Chobe, Botswana

I have now joined up with our new group, there are 8 of us remaining from the leg from Jo'burg, so we are now outnumbered by the others. There are a couple more Aussies and a lot of Poms, they seem like an interesting group after 1/2 a day...
So we left Vic Falls this morning, after 1 hour of visiting the Zambian side of the falls, i just can't comprehend how much water would come over the falls in the wet season, it is unbelievable.
So we managed a relatively good border crossing of 1 1/2 hours to get back to Botswana and we are off to do another Game Drive tomorrow, then an evening Game Cruise, should all be great, then off to the Okavango Delta.

The (1/3) Mighty Zambezi

Well I have survived the first week of my new tour, and as of tomorrow I start my new tour, Livingstone to Capetown, but for now I have just completed the journey from Johannesburg to Livingstone.
The first day was spent driving from Jo'burg to Krueger National Park, where we stayed just out of the Park at a place called Bushman's Camp, it was a beautiful little place where we stayed for 2 nights, and on the evening we arrived we went off on an evening Game Drive in a private game reserve called Thornybush, were amazingly we spotted all of the 'big five' in the one night.
Next morning we went on a full day Game Drive in Krueger, which apart from being stinking hot was fantastic too, although big 4 not big 5.
Anyway skipping ahead, we camped out in the Kalahari one night, no fences, no guns, just a couple of bushmen who were scared of Elephants to protect us. It was awesome, there were even fresh lion tracks around the camp in the morning, so cool.
So now I am in Livingstone and this morning I had a quick flight over the falls, which because it is the dry season is only runing at about 1/3, but it still looked pretty special.
Anyway, must go, have to go in to town today.

Johannesburg....

Interesting blog topics have been posted about Jo'burg, so I have just seen. Anyway I have arrived after a hideously early wake up, I had to be at Nairobi Airport at 5:00am, who is stupid enough to catch an early morning international flight??? Aparently lots of people because the flight was full.
So I left Amboseli yesterday, and everyone said they would miss me and that I had to come back, I may have promised a couple of people and may now need holidays in August 2009 to go back, I think they all have good memories so I really do have to go back now...
First impressions of Jo'burg, smoggy big city.... That's it.
I shall write more when I've done something interesting....

Last Day of Luxury :(

This morning's game drive began with a sensational sunrise, and the excitment that Mt Kilimanjaro was 3/4 out of the clouds, soo close.... Anyway as we, my two guides and I, drove along, we came across a Lioness sitting right beside the road, we were the first to stop and so I managed to get some nice closeups, although I do wish I had a better zoom, my Cheetah photos really do look like pictures of the grasslands. We saw some more Cheetahs today too, well actually they were the same ones, a mum and her 4 cubs and then another two, who when we saw them this morning were just having breakfast.
It is so amazing here, yesterday a lady, Mimi and I went for a nature walk and visited a Maasai village, which was very interesting until they started pushing my to buy stuff, I got soooo ripped off. Oh well, it helps their village.
For dinner last night Mimi and I had a Bush BBQ in the bush, and it was brilliant, we were treated to the most amazing 5 course meal and then that was followed by a Maasai dance.

I have been trying to post some photos, I only have about 600, but I didn't bring any connections with me, so you'll all just have to wait till I get home.
So I am going to another Maasai lecture this afternoon, followed by my final Game drive, and then bright and early tomorrow I am off to Nairobi, followed by an even earlier start on Wednesday, when I have to be at Nairobi Airport by about 5am, that is not a holiday!!!
At least this part is anyway.
Until next time, possibly Johannesburg, see ya.

Marni the White Masai

Today I received my first marriage proposal of the trip... A Masai warrier named Leonard, he took me and another lady on a nature walk through the park and over to a Masai village, I may yet accept his offer, except Masai men can have up to 6 wives and I don't think I would like sharing, I hope he understands :)
Other than that the wildlife has been amazing, yesterday evening we saw a pack of Hyenas at their den and there were heaps of curious little babies, they are so cute, I am wondering how I would get one through customs...
I'm off again on another game drive now, hopefully to see some hippos, already seen Lions and Cheetahs today, what a life :)

Amboseli Luxury

Apart from really expensive internet, this place is awesome.
I arrived at 8:30 this morning and was ushered straight into breakfast. I now have my own personal table for the duration of my stay, with Francis as my waiter, I also have a porter for whatever I need, and I think I tipped her really well as she remebered my name.
Just about out of time already, have already seen lots of animals and still have a game drive this afternoon. Seen Elephants Waterbuck, Wildebeasts, Warthogs, Zebras, Gazelles, Giraffe and many many birds.
Better go before I get locked out......

Nairobi, end of Part 1

So the Gorilla Encounter has come to an end and I am back in Nairobi, actually a town called Karen on the outskirts of Nairobi.
Tomorrow at 6:30 am I am off to Amboselli to begin the quite bizarre part of my trip, a luxury lodge for 3 nights, it will however be nice to be doing some game drives, as we haven't seen any animals except cows, goats, chickens and pigs for the past week. Elephants should be a nice change, although last night we did here the hippos behind the electric fence. Didn't see any though, maybe I'll have to wait till Bottswana for them.
Till next time......

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

So it's my birthday and we are in Jinja today, after an all day drive from Kabale to Jinja, on Saturday, yesterday was an all day whitewater rafting trip at the Source of the Nile. It was sensational, after a bit of training on the flat water we were off down grade 3, 4 and 5 rapids and we only fliped twice. It was so much fun and a fantastic day all round, I'll show you the DVD when I get home.
Anyway, today we were off to do some volunteer work for a Ugandan organisation called Soft Power, so off we went to paint a school. it was a really enjoyable day actually, some of the children came up to talk to us and then they all heped us paint. it was nice to be able to see that the work we do in 1 day is so much appreciated.

Mzungas in the Mud

So we are now in Kisoro with a day off as some of the group are off viewing the Gorillas today and the rest of us wend yesterday.
Since I last wrote a lot has happened. We left Lake Bunyoni in the rain on Wednesday in order to get to Kisoro to trek the Mountain Gorillas. It absolutely poured all night Tuesday and the roads had turned to a very boggy mud. Anyway we continued from Kabala to Kisoro in a taxi and left the truck behind. On the way we stopped to help a number of trucks out of the mud and had a great time doing it, we all got so muddy, but the locals were very impressed by these Mzungas who helped to unbog their trucks. Anyway after taking 5.5 hours to travel 60 km we finally made it to Kisoro.
Then it was off to track the Gorillas, so we left the hotel at 6am and traveled to the National park were we met up with our guides and off we set to see the Gorillas. Amazingly, and very luckily we only had to hike for about 1 hour to find those beautiful animals. Unfortunately you only get to spend an hour with the Gorillas, but in that time I think we all managed to take about 100 photos, it was such a magical experience.

Hello from Uganda

Well we have made it to Lake Bunyoni today and it is raining again. We have been \bogged twice already and have had to tow someone else out too. It has been a great trip so far, there are only 10 of us on the Gorilla tour so it has been great. Lake Nakuru on the first evening was certainly an adventurous way for the tour to begin with millions of flamingos, white rhino and many buffalo, it is also where we became bogged for the first time. After 4.5 hours we were finally freed by a tow truck... All part of the camping adventure. We are off to see the Gorillas on the 6th and 7th, which we are all greatly looking forward too, untill next time Hakuna Matata :)