Recollections, Tales, Sightings, Photos from Past Safaris--Please Add Yours
Mar 6th, 2008, 03:20 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 14,440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Recollections, Tales, Sightings, Photos from Past Safaris--Please Add Yours
<font color="green">Lots of safari memories were made in the days before Internet or Fodors or before you discovered this site. Here’s a spot where you can post some of those recollections, tales, sightings, or photos from long-ago-adventures (or not so long-ago-adventures) without having to write an entire report.</font>
Since I won the coin toss, I’ll go first.
Where: Mana Pools, Zimbabwe
When: July 1995
What: Walking safari with Nature Ways Safari, managed by James Varden
Who: About 10 South African friends, me
The arrangements were excellent—I had my own guide for most days and we walked from mobile pup tent to pup tent. Sun filtered through the trademark Winterthorn Acacias of Mana Pools, casting shadows along the shores that harbored zebra, baboons, and kudu. It made for spectacular bush walking.
The South African buddies explored the bush in their own unique way. They drove around because it was easier to carry the bottles of gin in a vehicle. They drank, told jokes, drank, drove around, drank, told outrageous tales, drank, bird watched, drank, told absolute lies, drank, stopped long enough to exit the vehicle and throw elephant dung at each other, and had a helluva time together.
How did I know all this was going on during the hours that I was immersed in Mana Pool’s peaceful beauty? Because I got a recap of the day’s highlights each evening around the campfire. And what a show it was. I mostly sat back, straining to catch every hilarious and heavily accented (to my Midwestern ears) word so I could make sense of the spontaneous comedy routine. Much of the time I was laughing uncontrollably.
They were a congenial, good-natured gang that readily included me in their conversations and their rounds of gin and tonics. I did my best to keep up with this exuberant bunch but was reaching my limits for alcohol intake. Talk turned to family and I enthusiastically explained that my sister had recently announced her pregnancy and would have the results of her ultrasound when I returned home from my safari. I went on to announce (probably with an accent to their ears) and perhaps even a slight gin-induced slur, “I’m so excited to be finding out whether I’ll be an aunt or an uncle.” It was the South Africans’ turn to collectively laugh uncontrollably.
For the record, I was an aunt.
Since I won the coin toss, I’ll go first.
Where: Mana Pools, Zimbabwe
When: July 1995
What: Walking safari with Nature Ways Safari, managed by James Varden
Who: About 10 South African friends, me
The arrangements were excellent—I had my own guide for most days and we walked from mobile pup tent to pup tent. Sun filtered through the trademark Winterthorn Acacias of Mana Pools, casting shadows along the shores that harbored zebra, baboons, and kudu. It made for spectacular bush walking.
The South African buddies explored the bush in their own unique way. They drove around because it was easier to carry the bottles of gin in a vehicle. They drank, told jokes, drank, drove around, drank, told outrageous tales, drank, bird watched, drank, told absolute lies, drank, stopped long enough to exit the vehicle and throw elephant dung at each other, and had a helluva time together.
How did I know all this was going on during the hours that I was immersed in Mana Pool’s peaceful beauty? Because I got a recap of the day’s highlights each evening around the campfire. And what a show it was. I mostly sat back, straining to catch every hilarious and heavily accented (to my Midwestern ears) word so I could make sense of the spontaneous comedy routine. Much of the time I was laughing uncontrollably.
They were a congenial, good-natured gang that readily included me in their conversations and their rounds of gin and tonics. I did my best to keep up with this exuberant bunch but was reaching my limits for alcohol intake. Talk turned to family and I enthusiastically explained that my sister had recently announced her pregnancy and would have the results of her ultrasound when I returned home from my safari. I went on to announce (probably with an accent to their ears) and perhaps even a slight gin-induced slur, “I’m so excited to be finding out whether I’ll be an aunt or an uncle.” It was the South Africans’ turn to collectively laugh uncontrollably.
For the record, I was an aunt.
Mar 6th, 2008, 06:09 PM
#2
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 317
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ok, I'll bite. On my 2nd trip to Africa in 1980, my honeymoon in Kenya, my new bride and I visit a Masaai villiage. Most of the women are away at a female circumcision (yikes!) and my wife gets swatted with the after-birth and blood of a cow. I become enamored with the chief's spear and we become embattled in a bargaining session. He wants to trade it for my wife and my binoculars. Well, the binoculars are a deal breaker so I hold steady and leave spearless but still married (to this day).
We have old 16mm movies of the trip and because I didn't have them developed for many years they had faded. I had the film transferred to DVD and it looks like a 1950's sepia tone rather than a color movie. My wife and I look like kids (we were I guess). I even have a cheetah kill on it and the 20 or so seconds of the lone leopard sighting.
Second memory of by-gone days. We were staying at Mombo in 2004 and after dinner were sitting around the camp fire when someone noticed a porcupine just on the other side of the pool. So we all got up to catch a glimpse. Unfortunately my wife didn't remember there was a pool or thought she was a Jacana and went right into the pool more than waist deep. Clever girl as she managed to hold her camera high and save it from getting drenched. The sad part of the story is she is the only one NOT to see the porcupine.
Fun thread to jog the memory banks, thanks.
Eric
We have old 16mm movies of the trip and because I didn't have them developed for many years they had faded. I had the film transferred to DVD and it looks like a 1950's sepia tone rather than a color movie. My wife and I look like kids (we were I guess). I even have a cheetah kill on it and the 20 or so seconds of the lone leopard sighting.
Second memory of by-gone days. We were staying at Mombo in 2004 and after dinner were sitting around the camp fire when someone noticed a porcupine just on the other side of the pool. So we all got up to catch a glimpse. Unfortunately my wife didn't remember there was a pool or thought she was a Jacana and went right into the pool more than waist deep. Clever girl as she managed to hold her camera high and save it from getting drenched. The sad part of the story is she is the only one NOT to see the porcupine.
Fun thread to jog the memory banks, thanks.
Eric
Mar 7th, 2008, 01:00 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Where: Amboseli National Park, Kenya
When: Jan 1990
Who: About 8 family members including my elderly grandfather, 2 kids under 12 and 3 kids under 3.
We were in a combi (van with open top for photo ops). I was about 11 and was all excited as this was my first safari.
After the excitement of sighting the big cats, we went off-road (if you can call a track a road) towards a hippo pool. There were many vans around and as we got closer and closer the mud became more and more slippery. We tried telling the driver but by the time we convinced him to stop we were well and truly stuck. He tried backing it up for several miutes to no avail. I very excited - an adventure!
No one even considered getting off the vehicle as the mud have them sunk them well past their knees.
Finally, a near-by combi van rammed into ours from behind with just enough force to get us out of there. Unfortunately, the guy who helped us got his van stuck there in the process.
In my 11 yr old mind, I remember thinking that the hippos and crocs will think the humans are having a nice game of van-tag
Only now do I realize how dangerous it was and how easily it could have escalated.
On our way back we had a flat tire and I remember the driver declaring that it was due to bones on the road and asking us all to keep a look-out for hyenas and nervously changing to the spare with the help of my dad.
I loved the time I spent in Kenya (it was around 3 years), with very varied lanscape. The mountainous rift valley, the snow-peaked mountains at the equator, the savannah - wounderfully rich and bursting with wildlife, pristine beaches of Mombasa and Malindi, the vast Lake Victoria and the barren North -- it was a fantastic childhood - I could not have asked for better.
When: Jan 1990
Who: About 8 family members including my elderly grandfather, 2 kids under 12 and 3 kids under 3.
We were in a combi (van with open top for photo ops). I was about 11 and was all excited as this was my first safari.
After the excitement of sighting the big cats, we went off-road (if you can call a track a road) towards a hippo pool. There were many vans around and as we got closer and closer the mud became more and more slippery. We tried telling the driver but by the time we convinced him to stop we were well and truly stuck. He tried backing it up for several miutes to no avail. I very excited - an adventure!
No one even considered getting off the vehicle as the mud have them sunk them well past their knees.
Finally, a near-by combi van rammed into ours from behind with just enough force to get us out of there. Unfortunately, the guy who helped us got his van stuck there in the process.
In my 11 yr old mind, I remember thinking that the hippos and crocs will think the humans are having a nice game of van-tag
Only now do I realize how dangerous it was and how easily it could have escalated.On our way back we had a flat tire and I remember the driver declaring that it was due to bones on the road and asking us all to keep a look-out for hyenas and nervously changing to the spare with the help of my dad.
I loved the time I spent in Kenya (it was around 3 years), with very varied lanscape. The mountainous rift valley, the snow-peaked mountains at the equator, the savannah - wounderfully rich and bursting with wildlife, pristine beaches of Mombasa and Malindi, the vast Lake Victoria and the barren North -- it was a fantastic childhood - I could not have asked for better.
Mar 12th, 2008, 05:51 PM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 14,440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<font color="green"> This may turn into Atravelynn's greatest hits. Please jump in at any time.</font>
While reading my local newspaper in late May of 2002, a small article about a gorilla in Rwanda having twins on May 19 caught my eye. Since I was heading to Rwanda to see the gorillas in July, I had sharpened my spotting skills for news relating to the region. And this was great news! Still, I dared not hope to be lucky enough to visit that particular gorilla group with the mother and twins, or to be lucky enough that the new mother would be sufficiently comfortable to allow visitors a glimpse of her babies. No, it was too much to hope for, but nice to know nonetheless.
After several hours of climbing in the Virunga Mountains of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, our ranger informed us we had arrived and the gorillas were near. Time to retrieve our camera and spare batteries from the porter, and prepare for that magical hour.
Our hour included unobstructed views of a mother and a 6-week old baby sleeping, females grooming while babies played nearby, a sliverback sitting and eating, and a blackback patrolling the area. Suddenly a dozen gorillas ran past us, somersaulting down the hill in front of us, a cascading waterfall of gorillas. Gorilla viewing couldn’t get any better, or so I thought.
That's when our ranger said, “Let’s go see the mother and twins.” Mother and twins! Mother and twins! My heart was racing. Was it really possible we would see them? We sat down across from a touching family scene. The mother was cradling her 7-week old son and daughter, one in each arm, and they were nursing. Hovering over the mother’s shoulder was their 4-year old sister. Her loving gaze rarely left the babies and this intense interest in their welfare was a big reason why the twins had survived seven weeks, and are still alive today.
Gorilla twins rarely make it in the wild because the mother cannot hold two babies and feed herself. The need to free one hand to feed means one of the babies is likely to be neglected. But big sister was able to assist in holding the babies and with feeding. Her actions ensured survival of her younger siblings.
The mother lied back to nurse her babies with her older daughter at her side and the family became obscured in the shade of thick bushes.
My favorite gorilla photo is of this family.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-rlg6b8
While reading my local newspaper in late May of 2002, a small article about a gorilla in Rwanda having twins on May 19 caught my eye. Since I was heading to Rwanda to see the gorillas in July, I had sharpened my spotting skills for news relating to the region. And this was great news! Still, I dared not hope to be lucky enough to visit that particular gorilla group with the mother and twins, or to be lucky enough that the new mother would be sufficiently comfortable to allow visitors a glimpse of her babies. No, it was too much to hope for, but nice to know nonetheless.
After several hours of climbing in the Virunga Mountains of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, our ranger informed us we had arrived and the gorillas were near. Time to retrieve our camera and spare batteries from the porter, and prepare for that magical hour.
Our hour included unobstructed views of a mother and a 6-week old baby sleeping, females grooming while babies played nearby, a sliverback sitting and eating, and a blackback patrolling the area. Suddenly a dozen gorillas ran past us, somersaulting down the hill in front of us, a cascading waterfall of gorillas. Gorilla viewing couldn’t get any better, or so I thought.
That's when our ranger said, “Let’s go see the mother and twins.” Mother and twins! Mother and twins! My heart was racing. Was it really possible we would see them? We sat down across from a touching family scene. The mother was cradling her 7-week old son and daughter, one in each arm, and they were nursing. Hovering over the mother’s shoulder was their 4-year old sister. Her loving gaze rarely left the babies and this intense interest in their welfare was a big reason why the twins had survived seven weeks, and are still alive today.
Gorilla twins rarely make it in the wild because the mother cannot hold two babies and feed herself. The need to free one hand to feed means one of the babies is likely to be neglected. But big sister was able to assist in holding the babies and with feeding. Her actions ensured survival of her younger siblings.
The mother lied back to nurse her babies with her older daughter at her side and the family became obscured in the shade of thick bushes.
My favorite gorilla photo is of this family.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...&y=-rlg6b8
Mar 13th, 2008, 08:55 AM
#8
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 788
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lynn, What a beautiful story (and photo)!
I for one would not mind if this thread DOES end up being your greatest hits. But I love reading everyone's stories... like Patty, I have no pre-Fodors Africa memories to chip in.
I for one would not mind if this thread DOES end up being your greatest hits. But I love reading everyone's stories... like Patty, I have no pre-Fodors Africa memories to chip in.
Mar 13th, 2008, 06:18 PM
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 14,440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<font color="green">Who wants to read all sweetness, sugar, and spice anyway? Maybe Nyamera could add a few topi sex life tales, if she has been fortunate enough to witness any. I recall a previous post on that topic, from a scientific standpoint, of course.
Or anybody could throw in a more recent tidbit that is more like a journal entry than a whole report.</font>
"Topi tale" reminded me of its cousin, the hartebeest. I remember sharing a vehicle with 4 Brits on my first safari. (For anyone who recalls some of my past adventures, the husband of the group was the one who attacked my zip off shorts.)
Whenever the sighting of a hartebeest prompted one of the Brits to call out its name, I still remember that first syllable going on forever. "Look, it's a hahhhhhhhhhh-tee-beest."
I'm not being critical or mocking. In fact I love the way British accents sound to my ears. To others, I probably pronounce hartebeest nasally like I'm holding my nose or making a duck call for Syllable #1.
I can still hear, "Is that a hahhhhhhh-tee-beest over there?" "Oh, there's a whole herd of hahhhhhhhh-tee-beest." "Hand me the doubler, Love, I want to photograph the hahhhhhhhhh-tee-beest."
Or anybody could throw in a more recent tidbit that is more like a journal entry than a whole report.</font>
"Topi tale" reminded me of its cousin, the hartebeest. I remember sharing a vehicle with 4 Brits on my first safari. (For anyone who recalls some of my past adventures, the husband of the group was the one who attacked my zip off shorts.)
Whenever the sighting of a hartebeest prompted one of the Brits to call out its name, I still remember that first syllable going on forever. "Look, it's a hahhhhhhhhhh-tee-beest."
I'm not being critical or mocking. In fact I love the way British accents sound to my ears. To others, I probably pronounce hartebeest nasally like I'm holding my nose or making a duck call for Syllable #1.
I can still hear, "Is that a hahhhhhhh-tee-beest over there?" "Oh, there's a whole herd of hahhhhhhhh-tee-beest." "Hand me the doubler, Love, I want to photograph the hahhhhhhhhh-tee-beest."
Mar 13th, 2008, 06:57 PM
#12
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lynn,
HaHaHa... Hahhhhh-tee-beest... I work for a British-owned company, travel a lot to the UK and, I too, love the sound of the British accent but it does sometimes cause me to chuckle as in this instance. I also have to laugh at the different meanings that some words and phrases have in British English vs American English. I have often joked, while working with this company, that I am learning English as a second language...
HaHaHa... Hahhhhh-tee-beest... I work for a British-owned company, travel a lot to the UK and, I too, love the sound of the British accent but it does sometimes cause me to chuckle as in this instance. I also have to laugh at the different meanings that some words and phrases have in British English vs American English. I have often joked, while working with this company, that I am learning English as a second language...
Mar 17th, 2008, 12:14 PM
#14
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 873
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lynn,
Great idea for a thread. It’s given me quite a few chuckles. I can even picture you sitting around the campfire with the group of rowdy gin-and-tonic laden South African buddies. Glad you turned out to be an aunt and not a monkey’s uncle. OK, bad joke, I just could not resist.
How lucky you were to see the mother gorilla and twins. That’s a fantastic story. Thanks for sharing the photo with us.
I have a few tidbits I can share from prior trips. I’m enjoying this thread and would like to keep it going. I’ll post a little later when I have time. Thanks for starting it off.
Eyelaser,
Do you still have/use those binoculars? Probably not, so I guess your wife turned out to be the better part of the bargain after all! Too bad she didn’t see the porcupine. Hopefully she’s seen one by now, nearly 30 years later.
KRaman,
What a treat to be able to go on your first safari at age 11 and that you have such fond memories of your three years in Kenya. The look-back through a child’s eyes’ is amazing isn’t it? Van-tag…I’ll have to remember that if I ever rear-end anyone.
Great idea for a thread. It’s given me quite a few chuckles. I can even picture you sitting around the campfire with the group of rowdy gin-and-tonic laden South African buddies. Glad you turned out to be an aunt and not a monkey’s uncle. OK, bad joke, I just could not resist.
How lucky you were to see the mother gorilla and twins. That’s a fantastic story. Thanks for sharing the photo with us.
I have a few tidbits I can share from prior trips. I’m enjoying this thread and would like to keep it going. I’ll post a little later when I have time. Thanks for starting it off.
Eyelaser,
Do you still have/use those binoculars? Probably not, so I guess your wife turned out to be the better part of the bargain after all! Too bad she didn’t see the porcupine. Hopefully she’s seen one by now, nearly 30 years later.
KRaman,
What a treat to be able to go on your first safari at age 11 and that you have such fond memories of your three years in Kenya. The look-back through a child’s eyes’ is amazing isn’t it? Van-tag…I’ll have to remember that if I ever rear-end anyone.
Mar 19th, 2008, 08:56 AM
#16
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 317
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dana_M, I indeed do have those binocs and they are sitting not 5 feet away from me in my office just in case something interesting pops on to one of the many trees in the woods behind my office. But I agree whole heartedly that I got the betterend of the non-deal.
I did however buy ($5 I think) a homemade bow with three homemade wooden, barbed metal tipped, arrows from a Kenyan hunter walking through the bush. I still have them and can honestly say they are amongst my favorite souveniers of any of my trips.
I saw another porcupine at Ongava Lodge, while looking at a black rhino and calf at a lit waterhole a couple of years ago but alas my wife was at the dinner table and missed it. We are going to be in Tanzania next January and I will make a porcupine sighting a priortiy
Regards,
Eric
I did however buy ($5 I think) a homemade bow with three homemade wooden, barbed metal tipped, arrows from a Kenyan hunter walking through the bush. I still have them and can honestly say they are amongst my favorite souveniers of any of my trips.
I saw another porcupine at Ongava Lodge, while looking at a black rhino and calf at a lit waterhole a couple of years ago but alas my wife was at the dinner table and missed it. We are going to be in Tanzania next January and I will make a porcupine sighting a priortiy
Regards,
Eric
Mar 30th, 2008, 12:18 PM
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 14,440
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This account is based on juvenile, silly, bathroom humor. If that’s offensive to you, please skip. Or read it and blame MyDogSpud because a photo caption of Spud’s prompted me to recall this incident.
It had to be a perfect storm of coincidences for this event to take place. We were all on our first safari and only a few days into it. Our wonderful guide had limited English skills. We had a couple of gentlemen who preferred to visit a bush or kick the tires frequently. Our long day’s journey was nearing an end as the sun was setting.
Guide Joma was driving us to our lodge in the Serengeti after a full day of game viewing. I was accompanied by a couple in their 50’s and their teenage son, plus the grandfather. The two senior gentlemen of the group had been pleading for a pitstop and finally Joma found a suitable place. He got out of the vehicle and surveyed some bushes about 10 meters off the road to be sure they would be safe.
The men hustled out and we remaining three clients waited, looking the opposite direction from the men, until Joma urgently pointed to the bushes and whispered in an excited manner, “Dik dik!” One of us said, “Pardon me.” Joma repeated, “Dik dik!” So there was no doubt about what we had just heard. My only question was if he was mixing some kind of KiSwahili grammar (using a repetitive plural as there were two of them out there) with English vulgarities.
The next events took only a few seconds, but in the uncomfortable silence it seemed forever. The three of us glanced in wide-eyed uncertainty at each other but did not want to follow Joma’s gaze or his pointed finger toward the men. I was appalled, especially with the wife and son/grandson in the vehicle with me. Then I was shocked. Joma had not exhibited the least bit of inappropriate or unprofessional behavior to this point, nor had he even been much of a comedian. So I thought to myself, “Perhaps this a cultural difference. Just lighten up. When in Rome…”
At that point my peripheral vision caught some movement and I saw a tiny antelope skitter through the brush. Joma was beaming at his discovery and his pointing became more demonstrative to get our attention. “Oh, the antelope,” we said in relief as we realized the tiny, brush dwelling, crepuscular antelope was a dik dik. At that point mother, son, and I let out a sigh of relief and started to laugh. I don’t think Joma comprehended our laughter, but then foreign tourists would often laugh, shout, and do lots of odd things that Joma did not understand.
The men returned from behind the bushes where the dik dik lived and we related the story to them in delicate terms until we were all laughing. We decided we had to let Joma in on the joke he was obviously missing. We elected the husband to enlighten Joma. He was a bit embarrassed initially, but soon Joma heartily joined in the laughter.
Then Joma said something that proved maybe he was indeed a comedian, “Now I know this word and shit.”
It had to be a perfect storm of coincidences for this event to take place. We were all on our first safari and only a few days into it. Our wonderful guide had limited English skills. We had a couple of gentlemen who preferred to visit a bush or kick the tires frequently. Our long day’s journey was nearing an end as the sun was setting.
Guide Joma was driving us to our lodge in the Serengeti after a full day of game viewing. I was accompanied by a couple in their 50’s and their teenage son, plus the grandfather. The two senior gentlemen of the group had been pleading for a pitstop and finally Joma found a suitable place. He got out of the vehicle and surveyed some bushes about 10 meters off the road to be sure they would be safe.
The men hustled out and we remaining three clients waited, looking the opposite direction from the men, until Joma urgently pointed to the bushes and whispered in an excited manner, “Dik dik!” One of us said, “Pardon me.” Joma repeated, “Dik dik!” So there was no doubt about what we had just heard. My only question was if he was mixing some kind of KiSwahili grammar (using a repetitive plural as there were two of them out there) with English vulgarities.
The next events took only a few seconds, but in the uncomfortable silence it seemed forever. The three of us glanced in wide-eyed uncertainty at each other but did not want to follow Joma’s gaze or his pointed finger toward the men. I was appalled, especially with the wife and son/grandson in the vehicle with me. Then I was shocked. Joma had not exhibited the least bit of inappropriate or unprofessional behavior to this point, nor had he even been much of a comedian. So I thought to myself, “Perhaps this a cultural difference. Just lighten up. When in Rome…”
At that point my peripheral vision caught some movement and I saw a tiny antelope skitter through the brush. Joma was beaming at his discovery and his pointing became more demonstrative to get our attention. “Oh, the antelope,” we said in relief as we realized the tiny, brush dwelling, crepuscular antelope was a dik dik. At that point mother, son, and I let out a sigh of relief and started to laugh. I don’t think Joma comprehended our laughter, but then foreign tourists would often laugh, shout, and do lots of odd things that Joma did not understand.
The men returned from behind the bushes where the dik dik lived and we related the story to them in delicate terms until we were all laughing. We decided we had to let Joma in on the joke he was obviously missing. We elected the husband to enlighten Joma. He was a bit embarrassed initially, but soon Joma heartily joined in the laughter.
Then Joma said something that proved maybe he was indeed a comedian, “Now I know this word and shit.”
Apr 6th, 2008, 04:42 PM
#20
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Our favorite place in Africa is the Okavango Delta. Our pictures (and some stories) can be seen at http://okavango.ifp3.com
