Author Archives: Chris

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I dream of Africa – a pride of lions and more…..

We started tracking a pride of lions shortly after we left camp and found about 10 adults and three cubs relaxing in a dry stream bed. We sat and watched them for a good thirty minutes – what a joy! the cubs were constantly at play either with an adult’s tail, chewing on a piece of twig, climbing a slanted tree trunk, wrestling with one another. The adults lounged around and occasionally checked on the little ones and put them straight! I shot so many wonderful photos and cannot believe that I said “I have too many lion pics!”

We then found a huge herd of African buffalo wading through a pond and cooling themselves. A huge bull elephant chomping on foliage; eagles and other birds, springboks, waterboks, and other antelope types.

 

 

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I dream of Africa – first game drive (Shindzela)

Our first drive in the afternoon after we arrived was amazing! We saw several lions with their three cubs – playing like any kittens! TWO leopards! one a male was hiding under a bush and I have no idea how Jeffrey spotted him, and then a female (also under a bush). By this time it was dark, but Jeffrey turned on a powerful torch for us to observe her. We saw African buffalo, an elephant, hippos, lots of birds and various antelope type animals.

The gash on the female leopard was caused during mating.

Beautiful evening bush scenery…

 

 

 

 

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Shindzela Bush Camp

Shindzela is the epitome of my African dreams! A small camp in a private reserve, the accommodations are tented cabins with flush and shower in a covered verandah at the rear of the tent and small verandah with chairs in the front. There are eight such tented cabins and a central open thatched roof pavilion where one can plug in and charge electronic devices, lounge, eat breakfast, etc.


We have two game drives a day (each for three hours) at 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. Nine people fit in the rugged 4-wheel drive open vehicle along with our driver (Sam) and spotter/tracker (Jeffrey) who sits above the front bumper. These are not merely game drives – we are actually tracking the animals and drive wherever need be through the bush. One of the joys of the private reserve is that it’s not required to stay on the roads, but they can go where they want. There are only two vehicles and we rarely see one another except if there is some exceptional game to be observed and we are in radio contact.

The drive to Shindzela took us through the gate to Timbevati Private Nature Reserve and then about 18km on dirt tracks until we reached camp. The Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, adjoining the greater Kruger National Park, comprises of 53,392 hectares of private game reserve land. Since 1962, the reserve has been dedicated to conservation by maintaining the biodiversity of species. Currently, there are over 40 mammal species in the Timbavati private game reserve, including the Big Five which are, Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Buffalo and Elephant as well as 360 species of bird life. The Timbavati Reserve is located in the Limpopo province of South Africa.

Our schedule is: wake up at 5 – a cup of coffee and rusk then on the way at 6 a.m. As the sun is rising and it is still quite chilly. We take a 15 minute picnic break for a cup of coffee or tea and a muffin!

Return from drive by 9.30 for a delicious breakfast served in the pavilion.

Lounge around the pool or relax elsewhere until lunch at 2.30 p.m.

Set off for evening drive at 4 (with sundowner break during the drive) and return at 7 for another delicious meal. Dinner is served at 7.30 around an open pit fire (braaie) and illuminated by oil burning lamps and torches.

We have freedom of movement within the camp during the day, but at night are escorted to and from our tents – escort has rifle in hand!!!

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Lydenburg to Shindzela (Timbevati Game Reserve)

We passed through breathtakingly beautiful countryside  as we drove to and through Blyde River Canyon. Good roads made the drive even more enjoyable.

Blyde – meaning “happy” in Dutch – was named when some 1800’s trekkers returned safely  to the rest of their party who had considered them dead.

Blyde River Canyon is one of the greenest (due to lush sub-tropical vegetation) and has some of the deepest cliffs of any other canyon. It is 25 km. long and on average 2,500 feet deep and is part of the Panorama route, which certainly lives up to its name!

 

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Johannesburg to Lydenburg, South Africa

We arrived at our Ginnegap Guest House later than planned thanks to: long queues and many unmanned immigration booths at the airport; organizing rental car; getting sim card for phone; rush hour traffic around the city, and darkness setting in. It was all rather nerve-wracking and stressful, but we arrived safely and were able to walk about half a mile down the road to a wonderfully hip bistro type restaurant – Lucky Bean – where we had the most amazing meals and wine for a ridiculous amount of $$.

Breakfast was taken on the verandah! We decided to give the Apartheid Museum a pass and save Johannesburg for another visit – when we don’t have a rental car! We headed north to Pretoria and took a quick drive and short walk around (Church Square).

Onward through the most beautiful countryside for 380 km. to Lydenburg. Beautiful farmland with acres and acres of corn and sunflowers and wide open spaces.

Our guest house in Lydenburg, Aqua Terra , is set on several acres leading down to a small river, with lovely gardens and expansive views.

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Cruising the Zambezi

We took a Wild Horizons evening cruise on the Zambezi north of the falls. We learned so much about Zimbabwe thanks to being seated with Godwin and Leslie, natives of Harare who were in Victoria Falls on business. It was inspirational to hear these young professionals talk about their hopes and dreams for their country. They described how it was during the time of rampant inflation 8 years ago) when new money had to be printed daily. Evidently a note that you had in the morning would likely not buy you a loaf of bread by the evening. During our stay we had hawkers trying to sell us notes for 50 billion, and millions of Zimbabwean dollars.. This is when Zimbabwe switched to using USD, but it makes life very expensive for the locals.

We saw many beautiful and exotic birds in the grassy swamps, but the highlight was a school of about nine hippos!! These vegetarian creatures  put on quite a show for us and the sunset wasn’t too bad either. What an enjoyable couple of hours.

 

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Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Pamusha Lodge, our hotel whilst in Victoria Falls, is a treasure! Quite small, quiet and with the friendliest staff one could imagine.

Our visit to see Victoria Falls was exhilarating to say the least. At this time of year, following the rains, the falls are at their heaviest and most thunderous! The “spray” is an understatement! at times the falls are obliterated from view by the clouds and the closer one gets to view them, the wetter one gets! It is like being in a monsoon!!! We’d been warned, but had not expected the intensity. It was exciting and fabulous to see nature at its most powerful without being at risk.

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SONY DSC

We obtained a bridge pass to cross the Victoria Falls bridge, built in 1905 as part of Cecil Rhodes’ plan to build a Cape to Cairo railroad. Crossing the Zambezi river gorge between Zimbabwe and Zambia, it is used today by pedestrians, trains, and other vehicles, including many trucks traveling throughout Africa. We didn’t go through customs into Zambia, as we would have needed a double-entry visa to Zimbabwe which was more costly than the single entry.

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I dream of Africa ….

Still dreaming ….

It was bound to happen one of these days, and today was IT! Our flights have been delayed in the past, but we’ve managed to make our connection or been rerouted without a set-back. Today our flight out of Boston (#BA238) was delayed for close to 4-hours due to mechanical issues with one of the doors, and then had to be de-iced! We arrived at Heathrow an hour too late!

And so we get to spend 24-hours in the homeland but our time in Victoria Falls is cut short a day. Our flight is at 7 tomorrow evening, so hoping for good weather so we can spend a pleasant day in London.

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Bryant Stove & Music Museum

These photos do not do justice to the scope of the collection and the cacophony of tooting horns, carnival music and much more that meet you at Bryant’s Stove and Music Museum in Thorndike.   The stacks of piano rolls are nothing compared to the  implements varying from  tiny hand crank models to elaborate calliopes. We were lucky enough to have the master mind and mechanical genius, Joe Bryant, give us a tour and share his stories of this unique collection.

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Glorious glass

We visited Winter Park, FL specifically to see the Tiffany exhibits at The Morse Museum which houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933), including the artist’s  jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass lamps and windows.  Especially magnificent is the chapel interior from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. After his Long Island estate, Laurelton Hall, burned many of the salvageable pieces and architectural objects were transported to Winter Park thanks to the initiative of his daughter who wrote to Jeannette Genius McKean, who had long appreciated Tiffany’s art. Her husband Hugh McKean, had been an art student at Tiffany’s Laurelton Hall estate in 1930.

 

 

 

 

 

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A few days on the west coast (FL)

East coast or west coast? I am fascinated by trying to determine how people figure out which they prefer. Both have pros and cons, of course.

So we drove from Fort Pierce to Port Charlotte by way of Rte 70 via Okeechobe and Arcadia. It is absolutely unnecessary to turn the steering wheel a degree, and one could possibly believe that you’d been transported to Texas or Oklahoma! It has a very strong western feel with lots of cattle and horses grazing in pastures,  and cowboy hats, jeans and boots are the common attire.

I immediately fell in love with our Airbnb rented loft in Port Charlotte where we stayed for three nights.

We made a little trip up to Osprey to meet up with friends for lunch at Casey Key Fish House which was lovely – sitting outside on the deck at the water’s edge.

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Viewing the sunset at Port Charlotte Beach Park.

A long walk on Punta Gorda’s Harbor Walk.

A couple of hours at the beach on the Gulf.