See you later!
 

Three more days and I am off to Botswana, South Africa and Australia!

In South Africa, I am visiting Sabi Sabi in the Sabi Sand, Mateya in Madikwe, a night at the D'Oreale Grande at the Emperors Casino near the airport, a night at the Michelangelo Towers.

In Botswana, it will be Linyanti Bushcamp, Baines Camp, Chiefs Camp, Kwando Lagoon, Kwando Lebala and Kwando Kwara.

In Australia, it will be the Observatory Hotel.

All in all, this, at least on paper, is the most fantastic trip I will have taken yet.

Thanks to everybody who has offered their support recently...it is truly appreciated.

Just tying up a few loose ends this weekend and then a couple more days at work and then I am off on Tuesday night...LAX to Sydney with only a 2.5 hour layover and then direct to Johannesburg...Qantas Airways, which I have only heard great things about.

Picked up a new Tamrac Backpack, this one with wheels and an extendable handle (thanks JWeis for the recommendation), a new lens (Canon 300mm f/4L IS) and 4 more GB's of memory and a couple more batteries. Also, I cannot forget the Chillow and battery operated fan that I picked up (thanks GreenDrake).

If there is any downside to this safari it is that it is interrupting my fitness training! I am so used to being an utter couch potato and going on safari...this is the first time since my first safari that I will be going in fairly good shape (the first safari followed immediately after my first marathon, the L.A. Marathon).

It will be nice to leave this awful weather in L.A. behind (has been dipping down to the FIFTIES at night!) but I am scared of the heat and mosquitos I may face in Botswana.

I promise plenty of photos and a trip report upon my return!!! :)

Happy travels Rocco.
Give yourself twenty minutes during the day to work through a few sets of sit ups and press ups, just to keepm the kilojoules in check.

"All in all, this, at least on paper, is the most fantastic trip I will have taken yet."

I hope that it IS your most fantastic trip yet, Rocco! Have a marvelous time...we'll look forward to your trip report and photos upon your return!!

Rocco,
We hope that you have a fantastic time, and you don't get too bitten up by the skeeters!!! Geez the hardships you face for this trip-LOL. You could do some on foot tracking to keep up with the fitness routine a little??? Have a wonderful time, I can't wait to hear all about it!!!!!
Suzic

Have a great trip, Rocco....

Happy and safe travels......

Hari

<i>&quot;See you later!&quot;</i>

I think so, somewhere down the line.
Happy trails,

Matt

Hi Rocco,

I wish you a really great gameviewing trip, I am envious about the gameviewing side, not at all envious about the number of camps you are visiting, though I understand why you do it, I guess!

The mozzies in Botswana in July were horrific, I didn't realize they would be such a problem, so I can well imagine how many will be around now, when the days will be so much warmer.

Do not know the Observatory Hotel, but not surprising as I rarely go to Sydney, but I wish you a wonderful stay in Australia, though I am not sure how long you are staying here.

Kind regards,

Kaye

Certainly with all the planning and recent &quot;excitement&quot; on the board, your trip is well deserved. And should be interesting to hear from someone traveling backwards. Even those from Hawaii fly via Europe.

SYD will be a nice diversion, a lovely city, easy place to get around, and consider for Alexandra a lovely &quot;black opal&quot; as there are jewelers everywhere.

Happy travels.

Your trip sounds fantastic Rocco! Happy travels. Took Quantas to Sydney a few years back. LOVED IT!

Leaving so soon after just arriving back on the forum. Welcome back and bon voyage!
Sherry

Thanks for all the responses.

Sandi, I checked it out and it is a 10.5 hour flight from Honolulu to Sydney, and then a 14 hour flight from Sydney to Johannesburg, so it is definitely shorter for Hawaiians to go through Sydney than to go through the USA/Europe. For my own situation out of Los Angeles, it adds about 2.5 hours to the journey and gives me an opportunity to see one of the best cities in the world, Sydney, for a couple nights. The early December weather in Sydney will be much nicer than had I stopped in Europe for a couple nights...the only other consideration I made was stopping in Dubai for a couple nights, but I will save that for another time. Going to Sydney will allow me to check off continent #6 on the list and hopefully I get to Antarctica in February 2008.

About the fitness...yes, I suspect that I will be going stir crazy and have already requested a walking safari at Linyanti Bushcamp--the operator, African Bushcamps, are soon to launch what they call Linyanti Walking Trails and they have assured me that walking will be a highlight of my visit.

I will also do the Walk With The Elephants activity at Baines Camp so I have one walking safari while there. Not sure if walking is available at Chiefs Camp in the Mombo concession or not, but if so, I will walk once while there, and if possible once at each Kwando camp. I will skip the walking at Sabi Sabi and Mateya, as my time is limited and I want to see as much wildlife as possible. Plus, I do plan to take advantage of the fitness centers and the WELLNESS CENTERS at both Sabi Sabi and Mateya!

Here is the photography arsenal I have selected for this safari:

(2) Canon 20d DSLR bodies
Canon 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS
Canon 85mm f/1.8
Sigma 70-200 f/2.8
Sigma 1.4x teleconvertor
Canon 300mm f/4L IS
Canon 1.4x teleconvertor
Sigma Super Flash
White Balance Filter
Warming Filter
12GB's of CF Cards (I will be shooting mostly with 2GB cards but then will have a few 1GB cards as backup)
8 Camera Batteries
1 Canon Dual Battery Charger
HP Centrino Duo Laptop Computer w/ Photoshop CSII Nothing like being able to look at your photos on a 15&quot; screen five minutes after the game drive is completed...the other guests still shooting film especially hate me! ;)

Rocco, have a great time -- that's an excellent itinerary (and I'm in the camp that prefers fewer nights at more camps).

Sydney is beautiful (and I'm sure you've heard about Torango Zoo, a nice ferry ride from the city center). I haven't been to Sydney in a few years, but I still remember my meals at Rockpool, a short walk from the Observatory.

Have a great trip.

Michael

PS -- The NYC marathon is now passing below my window!

Rocco-
Welcome back and see you later. Have a wonderful time!

Sydney is a fun city. If you get a chance, try to get over to Manly Beach for a couple of hours. It's a short ferry ride from Sydney harbor and has a cool boardwalk and lots of cafes to sit and people watch.

Looking forward to some great photos and
the trip report.

BTW, why are you taking both the 17-85mm lens and the 85mm lens?

Have a wonderful trip and for fitness maybe jog in place.

Thit Cho,

Thanks for the Sydney suggestion of the Torango Zoo. I was trying to follow the NY Marathon earlier online, but could not find any live coverage...I was especially interested to see how Lance Armstrong did in his first marathon...I figured he would break 2:30 but would be far, far back from the leaders.


Divewop,

The reason for taking the 85mm f/1.8 lens is because it is fantastic for portraits in low light conditions. Have a look at these two shots taken with the 85mm f/1.8, (this female boxer has just had her fight stopped by the referee due to a nasty cut...blood streaming down her beautiful face and you can see her complete disappointment).

http://www.ufcfightnews.com/sept1-2/...-Rakoczy04.jpg

http://www.ufcfightnews.com/sept1-2/...Rakoczy04a.jpg


Atravelynn,

I may just bring a vinyl/plastic jumprope with me and that would go a long way to helping me keep in shape if I were to skip rope for 15 minutes daily, as well as taking Mkhonzo's suggestion of push-ups, sit-ups, and I could also add squats and lunges.

It will be kind of nice to be away for 4 weeks as I ALWAYS lose weight in Africa and that is with eating whatever I want...so if I actually watch what I eat and exercise, I could come back 10 pounds lighter and with a great tan to boot!

I did buy 5 packs of Beef Jerkey to be used in the event of an emergency! I will always have one with me, especially for sundowners when, at times, there are only high carb snacks available. I don't mind eating carbs in the morning, but I don't want to eat them in the late afternoon/evening, if possible.

Wine &amp; Beer are fine, as I think I actually eat less when I have a couple drinks. Plus, after all, free booze, you know? ;) (In reality, the lodges probably wish that all the guests drank as little as I do!).

I was smart and passed on the opportunity to run a half marathon today...I am not going to risk injury right before this trip and would like to lose far more weight before I subject myself to the abuse of road racing again. In the future, just to avoid injury, I will likely do far more trail running than road running...trail running is so much more beautiful anyway...I mean being surrounded by concrete/asphalt/buildings/cars or being surrounded by mountains/rivers/trees/plants/flowers...not a hard choice.

Have a fabulous trip! (And welcome back aboard...)
Looking forward to seeing how the 300 worked for you. I'm envious!
:-)

((@))

And don't forget to pay your drinks bill. Nothing is for free.
Have a good trip.
Celeste

Roccco - try for a left side window on the SYD-JNB flight just in case you get vectored over Antarctica like we did.

Dang, I'm jealous, Rocco. Ruth and I spend much of our time reliving our wonderful Africa experience which you made possible, and we have lots of questions about future possibilities to which we will add many more upon your return.

Great choice re. the Canon 300mm f/4.0. I chose that very lens over the 2.8 version because is is far more manageable esp. on walks. However, after going through 42 rolls of slide film and getting cheap scans (which added up is still expensive), plus the limitations of being stuck with low ISO film in low light, I'm really ready to make the switch to digital.

Didn't notice if you are bringing something for cleaning your sensors. A must for addressing dust issues prevalent where you are going based on what I've been reading. Also a chip downloading device such as the one made by Epson, both as backup, and to free up chip space.

Have an awesome trip!

Jim

Celeste and her daughter are right now on a plane to Sydney with Joshi in the first class seats and if you want I will give feedback.
Mark

Have a wonderful trip and can't wait to read the report!

Have a fabulous time on your trip Roccco and I'm sure you will enjoy your few days in Sydney. It's one of my favorite cities to visit and we've enjoyed 2 great trips to Australia and planning a 3rd for next year. Haven't seen the Great Barrier Reef yet but have traveled extensively throughout the rest of the country.

Your time in Botswana looks wonderful. I'm sure you will have some great shots to show afterward. Safe Travels.

Oops, should have looked once more a your post. Your laptop will do just fine for downloading. Are you able to carry onboard all the photo, computer stuff? Aus looks like a very attractive alternative to going through Eur. Who are you flying with?

Jim

Have a great trip.

SteelieJim,

I am going with Qantas Airways on back to back flights from LAX - Sydney and Sydney - Johannesburg. On my way over it is a short 2.5 hour layover and on the return it is 2 nights in Sydney followed by about a Noon departure getting me back into L.A. at 7AM the same day (cross intl. dateline).

Gardyloo,

Thanks for the seat advice. For whatever reason, I always pick the left side of the plane and usually pick the window seat. I know I have pre-selected my SYD - JNB seats (using Seat Guru as my guide to get the best economy seat possible) but I have not yet been allowed to select my LAX - SYD seat assignment.


Thanks to the others for the continued good wishes.


Thit Cho,

You made me curious about Rockpool so I checked out their website. They have a 5 course dinner set menu for $150 Australian Dollars. I really, really, want to be more epicurean in my dining, but the menu is a bit scary to me...have a look:

http://www.rockpool.com/rp_menu.aspx?menu=setprice

However, I do think I could make it work, and these would be my choices:

Course 1

Salad of Beetroot &quot;Raw, Roast and Jelly&quot; with Yoghurt Sorbet

-

Course 2

&quot;Mac and Cheese&quot; - Asparagus, House Made Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese

OR

King Prawns with Goats Cheese Tortellini - Pine Nuts, Raisins and Burnt Butter

(This is my only difficult decision...I have eliminated the choices that did not appeal to me in the other courses, but this is a toughie!)

-

Course 3

Leek Royale with Sweet Onion Gratin and Truffle Sauce


-


Course 4

Slow Roasted Kangaroo Island Chicken with Peas, Spring Onion, Baby Radish and Pea Puree
-

Course 5

Strawberry and Vanilla Mille-Feuille

I had to look it up, as well! This, courtesy of www.answers.com, on the Mille-Feuille:

&gt;&gt;&gt;mille-feuille
[meel-FWEE] French for &quot;a thousand leaves,&quot; this classic dessert is made with two large oblong pieces of crisp puff pastry spread with whipped cream, custard, jam or fruit pur&eacute;e. The pastries are stacked and topped with another pastry layer, which is generally dusted with confectioners' sugar. A serrated knife is used to cut the dessert into individual servings. Savory mille-feuille can be filled with cheese and served as an appetizer.&lt;&lt;&lt;

-

Coffee with Sweets


Well, that wasn't so painful and once I eliminated the dishes that did not appeal to me, it actually looks quite wonderful.

You've probably found the time for Lance's run, coming in at 2.59.37 just short of 3/hrs and 1/hr after the top runners.

Yes, I believe the hours are shorter from Hawaii, but apparently the price isn't, the reason for the transit over the States, the pond and thru Europe.

Have fun!

Have a wonderful trip, Rocco.

I'll wave as you fly over.

Hope you get the good version of Qantas (all airlines have their off days).

btw...it's Taronga. Pronounce it the other way and you'll be labelled by Sydneysiders very quickly ;)

John

Hope your running is well, Rocco....

As to walks at Kwando, my understanding is....it's possible only in Kwara. I dont think they do them at Lagoon or Lebala. Atleast, i havent seen anyone walk there....have fun!!!

Hari

Rocco - have a great trip!!

Take the Lance Armstrong training method. The guy amazingly ran a sub 3 hour NYC marathon and his training was about 30 - 35 mile weeks with his longest run being 16 miles!! A true genetic freak!! Then again he said he felt the worse he has ever felt post race -worse than any Tour De France effort.

GreenDrake,

I am surprised that Lance Armstrong did not do better...even his ex-wife, Kristin Armstrong qualified for Boston!

http://www.runnersworld.com/events/b..._bosbound.html

One day I would like to break 4 hours, but I don't think I will ever be able or willing to put in the training to qualify for Boston. I just want to have fun with it and the most important thing is finishing.

Have a great trip, Rocco, and know that I'm totally jealous!

Hi Rocco,

Glad to see you are back on board and off on your next adventure!

Our heat wave here in LA should be prepping you for Botswana.

Hoping this is YOUR time to see the dogs.

Wishing you great game viewing and safe travels. Will be anxious to hear all about it.

Carla

Welcome back and bon voyage.

Have a fantastic trip!

Karibu nyumbani na safari njema!

Enjoy your trip, Rocco! Perhaps you'll come back a convert to Botswana. It's still my favorite place in southern Africa.

18 hours and counting...going to go take a 90 minute nap and then it will be one very exhausting last day and then off to the airport for my 10:30PM flight to Sydney and onward to Joburg.

I've been up all night loving my dogs and getting some work done.

Cannot wait to take some photos and only hope they come close to what I was able to capture in Tanzania. Hopefully the landscapes will not be too brown in Linyanti, Sabi Sand and Madikwe. I am going to absolutely die when I finally see my first wild dogs and there are quite a few properties that I may see them.

Remaining tasks...

Get some small denomination bills

Finish packing

Start taking anti malaria meds

Buy insect repellent

Reconfirm international flights


Thanks everyone for the warm wishes.

Are you still here? ;-)

I saw Lance run up First Avenue on Sunday, but watched him cross the finish line on TV (while I was stuffing my face with a bagel).

Rocco, some of the items on Rockpool's menu look strange, but I often find that the unusual combinations belie the tastiness of the dish (sometimes the author of the menu is showing off by being overly flowery in the descriptions).

I'm sure you know this, but if flying Qantas, make sure to give them your American Airlines Aadvantage number -- that's a lot of miles. If you don't have an AA number, you should get one today (I think you can do so online).

Have a great trip.

Michael

PS -- I will be on vacation in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain at the end of November (my attempt to rectify the dearth of Middle East trip reports on what is an Africa &amp; Middle East forum).

Michael -

&gt;&gt;I saw Lance run up First Avenue on Sunday, but watched him cross the finish line on TV (while I was stuffing my face with a bagel).&lt;&lt;

Me too, me too! but I had my bagel with me. Stuffed with veggie cream cheese. Though too cold out there if not working up a sweat. Saw Lance's finish on TV in the warmth of my apartment.

We've gotta do brunch when you get back from your next trip, if not before.

Thit Cho (or anyone else),

What is the advantage of charging these miles to American Advantage. I was under the impression that I could charge them to any frequent flier program.

Because I get the majority of my miles from my AMEX Platinum Card, I tend to use Delta Skymiles as my frequent flier program. Delta, unfortunately, no longer partners with SAA but will now fly direct to SA and it is partners with Air France and KLM, as well as possibly others that also fly to Africa.