Pics from The Raft
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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.
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