Collected Moments of Survival

The African Elephant up close - almost posing for his photograph. It is Elephant Day today. For quite some time now I have been banging on about the Elephant Crisis that is sweeping through Africa. Those damned Chinese ivory carvers and their clients combined with bad governance by African leaders are keeping the momentum going, fuelling poaching and illegal trade. The losers in this story are the elephants that are dying at a rate of 15 per day. It can’t go on. So, besides Robert Mugabe and Jacob Zuma giggling and dismissing the frantic appeals by conservationists there is a large population whose concerns are more around filling their bellies and keeping starvation from their doors along with those who are filling their overfilled bellies and lining their pockets. And then there are those who, if they cared to listen, could perhaps be doing something more about this sad state of affairs. Why should you care, I hear you say? Well, let me tell you a little story that took...

The second day of packing up the tent in the morning and the realisation that this will be something we have to do almost every day sinks in. So, besides paying quite a high daily rate I have to make my own bed, pack it up and pack the car. For someone used to spending most of the day behind a lens this is certainly a bit of an eye opener. Okay, you can all stop laughing now! We head out at about midday as the rest of the group does a quick flip over the Okavango Delta. These flips (which I have done in a helicopter on a previous occasion) are highly overrated and it is very amusing to sit and listen to the stories around the campfire that night. Nausea seems to be the main topic of discussion with a large contingent not even looking out of the windows at the view below. We spend the morning trying to find a blanket as the sleeping bag I bought from Outdoor Warehouse must be rated for the tropics. With blanket underarm we head out for Sepupa Swamp Stop. This is about as inspir...

South Africans have become whingers. This is a new trend in the travel industry. I am in the travel industry so I know and the worst whingers (apologies to those who are not) are the citizens of the Republic of Cape Town. Yes guys, you are. This is therefore why I have not written a single blog about my trip to Botswana. I don’t want to be categorized as a whinger from Zululand. I will however, proceed with caution and try not to go off on too many rants during the telling of the story. I promise! It is our first road trip to Botswana, so the decision is made to go on a 4 x 4 adventure as an exploratory trip to see if we can join in and get some photography done at the same time. Two enquiries and the decision is that the better trip of the two looks like Bhejane 4 x 4 Adventures. Dates are set for July (school holidays - big mistake no 1). I will add here that my other half and I are seasoned African travellers who our whole lives have not shied away from the remote or faraw...