Pics we took on our dinner trip to Avani Resort
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Saturday, September 17, 2016
The Dinner Train
Our dinner train to the Zambia / Zimbabwe border where we could stroll across the Victoria Bridge, spanning through gorge at Victoria Falls
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Monday, September 12, 2016
Joburg Sept 12th
Mon. Sept. 12th Johannesburg Africa
By Jain
On the quick flight from Livingstone to Joburg I had a nice conversation with a couple from Sweden. Well they live in Sweden half the year and St. Petersburg, Florida the other half. We swapped stories and found out he was kicked by a zebra that sent him flying into the air. I guess when the security guy that told me to beware of the Zebras, he was right. The Zebra has a very swift kick. He didn't suffer any broken bones but has a huge bruise. They are very pretty animals like so many others here…..but they are only animals.
Our plan was to make ourselves at home in the Delta lounge waiting three hours for our 16 hour flight to Atlanta. Well that was the plan. However, the Delta lounge is now closed here. Too bad; from our past experiences it was a very nice one. Now we have a three hour wait in an airport restaurant... yuk.
We both agree it has been a very good trip, however if we were to do it again we would do things differently. We would spend more time in Botswana rather than Zambia and maybe a take a flight to Tanzania into Serengeti region. This is the place where the lion is king and you might even witness the migration of lions.
Looking back we agree our best accommodation was the tented camp in Nkwazi, and that is where we had the best meals too. Overall the activities we chose were fun and we would go again. We are especially quite pleased with how many animals we have seen on our boat and game drives. Of course we didn't spot any cheetah or leopards but maybe next time.
We look forward to coming to Africa again, but for now there are lots of other places to go. We leave at the end of October for our 21 day cruise from Rome to Dubai. After this cruise Jay says we will have been to 100 countries in the world! Talking to others we have learned there are so many places we would like to go. There is whole big world out there for us to explore and enjoy, maybe you too?
By Jain
On the quick flight from Livingstone to Joburg I had a nice conversation with a couple from Sweden. Well they live in Sweden half the year and St. Petersburg, Florida the other half. We swapped stories and found out he was kicked by a zebra that sent him flying into the air. I guess when the security guy that told me to beware of the Zebras, he was right. The Zebra has a very swift kick. He didn't suffer any broken bones but has a huge bruise. They are very pretty animals like so many others here…..but they are only animals.
Our plan was to make ourselves at home in the Delta lounge waiting three hours for our 16 hour flight to Atlanta. Well that was the plan. However, the Delta lounge is now closed here. Too bad; from our past experiences it was a very nice one. Now we have a three hour wait in an airport restaurant... yuk.
We both agree it has been a very good trip, however if we were to do it again we would do things differently. We would spend more time in Botswana rather than Zambia and maybe a take a flight to Tanzania into Serengeti region. This is the place where the lion is king and you might even witness the migration of lions.
Looking back we agree our best accommodation was the tented camp in Nkwazi, and that is where we had the best meals too. Overall the activities we chose were fun and we would go again. We are especially quite pleased with how many animals we have seen on our boat and game drives. Of course we didn't spot any cheetah or leopards but maybe next time.
We look forward to coming to Africa again, but for now there are lots of other places to go. We leave at the end of October for our 21 day cruise from Rome to Dubai. After this cruise Jay says we will have been to 100 countries in the world! Talking to others we have learned there are so many places we would like to go. There is whole big world out there for us to explore and enjoy, maybe you too?
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Sunday, September 11, 2016
Sept 11th Livingstone
By Jain
This is our last day in Zambia. The weather is nice but everyday is nice here, clear sunny skies, and warm. We didn't really do much today just laze around the pool watching the elephants across the river drinking at the river's edge. No monkeys today, but that doesn't stop me from looking out for them. Yesterday, when I walked back to the room alone there were a half a dozen within 10 feet of our door.These monkeys are at least two feet high with another two feet of tail. I stomped my foot trying to act tough thinking they would scatter and instead they chased me! I ran back to the lobby and got Fred the door guy to walk me to our room. As I cowered behind him approaching our door I sensed even Fred was not all that keen being there either. When I write this hotel's review I am going to suggest that along with your wi-fi password every guest needs to be given a slingshot to scare them off.
We probably have met more people on this trip than most other trips. There seems to be an instant rapport when you are in a far away land and seeing spectacular sights and animals. When one person spots an animal they are quick to share it with others. Between the oohs and aws it is easy to strike up a conversation, and form a common bond.
We met our friends from Great Britain just walking down the street. He was carrying a bucket. I asked him, "What's the bucket for?" He replied, "For my fishing tackle, I am going fishing at our hotels wharf". We discovered he was staying at our hotel. He didn't catch anything but the day after we left Botswana, he wrote Jay an email saying he caught 2 catfish, a nine pound and ten pound one. I am sure people at the Old House hotel didn't go hungry that night. Sorry we missed out on the big fish fry.
We have met people from all around the world, from Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Maldives, India, Great Britain,China, Japan, Dubai, South Africa, Canada and a few from U.S. Our friends from Mexico City gave us some great tips about what to see and do next time in Mexico City area. A kid working in Abu Dhabi is in the film industry. He was fun, and he is a trivia expert in movies! Another lady who works for Turner Classic movies had endless stories about stars in their heyday. Who knew Betty Davis was so petite. Then there was that poor chinese girl at the pool. The airlines had lost her luggage and she has been without it for 2 weeks. A tiny thing she was able to buy some African clothes but couldn't find a swimming suit.. not a lot of Africans have a swimming pool here.
On the river boat trip we met a English guy whose name was John who started out working in bakery at the age of 16. At one point he owned 12 bakeries then sold them and started a milling company. I think he has boo coo bucks. Then there was Bill (who looked like a young William Shatner) and his wife and daughter. He is a consultant in Abu Dhabi whose job is looking at possible energy replacements for oil that seems to be drying up. Tomorrow they start off on their 10 day safari. For the most part these people are well traveled and seem to be spending their children's inheritance.
In the late afternoon we call Ivan our driver to take us to the Avani Hotel where we passed a tower of giraffes 2 feet away from the road, just munching on the tree tops. Ivan stopped the car and Jay has some great photos ops. Dinner which was okay but the ride home was better. While Jay and Ivan were talking about how hard it was to drive on a dark road at night all of a sudden we had to stop for 3 elephants crossing the road! It was pitch black. This taxi ride was better than a game drive!
We probably have met more people on this trip than most other trips. There seems to be an instant rapport when you are in a far away land and seeing spectacular sights and animals. When one person spots an animal they are quick to share it with others. Between the oohs and aws it is easy to strike up a conversation, and form a common bond.
We met our friends from Great Britain just walking down the street. He was carrying a bucket. I asked him, "What's the bucket for?" He replied, "For my fishing tackle, I am going fishing at our hotels wharf". We discovered he was staying at our hotel. He didn't catch anything but the day after we left Botswana, he wrote Jay an email saying he caught 2 catfish, a nine pound and ten pound one. I am sure people at the Old House hotel didn't go hungry that night. Sorry we missed out on the big fish fry.
We have met people from all around the world, from Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Maldives, India, Great Britain,China, Japan, Dubai, South Africa, Canada and a few from U.S. Our friends from Mexico City gave us some great tips about what to see and do next time in Mexico City area. A kid working in Abu Dhabi is in the film industry. He was fun, and he is a trivia expert in movies! Another lady who works for Turner Classic movies had endless stories about stars in their heyday. Who knew Betty Davis was so petite. Then there was that poor chinese girl at the pool. The airlines had lost her luggage and she has been without it for 2 weeks. A tiny thing she was able to buy some African clothes but couldn't find a swimming suit.. not a lot of Africans have a swimming pool here.
On the river boat trip we met a English guy whose name was John who started out working in bakery at the age of 16. At one point he owned 12 bakeries then sold them and started a milling company. I think he has boo coo bucks. Then there was Bill (who looked like a young William Shatner) and his wife and daughter. He is a consultant in Abu Dhabi whose job is looking at possible energy replacements for oil that seems to be drying up. Tomorrow they start off on their 10 day safari. For the most part these people are well traveled and seem to be spending their children's inheritance.
In the late afternoon we call Ivan our driver to take us to the Avani Hotel where we passed a tower of giraffes 2 feet away from the road, just munching on the tree tops. Ivan stopped the car and Jay has some great photos ops. Dinner which was okay but the ride home was better. While Jay and Ivan were talking about how hard it was to drive on a dark road at night all of a sudden we had to stop for 3 elephants crossing the road! It was pitch black. This taxi ride was better than a game drive!
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Saturday, September 10, 2016
Saturday, September 10th, Zambia
By Jain
I was sitting on our deck this morning braving the mosquitos when three monkeys flew from the trees and landed on our deck railing a foot away from me. I let out a scream that probably could have been heard in Botswana. As my tablet goes flying in the air I ran inside. Jay quickly retrieved By Bagg and papers in the midst of monkeys swinging back and forth. Having heard my screams the outside guard came over with his catapult (slingshot) and attempted to chase them off.
I am not a big monkey fan, they are unpredictable, as with baboons, apes, gorillas. But it seems I am in good company. A few years ago the Zambian President Rupiah Bandai was giving a press conference when a monkey urinated on his head. He took it in stride, made a joke but later he banned all monkeys from his official residence.
Monkeys are said to be highly intelligent and if extensively trained are used to help the disabled with feeding, fetching and personal care. I think I would rather have man's best friend doing the fetching for me. Monkeys just don't like me. They probably know I am from the U.S. and remember we made their kind the first primate astronauts. In 1948 we sent Albert up in spaceship and he died of suffocation during flight. A year later we sent Albert II up in space. He survived the flight but died on impact after a parachute failure.
Today we are poolside again. I am a bit nervous for my last venture out here was with the cyclone or whatever; has left me looking cautiously for things flying in the air. Between the reported snakes in the pool at 6:00 pm (like snakes know what time it is), monkeys swinging around the premises, I remind myself this is Africa. Jay orders me a strawberry daiquiri to calm me down. Having a good time, wish you were here. :-)
After our uneventful outing at the pool we are picked up by our driver and dropped off at the Royal Livingstone Express Steam train. Setting off from the Livingstone Railway Station this is an early 20th century vintage train that travels to Victoria Falls and across the border to Zimbabwe to view the sunset. It is sheer elegance.
We are greeted by 20 waiters offering us a cool adult beverage. As we step aboard it was like stepping back in time. Carriages are decorated in by gone romantic era. Once on board we learn about the history of the Victoria Bridge and the train, amazing feats for 1905.
The train stops at the Zambia / Zimbabwe border, halfway across the Victoria Bridge. The views are amazing. We have a chance to get off the train and walk on the bridge. I even got to sit in the engineer's seat and blow the whistle! Included in the price is a five course meal. First was cauliflower and coconut soup, second salmon cakes, 3rd mushroom risotto, 4th was lamb and 5th was lemon tart. All very eloquently served. It was an once in a lifetime experience, one we will never forget.
I am not a big monkey fan, they are unpredictable, as with baboons, apes, gorillas. But it seems I am in good company. A few years ago the Zambian President Rupiah Bandai was giving a press conference when a monkey urinated on his head. He took it in stride, made a joke but later he banned all monkeys from his official residence.
Monkeys are said to be highly intelligent and if extensively trained are used to help the disabled with feeding, fetching and personal care. I think I would rather have man's best friend doing the fetching for me. Monkeys just don't like me. They probably know I am from the U.S. and remember we made their kind the first primate astronauts. In 1948 we sent Albert up in spaceship and he died of suffocation during flight. A year later we sent Albert II up in space. He survived the flight but died on impact after a parachute failure.
Today we are poolside again. I am a bit nervous for my last venture out here was with the cyclone or whatever; has left me looking cautiously for things flying in the air. Between the reported snakes in the pool at 6:00 pm (like snakes know what time it is), monkeys swinging around the premises, I remind myself this is Africa. Jay orders me a strawberry daiquiri to calm me down. Having a good time, wish you were here. :-)
After our uneventful outing at the pool we are picked up by our driver and dropped off at the Royal Livingstone Express Steam train. Setting off from the Livingstone Railway Station this is an early 20th century vintage train that travels to Victoria Falls and across the border to Zimbabwe to view the sunset. It is sheer elegance.
We are greeted by 20 waiters offering us a cool adult beverage. As we step aboard it was like stepping back in time. Carriages are decorated in by gone romantic era. Once on board we learn about the history of the Victoria Bridge and the train, amazing feats for 1905.
The train stops at the Zambia / Zimbabwe border, halfway across the Victoria Bridge. The views are amazing. We have a chance to get off the train and walk on the bridge. I even got to sit in the engineer's seat and blow the whistle! Included in the price is a five course meal. First was cauliflower and coconut soup, second salmon cakes, 3rd mushroom risotto, 4th was lamb and 5th was lemon tart. All very eloquently served. It was an once in a lifetime experience, one we will never forget.
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Friday, September 9, 2016
Livingstone, Sept 9th
By Jain
We start out today with a nice breakfast, a specially cooked omelette made to order. Eating here is a bit of challenge for you can never put down your fork or they will take your plate away immediately. Jay was in between bites and poof his plate was gone and he was left chewing. Nevertheless you can't fault their intentions.
Today we went into town to stroll through the craft market and then to visit the museum. The market is supposed to be hassle free, but it wasn't. So many countries we have been in it's almost impossible just to look at their goods because the vendors are overly aggressive or should I politely say overly enthusiastic. This is one of those countries. They will hound you to death if you let them. They start with harmless questions like "Where are you from?" and if you answer that you are dead meat. The other problem with these markets is every vendor is selling the same stuff so a stroll through the market that goes on for blocks is pointless.
The town of Livingstone is about 125,000 population, it is fairly clean for Atrica, (which isn't saying much), not very attractive and not really much for the tourist to see or do. In fact we only saw about 5 tourists the entire time we were in town. The unemployment rate must be fairly high here because we notice many just loitering about. We spent time going through a local produce market, (which was kinda slim pickens) but they did have beautiful bright red tomatoes and huge cabbages. Many stalls are selling corn on the cob roasted over some charcoal.
The majority of the time we spent at the Livingstone Museum. Pretty good but this place hasn't been updated in 30 years. There were some re-creations of some ethnic group villages to give you a sense of their traditional life. There is one room devoted to British rule and one section on witchcraft. Witchcraft is very much in the news because they want to strengthen penalties for use of any sort of witchcraft. Some Africans still believe in witchcraft at an extreme level. Of course one room was devoted to Dr. Livingstone himself with a collection of letters written by the good Dr. to his family and friends.
In the afternoon, we take a boat cruise on the Livingstone Lady, our hotel rather "fancy pants" river boat. With your cruise fee you get drinks and appetizers cruising by local wildlife. Boat ride was nice, but unfortunately we saw very few animals. But we but did get some great pictures of Hippos. Every boat or game tour is different. They can't promise you will see animals unless of course you drink too much; then you see those pink elephants! We were looking forward to seeing the great white rhino but he was nowhere in sight. The boat ride was nice and sunset was beautiful as always.
After our cruise it's off to the bar for an Ice cream. We order a ice cream sundae with two spoons. We both hold on to our spoons tightly and I notice Jay has a death grip on our dish until we are done.
Good night and sleep tight.
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Thursday, September 8, 2016
Livingstone Zambia
By Jain
We survived the night with surprisingly very few mosquito bites. After a hearty breakfast I was going to exercise but discovered they were in the process of moving the gym to another location within the lodge. Saved by the bell. Looks like they are downsizing it, probably since I don't see anyone here that looks like they have been to a gym in years.
Later we caught the hotels shuttle to Victoria Falls. There are two ways to view the falls one from the Zambia side and reportedly the best from the Zimbabwe side. Today we just went to Zambia side since Saturday we are taking the historic steam dinner train that crosses over Victoria Bridge to Zimbabwe. There is no fee for entering the grounds and there are various trails and footpaths that lead you to lookout points to see the spectacular Victoria Falls. It is quite a sight.
Locals call Victoria Falls, Mosi Oa Tunya "The Smoke That Thunders" because its roaring power and since spray it can be seen 30 kilometers away. Victoria Falls is said to be the greatest curtain of water dropping in the world. Peak season is in April, the lowest season is in October. Today we were awestruck at the beauty and can't imagine in high season when it showcases over two kilometers of cascading water.
Besides the falls on our walk we saw the great Victoria Bridge so named for Queen of England by famous Dr. Livingstone, explorer and missionary. Remember when Stanley, journalist and explorer finally found Livingstone in Tanzania and said, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume"? Good guess since they were probably the only two white men in Africa in 1856.
From the Victoria Bridge they offer bungee jumping; guaranteed to straighten out any back and neck problems you may have. We will pass on that. Below in the Batoka gorge they offer white water rafting for those who really like a thrill.
After viewing the falls we walked next door to the luxurious Avanti Hotel for a beer. The grounds are full of Zebras, Impala and a multitude of birds. You can get quite close to the zebras but the guards warn you they have a mighty kick. Zebras are actually one of my favorite animals. They are often said to be worthless animals because they are not suitable to riding (bad temperament and skittish) and not so good as a work animal because they have a frail back.
Tonight for dinner we go back Victoria Falls to the Royal Livingstone Hotel. This posh colonial hotel is gorgeous, set right on the river with sprawling gardens. It is a new hotel built in 2003 and is quite large. The advantage of staying here is you can see the mist from the falls and that giraffe, zebras roam the grounds. The disadvantage is that it starts at about $700.00 a night. We are here only for dinner. ;-)
The place was packed, somebody's got money! We had a drink at the bar offering a great view of the beautiful sunset. Once the sun went down there was a mass exit because of the mosquitos! Dinner was OK nothing to write about but the atmosphere was great and we had an enjoyable evening. Ivan our taxi driver picked us up and skillfully drove us back to the other side of the tracks.
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Wed. Sept. 7th Livingstone, Zambia
By Jain
You think if you are gonna die or get seriously hurt in Africa it wouldn't be lying by the side of a gorgeous pool in 5 star luxury resort. Wrong. Today I came very close to being smacked in the head by flying umbrellas, umbrella poles, sofas, chairs, and tables. The event lasted all of five minutes when the wind picked up and it was like a cyclone had hit. All I could do is run for my life out of the way hoping flying furniture and objects didn't hit me. They didn't. Most landed in the river 20 yards away or on the fences smashing them to pieces. Four others were around the pool area at the same time all unharmed because they were in the pool. Nothing except the hotel pool area was affected.
Anyway we are now staying at David Livingstone Resort right on the Zambezi river. It's a very nice place and it should be for it is expensive. The resort is located very close to the famous Victoria Falls. Two minutes after checking in Jay already had two mosquito bites. This place has a mosquito problem big time. This is the first time we have seen any mosquitos and all of our accommodations to date have been right next to the river. I am sure it's is because they have ponds throughout the grounds serving as breeding grounds. Jay says it can be easily taken care of by gallons of gasoline thrown on the water and lit with a match. Just kidding of course. (Once a fireman always a fireman!)
Our room is nice, has a big soft bed, bathtub, separate shower and a deck with a great view of the river. We probably won't be using the deck much since we have more than our fair share of mosquitos in the room. Opening the doors is out of the question. Besides the receptionist warned us about monkeys coming in and stealing things if the doors are left open. She also said the pool closes the 6:00 pm because of the snakes. Really?? I think I must have heard her wrong since there are walls around the pool area, doesn't look like a snake could get in.. but ok 6:00 p.m. it is.
After having lunch at the bar.. a great cheese sandwich with tomato chutney, we took a look around the hotel. It is pretty nice, but like most places in Africa we heard they don't maintain things very well. Once built...that's it. This hotel is showing some signs of wear and is in need of a bit of attention. Besides the running toilet and mosquitos in our room, and the occasional cyclone outside, we are comfortable. I am glad we asked for an upstairs room. On the ground level just below us there is an interesting sign that says NOTICE: Crocodiles, Hippos, Snakes, Electric Fence...NO FISHING! You would have to be an avid fisherman to disregard that!
We join the others staying at this hotel on the deck for a glorious sunset. Jay takes pictures and proudly exclaims he now has about 2,000 of the most wonderful African sunsets one could ever hope to have. The staff also rushes to our table to point out the elephants are swimming across the river. We look ½ mile down and see them, but we already have about 50 pictures of elephants swimming across the river only 50 yards away. Still fun though.
For dinner we are seated upstairs with a beautiful view of the river. Below two guys are playing the drums. We have a surprisingly good meal featuring beef and pork, with skewers of vegetables, rolls and wine. The chef brought an appetizer of chicken something and a glass of port wine. All and all for 40.00 U.S. dollars it was good dinner. I say surprisingly good meal because many have written reviews that the food here is just so so.
We return to our room and the maid has "turned down" the mosquito netting on our bed..this is nice for the dozen of mosquitos that are trapped inside waiting their dinnertime. Here's hoping we get some sleep and we aren't eaten alive!
You think if you are gonna die or get seriously hurt in Africa it wouldn't be lying by the side of a gorgeous pool in 5 star luxury resort. Wrong. Today I came very close to being smacked in the head by flying umbrellas, umbrella poles, sofas, chairs, and tables. The event lasted all of five minutes when the wind picked up and it was like a cyclone had hit. All I could do is run for my life out of the way hoping flying furniture and objects didn't hit me. They didn't. Most landed in the river 20 yards away or on the fences smashing them to pieces. Four others were around the pool area at the same time all unharmed because they were in the pool. Nothing except the hotel pool area was affected.
Anyway we are now staying at David Livingstone Resort right on the Zambezi river. It's a very nice place and it should be for it is expensive. The resort is located very close to the famous Victoria Falls. Two minutes after checking in Jay already had two mosquito bites. This place has a mosquito problem big time. This is the first time we have seen any mosquitos and all of our accommodations to date have been right next to the river. I am sure it's is because they have ponds throughout the grounds serving as breeding grounds. Jay says it can be easily taken care of by gallons of gasoline thrown on the water and lit with a match. Just kidding of course. (Once a fireman always a fireman!)
Our room is nice, has a big soft bed, bathtub, separate shower and a deck with a great view of the river. We probably won't be using the deck much since we have more than our fair share of mosquitos in the room. Opening the doors is out of the question. Besides the receptionist warned us about monkeys coming in and stealing things if the doors are left open. She also said the pool closes the 6:00 pm because of the snakes. Really?? I think I must have heard her wrong since there are walls around the pool area, doesn't look like a snake could get in.. but ok 6:00 p.m. it is.
After having lunch at the bar.. a great cheese sandwich with tomato chutney, we took a look around the hotel. It is pretty nice, but like most places in Africa we heard they don't maintain things very well. Once built...that's it. This hotel is showing some signs of wear and is in need of a bit of attention. Besides the running toilet and mosquitos in our room, and the occasional cyclone outside, we are comfortable. I am glad we asked for an upstairs room. On the ground level just below us there is an interesting sign that says NOTICE: Crocodiles, Hippos, Snakes, Electric Fence...NO FISHING! You would have to be an avid fisherman to disregard that!
We join the others staying at this hotel on the deck for a glorious sunset. Jay takes pictures and proudly exclaims he now has about 2,000 of the most wonderful African sunsets one could ever hope to have. The staff also rushes to our table to point out the elephants are swimming across the river. We look ½ mile down and see them, but we already have about 50 pictures of elephants swimming across the river only 50 yards away. Still fun though.
For dinner we are seated upstairs with a beautiful view of the river. Below two guys are playing the drums. We have a surprisingly good meal featuring beef and pork, with skewers of vegetables, rolls and wine. The chef brought an appetizer of chicken something and a glass of port wine. All and all for 40.00 U.S. dollars it was good dinner. I say surprisingly good meal because many have written reviews that the food here is just so so.
We return to our room and the maid has "turned down" the mosquito netting on our bed..this is nice for the dozen of mosquitos that are trapped inside waiting their dinnertime. Here's hoping we get some sleep and we aren't eaten alive!
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Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Camp Nkwazi, Zambia Sept 6th
By Jain
At 4:00 a.m. we woke up to grunts and sound of brush crackling. We quickly went to our screened window and saw George the Hippo right outside our tented chalet munching grass, then leisurely taking a stroll through the grounds. It was a sight to see, but I have to admit a bit frightening.
Hippos are highly aggressive and unpredictable animals and are ranked the most dangerous animal in Africa. More people are killed by the hippo than any other animal.They are known to attack humans with no apparent reason or provocation and since they don't eat meat they can kill you just because they are in a bad mood. They spend most of the day in water, out of the African sun and graze throughout the night. For an extremely large creature they can run up 30 kilometers an hour and in the water give Michael Phelps a swim for his money.
Looking out the window we were both amazed how softly he walked. It is said for their size, bulk and power they have surprising agility and a sort of grace. It's no wonder Disney's movie Fantasia depicted hippos as ballerinas dancing in their pink tutus.
Of course there were lots of other sounds to keep us wondering how safe we are in our screened in luxury abode. There were sounds of crying and wailing. Our camp owner Leon said most likely the cries came from bushbabies (a small monkey with large eyes that only comes out at night) or hyenas. The howling and screaming combined with the other nocturnal sounds of crickets, beetles and who knows whatever else could have made for a great soundtrack for a horror movie.
In the morning as Jay was making coffee he spotted a cat. Don't be alarmed; it was a only a kitty cat on our porch, meowing. He is very pretty and healthy, with his fur the color of an Orange Julius drink. I named him Leo the Lion. Later, I found out his name is Boo Boo and he is the owner's cat that just decided to see what was happening in the camp. He likes us and makes himself at home taking a nap in our BBQ!
After breakfast on the deck we take a stroll around the property. It is very quiet. Everybody is out bird watching I suppose trying to tell the difference between the rosy faced lovebird and the peach faced lovebird. In the afternoon we lounge by the pool. It is hot, about 90 degrees however the night temperatures drop significantly. It gets very cold, good thing we have extra blankets.
At 4:pm we go out on a boat trip down the river to view the animals and watch the sunset. We see plenty of hippos, baboons, monkeys, crocodiles, giraffes and birds. Then it's wine time and another scrumptious dinner of potato soup, fish and rice with lemon mousse dessert.
Tomorrow we unfortunately have to leave this beautiful place. Our next destination is the David Livingstone Hotel at Victoria Falls.
See you there.
At 4:00 a.m. we woke up to grunts and sound of brush crackling. We quickly went to our screened window and saw George the Hippo right outside our tented chalet munching grass, then leisurely taking a stroll through the grounds. It was a sight to see, but I have to admit a bit frightening.
Hippos are highly aggressive and unpredictable animals and are ranked the most dangerous animal in Africa. More people are killed by the hippo than any other animal.They are known to attack humans with no apparent reason or provocation and since they don't eat meat they can kill you just because they are in a bad mood. They spend most of the day in water, out of the African sun and graze throughout the night. For an extremely large creature they can run up 30 kilometers an hour and in the water give Michael Phelps a swim for his money.
Looking out the window we were both amazed how softly he walked. It is said for their size, bulk and power they have surprising agility and a sort of grace. It's no wonder Disney's movie Fantasia depicted hippos as ballerinas dancing in their pink tutus.
Of course there were lots of other sounds to keep us wondering how safe we are in our screened in luxury abode. There were sounds of crying and wailing. Our camp owner Leon said most likely the cries came from bushbabies (a small monkey with large eyes that only comes out at night) or hyenas. The howling and screaming combined with the other nocturnal sounds of crickets, beetles and who knows whatever else could have made for a great soundtrack for a horror movie.
In the morning as Jay was making coffee he spotted a cat. Don't be alarmed; it was a only a kitty cat on our porch, meowing. He is very pretty and healthy, with his fur the color of an Orange Julius drink. I named him Leo the Lion. Later, I found out his name is Boo Boo and he is the owner's cat that just decided to see what was happening in the camp. He likes us and makes himself at home taking a nap in our BBQ!
After breakfast on the deck we take a stroll around the property. It is very quiet. Everybody is out bird watching I suppose trying to tell the difference between the rosy faced lovebird and the peach faced lovebird. In the afternoon we lounge by the pool. It is hot, about 90 degrees however the night temperatures drop significantly. It gets very cold, good thing we have extra blankets.
At 4:pm we go out on a boat trip down the river to view the animals and watch the sunset. We see plenty of hippos, baboons, monkeys, crocodiles, giraffes and birds. Then it's wine time and another scrumptious dinner of potato soup, fish and rice with lemon mousse dessert.
Tomorrow we unfortunately have to leave this beautiful place. Our next destination is the David Livingstone Hotel at Victoria Falls.
See you there.
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Monday, September 5, 2016
Camp Nkwazi, Zambia Sept 5th
By Jain
We say goodbye to The Old House and our friends drive us the 10 kilometers down the road to catch the Kazungula Ferry. Well it's not a ferry but a pontoon barge that makes the short 400 meter crossing, across the Zambezi river to Zambia. We read that in 2003 there was a disaster here when a severely overloaded truck caused one pontoon to fail capsizing the ferry. It was estimated 90 were on board and only 10 people survived. People either drowned or were mauled by crocodiles.
Thankfully our trip was uneventful. They are now in the process of building a bridge to be completed in 2017. Sorely needed since we noticed a line up of trucks that went on for at least a kilometer waiting to take the ferry across. With only an average of 2 trucks per ferry it makes a long wait.
The Zambian border crossing is confusing but with the help of a staff member that works at the Old House it was a little easier. It was his day off and he and his mother were traveling to Zambia to do a bit of shopping. They said goods were much cheaper in Zambia than Botswana.
It's hard crossing borders anywhere but Africa some can be especially difficult. Besides trying to grasp the rules, regulations, visa fees, there are the numerous touts vying for your attention. There are people with fists loads of money supposedly going to make you a heck of deal on a currency exchange, aggressive souvenir trinket salespersons, take away food hawkers clamoring for your attention and of course lots of taxi drivers that want to take you for a ride. It is a mess. It reminds me of other places we have been in the world that after you survive the experience, you know you can travel anywhere.
Fortunately we found our driver pretty quickly and took the 40 kilometer ride on a long, boring, straight road to our turnoff to Camp Nkwazi. After that it was another 2 kilometers on a dusty dirt road to reach the camp situated on the banks of the Zambezi river.
Camp Nkwazi is a luxury camp in the African bush. We are in the heart of Africa away from it all. This camp is billed as "not as a stopover but a destination". Sorry, but for us it's just a two night stopover before reaching our next destination Victoria Falls. We are staying in a tented chalet overlooking the river. Our room has an outdoor kitchen, large bedroom, bath and a nice verandah to watch for the crocodiles, birds and George the local hippo. Our chalet is tastefully furnished, complete with a glass chandelier over a huge bed and a cowhide rug. The owner, Leon, is a Namibian who owned a furniture store for 30 years in Windhoek. Now he has built this lodge from scratch, no cheap furniture here.
The chalets are set amongst beautiful gardens and grasses. There is a restaurant, pool, bar and supposedly a bakery and convenience store, which we have yet to find. All and all it is a very nice place that is quiet and tranquil. I bet if you stayed here more than a week you would be completely rested and recharged. Anymore time spent here you might be saying "Here's Johnny" from the Jack Nicholson movie The Shining!
At 6:00 p.m. we have drinks at the lodge overlooking the river. On the far side of the river we see elephants and giraffes. At 7 p.m. we have dinner. The lodge is not very full but there are two other tables, presumably birdwatchers carefully poring over pictures and materials with their tour guide.
Did I tell you that Africa food wasn't so hot? Well I stand corrected. Tonight's dinner was EXCELLENT. We had local fish ceviche followed by beef tenderloin, roasted potatoes, beets and carrots. Dessert was the best chocolate mousse ever. With glass of south African wine it doesn't get better that this anywhere. We walk to our chalet #3 and it's pitch dark and we already hear a variety of animal sounds. We have been warned that George the Hippo likes to munch on the grass outside our tented chalet and that you can hear lions in the distance. So for now it's good night. Hopefully we will sleep tight and won't let the bugs bite, or anything else for that matter.
We say goodbye to The Old House and our friends drive us the 10 kilometers down the road to catch the Kazungula Ferry. Well it's not a ferry but a pontoon barge that makes the short 400 meter crossing, across the Zambezi river to Zambia. We read that in 2003 there was a disaster here when a severely overloaded truck caused one pontoon to fail capsizing the ferry. It was estimated 90 were on board and only 10 people survived. People either drowned or were mauled by crocodiles.
Thankfully our trip was uneventful. They are now in the process of building a bridge to be completed in 2017. Sorely needed since we noticed a line up of trucks that went on for at least a kilometer waiting to take the ferry across. With only an average of 2 trucks per ferry it makes a long wait.
The Zambian border crossing is confusing but with the help of a staff member that works at the Old House it was a little easier. It was his day off and he and his mother were traveling to Zambia to do a bit of shopping. They said goods were much cheaper in Zambia than Botswana.
It's hard crossing borders anywhere but Africa some can be especially difficult. Besides trying to grasp the rules, regulations, visa fees, there are the numerous touts vying for your attention. There are people with fists loads of money supposedly going to make you a heck of deal on a currency exchange, aggressive souvenir trinket salespersons, take away food hawkers clamoring for your attention and of course lots of taxi drivers that want to take you for a ride. It is a mess. It reminds me of other places we have been in the world that after you survive the experience, you know you can travel anywhere.
Fortunately we found our driver pretty quickly and took the 40 kilometer ride on a long, boring, straight road to our turnoff to Camp Nkwazi. After that it was another 2 kilometers on a dusty dirt road to reach the camp situated on the banks of the Zambezi river.
Camp Nkwazi is a luxury camp in the African bush. We are in the heart of Africa away from it all. This camp is billed as "not as a stopover but a destination". Sorry, but for us it's just a two night stopover before reaching our next destination Victoria Falls. We are staying in a tented chalet overlooking the river. Our room has an outdoor kitchen, large bedroom, bath and a nice verandah to watch for the crocodiles, birds and George the local hippo. Our chalet is tastefully furnished, complete with a glass chandelier over a huge bed and a cowhide rug. The owner, Leon, is a Namibian who owned a furniture store for 30 years in Windhoek. Now he has built this lodge from scratch, no cheap furniture here.
The chalets are set amongst beautiful gardens and grasses. There is a restaurant, pool, bar and supposedly a bakery and convenience store, which we have yet to find. All and all it is a very nice place that is quiet and tranquil. I bet if you stayed here more than a week you would be completely rested and recharged. Anymore time spent here you might be saying "Here's Johnny" from the Jack Nicholson movie The Shining!
At 6:00 p.m. we have drinks at the lodge overlooking the river. On the far side of the river we see elephants and giraffes. At 7 p.m. we have dinner. The lodge is not very full but there are two other tables, presumably birdwatchers carefully poring over pictures and materials with their tour guide.
Did I tell you that Africa food wasn't so hot? Well I stand corrected. Tonight's dinner was EXCELLENT. We had local fish ceviche followed by beef tenderloin, roasted potatoes, beets and carrots. Dessert was the best chocolate mousse ever. With glass of south African wine it doesn't get better that this anywhere. We walk to our chalet #3 and it's pitch dark and we already hear a variety of animal sounds. We have been warned that George the Hippo likes to munch on the grass outside our tented chalet and that you can hear lions in the distance. So for now it's good night. Hopefully we will sleep tight and won't let the bugs bite, or anything else for that matter.
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Sunday, September 4, 2016
Kasane September 4th
By Jain
Today is Sunday and it's seems the town is pretty quiet. We eat a light breakfast of coffee and scones (Jay says they are more like leftover biscuits) and we decide to skip on the hard scrambled eggs. For lunch we have booked a tour to The Raft Restaurant. The Raft restaurant is a floating restaurant on the Chobe River on the Namibian side. From Kasane it takes a short ten minutes to get there by boat.
Waiting for our tour driver we met a guy from North Carolina. He has visited here three times and says Chobe National Park is the greatest. He is just returning from a morning game drive and said it was pretty good; no leopard or cheetah sightings but they saw an 8 foot python in the middle of the road. Not my fantasy sighting, but after all we are in Africa aren't we?
The Raft restaurant was built from recycled remains from a broken down lodge in Namibia using it's scrap metal, scrap wood to makes its floors and ceilings and is held up by 7 floating pontoons and three anchors. It gets lovely breezes and has great views of the river complete with elephants, hippos and of course crocodiles. The restaurant accommodates about sixty five but today we are the only customers! They don't serve dinner because boats are not permitted on the Chobe during the evening hours, it has something to do with the immigration office being closed.
Lunch at the Raft was probably the best meal we have had to date, homemade bread, 2 kinds of salad, our choice of barbeque meat, beef, chicken, and roasted yams, potatoes and wine!. For dessert it was some kind of creamy coconut cake pudding. I thought it was pretty good but Jay declines desert since he hates coconut. He comments, "Where do they get coconuts here anyway?"
J. J. our tour guide and host was kind enough to keep us entertained during lunch and between crocodile sightings. After seeing crocodiles four feet beneath our table we felt like throwing them some food, but then again probably not a good idea. After all they're not fish; and this isn't Sea World.
J.J. likes to talk and he seems very well educated and up on current affairs. It is said most people of Botswana are comfortable to air their opinions and grievances as long as it is done in a polite way. He does so in a polite way. He is proud to tell us Botswana, since gaining their independence from Great Britain in 1966, has never had a civil war. Their flag has blue for the waters and white and black to denote harmony among its people, and that Botswana people think first of their country before race, tribes or regions. It is obvious he is a proud citizen.
Tonight we have invited our two English friends, Vaughn and Lorraine down the road to the Water Lily restaurant for dinner. We ate at the Water Lily a few nights ago, it wasn't great but not bad. (Wow what a recommendation!) We discuss foreign affairs and swap some travel stories. A big warthog crossed the path by the pool, and we are amused by the security guard attempting to shoo him out.
After our dinner we walk along the dark highway for a block back to the Old House. Unfortunately we forgot our flashlight but the stars above shine brightly and again it is a beautiful night. Tomorrow we will be leaving the funky Old House and making our way to camp Nkwazi in Zambia. Vaughn has offered to drive us to the ferry. Very nice gesture. If we are able to cross the border and get through the Visa process, the Nkwazi camp will pick us up on the Zambian Side. Here's hoping for a safe crossing.
Today is Sunday and it's seems the town is pretty quiet. We eat a light breakfast of coffee and scones (Jay says they are more like leftover biscuits) and we decide to skip on the hard scrambled eggs. For lunch we have booked a tour to The Raft Restaurant. The Raft restaurant is a floating restaurant on the Chobe River on the Namibian side. From Kasane it takes a short ten minutes to get there by boat.
Waiting for our tour driver we met a guy from North Carolina. He has visited here three times and says Chobe National Park is the greatest. He is just returning from a morning game drive and said it was pretty good; no leopard or cheetah sightings but they saw an 8 foot python in the middle of the road. Not my fantasy sighting, but after all we are in Africa aren't we?
The Raft restaurant was built from recycled remains from a broken down lodge in Namibia using it's scrap metal, scrap wood to makes its floors and ceilings and is held up by 7 floating pontoons and three anchors. It gets lovely breezes and has great views of the river complete with elephants, hippos and of course crocodiles. The restaurant accommodates about sixty five but today we are the only customers! They don't serve dinner because boats are not permitted on the Chobe during the evening hours, it has something to do with the immigration office being closed.
Lunch at the Raft was probably the best meal we have had to date, homemade bread, 2 kinds of salad, our choice of barbeque meat, beef, chicken, and roasted yams, potatoes and wine!. For dessert it was some kind of creamy coconut cake pudding. I thought it was pretty good but Jay declines desert since he hates coconut. He comments, "Where do they get coconuts here anyway?"
J. J. our tour guide and host was kind enough to keep us entertained during lunch and between crocodile sightings. After seeing crocodiles four feet beneath our table we felt like throwing them some food, but then again probably not a good idea. After all they're not fish; and this isn't Sea World.
J.J. likes to talk and he seems very well educated and up on current affairs. It is said most people of Botswana are comfortable to air their opinions and grievances as long as it is done in a polite way. He does so in a polite way. He is proud to tell us Botswana, since gaining their independence from Great Britain in 1966, has never had a civil war. Their flag has blue for the waters and white and black to denote harmony among its people, and that Botswana people think first of their country before race, tribes or regions. It is obvious he is a proud citizen.
Tonight we have invited our two English friends, Vaughn and Lorraine down the road to the Water Lily restaurant for dinner. We ate at the Water Lily a few nights ago, it wasn't great but not bad. (Wow what a recommendation!) We discuss foreign affairs and swap some travel stories. A big warthog crossed the path by the pool, and we are amused by the security guard attempting to shoo him out.
After our dinner we walk along the dark highway for a block back to the Old House. Unfortunately we forgot our flashlight but the stars above shine brightly and again it is a beautiful night. Tomorrow we will be leaving the funky Old House and making our way to camp Nkwazi in Zambia. Vaughn has offered to drive us to the ferry. Very nice gesture. If we are able to cross the border and get through the Visa process, the Nkwazi camp will pick us up on the Zambian Side. Here's hoping for a safe crossing.
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Pics from Impala Island, Namibia
A short boat ride and hike across the Chobe River to an island and native village
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Kasane September 3rd
By Jain
Each morning we wake up to the sound of birds chirping outside our room; each species singing it's own songs kinda sounds like a mismatched symphony happening. Most people come to Africa to view the animals but for the bird lover there are over 593 different kinds of birds that would give the bird enthusiast a lifetime of sightings.
On our game drive our tour guide pointed out many different bird species. I am not really up to speed on birds yet I was totally captivated and impressed by the variety and beauty of these creatures. Many birds just sit and ride on the back of zebras, elephants, and Hippos.
The National Bird of Botswana is the Kori Bustard although most people say it is Lilac Breasted Roller. We saw many Lilac Breasted Rollers and they are easy to spot since they are a beautiful bird with red, yellow, green and blue feathers. It performs acrobatic stunts dropping and rolling from the sky. A real sight to see.
The Kori Bustard is one of the largest, heaviest birds (40 pounds) that can fly (remember an ostrich is flightless) although 70% of the time it prefers to walk, probably because it takes so much effort to take off. If you are unfortunate to be its flight path and get hit by it it would be like two huge turkeys hitting you on the head. I guess then you at least can say you have experienced your first Kori Bostard, if you live to tell about it.
The male birds can get up to twice the size of the female Bustard. To court the females they fluff up their neck features to make them seem bigger than they are. We saw some on our game drive but not with feathers puffed out. I did see a picture of the Bustard in the gift store and their neck feathers in full bloom are quite impressive. The males like to mate often and play the field, and as they say, "Love them and leave them." They then abandon the female to raise the chicks. Hmm, interesting, now I know how they got their name.
This morning we took a walk through the town of Kasane which basically is along President Ave. for about 2 kilometers. Saturday is a busy day. School kids are out and about and everyone seems to be shopping. We saw women coming home from the market with large sacks of oranges and big bags of rice balanced on their head. Try that at home.
Most people don't own a car here so you see many people waiting for the bus or walking. In Africa you hardly ever see people riding bikes; they consider bikes beneath them and prefer to walk. As we walk through town it gives you a different perspective on the town and the local life. We heard music coming from everywhere; drums beating in the distance, people singing. It is nice to know that these are real authentic sounds and not just to entertain the tourist.
In the afternoon we decided to take a tour of a tiny Namibian Village across from Botswana. We are the only ones signed up for the tour so we are greeted by Niven, our tour guide and whisked away down the river in a speed boat. The boat ride was fun, but unfortunately Jay's hat flew off in the first 30 seconds. Going back to retrieve it is totally out of the question; like who is gonna stick their hand in that water anyway. We will be watching for a crocodile wearing a Lake Tahoe Sunnyside Resort hat.
Upon reaching Impala Island we walked about a kilometer to a small village. I thought it might be a village full of locals selling souvenirs and one of those staged Disneyland type mocked village for the white man but it wasn't. This small village has no electricity, but does have water. Niven led us around the mud shacks explaining how they are built. We saw some very impressive 1,000 year old Baobab trees commonly called the tree of life, because they provide shelter, water and food. They are huge trees that look like they are made of stone. Our on visit it just seemed like people going about their daily life and children playing in the dirt. No other tourists around and the village folk didn't seem to care about us wondering around their huts.
After our tour we returned to the Old House and had dinner and drinks with some English friends we met yesterday. We talked for hours. Quite a nice couple. All and all it has been a great day in Africa.
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Friday, September 2, 2016
Kasane September 2
Friday Sept. 2nd Kasane
We are staying at The Old House in Kasane. It, in a word, can be described as funky. Evidently the lady that owns this place is an artist so the art and wall decor are homemade, made out of wood, scrap metal and recycled materials are everywhere. Obviously she is a product of the sixties and still movin to the grooven. To our surprise the rooms inside are not as funky and kinda tastefully done in white and light blue and have mosquitos nets over the bed if you need them. So far, knock on wood, we haven't seen any "mossies" anywhere. We are puzzled why the bottom of the mirror in the bathroom is placed 6 feet high. Jay might have a tough time shaving tomorrow morning.
Here again we have Warthogs. They are literally at our doorstep, causing us to pause and check before we open the door. The maid said, "Watch out for this one. He bites." She said, "I am afraid of them." O.K. Now there are two things I am afraid of; the baboons that hang out at the trash bins and warthogs.
Warthogs are creepy. I think I read that Teddy Roosevelt said they were the ugliest animal on earth. I can see why with their large head, greasy bristle hairs covering their body and warts on their face. They are supposed to be very smart, But Like Jay said, "How did they determine that?" If they are, I guess it compensates for them being neither graceful nor beautiful.
Also at our doorstep are dozens of mongoose, They look kinda like a weasel or big fat ferret. Or if you have been drinking too much wine you could mistake them for a very flattened out cat scurrying around. They don't bother me so much since I know they eat lizards, rodents and snakes. You may have never seen one, since Mongoose are prohibited in the continental U.S. They are in Hawaii where they were first introduced to kill rats in the cane fields. They now run amok there and are considered invasive and destructive.
Today is a kick back day meaning we don't have any organized activities planned. After checking in we spent some quality time by the Old House swimming pool. The pool is small but very clean and refreshing. By the swimming pool is a walkway that leads to the river with a big sign reminding you there are Hippos around so heads up. Next to the pool is the outdoor restaurant and bar under a thatched roof. It the Old House restaurant is voted as the number one restaurant in Kasane, it's not much of a distinction since there are only about 8 restaurants here.
Our Old House friends and neighbors are definitely a relaxed bunch either safari types dressed in exOffical or Orvis finest outdoor clothing or those that tend to go for the "whatever goes hippy look". Definitely the dress code in Africa is anything goes.
We walked into town this morning and had breakfast at the other hip spot the Coffee Buzz. The place was packed mostly with those waiting to go on a game trip down the river. Breakfast was enormous, complete with beans, sausage, eggs, toast and a whole basket of French fries and a cookie. The waitress asked how would we like our scrambled eggs.. giving her a puzzled look she prompted me and said "Hard?". I said, "Yes". Figuring I would play it safe.
The town is very busy today. Everyone seems to be lined up at the ATM or shopping. The barber shop housed under a torn up canopy on the side of the road has a line, so does the car wash also situated under a makeshift tarp in the dirt. Car washing in this part of the world seems like a wasted effort.
After our afternoon of lying in the sun and chatting with a couple from England we take a taxi 2 kilometers down the road to the Chobe Marina Lodge. A fancy joint with a great view of the sunset. We play cards, I win (which hasn't happened in quite a while) and we treat ourselves to a fancy dinner. It may be fancy but not so good… there is a reason the Old House is rated number one. Dessert was OK they called it brownie mousse but we had to cut in with a knife! Can't wait for breakfast tomorrow which is included with our room rate at the Old House.
It's been another interesting day in Africa.
We are staying at The Old House in Kasane. It, in a word, can be described as funky. Evidently the lady that owns this place is an artist so the art and wall decor are homemade, made out of wood, scrap metal and recycled materials are everywhere. Obviously she is a product of the sixties and still movin to the grooven. To our surprise the rooms inside are not as funky and kinda tastefully done in white and light blue and have mosquitos nets over the bed if you need them. So far, knock on wood, we haven't seen any "mossies" anywhere. We are puzzled why the bottom of the mirror in the bathroom is placed 6 feet high. Jay might have a tough time shaving tomorrow morning.
Here again we have Warthogs. They are literally at our doorstep, causing us to pause and check before we open the door. The maid said, "Watch out for this one. He bites." She said, "I am afraid of them." O.K. Now there are two things I am afraid of; the baboons that hang out at the trash bins and warthogs.
Warthogs are creepy. I think I read that Teddy Roosevelt said they were the ugliest animal on earth. I can see why with their large head, greasy bristle hairs covering their body and warts on their face. They are supposed to be very smart, But Like Jay said, "How did they determine that?" If they are, I guess it compensates for them being neither graceful nor beautiful.
Also at our doorstep are dozens of mongoose, They look kinda like a weasel or big fat ferret. Or if you have been drinking too much wine you could mistake them for a very flattened out cat scurrying around. They don't bother me so much since I know they eat lizards, rodents and snakes. You may have never seen one, since Mongoose are prohibited in the continental U.S. They are in Hawaii where they were first introduced to kill rats in the cane fields. They now run amok there and are considered invasive and destructive.
Today is a kick back day meaning we don't have any organized activities planned. After checking in we spent some quality time by the Old House swimming pool. The pool is small but very clean and refreshing. By the swimming pool is a walkway that leads to the river with a big sign reminding you there are Hippos around so heads up. Next to the pool is the outdoor restaurant and bar under a thatched roof. It the Old House restaurant is voted as the number one restaurant in Kasane, it's not much of a distinction since there are only about 8 restaurants here.
Our Old House friends and neighbors are definitely a relaxed bunch either safari types dressed in exOffical or Orvis finest outdoor clothing or those that tend to go for the "whatever goes hippy look". Definitely the dress code in Africa is anything goes.
We walked into town this morning and had breakfast at the other hip spot the Coffee Buzz. The place was packed mostly with those waiting to go on a game trip down the river. Breakfast was enormous, complete with beans, sausage, eggs, toast and a whole basket of French fries and a cookie. The waitress asked how would we like our scrambled eggs.. giving her a puzzled look she prompted me and said "Hard?". I said, "Yes". Figuring I would play it safe.
The town is very busy today. Everyone seems to be lined up at the ATM or shopping. The barber shop housed under a torn up canopy on the side of the road has a line, so does the car wash also situated under a makeshift tarp in the dirt. Car washing in this part of the world seems like a wasted effort.
After our afternoon of lying in the sun and chatting with a couple from England we take a taxi 2 kilometers down the road to the Chobe Marina Lodge. A fancy joint with a great view of the sunset. We play cards, I win (which hasn't happened in quite a while) and we treat ourselves to a fancy dinner. It may be fancy but not so good… there is a reason the Old House is rated number one. Dessert was OK they called it brownie mousse but we had to cut in with a knife! Can't wait for breakfast tomorrow which is included with our room rate at the Old House.
It's been another interesting day in Africa.
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Thursday, September 1, 2016
Botswana September 1st
By Jain
If I haven't written about African food it's because there is not much to say. Most people would agree nobody associates Africa as a continent with good food. Having said that, I have read the trend is slowly changing and restaurants are taking a more creative approach to their dishes trying to be more upscale and appeal to wider audience.
Meanwhile here in Botswana most dishes are meat and mielie (maize). The National dish is Seswaa which is stewed beef mashed up with onion and pepper.. anything else added is considered to be an infringement and just not done. Fu Fu is a starchy vegetable from yams and plantains pounded into a ball served with dipping sauce. It is supposed to be good, but anything dipped in a spicy sauce might be good. And of course there are those mopane worms (caterpillars) that are considered a local delicacy, eaten dry like a potato chip or cooked and drenched in a sauce. Those are a bit out there for my palate.
Most tourists don't get to eat real African food experienced by the locals. Restaurants cater to tourists, and I guess they don't think tourists are gonna be all that excited by traditional dishes. So far all we have seen on the menu here have been burgers, fish and chips, pizza, salad, steaks and barbecue meat (braai). Jay ordered the beef ribs the other night and said they were very good. In any event, Kasane is seriously short on eateries and our choices are limited.
This afternoon we went on a safari drive through Chobe National Park. Being the people lovers we are, we opted for a private tour. Actually it is just as cheap as being with a bunch of others. In our experience there are those groups that always seem to have a few individuals that talk too much, take too long to get the perfect shot and always ask that stupid question.
Our tour guide and driver is Simon. He is young, polite and has been a tour guide for Chobe Fig Safari Tours for fifteen years. Chobe National Park has the largest population of elephants in Africa and we saw at least a hundred of them. We also saw lots of hippos, antelope, zebras, kudu, buffalo, bushbuck, Impala, mongoose, giraffes, baboons, and a whole bunch of exotic birds. Oh yeah and we also got lucky enough to see about 8 lions. If you are interested in seeing our pictures of them please feel free to drop by our house and Jay will show you his 20,000 pictures he took this afternoon.
By the way there are no Tigers in Africa unless they are in a zoo. There are no brown bears here. They once were here but now extinct. There are no alligators here, just crocodiles. Alligators exist in the United States, mainly in Florida and Louisiana.
After Simon dropped us off at home, we were starving. We walked down the main road and went to the Water Lily hotel and restaurant. Our hotel staff said that they hadn't a clue about the food. Most locals never eat out except KFC. It was a lovely evening sitting outdoors by the pool, and with a view of the Chobe river. I ordered a cheeseburger and Jay ordered a steak. Both were satisfying.
We both agree, all in all, it was a GREAT day in Botswana.
p,s. Tomorrow we move to the Old House down the road ...we will miss our apartment at the Chobe River Cottages.
If I haven't written about African food it's because there is not much to say. Most people would agree nobody associates Africa as a continent with good food. Having said that, I have read the trend is slowly changing and restaurants are taking a more creative approach to their dishes trying to be more upscale and appeal to wider audience.
Meanwhile here in Botswana most dishes are meat and mielie (maize). The National dish is Seswaa which is stewed beef mashed up with onion and pepper.. anything else added is considered to be an infringement and just not done. Fu Fu is a starchy vegetable from yams and plantains pounded into a ball served with dipping sauce. It is supposed to be good, but anything dipped in a spicy sauce might be good. And of course there are those mopane worms (caterpillars) that are considered a local delicacy, eaten dry like a potato chip or cooked and drenched in a sauce. Those are a bit out there for my palate.
Most tourists don't get to eat real African food experienced by the locals. Restaurants cater to tourists, and I guess they don't think tourists are gonna be all that excited by traditional dishes. So far all we have seen on the menu here have been burgers, fish and chips, pizza, salad, steaks and barbecue meat (braai). Jay ordered the beef ribs the other night and said they were very good. In any event, Kasane is seriously short on eateries and our choices are limited.
This afternoon we went on a safari drive through Chobe National Park. Being the people lovers we are, we opted for a private tour. Actually it is just as cheap as being with a bunch of others. In our experience there are those groups that always seem to have a few individuals that talk too much, take too long to get the perfect shot and always ask that stupid question.
Our tour guide and driver is Simon. He is young, polite and has been a tour guide for Chobe Fig Safari Tours for fifteen years. Chobe National Park has the largest population of elephants in Africa and we saw at least a hundred of them. We also saw lots of hippos, antelope, zebras, kudu, buffalo, bushbuck, Impala, mongoose, giraffes, baboons, and a whole bunch of exotic birds. Oh yeah and we also got lucky enough to see about 8 lions. If you are interested in seeing our pictures of them please feel free to drop by our house and Jay will show you his 20,000 pictures he took this afternoon.
By the way there are no Tigers in Africa unless they are in a zoo. There are no brown bears here. They once were here but now extinct. There are no alligators here, just crocodiles. Alligators exist in the United States, mainly in Florida and Louisiana.
After Simon dropped us off at home, we were starving. We walked down the main road and went to the Water Lily hotel and restaurant. Our hotel staff said that they hadn't a clue about the food. Most locals never eat out except KFC. It was a lovely evening sitting outdoors by the pool, and with a view of the Chobe river. I ordered a cheeseburger and Jay ordered a steak. Both were satisfying.
We both agree, all in all, it was a GREAT day in Botswana.
p,s. Tomorrow we move to the Old House down the road ...we will miss our apartment at the Chobe River Cottages.
Sent from my Galaxy Tab® S2
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Aug 31, Kasane Africa
By Jain
What a night. We both are wide awake up at 3 a.m. (jet lag). It looked like it was going to be long sleepless night. But after waking up looking out the apartment window and seeing no wild animals were sitting on our porch we managed to fall back to sleep. We slept until 8:30 a.m. which is unheard of for us… we usually wake up at least by 6 a.m.
Jay makes coffee and I sit on the deck. At 9 am sharp our chamber maid wants to clean our room, fine with me. Actually my pet peeve is having my room cleaned late in the day so this was a blessing. So Jay and I sit on our porch soaking in some African sunshine having coffee while she proceeded to clean our room for an hour. Now since we have only been here a half of day it can't be that dirty, but she busys herself mopping everything in sight. One thing I have noticed in Africa, somebody is always mopping something whether in the airport, grocery store in restaurants. I have seen people just carrying a mop down the road, just in case the urge strikes them I guess.
This morning is a great time to do chores meaning washing our clothes we have worn for the past two days, and making arrangements for our first safari. We decided on a boat safari going down the Chobe River. This safari departs from a prestigious hotel, the Chobe Safari Lodge. It leaves in the early afternoon and returns after sunset. It starts in Kasane and enters Chobe National Park, where the boat stops and pays a fee for each passenger complete with passport numbers. The procedure is very exacting but the old worn out toll booth on the makeshift pier seems an unlikely place to deposit money.
Our newly acclaimed favorite Kasane taxi driver, Joseph takes us the short 3 kilometers down the road to the fancy upscale resort the Chobe Safari Lodge to catch our boat. Joseph, or Joey as he is called by some, is young, funny, and eager to please. A new father he has lived in the village all his life, knows everybody and is well liked. His old worn down beater of a car has seen better days and if washed would probably just crumble to the ground. Inside is well worn but clean (his wife probably mops it). Jay said he tried to wind the window down but it got stuck half way down and he couldn't get it back up either. I hope it doesn't rain.
As he putts down the road he proudly points out the Kasane sites; notably the police station, water treatment plant, social center and hospital. All these buildings are built out of basolite construction and without a sign with their name on the outside they all look alike. Actually the water treatment plant is the nicest building of the bunch. God help you if you had to go to the building that said, "Hospital".
When we arrive at Chobe Safari Lodge we both gave each other a look that said, "Wow! So this is how the rich people live. Rooms here must cost a fortune. This resort is huge, lovely gardens (complete with roaming warthogs), a pool, bar and dining areas and a nice view of the Chobe river. Our self catering apt probably costs a fraction of what these guys are paying but peering in some of rooms decided we liked our apartment better.
Our safari boat is fairly large and since we are first on board we get great seats. Most of our fellow passengers speak German and have cameras the size of machine guns. At times I feel like telling people just put down your camera and just take a look.The Skipper promises we will see animals but how many and what varieties depends on pure luck. He said everyday is different. He goes over the rules; no swimming or diving please (that's obviously a joke), and arms, legs and hands stay inside the boat. That is obviously not meant to be a joke since crocodiles and Hippos abound.
On safari boat trip goes down the Chobe river where it intersects with Zimbabwe River. The views are breathtaking. Most of the trip, Namibia is on one side while Botswana is on the other side. In the middle of the two are various islands and marshland. We see more animals than we have ever dreamed of. Herds of elephants, with baby elephants in tow, feasting on the marsh grasses and swimming across the river to feast then again on tree leaves on river banks.
On the trip we are just yards away from crocodiles just lazing in the sun (some with their mouth open, looking for a handout). In addition there are hippos, water buffalo, antelope, springbok and baboons everywhere. All and all we are very delighted to see so many animals up close. We both thought this boat cruise was even better than our previous jeep safaris.
At the end of the cruise we witness the most spectacular sunset I have even seen, anywhere. Truly an ah ah moment. Nothing can describe the beauty of this country at sunset.
At the end of our trip Joseph is waiting to take us back to our apartment. We ask if he could drop us off at the Hunters Pub for dinner. He actually walks us in, finds us a table and tells us if we need a ride home to call him. Our home is about a block away and we politely say no we will be okay and we can walk, barring of course there are no Hippos or warthogs out and about.
What a night. We both are wide awake up at 3 a.m. (jet lag). It looked like it was going to be long sleepless night. But after waking up looking out the apartment window and seeing no wild animals were sitting on our porch we managed to fall back to sleep. We slept until 8:30 a.m. which is unheard of for us… we usually wake up at least by 6 a.m.
Jay makes coffee and I sit on the deck. At 9 am sharp our chamber maid wants to clean our room, fine with me. Actually my pet peeve is having my room cleaned late in the day so this was a blessing. So Jay and I sit on our porch soaking in some African sunshine having coffee while she proceeded to clean our room for an hour. Now since we have only been here a half of day it can't be that dirty, but she busys herself mopping everything in sight. One thing I have noticed in Africa, somebody is always mopping something whether in the airport, grocery store in restaurants. I have seen people just carrying a mop down the road, just in case the urge strikes them I guess.
This morning is a great time to do chores meaning washing our clothes we have worn for the past two days, and making arrangements for our first safari. We decided on a boat safari going down the Chobe River. This safari departs from a prestigious hotel, the Chobe Safari Lodge. It leaves in the early afternoon and returns after sunset. It starts in Kasane and enters Chobe National Park, where the boat stops and pays a fee for each passenger complete with passport numbers. The procedure is very exacting but the old worn out toll booth on the makeshift pier seems an unlikely place to deposit money.
Our newly acclaimed favorite Kasane taxi driver, Joseph takes us the short 3 kilometers down the road to the fancy upscale resort the Chobe Safari Lodge to catch our boat. Joseph, or Joey as he is called by some, is young, funny, and eager to please. A new father he has lived in the village all his life, knows everybody and is well liked. His old worn down beater of a car has seen better days and if washed would probably just crumble to the ground. Inside is well worn but clean (his wife probably mops it). Jay said he tried to wind the window down but it got stuck half way down and he couldn't get it back up either. I hope it doesn't rain.
As he putts down the road he proudly points out the Kasane sites; notably the police station, water treatment plant, social center and hospital. All these buildings are built out of basolite construction and without a sign with their name on the outside they all look alike. Actually the water treatment plant is the nicest building of the bunch. God help you if you had to go to the building that said, "Hospital".
When we arrive at Chobe Safari Lodge we both gave each other a look that said, "Wow! So this is how the rich people live. Rooms here must cost a fortune. This resort is huge, lovely gardens (complete with roaming warthogs), a pool, bar and dining areas and a nice view of the Chobe river. Our self catering apt probably costs a fraction of what these guys are paying but peering in some of rooms decided we liked our apartment better.
Our safari boat is fairly large and since we are first on board we get great seats. Most of our fellow passengers speak German and have cameras the size of machine guns. At times I feel like telling people just put down your camera and just take a look.The Skipper promises we will see animals but how many and what varieties depends on pure luck. He said everyday is different. He goes over the rules; no swimming or diving please (that's obviously a joke), and arms, legs and hands stay inside the boat. That is obviously not meant to be a joke since crocodiles and Hippos abound.
On safari boat trip goes down the Chobe river where it intersects with Zimbabwe River. The views are breathtaking. Most of the trip, Namibia is on one side while Botswana is on the other side. In the middle of the two are various islands and marshland. We see more animals than we have ever dreamed of. Herds of elephants, with baby elephants in tow, feasting on the marsh grasses and swimming across the river to feast then again on tree leaves on river banks.
On the trip we are just yards away from crocodiles just lazing in the sun (some with their mouth open, looking for a handout). In addition there are hippos, water buffalo, antelope, springbok and baboons everywhere. All and all we are very delighted to see so many animals up close. We both thought this boat cruise was even better than our previous jeep safaris.
At the end of the cruise we witness the most spectacular sunset I have even seen, anywhere. Truly an ah ah moment. Nothing can describe the beauty of this country at sunset.
At the end of our trip Joseph is waiting to take us back to our apartment. We ask if he could drop us off at the Hunters Pub for dinner. He actually walks us in, finds us a table and tells us if we need a ride home to call him. Our home is about a block away and we politely say no we will be okay and we can walk, barring of course there are no Hippos or warthogs out and about.
Sent from my Galaxy Tab® S2
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Kasane, Botswana
By Jain
We spent last night at the Johannesburg Airport Protea Transit Hotel. Transit hotels are great since they are located in the airport itself and very handy to restaurants, shops and boarding gates. Usually the rooms are pretty basic however this hotel seemed to be upscale and very comfortable, meeting our needs and for getting some shut eye.
Last night we took a stroll down to one of the airport restaurants. Having been to Africa before I now recall that the wait and service people are very nice and are outgoing and friendly. It is hard not to notice there always seems to be an abundance of staff. Even in the tiniest shop you will see three salespeople ...o.k., maybe not paying attention to customers but at least they are there, chatting with each other, having a good time.
Sitting down to dinner last night we were greeted by five waiters anxious to escort us to our table. Once seated we waited quite a long time until Chacha introduced himself and with a big smile said his name stood for powerful one. With his warm welcome, he presented our menus and we never saw "the powerful" one again. Another waiter took our order another waiter delivered our food and yet another presented the bill. I remember the African service is slow but the orders usually turn out accurate.
Our flight to Kasane, (that is pronounced Ka Saun a) Botswana is a short 1 hour and twenty minutes. On the plane we were served a box lunch consisting of pasta salad and cold meatballs. Jay said his meatballs were slightly icey, nevertheless quite tasty. To round out the meal we also got some herb crackers from France and a huge chunk of chocolate. Hey, what else could you ask for.
Kasane is a small town located on the banks of the famous Chobe River bordering on the Chobe National Park. At the airport we hailed a taxi to take us the 3 kilometers to our new digs, the Chobe River Cottages. We will be staying 3 nights here then going two blocks down the road to stay at The Old House B and B which was our first choice but since the tourist season is officially in full bloom accommodations there weren't available.
The Chobe River Cottages are self catering units complete with a bedroom, kitchen and a patio. Ours is quite nice, located next to the pool. Well when I say pool I mean cement pond, really...but it is clean and the premises are well maintained. Our first order of business is to head to the Spar market about a block down the road.
To give you an idea of what Kasane looks like just imagine a small town in a 3rd world country in the desert the color of brown, a lot of dirt, dry, and poor. On second glance let me describe it as in the desert, the color of brown, a lot of dirt, and poor. But more I look around I start to see the people, the activity, and surroundings and appreciate its uniqueness. This is Africa and there's no place in the world like it.
There is one broken down highway leading to the shopping center that has a bank, grocery store, KFC, liquor store, a misc of tiny shops and safari tour operators. Along the highway, locals have set up makeshift souvenir stands trying to entice tourists to stop and take a look.
As we walked along the highway we passed by those waiting for the bus and carefully maneuvered around a warthog who is looking for some food. We are comforted by knowing warthogs only eat grasses and green stuff, not humans. However since talking to our neighbor we have been warned Warthogs can be dangerous if threatened; their tusks and teeth could get nasty.
In any foreign country you can get a pretty good feel of the people and the country if you just go to a grocery store and take a walk through the aisles. Here in the Spar market in Kasane Africa there is a tiny produce section, fairly large mystery meat section, a big selection of "Billabong" (that's beef jerky to us) a huge section for potato chips, candies, sweets and a whole aisle with large stacks of bags of rice. These bags are the size of an economy sized bag of dog food you would buy at Costco.
Well it's out for dinner and we venture down the two lane highway to one of the few Kasane restaurants. Jay, after seeing warning sign for Hippos posted in the garden, asks the waiter, "How dangerous are Hippos really?" Our waiter smiles reassuringly and says, "If chased by a Hippo just run in a zig-zag pattern as fast as you can and if possible look for a log to jump over". Evidently Hippos have a very short foot to knee span so any jumping is almost impossible. Good to know. As we started home we realize we can't run in a zig-zag for fear of being run over by a truck barreling down the highway, and we running fast is out of the question ... so we start to look for logs.
Sweet dreams from Africa.
We spent last night at the Johannesburg Airport Protea Transit Hotel. Transit hotels are great since they are located in the airport itself and very handy to restaurants, shops and boarding gates. Usually the rooms are pretty basic however this hotel seemed to be upscale and very comfortable, meeting our needs and for getting some shut eye.
Last night we took a stroll down to one of the airport restaurants. Having been to Africa before I now recall that the wait and service people are very nice and are outgoing and friendly. It is hard not to notice there always seems to be an abundance of staff. Even in the tiniest shop you will see three salespeople ...o.k., maybe not paying attention to customers but at least they are there, chatting with each other, having a good time.
Sitting down to dinner last night we were greeted by five waiters anxious to escort us to our table. Once seated we waited quite a long time until Chacha introduced himself and with a big smile said his name stood for powerful one. With his warm welcome, he presented our menus and we never saw "the powerful" one again. Another waiter took our order another waiter delivered our food and yet another presented the bill. I remember the African service is slow but the orders usually turn out accurate.
Our flight to Kasane, (that is pronounced Ka Saun a) Botswana is a short 1 hour and twenty minutes. On the plane we were served a box lunch consisting of pasta salad and cold meatballs. Jay said his meatballs were slightly icey, nevertheless quite tasty. To round out the meal we also got some herb crackers from France and a huge chunk of chocolate. Hey, what else could you ask for.
Kasane is a small town located on the banks of the famous Chobe River bordering on the Chobe National Park. At the airport we hailed a taxi to take us the 3 kilometers to our new digs, the Chobe River Cottages. We will be staying 3 nights here then going two blocks down the road to stay at The Old House B and B which was our first choice but since the tourist season is officially in full bloom accommodations there weren't available.
The Chobe River Cottages are self catering units complete with a bedroom, kitchen and a patio. Ours is quite nice, located next to the pool. Well when I say pool I mean cement pond, really...but it is clean and the premises are well maintained. Our first order of business is to head to the Spar market about a block down the road.
To give you an idea of what Kasane looks like just imagine a small town in a 3rd world country in the desert the color of brown, a lot of dirt, dry, and poor. On second glance let me describe it as in the desert, the color of brown, a lot of dirt, and poor. But more I look around I start to see the people, the activity, and surroundings and appreciate its uniqueness. This is Africa and there's no place in the world like it.
There is one broken down highway leading to the shopping center that has a bank, grocery store, KFC, liquor store, a misc of tiny shops and safari tour operators. Along the highway, locals have set up makeshift souvenir stands trying to entice tourists to stop and take a look.
As we walked along the highway we passed by those waiting for the bus and carefully maneuvered around a warthog who is looking for some food. We are comforted by knowing warthogs only eat grasses and green stuff, not humans. However since talking to our neighbor we have been warned Warthogs can be dangerous if threatened; their tusks and teeth could get nasty.
In any foreign country you can get a pretty good feel of the people and the country if you just go to a grocery store and take a walk through the aisles. Here in the Spar market in Kasane Africa there is a tiny produce section, fairly large mystery meat section, a big selection of "Billabong" (that's beef jerky to us) a huge section for potato chips, candies, sweets and a whole aisle with large stacks of bags of rice. These bags are the size of an economy sized bag of dog food you would buy at Costco.
Well it's out for dinner and we venture down the two lane highway to one of the few Kasane restaurants. Jay, after seeing warning sign for Hippos posted in the garden, asks the waiter, "How dangerous are Hippos really?" Our waiter smiles reassuringly and says, "If chased by a Hippo just run in a zig-zag pattern as fast as you can and if possible look for a log to jump over". Evidently Hippos have a very short foot to knee span so any jumping is almost impossible. Good to know. As we started home we realize we can't run in a zig-zag for fear of being run over by a truck barreling down the highway, and we running fast is out of the question ... so we start to look for logs.
Sweet dreams from Africa.
Sent from my Galaxy Tab® S2
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Out to Africa August 28th
By Jain
We are on our way to Africa. After 5 weeks at home we are rested and raring to go. Well, I think it was only after a brief 2 weeks at home when Jay said, "When do we go again?" He was ready.
Don't get me wrong, there's no place like home, yet it seems like there is always someplace calling our name, someplace where we long to go. I admit, being at home is nice, it is comfortable. At home we have our friends, daily routines, our favorite chair to sit back and relax, and our own bed. It is easy to fall back into the groove. But somehow for us that groove makes us feel like we have one foot struck in a rut.
So it's off again flying the blue skies to our next destination Botswana and Zambia. We are loyal Delta customers so we are quite familiar with one of their slogans "Time on Board is Time Well Spent." Don't believe it. If you have spent any length of time in the air, flying on an airplane ranks just above going to Dentist. Most of the time flying is long, boring and uncomfortable. At least at your dental appointment you're probably gonna be out of there in an hour, with your mouth numb to ease the pain, and when things get really bad you can kick the Dentist in the crotch. And besides, in the Dentist chair, you're sitting alone without that guy next to you that wants to be your next best friend. Like the guy sitting next to Jay now. He is flying to Chicago to attend an air and heating convention. We know so much about his business I could do his taxes. ...and the things I know about his wife... but that's another story.
Our flight to Africa has got to be one of the worst. The total in the air flight time is 24 hours however when you add airport time that gets you up to 36 hours travel time. Fun? No!! You gotta be a real travel nut, or maybe what you're thinking, just plain nuts to go through that. But then again that's the price you have to pay to get half way around the world and see the Big Five. The Big Five (count them) are elephants, lions, rhinos, leopard, and buffalo. The five you are guaranteed to see on any African trip is warthogs, springbrooks ( a form of deer) zebras, monkeys and Mosquitoes.
This will be our 3rd trip to Africa. Our first was to South Africa and next we visited Namibia. On our trip to Namibia we actually saw very few animals, because the countryside was in a drought with its rivers dried up. Animals go where there is water. Our location in northern Botswana is next to the Chobe river where the animals have brought real meaning to.. "It's 5 o'clock somewhere". Botswana has the highest game population in all of Africa so we are bound to see some.
Botswana is said to be desert like, flat country with one of the lowest populations of any country in the world. Located at the bottom of Africa just above South Africa, it is landlocked and borders South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe . The citizens of Botswana are known as Batswana with the Ba meaning plural. The single person is called Motswana...go figure..) The Batswana are, for the most part, cattle herders. That's what various tribes have done for centuries. Over the years the expanded cattle rearing is thought to have worsened their drought conditions. So the government has all but closed down many of the local tribes cattle businesses in the name of saving the environment. Of course it may have had something to do with where the diamond mining fields are located.
Because of the diamonds and growing tourist trade (up 200% over the last 5 years!!!), Botswana is a very stable country with strong banking industry. It is supposed to be a very safe country, but I ask you what country is safe these days? The biggest problem is HIV. Botswana has third highest HIV rate in the world. A couple of years ago it was 26% percent, now down to 21%. They also worry about unemployment and alcoholism. I guess not getting to raise cattle takes it toll.
For the next 14 days we will cover about one hundred miles from Chobe National Park through Zambia over to the Victoria Falls. We are not on a safari but plan to take day safari trips to shoot the big five.. that is shoot like in camera shots. We hope to see a lot of animals and not be run over by an elephant, hippo or bitten by the 2 step. That's a snake that if you are bitten, you are guaranteed to take your last two steps.
Go Siame ( that's "See you later " in Tswana language)
Sent from my Galaxy Tab® S2
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Botswana
By Jay
Botswana has been on our bucket list since our first visit to South Africa and further motivated by our disappointing trip to Namibia in that the animals there were pretty scarce. Those that we saw were at a considerable distance. Some of the guests that we met booked day trips to some animal preserves where they had the opportunity to get up close and personal with animals that were almost domesticated. While they seemed satisfied with the experience it didn't sound like a good investment; to travel a couple hundred miles to see these animals in a confined and controlled environment.
Botswana has been on our bucket list since our first visit to South Africa and further motivated by our disappointing trip to Namibia in that the animals there were pretty scarce. Those that we saw were at a considerable distance. Some of the guests that we met booked day trips to some animal preserves where they had the opportunity to get up close and personal with animals that were almost domesticated. While they seemed satisfied with the experience it didn't sound like a good investment; to travel a couple hundred miles to see these animals in a confined and controlled environment.
Making preparations for our adventure in Botswana and Zambia we're been researching accommodations and transportation options and looking forward to being in an area that has a plethora of wild animals and birds which we expect to see in a much more natural environment.
We will spend our time at the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers, some time in Kasane and work our way towards the Victoria Falls at Livingstone, Zambia.
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