tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55589388044469463162024-02-07T07:32:49.916+01:00Adventures in TravelingAn expanding list of travel destinations, travel tips, travel adventures and travel photography for those who want more out of their holiday than a nice hotel.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-79316037495517098932010-09-19T11:56:00.000+02:002010-09-19T11:56:02.891+02:00Adventures in South Africa – Around Cape Town: Cape Point, St. James and Boulders Penguin Colony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyUncokRbYcXvxI6OOTbcy1O4jfSzlbDoNFnXnfYMaGrZPamYPvgal18aD32UO7mY1zJCf0P-sJPzcyYzpKLGHqXlK1H_PuhJGp1ncuzKhxlJlkJ5Albw3iSbH0hGo5y9MDZx_WFEMxtA/s1600/Cape+Point+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyUncokRbYcXvxI6OOTbcy1O4jfSzlbDoNFnXnfYMaGrZPamYPvgal18aD32UO7mY1zJCf0P-sJPzcyYzpKLGHqXlK1H_PuhJGp1ncuzKhxlJlkJ5Albw3iSbH0hGo5y9MDZx_WFEMxtA/s200/Cape+Point+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>South Africa’s Western Cape is very different than the rest of the African continent. People from Europe and the United States will find it a lot more similar to their own home countries. Cape Town especially is a great place to end a long excursion through the African wilds and transition back to one’s usual life.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Gq8PjWYniZDzz_er8IeBKwXgauVxTr63yzI3FihD_R-W0SP8DQrMVe-W3twkRAlXC9_gUdk-14Uyta8IXf0wabBWJuSi1ODvp-kDtbY8ekxd-MsdMh29j6m4LKynHKkTwiFluSd_kxMg/s1600/BlessBuc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Gq8PjWYniZDzz_er8IeBKwXgauVxTr63yzI3FihD_R-W0SP8DQrMVe-W3twkRAlXC9_gUdk-14Uyta8IXf0wabBWJuSi1ODvp-kDtbY8ekxd-MsdMh29j6m4LKynHKkTwiFluSd_kxMg/s200/BlessBuc.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Cape Point is part of the south-western section of the Table Mountain National Park. It offers spectacular scenery and breathtaking views of the fynbos (the natural scrubland that occurs only in a small area of the Western Cape of South Africa). The area offers unique flora and fauna not seen anywhere else. It is a short drive out of Cape Town and well worth your time to see.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9QOEmQWSUC40GDrUSvEYeAih2XuIfqoOg7A9ixrzY9SNXAIoWyt6TZ_e-wRTZ2agnwMjMzeeTm9ZQ-XMPnCFyQuUlzZHT5KR_Vs8GTlEVz1mqIZGhXTDEezyLjE3oL0t5B1FuBxBI010/s1600/StJames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9QOEmQWSUC40GDrUSvEYeAih2XuIfqoOg7A9ixrzY9SNXAIoWyt6TZ_e-wRTZ2agnwMjMzeeTm9ZQ-XMPnCFyQuUlzZHT5KR_Vs8GTlEVz1mqIZGhXTDEezyLjE3oL0t5B1FuBxBI010/s200/StJames.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>St James is a coastal suburb of Cape Town. It is a retreat where visitors walk along the ocean’s edge and swim in tidal pools. The beach is not all that big but the small size adds to its charm. St. James also has one of the most photographed features in the area; its trademark brightly colored bathing houses that line the waterfront.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUzun-5VLSPrlJg31LKRTlbon3W902LG5ygym2z32sgH3ysp_uzWCO4CbwPZwsV0IIx1uca8y9LLQZcuvMgTrIGWoilmgLo06Nk0Rm5f9WwagQzBkIRV4qLa07hBu1GgFOvxtA__aEkDt/s1600/PenguinNest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUzun-5VLSPrlJg31LKRTlbon3W902LG5ygym2z32sgH3ysp_uzWCO4CbwPZwsV0IIx1uca8y9LLQZcuvMgTrIGWoilmgLo06Nk0Rm5f9WwagQzBkIRV4qLa07hBu1GgFOvxtA__aEkDt/s200/PenguinNest.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The Boulders penguin colony is the home of a growing colony of the vulnerable African Penguin (AKA: jackass penguins due to their braying calls). Wooden walkways allow visitors to view the penguins close up in their natural habitat without disturbing the many nests along the beachfront.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6R3H3xrIEE-eIu2MiV4374cxzhkSY4tHOlJY3_E37ZpIUGoxC4O8HbWYzaUUZaucib7f_NnXUS4uLSflfkeD0928d0FF9qqvKFMdQT7R7orzxgjPdCiP4lAUaw_IdpsUKSIRACwAPHrxa/s1600/PenguinPair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6R3H3xrIEE-eIu2MiV4374cxzhkSY4tHOlJY3_E37ZpIUGoxC4O8HbWYzaUUZaucib7f_NnXUS4uLSflfkeD0928d0FF9qqvKFMdQT7R7orzxgjPdCiP4lAUaw_IdpsUKSIRACwAPHrxa/s200/PenguinPair.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We visited all three areas in the same day, but it would have been nice to spend a weekend enjoying the beaches and restaurants along the way. This time we were on a tight schedule. Our overland excursion was coming to an end, and there was a lot more of South Africa to see on our own - Onwards to our next ‘Adventure in Traveling’.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-37222303605513555322010-09-12T16:55:00.000+02:002010-09-12T16:55:51.765+02:00Adventures in South Africa - Augrabies Falls National Park and the Dassie Trail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuMS6yI3jqS__C_5Imq5hUQ_NO0nx3wBNbtsMMD9y75DNdYi9GBhl47dUn3Q8S2HytjA87vfscuTypYm8iEjdPCG1bB6YXA-CqQLT3Y4u6huaCpyXzLkTt2VBu5NDuvjBEBnnLi3oc6uU/s1600/AugrabiesFalls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuMS6yI3jqS__C_5Imq5hUQ_NO0nx3wBNbtsMMD9y75DNdYi9GBhl47dUn3Q8S2HytjA87vfscuTypYm8iEjdPCG1bB6YXA-CqQLT3Y4u6huaCpyXzLkTt2VBu5NDuvjBEBnnLi3oc6uU/s200/AugrabiesFalls.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> About 120 kilometers west of Upington, in a landscape full of sand and scrub, the Orange River cuts through solid rock in a dramatic sequence of rapids and cascades. Its rushing waters breach the main gorge and become Augrabies falls, dropping 56 meters before continuing in a tumble of cataracts, to a turbulent rock-enclosed pool. The area surrounding the waterfall has been designated a National Park and includes 15,400 hectares of unique riverine and scrub landscapes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudPcAcX0NVnF5hVt6WEEKQpln5AUedOI3SeyMBcBlkbmVotDoK0E2XoNk-1xp0vybmLvYutfa-q6Fi93M9upsF4cbJ2OoaNNkDaqxIpc19fs7roZmHgIrnrn9vj2bLaKnCC1aS6tMnRse/s1600/RedTail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudPcAcX0NVnF5hVt6WEEKQpln5AUedOI3SeyMBcBlkbmVotDoK0E2XoNk-1xp0vybmLvYutfa-q6Fi93M9upsF4cbJ2OoaNNkDaqxIpc19fs7roZmHgIrnrn9vj2bLaKnCC1aS6tMnRse/s200/RedTail.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The area is popular with nature lovers and photographers, and although it is not a ‘Big Five’ park, Springbok, Klipspringer, Eland, Giraffe and Black Rhino can be seen along with many bird species, lizards, the Cape clawless otter and the rock dassie (Hyrax). There are several good hiking trails in the park, the most popular being the three-day/39.5 kilometer Klipspringer Trail, but we had only a day to enjoy the park, so opted for the much shorter (5 kilometer - but still very interesting and varied) Dassie Trail.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJmgmaqY8RH62CmRN5yeapUbzfRc9PUh6K1F6C2MUSAevybIzdSNgoxsdIaD_ITRsHOHy2Go06RVKIeKLBv9B4VuFBszF0UmKMKinzzowTuCnfdm3wdS6ZVL7Gop_tGmIKhDpStsU2m6N/s1600/Dassie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJmgmaqY8RH62CmRN5yeapUbzfRc9PUh6K1F6C2MUSAevybIzdSNgoxsdIaD_ITRsHOHy2Go06RVKIeKLBv9B4VuFBszF0UmKMKinzzowTuCnfdm3wdS6ZVL7Gop_tGmIKhDpStsU2m6N/s200/Dassie.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The self-guided Dassie Hiking Trail leads you on a circular route starting and ending at the Rest Camp. The trail follows the gorge to Arrow Point, and then heads out into the veld, past the Potholes and Moon rock(the rounded top of a massive bolder), before returning. Along the rock faces dassies and red-tailed lizards are common. While overhead we saw a Verreaux’s (Black) Eagle and several European Bee-eaters.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHi56brEBnatAu0S3FkT7rURG46rBq9mh5uzWRD0o15SHyuWMmg9H9xaQfWlMhMdzP_JpYPetjOFhBIASxtkXMC4PyGsLs8_L_xPhhGkSrHWrYsasAMCFvJ6Dwa8faoUCTjXOuwch_J7l/s1600/BirdAndMouse2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHi56brEBnatAu0S3FkT7rURG46rBq9mh5uzWRD0o15SHyuWMmg9H9xaQfWlMhMdzP_JpYPetjOFhBIASxtkXMC4PyGsLs8_L_xPhhGkSrHWrYsasAMCFvJ6Dwa8faoUCTjXOuwch_J7l/s200/BirdAndMouse2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The trail is worth walking just to experience the varied landscapes, but it is also a great place to experience some of Africa’s smaller creatures. The Augrabies Falls National Park is a wonderful place to have a milder kind of Adventure in Traveling.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-49917493320387758722010-08-26T12:15:00.000+02:002010-08-26T12:15:59.734+02:00Adventures in South Africa - The Kgalagardi Transfrontier Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1FSHT8-b16CHAyrqr90yRc4KsDhOOiRS8XHnOAHuJi_8ybWhC7eXS4T5QWb1ikJEmmKO1NiCpNgebrtieSOA9F-YINIz-goJeGoLayZrk5iBPJhxCmkYp5jSKX98J2qn_7cLta44-cns/s1600/Gemsbok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1FSHT8-b16CHAyrqr90yRc4KsDhOOiRS8XHnOAHuJi_8ybWhC7eXS4T5QWb1ikJEmmKO1NiCpNgebrtieSOA9F-YINIz-goJeGoLayZrk5iBPJhxCmkYp5jSKX98J2qn_7cLta44-cns/s200/Gemsbok.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The Kgalagardi Transfrontier Park straddles the border between South Africa and Botswana and comprises two adjoining national parks: Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa and Gemsbok National Park in Botswana. Its total area is 38,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq miles). Approximately three-quarters of the park lie in Botswana and one-quarter in South Africa. The terrain consists of red sand dunes, sparse vegetation with occasional trees, and the dry riverbeds of the Nossob and Auob rivers. The rivers flow only about once per century, but a flow of water underground provides life for grass and camelthorn trees growing in the riverbeds.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-57dWV6AVzrrwJzp7vNogItWttWb1qCKpq77V2r2hVzvvJdiIha9B1b0hIbnDhT4YbQEkaq04erFRYvQKKvubwxOxDvTxbYgpjhl4KFoNwcHTkBFGgpTQ-banAiKkijyJWaKCNWuWkPaT/s1600/Heartebeest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-57dWV6AVzrrwJzp7vNogItWttWb1qCKpq77V2r2hVzvvJdiIha9B1b0hIbnDhT4YbQEkaq04erFRYvQKKvubwxOxDvTxbYgpjhl4KFoNwcHTkBFGgpTQ-banAiKkijyJWaKCNWuWkPaT/s200/Heartebeest.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The weather in the Kalahari can be extreme. Midsummer temperatures are often in excess of 40 °C (104 °F) and winter nights can be quite cold with temperatures below freezing. Regardless of the hardships, the park has abundant wildlife. It is the home of large predators such as the black-manned Kalahari lion, cheetah, leopard, and hyena. Migrating herds of large herbivores such as wildebeest, springbok, eland, and hartebeest also live in the park.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhno-LfcqN4uwPXA113Py7QhokSUZRn4uwy2SiNQLvOO2k7-idkEUk2WkrB_et-mHfLh-bHYb3VLYNc6uwq4GdsGP4r65QYbpBrRYdigqiAM1-3acm3c5Dn07KcuhbvRT9szn0hfYMcTL2U/s1600/GroundSquirrel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhno-LfcqN4uwPXA113Py7QhokSUZRn4uwy2SiNQLvOO2k7-idkEUk2WkrB_et-mHfLh-bHYb3VLYNc6uwq4GdsGP4r65QYbpBrRYdigqiAM1-3acm3c5Dn07KcuhbvRT9szn0hfYMcTL2U/s200/GroundSquirrel2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>There are three well-equipped camps on the South African side of the park, namely Twee Rivieren, Nossob and Mata Mata. From Upington, Twee Rivieren is 260 kilometers north and it the closest. We spent one night there before going as far north as Nossob. We returned to Twee Rivieren for one more night before leaving the park. All camps have a small shop with food, ice and drinks as well as fuel pumps. Hundreds of ground squirrel dens also litter the camping areas. Their antics are truly fun to watch while resting around the campfire, but watch where you place your feet.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzTvdd9wqmtUl87L4oQw5_WgqcUwJgZnCVPN7ThwEd6ULVFQmiuptzzVNmysxVp828aCkQdpZTgDTm_ywl9jMjV7MkPyfTpLLLbPsEUIJ6Ebx24Jxeq6dcRI6OpsxlD65FU7gh2yo_G7z/s1600/Ostrich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzTvdd9wqmtUl87L4oQw5_WgqcUwJgZnCVPN7ThwEd6ULVFQmiuptzzVNmysxVp828aCkQdpZTgDTm_ywl9jMjV7MkPyfTpLLLbPsEUIJ6Ebx24Jxeq6dcRI6OpsxlD65FU7gh2yo_G7z/s200/Ostrich.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The arid landscape of the Kalahari reminded me of Etosha National Park in Namibia, but the dry riverbeds gave it more contour. The grass can be quite high, so being in a truck, high off the ground, gave us a game spotting advantage. Also note, many of the roads through the Transfrontier require a 4x4 and should only be attempted in a caravan of at least three vehicles. That said the game viewing was tremendous. Our first night, we went on a night drive with a park ranger. Among many other animals, we saw an Egyptian cobra, bat-eared foxes, springhares, many night birds and countless species of antelope. Over the next few days, we had the luck to see leopard, cheetah, jackal, hyena, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest, eland, gemsbok, springbok, and so much more. However, the highlight for me was when we were leaving the park and ran across a pride of lion feeding at a gemsbok kill.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-77509231393924844812010-08-15T12:29:00.001+02:002010-09-19T11:58:18.059+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part15) – The Fish River Canyon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmR71pUNbJvLV4Am_pjbkP7VYA3ap_052pkqQV8ojbVSrq-IZ9jRCLOH-a-m7CEjIg4tZ84ryA3A-52emtDqSMYhZNjlGKWt7DBuUV2BFw5_8SPBRORFT1u-q8i_snNzEQYbeqstnP7zu/s1600/FishRiverCanyonTopSide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmR71pUNbJvLV4Am_pjbkP7VYA3ap_052pkqQV8ojbVSrq-IZ9jRCLOH-a-m7CEjIg4tZ84ryA3A-52emtDqSMYhZNjlGKWt7DBuUV2BFw5_8SPBRORFT1u-q8i_snNzEQYbeqstnP7zu/s320/FishRiverCanyonTopSide.jpg" /></a></div>The Fish River Canyon is one of the great natural wonders of Africa. It is one of the largest canyons in the world ranking with the Colca Canyon in Peru and the Grand Canyon in the U.S.A. The Fish River has its source east of the Naukluft Mountains and from there it flows down into the great Orange River. The river has cut a canyon into the escarpment more than 150 kilometers long, up to 27 km wide, and in places, almost 550 meters deep. The lookout points from the top give breathtaking views, especially at sunset when orange light bathes the canyon walls. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnESlgxt891alRjXagj7KixEdKR17ujMNgouCf-iimPCbtRkbW8SoKNSaKgRsa_q_mhlS1rQkX-15m5SzsJKS9TJaivYjoU84RCgXf_Sa5pG66expbUEf2YbWBkqPIBxQgvRew9YvTGKhV/s1600/FishRiverOrangeRiver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnESlgxt891alRjXagj7KixEdKR17ujMNgouCf-iimPCbtRkbW8SoKNSaKgRsa_q_mhlS1rQkX-15m5SzsJKS9TJaivYjoU84RCgXf_Sa5pG66expbUEf2YbWBkqPIBxQgvRew9YvTGKhV/s320/FishRiverOrangeRiver.jpg" /></a></div>The Fish River Hiking Trail starts at Hobas and ends 85 kilometers (53 miles) further south at the hot springs resort village of Ai Ais. No facilities are available and hikers must make their own camps for the entire trip, which usually takes about 5 days to complete. Due to high summer temperatures, which frequently exceed 45°C, the trail is only open in winter. The season runs from mid-April to mid-September (wintertime in the Southern Hemisphere). A medical certificate is required to attempt the hike and groups must consist of at least three people.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__h1fRkPVql3h7RRzY3sa6ZiwKCFj0Wdnr63HJIqcYhPTVtMGELiucsQ17fC7vUT0TEfMqe0Bpx2dwUufSKo6Hp6GR9hOyyKBqRJ_H2Hgl6czTCgYbtobKWEGlDyyW86O68iuXg2dfahl/s1600/FishRiverViper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__h1fRkPVql3h7RRzY3sa6ZiwKCFj0Wdnr63HJIqcYhPTVtMGELiucsQ17fC7vUT0TEfMqe0Bpx2dwUufSKo6Hp6GR9hOyyKBqRJ_H2Hgl6czTCgYbtobKWEGlDyyW86O68iuXg2dfahl/s200/FishRiverViper.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_QFEcTxcClBQ6OrJPnLtzZhHT9COucuusPPq_0JOhkFud2UhHOAiwTJGzD-SpwOQbgaI35dP_nFvw6IckD0fv_2tnNofCeLwPNVS4kTawmxFljeYnV5dOSgT3ZnI2sEaLZflga21toHV/s1600/FishRiverQuiverTree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_QFEcTxcClBQ6OrJPnLtzZhHT9COucuusPPq_0JOhkFud2UhHOAiwTJGzD-SpwOQbgaI35dP_nFvw6IckD0fv_2tnNofCeLwPNVS4kTawmxFljeYnV5dOSgT3ZnI2sEaLZflga21toHV/s200/FishRiverQuiverTree.jpg" width="200" /></a>We would have loved to walk the entire trail, and hope to do so someday, but this time the schedule only allowed us the afternoon to descend to the Orange River and back. It was a walk that took 45 minutes down and about twice as long to climb back up. The trails are in good<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTThJ7FaBuY9FjxxGGctxBlIa8AjEHiqCUB6fHu7KSEninPzFXfIzxlwXg1i7Knueb37NE-YvJdiTVqDZ-lf6KjuWNhyphenhyphenLSTIq8AKx87kCDGOV8IAaAyqV7EIp7dx65OEAcF2owUVhmGI_2/s1600/FishRiverCanyonFormation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTThJ7FaBuY9FjxxGGctxBlIa8AjEHiqCUB6fHu7KSEninPzFXfIzxlwXg1i7Knueb37NE-YvJdiTVqDZ-lf6KjuWNhyphenhyphenLSTIq8AKx87kCDGOV8IAaAyqV7EIp7dx65OEAcF2owUVhmGI_2/s320/FishRiverCanyonFormation.jpg" /></a></div>Upon returning to the lookout, the setting sun rewarded us with some breathtaking views of the canyon. I am always amused by the fact that the more rugged the landscape the more beautiful it appears from afar.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-59047544594807326682010-08-08T17:43:00.001+02:002010-09-19T11:57:49.028+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part14) – luderitz, Kolmanskop and Halifax Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFARDLttL5a0QIYOHqklWO3EHvVLBhsenY3dTrf1pEvngo_qQWfSU7oupFQevpnaBbqAuQ4VorhIuBOcLcLO6U1s5uTkXT5QfzP-mKj-w9zfoH977Pt3LeVqbBXbcNi4skKHMtwc2wmmz/s1600/luderitz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFARDLttL5a0QIYOHqklWO3EHvVLBhsenY3dTrf1pEvngo_qQWfSU7oupFQevpnaBbqAuQ4VorhIuBOcLcLO6U1s5uTkXT5QfzP-mKj-w9zfoH977Pt3LeVqbBXbcNi4skKHMtwc2wmmz/s400/luderitz.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Luderitz is a German colonial town on the Namib Desert coast, seemingly untouched by the 20th century. It began life in the late 1800s as a harbor and trading post, but the bay’s shallow water and rocky bottom, make it unusable for modern ships. Today Luderitz is a tourist town with shops and restaurants. Its main draw for visitors are wildlife cruises and the nearby ghost town of Kolmanskop.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSVmdfHHutGOcigruzh52IVuXY0mCIHFIfqiC5mq0DgVS8cDjiIMP36jTCSrgD9E_Vs7pK_2V0G05YL_olwl8kATz1KrfRSTV3Hh4GR2zfP8THc89gAMnAw2PN0yanKmRMGJyPxx2KrtG/s1600/ludFlamingos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSVmdfHHutGOcigruzh52IVuXY0mCIHFIfqiC5mq0DgVS8cDjiIMP36jTCSrgD9E_Vs7pK_2V0G05YL_olwl8kATz1KrfRSTV3Hh4GR2zfP8THc89gAMnAw2PN0yanKmRMGJyPxx2KrtG/s200/ludFlamingos.jpg" width="200" /></a>Just off the coast is a marine wildlife sanctuary that can be visited by boat. There, you have an opportunity to see African penguins, sea lions, white-sided dolphins, flamingos and many other marine bird species.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj631SaA9lW8iOwg_XJcL6eXn-YCGE_vTsC4BNKH4kIh2mY0KXXMtcZQIPa3EL_1bWrQEB4dRZ7Jgi4vhym0GQCw_Cb6rwEVusn1XgshkGD_xq6cLyO5e-I5-5XB9CV434zFHtzoF_Q81xi/s1600/ludDolfins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj631SaA9lW8iOwg_XJcL6eXn-YCGE_vTsC4BNKH4kIh2mY0KXXMtcZQIPa3EL_1bWrQEB4dRZ7Jgi4vhym0GQCw_Cb6rwEVusn1XgshkGD_xq6cLyO5e-I5-5XB9CV434zFHtzoF_Q81xi/s200/ludDolfins.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The day after arriving in Luderitz, we walked to the harbor from our campsite to board the schooner, Sedina, for a morning cruise. We sailed into luderitz bay, past the lighthouse at Diaz Point and on to Halifax Island. Several dolphins showed us the way and accompanied us for most of the excursion. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmc-Y-kOUNponJKe2a4gvYfuwZM4dmWKtfKP0M0gVvxHkenU1hiYrUxFh7Sngzq-q6pBfwM5Jc_-9H0trKTEMxo5DYZ4FOz9Lbsz0ZDqcG5tWlGKIh2P40DC5SUtbLgESmXeRgap7aJg4/s1600/ludPinguin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmc-Y-kOUNponJKe2a4gvYfuwZM4dmWKtfKP0M0gVvxHkenU1hiYrUxFh7Sngzq-q6pBfwM5Jc_-9H0trKTEMxo5DYZ4FOz9Lbsz0ZDqcG5tWlGKIh2P40DC5SUtbLgESmXeRgap7aJg4/s200/ludPinguin.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbHewds7Ce64CtyEZyELR7YFFWyXmLeqDlFU83HNu_4CH_GaeDk3qFvZoAYTRx4puknOUgNZYX27LFoFAGkeWf9p9WX7AqU7aTgIcrZT-ntmns3neHmpDoJw_3Pq6nL-cyeAKcP6bF6J0/s1600/ludSeaLions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbHewds7Ce64CtyEZyELR7YFFWyXmLeqDlFU83HNu_4CH_GaeDk3qFvZoAYTRx4puknOUgNZYX27LFoFAGkeWf9p9WX7AqU7aTgIcrZT-ntmns3neHmpDoJw_3Pq6nL-cyeAKcP6bF6J0/s200/ludSeaLions.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>As we approached Halifax island we saw sea lions basking in the sun, and along the rough ragged rocks, penguins jumped in and out of the waves. the water was choppy and the schooner did its best to hold position. Overhead flamingos flew to feed in the shallows of the bay. On our return trip into the harbor, we were again joined by the dolphins.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtZeRgfIKNwUIVY1iFON-SjdYdA9qnMDLh65KlebCOpArKcYlAwQPMGi1jZrdV5tkDmHqKiatA3HMAqEXAvHFAzoeOg-Zyj_WanJ9xH9fdV4M4-yh-AHU3ZhlQ8KisLPvtDtJCI7BfSvq/s1600/kolmonnskuppe1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtZeRgfIKNwUIVY1iFON-SjdYdA9qnMDLh65KlebCOpArKcYlAwQPMGi1jZrdV5tkDmHqKiatA3HMAqEXAvHFAzoeOg-Zyj_WanJ9xH9fdV4M4-yh-AHU3ZhlQ8KisLPvtDtJCI7BfSvq/s200/kolmonnskuppe1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> In the afternoon, we visited Kolmanskop. The last resident left the diamond boom town in 1956 and the once thriving settlement now sits crumbling in the desert 15 kilometers inland from Luderitz . It is gradually being buried by the sand, but it is still a fascinating place to visit, offering great photo opportunities and a glimpse into an exciting part of Namibia's past.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpnfHY2CERd7DmoIzMwNSv7gWVwna-9mzBfjcUrsULHP6cCJrN9G9iN9LPkXFuH7LiYRaTkKfEARO-DEPBgRdzVQJHiop2CXtsTw5__YiASHleuAHEOjpKFPhpQ_PgHyDox9EIRD-D3tc/s1600/kolmonnskuppe2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpnfHY2CERd7DmoIzMwNSv7gWVwna-9mzBfjcUrsULHP6cCJrN9G9iN9LPkXFuH7LiYRaTkKfEARO-DEPBgRdzVQJHiop2CXtsTw5__YiASHleuAHEOjpKFPhpQ_PgHyDox9EIRD-D3tc/s320/kolmonnskuppe2.jpg" /></a></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-22428134539535472562010-08-01T12:37:00.000+02:002010-08-01T12:37:37.159+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part13) – The Namib Naukluft Park: Sossusvlei<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutshvHJO3tGd-XVeWkW8npSr6axftxOrmMg8NTvMNLSxYrV-NDSGybYUoqzdfufLJQ4ZU7w6hg6RN6xOYhqqg1H3GYMJpYnin7RATpUKdsx5QU4ciWCsa9sanI-lIaTlYG6FUNPt1lDF_/s1600/Sossusvlei.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutshvHJO3tGd-XVeWkW8npSr6axftxOrmMg8NTvMNLSxYrV-NDSGybYUoqzdfufLJQ4ZU7w6hg6RN6xOYhqqg1H3GYMJpYnin7RATpUKdsx5QU4ciWCsa9sanI-lIaTlYG6FUNPt1lDF_/s200/Sossusvlei.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The Sossusvlei and the surrounding sand dunes of the Namib Naukluft National Park are one of the most spectacular sights in Namibia. 'Vlei' is the Afrikaans word for a shallow depression that fills with water ,and the Sossusvlei refers to the pan that lies at the very end of the Tsauchab Riverbed where the dunes prevent water (on the rare occasions when there is any) from flowing any further into the desert.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpVqzDCslPSdJcLKyJxB7JW-h5TIGM3eYYEFmNU4aJgPY3wseg6UHPsKbeLUD9kgiYUT53genA87owKHi5oOEms01Ohp2Rv6QmW4Co7L0-mGcEA7e2tbKltRVn3LxPWdKBgZbWWB8lBCQ/s1600/SossDune2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQpVqzDCslPSdJcLKyJxB7JW-h5TIGM3eYYEFmNU4aJgPY3wseg6UHPsKbeLUD9kgiYUT53genA87owKHi5oOEms01Ohp2Rv6QmW4Co7L0-mGcEA7e2tbKltRVn3LxPWdKBgZbWWB8lBCQ/s200/SossDune2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>These beautiful, red sand dunes are some of the highest in the world (Some as high as 300 meters) and present some awe-inspiring images against a nearly cloudless blue sky. The midday heat is intense and the sun is so strong that it washes out the colors. The best time to view the Sossusvlei is close to sunrise and sunset when the colors are strong and the shadows are constantly shifting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7DOX8in1H639DM1VDP0eVgcvCfbksUC2oMA0FOy3aLhEOaDI6XYYC2ZzOSfWUsYnHWHd1JQnE0qWiAxGXGg0R5mjo6vGe9B7Y9eKsHZ_Zta9vGrsXNzgodSRMGGeY5hhcM48hSUqPCW5/s1600/SossDune3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO7DOX8in1H639DM1VDP0eVgcvCfbksUC2oMA0FOy3aLhEOaDI6XYYC2ZzOSfWUsYnHWHd1JQnE0qWiAxGXGg0R5mjo6vGe9B7Y9eKsHZ_Zta9vGrsXNzgodSRMGGeY5hhcM48hSUqPCW5/s320/SossDune3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The night before our visit, we stayed at the Sesriem gate campsite in the park. In the morning, we were up before the sun and drove the one hour to the 2x4 parking area. We left the truck there and continued by foot for the last four kilometers of our journey to arrive at the Sossusvlei as the sun was rising over the dunes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0W38OPcW9laLNFem0G1QkpJjqFL1xATrMrCzNGhsKI744KB5UIfgVJ3Hn9h3Xil88EwzjC6ndIflwa7Faj7xm4I6NU-u4XyWQn6jmm8eKRnVV3UyI1riROvsigQxkcG0h78R64Cus8EG/s1600/sossLizard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0W38OPcW9laLNFem0G1QkpJjqFL1xATrMrCzNGhsKI744KB5UIfgVJ3Hn9h3Xil88EwzjC6ndIflwa7Faj7xm4I6NU-u4XyWQn6jmm8eKRnVV3UyI1riROvsigQxkcG0h78R64Cus8EG/s200/sossLizard.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> After taking some time for photographs, we met up with a park guide who showed us many of the plant and animal species, which live in an environment that on first glance looks devoid of life. There are lizards that keep cool by burying themselves in the sand, Fog Beetles that catch the humidity in the morning wind and plants that store their water inside cucumber-like fruit.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nkmV3s596zhgGoj3c30EC7C48OkgDbK28c043AzuwMwz1ntXNwhKEkSJzbEl99suvOfscasuivp5sSSqeKxcSILkSbeUajW8irT8hGj4SAC71x5zgNwgIrajXzoXNXqmgxLK0U0uH2Lt/s1600/SossDune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nkmV3s596zhgGoj3c30EC7C48OkgDbK28c043AzuwMwz1ntXNwhKEkSJzbEl99suvOfscasuivp5sSSqeKxcSILkSbeUajW8irT8hGj4SAC71x5zgNwgIrajXzoXNXqmgxLK0U0uH2Lt/s200/SossDune.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Later, we took the time to climb one of the dunes for a view of the surroundings. It was a hard climb through soft sand, but our reward was worth it - a landscape of stark, high sand dunes stretching to the horizon. It gave me the feeling of insignificance and awe. It was truly an adventure in traveling.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-64333861512472109622010-07-25T17:06:00.000+02:002010-07-25T17:06:15.725+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part12) – Swakopmund and the Namib Desert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAtoepc_wQx9lJs6YFlBq9zKq1zj1FQ4KF6jWyQ2CzZbGgf3i70CotpXXMDbGThyrW7UfzJayK0NkJgazGpjBjX-LB0Vr99ObW4FkC4igXX4YFv8QXrTUw5yuafZGWAlZ0jZhwFymME-I/s1600/Swakopmund.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAtoepc_wQx9lJs6YFlBq9zKq1zj1FQ4KF6jWyQ2CzZbGgf3i70CotpXXMDbGThyrW7UfzJayK0NkJgazGpjBjX-LB0Vr99ObW4FkC4igXX4YFv8QXrTUw5yuafZGWAlZ0jZhwFymME-I/s200/Swakopmund.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Swakopmund is Namibia's second biggest town and its summer capital. It was founded in 1892 as the main harbor for German South-West Africa, and many of its buildings stand as examples of German colonial architecture. Since the climate on the coast is cooler than the interior of the country, government traditionally moves from the country’s official capital, Windhoek, to Swakopmund for the hotter months.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5oIkq70xSBJA8aOZtv1AG__97y_PqN1kBdp6LDqBsPjE_Q1V4J1GBwG2DvQv55crHCiAq7bMelrX9N0N-azWU4cHQ_wgvmFqlcTY_zarf9DPJNExFWGx87bpu1WFPtwgh84x9AUPKhvG/s1600/SwakopmundCoast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5oIkq70xSBJA8aOZtv1AG__97y_PqN1kBdp6LDqBsPjE_Q1V4J1GBwG2DvQv55crHCiAq7bMelrX9N0N-azWU4cHQ_wgvmFqlcTY_zarf9DPJNExFWGx87bpu1WFPtwgh84x9AUPKhvG/s200/SwakopmundCoast.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Today, Swakopmund is a seaside resort. It is known to travelers for its adventure sports such as quad-biking, parachuting and sand surfing, as well as for the beauty of the surrounding desert. If you’ve been traveling for a while, Swakopmund is the place to rejuvenate. However, the town is not all tourism. Like every Southern African town of any size, it has its poor. Along with all the other activities, I highly recommend a guided tour of the Swakopmund townships. It is a rare opportunity to meet and spend time with some of the people who live there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNP2mqHD4cpakcj50K79oZlHSCW8WRIodOH5UOddt9m8Lp5obJTQHOzLkkjLBvk2OME8x3zZ-I7SyBEitgEgFXAXQ6Hn39K-RxpbIK1OY7DgIGbaLCqRWUapGyrCetouyHQB5IjweCWmc/s1600/TribalElder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNP2mqHD4cpakcj50K79oZlHSCW8WRIodOH5UOddt9m8Lp5obJTQHOzLkkjLBvk2OME8x3zZ-I7SyBEitgEgFXAXQ6Hn39K-RxpbIK1OY7DgIGbaLCqRWUapGyrCetouyHQB5IjweCWmc/s200/TribalElder.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>On our tour, a tribal elder invited us into his home for a chat and later we spent much of the evening watching children and families going about their evening. It was a pleasure to watch children dancing in the alleys and to hear singing coming from all over the township.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1bv9rQbO_B1UnbX0frXEHut5texuzYLy7ssqmrr0015SNj84ThuW7BX-4Bsyo2HzSnbCKdgdTihvK1QQrvN17tulxKNvin-sl0ZPE6ATHIM1j-_9szUR1o_AC2Y00AoU257L0NmGNnjF/s1600/MartinLuther.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1bv9rQbO_B1UnbX0frXEHut5texuzYLy7ssqmrr0015SNj84ThuW7BX-4Bsyo2HzSnbCKdgdTihvK1QQrvN17tulxKNvin-sl0ZPE6ATHIM1j-_9szUR1o_AC2Y00AoU257L0NmGNnjF/s200/MartinLuther.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsZ2yO12VSCFIdFltdN_Mr2vQ_bvdafcHlzi495q7QmIaN2huUVVbCwKy_CUZfkPRe5s9DMBs1UlcOYvMvKW06ICRCohBOHcYNGtMJhkhVGByWgDC4spPymcOx089Nz1SA9USNI81DyPh/s1600/welwitschia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLsZ2yO12VSCFIdFltdN_Mr2vQ_bvdafcHlzi495q7QmIaN2huUVVbCwKy_CUZfkPRe5s9DMBs1UlcOYvMvKW06ICRCohBOHcYNGtMJhkhVGByWgDC4spPymcOx089Nz1SA9USNI81DyPh/s200/welwitschia.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The next day we drove out into the desert to admire the arid landscape. On a dusty hillside rests the Martin Luther, a stream engine left there to rust since 1896 as a testament to the unforgiving terrain.<br />
Nearby, there are welwitschia; ancient plants that can live for 2000 years and proof that life can exist even in the harshest climate.<br />
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Later, we returned to the hotel. We washed our clothes at a nearby Laundromat, ate dinner in a nice restaurant, and took one last shower. Tomorrow we would head back into the desert for our next adventure in traveling.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-84220531597538506272010-07-18T12:26:00.006+02:002010-07-18T12:40:56.457+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part11) – Twyfelfontein<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09z3qiHhTEYxiFxO3yF2x8ChnfrDBoUyxzAyoA4o7gXO1g2eeQyCIMQXQlQ16E13zKYemlZhyOsxxgVSFI9hH-o8RhtvXzH3XToSG211Fd4v_kelDs0zBCBbCJ0Fd71LTNj1IqZ8Uwgq-/s1600/RockPainting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09z3qiHhTEYxiFxO3yF2x8ChnfrDBoUyxzAyoA4o7gXO1g2eeQyCIMQXQlQ16E13zKYemlZhyOsxxgVSFI9hH-o8RhtvXzH3XToSG211Fd4v_kelDs0zBCBbCJ0Fd71LTNj1IqZ8Uwgq-/s200/RockPainting.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Twyfelfontein is a rocky sandstone outcrop seated in the Kunene Region of Namibia. The area has one of the largest and most important concentrations of rock art in Africa with some 2000 petroglyphs created over the course of two thousand years (ending around 1000 AD). Archeologists believe hunter-gathers carved the figures into the boulders of Twyfelfontein as part of their ritualistic activity. The carvings represent rhinoceroses, elephants, ostriches and giraffes, as well as depicting human and animal footprints.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbi06Bu-yJx9SlACWpjOHHKIQRwviHTIqElHxJ8gBVjUvKdi3deURaB36cvOypG11GwbOSdhcEEg0hyIIB3Oj8sfvVrryX6quFe1oftdipybcqL3t0e-Xxrsv5tMIaKCBeua_iAg6iUJ1/s1600/namibiaLandscape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbi06Bu-yJx9SlACWpjOHHKIQRwviHTIqElHxJ8gBVjUvKdi3deURaB36cvOypG11GwbOSdhcEEg0hyIIB3Oj8sfvVrryX6quFe1oftdipybcqL3t0e-Xxrsv5tMIaKCBeua_iAg6iUJ1/s200/namibiaLandscape.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaN63P5RKOV2REvIdGkq-HqDrIB3Ja-KWmEi8mmAHc9Y4RA_kiX22z4JQWEdSavVUEBWwtHmqQCPWYzN-hIpcPj64mEFczNCBwoAq1n9Gx1TDaOHUzAwKKtEnIA9yZuLJ2jMND1GtB9pNa/s1600/namibiaRoadblock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaN63P5RKOV2REvIdGkq-HqDrIB3Ja-KWmEi8mmAHc9Y4RA_kiX22z4JQWEdSavVUEBWwtHmqQCPWYzN-hIpcPj64mEFczNCBwoAq1n9Gx1TDaOHUzAwKKtEnIA9yZuLJ2jMND1GtB9pNa/s200/namibiaRoadblock.jpg" width="200" /></a>We drove from the small town of Khorixas along some very dusty dirt roads for 90 kilometers to Twyfelfontein. The desert scenery in the region known as Damaraland is spectacular, and in itself, is worth the drive. Unexpectedly, we came across an elephant standing in the middle of the road and had a short break while we waited for him to give way. For me, these little inconveniencies are what make travel in Africa an adventure.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1exTzhUztz38WIe3SVMvEmC8rqofE_oyWLzMbgJoUfbdecDaOiTeH8nFqQjM_jTLNh7ux2qNaGc8eFye6xIjeyQcssCVTaT_FE6aXAzEzYXIX1BCnF_3fQskdwrxFNmqam3SDHdrGS0Mz/s1600/RockJaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1exTzhUztz38WIe3SVMvEmC8rqofE_oyWLzMbgJoUfbdecDaOiTeH8nFqQjM_jTLNh7ux2qNaGc8eFye6xIjeyQcssCVTaT_FE6aXAzEzYXIX1BCnF_3fQskdwrxFNmqam3SDHdrGS0Mz/s200/RockJaw.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Once at Twyfelfontein, we met a local guide who took us along the well-tended trails through the petroglyphs. He pointed out the highlights, but he was hard to understand. All I really got out of his talk was that Twyfelfontein is Afrikaans for doubtful fountain and that a farmer who once homesteaded the area had named it.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMco3fZFkUy0zC1yfRAl1iWF4vwsmTXMC3hTVkObWagDaflz24tYmHx6n05JPbR0vhIuawlAZxijFYg1R9MlaF8OZoo_m4VV719zUn0AlNSeSVDEGxKaQZ0zK2IhCXNk5yAHsFSOUA4PCq/s1600/namibiaRockPainting6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMco3fZFkUy0zC1yfRAl1iWF4vwsmTXMC3hTVkObWagDaflz24tYmHx6n05JPbR0vhIuawlAZxijFYg1R9MlaF8OZoo_m4VV719zUn0AlNSeSVDEGxKaQZ0zK2IhCXNk5yAHsFSOUA4PCq/s200/namibiaRockPainting6.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57zn41W3j8bHGhwLVbJ9LOTlhhB54EF00dZG56tZ6XEJAS35S2rOneanXOWpNTzx3d10z7PpCqTe-Q5eqao77Hh626pNrwhRL9qRGvchiY9f0T4pqkh8sxR6OAUNa6m1Dp4UU671Tk-9K/s1600/namibiaRockPainting4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57zn41W3j8bHGhwLVbJ9LOTlhhB54EF00dZG56tZ6XEJAS35S2rOneanXOWpNTzx3d10z7PpCqTe-Q5eqao77Hh626pNrwhRL9qRGvchiY9f0T4pqkh8sxR6OAUNa6m1Dp4UU671Tk-9K/s200/namibiaRockPainting4.jpg" width="150" /></a>Happily, after- wards we were free to roam the area.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The day was bright and hot as most days in the region are. For the next few hours, we explored the many rock faces and shaded overhangs to discover for ourselves the artworks hidden from plain site. It was a great insight into how the ecology of the area had changed from bush to desert over the millennia and into the minds of the ancient people that once lived in the area. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9GofJkiR4z7y1YzjrTvFhxMh5Fi26KPiH1hZ9cUu5InTnfSIeZ3jckhWVkuYBXFDFjY0hcMwxZimeZhryqlFrsZ96QcHbbROMyVfoq43C8YArCLuHIybFTbeSimUjHYCtftpCsujHx0c/s1600/namibiaRockPainting5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9GofJkiR4z7y1YzjrTvFhxMh5Fi26KPiH1hZ9cUu5InTnfSIeZ3jckhWVkuYBXFDFjY0hcMwxZimeZhryqlFrsZ96QcHbbROMyVfoq43C8YArCLuHIybFTbeSimUjHYCtftpCsujHx0c/s320/namibiaRockPainting5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-72336882075606878112010-07-11T14:45:00.000+02:002010-07-11T14:45:33.488+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part10) – The Himba People of the Kunene, Namibia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8h_Eblb4SZ68LGaKuzSAGenJKZEAuts9k8xRvLHPac-6-59uV-EHqsY_RXaJRp6_6DmEp5cSeITwH8aopLodhcGZLcrk8cDbM46a4YUZ3Mwf16m-PxJEvBfmQqGKE_GpcScaSISRvBIz/s1600/himbaGirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8h_Eblb4SZ68LGaKuzSAGenJKZEAuts9k8xRvLHPac-6-59uV-EHqsY_RXaJRp6_6DmEp5cSeITwH8aopLodhcGZLcrk8cDbM46a4YUZ3Mwf16m-PxJEvBfmQqGKE_GpcScaSISRvBIz/s200/himbaGirl.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Partially due to its inaccessible mountainous geography and partially due to its harsh arid climate, Kunene is a relatively underdeveloped region in northern Namibia. Perhaps for these very reasons, the Himba People that call this region home still live with little (but nonetheless growing) influence from the outside world and have managed to maintain much of their traditional lifestyle. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmUe_eA-Bcu8hS2D0IKQu0g-Ms2Z4dAKAIpQWYV0Vo_hFbsRmp7U7CTiQv1L4LWaJ2aqe3-IoHs2EJbArbCn1qOFgeXvkYkOUZhcrefZFkcguZiVRIbFGryEZ_y0dAXKV8LIyCJb0fKJi/s1600/himba2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmUe_eA-Bcu8hS2D0IKQu0g-Ms2Z4dAKAIpQWYV0Vo_hFbsRmp7U7CTiQv1L4LWaJ2aqe3-IoHs2EJbArbCn1qOFgeXvkYkOUZhcrefZFkcguZiVRIbFGryEZ_y0dAXKV8LIyCJb0fKJi/s200/himba2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCLS0TLDzcuv9hWN2r9xTxz-K4Kg-exxoC9xU0ZoouivnkJob5YDTdyxwV9WgJXGuRS0m9UocTny2BgAXQVrG2kq3XAuEfE93EuGhaxRe1Ilt70E5yuN3IG0GUXbwHK27gYkvWuihW_gR/s1600/himbaHut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCLS0TLDzcuv9hWN2r9xTxz-K4Kg-exxoC9xU0ZoouivnkJob5YDTdyxwV9WgJXGuRS0m9UocTny2BgAXQVrG2kq3XAuEfE93EuGhaxRe1Ilt70E5yuN3IG0GUXbwHK27gYkvWuihW_gR/s200/himbaHut.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Himba are a mostly nomadic pastoral people, breeding cattle and goats. They are an offshoot of the Herero people and speak a dialect of the Herero language.<br />
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Traditionally, women tend to handle more labor-intensive work than the men do. They carry water to the village, build the huts and care for the children. Men are responsible for maintaining relationships between clans and for tribal politics. Both men and women go topless and wear skirts or loincloths made of animal skins, but most famously, the women are known for covering themselves with <i>otjize</i>, a mixture of butterfat and ochre that gives their skins a reddish-orange tinge.<br />
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Our Adventure started with a drive north to the town of Opuwo, Namibia. Once there, and after several hours of searching, we meet the guide who would make our introductions to a Himba clan. At his request, we bought a large sack of rice to give the clan as a gift, then left town in our overland truck in the direction of the Angolan border. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbzdk4GDcsRg0uAiQbh3SvmM86LUalkxg8qvty_axuIRHhA_HTNEls9uMKxkj7sn3WZiPSDqWBFQpS_N_exHMtSCQaXqMwW8rjf4zdh50PfsGalrBiGBo4S7HEvvv0bATiec8cO4pwL3U/s1600/himba1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbzdk4GDcsRg0uAiQbh3SvmM86LUalkxg8qvty_axuIRHhA_HTNEls9uMKxkj7sn3WZiPSDqWBFQpS_N_exHMtSCQaXqMwW8rjf4zdh50PfsGalrBiGBo4S7HEvvv0bATiec8cO4pwL3U/s200/himba1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>It was a hot dusty drive along some very rough roads, but eventually we approached a collection of huts and shelters sitting unprotected in the afternoon sun. We had to wait in the truck while the driver and guide made their introductions and presented the sack of rice, but once they concluded the formalities, the clan allowed us to move freely around the village.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pXuCRkps1kD5Vg6xCIjXToZZeSTIXH2WxziBO9XsJ9zWFjXnRDPb8JBQpuxbYcsxsnLbGKpM6TrtQtBzpnvkRurSAWrLHKbuAF9-fCp0tKXDJCOtCLrGlVe3TVEdm0RlVngKOLcipcdE/s1600/himbaTrading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pXuCRkps1kD5Vg6xCIjXToZZeSTIXH2WxziBO9XsJ9zWFjXnRDPb8JBQpuxbYcsxsnLbGKpM6TrtQtBzpnvkRurSAWrLHKbuAF9-fCp0tKXDJCOtCLrGlVe3TVEdm0RlVngKOLcipcdE/s320/himbaTrading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>An impromptu Himba market </i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oy6Zrwi50vOF_tUf_Mp2zf37MBBWgxAOfD1qWMRvQIfbKAqq3Qtt2llmwIw9oue9pj_F7nRej1QtAoXUk0LkrBRGp1_V57wNdblpartj4YJF5kJrFNLiD9tLhydKiQD9FPwdrm3RyQE4/s1600/himbaVideo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6oy6Zrwi50vOF_tUf_Mp2zf37MBBWgxAOfD1qWMRvQIfbKAqq3Qtt2llmwIw9oue9pj_F7nRej1QtAoXUk0LkrBRGp1_V57wNdblpartj4YJF5kJrFNLiD9tLhydKiQD9FPwdrm3RyQE4/s200/himbaVideo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>During the day, the adult men are with their animals, so only women and children were in the village. They gathered under one of the few trees in the area and began laying out handmade trinkets in hopes of making a sale. I made friends with a few of the boys by photographing them with my video camera and playing it back for them to watch. In the meantime, Denise was making friends by allowing the children to fix her hair. She ended up with ochre handprints all over the back of her shirt.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRRyH6qYCAdBdG4zuwHEzxeMVjqDGFobaIUYt2K07qgyK1V_nsluMur8O_p588rzbo1Bkdc_nLRbz_R7dZpnQ10jeniq0i44DsjhEYcVOxf1HrdAFrDTrpXwobtI1DpB12xJZQ1I5I6zJ/s1600/himbaWater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTRRyH6qYCAdBdG4zuwHEzxeMVjqDGFobaIUYt2K07qgyK1V_nsluMur8O_p588rzbo1Bkdc_nLRbz_R7dZpnQ10jeniq0i44DsjhEYcVOxf1HrdAFrDTrpXwobtI1DpB12xJZQ1I5I6zJ/s200/himbaWater.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We remained with the clan for a few hours, but eventually returned to the truck, parched and in need of water. Luckily, our overland truck carries a few hundred liters, but when the women saw us filling bottles from the water tap, they decided they could save themselves the daily walk to the river. They came with their buckets and only said goodbye when they had drained the last of the water in the tank. It was another great experience and a true adventure in traveling.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-36139188707438466772010-07-03T18:35:00.001+02:002010-07-03T18:39:51.205+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part9) - Otjitotongwe Cheetah Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSfkQAAA3oXyA-co_RaMRd1_hIyaG53KHp0v-9EtEUKki4TT7gJmRFtR7hr-Q7t4BEOrkKIlHcFBdP3WGJ42d6WmwpoiBWZB1PG-93nDJEoowgsboCQgLDgnSFGZby8J-N2cfMksxLKaA/s1600/wildCheetah1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSfkQAAA3oXyA-co_RaMRd1_hIyaG53KHp0v-9EtEUKki4TT7gJmRFtR7hr-Q7t4BEOrkKIlHcFBdP3WGJ42d6WmwpoiBWZB1PG-93nDJEoowgsboCQgLDgnSFGZby8J-N2cfMksxLKaA/s200/wildCheetah1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Estimates put the worldwide cheetah population at less than 7,500 cheetahs of which 6,000 are in Southern Africa. Nearly half of those cheetahs are in Namibia, mostly on private game or cattle farms. Unfortunately, some farmers continue to hunt cheetah because of their tendency to kill livestock. The Otjitotongwe cheetah farm gives sanctuary to those cheetahs that farmers might otherwise kill.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh9ysNXDsYjcC6oAdM58IjTsnpMkpbSRgEZ5QqFHVcMF4-D0g-7EHkj-Wn8YypCzJSvpT1o-UAFN37kC7wCyCjr1YmNLhzN_e7HFfiRj63UeV3TV2Fje8oiRQobb8C53eG718oWqKRXMu/s1600/DeniseAndCheetah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh9ysNXDsYjcC6oAdM58IjTsnpMkpbSRgEZ5QqFHVcMF4-D0g-7EHkj-Wn8YypCzJSvpT1o-UAFN37kC7wCyCjr1YmNLhzN_e7HFfiRj63UeV3TV2Fje8oiRQobb8C53eG718oWqKRXMu/s200/DeniseAndCheetah.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>On the 7,000-hectare farm, there are both wild and tame cheetahs. At present, there are around 13 wild cheetahs that live in a 40 hectare fenced enclosure and 3 tame cheetahs that live at the farmhouse. The tame cheetah’s role is to educate the public, and visitors to the farm will have the chance to interact with them.<br />
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We arrived at Otjitotongwe Cheetah Farm in the early afternoon and drove directly to the farmhouse to meet the Nel family. Outside, in the fenced backyard, they told us about their struggles with farming in Namibia and their now peaceful coexistence with the cheetahs. All the while, one of the tame cheetahs weaved between the legs of her owner, looking for affection and purring just like a house cat. Later, Nel gave us the opportunity to approach and run our hands through her thick soft fur.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLirR-xyY81IA_8aiEj3lnoT8sFnf_NpuN80Q5vyw-Ixhaxx7vL_XHItUYMfHut5qAip8ETCMoW1eza4efiOUH8sq2UlDRJTpvsPAQ81JN5sNbDGRx6RFV6S1-dwDb7pLe1_VfWOzhhj-g/s1600/cheetahGrowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLirR-xyY81IA_8aiEj3lnoT8sFnf_NpuN80Q5vyw-Ixhaxx7vL_XHItUYMfHut5qAip8ETCMoW1eza4efiOUH8sq2UlDRJTpvsPAQ81JN5sNbDGRx6RFV6S1-dwDb7pLe1_VfWOzhhj-g/s320/cheetahGrowl.jpg" /></a></div><br />
After making camp on the farm, we returned to the Nels to join them for the evening feeding of the wild cheetah. He explained to us that a 40-hectare enclosure could not possibly support the 13 cheetah now taking refuge there, so feeding was a necessity. We drove into the enclosure in two open trailers with a trashcan full of donkey meat. The cheetahs heard the truck’s engine and began approaching even before we stopped. At one point, one of the cats jumped into the back of a trailer. He seemed more upset by what he had done than the people surrounding him, and immediately jumped back out- no harm done.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="325" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/C1pXM0Ix4Kg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/C1pXM0Ix4Kg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object></div><br />
Soon, Nel was throwing chunks of meat into the gathering of waiting cheetah. With each toss, a small fight broke out and abruptly ended with one of the cheetah running into the bush with his prize. It was an interesting experience, a good photo opportunity, and it did make one realize that the place for wild cheetahs was not on a farm.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-58185720167482356112010-06-27T14:42:00.000+02:002010-06-27T14:42:34.962+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part 8) –Etosha National Park, Around Okaukuejo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLREG7qaFuHsmBwxoKZONDRpphmieoJuxH8GsmU39jGrjNuZTFgptiwPeuPYxYcbOyASjqJSdFXfTae3c-CxrmXgXJ9rUIV7nNgbrNzAOPK4z1jl-LPNkU4JuZREy2t0TzXCzYads81Fv/s1600/Giraffes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisLREG7qaFuHsmBwxoKZONDRpphmieoJuxH8GsmU39jGrjNuZTFgptiwPeuPYxYcbOyASjqJSdFXfTae3c-CxrmXgXJ9rUIV7nNgbrNzAOPK4z1jl-LPNkU4JuZREy2t0TzXCzYads81Fv/s200/Giraffes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Okaukuejo is at the western end of the Etosha Pan. It is the oldest tourist camp in Etosha and is the administrative hub of the park. Due to the lack of any other nearby water, the camp’s permanent waterhole is often busy. There you will see a wide diversity of wildlife all day and late into the night under floodlights. On any given evening, you can expect to see springbok, wildebeest, zebra, gemsbok, jackal, hyena, and most nights, black rhino, elephant and lion. Because of the excellent and comfortable game viewing from a platform less than 50 meters away from the well lighted waterhole, it is one of the major attractions in the park and the good spots get taken up quickly. My advice is to arrive early (before sunset) with plenty of food and drink to last the evening. Don’t stress over it too much though; Etosha is full of incredible game viewing opportunities everywhere you go.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhSYaJMX3QYfWBvBDNOuaXVdlNZA7_8M6GX1cDgCnzH5lbcbL0HUiamn2anisAvm-0-OEj-6hy1fAwgacESqKOVDZywogoxmTFoRhVZnLExXL9JFoWCUxAGL9QGOaq8WpsnJw2sHaAjWa/s1600/Jakal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhSYaJMX3QYfWBvBDNOuaXVdlNZA7_8M6GX1cDgCnzH5lbcbL0HUiamn2anisAvm-0-OEj-6hy1fAwgacESqKOVDZywogoxmTFoRhVZnLExXL9JFoWCUxAGL9QGOaq8WpsnJw2sHaAjWa/s200/Jakal.jpg" width="150" /></a>That night in Okaukuejo, we arrived late, but were able to squeeze onto a bench with a fairly good view of the waterhole. The evening started slowly, with a few lapwings near the water’s edge. Then a jackal approached, followed by zebra, and shortly after, gemsbok. The stars of the evening didn’t arrive until well past 9PM when a mother black rhino and her calf came strolling into the light. After that, we went to bed, but heard the next morning that lions had come in around eleven. No matter, the morning game drive more than made up for the missed lion.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdjla719-FZwFYHAsNCKTViHWd_a_FBOxMrmroA1X0jMrGjqUx2Um76auaZ_JodmGUUXffT5hPrHTTtT7zQZryUjZ2QwWbG1JgQ_075jI5HOSJt-CtTvRar3n_CVXn_8A4mMDCSx8OSv6/s1600/lions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdjla719-FZwFYHAsNCKTViHWd_a_FBOxMrmroA1X0jMrGjqUx2Um76auaZ_JodmGUUXffT5hPrHTTtT7zQZryUjZ2QwWbG1JgQ_075jI5HOSJt-CtTvRar3n_CVXn_8A4mMDCSx8OSv6/s320/lions.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
That morning after a good hyena sighting, we came across a waterhole in a very arid area of the park selfishly guarded by a pride of lion. There were at least eight of them including two males. We stayed there for quite a long time and watched as a herd of zebra stood at a distance waiting for a chance to approach the water, but before anything happened we had to leave and return to camp. It was time to head out on the next leg of this Adventure in Traveling.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-63526472032022316632010-06-20T12:49:00.000+02:002010-06-20T12:49:37.561+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part 7) –Etosha National Park, Around Namutoni Camp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoa1NRtdoykmu8RohV62VMbzdXXeiqDJ4DFZjFmFKVyv0XTydBItWb-cG49TtSXro6skJKeDTeXJIYV7Z-pWzpehcHftu9hcGjqJOwAOwR984CY70Fa4xyfu0jql-LNdLDlVBHRrd77zb/s1600/gemsbok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoa1NRtdoykmu8RohV62VMbzdXXeiqDJ4DFZjFmFKVyv0XTydBItWb-cG49TtSXro6skJKeDTeXJIYV7Z-pWzpehcHftu9hcGjqJOwAOwR984CY70Fa4xyfu0jql-LNdLDlVBHRrd77zb/s200/gemsbok.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Etosha National Park covers an area of 22,270 square kilometers. It is home to 114 mammal and 340 bird species. Etosha means "Great White Place" and the park is dominated by a massive mineral pan, the floor of which was formed around 100 million years ago and covers around 25% of Etosha. The pan fills only if the rains are heavy and even then the water stays only for a short time. This temporary lake attracts thousands of wading birds including flocks of flamingos. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWvmjLrP9Br3_fY7Q6rDfvj89e_WD_yxVGGwoG2V0G54eX6O7KBKNP7ohh01JlCaEwCgZBnzwwsDiCQ0FDfAhBpbSyHBc1FzWkOlM6wBikDX-K0S_-ti18dHluZkf1e-0Gv_edoQ6wCkr/s1600/warthogs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWvmjLrP9Br3_fY7Q6rDfvj89e_WD_yxVGGwoG2V0G54eX6O7KBKNP7ohh01JlCaEwCgZBnzwwsDiCQ0FDfAhBpbSyHBc1FzWkOlM6wBikDX-K0S_-ti18dHluZkf1e-0Gv_edoQ6wCkr/s200/warthogs.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Due to the arid grasslands and open bush, the game viewing in Etosha National Park is excellent, especially around the many waterholes. Visitors to the Etosha reserve can expect to see many antelope species, elephant, giraffe, hyena, rhino and lions. In the entire park, there are only three rest camps - Namutoni, Halali and Okaukuejo (plus a new luxury camp, Onkosh). We entered the park by the Von Lindequist Gate where a warthog suckling her young greeted us. That night, we stayed at Namutoni.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbmipQ4s9sMuFMfJTNHoovuFc-TcoXSX8jF1RoNVn_MRWovuL6hVmhYjMG29YCz-h9y3Z3hHzmFrQ7uoo1PKot5SE596EgkE7exzlkECUcPGg9D1LG5HbAg3Qlw4O8wjDnEYqksJkI2Xe/s1600/nightZebra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbbmipQ4s9sMuFMfJTNHoovuFc-TcoXSX8jF1RoNVn_MRWovuL6hVmhYjMG29YCz-h9y3Z3hHzmFrQ7uoo1PKot5SE596EgkE7exzlkECUcPGg9D1LG5HbAg3Qlw4O8wjDnEYqksJkI2Xe/s200/nightZebra.jpg" width="200" /></a>Every camp has a lighted waterhole and seating on the camp side of an electric fence so that guests can enjoy the nightlife in safety. That night we watched jackal, zebras, springbok and rhino before walking back to the tent for an early night.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8vM2bMc2jxB7kY3fZwy7ZkamoCqkkzpf00UE-CgwIXu-TkrWSGo3EUDb6JmWdtus7LhCwni_ERo1eMt6WZdmGvnv8B23_iT2E7UOt24zbQ_Am04hpHRUNY2yUgHl2-j7rHRH55SvlsIw/s1600/waterhole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8vM2bMc2jxB7kY3fZwy7ZkamoCqkkzpf00UE-CgwIXu-TkrWSGo3EUDb6JmWdtus7LhCwni_ERo1eMt6WZdmGvnv8B23_iT2E7UOt24zbQ_Am04hpHRUNY2yUgHl2-j7rHRH55SvlsIw/s200/waterhole.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghccYvb-2hQ__dzHbQDur9Fww-rVj3dVD6YeLvB4U59w5gCGehj2ajppygnHsrbQ8ZtIbv7R1-dvNR5BoZaety_3fC_ZExOm48JxCn_YFbYPNS9rYdkvEdqJ4URWHuX5N0deDRGYWBq_P/s1600/drinkingGiraffe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghccYvb-2hQ__dzHbQDur9Fww-rVj3dVD6YeLvB4U59w5gCGehj2ajppygnHsrbQ8ZtIbv7R1-dvNR5BoZaety_3fC_ZExOm48JxCn_YFbYPNS9rYdkvEdqJ4URWHuX5N0deDRGYWBq_P/s200/drinkingGiraffe.jpg" width="150" /></a>We left camp at 6AM the next morning for a game drive. I had never seen such large herds of springbok, wildebeest and zebra congregating around the water holes. We even had the opportunity to watch the long awkward process of giraffe lowering their heads to the water for a drink.</div> <br />
Later in the morning, we had our first sightings of hyena and lion, but with the sun growing stronger, the day was getting hot, so by late morning it was time to head back to Namutoni for a large breakfast. After a rest, it was time to break camp and head to the next adventure.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FZPk9pS7D8lMP3wPuJbCVgB8nP5iu_gpzGkdNbTOzitnE_FDVoBXmH1-uFsr_E4-gpiZ1q8KXHpgn2BKdn3qrvP3EzIc02PQVKPrypIfmGaFZDbTMJ-JOZ96j33Yipl7jB8V5CfGv1YG/s1600/lioness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FZPk9pS7D8lMP3wPuJbCVgB8nP5iu_gpzGkdNbTOzitnE_FDVoBXmH1-uFsr_E4-gpiZ1q8KXHpgn2BKdn3qrvP3EzIc02PQVKPrypIfmGaFZDbTMJ-JOZ96j33Yipl7jB8V5CfGv1YG/s320/lioness.jpg" /></a></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-52389052339474180542010-06-13T18:07:00.003+02:002010-06-14T09:29:15.625+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part 6) –Windhoek and the Other Africa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcnHmyuJRB7sWynJpgywWJ3Ocd3HaACTSKbljeQvaM7rikOyR-0k2D1FxV0Vtt_KCjHgLJCi_kzTa0WnZmYQjnr1_kWx3YjH3VvuCnlmSueLj79ZgNboz7KJmR4Hy64A3OaY_qp8dPclO/s1600/ghetto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcnHmyuJRB7sWynJpgywWJ3Ocd3HaACTSKbljeQvaM7rikOyR-0k2D1FxV0Vtt_KCjHgLJCi_kzTa0WnZmYQjnr1_kWx3YjH3VvuCnlmSueLj79ZgNboz7KJmR4Hy64A3OaY_qp8dPclO/s200/ghetto.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Windhoek is the largest city in Namibia and its capitol. As such, it attracts a great number of Africans looking for a better life, but most will never find it. They’ll end up living in a township<span class="cgSelectable" cmd="msgaction_ext:subjectSearch" style="cursor: pointer;" title="View all emails with this subject" widget=""> </span>built of found and bartered scrap. These places aren’t on most travelers’ agendas and they’re not the sort of area you enter on your own, but while staying in Windhoek, as happenstance would have it, we had the opportunity to experience for ourselves this other side of Africa. <br />
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It all started when our overland driver and her co-pilot came down with malaria. Without a truck, there was no possibility of moving on, so we settled into a nice backpacker’s lodge while the two recovered in hospital. One evening we met a couple of volunteers from The Netherlands that were looking for ways to bring jobs into the township<span class="cgSelectable" cmd="msgaction_ext:subjectSearch" style="cursor: pointer;" title="View all emails
with this subject" widget="">s</span>. They had struck on the idea of township<span class="cgSelectable" cmd="msgaction_ext:subjectSearch" style="cursor: pointer;" title="View all emails
with this subject" widget=""> </span>tours and asked us if we would be guinea pig tourists on their first dry run.<br />
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We went into the local market, a hairdressers and a shabeen (a ghetto pub). One woman invited us into her home. Her family built it from tin roofing. Inside, they had covered the walls with old carpets for insulation, and it was complete with pirated electricity to run a small television. Water came from an area well a few blocks away, dug by the city. I apologize for the lack of photographs, but it was inappropriate and somewhat dangerous to have a camera around my neck.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zH9hoPwEbnCnJxPKbhblj4I_JfpGg9RAJrUFIIYdXjG-kIdedqiGJ6RXZ8RzWrswSjQHNTwJFRtovBI7Ck7sKUiiQQMLRPYNMlWLroIw5mnNl86_O5kZ6BxtFc623C3aTT-yRneE0Oai/s1600/tailor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zH9hoPwEbnCnJxPKbhblj4I_JfpGg9RAJrUFIIYdXjG-kIdedqiGJ6RXZ8RzWrswSjQHNTwJFRtovBI7Ck7sKUiiQQMLRPYNMlWLroIw5mnNl86_O5kZ6BxtFc623C3aTT-yRneE0Oai/s200/tailor.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDscEZ2Bzs2ce9lf7W_kSshEhHtk2R2xHuyYfyU9uHIUGqWhkeVQSFihNhM6iSvG3hLMw3fQz92WzGx8nEpV41RuZECKaZrgAzDYQ4TYhcdHWQx_xQfWBlYHWVMNNGgv8Tta-ksnqwGoLG/s1600/potter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDscEZ2Bzs2ce9lf7W_kSshEhHtk2R2xHuyYfyU9uHIUGqWhkeVQSFihNhM6iSvG3hLMw3fQz92WzGx8nEpV41RuZECKaZrgAzDYQ4TYhcdHWQx_xQfWBlYHWVMNNGgv8Tta-ksnqwGoLG/s200/potter.jpg" width="200" /></a>Not all was grim. They also showed us some start-up companies. One made African print textiles, while another made ceramics. The concept is to help local people own and operate their own businesses in a hope that success will breed more success. <br />
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In the end, the experience was an education that brought a new perspective to our travels in Africa.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-49123625080736385192010-06-08T09:17:00.002+02:002010-06-08T09:20:14.171+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part 5) –Daan Viljoen Game Park, Namibia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgRw2oBdt8srQFCXdEEgoSNzyFsoR9vULYyY7ZT1l9GWCr-A_UCG75nGDMDh4M0tgW7mosB2au6ugcq-KsyY4wZiEw48fw4Pg3JZLZbjkbGI9obHw4BYruxxPYQhPA_taBa8nFK16Jay9/s1600/wildebeasts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgRw2oBdt8srQFCXdEEgoSNzyFsoR9vULYyY7ZT1l9GWCr-A_UCG75nGDMDh4M0tgW7mosB2au6ugcq-KsyY4wZiEw48fw4Pg3JZLZbjkbGI9obHw4BYruxxPYQhPA_taBa8nFK16Jay9/s200/wildebeasts.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The Daan Viljoen Game Park is a 4,000-hectare reserve set amid rolling hills about a 25 km drive from Windhoek. What makes this park different than most is that there are no elephant, buffalo, or large predators. This may sound disappointing at first, but the fact makes it one of the few parks in Southern Africa where visitors can explore the bush on foot along 3 well-marked hiking trails of various lengths (3, 9 and 32 kilometers). No guide is required, but all hikers must report to the park’s office to register.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMnFN1sFmWbU2zOenXveXE5FVvLOyS-0uMxnmh3P4dT9CokYWt3rQMSU5o9YyVLgBsllTXX5ZotT4u9ZK8AWXSBSqTInnCZYifl11hXpYT4r0N0CMmNFZC022vE7Y_2t3f_mw3k-P04gt/s1600/DaanVijoen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMnFN1sFmWbU2zOenXveXE5FVvLOyS-0uMxnmh3P4dT9CokYWt3rQMSU5o9YyVLgBsllTXX5ZotT4u9ZK8AWXSBSqTInnCZYifl11hXpYT4r0N0CMmNFZC022vE7Y_2t3f_mw3k-P04gt/s200/DaanVijoen.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>From Windhoek, Namibia, the best way to get to the Daan Viljoen Game Park is by taxi. If you plan to do a day hike, you can split the cost of the ride among fellow visitors. It will end up costing just a few dollars per person for the round trip. If you go, bring plenty of sunscreen and water. The hikes are moderately strenuous, the weather can get extremely hot and there are few large trees to provide shade.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJl2G-qSzXXCi4GdlS1F6xLr5LojRXC0cQ5nmSlQcQabuN6HASnaSi3LoPGZFFWiKnWmMa12VH64fn8aQOwl-VLUShRCp60r0YH_nzF_eDzUsMd-JGrP8PDpQbXbfMnhaNpsHEvET2oRl-/s1600/babboon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJl2G-qSzXXCi4GdlS1F6xLr5LojRXC0cQ5nmSlQcQabuN6HASnaSi3LoPGZFFWiKnWmMa12VH64fn8aQOwl-VLUShRCp60r0YH_nzF_eDzUsMd-JGrP8PDpQbXbfMnhaNpsHEvET2oRl-/s200/babboon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We went as a group of four and decided to walk the 9-kilometer Rooibos trail. It started with a steady uphill climb to a rocky outcrop where we watched a troop of noisy baboons. Whenever walking near wild animals, the key to a safe experience is to leave a comfortable distance between you and them. You know you’re too close if the animals seem to be wary or jumpy. If you want to see their natural behavior, it is better to stay a little farther away and use binoculars.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3MtiDv1j19yQ47e8YzmVrKTLRB7CnZdq4iJOd-YY72XUUKzlXHcqJzbG5ru8UVgZJdA3NtXtgl5xZrMqWjctYdJOQsuySY5d2eC8CflR3r6jI5gZX17oT_fbpJ2fckjNaFDuVX5xyhxM/s1600/Dassy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq3MtiDv1j19yQ47e8YzmVrKTLRB7CnZdq4iJOd-YY72XUUKzlXHcqJzbG5ru8UVgZJdA3NtXtgl5xZrMqWjctYdJOQsuySY5d2eC8CflR3r6jI5gZX17oT_fbpJ2fckjNaFDuVX5xyhxM/s200/Dassy.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>After the rocky outcrop the trail winded through rolling hills. We saw wildebeest, zebra, hartebeest, Kudu and gemsbok grazing in the dry grass. Then the trail descended into a riverbed with little water. We followed it to a pool sitting at the base of a narrow cliff where Dassies (Hyrax) scurried over boulders. Then it was a steep uphill trudge back to the park headquarters and the end of our hike.<br />
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All in all, it was a full day. We arrived back in Windhoek in the late afternoon, both tired and excited by the day’s adventures and ready for more ‘Adventures in Traveling’.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtcd37bY3BZS8-UxjUFzlZFEINZvQV3ldpTy1BzgAlWokPfBsX7JXlSHQo_h9UhoTmJoJ-wsbJjm4F2zqgjawdyC5_LPu7mRH1mJct_0lD0Df_Xl4mRYVfJdf15l7kPlC3RrrkNZYio11/s1600/Kudu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtcd37bY3BZS8-UxjUFzlZFEINZvQV3ldpTy1BzgAlWokPfBsX7JXlSHQo_h9UhoTmJoJ-wsbJjm4F2zqgjawdyC5_LPu7mRH1mJct_0lD0Df_Xl4mRYVfJdf15l7kPlC3RrrkNZYio11/s320/Kudu.jpg" /></a></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-21887917444794825022010-06-02T11:14:00.002+02:002010-06-02T12:08:53.842+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part 4) –The Kalahari Bushmen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLReAAwenrGt4jDK0GO6_tjtpW-EMaE5CkdPr4pMywM28iOzppNU3eZlfTEAjpcXbTbZM57zIvGQ5pZQwXQoMVWvYYjft2NNSq0YSwS0WlfQSl2N2AGgp5a4ubUOVIkrSu4TChOoIC6P4/s1600/SanMan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLReAAwenrGt4jDK0GO6_tjtpW-EMaE5CkdPr4pMywM28iOzppNU3eZlfTEAjpcXbTbZM57zIvGQ5pZQwXQoMVWvYYjft2NNSq0YSwS0WlfQSl2N2AGgp5a4ubUOVIkrSu4TChOoIC6P4/s200/SanMan.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Living in one of the most inhospitable terrains in the world, the Kalahari Desert, the San people are hunter-gatherers. More commonly known as ‘The Bushmen’, the San culture is one of the oldest in the world dating back over a hundred thousand years. In the past, they lived throughout Southern Africa, but over time, Bantu tribes and white farmers have pushed them to the edge of hospitable lands. Today there are less than 100,000 Bushmen left. Forced to live along the Kalahari frontier, only around 3000 still survive as their ancestors did. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYemH1Q0lsMwDfUOw7mgpAHVmQ4tcVNu390qWf-pBRorMIOFwJYiHsa4x2iN_P2XBTNYd7XaCqCLaxD3a5nD8YG9Vc18K_IVOe1GqkczOOwZf_RvsBnNMM6BdtpvMWxxwZADnoLYP1hfNH/s1600/SanWomen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYemH1Q0lsMwDfUOw7mgpAHVmQ4tcVNu390qWf-pBRorMIOFwJYiHsa4x2iN_P2XBTNYd7XaCqCLaxD3a5nD8YG9Vc18K_IVOe1GqkczOOwZf_RvsBnNMM6BdtpvMWxxwZADnoLYP1hfNH/s320/SanWomen.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Most of the San people have been forced to give up their nomadic existence, living in permanent settlements, but they still carry on the traditions of their past. We visited one of these settlements where we spent an evening around a campfire as privileged witnesses to the waning San culture.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilh6lZvWeiBSzVKAdTM64nfxDD_wPeAyTnWg77qDzOOqPA0HBa3cqe5gcNpreWzp4Ah70gf9Mxzv_HnRLJyq3nMFIkS5M18tkPOyGqZIsmc8GiBuEc_oBukz1qjubqw6HI5O9ifoRvZExU/s1600/SanDance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilh6lZvWeiBSzVKAdTM64nfxDD_wPeAyTnWg77qDzOOqPA0HBa3cqe5gcNpreWzp4Ah70gf9Mxzv_HnRLJyq3nMFIkS5M18tkPOyGqZIsmc8GiBuEc_oBukz1qjubqw6HI5O9ifoRvZExU/s200/SanDance.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>The bushman spoke no English, but a guide translated when necessary. In an incomprehensible language of syllables and clicks, they sang songs and told stories, and as the evening progressed, danced around the fire until its embers were dark.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="300" width="380"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ziWbrHEsEa8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ziWbrHEsEa8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="300"></embed></object></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-29908535357069960992010-05-26T10:22:00.001+02:002010-05-26T10:26:22.931+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part 3) –The Okavango Delta by Mokoro<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfVf7VmgTYCAQ69MCTlirIeuflgifP7es5l837B4l-XzD3vquBU3CFlwUgCAiJFkrSfEg7WJzkWPSYPWLmivvvlEv-J7y_noAzxD8DAjOXrgGP9bVkANABxwPnJjv2v8rn45ZVHa4RYTO/s1600/BoatTo+Okavango.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfVf7VmgTYCAQ69MCTlirIeuflgifP7es5l837B4l-XzD3vquBU3CFlwUgCAiJFkrSfEg7WJzkWPSYPWLmivvvlEv-J7y_noAzxD8DAjOXrgGP9bVkANABxwPnJjv2v8rn45ZVHa4RYTO/s200/BoatTo+Okavango.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWkB5L9EBD1-ZrxDRUE_TDLk6yKTf_H17XR4t5BF2apro3GZzo_rMnTR6BKSs7mCdjRMrM3r3L1TXhCSiX2pO8yHpGRakQ7OAe0yasMMNzSEkIQYBCHqBLqtgHPybIk9T56Rc555zI3qb/s1600/PakingMokoros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWkB5L9EBD1-ZrxDRUE_TDLk6yKTf_H17XR4t5BF2apro3GZzo_rMnTR6BKSs7mCdjRMrM3r3L1TXhCSiX2pO8yHpGRakQ7OAe0yasMMNzSEkIQYBCHqBLqtgHPybIk9T56Rc555zI3qb/s200/PakingMokoros.jpg" width="200" /></a>We were up with the sunrise. After breakfast, we packed the tents and drove to a dock on the river outside of Maun where a motor boat was waiting. It took us to the edge of the Okavango Delta near the Moremi Game Reserve. There, we met our guides and polers and began the task of transferring everything we would need for the next few days into the mokoros. A mokoro is a dugout canoe traditionally made from the trunk of a sausage tree, but today, as part of an effort to conserve the delta, they are made of fiberglass.<br />
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With our supplies in place, we took to the water, two to a canoe with the poler standing in the back. Those still on shore gave our mokoro a final push and we began a seemingly effortless glide through the reeds. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqiGv1T3zuaON48SgJIIS6KrNjSN-LDx9rEo7T_HRlmIdHPdLxh5nGj0LOcWnROBTI8UkDCdfb5UTq8pSUnVYeZF3VZr-SC34SabnoAb_tG-A8cbn7_kOwyNfZ398XW0yZ2H2wWuwd57w/s1600/Mokoros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqiGv1T3zuaON48SgJIIS6KrNjSN-LDx9rEo7T_HRlmIdHPdLxh5nGj0LOcWnROBTI8UkDCdfb5UTq8pSUnVYeZF3VZr-SC34SabnoAb_tG-A8cbn7_kOwyNfZ398XW0yZ2H2wWuwd57w/s320/Mokoros.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">A Caravan of Mokoros poling through the Okavano Delta</span></i></div><br />
For several hours, our caravan poled along hippo paths, passed Lechwe, zebra, tiny reed frogs, water birds and even the occasional human. The sun was hot, but dipping my hands into the water was cool and refreshing. Eventually, we came to an island marked by a large sausage tree where we would camp for the night. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA8wbDAJDBCqyLbptirnPvVEHjUF8_SLoxwSJ06_OsY9QHwKJp8LmhcU1cpULvuawiGmhC5Iw12uEmKecDrkOzFK7qDB28mvJYpeiWtVDHTGXfVxpLJLko9VlTMJu4PSWckC0SlrMZJI9/s1600/OkavangoFishEagle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA8wbDAJDBCqyLbptirnPvVEHjUF8_SLoxwSJ06_OsY9QHwKJp8LmhcU1cpULvuawiGmhC5Iw12uEmKecDrkOzFK7qDB28mvJYpeiWtVDHTGXfVxpLJLko9VlTMJu4PSWckC0SlrMZJI9/s320/OkavangoFishEagle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A Fish Eagle watching our mokoro glide past</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>As we set up our tents and the polers went about the task of getting a fire going, two young women from our group slipped back into the dense brush surrounding the camp to use the bush toilet. It wasn’t until we heard a loud deep rumble and the girls came screaming back into camp still pulling up their pants that we noticed an elephant standing only ten-meters away. The polers froze in place and the guides beckoned everyone to be silent. Happily after giving us the once over, the elephant turned away and disappeared into the brush without making a sound.<br />
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That night, far away from any human settlement, we tried to sleep in one of the noisiest places I have ever been. The crescendo of buzzing insects and croaking frogs that came with the darkness was only the beginning. Long into the night, we heard splashing as (large) animals moved between islands and the calls of mighty beasts echoed over the waters of the Okavango Delta.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-26430035955313032262010-05-20T11:37:00.001+02:002010-05-20T11:49:15.772+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part 3) – Getting to Maun and the Okavango delta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4K2WLLf4k7jcBo2YU2pzTXns_Yajzdo2uxBJzrJv39VBSVM9CbEq3ptESP2Cd6ZljEKrZctmwb8XntyxOt66HBQ8wypGUQjGUsCymwlVq4EEQbP11rZsH7-RUZrmGqxcOM6tR5lJtvS6/s1600/Okanvango2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4K2WLLf4k7jcBo2YU2pzTXns_Yajzdo2uxBJzrJv39VBSVM9CbEq3ptESP2Cd6ZljEKrZctmwb8XntyxOt66HBQ8wypGUQjGUsCymwlVq4EEQbP11rZsH7-RUZrmGqxcOM6tR5lJtvS6/s200/Okanvango2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Formed where the Okavango River empties onto the Kalahari Desert, the Okavango Delta in Botswana is the world's largest inland delta covering an area of over 16,000 square kilometers. It goes through a yearly flood/draught cycle that begins with the Angolan rainy season in October and carries on as the water crosses the border between Botswana and Namibia in December. The flooding in the Delta won’t end until the waters reach the bottom of the delta near Maun in July. As the Okavango dries, it will shrink to an area of less than 9,000 square kilometers until, once again, the floods return.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfnYIK-sHYQpDPPEHxQm08coyE2vHaa5TrbVabY4Dx6hEFELazqitlHS2Jo2LhppuRWMDFxjQ6Dzh0nLEwxH60a9IylqRq2kw1WvJeF5cmLe-pRTXgGIuxZKY7dO9Wq4E5Oa0rEdNNYA5/s1600/OkanvangoBaobab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfnYIK-sHYQpDPPEHxQm08coyE2vHaa5TrbVabY4Dx6hEFELazqitlHS2Jo2LhppuRWMDFxjQ6Dzh0nLEwxH60a9IylqRq2kw1WvJeF5cmLe-pRTXgGIuxZKY7dO9Wq4E5Oa0rEdNNYA5/s200/OkanvangoBaobab.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>With the water, wildlife also returns to the delta. During its flood, the Okavango is home to large numbers of hippopotamus, crocodile, red lechwe, sitatunga, elephant, wild dogs, buffalo, lion and all manner of African mammals and birds. The early flood period is the best time for game viewing. As the surround bush begins to green it attracting the grazers and browsers and along with them predators.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivohwcpWX-rolAHYDR0YLT6JB-ZdtcgqZpSJaRLChzWbGjyng41W1LLNmeltOCqJWNXtijURijsI6t9YifJFqNcO2nFbE-nIK6l0etYtHV70bhtlT34N_h14vQOieL8DaBZaRr_wRtdN-a/s1600/ToMaun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivohwcpWX-rolAHYDR0YLT6JB-ZdtcgqZpSJaRLChzWbGjyng41W1LLNmeltOCqJWNXtijURijsI6t9YifJFqNcO2nFbE-nIK6l0etYtHV70bhtlT34N_h14vQOieL8DaBZaRr_wRtdN-a/s200/ToMaun.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> The village of Maun is the jump-off point for almost all excursions going into the Okavango Delta, but driving there from Kasane is an adventure of its own. It's about 360km of bush along a sand roadway, not recommended for vehicles without 4-wheel drive. The going is slow and bumpy, but the scenery is well worth it. We passed farms, huts and small villages. There was a point when we were stuck driving behind an elephant that didn’t want to give us the right-of-way.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIIjobNYM8dO5sJuFUIbWWSwoAKVuMEXxDpbAEciQ-YImkLmQx1T0_-biSNvfTJoTcMJ-S8h2E-hwJDD7gkbmMePiRwmdDfTsU3sOfGPTuHHkjp-7cNtaTHDCwZ8DKHy_ZQfZ-tallRgP/s1600/Maun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIIjobNYM8dO5sJuFUIbWWSwoAKVuMEXxDpbAEciQ-YImkLmQx1T0_-biSNvfTJoTcMJ-S8h2E-hwJDD7gkbmMePiRwmdDfTsU3sOfGPTuHHkjp-7cNtaTHDCwZ8DKHy_ZQfZ-tallRgP/s200/Maun.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Maun is a mix of office buildings and huts. There is really not much there other than tour companies. However, it does have an airport where we took a 1-hour scenic flight over the delta. It is beautiful from the air, although the combination of hot air in a small plane meant we experienced a good deal of turbulence (and a bit of nausea). The area was a web of lush green waterways separating islands of sand and brown dry vegetation. From overhead, we saw herds of elephant and wildebeest. We couldn’t wait for the following day when we would be entering the Okavango by boat for a few days of camping.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpO1GCN9r0aRlJC1qO1KAPxTJHyzuBald3QATPbIoKJdEZDIZCb1VwPIh5sHU6HLlv4SWNR_vo32aeF_bkVaCdi0Ntebgj3Rj7vuL1yHqy_SfudonOl6OFO2gVC6etgZGIOav2Y2Lr5Api/s1600/OkavangoElephants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpO1GCN9r0aRlJC1qO1KAPxTJHyzuBald3QATPbIoKJdEZDIZCb1VwPIh5sHU6HLlv4SWNR_vo32aeF_bkVaCdi0Ntebgj3Rj7vuL1yHqy_SfudonOl6OFO2gVC6etgZGIOav2Y2Lr5Api/s320/OkavangoElephants.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-56151023750801165092010-05-17T09:57:00.001+02:002010-05-17T09:57:59.372+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part 2) – Chobe National Park, Botswana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVz0D6imeGIrYJefSV6xFSTzhRcDy9jPEikaPaa4FxUwEzJtn9k4OO1bWynJtKyiHXSe7tmw7UpeMe7nBGFsel3TFqff34kVIfrk2lujsGQUvOjirE_7Z2mts_rNlxkRFAGvaX-CrmhiR3/s1600/ChobeHippos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVz0D6imeGIrYJefSV6xFSTzhRcDy9jPEikaPaa4FxUwEzJtn9k4OO1bWynJtKyiHXSe7tmw7UpeMe7nBGFsel3TFqff34kVIfrk2lujsGQUvOjirE_7Z2mts_rNlxkRFAGvaX-CrmhiR3/s200/ChobeHippos.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Chobe National Park is a diverse area of wilderness with a large mopane woodland that stretches from the Chobe River to the Savute Channel and beyond to the borders of the Okavango Delta. Travelers know the Chobe best for its concentrations of elephant – some 120 000 individuals, but buffalo, antelope, birds, and predators are also prevalent. One of the most popular sections of the park is the short (15-kilometer) stretch of the Chobe River from Kasane to Serondela. In the dry season, the river is where most animals must go to drink and it’s always teaming with hippopotamus and crocodile.<br />
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We left Livingstone and headed to Kazungula where the borders of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia meet at a single point. From there we took a pontoon ferry across the Zambezi River into Botswana, and after taking care of visas at the border post, continued to Kasane. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59JioeHfTnjVtXEmI4zmSdtwsdVgvueqqd_UqcVPyrRDNxlNDgpdrY6fuocVGHp2g5BEuTaF6weoX9wD6C_ClBajg3J6CbNofWV3eEcFS9Rh5SrG6mW6OfwM9OFOeuO04Vn0Ym5ZNBNJp/s1600/KasaneWarthog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59JioeHfTnjVtXEmI4zmSdtwsdVgvueqqd_UqcVPyrRDNxlNDgpdrY6fuocVGHp2g5BEuTaF6weoX9wD6C_ClBajg3J6CbNofWV3eEcFS9Rh5SrG6mW6OfwM9OFOeuO04Vn0Ym5ZNBNJp/s200/KasaneWarthog.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsk6H9-90Z_L0R4Itw5am2-wKWXb_olcTXYZkrfuPL1o6F1EkddULRb_15mAQDCVCLLFSdu27srOme3SvZxTdd5mhoZWmTqg_ZJerXGBm2nQshpdab1Uq2evtATibRw-VCvX2IYSXylcK/s1600/ChobeElephants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsk6H9-90Z_L0R4Itw5am2-wKWXb_olcTXYZkrfuPL1o6F1EkddULRb_15mAQDCVCLLFSdu27srOme3SvZxTdd5mhoZWmTqg_ZJerXGBm2nQshpdab1Uq2evtATibRw-VCvX2IYSXylcK/s200/ChobeElephants.jpg" width="200" /></a>Kasane used to be a remote village, but today it has become the gateway to the Chobe National Park and a bustling tourist town. There are no fences between the park and Kasane, so there is quite a lot of wildlife around, especially warthogs. They seemed to be everywhere we went, rooting through the garbage. <br />
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We had a great campsite along the Chobe River just outside, but within walking distance, of town. That evening we took a boat cruise past pods of hippos and sunbathing crocodiles. As the sun lowered in the sky, elephants appeared out of the brush for their evening drink, as did kudu, waterbuck and water monitors. As we neared the dock, the sun began to set and the sky became a palette of reds and blues. It remains one of the most beautiful sunsets in my memory.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkOGNf3DX7K4C2KX4fbhz5iGHiGpQVKW4p8XTqmDQIYURYfrhixIVNofnPhQzPlcLnDn2E_fpPYzB-S__0-xh8WWIZET1bQXuT5BxK8WNYH4FjRJhYWVBJn68lbXU4yQf9QzMZsk-oykN/s1600/ChobeSunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkOGNf3DX7K4C2KX4fbhz5iGHiGpQVKW4p8XTqmDQIYURYfrhixIVNofnPhQzPlcLnDn2E_fpPYzB-S__0-xh8WWIZET1bQXuT5BxK8WNYH4FjRJhYWVBJn68lbXU4yQf9QzMZsk-oykN/s320/ChobeSunset.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Chobe Sunset</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The next morning we were up before the sun for a game drive. There was a chill in the air and a mist over the river. The park was still and quiet. Maybe because of the chill, we didn’t see much that morning, mostly antelope and birds, but it didn’t dampen our spirits. There was still much more to come in our African Adventure in Traveling.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-52021766594644404962010-05-13T11:27:00.002+02:002010-05-13T11:31:24.102+02:00Traveling through Southern Africa (Part 1) – Arriving in Livingstone, Zambia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0e3S_vXp1Re43jh5Ii1fVXapl-Y1kjoPHSfWR7W6iVS-v5Q3-DWHyjsY6m9six4PghcKy9c8MdwRCnF2byUouMmWRks_9j-b4-bCbC3pQrOu59Y9Pq1BClDMREM8Ivn3T1UE-9fZp5__-/s1600/Livingstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoko2FiA-4MwhYdoNdtT2Ece2wpA1BSKWJybyhC6LEX3MxGBwpPf7LenOgX65KKp2WHM9GwaeByeG7I7y_P0BKvtZOl4OYAcEqDwGqLZaxUb_ORs4uue2UqsqxR_CbuOIu9v6baahpY2kz/s1600/Livingstone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoko2FiA-4MwhYdoNdtT2Ece2wpA1BSKWJybyhC6LEX3MxGBwpPf7LenOgX65KKp2WHM9GwaeByeG7I7y_P0BKvtZOl4OYAcEqDwGqLZaxUb_ORs4uue2UqsqxR_CbuOIu9v6baahpY2kz/s200/Livingstone.jpg" width="150" /></a>Livingstone, Zambia was an old colonial capital, but after Zambian independence in 1980 and the collapse of trade with Zimbabwe, it fell on hard times. Now, due to the many advisories against travel in Zimbabwe, Livingstone is now the regions new tourism and adventure capital. It is a major way station for travelers coming from eastern and western Africa and it is the starting point for those adventurers traveling to the south. Lying just 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River, Livingstone offers everything from safaris to whitewater rafting to bungee jumping.<br />
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Getting to Livingstone isn’t easy. There aren’t many roads and those that exist are in less than stellar condition. The fact of the matter is Livingstone is a long way from anywhere else. The best way to get there is by plane, but the only international connections are via Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s about a two-hour flight plus waiting time, but it’s still the fastest way to go.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJkMYmZMk9vN-VmwHxfrz3uV642_iC4gjGgwoZGskNAjlUfbn44XSePUcBZDpfGIm3mUMWZiDDsxDqjIHjqNV2NRyOW2JPn6BkpN6CWwDB3uVRUJwYtKWKE0jt0-6u-XUhTziJnNIXSj_/s1600/OurDriver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJkMYmZMk9vN-VmwHxfrz3uV642_iC4gjGgwoZGskNAjlUfbn44XSePUcBZDpfGIm3mUMWZiDDsxDqjIHjqNV2NRyOW2JPn6BkpN6CWwDB3uVRUJwYtKWKE0jt0-6u-XUhTziJnNIXSj_/s200/OurDriver.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Once in Livingstone, there are plenty of taxis at Maramba Airport, just be sure you make your deal before <span id="goog_1344711462"></span><span id="goog_1344711463"></span>getting into the car. If you have accommodation booked, ask and they will make arrangements to meet you at the gate for a nominal fee. We arrived a few days before our overland truck was leaving, so we decided to stay in a nice hotel and enjoy the sights.<br />
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The hotel had a driver that picked us up at the airport. During our stay, he was there to take us anywhere we want to go (always at an addition cost). Also staying at the hotel, were others that would be traveling overland with us. We made some fast friends and the next day all went together to see Victoria Falls before heading to the camp of our overland driver-guides to introduce ourselves. Although our trip didn’t officially start for another two days, they invited us to join the group the next day for a little adrenaline adventure, a 111-meter-high bungee jump off the Zambezi Bridge.<br />
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We didn’t jump, but went as moral support for those that did. It also gave us a chance to meet the rest of the people that we would be traveling with over the next 5 weeks. It was a great group of eclectic characters to which we quickly bonded and became a part, but you’ll hear more about that as we further our travel adventures into Southern Africa.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="240" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_o0-0lPWu1k&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_o0-0lPWu1k&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="300" height="240"></embed></object></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-35464133660597965302010-05-08T16:20:00.010+02:002010-05-08T16:57:14.161+02:00Travels in the Galapagos Islands (Part 6) – Santa Fe and Black Turtle Cove<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmaMrqGQsByTM_dcMjSo7x4t1Vy4bJDhZQWl-QBldD31E7HQ-cuVV3kPeHo462woGnS8zk7GtgWUm1FxDiu4CeD1GwgC5WDrIPaLMxCU_fngmyANOOipkG79kk30aSe8fcgjSVzZL-R2d/s1600/SantaFe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmaMrqGQsByTM_dcMjSo7x4t1Vy4bJDhZQWl-QBldD31E7HQ-cuVV3kPeHo462woGnS8zk7GtgWUm1FxDiu4CeD1GwgC5WDrIPaLMxCU_fngmyANOOipkG79kk30aSe8fcgjSVzZL-R2d/s200/SantaFe.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Santa Fe is 20 kilometers southeast of Santa Cruz and has an area of 24 square kilometers. Formed from a tectonic uplift instead of from a volcano, it is relatively flat in comparison to most other islands in the archipelago. Tourists know Santa Fe for its forest of Opuntia cactus (aka Prickly Pear cactus), its own species of land iguanas and the enchanting cove surrounding Barrington Bay on the northeastern side of the island.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QvOopWLTF-h-p53cQ5njZ4Rp08F5gcoIcLYFz9G7umOoMVVUo8hJ563c8DWXmBvFWvlgTLZeFTQelLro4txoiJC81evqg5giO_6Si_TyNz27gf8TF3m7Vdpc5Z_ie7JE5r6CLb9hv1az/s1600/LandIguanaHead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4QvOopWLTF-h-p53cQ5njZ4Rp08F5gcoIcLYFz9G7umOoMVVUo8hJ563c8DWXmBvFWvlgTLZeFTQelLro4txoiJC81evqg5giO_6Si_TyNz27gf8TF3m7Vdpc5Z_ie7JE5r6CLb9hv1az/s200/LandIguanaHead.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The day began with a wet landing onto a sand beach already claimed by a large number of sea lions. We walked past large males, harems of females and newborn pups as we headed up a sloping trail toward the interior of Santa Fe. This is where the Opuntia forest grows. These cacti are the biggest in the Galapagos Islands and can reach up to 10 meters high. Around their bases, sit the Santa Fe Land Iguanas waiting patiently for a prickly pear to drop to the ground. The iguanas may look slow, but when a cactus fruit falls, watch out. In the blink of an eye, all within reach will pounce, the spoiling going to the fastest one. <br />
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Back near the shore, two large sharks circled in front of the sea lion colony waiting for their next meal to enter the water. We watched for a while to see what would happen next, but the sea lions had a lot more patience than we did. The group returned to the Sulliday for lunch and an afternoon snorkel before weighing anchor later in the evening.<br />
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<object height="243" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DIboe7MDzj0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DIboe7MDzj0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="300" height="243" align="left" hspace="10"></embed></object>We were nearing the end of our pirate adventure in the Galapagos. Our last day arrived as if without warning. Earlier that last morning, well before sunrise, we headed out in the Panga one last time to Black Turtle Cove on the island of Santa Cruz. There, in the still waters of the cove, in the quiet grey of early morning, we drifted without motor into a world of rays, sharks and sea turtles passing effortlessly beneath us. It was a fitting end to an incredible voyage, but alas, it was time to go. There were new Adventures in Traveling waiting at our next destination.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifb21AAxVjwcYzkPS_qSjhxvK14w3dKpGSUomACjZIPN1qoWEZZwhR1DNTNYmXHhRySky7OSsBHk84nY2JDvi0hZyb-mJ9FtrL-SGvu-5GDoMf3bMUFtyq4PBUuVMrLj04yW4hCZl5n9d5/s1600/SullidaySunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifb21AAxVjwcYzkPS_qSjhxvK14w3dKpGSUomACjZIPN1qoWEZZwhR1DNTNYmXHhRySky7OSsBHk84nY2JDvi0hZyb-mJ9FtrL-SGvu-5GDoMf3bMUFtyq4PBUuVMrLj04yW4hCZl5n9d5/s200/SullidaySunset.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Yo Ho! Yo Ho! It’s the pirate life for me!</i></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-1315058228929748742010-05-05T13:20:00.011+02:002010-05-05T13:39:59.598+02:00Travels in the Galapagos Islands (Part 5) – Espanola<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5rQhCfdjp2SW3L3GaPS5SYkBX3UbWdIVb2RTuhN_S3sAOw0ZCeKiMvPpCxP3KsUFLyJUKscdquETabXw9Z4UkBSHbIiwNv99krs7M9DsWa0RagxUirfCc3lPa263WZONaDVX1jGTlM8v/s1600/EspanolaGardnerBay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5rQhCfdjp2SW3L3GaPS5SYkBX3UbWdIVb2RTuhN_S3sAOw0ZCeKiMvPpCxP3KsUFLyJUKscdquETabXw9Z4UkBSHbIiwNv99krs7M9DsWa0RagxUirfCc3lPa263WZONaDVX1jGTlM8v/s320/EspanolaGardnerBay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Espanola is the oldest and the southern- most island in the Galapagos Archi- pelago. The island’s remote location and seclusion have given rise to a number of unique species found nowhere else on Earth. Here you will find a subspecies of Marine iguana that change color during breeding season, the brazen Hooded Mockingbird and the only nesting grounds for the Waved Albatross.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPu2N6dUotrPc3tUQaVGy9FL0P0Kp-ahkGhcbAhZ7HuiX8h5SYwKTQA2UC4-gAMiwQ1kNOPNH_ptgGpQ21s4w4MMgTD48YxA7K5qarpYYJ0gGGSl7cqE3FtrlyDzC0-O7N9gAomzVlbR1/s1600/GalapagosHawkFull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPu2N6dUotrPc3tUQaVGy9FL0P0Kp-ahkGhcbAhZ7HuiX8h5SYwKTQA2UC4-gAMiwQ1kNOPNH_ptgGpQ21s4w4MMgTD48YxA7K5qarpYYJ0gGGSl7cqE3FtrlyDzC0-O7N9gAomzVlbR1/s200/GalapagosHawkFull.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
On the northern side of Espanola, there are two visitor’s sites. Gardner Bay is a great place for swimming and snorkeling while Punta Suarez offers a variety of wildlife and geology. Among other species, you can find brightly colored red Marine Iguanas, Lava Lizards, Hooded Mockingbirds, Swallow Tailed Gulls, Blue Footed Boobies, Masked Boobies, Galapagos Hawks, Finches, and the Waved Albatross.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMF47I8RylPadHkS6UZJe71Yd1m6vTJk63Edm6kdMzPPpwToa_f08pJCygXKYNTgDFyhdl2xs_TB6AG0xoI1EG1b2yWqerMYpyQPC-P2hvfrE8dz9JtLMQ_yUbHaVWDbhzwIXb9Y2FXS_/s1600/EspanolaMarineIguana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMF47I8RylPadHkS6UZJe71Yd1m6vTJk63Edm6kdMzPPpwToa_f08pJCygXKYNTgDFyhdl2xs_TB6AG0xoI1EG1b2yWqerMYpyQPC-P2hvfrE8dz9JtLMQ_yUbHaVWDbhzwIXb9Y2FXS_/s200/EspanolaMarineIguana.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH48EgdMf7uzioUyykCinfnsVtAgpeGjG6rEkhOz4SWE8HWF-lYjjFFlJtyEwTi0CVBrZ6WJ-mQ5WnZKkTgCVx7tQ7e7IBzwYz24fCyqRD6lMR3IEKJIKWtKHVXjHzX0LkqT_t_N8ZZd6V/s1600/BlueFootedBooby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH48EgdMf7uzioUyykCinfnsVtAgpeGjG6rEkhOz4SWE8HWF-lYjjFFlJtyEwTi0CVBrZ6WJ-mQ5WnZKkTgCVx7tQ7e7IBzwYz24fCyqRD6lMR3IEKJIKWtKHVXjHzX0LkqT_t_N8ZZd6V/s200/BlueFootedBooby.jpg" width="200" /></a>We crossed from Floreana to Espanola overnight, and after breakfast, had another wet landing on Punta Suarez. On this part of the island, jagged rock formations make it a perfect nesting site for many species of seabird. Along the coastline, groups of peeling red-skinned Marine Iguanas basked in the sun. We continued passed them to a flat area protected from the wind by the surrounding rock formations. There we got the change to witness the courtship dance of a pair of Waved Albatross.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="240" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tJpYGU2XIRI&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tJpYGU2XIRI&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="300" height="240"></embed></object></div><br />
One of Espanola’s most interesting geologic features is the Punta Suarez Blowhole. Our guide explained it a lava tube blocked at one end. As the waves crash, the force travels through the tube and exits through a small opening in the rock. The result is a geyser spraying water 30 meters into the air.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="240" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kk_xTHLz5kg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Kk_xTHLz5kg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="300" height="240"></embed></object></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CXJZzCe9LzbBNyRFsEYNJS9Ls-TsOMRD4UIgRVv7bF8D_zmRHH8Cdog1YIS1fUF3MGJdcyj2jj0PAWlzY8ttyhCXDnQk5YOj9NYpTipXSlu4h3w2Rc5ipLaz1kY8Q-SkSA76v-0JV8O9/s1600/Mockingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9CXJZzCe9LzbBNyRFsEYNJS9Ls-TsOMRD4UIgRVv7bF8D_zmRHH8Cdog1YIS1fUF3MGJdcyj2jj0PAWlzY8ttyhCXDnQk5YOj9NYpTipXSlu4h3w2Rc5ipLaz1kY8Q-SkSA76v-0JV8O9/s200/Mockingbird.jpg" width="150" /></a>In the afternoon, we visited Gardner Bay where I had a Hooded Mockingbird land on my shoulder. We walked among the sunbathing sea lions and then returned to the boat for another great snorkeling adventure with sea lions darting all around us.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0eIh43armI3a4bT3IuLXUKeoNATuH8UGl62VWOCwjQKuV-x84Ve2-iO4WTe2Ht9dl1l8KpJ3lwoQ7mkpgBuovM_2-WOWcFjtu4KWpkENsJ0TSosb4XcJU_efEg6tzQOugH1A5OViojBB/s1600/GalapagosHawk3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0eIh43armI3a4bT3IuLXUKeoNATuH8UGl62VWOCwjQKuV-x84Ve2-iO4WTe2Ht9dl1l8KpJ3lwoQ7mkpgBuovM_2-WOWcFjtu4KWpkENsJ0TSosb4XcJU_efEg6tzQOugH1A5OViojBB/s400/GalapagosHawk3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-76941333168381055112010-05-02T12:17:00.003+02:002010-05-02T12:21:43.380+02:00Travels in the Galapagos Islands (Part 4) – Floreana<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Located far to the south of Santa Cruz, Floreana island is one of the older islands in the Galapagos Archipelago, and as such, it is a good illustration of how a volcanic island ages. Unlike the younger western islands, Floreana's volcanoes are in the advanced stages of erosion. This erosion provides rich soil to the highlands, giving Floreana a much more diverse landscape than its immature counterparts have.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOJZIQxYlBEHWo4HAda1BLQacJRyut-wkE2U33G2-OPuCRSKBA3EiB-d6G41UPUUOYxGWYshUsBq_x35AZbLbpPqc07wE1vsXbngFiLz_q5HYAoH5UN9kPb8pnQ_xdAtN0ksrwTaJBURr/s1600/PostOfficeBarrel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOJZIQxYlBEHWo4HAda1BLQacJRyut-wkE2U33G2-OPuCRSKBA3EiB-d6G41UPUUOYxGWYshUsBq_x35AZbLbpPqc07wE1vsXbngFiLz_q5HYAoH5UN9kPb8pnQ_xdAtN0ksrwTaJBURr/s320/PostOfficeBarrel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bahia Post Office Barrel</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Floreana has a history of buccaneers, whalers and colonists. In the 18th century, British whalers established the Post Office Barrel to send letters to and from England. This tradition continues today. Visitors may drop off unstamped letters and pick up others to carry to destinations around the world. It took less than two weeks for our postcard to arrive back in the United States.<br />
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Today, Floreana has a population of about 170 permanent residents, but in the 1930's, when the island was nearly deserted, it was a place of murder and intrigue. A German dentist, his mistress, a young family and a so-called baroness with three men came to live on the island. When the baroness and her entourage arrived, they began terrorizing the other inhabitants while planning to build a luxury hotel. In the course of time, the baroness, two of her lovers and the dentist turned up missing or dead. The deaths created much speculation, but to this day, no one has solved the mystery.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1OI3BbGcsgMkL-ltrVFBdF6n81tCnM2p49hQlkwiqz4RpBuI8_af3ghQSy_7PJb_2l2lZTq7stgL1M9fJlxc4jey4zoZdT2hViFaIDIXjcMlrR3U50lzL0GZ7bzn4kpJO7qiBAI65fSg/s1600/SullidaySunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1OI3BbGcsgMkL-ltrVFBdF6n81tCnM2p49hQlkwiqz4RpBuI8_af3ghQSy_7PJb_2l2lZTq7stgL1M9fJlxc4jey4zoZdT2hViFaIDIXjcMlrR3U50lzL0GZ7bzn4kpJO7qiBAI65fSg/s320/SullidaySunset.jpg" /></a></div>Our adventures to Floreana began with an overnight crossing from Santa Cruz after an early dinner. Our guide warned us that we would be crossing unprotected waters and that the seas could get a little rough. That was why we ate in the calm of Puerto Ayora Harbor before the Sulliday got underway. The first hour or so was fine, but then the boat began to roll across the high swells. It wasn’t severe, but it was constant. One by one, we lost our smiles and left to lie down for the duration of the voyage. <br />
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In the morning, everything was back to normal, and after a large breakfast, we headed for a wet landing on the green (olivine crystal) beach of Floreana. We visited the Bahia post office barrel where we all left postcards and picked up a few to take back. Then we headed inland to walk through ancient lava tunnels. <br />
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That afternoon we were back on the boat for a snorkeling adventure in the Devil’s Crown. The Devil’s Crown is an almost completely submerged extinct volcano that erosion has transformed into a semi-circle of jagged peaks jetting out of the water. The crown creates a haven for seabirds such as boobies, pelicans and frigates. <br />
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The highlight for us was snorkeling in the center of the crater. While underwater, a torpedo-like sea lion buzzed past me. It nearly scared me to death until I realized what it was. Then we floated above a graceful school of golden rays. We saw colorful angelfish, puffer fish, parrotfish, grunts, eels, rays and a host of other species I couldn’t begin to list. The water is a bit cold and rough with a strong current, but it also provides an easy ride through the crown if you don’t fight it.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-28635709724572088232010-04-28T13:27:00.006+02:002010-04-28T13:35:54.255+02:00Travels in the Galapagos Islands (Part 3) – Rabida and Santa Cruz Islands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiAEN6PTgKE1wvEaFY77PHBAm9rThyphenhyphenTjBTfrLArY8NniQlnMOIGue7zGyWoiEI76ovM2YmIKMqa4x-TICAMxaktbyXD4mujFW1jEFju0_EBtnpJa0QpjuRj5lHTcPqZuYgd9o4COEn_OO/s1600/SeaLionPair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiAEN6PTgKE1wvEaFY77PHBAm9rThyphenhyphenTjBTfrLArY8NniQlnMOIGue7zGyWoiEI76ovM2YmIKMqa4x-TICAMxaktbyXD4mujFW1jEFju0_EBtnpJa0QpjuRj5lHTcPqZuYgd9o4COEn_OO/s200/SeaLionPair.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Rabida has red sand beaches, turquoise seas and breeding herds of Sea Lions. Amongst the sand and rocks, large males protect their territories from a marauding band of Sea Lion bachelors, individuals of which often challenge the dominant males for the chance to mate. Even spending just a short time with the colony, you are sure to witness a fight full of loud barks and charges.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7VKBXvpgT1L8oLvA7IzfRrYT8bUwqFnFW4kjYq9etj_8SdKU72ewqCD23zqj9L4D5ZJamyYTLjYFENOc4TnmaUly1jyXee9XY561PFXTg-c3RLMrMeNsCUI_8VNB3psEAcnwHiWsd-Cs/s1600/SantaCruz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7VKBXvpgT1L8oLvA7IzfRrYT8bUwqFnFW4kjYq9etj_8SdKU72ewqCD23zqj9L4D5ZJamyYTLjYFENOc4TnmaUly1jyXee9XY561PFXTg-c3RLMrMeNsCUI_8VNB3psEAcnwHiWsd-Cs/s200/SantaCruz.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Santa Cruz is the second largest island of the Galapagos Archipelago with a surface area of 986 square kilometers. On its south coast sits Puerto Ayora, an important harbor and the only populated part of the island. It is a good place to buy souvenirs, mail postcards and absorb some local color. It is also the home of the Charles Darwin Research Station, the Galapagos National Park headquarters and the Galapagos tortoise-breeding program where you can find several species of Tortoise in different stages of development, from hatchlings to large adults.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gXsRMD-RfaH5kR_IiEYIXl32LuFrVVtyG3TNHVukvsN3ucs2OzVZiQARPP55MDFtK9BhhJRRwc5O50D_xQUlSdmKGkiHB5ugATUZO1VIWj-LU5GuV622a4LnNR72f4xNp9ZwdjCfgrBa/s1600/SeaLion2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gXsRMD-RfaH5kR_IiEYIXl32LuFrVVtyG3TNHVukvsN3ucs2OzVZiQARPP55MDFtK9BhhJRRwc5O50D_xQUlSdmKGkiHB5ugATUZO1VIWj-LU5GuV622a4LnNR72f4xNp9ZwdjCfgrBa/s200/SeaLion2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Our day started with a wet landing on the red sand beaches of Rabida Island. All around us sea lions lay in the morning sun, many with pups. Spotting the beach, the large dark males kept watch over their harem, and barked loud warnings to any close enough to hear. After a while, we walked away from the main colony along a shoreline path. A short while later we came upon the bachelors. There were a dozen or more. Each was basking in the sun on his own rock sun bed, oblivious to our presence.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>In the afternoon, we returned to the boat for another snorkeling adventure before setting sail for Puerto Ayora. The Sulliday stayed close to the coastline of Santa Cruz on our journey. I’m sure it was to take advantage of the spectacular views the island offered. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="300" width="240"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2d8v1wT6kGM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2d8v1wT6kGM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="300" height="240"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">A mother Sea Lion takes her newborn pup to the water for the first time</span></i></div><br />
When we arrived in Puerto Ayora Harbor, it was like a parking lot. There were boats of all shapes and sizes moored around us. For me, it was a bit too much of a reality wake-up after living in a dream, but the crew was happy. They would be able to go ashore and spend time with their families before we continued to our next destination.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGB6Sv3pmmUJnyPOW9rDzR5PuXJ8InMU_z35IZrGm7NxJnY9NvMO_S4vlbV9ivLHNw3b5nKLXlTr2FU8gyBCdKY7A83OAGCTRa0SRNmwJ1KwCMiEz_b0cp1Dc4LgQdUzcx6hiqyHmttsu/s1600/PuertoAyora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="61" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGB6Sv3pmmUJnyPOW9rDzR5PuXJ8InMU_z35IZrGm7NxJnY9NvMO_S4vlbV9ivLHNw3b5nKLXlTr2FU8gyBCdKY7A83OAGCTRa0SRNmwJ1KwCMiEz_b0cp1Dc4LgQdUzcx6hiqyHmttsu/s400/PuertoAyora.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Harbor at Puerto Ayora</i></span></div><br />
Puerto Ayora is a bustling town. There are gift shops, restaurants, hotels, a post office and many tourists. While we were there, we visited the Van Straelen Visitors Center to look at some of its natural history exhibits and the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the Galapagos tortoise-breeding program. That afternoon, we took a van about 40 minutes inland to go caving in ancient lava tunnels that reminded me of a subway station with no lighting. In the evening, we returned to the boat and spent a gorgeous Galapagos night looking at the night sky and the lights of Puerto Ayora.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-30197298526704970682010-04-25T17:09:00.005+02:002010-04-25T17:17:15.764+02:00Travels in the Galapagos Islands (Part 2) – Bartolome and Santiago Islands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9-CKA2DD2YnQMQh4SXUxVCnNwDIe319XDEwxi-Vrx0oLeOPzkwrpctZcv7q3Mo_P_SrRaXEs2C63kPzm-3cY4HMfcODjrciurm5J3vVJeOoQ1fsutBpb0Jm67Kd3WBMbL6DrCs0Ln6lt/s1600/SantiagoIsland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9-CKA2DD2YnQMQh4SXUxVCnNwDIe319XDEwxi-Vrx0oLeOPzkwrpctZcv7q3Mo_P_SrRaXEs2C63kPzm-3cY4HMfcODjrciurm5J3vVJeOoQ1fsutBpb0Jm67Kd3WBMbL6DrCs0Ln6lt/s320/SantiagoIsland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Bartolome is a 1.2 square kilometer volcanic islet just off the east coast of Santiago Island. It is one of the younger islands in the Galapagos archipelago. Walking on Bartolome is surreal; paths take you through recent volcanic eruptions, extraterrestrial looking landscapes and to the summit of an extinct volcanic cone. Santiago Island on the other hand, is 585 square kilometers and consists of two overlapping volcanoes. Here you can walk across undisturbed lava flows that look as if they are still moving. Once rich in vegetation, settlers released feral goats on the island in the 1880's. The goats thrived eating everything in sight and their numbers grew to over 100,000. Their presence has severely affected the island's flora and fauna. The park service is working toward their eradication, but it still isn’t unusual to see goats or signs of their presence. Along the coastline, there is abundant wildlife - Sally Lightfoot Crabs, Lava Lizards, Marine Iguanas, Lava Herons and fur seals. Due to the abundance of underwater rock formations, the region between these two islands is great for snorkeling.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37AszBEtjVdmQidi9ycjXwFZmyXZT2IUYlduM03hlADGa798w96K1xKUqZtw_sdIDbFkGzCmP9C3BIZ-PjWRy8FTtafehzmysDIBt9xbhkpfzeMZvgJ_lqWrdBq_vav1BVT0CV2LMWL9z/s1600/SallyLightFootandMarineIguana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37AszBEtjVdmQidi9ycjXwFZmyXZT2IUYlduM03hlADGa798w96K1xKUqZtw_sdIDbFkGzCmP9C3BIZ-PjWRy8FTtafehzmysDIBt9xbhkpfzeMZvgJ_lqWrdBq_vav1BVT0CV2LMWL9z/s400/SallyLightFootandMarineIguana.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Sally Lightfoot Crab and Marine Iguana</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Our first night’s travel on the boat was restless. Sometime around dawn, we stopped moving. There was the sound of rattling chains as the crew set the anchor, and then only the occasional creak as the boat gently rolled in the swells. The next time I awoke, the cabin was full of light. Denise was standing with her head through the hatch and telling me to get dressed. We were the first up on deck and were welcomed to Bartolome Island with the sight of Pinnacle Rock, one of the most photographed landmarks in the Galapagos archipelago.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImdrOOjeLinAJxnQ_iM1F_B62ebAWRuE0NVhLrsFpoFrWXSkCF9Pq5nxv_4NGYNe4xy9bODx2sS2lUZFhy8ty0RooKvRrJT_2Rz4CB5jGnX1of2tE3dCYBkbB5UNiTV_AFooNtKz7TeHs/s1600/PinnacleRock2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImdrOOjeLinAJxnQ_iM1F_B62ebAWRuE0NVhLrsFpoFrWXSkCF9Pq5nxv_4NGYNe4xy9bODx2sS2lUZFhy8ty0RooKvRrJT_2Rz4CB5jGnX1of2tE3dCYBkbB5UNiTV_AFooNtKz7TeHs/s400/PinnacleRock2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Sulliday at Pinnacle Rock</i></span></div><br />
After breakfast, we climbed aboard the Panga for a wet landing on a beautiful sand cove beach. The water was colder than I would have thought being so close to the equator, but once on land we dried quickly in the late-morning sun. We strolled along beautifully strange landscapes to the 114-meter high summit of the volcanic cone. The view down to the cove where we landed passed the Sulliday and out across Santiago Island was both stark and beautifully alluring.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4TCN-B3lQh6yqgenIzDki6gIii1gRq-nRPWkweG4VSxw7lhqDWpl6Ey605Iia1osPUtNY36klBLlhconHJek1Jf-wUHOyNjccckeDp2rqLS0UeEZLxdRhuakhsioIUP6bxw4HtxyXfPf/s1600/BartolemeView.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4TCN-B3lQh6yqgenIzDki6gIii1gRq-nRPWkweG4VSxw7lhqDWpl6Ey605Iia1osPUtNY36klBLlhconHJek1Jf-wUHOyNjccckeDp2rqLS0UeEZLxdRhuakhsioIUP6bxw4HtxyXfPf/s400/BartolemeView.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> The View from the Top of Bartoleme</i></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDZIWmdFDPPRN-m2Fuzb6s4EhwF557G2clxJ9wAu9ZwpicfkNGXC3UxXoK67s_4aAyi4kntUHcicfbifBNzy1z7jEtB6OWqLo7TtByVAXogw9fxGerawRcQnM6SulbWGmFl5bbdC1N5Ys/s1600/Lava+Heron2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDZIWmdFDPPRN-m2Fuzb6s4EhwF557G2clxJ9wAu9ZwpicfkNGXC3UxXoK67s_4aAyi4kntUHcicfbifBNzy1z7jEtB6OWqLo7TtByVAXogw9fxGerawRcQnM6SulbWGmFl5bbdC1N5Ys/s320/Lava+Heron2.jpg" /></a></div>Back at the Panga, we met up with the Captain. He had been fishing while we were walking. As it turned out, this was his daily routine, and fresh fish was always on the menu. We returned to the boat and had a great swim, using the lower deck as a diving platform. Then after lunch, we headed to Santiago Island to visit the fur seals that have made the island their home. Along the way, we walked across volcanic rock and old lava flows. Everywhere the surf touched land there were Marine Iguanas and Sally Lightfoot Crabs. There were Lava Herons camouflaged against the dark volcanic formations and Black Finches chattering on the cliff faces.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhokT1SSwj9Ee7V0Ia5TEObPCcsp3zZZYYRBDJb_5CEz1VGvGlTlRycOIfFU5URet88zM1tTbynZEiOXZj8rraZf8SWyTDTqU9ISovy22_kyiIlxR4xB1zKXhmdqMpKyKA0R_bk6J_BHq/s1600/FurSeal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhokT1SSwj9Ee7V0Ia5TEObPCcsp3zZZYYRBDJb_5CEz1VGvGlTlRycOIfFU5URet88zM1tTbynZEiOXZj8rraZf8SWyTDTqU9ISovy22_kyiIlxR4xB1zKXhmdqMpKyKA0R_bk6J_BHq/s320/FurSeal.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A Fur Seal Frolicking in the Water </i></span></div><br />
In the late afternoon, we went snorkeling. The sunlit shallows were full of beautifully colored parrotfish and triggerfish. Our Guide told us some exist nowhere else on the planet, but you could have told me anything. I was just happy to be on an adventure in the Galapagos Island.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5558938804446946316.post-33309421206901909302010-04-23T15:18:00.006+02:002010-04-26T07:01:07.244+02:00Travels in the Galapagos Islands (Part 1) – Arriving in Baltra and Seymour Norte<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0gdBoHhhsJC0OJMrhz69hidb59bCdQ7GjMo5B59AQHP0UTMAurFU0UBOkRkZ07CNcXafbGazWManddqX3z5JV7HGR8KuIORTsz3O6D6KGxvqN6foNVWobZE9ADr-kVcdxrpYkeTIewUV/s1600/Sulidae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0gdBoHhhsJC0OJMrhz69hidb59bCdQ7GjMo5B59AQHP0UTMAurFU0UBOkRkZ07CNcXafbGazWManddqX3z5JV7HGR8KuIORTsz3O6D6KGxvqN6foNVWobZE9ADr-kVcdxrpYkeTIewUV/s320/Sulidae.jpg" /></a></div>The Galapagos Archi-pelago is a group of volcanic islands 970 Kilo- meters west of Ecuador discov- ered by the Bishop of Panama in 1535 when his ship went off course. In the Bishop’s report to the King of Spain, along with many other things, he described the giant (galapago) tortoise from which the islands take their name. <br />
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What makes the Galapagos Islands unique is their isolation. For hundreds of thousands of years any plant or animal that found its way to the islands has been able to evolve independently of its mainland counterparts. As a result, a quarter of the shore species, half the plants and almost all the reptiles on the Galapagos exist nowhere else on earth. Even more amazing, is how related species living on separate islands adapted differently. This is what Charles Darwin observed in 1835, a realization that would prove to be key in his development of the Theory of Natural Selection.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjg3xufbQUpQj39ogeTrh3idmUWG1YhwGX1nyjIWj5RPxqOMlpuMYgqUWpk74MvfIXW2K0dOQuawp1qtTPlgLdFhq6KPm6CaukhUlONMaaefBUzysHNDWeJNH_mlMIb10f9_C-9PtwvsJ/s1600/SeaLion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjg3xufbQUpQj39ogeTrh3idmUWG1YhwGX1nyjIWj5RPxqOMlpuMYgqUWpk74MvfIXW2K0dOQuawp1qtTPlgLdFhq6KPm6CaukhUlONMaaefBUzysHNDWeJNH_mlMIb10f9_C-9PtwvsJ/s320/SeaLion.jpg" /></a></div>Our travels began with a flight from Quito to Baltra. Once off the plane, the airport personal ushered us into a queue to pay our 100 U.S. dollar per person park fees. Then, they moved us to the baggage claim then into the reception area. Everyone was cordial and efficient. Once in the reception area, we had to find our guide and then wait for the rest of the group. Finally, they packed us snuggly into a van for a 15-minute ride to the pier. That’s when the adventure started. From the time we exited the van into a group of sunbathing sea lions to the morning we returned to Quito, it was an incredible experience, one that I cannot recommend highly enough to my fellow travelers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ6NNEj13XD-7b2D4YF2VqhWijjBC9Jixa2FDVQ9rCN1yCTtLKuHfogaplwCvrfDx5In7ZBWBWnIPzYYEHKcgVcCnI5q3EVLoTqhzM0zvs9R3JUdbGYqiMscHYmHs82EBJ2Uhh6Ha9ksI/s1600/Panga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZ6NNEj13XD-7b2D4YF2VqhWijjBC9Jixa2FDVQ9rCN1yCTtLKuHfogaplwCvrfDx5In7ZBWBWnIPzYYEHKcgVcCnI5q3EVLoTqhzM0zvs9R3JUdbGYqiMscHYmHs82EBJ2Uhh6Ha9ksI/s320/Panga.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>Standing on the dock looking out over the cruise ships and tenders, I wondered which one was the Sulliday, the boat that would be our home for the next 9 days. Then I saw it standing all by itself, the only wooden boat in the Harbor. She was 64 feet long, gaff rigged and flying a pirate flag. We watched the scruffy bearded captain climb down a ladder into a motorized inflatable dinghy that we would forever remember as the ‘Panga’. When the tender reached the dock, he told us to climb in. The captain did not speak English. Our tour guide, Juan, did all the translating.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1mLRKf-gIvX1YrDcpO2LctRllKQppo_uYrbhlYJ1EZIcMXnXjZ404tvbA_klY_i7gdKZdCUju90au2NRkP43u1DhQ8KbnEOON9IaiDRfNIkDnHCWiwMXZw14xt54XqyhZx9rMe3TpsHE/s1600/SulidaeDeck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1mLRKf-gIvX1YrDcpO2LctRllKQppo_uYrbhlYJ1EZIcMXnXjZ404tvbA_klY_i7gdKZdCUju90au2NRkP43u1DhQ8KbnEOON9IaiDRfNIkDnHCWiwMXZw14xt54XqyhZx9rMe3TpsHE/s200/SulidaeDeck.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Once onboard, Juan showed us below deck. There was a galley and a good-sized dining area. Toward the bow, there were three cabins. Each slept two. Our cabin was on the port side near the galley. Inside there were two bunks and a shower/head combination. If you stood on the top bunk, you could open the hatch and pop your head out for a view from the deck. There was also one more cabin down a separate hatch from the back deck. In the old pirate movies, it would have been the captain’s quarters, but on the Sulliday it was another guest cabin. In total, there were nine passengers and five crew.<br />
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Almost immediate we set sail (or more accurately motored) for the island of Seymour Norte. It was beautiful to sit up on deck, warm sun beating down with a breeze in our face. Within an hour, we heard the sound of chain dropping as the crew set the anchor. Then, it was all hands to the Panga for our first island excursion.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJMJXZVLQIrWS2VSiyOfV0Y4YVjxuGHBb3OfXpa-XJmzyxXXENQ-w90FbngRDchVsxQ9xHAUntyJ6Le03z3VgL1KQqI2LPQDH_7ff5_XEKvX72lkm-DHkA0no2Wqo9oUmoxg-u08Kfgdv/s1600/Dee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJMJXZVLQIrWS2VSiyOfV0Y4YVjxuGHBb3OfXpa-XJmzyxXXENQ-w90FbngRDchVsxQ9xHAUntyJ6Le03z3VgL1KQqI2LPQDH_7ff5_XEKvX72lkm-DHkA0no2Wqo9oUmoxg-u08Kfgdv/s200/Dee.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>It was one of the few dry landings we would have, meaning that we didn’t have to get wet. Waiting for us on the landing were several large sea lions. None was the least bit scared we were there. In fact, one even nuzzled my foot while Juan explained the island rules.<br />
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1. Do not touch the animal. However, the animals can touch you, and often do.<br />
2. Do not leave the marked path. This is not for your safety; it’s to protect the plant life. <br />
3. No loud noises, but regular talking is fine.<br />
4. Take only photos and leave only footprints… No food allowed.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbuAMOg3qbrqRU0298DGyqkBoEFMIKPFTol9gmqwoSnP-pOxNsVSq6abEUm2Q_UCzhgFPwAiH5JVO_oLpODURMkWM81JdejaaxcBTnp3VBvE-DTgiuirrthFI526iqvG_bFLeGjSIgQDv/s1600/FrigateBird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbuAMOg3qbrqRU0298DGyqkBoEFMIKPFTol9gmqwoSnP-pOxNsVSq6abEUm2Q_UCzhgFPwAiH5JVO_oLpODURMkWM81JdejaaxcBTnp3VBvE-DTgiuirrthFI526iqvG_bFLeGjSIgQDv/s200/FrigateBird.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbXRYtEAzzu3lfsjLzckmETT6HP5G14knVq0O28vZi3whqEDKTvw30ZD0QUj-LoiRjDzw3rH43R6tUHInzl19ak4PYkWjFERPcfMUlyJjdcfRFS7_9EbP2SpAsPE23tVDXVMV0pqJE8dh/s1600/Booby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbXRYtEAzzu3lfsjLzckmETT6HP5G14knVq0O28vZi3whqEDKTvw30ZD0QUj-LoiRjDzw3rH43R6tUHInzl19ak4PYkWjFERPcfMUlyJjdcfRFS7_9EbP2SpAsPE23tVDXVMV0pqJE8dh/s200/Booby.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Over the course of the afternoon, we saw frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, lava lizards and marine iguanas. Before the sunset, we were back on the boat. That evening we ate a delicious fish dinner while the group sat around the table high on the events of the day. Shortly after we had all gone to bed, we heard the sound of clanking chains as the crew weighed anchor. We felt the rumble of the engines and the boat slowly moving toward the next destination in our ‘Adventures in Traveling’.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06171352720064252115noreply@blogger.com0