Bushkid0

Lynn, as a constant traveler in Africa, and often in the remote regions, I absolutely loved your post. It really puts so many things into perspective.

Some of greatest and most memorable experiences have happened when things "went wrong" (for example, a childhood dream came true for me two months ago "by accident", when the plane I was supposed to be travelling in was overbooked. I ended up travelling in the cockpit of a jet-liner for 1000 miles, something I've always wanted to do. It was the only seat they had, and the weather was real bad.) I've had countless other "fortuitous" experiences.

LOL!

atravelynn

Bushkid0,

Africa travel can be credited for many wonderful experiences, but being the co-pilot of a jet-liner is one I've never heard before.

Kind of like: "I'm not a jet pilot, but I did book a trip to Africa," a take-off (no pun intended) on the Holiday Inn Express ads. If you're always in Africa, you probably don't see these USA TV commercials, so the reference may be lost on you.

Next thing will be that Africa travel increases our IQs, removew wrinkles, tones muscles, shaves off 20 pounds, and takes off 10 years.

(While all those claims are ridiculous, I think there may actually be a grain of truth in some of these exaggerations.)

spassvogel

So so TRUE!
But still - there are people who have done countless safaris and go to a famous place but don't find the "famous" species - they start complaining and really ruining their own safari by putting themselves and the guide under tremendous pressure that in the end nothing works out.

The same with the "big 5" nonsense!

Too many put themselves and others under that big-5-pressure that they simply aren't able to appreciate what comes along! In that context a cheetah is just "another bloody cat" but not the expected leopard!

It's not only in view to land-based safaris! The same happens regarding diving! Here one also can miss a lot of "expected" species.......

Oh yxes - it's all nature related and so unpredictable! People have to comprehend..........

SV

Bushkid0

LOL, Lynn.

I didn't say co-pilot! I merely flew "jump seat", a seat behind the pilots usually reserved for airline or technical staff. It was a fantastic experience.

But the essence of my post was to thank you for a wonderful insight into travel in Africa. Sorry if my intentions weren't that clear. I was really trying to illustrate that when things don't go according to plan, something better sometimes comes along (a point you so succintly made).

It's great to see folk with such a positive and open-minded approach to travel in Africa.

Happy journeys.

atravelynn

Thanks for the funny tale Bushkid0! I hope I get to see another bloody cat!

ShayTay

Atravelynn, I don't know if African travel can remove wrinkles, but the bumpy games drives last year fixed my frozen shoulder! All that bouncing around seems to have done more good than three months of PT and chiropractic work.

atravelynn

It's a miracle--her shoulder rotates!

See what I mean?