Sunday, February 24, 2008

Orlando

Orlando, Florida



Travel to Orlando on a recent business trip was rather fun on a Delta Connection, Freedom Airlines' ERJ plane. Only three seats wide and over head bins about the size of my SUV's glove box. Given the choice of placing my carry on under the seat in front of me or having it checked, I opted to have my knees to my chest for an hour and fifteen minutes. If you are over 5'11'' this plane is not for you. I really can't complain since my tab for this trip is being paid for by another company.



Airport Transportation



The Orlando International Airport has lush tropical landscaping on it's expansive grounds. It would only be better if some of the money allotted to the landscaping would be used to better coordinate ground transportation. I realize the Airport Authority has little control of private transportation companies but Mears Shuttle service should be reconsidered as a transport company. Two hours from the airport to the hotel, 15 miles away, is a huge waste of my time. Each of the people at the business meeting had the same experience. Get more drivers and shuttle buses, Mears or turn in your airport passes. A taxi ride is about $50.00 but it may be worth the money.



Hotel


The Carib Royale Hotel is isolated and located a distance from anything that matters in Orlando, but it is very nice accommodations with every room being a suite. Plus, as I mentioned, I am not paying for this , so I really can't complain. I was able to turn on the TV in the living room and the bedroom at the same time and not miss a word on CCN ( as if this really matters) as I walked from the bed to the computer. There is some very nice landscaping on the hotel complex but it gets lost to the dark of night with little emphasis on lighting.

The first night I ate a Jeffery's Restaurant and Piano Bar on Sand Lake Road, which is owned by Bar Harbor Seafood Company. We had a group of 15 which the restaurant staff accommodated well. The food was very good. The menu was a little thin on seafood and fat on pricing.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/orl-dining0807apr08,0,50718.story



If you are looking to keep your expense account low the Carib Royale has a take out cafe open 24 hours per day on the first floor of the main building. It is very inexpensive, under $10.00 for a hot meal. This may not be what you want to do if you are trying to impress clients.








Illicit Animal Body Parts Trade





After visiting several souvenir stores I was appalled to see multiple animal body parts being displayed for sale. One counter had tails of mice and dogs and there was a full section of the store that had row after row of mice ears. Even more disturbing was the fact that after an individual purchased the mice ears they would allow their child to place them on their head. What are we teaching our children? The black ears are mounted on skull caps and after the child would make a few steps the ears would flop to one side. When questioned why the stores had such horrific items for sale, most answered that this was standard practice in and around Orlando. I, also, saw dozens of shrunken mouse heads for sale with a red bows, as if it was a gift wrapped present. This entire trade of animal parts was sickening to me, even though I come from a state where alligator heads are taxidermied and sold next to hot sauce. I tried to investigate this further but to no avail, so instead I buckled to tourist-du-souvenir pressure and bought a pair of those ears which now sit next to my alligator head and a copy of the "Best of Orlando".

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Northlake Nature Center





Eagle Trail



Travel from New Orleans is a quick 45 minutes to the Northlake Nature Center in Mandeville, Louisiana. So if you find yourself waking up face down on Bourbon Street with the sweet smell of pee and stale beer you may want to take this short trip just for the fresh air.


The Nature Center is adjacent to St. Tammany's Pelican Park, a huge youth sports center with multiple fields for soccer, baseball, football, basketball and the new skateboarding area.
( http://www.northlakenature.org/ ). It is a mix of habitat with swamp, wetlands, pine savanna and hardwood forest making this small 400 acre track a diamond in the rough. Which is why I like it so much. There are three main trails, North loop, South Loop and Eagle Trail. All are easy trails to manage except when it rains then you might have to don your shrimp boots ( that's white rubber boots, if you don't know). Eagle Trail, a 3/4 mile hike, has some of the prettiest scenery. It begins at the Hwy 190 parking area with a raised walkway over cypress laden swamp and beaver ponds filled with turtles, egrets and wood ducks. This particular day I saw more squirrels than usual jumping from tree to tree as the sounds of birds lingered in the thick humid air. The mud trail narrows to a thin cut through hardwoods and pines with palmetto palms guiding your way. Summer here is not easy, hot humid days and mosquitoes so thick you may need a blood transfusion by the time you leave.









North Loop Trail



It is actually a wide fire road that begins at the Grey Field in Pelican Park. You can make this one even with a hangover. Only a short way in and you feel as though your miles from no where. It feels wild out here in this pine savanna. This area took a big hit during Hurricane Katrina when thousands of pine trees were destroyed and then again as the weakened trees that were left became an easy target for pine beetles. A restoration effort is under way. With more open range you get to see the expanse of this habitat for deer, rabbits, raccoons and a variety of birds. As I walked along I noticed a large amount of animal droppings that appear to be coyote. A great deal of animal fur was in the scat. Paw prints along the muddy trail confirmed my suspicion. I have to admit I was a bit more cautious as I walked along, watching my back now and again. A water moccasin dashed from the warm sun and headed for refuge in Bayou Castine as I quickly jumped back to get out of it's way. Getting bit by a poisonous snake when alone would not be a good thing. I would have to use my pocket knife that I haven't sharpened since, well I hate to admit. So after trying to open the wound with the dull knife I would then have to suck out the venom. The snake bit would likely be at my ankle. I doubt that I am actually flexible enough to bend over to reach the bit site. So it really doesn't matter that the knife is dull, I will likely die from the poison anyway.


By the way there is no entrance fee to the Nature Center.


Cane Bayou


Just a short 2 1/2 mile drive east from Norhlake Nature Center is Cane Bayou. You can put in a flat boat or canoe at the free public launch just at the foot of the bridge that crosses Hwy 190. I really enjoy cruising this bayou. It is a very beautiful natural area that is bounded by Fountainblue State Park (http://www.stateparks.com/fontainebleau.html) on the west side and Big Branch Marsh (http://www.fws.gov/southeast/pubs/facts/bgbcon.pdf) on the east. The bayou empties into Lake Pontchratrain. If you are lucky you may see a wild hog at the water's edge or an Osprey nesting in one of the old growth cypress trees.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

African Safari/ Zimabawe-Zambia

Zimbabwe/ Victoria Falls


The Matetsi Water Lodge is located on the Zambezi River with hippos and African Wild dogs sharing the land. Our travel to the Zimbabwe border began with a mud road. About an hour into the drive we came across a pride of young sibling lions. Three male lions with their manes still growing in and two females were lying under some bushes just feet off of the road. See had to back up the land rover so I could get a better view from the front seat. The young lions were enjoying their siesta so much that they totally ignored our presence.

Civilization! The first black top road (the locals called it the Tar Highway) we had seen in over a week was one leading from the edge of the Chobe National Park to the boarder with Zimbabwe. Botswanan soldiers passed us in open trucks , weapons at their sides. We were not told but it seemed obvious that they were on border patrol, protecting the park from poachers who cross from Zimbabwe.
Three African Brown Sables were of the the right side of the road. When See spotted them he took a quick u-turn with the land rover and went down a gravel road to get us a closer look. But we were not quick enough and the sables vanished into the jungle. I did manage to get a few photos that show their distinctive silhouettes.
At the border See had to leave us. He was no longer able to cross the border into Zimbabwe due to political strains between the countries. After passing through customs we boarded a van. Our driver said very little as he offered us some bottled water, stared the engine and took off with great haste. As we exited the boarder compound we noticed baboons had taken over the road way. About 30 of them were blocking our way and did not seem to want to relinquish their territory. The driver honked his horn and raced the engine. Finally they moved to the side of the roadway when a truck coming from the opposite direction showed no signs of slowing down for the primate pranksters. It was about an hours drive to the Matetsi Water Lodge and we were all very anxious to get settled in . To get a bath and have a good nights sleep on a real mattress. What an impressive place. The Matetsi of 36 private bungalows made of wood and stone with thatched roofs. It fronts on the Zambezi River. My bungalow overlooked my hot tub with some very pretty landscaping and the quick flowing river. The inside was very spacious and meticulously decorated. I took a bath before lunch. I took another bath after lunch and one more when we came back from Victoria Falls. Yea, I made up for the time in the jungle.
Victoria Falls was about a 30 minute drive from the Matetsi and we could see the plume of mist that towers a mile above the falls once we were on the main road. At the falls http://www.vicfalls.com/live/ we spent several hours exploring the area and was amazed at the size. Rainbows can be seen from most every angle. I got very wet and spent the evening drying my money and passport. If a raincoat is offered, take it.
After a great meal and some talk around the open pit fire we were all looking forward to a good nights sleep in a real bed. Each of us was given a whistle as we were escorted by armed guard to our bungalow. "Do not venture out alone. If there is an emergency blow the whistle", said the young guard in broken English. Hippos and wild dogs were what we were told to be aware of, but my guess is poachers and thieves were more likely the reason for such concern.

Livingstone, Zambia
"Dr. Livingstone I presume?" A statue of Dr. Livingstone is prominently fixed at the Victoria Falls National Park. The Zambezi Sun is located next to the falls and we could actually hear the rushing water from our rooms. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livingstone,_Zambia ). We walked from the hotel site to the Falls several times over the two days we were at the Zambezi Sun. One trail leads to the upper head of the falls so that you are looking from the top of the falls. All I needed was a barrel so I could float down the rive and over the falls. I can see the newspaper headline now, " Crazy American barrels over the falls, lands on other crazy Americans swimming in the Zambezi River". Another trail leads to the great views of the wide expanse of the falls.
This is the place to buy those African souvenirs you just had to have. There is an outdoor bazaar just outside the gates of the hotel with most any type of African souvenirs you could want. They are willing to bargain. So much so, that I actually traded an old pair of tennis shoes ( still wet from my trip to the Falls in Zimbabwe) for a silver and amber necklace for my wife. Several other natural bead necklaces, that I purchased for nearly nothing, fell apart in about a month after I returned home as the humidity helped to hatch insect eggs that were embedded in the nuts used.

Repelling Down the Batoka Gorge
I gave my two son-in-laws the option of doing what ever they wanted to do on our last day in Zambia. We could not book the fishing trip we had hoped for, so we opted for a trip to repel down the Batoka Gorge. My impression was a short repel into this beautiful rugged gorge but once we were there I realized it was in fact 170 foot sheer wall of basalt to the bottom. As high as a 16 story building. What was I thinking! I have to admit I was having second thoughts. My two son-in-laws went first, both did a great job, appearing to have done it before. As I strapped on the harness and stepped to the ledge, I felt a slight pain in the pit of my stomach. Fortunately you are facing the wall of stone so your not looking straight down. I did very good the fist 100 feet or so. I pushed away from the wall , descended, pushed away from the wall and descended. Just as I though I might make this out alive the wall wasn't there as I swung in for another push. I had some how turned around backwards. With some slight panic, I descended in a free fall of about thirty feet. It took the helmet on my head an extra 10 seconds to catch up. By the time I hit the ground I was just barely controlling my descent and I almost knocked out the guide at the bottom. At least I didn't break my legs.
The walk out of the Gorge was a long hot trek. The scenery was fantastic but we were watching our footing more than rock formations and the river below. The higher we climbed the more out of breath I got. My heart was not only in my throat but I could feel it beating at the back of my teeth. What a fantastic way to end our journey. Dead tied, yet exhilarated knowing I had accomplished something few people will every get the chance to do.




Thursday, February 7, 2008

African Safari/ Savute-Chobe


Savute
Dust in my throat was thick. The drive from Moremi to Savute was taking its toll on my tired body. The one lane mud washboard road was the only road to Savute. Haven't they heard of blacktop or concrete? At times it was very interesting. Just at the start of the day See spotted some tracks that led us to a female lion with three cubs which were about two weeks old. The cubs were as curious about us as we were of them. At one point the female got spooked and made a very aggressive move towards us, then moved her cubs one at a time further into the underbrush. Later that morning a 12 foot python was stretched across the road as it made a fast retreat to the woods to the west side of the road. Baobab trees dotted the landscape and as the wilderness opened to a never ending savanna, a single Acacia tree focused my thoughts. The quintessential African experience, beautiful landscape, heat, dust and wildlife.

When we finally reached camp, Alois and Kedibus had already set up the tents and were heating water for well needed showers. The make shift shower system gave you about three minutes of hot water so you needed to lather-up fast. There was always the option of a bath in the Chobe River if you don't mind being lunch for a 14 foot croc. There was also a flush toilet which was placed over a newly dug hole. A canvas water bag filled the tank so at least the first two users got to flush.
After watching the movie the "Ghost and the Darkness" more times than I care to admit, it was a real thrill later that night to see two male lions walking along side us. Seemingly oblivious to us they strolled through the camp area and past the road to the river. In no hurry but with likely purpose they made a turn into the jungle and disappeared into the failing light. That night sleep was not gotten by any of us. Lions roared and called to other members of their pride and encircled our camp through out the night. See told us, " Not to worry, if you can here them your okay". Exciting , scary and what I had come to Africa to experience. Something came very close to my tent. Between mine and the tent of my two son-in-laws. Another hyena was my guess, but one of my son-in -laws swore it was a lion who made himself comfortable next to his tent seeking a warm place to lay. Maybe. There were lion tracks all around the camp by the next morning. http://www.africanwildlifeguide.com/articles/life-of-lions/elephant-killers

The next day was spent tracking a leopard. See felt we were close . The tracks were not more than an hour old. Lions travel with large prides, sometimes as many as 15 lions but a single leopard would be difficult to spot. By late evening we retired back to camp. No leopard in sight.



Chobe

As we drove from Savute to northern Chobe I practiced my Setswana with See. He got a big laugh as I fumbled the words over my tongue. I have always tried to learn a little of the native language in what ever country I am visiting. Sometimes it can get you into trouble. In a Japanese restaurant in downtown Berlin, with the little German I knew, I ordered from a Japanese waiter who's German was not any better then mine. My family and I ended up with something that I have yet to identify. And the price? I thought the bill was for the purchase of the restaurant.

It began as another very cold morning but by mid morning I had already stripped off the jacket and top shirt. We stopped along the side of the road to have lunch. See pointed out tracks in the sand that indicated a cobra had recently crossed the road. They move from side to side and leave distinct markings. We explored the area and though we did not find the cobra we did find a zebra's skeleton left to bleach in the sun.

Chobe is home to more than 30,000 elephants. During the dry season thousands migrate and congregate along the Chobe River( http://www.culturefocus.com/botswana-chobe.htm ). We saw large herds along the waters edge and playing in the river. Also, dozens of hippos made islands in the murky water which you could almost walk across from the shore line of Botswana to Namibia. A red flag marked the disputed line between the two countries. Crocodiles! Nile crocodile were everywhere. A five foot monitor lizard was heading straight for a croc that was sunning. We thought for certain the lizard would be lunch for the 12 foot croc but the monitor lizard just passed by. I halfway expected the lizard to high five the croc as he passed.

Our camp site was at a high elevation away from the river. It was safer being away from the large herds of elephants, hippos and crocs. As we took the road into the camp site the Chobe River was to our west and was at it's widest expanse. You could stand at the cliff over looking the river and see for miles. Namibia to the west, Zambia to the north and Zimbabwe to the east.

The next two days were filled with sights and sounds that only a camping Safari can give. We were all sorry to see our time end in Botswana but were looking forward to a real bath with hot water and a soft bed.

NEXT STOP.... African Safari/ Zimbabwe- Zambia

Monday, February 4, 2008

African Safari/ Moremi Wildlife Reserve

Another Commuter Flight

Getting around Botswana by land presents a challenge due to the vast unpopulated areas and limited road system. Bush plane is by far the best way to navigate any long distance travel. On the way to the air field we saw large herds of Impala, Red Lechwe and a Kudu with a calf. It was not quite as exciting as the day before when while watching a heard of six elephants a young bull decided he wanted us out of the way. He charged at us from a running start of about 200 feet away, the water splashing under his feet, his trunk wildly shaking as he trumpeted. He didn't turn off to the right of us until the very last moment. Hearts racing and cameras flashing there was a palpable sense of relief when he finally turned. See calmly told us,"Don't worry it was only a mock charge. We would not be talking about it if it wasn't."


The bush plane taking us on this leg of the journey was fairly new and the flight was much smoother. The jungle below opened to vast open savanna with a sprinkling of termite mounds visible. I spotted a heard of zebras as they were startled by the plane's engine. Further along we could see hippos at the edge of a shrinking watering hole. As we approached the village of Khwai we could see grass huts sandwiched between the Khwai river and the jungle.
We were met by a new crew with Land Cruisers. See introduced the two men as Alois and Kedibis. They would be with us the rest of the trip , setting up camp, cooking and transporting us the rest of the journey. To enter the Moremi Wildlife Reserve
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moremi_Wildlife_Reserve ) you have to cross a 1940 wooden bridge which was of timber logs floating on the water, held together by thin wire. Even the U.S. Corps of Engineers could have done better. Needless to say we exited the trucks and walked over while the drivers took a leap of faith and drove. Hippos were in the water waiting for the chance to do battle with any truck that might fall in. Large bands of baboons were working their way through the public camping area where they would heist anything not tied down. I had been reading about the problems with baboons in the local newspaper. The baboons were raiding camp sites, breaking into tents and stealing drugs. Baboons on crack! My guess is the drugs walked away with an upright walking primate. We went further into the reserve to a private camp site. See told us they use to camp closer in but the monkeys and baboons became too much of a problem.
The amount of wildlife in Moremi is unbelievable. During the two days there we saw lions, large herds of elephants, Impala, Red Lechwe, Roan antelope, hippos, more elephants, zebra, buffalo, spotted hyena, giraffe, kudu, warthog, wildebeest, jackal, crocodile, rock monitor lizards and multiple sightings of eagles and many other bird species and of course baboons and Vervet monkeys.


Dinning in the Bush

I had convinced myself to try what ever I would be feed on this trip no matter if it were some type of corn mush or fried wild dog. I even told my two son-in-laws that they should bring along some energy bars or other foods to help their hunger because I just did not expect the food served to us would be very good. I could not have been any more wrong. From breakfast, to morning snack with tea, to lunch, to afternoon snack with wine and then a 5 course dinner the food was surprisingly five star. And good wines, too. Yes we did have ostrich once, some kind of grain mush called bogobe and the breakfast eggs weren't always from chickens, but even that was good. When I asked the cook where he received his training he laughed, "No training , I learned how to cook by reading a cook book by Julia Childs". We tried to talk him into publishing a "bush cook book" but it turns out CC Africa already has one : http://www.ccafrica.com/safarishop/default.asp.

It Isn't The Lions You Have To Fear
If you have any doubt that this is not a theme park just consider the first night at Moremi. A female wildlife reserve ranger asked See to set up an extra tent for her. She was left alone for the next 2 days and felt more comfortable sleeping in an outdoor tent with others rather than a wooden structure all alone. That first night the hyenas were back looking for any scraps. Two weeks before hyenas had killed a young boy who decided to venture out at night alone. Lions calling for their prides cut though the still night air and Kudus "barked" through the early evening. At about an hour before daylight a confrontation broke out just to the edge of our camp. An elephant and a hyena were head to head. The elephant sounded like an eighteen wheeler reeving it's engine, then she would trumpet and charge though the woods like a bulldozer, knocking down anything in her way. I could feel the vibrations under my feet. The hyena would yelp and scream but not give in. We all trickled out from our tents and gathered around the camp fire knowing this was a dangerous situation. Even the reserved See showed concern. Should this elephant move our direction she would not be very discerning as to the culprit causing her distress and would likely crush what ever was in her path. The confrontation went on for over an hour with finally the hyena making a dash for safety. The elephant had her way and walked away in triumph. I could almost hear the musical tune Elephant Walk playing in the background.
The next day, after having a great day of game drives, See took a left on a dirt path and had to make an abrupt stop. Several elephants were blocking the trail. One female had a calf by her side. We started to reverse course but then had several more elephants behind us. Some how we had managed to get ourselves in the middle of a herd of elephants. The matriarch of the pachyderms would not give way and was determined not to let us pass. She made a mock charge and stopped feet from us . Then the other elephants moved in closer. After about fifteen minutes they finally determined we were not a threat and moved out of our way. Everyone sighed with relief. You knew it was a dangerous situation since no photo's or videos were taken.
I will talk about some lion encounters later. As long as you can hear them, your okay.
As exciting as Moremi was I was interested in moving on to our next camp site in the southern part of Chobe. It would be a long 4 hour drive on a dirt road. Dry, and getting hotter as we moved further north.
Check out the next post: African Safari/ Savute-Chobe