Southern Africa trip

Rose · 06-30-07, 08:55 PM

My grandparents had been planning planning a trip like this for years prior -- Johannesburg to see the Apartheid Museum and Soweto, then Botswana for about 10 days to go on safari at four different camps , then Zambia for a day to see Victoria Falls, then Zimbabwe (we didn't want to stick around long -- Mugabe is not a very nice man) to catch a flight back to South Africa for one last game park in Kruger Nat'l Park.

Here we are beginning with a tour of gold mines in Joburg on day 1:

A shanty-town in SoWeTo:

"Housing"

Sunrise from the hotel balcony:

We left Joburg after 2 days and travelled by commercial jet from Joburg to Maun, Botswana. We then took a 6 seater Cessna from Maun to Edo's Camp in the Kalahari Desert:

View from my tent -- notice the Kudu drinking:

Our first game drive we encountered some Wildebeest -- the clowns of the plains

I'm still jetlagged -- more to come in the morning.

Tchocky · 06-30-07, 09:25 PM

Looks like an amazing trip Rose, good pics

The Avon Lady · 07-01-07, 04:16 AM

We did a family safari last year to Botswana, staying on houseboats on the Okavango River Delta and then going to Chobe National Park for safari. Also visited Victoria Falls - both the Zimbabwe and Zambian sides.

Rose, I was standing in the exact same spot in Soweto by the Coke sign.

Did you also take pictures of the 2 painted water cooling towers? Those are amazing!

We stayed a short while in J'burg and ended off our trip with a weekend in Capetown, touring the Cape all day Sunday.

My children still rave about the safari.

We had to take Cessnas from the Okavango to Chobe. There were rising heat swirls all the way through our flight. Almost everyone but my husband and myself threw up during the flight. Then I fainted the moment I stepped out onto the tarmac. Never again!

:p

And you should have seen the look we got from the pilot for the mess inside his plane.

Rose · 07-01-07, 06:15 AM

@AL: After the Kalahari, we went to the Okavango for 2 camps (five nights all together), and then we flew in a Cessna up to Lebala Camp in Linyanti which is either inside of or right next to Chobe, not sure which (but there was a ton of game up there). And no, I didn't get the towers, but I think my bro and grandpa did, so at least we have the picture.

Still in the Kalahari at Edo's Camp, our first evening game drive we encountered some curious impala (photo wouldn't have been so grainy if I didn't have to use digital zoom

):

Our guide, Stephan, a white Afrikaaner born and raised in Botswana:

Grainy photo (digital zoom

) of wildebeest grazing:

"Sundowner" drinks:

San bushmen, during the morning drive, day 2 at Edo's:

U-533 · 07-01-07, 06:25 AM

That is to cool

When I was in Africa all I saw was .............. well never you mind ... I'm glad you got out safe and you had a great time.

Got any more Pics?

Rose · 07-01-07, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by U-533

That is to cool

When I was in Africa all I saw was .............. well never you mind ... I'm glad you got out safe and you had a great time.

Got any more Pics?

Yep, I'll post more later

. I have lots of great cat shots, and elephants, hippos, etc.

Rose · 07-01-07, 07:00 AM

Bushmen:

Two trackers, "China" and Ivan, pose for a shot

:

The bro and grandma up front with two bushmen and a tracker. We were walking through the bush looking for herbs which the bushmen used 100 years ago as food and medicine:

L to R: Paul, a guide; Stephan, another guide; the old lady of the bushman village (she was 56).

Stephan playing with a bushman kid:

L to R: "China," a tracker; Paul, a guide; Stephan, a guide:

Bush"men"

Yellow-billed hornbill, aka the "banana bird"

I shared this tent with my bro:

More to come.

PS: Do you like the 15 inch photos or should I go back to the 17 inch ones?

The Avon Lady · 07-01-07, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rose

Yellow-billed hornbill, aka the "banana bird"

A.k.a. Zazu.

In London at present. Will try to post Africa pics once we're back home.

SmithN23 · 07-01-07, 12:09 PM

Back in 2000 I went to a bunch a different places in Zimbabwe and Botswana I took lots of pictures but it was before the time of digital and they are all in an album that I need to scan. But here is one of the pictures that I have scanned

Onkel Neal · 07-01-07, 12:39 PM

Great pics, thanks for sharing. More if you have them

Konovalov · 07-01-07, 12:46 PM

Nice.

Love the pics of the setting sun.

It's a pitty that you couldn't bring back the gold bar as a souvenir.

Rose · 07-01-07, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmithN23

Back in 2000 I went to a bunch a different places in Zimbabwe and Botswana I took lots of pictures but it was before the time of digital and they are all in an album that I need to scan. But here is one of the pictures that I have scanned

Did they swim across or was it shallow enough to walk? That's pretty cool -- we didn't see any elephant river crossings.

Rose · 07-01-07, 04:14 PM

Still in the Kalahari Desert, Botswana at Edo's Camp

Out for another sundowner. Grandpa and Paul:

Ostrich taste good. Very good.

Another ugly African sunset

:

Getting creative:

Hakuna matata

Red-billed Francolin, aka the "road runner," dopey and dopey-looking:

Edo's Camp was just our "introduction" to safari life. After two nights at Edo's we flew from the Kalahari to the Okavango Delta and stayed at Little Kwara camp for two nights.

Cessna. The pilot almost had a heart-attack when he saw our luggage:

First view of the Okavango:

Cat pics are coming up

Rose · 07-01-07, 04:27 PM

We landed at the Little Kwara airstrip and we were greeted by our guide, David, and his tracker, Captain John:

A troop of chacma baboons and vervet monkeys parading in front of the tent where my bro and I stayed:

Chacma baboons make a horrific noise, kind of a cross between a dog bark and a lion roar. It's a chilling and desturbing sound, and it definitely kept me awake at night.

Veranda

A drive:

Ostrich in the Okavango:

Cats! We encountered our first cats of the trip at Little Kwara in the form of four cheetahs. A mother and her three cubs were on the hunt.

Mommy on a termite mound:

Two of her three cubs coming to join her (sorry about the quality -- can't escape it with digital zoom):

Perspective:

More shots to come!

SmithN23 · 07-02-07, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rose

Did they swim across or was it shallow enough to walk? That's pretty cool -- we didn't see any elephant river crossings.

It was a little pond so I think they were walking.

06-30-07, 08:55 PM	#1
Rose Grey Wolf Join Date: May 2006 Location: New York City Posts: 966 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Southern Africa trip My grandparents had been planning planning a trip like this for years prior -- Johannesburg to see the Apartheid Museum and Soweto, then Botswana for about 10 days to go on safari at four different camps , then Zambia for a day to see Victoria Falls, then Zimbabwe (we didn't want to stick around long -- Mugabe is not a very nice man) to catch a flight back to South Africa for one last game park in Kruger Nat'l Park. Here we are beginning with a tour of gold mines in Joburg on day 1: A shanty-town in SoWeTo: "Housing" Sunrise from the hotel balcony: We left Joburg after 2 days and travelled by commercial jet from Joburg to Maun, Botswana. We then took a 6 seater Cessna from Maun to Edo's Camp in the Kalahari Desert: View from my tent -- notice the Kudu drinking: Our first game drive we encountered some Wildebeest -- the clowns of the plains I'm still jetlagged -- more to come in the morning.

06-30-07, 09:25 PM	#2
Tchocky Navy Seal Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 5,874 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Looks like an amazing trip Rose, good pics __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

07-01-07, 04:16 AM	#3
The Avon Lady Über Mom Join Date: May 2005 Location: Jerusalem, Israel Posts: 6,147 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	We did a family safari last year to Botswana, staying on houseboats on the Okavango River Delta and then going to Chobe National Park for safari. Also visited Victoria Falls - both the Zimbabwe and Zambian sides. Rose, I was standing in the exact same spot in Soweto by the Coke sign. Did you also take pictures of the 2 painted water cooling towers? Those are amazing! We stayed a short while in J'burg and ended off our trip with a weekend in Capetown, touring the Cape all day Sunday. My children still rave about the safari. We had to take Cessnas from the Okavango to Chobe. There were rising heat swirls all the way through our flight. Almost everyone but my husband and myself threw up during the flight. Then I fainted the moment I stepped out onto the tarmac. Never again! :p And you should have seen the look we got from the pilot for the mess inside his plane. __________________ "Victory will come to us from the wombs of our women." - Houari Boumedienne, President of Algeria, Speech before the UN, 1974

07-01-07, 12:09 PM	#9
SmithN23 Gunner Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 91 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Back in 2000 I went to a bunch a different places in Zimbabwe and Botswana I took lots of pictures but it was before the time of digital and they are all in an album that I need to scan. But here is one of the pictures that I have scanned __________________ The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. - Edmund Bruke

07-01-07, 12:39 PM	#10
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,385 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	Great pics, thanks for sharing. More if you have them __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

07-01-07, 06:15 AM	#4
Rose Grey Wolf Join Date: May 2006 Location: New York City Posts: 966 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	@AL: After the Kalahari, we went to the Okavango for 2 camps (five nights all together), and then we flew in a Cessna up to Lebala Camp in Linyanti which is either inside of or right next to Chobe, not sure which (but there was a ton of game up there). And no, I didn't get the towers, but I think my bro and grandpa did, so at least we have the picture. Still in the Kalahari at Edo's Camp, our first evening game drive we encountered some curious impala (photo wouldn't have been so grainy if I didn't have to use digital zoom ): Our guide, Stephan, a white Afrikaaner born and raised in Botswana: Grainy photo (digital zoom ) of wildebeest grazing: "Sundowner" drinks: San bushmen, during the morning drive, day 2 at Edo's:

07-01-07, 06:25 AM	#5
U-533 Samurai Navy Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: On my Boat Posts: 594 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	That is to cool When I was in Africa all I saw was .............. well never you mind ... I'm glad you got out safe and you had a great time. Got any more Pics?

07-01-07, 07:00 AM	#7
Rose Grey Wolf Join Date: May 2006 Location: New York City Posts: 966 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Bushmen: Two trackers, "China" and Ivan, pose for a shot : The bro and grandma up front with two bushmen and a tracker. We were walking through the bush looking for herbs which the bushmen used 100 years ago as food and medicine: L to R: Paul, a guide; Stephan, another guide; the old lady of the bushman village (she was 56). Stephan playing with a bushman kid: L to R: "China," a tracker; Paul, a guide; Stephan, a guide: Bush"men" Yellow-billed hornbill, aka the "banana bird" I shared this tent with my bro: More to come. PS: Do you like the 15 inch photos or should I go back to the 17 inch ones?

07-01-07, 12:46 PM	#11
Konovalov Ocean Warrior Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: High Wycombe, Bucks, UK Posts: 2,811 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	Nice. Love the pics of the setting sun. It's a pitty that you couldn't bring back the gold bar as a souvenir. __________________ "In a Christian context, sexuality is traditionally seen as a consequence of the Fall, but for Muslims, it is an anticipation of paradise. So I can say, I think, that I was validly converted to Islam by a teenage French Jewish nudist." Sheikh Abdul-Hakim Murad (Timothy Winter)

07-01-07, 04:14 PM	#13
Rose Grey Wolf Join Date: May 2006 Location: New York City Posts: 966 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Still in the Kalahari Desert, Botswana at Edo's Camp Out for another sundowner. Grandpa and Paul: Ostrich taste good. Very good. Another ugly African sunset : Getting creative: Hakuna matata Red-billed Francolin, aka the "road runner," dopey and dopey-looking: Edo's Camp was just our "introduction" to safari life. After two nights at Edo's we flew from the Kalahari to the Okavango Delta and stayed at Little Kwara camp for two nights. Cessna. The pilot almost had a heart-attack when he saw our luggage: First view of the Okavango: Cat pics are coming up

07-01-07, 04:27 PM	#14
Rose Grey Wolf Join Date: May 2006 Location: New York City Posts: 966 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	We landed at the Little Kwara airstrip and we were greeted by our guide, David, and his tracker, Captain John: A troop of chacma baboons and vervet monkeys parading in front of the tent where my bro and I stayed: Chacma baboons make a horrific noise, kind of a cross between a dog bark and a lion roar. It's a chilling and desturbing sound, and it definitely kept me awake at night. Veranda A drive: Ostrich in the Okavango: Cats! We encountered our first cats of the trip at Little Kwara in the form of four cheetahs. A mother and her three cubs were on the hunt. Mommy on a termite mound: Two of her three cubs coming to join her (sorry about the quality -- can't escape it with digital zoom): Perspective: More shots to come!