A Southern African Tour - Part I

As I am out here for a while mum decided to come and stay with me for a month in total. 

“When she packed up to leave, she knew that she was saying goodbye to something important, which was not that bad, in a way, because it meant that at least she had said hello to it to begin with…”- Lorrie Moore

Two weeks as a volunteer, 3 days on a tour trip without me, and 11 days travelling round Namibia, Botswana and Zambia.

“There are none happy in the world but beings who enjoy freely a vast horizon.” - Thoreau

After a few days on the farm we headed off east towards Botswana, spotting some giraffe by the side of the road...

"God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat. He has no real style, He just goes on trying other things." - Pablo Picasso 

Here we came across our first campsite and lodge that had cheetah and leopard and a small San village. That evening we went round and fed the animals and heard their stories, sadly it's amazing how some places try to pass off what they are making money out of as conservation. The animals looked healthy and well looked after, but sadly they could have been in the wild and were needlessly captured for tourism - I was glad to be away from that part of the tour and back at camp.

"A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then mount the stump and make a speech for conservation. " - Adlai E. Stevenson 

"Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land. " - Aldo Leopold 

In the morning we visited the village and the people took us into the veldt to look at foods and show us their tracking / hunting skills. The older lady gave us some seeds to put under our tongue and once they come into contact with moisture they pop - and wow they really do - we all jumped out of our skins! They were also telling us about the tracks they could see, including where a male spring hare had sat yesterday morning - yes they can tell that!

We drove on and into Botswana, and after a bit of questioning about my multiple visas for Namibia they eventually let me out of the country.

After a long drive to our campsite in Botswana...

“Most of my treasured memories of travel are recollections of sitting.” - Robert Thomas Allen 

....we were greeted in the evening with some traditional San dancing, many of the dances represented certain animals or healing or told stories.

"You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star. "- Friedrich Nietzsche 

From here we drove on towards the stunning Okavango Delta...

On one of our roadside picnics there was a tree covered in huge spiders webs - worth a pic!

"The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship. " - William Blake  

We stayed in a stunning camp, overlooking the Okavango Delta, so relaxing and beautiful I could have chilled there for a week!

In the morning I got up for sunrise...

"Know where to find the sunrise and sunset times and note how the sky looks at those times, at least once. " - Marilyn vos Savant

....before we headed off into the Delta, firstly on a boat... 

...where we saw a crocodile...

...and a malachite kingfisher...

(yes I did take that - enjoying my new lenses!!)

...and then we headed out on the small makolo canoes...

"Take everything as it comes; the wave passes, deal with the next one" - Tom Thomson

...where polers steer you through the waters and vegetation.

The delta is truly stunning...

...the wildlife beautiful...

...and flora delicate.

We headed to a small island and took a walk round to see signs of animals and learn about the vegetation here

Seed pod from a sausage tree.

Hippo spoor.

Massive bird nest.

Baobab trees - they get to thousands of years old!?!

"Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it"- African Proverb

Its amazing to see that people still use the delta and live off it - we passed this man fishing...

...before heading back to our campsite.

That evening we met a lady who lives in Namibia, but is from Blackburn -  10 miles from mums -  she told me where to get Tetley tea bags from, and I am sure I am bound to bump into her in the tiny city that is Windhoek. That evening we relaxed by the campfire and enjoyed the views of the delta.

  

The next day we headed back into Namibia, to Mahango game reserve. Despite nerves at the border everything was fine, visas in tact, back in.

"When I travel abroad, because I'm Columbian, I'm always one that they check twice and security and I'm the one that they open my bag and the one they pull to the side to check the visa." - Sofia Vergara 

Before reaching camp on the edge of the river we saw lots of elephant...

Here are some of the ellies from Mahango...

...oh can't resist a quick shot off the zebbies!

...and this magnificent kudu bull!

On the way out of Namibia and into Botswana there were some stunning views of one of the reserves, baobabs and bodies of water....

Here we cross back into Botswana, to see the stunning Chobe National Park, before "A Southern African Tour - Part II" with our finale at Vic Falls where we walked with Rhino and lion cubs!

"May all your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you." -Edward Abbey

Three releases and a chaotic weekend!

Now, before we start let me tell you a very quick story about a very brave man....

A few weeks ago a San Bushman, named Cgunta and his family helped to save an Australian woman who they were guiding through the bush in northern Namibia, sadly bush fire surrounded them and the 5 men huddled around her and saved her life, 3 of them died and now this brave man is suffering with 70% burns and fighting for his life. Generally I write my blog as a nice, light update of life over here from a personal perspective and don't intend to make fundraising asks on here a regular thing, that said this is the most harrowing, inspiring story I have ever heard and we have taken on the responsibility of raising N$750,000 (£75,000  / 75,000 Euros / 100,000 USD) to save his life. The full story can be seen here http://www.naankuse.com/index.php?id=131, and an interview with him that brought a tear to the eye here http://bit.ly/QP1t62. This man deserves your support!Please, please if you have any spare cash- even just the price of a pint it would be great if you could donate to save his life, thank you. And thanks to those of you who have donated already, much love xxx

"Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love." - Morihei Ueshiba 

A few weeks ago one of our sponsors from the UK brought out lots of sports equipment for the children at the school. We had a lovely day playing with the kids, showing them how to use everything and having an impromptu sports day on the fields.

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." - Frederick Douglass 



Hula hoops, balls, velcro mits and tennis balls, sacks, bats and much much more!

We all had so much fun, you can hear the laughter from here...

"A day without laughter is a day wasted. " - Charlie Chaplin 

Sack race with volunteers and children

The boys ended up playing football

The girls ended up playing hairdressing

Children are the same all over the world!

After the week in Tsumkwe with the Joneses (separate blog update to follow) I came back to a visit from an old friend! Needless to say my liver struggled to limp on for that many days, but it was great to see her and catch up.

"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies." - Aristotle

A week ago I got the pleasure of meeting a brown hyena - this poor creature had been captured and kept in a cage - we suspect for a couple of weeks- with a dead baboon, dead warthog and dead hyena- it was in a real state when we got it, so we chose to bring it in collar and release it as soon as possible - to minimise distress. Amazing looking creature, with gorgeous, kind brown eyes. We released it the day after it arrived. We darted it, conducted health checks - its paws were quite torn up from being in the cage sadly - collared him, and released him. Lovely to watch him reclaim his freedom especially after seeing where he came from.

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

OK, I know this probably reminds you of the bad guys in the Lion King, but they truly are beautiful animals in reality.

Take a look at the video of his relaease we have recently put together here

The other weekend a couple of us got a last minute invite to head down to see our southern projects and release sites. We set off on Friday afternoon intending to fly in a four seater plane. As a nervous flyer already, any plane that can be pushed onto the runway by its 3 passengers really does make me nervous! 

Particularly a plane that needs to be jump- started twice on the runway!!

"Why don't they make the whole plane out of that black box stuff." - Steven Wright 

After the jump start we flew out of the small airport and were up in the sky... my nerves dissipated as someone elses nausea kicked in.



Just as we were 20 mins away we realised that the clouds met the mountains at the point we were supposed to fly over them, and sadly this meant we had to turn around and fly 40 mins back - we got off, green. We had tried to fly three times and with no luck. Time for breakfast and to make a plan.

"You can run out of money, just don't ever run out of plans" - anon

Finally, one good breakfast and a mini bus ride over some fairly rough ground and at speed, we arrived at our research site and winery - utterly beautiful and so relaxing!

We stayed there for a night, had a great braai and sampled some of the wine on offer - not a bad life?! 

"And William Shakespeare getting all philisophical on us: 'It is better to have burnt and lost, then never to have braaied at all' " - anon

Obviously some work was involved, looking round, taking images, talking about marketing and planning the future.

The next day, we set off for a nearby nature reserve. Of all the places in the world I have ever been this has to be one of (if not THE most stunning place I have ever been to), sadly we were only there for a couple of hours to collar a cheetah and set things up for her release the day after, but I could go back and spend weeks there.

Wow!

"It's easier to go down a hill than up it but the view is much better at the top." - Henry Ward Beecher 

Lets take some pics for our sponsors - 'look natural'....ok maybe not?!

After trying for quite some time...

...we eventually managed to sedate her and get a collar on.

After our long hard work we left her to recuperate...

...ready for her big day into the expanse that is the nature reserve the day after...

Just a few piccies of the babies, they are growing up now!!

That's it, ears forward!

"I'm essentially a jobbing actor. If I'm out of work, I'll be the back end of a donkey." - Michael Gough 

Nope I am eating, not looking at the camera

Does my bum look big?

For those of you that don't know, we sadly lost Benny just over a week ago. He had been diagnosed with liver failure and spinal ataxia and every day was getting harder for him. By the end he could hardly stand and was truly fed up. It was a hard choice, but as he wasnt improving on the drugs we had him on he let him go to sleep on 13.09.12. I was devastated, but I know its for the best.

"A friend who dies, it's something of you who dies. " - Gustave Flaubert 

Here is a video we put together to say goodbye...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWv2ewRrVTQ&feature=youtu.be

Sleep well little man xxx

A few weeks ago we rescued a serval from a trap on a nearby farm, what a beautiful cat- looks like a cross between a cheetah and a wild cat - stunning. We have allowed it time for its leg to heal and recuperate and tried to feed it up in the meantime - although it has been a very fussy eater. Eventually it was time for it to be released, and we went through the darting, collaring, reversing and releasing process. We reversed him and let him go in the pan, and after a few shaky steps he made his way to freedom!

Pic of a serval form the internet so you can see how stunning they are - this is a serval cub, cute huh?

This is our little fella waking up...

...and heading back to freedom...

"You were once wild here. Don't let them tame you." - Isadora Duncan 

Three more on their way, from filming with Sky 1 to our holiday round Southern Namibia, and just general life!

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” - Mae West