Hellllooo from Botswana!!!
Nov 16th, 2006, 11:16 AM
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Hellllooo from Botswana!!!
Hi everyone,
I am sitting here at Chiefs Camp and after being up until nearly Midnight each night, at 10:05PM right now it seems very early for me.
Botswana has been a great experience so far and Linyanti Bushcamp and Baines Camp were both brilliant in their own ways.
The weather has been hot during the day but not intolerable and it has rained a couple times but not enough to spoil the gameviewing. I am now at Chiefs Camp and other than not having night game drives (and everyone seeming to retire to their rooms by 9:30PM) it is great.
Gameviewing highlights so far:
Linyanti Bushcamp
Six different sightings of African Wild Cats (would have preferred Wild Dogs!)
Two cheetah
Giraffes at every turn
Fifteen elephants bathing in the water until chased off by just two hippos
BAINES CAMP
Walk With The Elephants - One of the most amazing experiences I have yet enjoyed in Africa. Walking side by side African elephants and just spending the better part of the day with them.
Three leopards in three days, including one with a kill in a tree (leopard was in tree, kill was too big and on ground)
Baboon chasing and killing an impala!!! I have photos of the baboon chomping away on the poor impala and it was an awesome spectacle.
CHIEFS CAMP
I just got here but already I have seen three lionesses, plenty of zebra, buffalo, tessabee (I know I botched the spelling), kudu, impala, red lechwe and more. Even some hippos were present and they were quite aggressive, swimming from one side of the lagoon to the other to start showing their dominance until we left.
Two more nights here at Chiefs, followed by six nights at Kwando, a couple nights at Mateya and three nights at Sabi Sabi and a night at Michelangeo Towers in Sandton before enjoying a couple nights in Sydney at the Observatory Hotel.
Surprisingly, I have REALLY enjoyed travelling solo and have met so many interesting people. I think when travelling as a couple, it is easy to avoid talking to others and having preconceived (mis)conceptions about others but I have got on great with everybody, from Americans from Colorado, to a Swiss couple, to a German couple, to some sexy Mexicans (think Ricardo Montalban of Fantasy Island and whichever glamorous character from a Telenovela Mexican Soap Opera to Belgians to Brits...just about everybody I have met has been great.
That's all for now!
Cheers.
I am sitting here at Chiefs Camp and after being up until nearly Midnight each night, at 10:05PM right now it seems very early for me.
Botswana has been a great experience so far and Linyanti Bushcamp and Baines Camp were both brilliant in their own ways.
The weather has been hot during the day but not intolerable and it has rained a couple times but not enough to spoil the gameviewing. I am now at Chiefs Camp and other than not having night game drives (and everyone seeming to retire to their rooms by 9:30PM) it is great.
Gameviewing highlights so far:
Linyanti Bushcamp
Six different sightings of African Wild Cats (would have preferred Wild Dogs!)
Two cheetah
Giraffes at every turn
Fifteen elephants bathing in the water until chased off by just two hippos
BAINES CAMP
Walk With The Elephants - One of the most amazing experiences I have yet enjoyed in Africa. Walking side by side African elephants and just spending the better part of the day with them.
Three leopards in three days, including one with a kill in a tree (leopard was in tree, kill was too big and on ground)
Baboon chasing and killing an impala!!! I have photos of the baboon chomping away on the poor impala and it was an awesome spectacle.
CHIEFS CAMP
I just got here but already I have seen three lionesses, plenty of zebra, buffalo, tessabee (I know I botched the spelling), kudu, impala, red lechwe and more. Even some hippos were present and they were quite aggressive, swimming from one side of the lagoon to the other to start showing their dominance until we left.
Two more nights here at Chiefs, followed by six nights at Kwando, a couple nights at Mateya and three nights at Sabi Sabi and a night at Michelangeo Towers in Sandton before enjoying a couple nights in Sydney at the Observatory Hotel.
Surprisingly, I have REALLY enjoyed travelling solo and have met so many interesting people. I think when travelling as a couple, it is easy to avoid talking to others and having preconceived (mis)conceptions about others but I have got on great with everybody, from Americans from Colorado, to a Swiss couple, to a German couple, to some sexy Mexicans (think Ricardo Montalban of Fantasy Island and whichever glamorous character from a Telenovela Mexican Soap Opera to Belgians to Brits...just about everybody I have met has been great.
That's all for now!
Cheers.
Nov 16th, 2006, 11:26 AM
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Dude
You fantasise about Ricardo Montalban - thats just wrong.
I guess Chiefs has internet, is that in room, or a central location?
Did you see any really big elephant herds in the Linyanti?
Glad the trip is good.
You fantasise about Ricardo Montalban - thats just wrong.
I guess Chiefs has internet, is that in room, or a central location?
Did you see any really big elephant herds in the Linyanti?
Glad the trip is good.
Nov 16th, 2006, 11:57 AM
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NapaMatt,
I beg to differ...I think it is wrong NOT to fantasize about Ricardo Montalban...come one, he had it all...from Fantasy Island to the little Midget, Tattoo, to the slick Spanish accent to the white suit that any pimp would kill for!
There is a laptop in the common area at Chiefs Camp available to guests and while tied up during much of the day, I am the only one up here now and it is not even 11PM! I have been up most nights until nearly midnight, having met nice friends at all of my other camps but with no night game drive and in a bigger camp, it is a little different story here...still a fantastic luxury camp but not the intimacy that I enjoyed at Baines and Linyanti Bushcamp.
I beg to differ...I think it is wrong NOT to fantasize about Ricardo Montalban...come one, he had it all...from Fantasy Island to the little Midget, Tattoo, to the slick Spanish accent to the white suit that any pimp would kill for!
There is a laptop in the common area at Chiefs Camp available to guests and while tied up during much of the day, I am the only one up here now and it is not even 11PM! I have been up most nights until nearly midnight, having met nice friends at all of my other camps but with no night game drive and in a bigger camp, it is a little different story here...still a fantastic luxury camp but not the intimacy that I enjoyed at Baines and Linyanti Bushcamp.
Nov 16th, 2006, 12:29 PM
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Thit Cho,
Well, you know, when talking about Ricardo Montalban I just get so hot and bothered that I don't even notice such redundant statements!
Haven't done Sydney yet...that comes on the way home.
Well, you know, when talking about Ricardo Montalban I just get so hot and bothered that I don't even notice such redundant statements!
Haven't done Sydney yet...that comes on the way home.
Nov 16th, 2006, 10:01 PM
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Good to hear from you Rocco, though I'm not thrilled to hear about internet access in the heart of the delta. A relative-in-law once asked me if she would have email access on safari to keep track of her business, and I nearly told her to stay home if she wanted to be that soft. The need to keep familial peace kept my lips sealed.
Hope you score some dog sightings in the Kwando concessions...otherwise, you'll have to change your wild dog advisor . Can't have a travel planner being badly advised.
Like Hari, I'm very curious about the two cheetahs you saw at Linyanti bushcamp. It would be great if they were the two survivors of the three 'boys', further demonstrating the extent of their range.
John
Hope you score some dog sightings in the Kwando concessions...otherwise, you'll have to change your wild dog advisor
. Can't have a travel planner being badly advised.Like Hari, I'm very curious about the two cheetahs you saw at Linyanti bushcamp. It would be great if they were the two survivors of the three 'boys', further demonstrating the extent of their range.
John
Nov 17th, 2006, 09:51 AM
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Some great game viewing Rocco!!! I can watch the baboons all day - the complexity of their social structure and the youngster's antics always makes for a good show!!! Will be interested in any insights you have on the impala kill when you return. I know they are opportunistic feeders/hunters, but was wondering if this impala attack is a common baboon behaviour is that area?
I concur with you on the joys of traveling solo in Africa. In my experience, Africa - particularly in the smaller camps - are outstanding solo trips. By far the best solo trips I have ever taken!!
I concur with you on the joys of traveling solo in Africa. In my experience, Africa - particularly in the smaller camps - are outstanding solo trips. By far the best solo trips I have ever taken!!
Nov 18th, 2006, 01:55 AM
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Hello again!
I may now die a happy man. Although I never even considered the possibility that I would see Wild Dogs in the Mombo Concession, YES!, this morning we saw three wild dogs on a minutes old impala kill.
Another Chiefs Camp vehicle was actually on the spot as it happened and just as it started to unfold we were radioed and because it was just a few minutes into our morning game drive, we were not too far.
The next 10 minutes were possibly some of the most anxious minutes of my life! It was a "ferrari safari" from there as our vehicle raced to the scene.
Just before we arrived, the impala had actually sought sanctuary underneath the other Chiefs Camp vehicle, only for the dogs to chase it out from under the vehicle out into the open. Next, the dogs chased the impala a bit more, in full sight of my very fortunate fellow guests, caught it and killed it quickly.
We stayed with the dogs for about 30 minutes and watched them enjoy their Impala breakfast before moving off.
If that was not enough, after our morning tea we came across mating lions, another first for me.
All this and still two more game drives remaining. In a couple hours we set out in search of rhinos!
I may now die a happy man. Although I never even considered the possibility that I would see Wild Dogs in the Mombo Concession, YES!, this morning we saw three wild dogs on a minutes old impala kill.
Another Chiefs Camp vehicle was actually on the spot as it happened and just as it started to unfold we were radioed and because it was just a few minutes into our morning game drive, we were not too far.
The next 10 minutes were possibly some of the most anxious minutes of my life! It was a "ferrari safari" from there as our vehicle raced to the scene.
Just before we arrived, the impala had actually sought sanctuary underneath the other Chiefs Camp vehicle, only for the dogs to chase it out from under the vehicle out into the open. Next, the dogs chased the impala a bit more, in full sight of my very fortunate fellow guests, caught it and killed it quickly.
We stayed with the dogs for about 30 minutes and watched them enjoy their Impala breakfast before moving off.
If that was not enough, after our morning tea we came across mating lions, another first for me.
All this and still two more game drives remaining. In a couple hours we set out in search of rhinos!
Nov 18th, 2006, 03:32 AM
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Rocco-
Congratulations on finally seeing the wild dogs!!
=D> =D> =D>
And during such an exciting encounter!
See, good things come to those who wait! Hope you got some good pics!
Have a great time on the rest of your trip!
Congratulations on finally seeing the wild dogs!!
=D> =D> =D>
And during such an exciting encounter!
See, good things come to those who wait! Hope you got some good pics!
Have a great time on the rest of your trip!
