from a fruit arrangement, climbed a tree, lost hold of it and thwat!splat! there it landed 10 feet from us. We were sort of glad we were the 10 feet away. But within a minute, one of the critters had swiped it away and all was good.

After dinner we packed, readying ourselves for the 6 am wakeup call, 7 breakfast and 8 departure that would take us to our third country, Zambia. This second part of the tour was all about the Chobe, the animals in the park, so plentiful--the birds so abundant.

Friday, June 15

Well last night didn't go as planned. Eliot showed up. Eliot? That's what I call him. Just before turning off the light in the kids' bunk room and crawling into bed, I spotted him. About 4 inches from the end of one spiky leg to another, he was a game changer. A spider. Not that I have much against them, but this guy was pretty big and I had no idea whether he'd want me for a snack or not. Housekeeping said not to worry--he lives in the thatched roof. Our guide James said not to worry, they don't bite. Jane said, "Are you nuts? You've got to sleep in the main room," and so I did. But either Eliot or his sister was visible this morning, hiding behind the bunk room mirror, so I think sleeping in the main room was a good move.

Now sitting on the balcony overlooking the lawn with the Chobe River flowing in the background, I chuckle at the Vervet monkeys as they scamper across the lawn and up trees, wart hogs digging under bushes and birds chitter-chattering. We even had one monkey visit our balcony. A great place to be pecking out this blog, though it's frustrating that the internet is still down! But I'll carry on anyway...

This morning's 5 am. wakeup was followed by our trek to Chobe National Game Reserve--we were the first vehicle in after the gates opened at 6. I was dressed in five layers and this Buff (tubular scarf thing) I got from Cabelas is worth its weight in gold. I pull it over my head and ears and up over my mouth as we drive the 15 minutes to the park's gate. Though it's not as cold as in Zimbabwe, the chill permeates rapidly and we all snuggle under the blankets the outfitter has given us for the ride.

First things first: check on those lions and their kill. They're on the move and we find them walking in a single-file line across the terrain. Our vehicle stops and they pass not 20 feet away. James tells us that the animals consider our vehicle just another animal and as long as we don't break the plane (like by leaning out, etc.) all's well. A couple at the lodge told one of our crew that they've been coming on safaris for 43 years and not once had they seen a lion kill, so we were delighted to know we'd gotten in on one. Getting to the lions took us to the banks of the Chobe and in the early morning bleary light, a young hippo lay nearly asleep. I was rather nervous, knowing how momma hippo might be lurking about, but at 2 months, even a hippo can be quite cute. Then past a smelly carcass of a cape buffalo (too early for vultures, though they were silhouetted against the lightening sky). The sky glimmers golden both at dawn and at dusk--an amber lens overlay that casts even more magic on these creatures. Glorious.

No elephants, very few giraffes on this cold morning drive. But suddenly the radio cracks and the driver, after speaking Africaans with fellow drivers, suddenly shifts the Land Rover into high gear--a male lion and his female have been spotted. We race through the narrow sand road, over rocks, roots, gullies, shifting us right, then left, wind roaring in our ears and...there they are on the beach. Six to seven other vehicles like ours line up, each one purring as it maneuvers this way and that for the best picture-taking angles. James shares with us that the male will stay with this female for about a week, mating quickly with her every 10 minutes or so and eventually he'll move on to another female; yet all the cubs will be born nearly at the same time, since all lionesses are surrogate mothers.

The sky brightens and the Chobe suddenly lies below us, our eyes able to see river and vegetation from horizon to horizon, Namibia just over there... And I think to myself, This is Africa; this is Africa. And it sings to me.

Tea and biscuits at a picnic area and we're off again, this time looking for birds. The most vibrant are the lilac-breasted roller and one of the bee-eaters. Very colorful, a joy to watch . Then we're treated to a rare sighting of the ground hornbill that looks sort of like a turkey to me--the red waddle very visible, yet the rest is very black. Hippos lie on the water like beached whales, banded mongooses scuttle about. A feast of animals this morning for us.

Later: the afternoon river cruise takes us down to the same area, yet from the river's perspective. We see crocs, more impala, waterbuck, oodles of birds and the hippos. When distressed, the hippos open wide. One magnificent bird is the saddle-billed stork--huge with bright red bill and yellow saddle over the bill. Very cool. We also enjoy an African jacana--the little guy seems to walk on water, but really navigates the river via weeds. No wonder some call him the "Jesus bird."

The sunset is bold, wide and blazing as the air cools and light turns golden and dims. After sundown the purple, orange, blue are mezmorizing and Jane and I simply watch, knowing our cameras can in no way capture the magical moments.

Thursday, June 14

A big day in the Janes' adventure! Walking to breakfast we enjoyed seeing several zebra in the reserve near the lodge. After breakfast, we loaded the bus and spent an hour or so at a local government primary school, where there are 44 teachers for 1800 students. Students there ranged in age from 5 to 13 and a dozen or so treated us to some traditional dancing and singing. We even ran into a student named "Jane." She was the best one, of course. Students attend school in one of two shifts--either 8 to 2, or 11 to 5. Parents had to pay $60/term to go there (per qtr.) and any private school is much pricier.

Then off to Botswana and the Chobe National Game Reserve. We had to brake for a giraffe on the highway and at the border we had our passports stamped by Zimbabwe officials. Then we walked 1/4 mile to the Botswana border, stepped through some solution that would prevent the hoof/mouth from transferring into the country, and after 20 minutes we were at the Chobe River and the Chobe Safari Hotel. Again, quite the elegant place.

Jane and I have a corner suite on the second floor--with a bunk room for the "kids," so I'm being the kid this time, and so we have separate rooms. The afternoon game drive treated us to dozens and dozens of giraffe, elephant, guinea fowl, Cape buffalo, a hyena with a young, hippos and LIONS! They're rare to see, but the pride had brought down a baby elephant and the 6 or so critters were still chomping on the carcass. Dozens and dozens of huge vultures waited patiently in the trees for their turn. And a rare sighting of sable antelope. Of course dozens of baboons and impala as well. Great pictures, which (when the internet here is up and running) I'll include.

 Surprisingly the only mosquitoes we've encountered have been in the bathroom at the Stanley Livingston. I killed two there. But since it's winter, we have no need to use the mosquito netting or bug spray. Woohoo!

 The Chobe landscape is a half sand-dune type of vegetation and half scrub trees on rolling hills. The open jeeps with experienced and knowledgeable drivers handle the terrain well. The elephants had a new calf a month ago, and one of the lion cubs was 18 months old, they knew.

An impressive dinner, but alas, the internet is down, so I'm typing this on "notes" and hoping to just cut/paste tomorrow or whenever if possible. An amazing day.

Wednesday, June 13

Trying to blog outside the suite overlooking the watering hole. About 50 African buffalo are wandering about, some with very young calves. The old bull with a heck of a rack of horns came earlier and knelt at the water--too old to reach so far down?

The morning began a bit later than yesterday's early wake up. We breakfasted with fresh fruit, cold cheese, meats, yogurt, juices and rolls, followed by eggs, meat, potatoes, etc. of choice. Then on to the craft market. Very persistent but polite vendors. Jane and I ended up buying a few fun things, though getting the "traditionally built woman" sculpture home might be a problem, since it's pretty heavy.

How wonderful to be in a foreign country where language isn't an issue. The signage, prices, etc. can all be easily understood, though Jane's much better at haggling over prices than I am. It's clear she has a great time and we dealt with American dollars, but could've done very well with bartering. We were asked to trade hats, shoes, socks, pens, etc. for things, but unfortunately we didn't have much with us to barter.

Going down to the pool with my book after a nice shower. Feeling rather "full" around the middle...have to work on that.

A coke at the craft market

Our elephant ride on Tatu

Sharing some photos

Our lodge -- Stanley Livingstone Lodge at Victoria Falls

Baboons--the pests

Elephant wallowing in the Zambezi River

More of the rhinos, etc.

From the lion walk and elephant ride

More of the crazy wild adventure

Lions and elephants and crocodiles, oh my! After the rhinos, we had a splendid day with lion cubs--watching them on the way to being re-introduced into the wild. There's a 4-stage process, and the cubs we saw were a set at 10 month and a set at 4 months. Then on to the elephants. When Jane's phone recharges, I'll download her pictures. But what a ride! These guys also are in a preserve and are nurtured. Then a brief stop back at the lodge and on to the Zambezi River where we saw hippos, crocs, and birds galore. An evening dinner in the bush followed by star gazing and we're exhausted! Feel like I'm in my own private zoo.

Jane and Jane on the Wild Side!

5:30 wake-up call and 6 am ride to find the black rhinos. Wind chill in an open vehicle was close to zero and those without gloves froze. Thirty minutes into the bush, BUT we did find the rhinos--very rare guys. Because it's winter here, the sky was dark when we left, the stars bright. We put on every piece of clothing we could (even here they have "cold fronts") and the agency supplied additional polartec ponchos and wind ponchos. Suddenly the sky brightened, no transition--just dark, then light. Interesting.

The black rhinos are in a protected game reserve and their horns are trimmed now and then to eliminate poaching. Two mothers and three younger (though not much smaller) animals gave us a 20 minute show.

Oops, got to run. An elephant, 4 zebras and a giraffe at our lodge's watering hole...

Ahhh...sitting in the sun with birds chew chewing and the flies buzzing. No breeze, just warm, baking sun. The giraffe's colors are quite brown--a sign of his age. Lumbering to the watering hole come several dozen water buffalo, some young, and several wart hogs. What strikes me is how this menagerie seems to get along. A Cape buffalo seems to growl--two males making eyes at the same gal? But all's so peaceful. More later.

Victoria Falls

Loved Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls was wet and wild. It's the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia--breath-taking and wet! After arriving Monday at the Stanley Livingstone Lodge, we spent and hour in rain gear enjoying the roar and the rainbow.  Following, the dinner was magnificent--Jane and I enjoyed some fine South African wine.

Arrived Joburg

After 24 hrs. on the road, Jane and I arrived without much incident (we got the luggage issue straightened out). The South Africa Airlines treated us well with wifi and movies galore. I watched three and did sleep a bit. Were met here by James, the tour dude, had a fantastic meal and now are dropping into bed, waiting for a 6 am wake-up call that will take us to the airport and flight to Victoria Falls. Cold here; glad I have my polar tec. Sun goes down about 5:30. Bushed, but happy travelers.

Day 1 African Adventure

The line at the Delta was miles long, but within 30 minutes I was at the gate. Only craziness was my boarding pass (which I'd gotten from the self-serve kiosk) flew onto the floor in between the scale and the wall at the check-in counter. So...new boarding pass, which took about 10 min. whew

Met Jane at the gate and then on to Dulles. Interesting--our bags are checked through to Victoria Falls, which is Day 3 of our journey--should've been checked just to Johannesburg, NOT Victoria Falls, so Jane and I have been chatting up the ticketing people who are trying to REticket the bags. But we're not hopeful. I guess the travel company might be buying us some clothes...

Anyway, at the gate waiting for South Africa--8 hrs. to Dakar (Senegal), an hour there while they refuel and deplane some people, and then ANOTHER 8 to Jburg. Going through security a second time here I'd forgotten to empty my water, so chugged it, so as to save my camelback bottle with filter. Need to find a bathroom.

Jane and I just enjoyed a HUGE margarita and a bunch of chips. Very fun way to begin things--hopeful we'll see our luggage sometime during the trip.