Babes of Botsawna

African Safari in Botswana... As we traveled through the Okavango Delta and north to Chobe the shear abundance of life was staggering. It is difficult to remember that we were in the Kalahari Desert with such areas of lush greenery and tropical jungle. But in the Delta there is a blessing of water that reaches into the desert like fingers. A healthy ecosystem is very evident by the huge number of young wildlife. From baboons to zebra new life was stretching its young legs around the delta. The country of Botswana has set aside enormous tracts of land for wildlife preserves with the hope of attracting ecotourist.

These baby lions were but a few of the many that we saw. At camp one night we were surrounded by lions as they called to members of there prides. As long as we could here them we were safe.

Young Vervet monkeys were as curious about us as we were of them.

This young pride of lions were just waiting for us, or so it seemed. The two males were just beginning to grow their mane.

Mom, big sister and little brother Kudu.

Baby baboon in tow using mom's tail as a rudder.

This baboon was only a couple of weeks old.

We were told that hippos usually are not out of the water during the mid day sun since they can get sun burn, but this family seemed to be enjoying the rays.

Botswana is home to over 30,000 African Elephants and you can see the devastation such large herds do to the jungle. It is like putting 30,000 bulldozers on cruise control and letting them go. Plus there is all that elephant dung.

Kudu buck with baby vying for his attention.









A female elephant can be very dangerous and unpredictable when she has a calf.

Huge herds of elephants gather at the edge of the Zambezi River in northern Chobe Reserve.

This is as close to a wild lion cub as you could ever hope for.

RICK-DA-SCALE

Here I will give my humble uneducated opinion of the places I have been. On a scale from 1-10 where 10 is nirvana and 1 is equal to having your right eye stuck with a hot poker while the left eye is forced to watch book reviews on C-Span.

Location_____________Rating____________________Comment

Botswana_____________9_______________________unbelievable wildlife

Safari Camp___________8_______________________tents can be cold at night

Food________________8_______________________ 5 course meals every day

Charging Elephant in Botswana

Okavango Delta, Botswana.... This bull African elephant charged our land cruiser at mid day. We had just watched a small heard of elephants pass directly to the east of us. This male was not happy to see us on his trail and made this mock charge. Had he really wanted to do damage he could have easily trampled us and the vehicle. Just two weeks earlier a local villager was trampled to death.

Chobe Preserve in northern Botswana has some of the largest elephants populations in the world. An estimated 30,000 elephants roam the savannas and jungles.

This young bull was in musk. You can see the fluid seeping from the glands at the sides of his head.

New Life and death are frequent sights on the savanna.

Elephant herds move north during the dry months of winter. They find refuge on the Zambezi River at the northern edge of the Kalahari Desert.

Older bulls travel alone. Their behavior can be very unpredictable.

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RICK-DA SCALE

Here I will give my humble uneducated opinion of the places I have been. On a scale from 1-10 where 10 is nirvana and 1 is equal to having your right eye stuck with a hot poker while the left eye is forced to watch book reviews on C-Span.

Location_____________Rating____________________Comment

Botswana______________8________________Fantastic animal viewing

OkavangoDelta__________7_______________ Less large game viewing

Food on Safari___________7______________ 5 course meals /fresh baked bread daily

Accommodations_________6_______________Camping in a tent

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.

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

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

African Safari/ Botswana

Maun to the Okavango Delta




We almost didn't make the flight from Johannesburg to Maun. I pronounce Maun as one syllable but the locals pronounce it "Mau oon". Half awake and a bit out of our element it took a while to understand that "Mua oon" was Maun, especially since they did not bother to change the name of the destination at the boarding gate from Johannesburg to Maun. On the transport bus to the plane we were talking to a lady from New York. This was her third trip to Africa. Last year she took a Safari by horse back. Sounded like it could be fun, but it turns out elephants and horses don't mix. A bull elephant charged the group, the horses began uncontrollably running, as the only guide with the rifle fell off of his mount. The elephant continued his pursuit of a newly wed couple for half mile before he gave up the chase. I can just hear the conversation between these two once they stopped trembling. " Africa!" she would say. " I wanted to go to the Mediterranean but NO, you had to come to Africa. I'M CALLING MY MOTHER".
When we reached Maun I was anxious to get the real adventure underway and was very impressed to meet our guide from CC Africa Safari Tours. Seilaneng, "See" for short, was a native of Botswana, what he described as a river bushman which was different than being a bushman from the central Kalahari. As a child he lived in the traditional grass hut structure and lived off the land and water. His grandfather from whom he learned his tracking skills was one of the first wildlife reserve rangers in the Okavango Delta.
( http://www.mindspring.com/~okavango/ )
Our bush plane pilot lifted us off the runway in less than 30 seconds. I could see my son-in-law's face change to quiet desperation as the plane took a quick bank to the right. With seats for only eight passengers every bump in a cloud was felt down our spines. Before we boarded the plane we noticed the paint job of the plane must have been done with spray cans and a few bottles of beer. At least the wings didn't fall off. The duct tape held!
The landing at the Okavango air field was surprisingly smooth given it was only mud and grass with a four foot by six foot wooden "bus" stop as a terminal. A minute or two after landing the Toyota Land Cruisers approached. We were placed in one and our baggage in the other. As we drove to the camp site we were met by Vervet monkeys and Impala. This area of the Kalahari desert is not anything that you would expect. There are large water ways and lush vegetation. The thick jungle areas show signs of elephant destruction with trees toppled and defoliated. Animal droppings are everywhere on the trail. Also, animal tracks. Our guide See points some out as we go. " Lion tracks, male about an hour old" said See. Yea, right I'm thinking he can tell this as we are driving on this bumpy mud road at 20 mile per hour. That evening I was to become a true believer in his ability as a tracker.
This particular camp site is a permanent camp. The tents are spaced about 50-75 feet apart with an outdoor dining area in the center. A 15 foot high castle like termite mound is it's center post. We are at the waters edge with a large marsh visible for miles. Having given us an hour or so information on what to expect over the next several days in the Delta we are off for a late afternoon game drive. As soon as the sun goes down the temperature drops. The open land cruiser is great for viewing but is very cold. As we drive we see more Vervet monkeys and Baboons. Several giraffe's heads and long necks peak from behind some trees. See stops for an few seconds and says there are several lions that have just passed across this road. He takes a quick right stops again to check out the tracks . "Two males and several females" he says. We are off again and in less than a minute we spot the first young male lion. Then the second walks across the mud road with just a mild interest in us. Three female lions were at the head of an open filed. They each took a position about 20 feet apart and began walking . The two males walked along the mud road to the left. Not a sound from any. What luck to see these five lions hunting on our first day. One of my son-in-laws was hoping to see a kill but it is getting late and buy park regulations we were all ready to be back at camp. See turns the land cruiser around and we are back at camp in about 15 minutes, happy to be standing around a warm camp fire.
I was not quit sleeping when there was a large boom out side. Hyenas turned over the dinning table as they were looking for food. They would visit just about every night at each of our camp sites. Before the intrusion I was being lolled to sleep by chirping white bell frogs that sounded as if they were hopping on xylophones. Then a leopard roars. Did I make the best choice of accommodations? Only thin canvas between me and what ever is out there.
We are awake very early. The "bush alarm" begins before dawn. Vervet monkeys start their howling then the baboons bark out orders for the day. An occasional elephant trumpets.
A large breakfast ( I will mention more of the food later) around the camp fire then we are off for the morning boating. Before we reach our destination our land cruiser gets stuck in the mud. See calls for help on the radio and help arrives quicker than AAA. Our mekoros
( dug out canoe) polers are waiting for us . Five boats in the water and one mekoro on shore with a large gaping hole from a hippos foot. Each poler stands at the back of the boat and pushes us along in the shallow water. This area
of the Okavango is a flood plane. Small islands of palms and birds dot the still water with areas of papyrus growing at the waters edge. Now and again a trail was sliced through the papyrus by crocodile. Luckily not many crocs are around since we are only inches from the water line and I need my hands. Eagles, grey heron, Egyptian geese, and large numbers of shrikes, egrets, jacanas, hornbills and cranes are everywhere.
Back at camp and it is getting down right hot by mid-day. Even the moneys are taking a siesta.
Continued .... African Safari/Moremi Wildlife Reserve post

African Safari/ Preparing for the Adventure

Where To Go


Africa is a large continent with a large variance in topography, wildlife and politics. When I first began making plans I have to admit the Discovery Channel had an influence. There was a special on the country of Botswana and probably like many of you I had little knowledge of this country.

In the Discovery Channel program it showed a wealth of wildlife on large preserves set aside in Botswana. These large preserves encompass huge areas of the Kalahari Desert. At the northern edge of the Kalahari is an unusual area of rivers and finger lakes called the Okavango Delta. There is a large diversity of wildlife and as the dry season arrives the wildlife moves into theses areas and further north to Chobe Reserve. It was the diversity of the wildlife and the wide range of topography that helped me make my decision to visit Botswana. Before I made my final decision I began a search. I checked with the State Department web site for overseas travelers. Botswana is considered a very stable country. The Botswana government has placed a strong emphasis on ecotourism and the country has one of the largest public land preserves in the world. They also have a very stable economy. Considering it has only become an independent country since 1966 they have progressed considerably. I also checked with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Travel Health Advisory. Malaria is still a devastating problem in all of Africa and no less in Botswana. Any one traveling to this area needs to take measures for prevention of malaria. Also, AIDS is rampant. Bring along a friend with the same blood type in case you need a blood transfusion. These two web sites are listed to the side of this page

Next question, how to get to Botswana and what kind of cost are involved? I started a search on line and found many travel companies that promote African travel. There was a large price variance for Safari trips depending on the type of accommodations and the counties you wanted to visit. Just by chance I found Ebright Travel. Connie Ebright is an experienced African traveler who specializes in Safari travel. With her help we booked a trip that took us from South Africa to Botswana where we spent the bulk of our time and then on to Zimbabwe and Zambia.


Staying in lodges while on Safari did not appeal to me . After a childhood of Tarzan movies with Johnny Weissmuller yodeling his way through the jungle, I wanted a true Safari experience. To the chagrin of my two son-in-laws who were coming with me, I decided that camping in tents would be the best way to experience an African Safari. Also, it was important to me to have a small number people on the expedition. In this case there would be only seven of us with one tracker, one guide and a cook.


Timing is everything. It appeared to me that the end of May and beginning of June was a very good time to make this trip. The cost was less, fewer tourist to deal with and it was the beginning of south Africa's winter which hopefully would mean less bugs and less rain. With little rain the underbrush dies back making animal viewing better. However, I did not plan on the extreme cold we were to experience.



What To Pack

Here is a quick list: as little as possible! You will be flying by bush planes to the different reserves in Botswana. No more than 25 pounds of clothing and gear ( i.e. camera, back pack etc.) is allowed per person. This is a challenge for a two week trip. A comprehensive list can be found at www.african-safari-journals.com/safari-packing-list.html . If you pack all that is suggested on this list you will be over the 25 pound limit.
What not to pack:
Swimming suite; unless you want to be eaten by a crocodile
Razor and shaving cream; who are you trying to impress?
2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner; or at least not much; you are only going to
have one or two showers while in the bush, if you are lucky
Water bottle; there will be plenty of bottled water
Re- hydration salts; most of the food is already very salty
Birth control; did I mention you're only going to have 1 or 2 showers
Small unbreakable mirror; believe me you are not going to want to see
yourself after a week in the jungle
Compass; don't bother, if you get lost you're going to die
Deck of cards; unless you are going to play for money
String or rope; unless you are going to hang yourself after you get lost and
don't have a compass
Travel alarm clock; there is already a jungle alarm clock, you'll understand
when you get there
What not to forget:
Camera, extra batteries and extra memory sticks or film; we took over 1100
photos
Copy of your passport; leave a copy at home
Receipt for travelers checks; banks will not honor travelers checks unless
you have this
List of U.S.A. ( or your home country) Consulates in the countries you
are visiting
BugOff shirts and pants; helps reduce pesky bug bites
Pens & pencils; great items to give to the kids you will see along the way
Two pair of shoes/ boots; you can use old tennis shoes for trading
Travel insurance; some will even cover bringing your body home but with a
reduced benefit should you be eaten by a lion,since only the lion poop is
collected and returned to your loved ones
Now you can check out my blog about our arrival in Johannesburg. Always something unexpected when your traveling.

African Safari/ Johannesburg Arrival

Johannesburg, South Africa

We were traveling well south of the equator where winter is the reverse of ours. I planned this trip so we would arrive when there was less heat and fewer bugs. Malaria is something I can do with out. May/ June is also the dry season which reduces the underbrush in the jungle and makes animal viewing better. So we were expecting cool weather but when I and my two son-in-laws departed the plane, I though we had missed the mark and ended up in Antarctica. A very cold front had moved in from the south. There was a strong southerly wind licking at our faces. We were ill prepared for this frigid air. I hoped as we traveled north into Botswana things would warm. Little did I know what we would encounter.
I had been warned Johannesburg could be a rather dangerous place, as many big cities can be.
"Don't venture too far of the main paths" I was told. But I have to say my experience in Johannesburg was very positive. Our hotel, the Southern Sun, was just a short walk from the airport and we were all happy to get inside to warm up. It was an inviting space with a very friendly staff. I tried out the Swana language I had been practicing months in advance but my bellman looked at me in a blank stair as he placed my bag on the bed. " Tutsi", he said. " I am Tutsi", he repeated. "I don't speak Swana". South Africa is a mix of many ethnic tribes (www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes). Each have their own language and there are many dialects. I did finally find one worker at the hotel that spoke Swana. She was very eager to help me practice and she also got a big laugh at an American attempting to speak her language.
The first night in Africa and where do we end up? The Mall! My son-in-law's luggage was lost. After searching for an hour at the airport he resigned himself to the fact that he had no cloths. We were all traveling with minimal baggage, only 25 pounds each due to the small planes we would be flying into and around Botswana. We did not have enough cloths to share, so like it or not it was necessary to go shopping. Oh boy what fun! The first problem. We had not exchanged any money for South African Krugerrands at the airport. No banks were open. The bellman suggested taking a taxi to the shopping mall and maybe they would take American dollars. I explained the situation to the taxi driver. He told me dollars would not be taken at the mall. He would take us somewhere to get money exchanged and then take us to one of the better malls . The drive to the money exchange gave us a chance to see downtown Johannesburg. It is truly a metropolitan city. One of the largest industrial regions in the Southern Hemisphere. As we pulled into the mud parking lot I was skeptical of the place this taxi driver had taken us. It was an open bazaar that offered most anything you would want. Sort of like Sam's or Wall Mart but with out a roof. There was a fee at the front entrance so the taxi driver took me to a side gate. He talked to a Stoic thin man. The gate opened . "Go see Sotho", said the taxi driver. I have, in years past, exchanged money on the black market. I could never figure out how the exchange rate could actually be better than a bank. After walking around for a few minutes I found the money exchanger , made my way back to the taxi and we were off to Johannesburg's East Rand Mall. I had received only large bills so as I tried to pay the taxi driver he lamented he had no change. He said he would be back in two hours to take us back to the hotel. We could pay him then. What a trusting individual. Needless to say, he got a big tip when we were back at the hotel.
If you blind folded me. Stuck me in the middle of the mall and told me I was in Pittsburgh, but for the accents and South African beer I would have believed it. Every major store that is in most U.S. malls was in this mall. Plus many European designers. The staff at the clothing store was very helpful and they were quite amused by our American accents.
Though the first day in Africa was not what I had planned it turned out to be a very interesting day. The next ten days on Safari got even more interesting. See the post African Safari/ Botswana
( you can see more photos by clicking on the photo at the bottom of this page , then on Rick's public albums)