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I visited Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe with Heidi, Sharrie and Ling. I had met Heidi and Sharrie a couple of years earlier on the Amazon River in Peru, South America.

Ling is a co-worker of theirs from Taiwan. We had a great adventure flying from place to place on small planes, landing on dirt airstrips, sailing across the African landscape in Land Rovers and experiencing animals too amazing for words.

You can read about Heidi and Sharrie's adventures at:

Magnificent Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Heidi's Site

16 hours; Atlanta, Georgia to Johannesburg, South Africa (19 hours return flight)

South African Airways

Sharrie, Heidi, Robin & Jerry

Lilac Breasted Roller

National Bird of

Botswana

After flying from Johannesburg, South Africa to Livingstone, Zambia I settled into my comfortable abode at Songwe Village perched 400 feet above the Zambezi River gorge. Hot water was provided by the small wood burning heater to the left of the structure. The fire was kept stoked 24 hours a day.

our host at Songwe Village

honoring traditions

the ultimate luxury - a relaxing bath in river water while watching the sun set

Sunset over the Zambezi River gorge

typical homes in Songwe Village

traveling by oxcart

We flew to Kasane, the gateway to Chobe National Park in northern Botswana where the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers converge. Kasane is the meeting point of four countries: Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

stopping at immigration leaving Botswana, crossing the river to enter Namibia

typical village scenes, boaboa tree over 1,000 years old

Victoria Falls

The falls straddle the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The mist creates the clouds in the area and can be seen rising from ten miles away. We helicoptered over the falls.

Children enjoying the lolipops Heidi and Sharrie brought. These people were living in Red Cross tents. The government moves them every year to higher, dry ground when their village floods (often for six months). The men spend their days in boats at the village site protecting their ancestral land.

Jerry bungy jumped off this bridge into the mist of the falls, 360 feet !

Kwando Lebala Camp

A plane takes us to our tented camp, Kwando Lebala, surrounded by vast open grassland

plains and savannahs. Lebala means "wide open spaces" in Setswana.

refreshing shower

We were escorted to our tent every night by our tracker who carried his readied rifle. We zipped in and could not leave the tent until daylight. Emergency? Simple - blow

a whistle ! Hippos (the most dangerous animal to man) lumbered nearby during the night - we would see their footprints in the mornings.

View of the savannah from our tent

A mock charge by a bull elephant was exciting/scary. Real charges occur during mating season.

Lions feeding on a giraffe at night. Wild dogs were howling and circling nearby.

Chobe National Park

Kwando Kwara Camp

We flew to this camp located in the spectacular Okavango Delta. Okavango is an intricate systems of rivers, channels, lagoons and land. Our tent is on a treed island among ancient African Ebony trees facing the vast floodplain of the permanent delta.

Driving from the dirt airstrip out onto the floodplain toward Kwando Kwara.

Home on the Okavango Delta

life in the lagoons

guide, Joe

kudu

cheetah

Thanks for visiting Africa with me !! Please don't forget

to sign the guest book on my home page.

Deception Valley, Kalahari Desert

Leaving Kwando Kwara we flew to the vast Kalahari Desert, Africa's outback, land of the bushmen who have inhabited the area for 3,000 years. Exhausted on the last leg of our adventure, we are delighted with the elegant Deception Valley Lodge. What a way to end our trip !

our first glimpse of Deception Valley Lodge

host & guide, Braam

Separate bungalows with adobe walls that held the sun's heat of the day were a welcome refuge at night after riding in open Land Rovers with temperatures well below freezing. Raised wooden walkways fingered through the compound - one is not to step off. Once again, we were not permitted out at night.

The beautiful dining room at the main house

where we ate exquisite meals and drank wine !

Note the ostrich egg lampshades.

learning the ways of the Bushmen of the Kalahari

We left Deception Valley well rested and flew to Maun, Botswana then on to Johannesburg, South Africa. Homeward bound.

The presence of AIDS was everywhere in Africa.

This was a large billboard on the side of a road. We often discussed the issue with our guides and trackers. Education is the key and they see hope in the generation of their children - those that have experienced losses we can only imagine.