Let's mix it up and fill in some experience gaps: RTW 2015

[JohnM]

I'm booked as B&B. Ask about dinner on arrival. Described as 'buffet'. There is nothing in the universe that I detest more than buffets!

Needn't have worried.

While there were the trays to select ready-made stuff from, there were options.

Really cool idea was to select veges for a stir-fry (also meat pieces if a complete stir fry was desired) and the chef cooked it - with your desired sauce.

Meanwhile, at the braai (BBQ) next to the flat-plate stir-fry station, I selected all the 4 meats on offer (spicy beef sausage, warthog and two antelope steaks.)

Result: a totally freshly-cooked meal . Washed down with a very reasonable Stellenbosch Cab Sav and JohnM is a happy camper!

Just wonderful staff - so gentle, so sweet. OMG, I now know, yet again, why I love Africa so much .

Folks, there is nothing on earth like it!

Dang! Attempts to upload pics keeps saying I'm not logged in.

Hopefully this will post as a preamble and I can upload pics to follow that will be self-explanatory.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

They've done a good job of setting up temporary digs.



A beer chaser at JohnM's honeymoon table for one . I have caused immense confusion here when logging my room number .

 

[Bindibuys]

LtL.. I think we can torture MrM at a mutual venue.. I'm in

I know what bed he will be in next year, and I have access. Want help?

 

[JohnM]

I know what bed he will be in next year, and I have access. Want help?

Hey, girls, play clean!

 

[JohnM]

Hey, girls, play clean!

Or, upon reflection, if you want to play real dirty, I could very well be interested :mrgreen:.

 

[love_the_life]

Or, upon reflection, if you want to play real dirty, I could very well be interested :mrgreen:.

I think not and anyway I don't wish to scar you for life :shock:

Back to TR. Those pics pre-fire show a pretty special place. They seem to have done a great job with the makeshift marquees etc.

 

[JohnM]

Etosha NP today. It's a very large park, with much of it the Etosha Pan, a flat currently dry shallow lakebed. The main game drives run along the S side of the Pan between the S and E gates - about 150km along the main spine road, with many loop roads leading off that.

Generally, it seems that the abundance of wildlife is not very great and herds appear fairly small. As others have noted, to get up close to cats is best done in private reserves, as it is not permitted to leave the roads in parks. I saw lion and cheetah but to far away and hidden to photograph.

I was really more interested in getting an overview of the general environment, as I've had plenty of cat sightings in other places. The unique thing for me today was my first sighting of a black rhino. Tried to upload a pic of it from my camera but it failed. I'll reduce the res and upload it from the app later with pics taken on my phone.

When it comes through, note the two quite large, thick-set horns. White rhinos have a more pointed, dagger-shaped front horn and a stumpier rear horn.

 

[JohnM]

The rhino.

 

[JohnM]

Dawn and sunrise today.





The most oryx I've seen - but Namibia is famed for oryx.



Had some oryx, eland, kudu and something else native tonight from the braai with stir-fried vegetables - very good; tasty and tender.

 

[JohnM]

Getting a bit of flakiness from my internet access or the app. Will persist.





Edge of the Pan.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

Eles coming off the Pan look ghostly.





View attachment 57891

 

[JohnM]

Apologies for any duplication. The thumbnails are just too small on an iPhone 5s.

 

[JohnM]

Had a great day today. Went to the Cheetah Conservation Foundation (see Cheetah.org, if interested) facility about 1.5h drive away. Had to apply the whip to the Ford Ranger to ensure getting there for the 0800h cheetah run!

The run area consists of a wire runner worked around pulleys in the corners of a large square. The 'lure' (just a bit of rag hooked to the wire) can be run fast in either direction. We were in the paddock with these older, well-habituated cheetahs. All they were interested in was the quick chase and then a rest after getting the meat treat that was used to entice them to let go of the lure.

Cheetahs can accelerate 0-100kph in 3.2 seconds! That's Tesla S territory! Uppy's normally-aspirated V8 would hardly be taking its first breath while the turbos would be winding up! Supercharger needed!

After the run (four cheetahs, separately), I went on a sort of 'behind the scenes' activity which involved excercising and feeding wilder cheetahs. It's important that they get periodic sprints and runs for their well-being. This involved, in the first instance, going into a paddock with several cheetahs that were the 'least wild' in a ute and belting up and down while they chased the ute.

We were on the back of the ute and got to throw small treats of chopped heart at the end of each sprint. A couple of those, then a final run and a bigger chunk of meat was their meal.

For the more wild animals, we remained outside the paddock (several hundred metres on each side) and belted up and down the track alongside the fence, performing the same ritual. No OH&S BS here!.

Pics to follow in several posts should be self-explanatory from the above description. All photos from my iPhone and some while tearing along on a sometimes bumpy track while in the back of the ute. Yee-ha! All pics more @rse than class - but I must say I do like the one where I was very lucky to avoid cutting off the cheetah's nose.

I'll just add that this place was definitely not the 'come and cuddle a baby cheetah'-type place. They do serious science and management work there.

 

[JohnM]

Oops, slight muck-up with first pic. The running wire and Mike explaining things.

Now some action.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

Kate enticing the cheetah to let go of the rag with meat in a long-handled spoon.





Now to the ute activities.

 

[JohnM]

Dang! App in a loop again on third pic. Resuming transmission.

 

[JohnM]

Another couple of snippets: cheetahs actually meeow like kittens! Seems weird to see a big male give a high-pitched meeow! They also purr any time they are contented - even while walking along!

A top day!